Ko Phayam

In terms of amazing islands, paradisiac beaches, coconut trees… There is no much to argue that Thailand offers one of the widest variety around the world.

They all have their particularities. Ko Phayam is not the most beautiful, does not have the whitest sand, the clearest water, the most amazing resorts and villas, but it sure has one particularity: it’s one of the most untouched islands of them all.

Also known as Reggae Island, Ko Phayam is located in the province of Ranong, at just a 1h15 flight from Bangkok. The access to the island is made by speedboats of maximum 25 people, which only run a handful times a day.
The high season is from December to April, the rest of the year the weather can be a bit random.

We decided to visit this island to try something new, because we thought it would be a good opportunity to relax and spend a few days doing basically nothing. There is no cars there, only motorbikes. Each hotel produces its own electricity, some of them don’t even provide juice all day long!

We stayed in Phayamas Resort, which happens to be one of the most luxurious of the island. Because the island is so quiet and “roots”, it attracts a lot of hippies and backpackers. Therefore, most of the accommodations are guesthouses or even campings.

Our hotel had its own private beach, because it was the only access to it. In 3 days we have never seen anyone else than us.

One of the highlights of Ko Phayam is a bar called Hippie Bar. Pictures can’t do justice to this place. It is composed of little tree huts, each of them being your private personal space. They are linked to each other by wooden bridges. The effort put to small details, and the fact that there is absolutely no metal or concrete to make it all stick together makes this place even more unique.

It’s also a great place to watch some Thai Hornbills, and admire a wonderful sunset!

As mentioned in the beginning, the beaches around the island are not the usual tropical landscapes, but they have such a cool and relaxing atmosphere, especially Aow Khao-Kwai and its trees growing in the sea

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Our 3 day getaway almost sums up as taking early morning beach walks, eating at one of the many amazing restaurants, napping, tanning, having a drink at sunset and going to bed early.
Because there is no public lights, there is not much to do after sunset (around 7 PM). Plus the island is full of mosquitos, spiders, etc, we ended up sleeping at 9:30 PM every night…

A good opportunity for Gaspard to train on his video editing skills!

If you happen to be visiting this part of Thailand, or if you are looking to spend some days in nature without the usual mass of tourists in Thailand, Ko Phayam is the perfect opportunity to take, before it gets too developed and loses its charm.
It’s also a good place to get things done, as you can easily spend a month in one of the cheap accommodations there and work on a personal project, yoga, etc…