best-thailand-islands

Thailand is home to an astonishing array of islands offering all manner of diving, swimming and sunbathing opportunities all year round. The hardest part for any visitor is singling out the best. Here are 20 of our favourites, taken from the Rough Guide to Thailand’s Beaches & Islands. Scroll down to see them placed geographically on our interactive map.

Ko Chang

Edged with a chain of long, mostly white-sand beaches and dominated by a broad central spine of jungle-clad hills, Ko Chang is developing fast but still feels green. It’s Thailand’s second largest island, after Phuket, but unlike its bigger sister it has no villages or tourist facilities within its steeply contoured and densely forested interior, just a few rivers, waterfalls and hiking trails. Despite its popularity with mainstream and package tourists, it’s still possible to find accommodation to suit most budgets and though the beaches may be busy, they’re undeniably handsome with plenty of inviting places to swim, stroll or snooze under a palm tree.

Ko Si Chang

The unhurried pace and absence of consumer pressures make tiny, rocky Ko Si Chang an engaging place to wind down for a few days. Unlike most other east coast destinations, it offers no real beach life – though the water can be beautifully clear and there are opportunities to dive and snorkel. There’s little to do here but explore the craggy coastline by kayak or ramble up and down the steep contours on foot or by motorbike.

Ko Pha Ngan

For drinking and dancing – and then more dancing – Ko Pha Ngan gets a mention in this list thanks to its world famous beach, Hat Rin. It’s now established as the major party venue in Southeast Asia, especially in the peak seasons of August, December and January, but every month of the year people flock in for the infamous Full Moon Party. The atmosphere created by thousands of folk mashing it up on the beautiful, moon-bathed beach, lit up by fireworks and fire jugglers, ought to be enough of a buzz in itself, but unfortunately drug related horror stories are common currency here, and many of them are true, so be careful.

Ko Samet

Blessed with the softest, squeakiest sand within weekending distance of Bangkok, the tiny island of Ko Samet, which measures just six kilometres from top to toe, is a favourite escape for Thais, expats and tourists. Its 14 small but dazzlingly white beaches are breathtakingly beautiful, lapped by pale blue water and in places still shaded by coconut palms and the occasional cajeput (samet) tree that gave the island its name. They are also, however, rather overcrowded and developed to full capacity, so don’t come here expecting a secluded break.

Ko Mak

Small, slow-paced, peaceful Ko Mak makes an idyllically low-key alternative to Ko Chang. Home to little more than 400 people, many of them descended from the islands’ five main clans, Ko Mak measures just 16 square kilometres and is dominated by coconut and rubber plantations. The island is shaped like a star and has fine white-sand beaches where most of the tourist accommodation is concentrated.

Ko Kood

The fourth-larges island in Thailand, forested Ko Kood (sometimes spelt Ko Kut or Ko Kud) is still a wild and largely uncommercialized island. Though it’s known for its sparkling white sand and exceptionally clear turquoise water, particularly along the west coast, Ko Kood is as much a nature lover’s destination as a beach bum’s. Swathes of shoreline are fringed by scrub and mangrove rather than broad sandy beaches and those parts of the island not still covered in virgin tropical rainforest are filled with palm groves and rubber plantations. Ko Kood is a surprisingly pleasant place to explore on foot (or kayak), especially as the cool season brings refreshing breezes most days.

Ko Tao

Ko Tao (Turtle Island) is so named because its outline resembles a turtle nosediving towards Ko Pha Ngan, 40km to the south. The rugged shell of the turtle, to the east, is crenellated with secluded coves where one or two bungalows hide among the rocks. On the western side, the turtle’s underbelly is a long curve of classic beach, Hat Sai Ree, and the 21 squared kilometres of granite in between is topped by dense forest on the higher slopes and dotted with huge boulders that look as if they await some Easter Island sculptor. There are rough trails inland that are great for exploring but Ko Tao is most famous for its great scuba diving.

Ko Chang (Andaman Coast)

No, we’re not repeating ourselves, this is a different Ko Chang, not to be confused with its much larger namesake off the east coast of Thailand. It’s a forested little island about 5km offshore, whose car-free, ultra laid-back, roll-your-own vibe more than compensates for the less-than-perfect beaches. The pace of life here is very slow and for the relatively small number of tourists who make it to the island the emphasis is strongly on kicking back and chilling out – bring your own hammock and you’ll fit right in.

Ko Phayam

The diminutive kangaroo-shaped island of Ko Phayam offers fine white-sand beaches and coral reefs and is home to around 500 people, most of whom either make their living from prawn, squid or crab fishing, or from growing cashew nuts, sator beans, coconut palms and rubber trees. Because of its roads, Ko Phayam has a slightly more developed feel than neighbouring Ko Chang, underlined by a low-key beach-bar scene – all hand-painted signs and driftwood sculptures – and the presences of a significant number of foreigners who choose to spend six or more months here every year.

Ko Ra

Hilly, forested Ko Ra (measuring about 10km north to south and 3km across) sits just off Khuraburi pier’s mangrove-lined estuary and is covered with intact rainforest full of towering trees, hornbills and wild, empty beaches. The island is home to some two-dozen Moken and Mai Tai people and just one place to stay, the rather special American-Thai run.