With kids · Koh Phangan · Thailand
Koh Phangan with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: joestump https://www.flickr.com/photos/joestump/, CC BY 2.0
Quick answer
Koh Phangan can be a peaceful family destination if you avoid Haad Rin around the full moon. Thong Nai Pan, Haad Yao and Haad Salad have calm, swimmable bays, and waterfalls and boat trips add adventure. Top picks: Thong Nai Pan Noi and Yai, Haad Yao and Haad Salad. Families usually base themselves in Thong Nai Pan.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- Thong Nai Pan
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- February
Best things to do with kids
Beach · Thong Nai Pan
1.Thong Nai Pan Noi and Yai
Two horseshoe bays on the north-east coast with soft sand, clear water and a backdrop of steep jungle. Thong Nai Pan Noi has a small village of cafés and restaurants behind the beach, and the bays are among the best on the island for swimming.
Ride or take a taxi over the hill road in daylight, as it is steep and winding, and spend a full day swimming between the two bays.
- Time needed
- Half a day to a full day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Couples
Beach · Haad Yao and Haad Salad
2.Haad Yao
A long sandy beach on the west coast, Haad Yao has clear, deep-enough water for swimming even at low tide and faces west for sunsets. Resorts and restaurants line the sand without crowding it.
Stay for sunset, then eat at the beachfront restaurants before heading back.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Kids
Beach · Haad Yao and Haad Salad
3.Haad Salad
A small, sheltered cove on the north-west coast with soft sand, calm water and a reef offshore for snorkelling. The name is said to come from pirates (salad in Thai) who once sheltered in the bay.
Snorkel along the reef at the northern end when the water is calm, usually in the dry months.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
Island · Chaloklum
4.Koh Ma and Mae Haad
At low tide, a sandbar links the beach at Mae Haad on the north-west coast to the small island of Koh Ma. The reef around it is one of the island's best snorkelling spots, with corals and reef fish close to shore.
Check the tides and walk across the sandbar at low water; bring your own snorkel and fins, and wear reef shoes on the coral sand.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Kids
- Photo spot
Market · Thong Sala
5.Thong Sala night food market
Every evening near the main pier, rows of stalls serve pad thai, curries, grilled meat, seafood, roti, mango sticky rice and fruit shakes at low prices, with shared tables in the middle.
Go early in the evening for the widest choice and look for the stalls with the longest local queues.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- After dark
- Kids
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for couples, families, luxury and beach
Thong Nai Pan
Thong Nai Pan Noi and Thong Nai Pan Yai are two neighbouring horseshoe bays in the north-east, backed by jungle hills. Noi has some of the island's most upmarket resorts and a small village of restaurants, while Yai is a little more relaxed; both have soft sand and good swimming, reached by a steep, winding road.
- Good
- Beautiful, swimmable bays; Quiet and family-friendly; High-quality resorts
- Watch out
- Steep road from Thong Sala; Remote from the ferry piers
- Nearby
- Than Sadet, Bottle Beach
Family travel tips
- Stay on the north or west coast, away from Haad Rin's party noise.
- Hire a private taxi for transfers, as roads are steep and scooters are risky with children.
- Bring reef shoes for rocky and coral beaches at low tide.
- Pack mosquito repellent; dengue fever occurs in Thailand, especially in the rainy season.
- Thong Nai Pan's resorts often have kids' clubs and family rooms.
Day trips for families
- Ang Thong National Marine Park (About 1.5–2 hours by boat) — An archipelago of around 40 limestone islands west of Phangan with kayaking, snorkelling and a steep climb to a viewpoint over the emerald lagoon on Koh Mae Ko.
- Koh Samui (About 30–60 minutes by ferry) — Phangan's larger neighbour has the Big Buddha temple, Fisherman's Village in Bophut, the Na Muang waterfalls and long beaches at Chaweng and Lamai.
When to go with children
The best months overall are February–April and July–August. February is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Koh Phangan good for kids?
Koh Phangan can be a peaceful family destination if you avoid Haad Rin around the full moon. Thong Nai Pan, Haad Yao and Haad Salad have calm, swimmable bays, and waterfalls and boat trips add adventure.
+What can kids do in Koh Phangan?
Thong Nai Pan Noi and Yai, Haad Yao, Haad Salad, Koh Ma and Mae Haad and Thong Sala night food market.
+Where should families stay in Koh Phangan?
Thong Nai Pan: Twin north-eastern bays of soft sand with upmarket resorts.