Beaches on Koh Phangan

There are over 30 beaches on Koh Phangan. There is a variety of different atmospheres that you can find, which will work for you. You can find tranquil and calm beaches, beaches for partying, some abandoned beaches, although it is a bit difficult to reach them. There are beaches for nudists or for yoga enthusiasts. There are beaches for anyone. Below you will find a list of the best beaches on Phangan.

By the way in Thai language "haad" (หาด) means the beach.

Malibu Beach

In the north part of Phangan you can find Malibu Beach. Soft, white, enjoyable sand. The beach is perfect for children and to take beautiful photos. The beach is shallow and almost without waves. But in Malibu beach you can be bitten by sand flies. On the island people do believe that sand flies only bite if you are not a good person. What to do if you are bitten by sand flies.

There is a cafe and volleyball net right on the beach. And a 5−7 minute walk will take you to the neighboring Chaloklum Beach.

The beach on Instagram. Malibu beach on the map.

Zen Beach

Zen Beach is located in the Srithanu area in the west of the island. An awesome place to watch the sunset. Every evening around 6pm, you can listen to some musicians and watch people practise acro yoga, you can even join in with a partner if you like. After sunset there is usually a bonfire and fire show and more live music, sometimes dancing and singing. There are two cafes on the beach. On the right side of Zen beach is an unofficial nudist beach.

The beach on Instagram. Zen Beach on the map.

Haad Rin Beach

Haad Rin is a very long, wide and fairly deep beach. The road to Haad Rin is extremely hilly and curvy. If you’re not an experienced driver, be very cautious. It might be a better idea not to drive yourself if you are not confident on the scooter. In the rainy season from April to August, it is one of the few beaches with normal water levels. There are many bars and restaurants on the beach. Different water activities, like JetSki, are available. From here boats go to the neighboring beaches — WaiNam and Haad Yuan, where the Full Moon Party is held once per month. For people who enjoy swimming far out — be aware and careful, there is a reverse flow, moving away from the beach. There is also an online camera streaming from Haad Rin.


The beach on Instagram. Haad Rin Beach on the map.

Haad Yuan Beach

Haad Yuan Beach is the first beach of three eastern, hard-to-reach beaches for partying. On weekends (from Friday till Sunday) this is a party place. On working days, these are amazing and beautiful beaches to just relax. You can get there by boat from Haad Rin (300 baht per person) or walk for a couple of hours through the jungle. Do not forget to wear clothes which cover your skin and use mosquito spray, if you choose to trek.

The path: if you stand on Haad Rin with 7/11 behind you and an unfinished building in front of you, look for a path between the building and the fence. Take this path. After 150 meters you will exit next to some bungalows. Between the bungalows there is an open space, with a path in the middle. At the beginning of this path you should see a sign and you will see fluorescent signs along the way, that glow in the dark at nighttime.

Haad Yuan Beach on the map.

Haad Tien Beach (Haad Thien) East

Haad Tien beach East -as we also have the Western Haad Tien beach- is the second hard-to-reach party beach, up from Haad Rin. Most parties here are happening on Sundays however, at Guy’s Bar for example. To find out how to get to the beach — read the Haad Yuan description above.

The beach on Instagram. Haad Tien beach on the map.

Why Nam Beach (Wai Nam)

Why Nam (or Wai Nam) is the third beach of the far beaches for partying and comes with an incredibly beautiful view. Every Saturday talented and beautiful people come here to swim, to play with hula-hoops and to perform a fire show with very cool and often live music. To find out how to get to this beach — also read the Haad Yuan description above.

The beach on Instagram. Why Nam Beach on the map.

Mae Haad Beach, Ko Ma

Mae Haad Beach is also called Ko Ma — by the name of a small and inhabited island next to the beach. At low tide you can walk to the neighboring island along the landspit. On the left side of the island there is a good place for snorkeling. High above the beach there is Three Sixty bar, where you can get awesome photos of the sunset and of the island.

The beach on Instagram. Mae Haad beach on the map.

Than Sadet Beach

Haad Than Sadet Beach is located in a national park. At the end of 2019, they put up a barrier at the entrance and charge 100 baht per entry. Like Haad Rin, in the non-rainy season, there is a good water level and you can swim here. There is a cafe on the beach, with a living pig and a nearby small lake with lizards. On the right side you will find a wooden bridge. If you walk along it and ignore the overlap, you will find some abandoned houses, a huge rock with a nice viewpoint and another small beach.
Sometimes it is possible to see luminous plankton in Than Sadet.

Than Sadet Beach on the map.

Haad Rin Nai Beach

The southeastern Beach of Rin Nai is also called the Cocohut Beach Resort beach. This is a corner of beauty and tranquillity. The beach is not very long, only 300 meters. In addition to swings and large stones, there is a beautiful pier that goes into the sea. A great place for taking photos.

Haad Rin Nai Beach on the map.

Haad Yao Beach

Haad Yao beach is very wide, with white sand and palm trees. Many resorts, cafes, massage salons and other entertainment line the beach as well as a diving school. In low season there are strong ebbs. 15 meters from the coast there are reefs, which are nice for snorkeling. At Haad Yao you will always have a magical sunset view.

Haad Yao Beach on the map.

Secret Beach (Haad Son)

Secret Beach or Haad Son is a small beach with a clean seabed and another wild beach behind the cliffs on the left. There is also an excellent cafe: Koh Raham, where you can dive.

Secret Beach on the map.

Coconut Beach (Haad Khom)

Haad Khom Beach is known as Coconut Beach or Coral Bay. You can do snorkeling there — on the seafloor you will find some coral, fish, and stones. And there is a big pet pig called Dukdik with whom you can play. Many people go there to see him.

Coconut Beach on the map.

Bottle Beach

Bottle Beach (officially Ao Haad Khuat) is a beautiful long and inaccessible beach. But for people who like to have a lazy holiday and take beautiful photos it’s the perfect place to stay. There are several resorts, cafes and even kayak rentals.

Bottle Beach is not so easy to get to. The easiest way is to go by boat for 150 baht from Chaloklum. Or you can walk through the jungle. The hiking trail takes an hour and a half. Or you can drive to the bike parking and walk to the beach by foot in 20 minutes. But only do this if you have your own bike -or you rented Enduro- because the road is pretty tricky. The main thing is not to go when there is rain, then the road will be very bad and dangerous.

The beach on Instagram. Beach Bottle Beach on the map.

Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach

Thong Nai Pan Yai is a cozy and wide beach in the northeast of the island, with nice white sand and no sea urchins or stones, which makes it a comfortable beach to swim. Like many beaches on Koh Phangan at low tide, it becomes shallow, which is why on sunny days the water becomes like hot milk.

After 2 pm you can easily find a spot on the beach in the shade under the palm trees, which makes this a perfect place for swimming with children.

The beach on Instagram. Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach on the map.

Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach

If you want to get to a beach which is different from the others, you should come here. Coarse clean golden sand, well-groomed coastline and cleanliness supported by the staff of expensive hotels located along the beach. Dreaming to jump and dive into the sea right from the shore? Here you can do it thanks to a rather sharp entry into the water. You can’t hide in the shadow in the midday sun here, so the best time to visit is morning or evening. It’s worth visiting Ton Nai Pan Noi sometime after sunset and to enjoy the glowing moon on the sea during the full moon.

The beach on Instagram. Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach on the map.

Haad Nam Tok Beach (abandoned)

The small and very beautiful abandoned Haad Nam Tok beach is located in the east of the island. You can get to the beach either by foot (about 5 km along the road through the forest) or in a 4×4 jeep. Or if you have excellent scooter driving experience, you can try it. But personally, I won’t go there a second time, my dear friends, it is a very bad road. In some places these are stones on a slope, you hold the brakes — but the bike won’t stop. In the end, you still have to go 20 minutes down the stones to the waterfall, and the path is not visible. On the 50 meters long beach there are several abandoned houses and a small canopy. Take food and water with you.

The beach on Instagram. Haad Nam Tok beach on the map.

Zen Beach for nudists

Zen Beach for nudists is located on the right side of the main Zen Beach. Moreover, there is no clear border between them. The beach is long and clean, with warm and clear water. However, for swimming it is rather shallow, especially during low tide. The bottom is sandy sometimes and littered with sea cucumbers and corals.

As there is no strict border between the beaches, the place is quite passable. Tourists often walk to this part of the beach from Haad Chao Pao, or from the main Zen Beach.

Zen Beach for nudists on the map.

Monkey Rocks nudist beach

A shallow northern beach without an official name in the Chaloklum area. You can find the bike parking at the Haad Khom viewpoint sign. Further on the left there will be a sandy road. Go down around 400−500 meters, a steep descent over stones — and you are in an abandoned paradise. Google Maps knows the way.

The beach is sandy with nice gravel and corals, there are a lot of stones and sea cucumbers in the water. There is a swing on the main beach. Also, if you walk along the stones to the left side of the beach, then there will be another small bay for a secluded getaway.

Monkey Rocks nudist beach (near Coral Bay) on the map.

Secret beach for nudists

The nudist beach near Haad Son and Secret Beach. As you go to the beach through the Secret Beach cafe, go left behind the first stones. And you will get to a wonderful secluded place for nudists.

Secret Beach for nudists on the map.

Nudist beach next to Pirates Bar

The beach is near the abandoned Pirates Bar. You can get to it from Haad Chao Phao Beach. Walk along the sea across the bridge on the left side. At low tide, there are 3 bays, that means there are three beaches where you can sunbathe without constraint. One of them consists of more stones and on the second one there is an excellent shadow from a tree. Also at low tide you can walk along the beach to the neighboring Zen Beach.


Nudist beach next to Pirates Bar on the map.

Map of Phangan beaches

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