Thong Nai Pan

It’s not for nothing, that Southern Thailand islands are known as “the Paradise Islands”. The picturesque beaches of Koh Phangan are its pride, its trademark and a great source of income, therefore comparing one to the other, trying to choose the most beautiful one, is a fruitless task. However, if I would really be forced to choose “the best beach”, meaning, if somebody were to point his gun to my temple asking me this question – Thong Nai Pan would be my first choice.

Why Thong Nai Pan? For me, it has all the upsides of all the other beaches and not one single downside I can think of. You can find everything here: bars, parties, restaurants, perfect sand and much more, in less crowdie surrounding than that of Haad Rin and for lesser price.

Like Haad Rin, the oppositely located Thong Nai Pan is composed of two “Twin Beaches”. The quiet and full of space Thong Nai Pan Yai, is the little brother surrounded by perfect rocks for climbers. The big brother is Thong Nai Pan Noi; most bars and restaurants are located along its main street (which is its only street as well).

We spent some magic days on this beach, in Star Hut resort (for as low as half the price we paid in Leela Beach; my mom had always said that living in a suburb may be costly). In the mornings, we sat in the shallow transparent water near the beach; in the evenings, we visited the main street’s bars and enjoyed a company of five more people. Despite of the undisputed qualities of this beach, it is still too remote for most of Koh Phangan visitors: to access it, you should ride in a jeep through the jungle for more than one hour (as for me, this ride is a sort of an attraction). Keep in mind, that one visit to Thong Nai Pan will make it clear, that this beach was well worth a long ride.

Useful Information

Accomodation

Diving
Tropical Dive Club
Thong Nai Pan Noi, tel. 077-445081