Koh Phayam is a small, quiet island off Ranong, on the far north of Thailand's Andaman coast, with two long beaches, no cars and a slow pace that suits long stays. You reach it by speedboat (about 40 minutes) or slow boat (about two hours) from Ranong, which has an airport with flights from Bangkok's Don Mueang.
Phayam sits close to the Myanmar border, far from the busy Phuket and Krabi area, and it has kept the feel of an older kind of Thai island: wooden bungalows, narrow concrete lanes, cashew trees and a village by the pier. There are no big resorts and no 7-Eleven. People come for empty sand, sunsets and a hammock, and some stay for weeks.
The price of that quiet is the journey and the weather: Ranong is one of the wettest places in Thailand, and boats thin out in the monsoon.
Koh Phayam at a glance (checked October 2026)
- Province
- Ranong, about 33 km off the mainland coast (TAT)
- Main beaches
- Ao Yai (Long Beach) in the southwest, Ao Khao Kwai (Buffalo Bay) in the northwest
- Boats from Ranong
- Speedboat about 40 minutes; slow boat about 2 hours; check times at the pier
- Nearest airport
- Ranong (UNN), Thai AirAsia from Don Mueang, about 1 hour 20 minutes
- Getting around
- No cars; motorbike taxis, rented motorbikes and bicycles
- Best months
- December to March; August is the wettest month
What kind of island Koh Phayam is
Koh Phayam is a flat to gently hilly island with forest and cashew plantations inland and long beaches on its west coast. The one village is on the east side, next to the pier, and that is where you find the small shops, rental places and a few cafés. Most bungalows and resorts are spread along the two western bays, a few kilometers away by narrow lanes.
The island has a mixed population. Thai families, a Moken (sea people) community, workers from Myanmar and foreigners who return every winter all live here, and Thai visitors come over from the mainland at weekends. The island's only temple, Wat Ko Phayam, stands on the east coast and has a white prayer hall built out over the sea on a long pier, which is worth the short ride from the village.
Evenings are quiet apart from the odd beach-bar party. If you want shopping, nightlife or a dive shop next door, our guide to choosing a Thai island suggests better matches.
Ao Yai and Ao Khao Kwai: the two beaches
Ao Yai ("Big Bay", often called Long Beach) runs for about four kilometers of soft, pale sand on the southwest coast, according to Travelfish. It is the island's busiest beach and the one with the most bungalows. It faces the open sea, so it gets real waves: in the monsoon it is one of the few Thai beaches where people surf and bodyboard, and some resorts rent boards. At high tide the beach is narrow; at low tide it becomes a wide, flat expanse good for walking and sunsets.
Ao Khao Kwai ("Buffalo Bay") on the northwest coast is a single bay of about four kilometers split into two beaches by a stretch of rocks. The northern part is longer and has more places to stay and a few bars; the southern part is quieter and has finer sand. Because the waves are smaller than at Ao Yai, it is usually the better choice for families with young children.
Neither beach has jet skis or beach vendors. Two small annoyances are worth knowing: sandflies, which bite around dawn and dusk, and at times tiny stinging jellyfish larvae in the water at Ao Yai. Our page on jellyfish in Thailand explains first aid.
The reefs around Phayam are protected by law. Coral, seagrass and rock formations off the island were declared protected areas in 2020. Do not stand on coral, collect shells from the reef or anchor a hired boat on it; our page on what you cannot take home from Thailand covers the penalties.
Getting there: the boats from Ranong
All boats to Koh Phayam leave from the pier at Pak Nam, on the coast a few kilometers west of Ranong town, and arrive at the island's pier on the east coast. Two kinds of boat run:
- Speedboats take about 40 minutes. Several operators run them, with many departures a day in the high season from early morning to late afternoon.
- Slow boats take about two hours and run a few times a day. They are cheaper and more comfortable on a calm day, with room to move around.
Fares printed online are often several years old, so we do not repeat them. Check the current price and the last boat of the day at the pier or with your bungalow, especially if you arrive on a late flight. In the low season there are fewer departures, and boats are cancelled when the sea is rough, sometimes for more than a day. Do not plan a tight connection to an international flight on the day you leave the island. Our guide to speedboat travel in Thailand describes what the ride is like and what to check before you board.
Some Ranong-bound speedboats can stop at Koh Chang Noi, the small Koh Chang off Ranong (not the big Koh Chang near Cambodia), depending on the tide. A chartered longtail is the other way between the two islands.
From the pier on Phayam, motorbike taxis wait for every boat. Travelfish reports a charge of 70 to 100 baht to anywhere on the island. Your bungalow can also call one for you later in your stay.
Reaching Ranong: flight, bus and the long way round
By air. Ranong Airport (UNN) is the quickest way in. Thai AirAsia flies from Don Mueang, about 11 flights a week in a July 2026 snapshot, and the flight takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. Make sure your ticket says Don Mueang, not Suvarnabhumi; our guide to Bangkok's two airports explains the difference, and the page on domestic flights covers baggage rules. From the airport you need a taxi or pre-arranged transfer to the pier.
By bus. Long-distance buses and minivans link Ranong with Bangkok and with other towns in the south, including Chumphon, Khao Lak and Phuket. Ranong has no railway station: the southern line runs down the Gulf side through Chumphon, so a train journey ends with a bus or minivan across the narrow neck of the peninsula. Our overview of long-distance buses in Thailand explains classes and terminals. Check current times and operators before you travel, as routes change.
From the south. If you are already in Khao Lak or Phuket, the road north along the coast is the usual way. There is no regular boat link from Phuket or Khao Lak to Phayam.
Ranong town: hot springs and a night on the way
Many travelers pass through Ranong in an hour, but the town is worth a night if your flight or bus arrives late. Its best-known sight is the Raksawarin hot springs, about one kilometer from the center on Chon Ra-u Road (Highway 4005). TAT describes three natural pools, named the Father, the Mother and the Child, with water at about 65°C, set in a shaded public park with pavilions.
Across the estuary lies Kawthaung in Myanmar. We do not recommend a visa run or day trip there: the UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to that part of Myanmar's Tanintharyi Region, and our page on border runs from Thailand explains the options that still work.
Power, internet and money on the island
Koh Phayam is simpler than the big islands, and the basics vary from one bungalow to the next. We could not find an official source on how the island's electricity is supplied, so ask your bungalow directly before you book: whether there is power around the clock, whether the room has air-conditioning or only a fan, and how fast the Wi-Fi is. If you work online, ask for a recent speed test, and keep a mobile data plan as a backup.
Bring a torch for the dark lanes and a power bank for outages. Our guide to power cuts in Thailand covers protecting laptops and phones when the supply drops. Bring enough cash from Ranong too: do not count on finding a cash machine that works with your card on a small island.
Getting around: motorbikes, bicycles and sandy lanes
There are no cars or trucks on Koh Phayam, only motorbikes, a few tractors and some quad bikes, according to Travelfish. A network of narrow concrete lanes links the pier, the village and the beaches. The distances are too long to walk comfortably with luggage, but the mostly flat terrain is good for cycling, and several places in the village and many resorts rent bicycles and motorbikes.
Ride slowly. The lanes have deep ruts and patches of loose sand that appear without warning, and medical care on a small island is basic. Before you rent a motorbike, photograph every scratch with the owner present, because charges for small damage are a known problem; our guide to safe scooter riding in Thailand covers helmets, licenses and insurance.
When to go: Thailand's second-wettest weather station
Ranong is often called Thailand's wettest province. The official numbers are slightly different: in the Thai Meteorological Department's 1991–2020 normals, Ranong gets 4,183 mm of rain a year, second only to Trat on the eastern Gulf coast (4,927 mm). Either way, it is very wet in the southwest monsoon.
| Months | Average rain (TMD, Ranong) | What it means on Phayam |
|---|---|---|
| December – March | February 19.8 mm, January 41.1 mm | Best season: calm sea, most boats, most places open |
| April – May | May 485.9 mm | Hot; rain returns in May |
| June – September | August 771.5 mm, July 706.3 mm (26 rainy days in August) | Monsoon: big waves at Ao Yai, fewer boats, cancellations |
| October – November | October 421.3 mm | Rain easing; services pick up from mid-October |
Go from December to March if you can. The low season has its fans, mostly surfers and long-stayers who like the empty island, but check that your bungalow is open and expect days when no boat runs. Our pages on the best time for the Thai islands and travel in the rainy season compare the Andaman side with the Gulf.
Day trips from Phayam: Surin and Laem Son
In the dry season, boat trips from Phayam go to nearby islands. The longest is a full day by speedboat to the Surin Islands national park, which is open only from 15 October to 15 May; our guide to the Similan and Surin Islands covers the season and park rules. Shorter trips go to small islands in Laem Son National Park, south of Phayam on the Ranong coast. The Department of National Parks announced on 18 October 2026 that Laem Son had fully reopened for the season.
Trips run only on some days, so ask on arrival. Our hub for the quieter Andaman islands describes the other islands farther south, from Koh Yao Noi to the Trang group.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get to Koh Phayam from Bangkok?
The fastest way is a Thai AirAsia flight from Don Mueang to Ranong (about 1 hour 20 minutes), then a taxi to the pier and a speedboat of about 40 minutes. The cheaper way is an overnight bus to Ranong followed by the boat.
Are there cars on Koh Phayam?
No. There are no cars or trucks on the island, only motorbikes, a few tractors and quad bikes. You get around by motorbike taxi, a rented motorbike or a bicycle on narrow concrete lanes.
Which beach on Koh Phayam is best?
Ao Yai is the longer, livelier beach with sunsets and surf in the monsoon. Ao Khao Kwai is calmer, with smaller waves, which makes it the better choice for families with young children and for swimmers.
Is Koh Phayam worth visiting in the rainy season?
Only if you are flexible. From June to September Ranong gets very heavy rain, boats run less often and can be cancelled, and not every bungalow stays open. Surfers and long-stayers enjoy it; first-time visitors are better off going between December and March.
Can you do a visa run from Ranong to Kawthaung?
We do not recommend it. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to that part of Myanmar, and travel insurance may not cover you there. Our page on border runs explains the alternatives.
Sources
- Thai Meteorological Department – Climatological normals 1991–2020 (Ranong and Trat stations) (checked October 2026)
- Department of National Parks – Laem Son National Park reopening, 18 October 2026 (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Ko Phayam (archived copy, checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Raksawarin Hot Springs and Public Park (archived copy, checked October 2026)
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office – Myanmar travel advice (checked October 2026)
- Travelfish – How to get to Ko Phayam (checked October 2026)
- Travelfish – Ko Phayam's beaches (checked October 2026)