Koh Phangan – beautiful Thai island | a brief introduction.

Welcome to Koh Phangan! Thailand’s fifth biggest island (Koh means ‘island’ in the Thai language), with an overall area of 167sqkm. For those of you who are inquisitive, the others are listed for you here.  

Phangan island is located some 70km from the mainland and just 12km from Koh Samui often referred to as its larger sister. Phangan does not have an airport and relies on ferries from the mainland (Surat Thani and Donsak), and Koh Samui, which both do have airports. Even though this makes traveling to our stunning island a little harder than to say, Phuket or Samui, it also keeps it quieter and more selective.

Natural Koh Phangan

Mainly consisting of granite mountains, Koh Phangan’s almost un-spoilt beauty is accented by a lush tropical jungle interior (2/3rds of which is National Park). With many idyllic, long white-sand beaches and over 20 easily accessible dive sites, the sea here is beautiful too. The main ports are Thong Sala, Ban Tai, and Haad Rin. You will find lots of ATM machines and banks, not to mention cafes, restaurants, and supermarkets for your convenience. Not to mention 7-11’s and Family Mart shops on what seems like every corner.

There are Tourist Police (dial 1155) on Koh Phangan for dealing with problems that you might be unfortunate enough to encounter as a visitor. Whereas the island’s police station is situated just outside of Thong Sala in their newly built, and expanded, police station. The crime rate here is low, often I leave my keys in my motorbike ignition (sometimes unintentionally!) when popping into the local shops, no worries!

Transportation is mainly provided by ‘songtaews’ (literally meaning ‘two benches’ – converted pickup trucks that normally have a set route). We also have minibusses (running less frequently), and motorbike taxis. Rental cars of all shapes and sizes and motorcycles can also be hired for self-drive independence. Some roads of Koh Phangan – such as between Ban Tai and Haad Rin, Ban Tai to Thong Nai Pan (Noi & Yai) are very hilly. In addition, there are many bends with not the best road conditions (surface sand, intruding rocks) so caution should be exercised, even more-so at night and in adverse weather conditions.

World Famous Koh Phangan Full Moon Party

Koh Phangan’s main claim to fame is largely due to its hugely popular Full Moon Party but there are also other parties here if that’s your bag. We also have Black Moon, Half Moon, and just about any other moon beach parties here. The monthly Full Moon celebrations are the largest though, attracting regularly around 30,000 party goers on New Year’s Eve yearly. Another party worth a mention is the very popular Jungle Experience Party. Why not try them all to see which one suits you the best!

In recent years this lovely island has become somewhat of a Mecca to Yogi’s and independent travelers. All attracted by the mix of beauty, beaches, nature, and relaxed laid-back attitude here. On the west coast, centered around Sri Thanu, you can find yoga to your heart’s content. Yoga of all types, and from many different schools. Also, in support of this kind of lifestyle, there are numerous places for vegetarians and vegans to eat their full.

Upmarket island

Koh Phangan is also growing as a higher-end destination. Want a holiday location away from the usual 2-week package holidaymakers? You got it! Although there might be a few more ‘sunny dispositioned’ party heads here, there are zero package holidaymakers. With all the old-world bygone era charm and easy pace of Koh Phangan, it is easy to get lost in time here and really, really, relax. The perfect antidote to those more ‘in the know’. Professionals of both the local area (Bangkok, Singapore, and Hong Kong) and also the world are beginning to take notice!

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Yes, well, that’s because it is!

If you are thinking of making a part of Koh Phangan your own then drop us a line. We are more than happy to help! Contact us today at Koh Phangan Realty for a no-obligation chat about, well….Koh Phangan!