East Vs West

There is a friendly rivalry between the different areas of Koh Phangan. Whether it be east, west, north or south each part of the island has its own distinctive feel and flavour. This has been made somewhat official by the designation in 2015 of different zones in Koh Phangan. As you can see from the graphic below it is believed that Haad Rin and half the east coast is for parties,  the north is for diving, the west is for wellness and health and the south is for 'lifestyle' things (symbolised by a boat).

As with most things emanating from the local government it is ad hoc and purely theoretical. Most of the east coast consists of inaccessible beaches, and other than the weekly Friday night party at Guy's Bar at Haad Yuan there is no party scene on the east coast. Indeed nearly all the parties bar the Full Moon Party and Black Moon Party happen on the south coast, in the supposed lifestyle area. Jungle Experience and the Half Moon Party are clearly not in zone 2 and are clearly allowed to happen.

The map is more accurate for the north and west. As Chaloklum in the north is the favoured pier for dive boats. And the beaches clustered around Srithanu have become the favoured spot for gurus and yogis wanting to spread love, peace and happiness (while collecting handsomely for the service).

There is something of a clear difference between east and west but not as the map demarcates. On Trip Advisor for best beaches in Koh Phangan Thong Nai Pan Noi is number 1, Thong Nai Pan Yai is number 2, Haad Yuan is number 7 and Haad Sadet is number 9. Clearly the best beaches are on the east coast. The rocky terrain with sheltered bays and the lack of coral reefs make the beaches on this side of the island much better for swimming and sunbathing. The isolation and the comparative lack of development on these beaches also draw true beach lovers.

In contrast beaches on the west coast such as Wok Tum, Hin Kong and Srithanu are not great for swimming. The coral reef off-shore makes for big tidal variations. You don't see many people swimming here. Indeed most of the mid-range and luxury resorts have swimming pools as guests are reluctant to walk over lots of slippery rocks to get to the sea.

What the west coast does do better is community. There is a growing sense of a common purpose developing as yoga centres, detox centres and vegan restaurants all espouse a common goal of self-transformation. The fragmented nature of the east coast means that people staying in Thong Nai Pan Noi rarely regard Haad Sadet as a possibility for a day trip. Indeed many staying in Thong Nai Pan Noi never even get to the neighbouring beach of Thong Nai Pan Yai.

It would need better roads to the east coast beaches to really connect the beaches of the east coast. The airport is on hold, and we can only speculate how the airport might affect the east coast anyway. 

The good news is that unlike Rudyard Kipling's famous line 'East is east and west is west, and never the twain shall meet'. The two sides of Koh Phangan do meet in Thongsala as this is currently the only hub connecting to the two halves of the island.

Haad Thian East

Just a short post to share this brilliant video of Haad Thian East made for The Sanctuary. As well as being an advert for the famous wellness centre on the island, it showcases the stunning beach and the surrounding natural beauty.

The video relies heavily on aerial photography that circles the Sanctuary on the headland as well as hovers over a calm emerald ocean. Such stunning images would have been out of the financial reach of most businesses in Koh Phangan prior to the advent of drone technology. There are now companies in Koh Samui that have drones ready to film and photograph from the sky. It gives a new perspective to a place and helps capture the wider context of a locale. In this case, it demonstrates that Haad Thian East is a small beach nestled in the jungle. It is a tropical and unspoiled paradise.

For those bracing themselves for the cold of a European or North American winter, this video cannot help but engender wistful feelings of wanting to be far away on a remote tropical island.

Haad Yang

Haad Yang along with Haad Nam Tok and Haad Khontee on the east coast of Koh Phangan is deserted. By which we mean there are no shops, hotels, guest houses or other businesses. It is another beautiful ‘Robinson Crusoe’ beach in Koh Phangan.

Haad Yang is located south of Haad Nam Tok and just a short distance north of Haad Yao East. There is only a rough track to the beach from the main Thong Nai Pan to Baan Tai Road. And this is the main reason why nobody has thought to start a tourist business on the island.

There is also a path to the beach from both the surrounding beaches. This is the trail that starts in Haad Rin and goes up the east coast of Koh Phangan. It is perhaps the least travelled and most rewarding trails to take on the island as it takes in these fabulous empty beaches.

For those into hard core trekking and exploring the possibility of taking a tent and supplies and spending days completely alone immersed in the immense tropical beauty of Koh Phangan is fulfilled with this trail. More online resources are needed to make this trek safer for people. I consider this trail to be one of the best kept secrets of the island. Eventually someone will offer adventure tours and the trail will register on the social media and Trip Advisor radar.

You can hire a longtail boat to take you to Haad Yang from one of the resort beaches on the east coast. You will have to organise a pick up time with the boat man or you will be walking off the beach. The chances of flagging down a taxi boat are slim.

The beach is 200 meters long. It has fine white sand and is one of the most picturesque beaches on Koh Phangan. It is also a fairly wide beach at the centre of its’s slight crescent. Behind the beach is thick jungle only broken by a stream that runs down to the beach. The stream is most easily identified after heavy rain.

As with all the beaches on the east coast except for Haad Khontee it is corals free. The water gets deep quickly and is great for swimming. A word of caution, however, if you swim here there is nobody to rescue you. Don’t swim too far out and don’t do anything more than paddle at the water’s edge if the sea is a bit rough.

Koh Phangan Airport and Surat Thani Airport

Surat Thani Airport has two main types of customers – Thais heading to the provincial capital in Southern Thailand for business or to visit relatives, and tourists taking advantage of cheap budget carriers to travel the length of Thailand quickly and cheaply. These tourists normally head off to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand or to Khao Sok National Park.

The flight from Bangkok to Surat Thani Airport costs as little as 1,500 Thai Baht. Considering the bus or train costs at least 1,000 Thai Baht for the same journey and takes an overnight journey the flights seem great value. The main downside of Surat Thani Airport from a tourist point of view is that it is a long distance from other destinations. It is 30 minutes to Surat Thani City or 1 hour and 30 minutes to the port of Donsak where the Raja Car Ferry sets sail for Koh Phangan. Moreover, the added journey adds more expense.

For those determined not to use the over-priced Thai Airways that fly into Koh Samui Airport the recent fly and ferry deals offered by Lomprayah and other travel firms offers quicker journey times than the bus or train and up to 2,000 Thai Baht in savings. Unfortunately, landing in Surat Thani Airport rather than Koh Samui adds at least 3 hours onto travel times.

This is where Koh Phangan Airport comes in. Kan Air claims it will be offering flight prices much lower than Thai Airways. For those wanting to get between Bangkok and Koh Phangan quickly the airport becomes very interesting. While it might be more expensive than taking an Air Asia flight to Surat Thani Airport the time spared means the Kan Air Flights are likely to quickly fill up.

This is especially true during the Full Moon Party when many people just want to go to Koh Phangan for the epic night of the party but have little interest otherwise in staying on the island, or they are short on time.

All this means that if Koh Phangan Airport is ever finished it is likely to impact on the profitability on air routes between Bangkok and Surat Thani Airport. People have pointed out how the proposed airport will rival Koh Samui Airport, less have seen that the greater rivalry is between Koh Phangan Airport and Surat Thani Airport.

However, this is all hypothetical until Koh Phangan Airport is actually operational. They are a long way off completion.

Than Sadet Waterfall

The most famous place on the east coast of Koh Phangan is Than Sadet Waterfall. It is the place on the island with the strongest royal connections. The name ‘Than Sadet’ means in Thai ‘Royal River’. It is in honour of the Thai monarchy that has visited the area on several occasions.

In 1888 King Rama V acquired a steamship and proceeded to visit the far flung parts of his Kingdom. He fell in love with Than Sadet - he visited a total of 10 times to the area. On one of his visits he carved his initials into a rock near the waterfall. In doing this he set a precedent that was followed by Rama VII and the present King, Rama IX. The stone with three royal signatures is now an important tourist attraction, particularly for Thai people.

The waterfall is near the beach (Haad Than Sadet). It covers a 3 kilometre course. There are a few bigger drops but generally it is a fairly ‘flat’ waterfall with water tumbling through a course of rocks. There a few large pools along the waterfall’s path that are suitable for sitting in. The best time to visit Than Sadet waterfall is between May and October when there is more rain. Although the waterfall never runs dry, it does look more dramatic with a greater volume of water flowing.

As you can see from the short video clip the water is brown. That is the same for all the waterfalls on Koh Phangan. The heavy soil gets caught in the water and turns the water brown. It is however ‘fresh water’ and is used by locals for washing. You can see the blue pipe in the video. Other waterfalls on the east coast such as Than Prawes in Thong Nai Pan Noi serve as an important source of fresh water.

For the foreigner Than Sadet Waterfall might seem a slight disappointment if you have travelled far to get there. However, if you are staying on the east coast anyway it is a great half day trip to take a longtail boat to Haad Than Sadet check out the waterfall, have a swim in the sea and perhaps have a spot of lunch before heading back.

For more about Than Sadet see our earlier blog post - http://kohphanganeastcoast.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/than-sadet.html

Drone Over Koh Phangan Airport

It was announced this week that the Thai authorities plan to ban drones. No doubt countries around the world will have to review their privacy laws in line with new developments in technology which allows people to photograph places that were previously hidden from view.

For a couple of years the site for Koh Phangan Airport at Than Praphad on the east coast of Koh Phangan was open for people to visit. That is not to say that people were officially allowed on the building site, but rather there was nothing to stop people from driving a bike down the rough lane and taking a look around when the workers were not around. This year a gate went up on the site. It seems Kan Air have started taking security a bit more seriously.

This did not stop Florenz Kittel, who has a company based in Koh Samui called Eagle Eyes, from flying one of his drones over the airport site.

There has been a lot of genuine interest about the project especially from tourists hoping to use the planned service to cut down on travel time often looking to go to the Full Moon Party or the other parties in Bantai. Despite little official response from Kan Air, Bangkok Post regularly runs stories about the company to keep the project in the media spotlight. As you can see from the YouTube clip there is a lot of work remaining to be done. There has been mention of Kan Air looking for financial partners for the new airport.

Putting all this speculation to one side, the clip does show the beauty of the east coast of Koh Phangan – the sheer cliffs, the virgin forest and the hilly terrain.

Than Sadet

Than Sadet is the most historically important beach on the island on account of it being visited by 3 different kings of Thailand, including the present King Bhumibol and the much revered King Rama V. The latter visited the forest and beach of Than Sadet over 10 times. It is in his honour that the small village was named 'Than Sadet' meaning 'royal river'.

The forest at Than Sadet is protected by national park status. For the time being no big hotels have been built at Than Sadet. It is uncertain that the park status will prevent development in the area. It is hoped that if the local families consent to large-scale development that the national park land is preserved as it makes a gorgeous backdrop to the stunning beach often called Haad Sadet.

The beach is divided into two sections. Just south of the main beach is a smaller beach called Haad Thong Reng. It is also sandy with large rocks strewn around the bay. There is one basic backpacker place to stay. Than Sadet used to be a traveller secret - an awesome beach hidden away from the world with just basic bungalows for rent. It attracted long stay visitors on a budget who wanted a remote beach idyll. It still retains the same feel only now there are air-copn bungalows for rent. Families now stay at Than Sadet. Plaa's, Mai Pen Rai and J.S Hut all welcome families.

The power is still from generators and there is no mobile phone coverage. The road is still a dirt road that gets treacherous after heavy rains. For many this is as it should be. Anyway here is a short movie top give you an idea about what Than Sadet is like.

Haad Khontee

Haad Khontee is part of the Haad Rin peninsula. It is the first beach you encounter as you move north from Haad Rin Nok. You can see the beach from the southern tip of the Full Moon Party Beach. It looks very close and inviting.

Indeed Haad Khontee is only 1 kilometer away as the crow flies. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking you can walk up Haad Rin Nok and find a trail head leading to the next beach. The mountainous terrain in Koh Phangan means that many of the trails seem counter-intuitive, heading the wrong way. They were established as the easiest way over the rocks and through the jungle.

A good account of how not to get to Haad Khontee is provided in this blog post. Following the coast means scrambling over huge boulders, with the sea crashing all around, as well as forcing your way through thick jungle. Don’t do any hiking in flip flops or without water, sunblock and some snack food.

Always ask a Thai person where a trail starts. The Haad Yuan trail from Haad Rin starts just outside the town. This trail doesn’t go via Haad Khontee. The best options for visiting Haad Khontee is to ask around taxi drivers. The beach was deserted but now has one resort – Khontee Resort. It is a basic bungalow resort composed of wooden bungalows and wooden reception and restaurant. The resort is serviced by a dirt road through the jungle. A decent 4 wheel drive vehicle can do the journey, especially when there isn’t too much mud. The less bumpy option is a taxi longtail boat from Haad Rin Pier.

Haad Khontee

As with the other east coast beaches, Haad Khontee is a gorgeous white sand beach. It’s about 200 meters long. Due to its position and the coastal drift the beach gets lots of drift wood, flotsam and jetsam on the shore. Having the resort on the beach helps to keep it cleaner.

Another thing that should be noted about Haad Khontee is that it is good for swimming near the shore, but don’t try to venture beyond the headland as there are strong currents in the sea. Bungalows at Haad Khontee Resort start at 1,000 Thai Baht a night. It is quite expensive for what you get, but the remoteness and isolation of the beach partly justifies the premium rate. If you stay a few days you might be able to negotiate a room discount.

It is surprising how close Haad Khontee is to the commercial heart of the island, and yet it is one of the least visited and least known about beaches on the island.

Haad Khontee Update

Haad Khontee Resort has closed. All that is left are some wooden bungalows slowly being reclaimed by nature. This makes Haad Khontee a 'free beach'. You could bring a tent or even try to make one of the disused bungalows a temporary shelter.

However, be sure to bring plenty of water, food and other supplies as the nearest shop is either back in Haad Rin or on the next beach up the coast, Haad Yuan.

For those interested in snorkelling, Haad Khontee has a few corals off the coast that are worth exploring. This is one of the few places where you can go snorkelling on the east coast.

Best Party on East Coast

The east coast of Koh Phangan is probably the least renowned on the party island for its parties. All the big parties happen in Haad Rin and Baan Tai. In Chaloklum on the north coast there are a few lively bars and a jam night at Omega bar. On the West coast you can party the night away at Rasta Home (Haad Yao), Jack’s Bar (Haad Yao) and Eagle Bar (Haad Yao). You can also attend a free beach rave at Pirates Bar on Haad Chao Phao 2 days before the Full Moon Party. Hin Kong has open mike nights on Wednesdays and band nights on Saturdays at the Jam Bar. All of these venues and events cast the east coast as the least interesting in terms of night life.

This is particularly true since Thong Nai Pan Noi dismantled its nightlife – Hideaway closed in 2012 and Jungle Bar is a shell of its former self. The mantle of the TNP party beach was never really adopted in Yai – Game Bar is too laid back and sophisticated to really get the house jumping, and Funky Buddha only opens when it fancies – which is not often.

This leaves only one contender for the accolade of the best party on the east coast: that is Guy’s Bar in Haad Tian. Every Friday they have an all night party. The party features resident DJs as well as the semi-famous Peter G who does the Blue and Green Sramanora Waterfall Party in Ban Kai. It is a free party and it is well attended not just by a horde of Haad Rin party-people but also by the ex-pats on the island.

It is a simple bar with a corrugated tin roof, wooden furnishings and low seating and cushions – very much in a traditional Koh Phangan vein. The power for the party is from a generator.

Haad Tian is a typical east coast beach in that it is small, without an off-shore coral reef and isolated. Normally, the beautiful beach is populated by just a few people staying at one of a couple cheap bungalow resorts or the New Age Sanctuary.

You can only get to Haad Tian beach by longtail boat or 5 km jungle trek from Haad Rin. Few taxi drivers will attempt the dirt road to Haad Tian and certainly not at night to carry drunken party people. The majority of those who go to the Friday night party at Guy’s Bar come by longtail boat and stay all night and take a boat back to Haad Rin.

People choose the east coast to escape the cares of the world and the noise of the party scene, but for one night in Haad Tian something of the colour, beats and insanity of the Haad Rin/Ban Tai party zone happens on the east coast.

Linking up the East Coast

Than Sadet Roundabout

The challenge for regional planners and for developers will be to ‘link up’ the beaches on the east coast of Koh Phangan. When you look at a road map of Koh Phangan it will soon become apparent that there are no roads on the east coast of the island.

Instead there is the Baan Tai to Thong Nai Pan road that winds its way over mountains and through jungles. From this road a number of dirt tracks go down to such east coast beaches such as Than Sadet, Haad Yao and Haad Nam Tok.

There are a number of footpaths joining up parts of the east coast. There is a path from Thong Nai Pan Yai to Haad Sadet, one going from Haad Rin Nok to Haad Yuan and one going from Haad Sadet to Haad Thong Reng. It is not impossible to walk up the east coast, beach hopping, but it is very difficult; and such an undertaking would be very much going ‘off the beaten track’.

At first glance at the geography of the region, the notion of an eastern coastal road seems a challenge for engineers that might be prohibitively difficult and expensive. However, the same was said about building an airport at Than Prapad. Moreover, work is already underway creating a road that goes around Koh Phangan. The first stage is to finish concreting the Baan Tai to Thong Nai Pan Road. The next will probably be upgrading the Thong Nai Pan to Bottle Beach Road. Then it is likely that the road will be extended to Chaloklum. When this happens Thong Nai Pan will be easily accessible from the north of Koh Phangan. At that point the east and the west will be joined.

If eastern beaches like Haad Sadet and Haad Thian become centres of hotel development there will be pressure to first provide better access roads to these beaches – The Haad Sadet road is already underway – and to build roads going north-south, not just east-west.

These questions are partly the territory of land speculators who look to predict the future and get in on the ground floor. Opposed to the money incentive are those purists who love the east coast beaches exactly because they are hard to get to and cut off from the rest of the island.

Than Sadet

Than Sadet literally means ‘royal river’. The area was given this name in honour of King Rama V who visited the area several times during his reign. It is customary to also call the beach Than Sadet although perhaps more accurately it should be called ‘Haad Than Sadet’.

Despite its beautiful beach and royal connections, Than Sadet has resisted becoming a major tourist attraction on the island. This is because of the difficulty of reaching the beach, and because it is a small beach owned by local families who have kept to the simple formula of catering to backpackers with basic Thai style bungalows.

Things are slowly changing. The road from Ban Tai to Thong Nai Pan has been paved and now work is starting on improving the road to Than Sadet. At present the island’s electricity supply doesn’t reach the beach resorts at Haad Than Sadet. Instead, electricity comes from generators that are switched off in the evening. No doubt over the next few years this will change.

Waterfall and National Park

Than Sadet is a village, beach and large national park that stretches over a wide area. It is free to enter the park. The park is famous for its waterfall course that was a favourite spot of King Rama V. He signed his name on one of the rocks. Subsequently two other Kings of Thailand, including the present King Rama IX, have added their signatures.

The picture shown below was taken in July when the water levels are at their lowest. The best time to visit Than Sadet waterfall is between December and February.

In this picture you can see all three royal signs. From left to right, the authors are Rama V (in 1901), the current king Rama IX (in 1962) and Rama VII (in 1928).

Accommodation in Than Sadet

There are a couple of bungalow outfits to stay at on the beach. The most popular is Mai Pen Rai Bungalows. They are located right on the beach front. These beachfront bungalows cost between 1,000 THB and 1,300 THB a night depending on the season. They come with fans and are beautifully built using natural materials. Some are built around the large granite boulders which are a feature of North East Koh Phangan. Bear in mind that all electricity in Than Sadet comes from a generator, which is switched on only between 11am and 4pm and 6pm and midnight.

Mai Pen Rai Bungalows also has a beach restaurant. The food is good, particularly the Western dishes with a French co-owner overseeing the kitchen.

At the opposite end of the beach to Mai Pen Rai bungalows there is a cluster of small restaurants and bungalow resorts clinging precariously to the steep headland.

View

The climb to the top of the headland is by concrete steps pinned into the granite rock face. It’s not far, but it is steep. It is worth making the effort as the view from the headland is magnificent. The picture is taken from the restaurant at Silver Cliff Bungalows, where small bungalows with an equally good view are available for 400 to 500 THB a night. You can't book these bungalows online, only by telephone a few days in advance. This said they are rarely full, and there are plenty of other places to choose from, so if you want to stay perhaps it’s less hassle to sort it out when you get there. Bon chance!

East Coast About to Open Up

In June 2013 work began on the small stretch of road just before Than Sadet that remained dirt track. When it is completed (due 1st October) it will open up the east coast of Koh Phangan to further tourist development.

At present it is only the Thong Nai Pan area that has luxury hotels and a mass tourist appeal. However, this situation could all change within a few years. The west and south coasts suffer from large tidal differences. In the high season of July and August the sea recedes a long way at low tide. It means people have to walk 1 km out to be able to swim. Although beaches like Haad Salad and Haad Yao on the west coast have coral reefs and diving and snorkelling opportunities, for those just wanting a swim these beaches are far from ideal. The best swimming beaches are definitely on the east coast in places like Thong Nai Pan, Than Sadet, Haad Nam Tok, Haad Thian and Haad Yao East. It is these pristine beaches with great swimming conditions that developers will be looking to build hotels and luxury resorts on.

Koh Phangan Airport is under construction and due to be finished in late 2013 or early 2014. With a good road linking the airport to the east coast beaches it is only a matter of time before people stop looking at Ban Tai and Haad Rin and start casting their attention to the eastern beaches.

In Snowdonia in Wales high gates have been placed in the park that are commonly referred to as ‘granny stops’. They are designed to deter the masses from over-running the national park. Only the better and fitter climbers and walkers make it over the high gates to enjoy certain parts of the park. This is to protect the environment.

The bad condition of the Ban Tai to Thong Nai Pan Road was in effect a ‘granny stop’ that held in check mass tourism and large scale development projects. When the 3.75 km part of the road is paved the granny stop will be removed and more people will start to explore the beautiful east coast.

The least well known beaches in Koh Phangan are set, in a few years, to become the best known. That is ‘progress’.

Haad Yao East and Than Phraphad Developments

Haad Yao East

Haad Nam Tok waterfall

Haad Yao East and Than Phraphad are small beaches on the East Coast of Koh Phangan that are usually off the radar for visitors to Koh Phangan. One has been sold to a luxury hotel developer and the other is up for sale. Quietly, this part of the island is attracting interest from those wanting to build high-end resorts.

Haad Yao East is largely unheard of because there is another beach on the island called Haad Yao. It is located on the west coast and is a popular holiday destination as it has a 1km long beach and a nearby coral reef. This beach is sometimes called ‘Haad Yao West’.

Than Phraphad is a waterfall and jungle area near Haad Nam Tok. It is a famous beauty spot for Thais but has been largely over-looked by foreign visitors to the island due to its inaccessibility. Moreover the neighbouring waterfall of Than Sadet with its royal connections and better facilities has become part of most boat tours of the island.

It is only with the commencement of construction work on Koh Phangan Airport near Than Phraphad that the area has had any media exposure.

Already some smart investors are beginning to see the potential for the region. It has the best beaches, pristine jungle, spectacular mountain scenery and, most importantly, Thong Nai Pan Noi with its 4 luxury hotels clearly indicates the viability of high-end tourism in the region.

The dozen beaches on the east coast are all owned by local families. It is unusual for ownership to change hands: rather beach land is customarily leased out. Yet already rumor has it that Haad Yao East has been sold and Than Phraphad is up for sale. The success of Thong Nai Pan Noi has not gone unnoticed by the local communities along the east coast of Koh Phangan.

Change will not come immediately. It takes 2 years to make an environmental impact assessment before building work can begin on a resort. Also Koh Phangan Airport is probably 3 to 5 years away from being fully operational. Investment in the region is a mid to long term strategy that requires plenty of financial clout and perseverance. Rasananda in TNP Noi was up and running in just over a year, as was Santhiya. The mooted developments require a different model.

Time will tell, but anyone who has regularly visited Koh Phangan over the last 10 years will tell you how tourism and infrastructure on the island has changed dramatically.

The East Coast and Koh Phangan Airport

Lots of people were surprised to discover that Koh Phangan Airport was being built on the east coast of the island. It seems the least likely spot for an airport. There is flat land in the south near Ban Tai, and there are also areas along the west coast that seem more suitable for a runway.

The east coast of Koh Phangan is the least accessible part of the island. There are still beaches such as Haad Nam Tok, Haad Thian and Haad Yuan East that you have to trek to or catch a boat to. The mountainous terrain and the jungle have left these beaches cut off from the rest of Koh Phangan.

What then is the reasoning for attempting to construct an airport in the east of Koh Phangan?

We can only guess the rationale behind Kan Air’s choice of site. Perhaps there wasn’t any other land available?

More people are inclined to think it is to do with the luxury resort beach of Thong Nai Pan Noi in the north east of Koh Phangan. Thong Nai Pan is a magnificent double bay with towering mountains behind covered in thick jungle. In the 1980s it was a travellers’ secret – two perfect beaches very underdeveloped and very ‘chilled’.

The secret got out and in the early 2000s there was a rush to build luxury accommodation on the smaller of the two beaches – Thong Nai Pan Noi. Now there are three 5 star hotels – Rasananda, Santhiya and Panviman. There is also one stylish 4 star resort called Buri Rasa. All the cheap beachfront bungalows have been pulled down. This year (2013) even the old Tapan Noi bungalows on the headland were pulled down.

The village has even been altered with Buri Rasa setting up a European style paved café / shop enclave at the end of the village road where it leads down to the beach.

The people who visit Thong Nai Pan Noi are the most likely to be willing to pay a premium to fly directly to Koh Phangan, and more so if the airport is just 10 minutes from their hotel.

Moreover the site for Koh Phangan Airport is close to all the major parties on the island – the Full Moon Party, the Half Moon Party and the Jungle Experience. These seem the two most likely factors influencing the placing of Koh Phangan Airport.

For those interested Koh Phangan is currently being built near Than Praphad Waterfall and Haad Nam Tok. It is a very short runway that ends at a cliff. Kan Air hopes to fly 2 flights a day between Koh Phangan and Bangkok. They plan to use 12-seater propeller planes. For more information and updates go to www.kohphanganairport.com

Haad Nam Tok

Haad Nam Tok is one of the smallest and least visited beaches in Koh Phangan. It’s on the East Coast south of Than Sadet beach. Very beautiful and also very hard to get to.

From Haad Rin or Thong Sala, you need to take the Bantai Road until you get to the turning by the 7Eleven to go to Thong Nai Pan. Follow the Thong Nai Pan road about 500 metres past Koh Phangan Jungle Flight. On your right you will see a turning to Than Praphad and Kung Bungalows. It is a dirt track.

Be warned this is a bad road. You can do it on an automatic motorbike if there is one person per bike and you are fairly confident at riding. The track is steep and rocky in spots. You need to follow the road and sign to ‘The Beach’ for about 4km; keep an eye on the road ahead because there comes a point you need to leave your bike – the road gets too steep and if you ride down you won’t get back up again. The best place to leave your bike is by the sign that says ‘Walkway to Beach’. Beyond that it is walking only.

Once you have left your bike it’s only about a 20 minute walk down to the beach, but more strenuous back up. You need to bring water and wear a hat as you will get very hot. The views on the way are spectacular and the path crosses over the waterfall that gives the beach its name (‘Nam Tok’ means waterfall in Thai). It gets steep near the beach but there are ropes fixed to the rock to stop you slipping on the path.

There is very little at the beach. A bar, which may or not be open. Sometimes some tents for rent and a toilet/shower block. Very often no one else is there. One local lives on the cliff above but bothers no one. Foreigners sometimes set up here for months on end doing the whole Alex Garland thing. Early 2013 there have been lots of beach parties here at night. If one is on when you go to Koh Phangan I would advise thinking about a visit. Very Old Skool and a small like-minded crowd. Just remember to bring water, beer, food and anything else you are going to need for a night out.