Thailand Beach Itineraries for Koh Samui, Phuket and Koh Chang
Southern Thailand is one of the most beautiful beach destinations in the world, but it can be an absolute nightmare to get around. After 8 years of exploring Thailand’s beaches, I’ve realized that there are only really three beach trips worth the hassle. One mistake can waste whole days of travel, so we need to understand the problem. To do this, I’m going to need a delicious Chang beer.
This is a bottle of Chang, and the beer in this bottle represents the total amount of time that you will have on your Thailand trip. These three glasses represent the three beach destinations that you’ll visit in Thailand. What we want to do is completely empty the bottle so that the beer, or your time on the trip, is more or less spread out equally across the three glasses.
But there’s a catch. Each time we travel between these destinations, we’re going to lose time that we could spend at the beach, meaning that we’ll have to empty some of the beer from the glasses. Mmm, that’s good, Chang.
Whilst losing some time to travel is inevitable, what we want to avoid are long, complicated journeys that empty our glasses, leaving us with far less time to actually enjoy Thailand’s beaches.
Gulf Islands Beach Trip with Koh Samui Koh Phangan and Koh Tao
The first beach trip worth doing includes three different islands, which are home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, stunning temples, world class snorkeling and diving spots, as well as some of the wildest party scenes in the world.
The first island on beach trip one has some of the most luxurious resorts in the country, and it’s famous for its cultural landmarks like Wat Plai Laem and the Fisherman’s Village. This is the island of Koh Samui, and it’s the second largest island in Thailand, so there’s plenty to explore. I’d recommend spending at least 3 days here.
From here, it’s just an hour’s boat ride to island two, which is home to some of the most peaceful hidden beaches on any island in Thailand. It’s a wellness hub with lots of places to practise yoga or meditation, but also the site of the famous Full Moon Parties that take place once a month. It’s the island of Koh Phangan.
To end this beach trip, you can visit the island that is most famous for its underwater wildlife. It’s home to some of the best dive spots in the world, where you can have the chance to see manta rays, green turtles and even whale sharks. This is Koh Tao, and again, it’s only an hour’s boat ride from Koh Phangan, meaning we don’t have to waste much of our Chang beer.
What I like most about this trip is the ease and frequency of the boats travelling between the three islands. There are boats running pretty much every hour between the three islands from about 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., but be prepared for schedule changes, especially during rainy season. It’s quite common for trips to be delayed or cancelled, which can cause a real headache.
For the smoothest transitions to these islands, it’s best to fly into Koh Samui, which is the only one of the islands that has an airport. However, flights to the island can be very expensive, meaning lots of people choose to take the time consuming and sometimes confusing trip from Surat Thani Airport, which requires multiple changes and can be done in half a day, meaning that you’ll waste significant time on either side of your trip.
Andaman Beach Trip with Phuket Koh Phi Phi Railay and Koh Lanta
Luckily, though, beach trip two is much easier to get in and out of. The second beach itinerary will take you to three different islands, which are home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, stunning temples, world class snorkeling and diving spots, and some of the wildest party scenes in the world. Sound familiar? Well, that’s exactly what I said for trip one, and that’s the point. Anything you’re looking for on your Thailand beach trip can be achieved with either one of these itineraries without having to spend whole days travelling across the country.
Island one is home to some of the best street food in southern Thailand, has some of the largest temples and monuments, and Bangla Road is one of the largest collections of bars anywhere in the country. The city’s Old Town has a fascinating history, with stunning markets and architecture to explore. Phuket is the biggest island in Thailand, and I’d recommend spending at least 3 days exploring it.
Are you looking for some of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand, where you can swim with sharks and party all night? Koh Phi Phi is just an hour’s boat ride from Phuket. Just another hour’s boat ride away is Railay Beach, one of my favourite beaches in Thailand, as well as stunning mountain temples and mystical lakes in the Emerald Pool. This isn’t an island, but the beach town of Krabi.
Looking for something more laid back? Koh Lanta is the island to escape from the crowds and enjoy the natural beauty of Thailand. Again, only another hour’s ride away, these groups of islands are known as the Andaman Sea islands.
As you can see, there’s something to offer for everyone. If you’re travelling from Bangkok or the north of Thailand, there are two airports that you can fly into, in Krabi and Phuket, which save significant travel time and stress. Phuket is actually an international airport, so if you’re only here for a short time, or if you only care about visiting the beaches in Thailand, this is the beach trip for you.
Also, because the boat trips are a little bit shorter, they’re less likely to get cancelled due to bad weather. But even if they are, you can still catch a bus or a minivan to most of the locations, apart from Koh Phi Phi.
Why Combining Gulf and Andaman Islands Wastes a Day
Because both of these locations contain some of the most famous destinations in Thailand, lots of people have a fear of missing out on some of these places. This leads them to make one of the biggest mistakes when planning a Thailand trip, one that is guaranteed to waste the whole day of your trip and be one of the most miserable journeys of your life.
Now, I meet a lot of people around Thailand who have tried to combine these two itineraries within a short period of time. For example, they start in Phuket, then travel to Koh Phi Phi, and then to Koh Samui.
The problem with this trip is it means you have to travel from Koh Phi Phi to Koh Samui. Travelling from Koh Phi Phi to Krabi requires a full, exhausting day of travel that involves a 2 hour ferry from Koh Phi Phi to Krabi, a 6 hour bus journey and a cramped minivan to Don Sak Pier, another hour and a half ferry to Koh Samui, where you’ll pick up even more people before sailing for another 45 minutes to reach Koh Phangan.
After that, you’ll hop in the back of a songthaew with a bunch of other sweaty, exhausted backpackers, and this journey might take you another hour to reach your hotel. A journey like this can take over 12 hours, and that’s if there are no delays or cancellations.
If you’re on a trip that lasts less than 3 weeks, I don’t see why you would waste a whole day of travel like this, especially when there is so much to see and do on both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea side.
The Trat Islands with Koh Chang Koh Wai and Koh Kood
But wait, there’s one more trip you can take in Thailand, one that visits some far less explored locations and is one of the easiest groups of islands to get to from Bangkok.
The first island is one of the most naturally beautiful islands in the country. This island has a stunning mountain interior that’s covered in dense jungle. This makes it the perfect place for hikers to explore, as there are plenty of hiking routes and hidden waterfalls. The island is known as Koh Chang, which literally translates to Elephant Island.
This is by far the biggest island in this part of the itinerary and the only one that has a good nightlife, so if having a few drinks in the evening is important to you, this is where I would spend most of my time.
Just an hour’s boat ride away, though, is one that almost no tourist knows about. Seriously, if you’ve ever wanted to escape the world to experience white sands that go on for miles with no one on them, then this is the island for you. It’s called Koh Wai and can be reached in about an hour by boat from Koh Chang. It’s the perfect stopping off point between Koh Chang and the next island.
The next island has some of the most beautiful beaches in the country whilst also being one of the most secluded. It’s also home to some of the best luxury resorts in the country. The island is perfect for exploring by scooter, as the roads here are not too dangerous, and it’s covered in lush green forest with plenty of waterfalls to explore. This island is called Koh Kood.
These islands are collectively known as the Trat Islands. Whilst travel between the islands is quite convenient, I’d only recommend visiting these islands if you’re travelling from Bangkok, because there are no major airports nearby and they’re tucked away near the Cambodian border.
Choosing a Thailand Beach Itinerary for the Rainy Season
All of this planning could be for nothing, though, if your beach trip is ruined by stormy weather. To help you make your final decision on which group of islands is best for you, check the rainy season for each island on the list in order to avoid the worst effects of Thailand’s rainy season.
