• Digital Nomad History
  • Digital Nomad Resources

Nomadic Notes

Travel blog and weekly travel newsletter

  • Blog
  • Travel Newsletter

Ko Phayam Travel Guide – “like Pai, with a beach”

April 24, 2016 By James Clark 8 Comments

Travel Notes > Thailand > Ko Phayam Travel Guide

Ko Phayam Travel Guide

On my quest to visit some new islands in Thailand I ended up at Ko Phayam; an island in the Andaman Sea in Ranong province, close to Myanmar. The most distinguishing feature of the island is that it is car-free. Apart from some tractors the only motorised transport is motorbikes.

Bike Road

The island has a network of concrete roads that support bike traffic but it is otherwise underdeveloped. Power is not 24 hours at some places, there are no ATM’s, and the internet is patchy. That sounds like a nightmare for this digital nomad, yet I enjoyed my stay here.

If you come here looking for the creature comforts that the more popular islands offer (like Koh Samui) then you will be disappointed. I went knowing that I would not get any work done and that I would be roughing it a little, and I had a relaxing time.

Ao Yai (Long Beach)

I stayed near Ao Yai (Long Beach) which is the most popular beach on the island. The water isn’t crystal-clear but it wasn’t as bad as I have read about. The sand is nice to walk on and for the most popular beach it isn’t that busy.

Ao Yai (Long Beach)

I also enjoyed the beach during low tide when the water recedes to reveal thousands of crabs holes and their perfectly-formed balls of sand they create.

Low tide

Ao Yai faces west so it is the ideal sunset beach.

Sunset fun

Hippy Haven

I still haven’t been to the hippy haven of Pai in Northern Thailand, but I have heard Ko Phayam being described as “like Pai, with a beach”. With no cars on the island there hasn’t been rampant development as seen other Thai islands, which has made it an ideal hippy enclave.

Organic Shop

If I had known this before I went I might not have gone, or at least would have gone thinking I wouldn’t like it, so I was surprised that I liked it so much. It is nothing like Ubud in Bali, which has become so self aware of its hippiness that it has become a parody of itself.

I met a few people who spend months at a time here, and have been repeat visitors. Near the bungalow I was staying at was this cafe called Baan Namcha.

Baan Namcha

I loved the little library they have inside. With intermittent electricity and terrible internet, the island is an ideal place to kick back and read books.

Baan Namcha library

Cashews. Cashews everywhere.

Cashew fruit

If there is one sound that I associate with Ko Phayam, it is the sound of cashew fruits plopping on the ground.

I had never stopped to think what a cashew tree might look like, and I never would have guessed that the nut is actually a seed that grows on the bottom of a false fruit.

The island is covered in cashew trees and you could see splattered fruits on the concrete roads, and smell the rotting fruits everywhere. I stayed in a bungalow that was set in a cashew plantation which only added to my association.

Cashews for sale

Where to stay in Ko Phayam

Most islands I have read about in Thailand usually includes the advice to “get there before it is overdeveloped!” While there has been development on the island I can’t see it being overdeveloped without first developing the road infrastructure to support cars. For now the island has an abundance of hippy bungalows with some mid-range bungalows and resorts.

I stayed at the Phayam Sport Bungalow. This is a rustic bamboo bungalow which was about 500 metres from the beach.

Agoda lists some of the cheapo bungalows as well as the the 4-star resorts. (Search Ko Phayam hotels here.)

Frog Beach House
[Frog Beach House on Ao Yai.]

Travel Guides

kohphayam.org – A site dedicated to the island with maps and info on how to get there.

Ko Phayam – The Travelfish guide to Ko Phayam has a good overview of the island.

Blog Posts

Koh Phayam: ‘Like Thailand’s Koh Samui in the 70s’ – The headline of this article might sound like link bait, but it is close to the truth when you consider that the island has no cars, no mains electricity, and no McDonalds or Starbucks.

On islands, snobbery, and Koh Phayam – I was fortunate to visit Ko Phayam without any expectations. Somehow I had not crossed paths with any backpackers that recommended I go. If I had I may have had the same experience as Kate.

A love letter about my favorite paradise island, Koh Phayam in Thailand – imperialfool.com.

Koh Phayam – Thailand’s best kept secret island – onestep4ward.com.

Photos

Ko Phayam Photo Gallery – Photo gallery of Ko Phayam.

Filed Under: Travel Notes Tagged With: ko phayam, thailand

Comments

  1. Keith Mander says

    April 25, 2016 at 7:21 am

    After some 15+ islands in Thailand (http://www.keithmander.com/?p=1413), Phayam is up there near the top.

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      April 25, 2016 at 9:18 am

      Interesting list of islands – I clearly have more to visit!

      Reply
    • Giles Peach says

      May 12, 2016 at 8:39 am

      Yep, I absolutely loved Koh Phayam when I was there over Songkran. I would put it at the top of your list of 15 too.

      Reply
    • Jan says

      May 31, 2016 at 1:01 pm

      Ko Chang is my absolute favourite, here’s my list: https://www.thecrazytourist.com/the-25-best-islands-to-visit-in-thailand/

      Reply
  2. Rosemarie says

    June 22, 2016 at 12:24 am

    Beautiful place! I really love Thailand’s tourist destinations, they are stunning. Love the article!

    Reply
  3. Annika says

    September 16, 2016 at 2:18 am

    I just remembered when I was young, I and my family visited Thailand and explore beaches like Koh Tao and Koh Phayam. I really love to stay there. I just don’t remember if I picked up some cashew in Koh Phayam.

    Reply
  4. Freeman says

    February 16, 2017 at 3:10 pm

    Oh my goodness! What a paradise dude!

    Reply
  5. Anushka says

    April 28, 2017 at 11:04 am

    wow i want to go here and eat too much Cashews

    thanks James for sharing such a lovely places

    Reply

Leave a Reply to James Clark Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Weekly Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts, and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.
Subscribe For Free Here [No spam, unsubscribe anytime.]

About Nomadic Notes

James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

More about me and Nomadic Notes.

Follow Nomadic Notes

Recent Posts

  • Notes on Kep – Fake beaches, ruined villas, crabs (of course), and a cool cafe of Cambodia
  • Notes on Kampot – There’s been a vibe shift
  • Notes on Koh Rong – An island in transition
  • Where I’m At: July 2022 – Hanoi
  • Laos-China Railway – A review of the Vientiane to Boten train
  • Notes on Sihanoukville – After the gold rush
  • Where I’m At: June 2022 – Vientiane
  • Notes on Phnom Penh – Revisiting after the reopening
  • Where I’m At: May 2022 – Saigon
  • Notes on Ko Samet – The closest beach-break island from Bangkok

European Rail Travel

Eurail Pass Travel Guide

Europe Rail News – The new newsletter for train travel in Europe

Southeast Asia Rail Travel

Southeast Asia current and proposed railways

A complete guide to train travel in Southeast Asia

Featured Posts

Top 200 Travel Books
How to find cheap flights
Best new banks for travellers, expats, and nomads

About Nomadic Notes

About
Advertise
Contact
Contribute
Press/Media Mentions
Where I've Been

Search Nomadic Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Resources

Long-term Travel
Travel Blog Directory
Travel Gear
Travel Insurance
Travel Sites

Where To Stay In…

Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Da Nang
Ho Chi Minh City
Hong Kong
Jakarta
Kuala Lumpur
Macau
Penang
Singapore

Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.

Copyright © 2022 Nomadic Notes · Site Map | Privacy · Log in