Samet Nangshe is a hilltop viewpoint on the mainland north of Phuket that looks east over the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay, and it is at its best at sunrise. It sits on private land: you park at the bottom, pay for a short pickup ride or a small fee to walk up, and you can camp on the hill to be there before dawn.
Most visitors see Phang Nga Bay from a tour boat. This page is about the land side: the viewpoint, the old mining town of Phang Nga, a cave temple and a forest park with a waterfall pool. Together they make a good overnight trip from Phuket or Khao Lak.
Samet Nangshe and Phang Nga town in brief
- Where
- Ban Samet Nangshe, Khlong Khian sub-district, Phang Nga province, on the mainland north of Phuket
- Best time of day
- Sunrise; the view faces east over the bay
- From Patong
- Just under 80 km, about two hours by road (TAT)
- Land status
- Private land, opened to visitors in 2016 (TAT); not a national park
- Pickup up the hill
- 60 or 90 baht depending on the viewpoint; 30 baht to walk up (TAT page archived March 2024; check on arrival)
- Overnight
- Tents and bungalows on the hill, run privately
- Nearby
- Phang Nga town, Wat Suwan Khuha cave temple, Sa Nang Manora Forest Park
Samet Nangshe at sunrise: what you are looking at
From the top of the hill the ground drops away to mangrove and open water, and beyond it the bay is scattered with steep limestone islands. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) describes the view to the east as "particularly striking at sunrise", with chains of islands on both sides as the light comes up. On a clear morning you may also see fishing boats setting out, and at low water a sandbar in the bay, which TAT mentions in its 2026 promotion of the spot.
The Thai photographer Theerasak Saksritawee made the viewpoint known, and in April 2026 TAT named it among its 25 "Amazing Thailand Ambassador" check-in locations, so expect tripods at dawn, especially at weekends. After dark the sky can be good for stars; TAT notes that the Milky Way is sometimes visible.
Weather matters more than the season. A hazy or cloudy morning can hide the islands completely. The Andaman coast's rains run roughly from May to October, and TAT expects the dry season to be settled by December; our page on the best time for the Andaman and the Gulf compares the months.
The road up: private land, car parks and the pickup
Samet Nangshe is not a national park, and you do not pay a park fee here. According to TAT's attraction page (archived March 2024), the hill is privately owned and was turned into a visitor site in 2016, with accommodation and facilities. There are two main viewing points, each linked to a different business with its own car park:
- The first viewpoint is about 300 meters' walk from a small resort and campsite, with the best outlook at a café on the edge of the hill. TAT listed a shuttle from the car park at 60 baht.
- The second viewpoint is about 500 meters further on, at another resort with tents and bungalows. TAT listed its shuttle at 90 baht.
The track is short but very steep, so TAT advises parking at the bottom and taking one of the local pickup trucks. You may walk instead, but TAT says walkers pay a 30-baht conservation fee. These prices come from a page that is more than two years old and are set by private owners, not the state, so take small notes and confirm the fare before you climb on.
Ask when the first pickup runs before you book a sunrise visit. If you sleep elsewhere and drive in for dawn, the car park and shuttle need to be operating before first light. The simplest way round this is to spend the night on the hill.
Camping and staying the night on the hill
TAT's 2021 article mentions a small campsite and café at the viewpoint, and its later attraction page lists tents and bungalows at the resorts on the hill. Sleeping there saves you a drive up a mountain lane before dawn.
We found no official price list for tents or rooms, so check what is included when you book: a tent with bedding, a mattress or just a pitch. Bring a light layer, a head torch and insect repellent, and if you plan to fly a drone at dawn, read our page on drone rules first. This is not a national-park campsite, so the booking system and rules described in our guide to camping in Thai national parks do not apply, but the advice on gear and mosquitoes does.
Phang Nga town: the old mining town behind the bay
Phang Nga town is the provincial capital, and most travelers pass straight through it on the highway. TAT calls it a former mining town and has tried to give visitors a reason to stop: in 2019 it commissioned the Thai street artist Alex Face to paint three murals of his three-eyed child character, Mardi, around the town. They show the mining past, a lion dance opposite a Chinese shrine, and a Chinese junk in a bottle, a nod to the town's old trading links and its Chinese community.
The town is a practical base too, with places to stay and eat that cater mainly to Thai visitors, and long-distance buses from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal run to it, which our guide to traveling from Bangkok to Khao Lak covers. Give it an afternoon on the way to the two sights below.
Wat Suwan Khuha: the cave temple and its monkeys
Wat Suwan Khuha, which local people call simply Wat Tham ("cave temple"), is built into a limestone hill with several caves. TAT places it about 9 km from Phang Nga town on Highway 4 towards Phuket, with a paved road of about 1 km leading off to the right at kilometer 30. TAT counts it among the province's most important temples.
The lowest and largest cave, Tham Yai, serves as the temple's prayer hall. Its walls are decorated with ceramic tiles and pieces of crockery, and it holds a number of Buddha images, the most important being a reclining Buddha. Other caves, named by TAT as Tham Chaeng, Tham Muet and Tham Kaeo, lie higher up. The archived TAT page gives the entry fee as 20 baht; we could not confirm the current fee or opening hours, so carry a little cash. It is an active temple, so dress as our guide to temple etiquette describes.
The monkeys in front of Wat Suwan Khuha are wild animals. TAT says a large number of monkeys feed in front of the cave. Do not feed them, keep food and plastic bags out of sight, and if a monkey bites or scratches you, wash the wound and read our guide to animal bites and rabies straight away.
Sa Nang Manora Forest Park: a waterfall pool in the forest
Sa Nang Manora Forest Park is close to Phang Nga town. According to TAT's attraction page (archived October 2020), you take Highway 4 about 4 km from town, then turn at the sign and drive another 4 km. It is a small park of evergreen rain forest on limestone hills, with streams and a series of small waterfalls. The main one falls into a pool that TAT says has water all year round.
The name comes from a folk tale: seven kinnari sisters, half-woman and half-bird, flew down to bathe in the pool, and the youngest, Manora, was caught by a hunter. A nature trail of about 2 km takes roughly an hour and needs no guide, according to TAT, and there are caves further in, one of them home to bats; for the deepest, Tham Kaeo, TAT says you need a guide. TAT listed the park as open 08:00 to 17:00, with a restaurant and a camping area where you bring your own tent.
Forest parks are not on the national-park fee list, and we found no official fee for Sa Nang Manora, so carry cash for a possible charge. After rain the rocks by the falls are slippery.
Getting there from Phuket and Khao Lak
From Phuket. Samet Nangshe is on the mainland north of the Sarasin Bridge. TAT gives the drive from Patong as just under 80 km and about two hours. TAT's directions turn off the main road towards Ban Tha Yu and Khlong Khian, then follow signs. There is no public transport to the hill that we could confirm, so you need your own car or scooter, or a driver. Our guide to hiring a car with a driver explains day rates and what to agree before a pre-dawn start.
From Khao Lak. The viewpoint and Phang Nga town are within day-trip range of Khao Lak. We found no official driving time, so allow for mountain roads and plan to arrive the evening before if sunrise is the goal. If you drive yourself, read our guide to renting a car in Thailand, and drivinginthailand.com describes the road north from Phuket in more detail.
A practical plan is two days: Phang Nga town, the cave temple and Sa Nang Manora in the afternoon, a night on the hill, and sunrise at Samet Nangshe before driving on. The bay itself, with James Bond Island and the canoe trips into sea caves, is a separate day by boat, covered in our guide to Phang Nga Bay from Phuket. From Khao Lak, Khao Sok National Park makes a natural next stop.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to visit Samet Nangshe?
There is no national-park fee, because the hill is private land. TAT's attraction page (archived March 2024) listed pickup rides of 60 or 90 baht, depending on which viewpoint you use, and a 30-baht conservation fee if you walk up. Private owners set these prices, so check on arrival.
Can you camp at Samet Nangshe?
Yes. TAT mentions a campsite at the viewpoint, and the resorts on the hill offer tents and bungalows. They are private businesses, so book directly and ask what bedding is included. Staying overnight is the easiest way to be at the viewpoint for sunrise.
How far is Samet Nangshe from Phuket?
TAT gives the drive from Patong as just under 80 km, taking around two hours. The viewpoint is on the mainland, north of the bridges that link Phuket to Phang Nga province, and there is no public transport up the hill that we could confirm.
Sources
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Phuket and Phang Nga viewpoints (Samet Nangshe) (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Samet Nangshe Viewpoint (archived copy, March 2024) (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Amazing Thailand Ambassador locations, April 2026 (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – The Andaman opens its doors again (October 2026) (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Street art in Phang Nga town (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Wat Suwannakhuha (archived copy, January 2023) (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Sa Nang Manora Forest Park (archived copy, October 2020) (checked October 2026)