Getting to remote western islands of Thailand (you don't need to pre-book)

in #travel5 years ago

There are a load of islands in Thailand. Some of them are far more well-known and busier than others and while the luxury afforded at such commonly visited places like Phi-Phi, Samui, and Phuket definitely appeal to those that are looking for convenience and luxury are definitely great choices, there are a large group of people (like myself) that prefer to travel to places that are more authentic and definitely a lot less expensive. Koh Phayam and Koh Chang off the western coast of Thailand are two great choices for this. The problem is getting there.


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Your journey to this idyllic getaways will begin at Ranong Airport (airport code UNN.) There are not many flights in or out of this place as there is a very little reason to visit this area other than going to the islands. The airport is tiny, has no ATM's and I didn't even notice a car rental place. It seems to function almost exclusively as a gateway to the islands.

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The next phase of your journey will take you to the pier that serves exclusively as a method of getting to Koh Chang and Koh Phayam. The bus journey to this place is only 100 Baht ($3) and I can not stress enough that you should not try to find a less expensive way by being an "aggressive backpacker." If you take the local bus at the street you will end up at a pier, sure. However you are going to end up at the wrong pier. The local bus at the street goes to a completely different launching point that exists as transport to Myanmar, it does not go to the Thai islands.

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Next up is either a speedboat (350 Baht) or the slow ferry (200 Baht.) Unless you are carrying a massive amount of luggage at which point I question why you would bring so much crap with you, you should definitely spend the extra on the speedboat because the journey is only 30 minutes while the ferry is an hour longer.

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30 rather bumpy minutes later you will arrive at the pier to Phayam (about 10 minutes later for Chang) and at this point transport to your bungalow can be arranged for less than 100 Baht. If you are capable and can do it safely, a motorbike can be rented for 150B / day.

TL;DR

The remote islands of Koh Chang and Koh Phayam are quite removed from other Thailand locations and this is why it is likely that people don't hear very much about them. They are like stepping back in time 30 years or so and to many people this is very appealing. To people that prefer a more "rustic" and "authentic" vacation this is a wonderful spot.

However, it can appear as though it is daunting to get here but this isn't necessarily the case. The small airport of Ranong serves almost exclusively as a gateway to these islands and it is actually a very straight-forward and clearly posted method to get to your destination (there are no hidden costs or scams or negotiating necessary - the prices on the signs are the prices - no tricks!)

There is absolutely no reason to book these services in advanced unless you are traveling here in high season (Dec - Mar) because the boats are never sold out during the rest of the year. Travel easy and just pay on the spot to save yourself some money.

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Sounds awesome dude! Thailand has sooo much to offer, one of my favorite places on earth (that I have been so far). When I was living on Samui, there are tiny piers that no one seems to ever go to, that take you to mini surrounding islands, which is incredible!

Seems like the island is out of civilization really however I still don't think there is less reason to visit such a place, I definitely think that it's a place that'll offer real rural setting expecially to a person looking to get off city life, what's your purpose of going?

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Very interesting! I have an island in Michigan that I enjoy going to. You can either fly in a small plane or take the ferry if you don't have your own boat. The ferry ride is 2 hours long, but you can drink on it, so it isn't too bad. If you have a large group of people with you the time passes by pretty quickly. I doubt I will, but if I ever do make it to Thailand, I am just going to count on you to get me where I need to go :)

as long as you can drink on the ferry!

I lived in Michigan for a while. I really enjoyed Torch Lake but Battle Creek was great if you are a mountain biking fan.

Ah yes, Torch Lake! That is some pretty country up by Traverse City. I have a co-worker that does a lot of mountain biking in the UP. He has showed me some of the trails they have up there and they are really impressive. If you have been to the Torch Lake area, did you ever do the bike race from Traverse City to Kalkaska they have every fall?

By the way the ferry goes to Beaver Island which is up near the Torch Lake part of Michigan(sort of).

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