Things to do in Phang Nga
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Phang Nga
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season, the time to come: calm bay, easiest canoe caves, dry trails and the island parks open.
Park window edges: Similan and Surin run mid October to mid May, with rough seas possible at either end.
Monsoon, roughly May to October: heavy rain, island parks closed, sheltered bay tours usually run with changes.
What's on
- Songkran 13 to 15 April
Thai New Year water festival, lively in town in the hot tail of the dry season, with transport pressure.
Best things to do in Phang Nga
Koh Panyee
A Muslim stilt village of about 1,600 people in the bay, with a mosque, school and floating football pitch.
Khao Phing Kan
James Bond Island, leaning rocks facing the Ko Tapu nail, striking scenery with heavy crowds and souvenir stalls.
Wat Suwan Khuha
A cave temple with a 15 metre reclining Buddha south of town, and a bold troop of macaques at the entrance.
Phang Nga Museum
The small provincial museum in town, the context stop for the tin, trade and shophouse history of Phang Nga.
Where to stay in Phang Nga
Phang Nga Town
bay piers, town food and value
Walk to markets and noodle shops, and reach Surakul Pier early before the Phuket day trip fleets.
Thung Kha Ngok
golf and a quiet resort night
Countryside outside town with the golf resort, a pool and spa, reached and left by car.
Best restaurants in Phang Nga
Bai Liang Chao Yan Kham
Southern Thai by the river in town, built around stir fried bai liang leaves with egg and sour curries.
Baan Phangnga
The traveller friendly centre town cafe, western breakfasts, local coffee, Thai dishes and late opening.
Khanom Chin Pa Son
A khanom chin breakfast shop in town, rice noodles with southern curries at about 30 THB and free vegetables.
Phang Nga Town Night Market
The nightly market south of the old bus station, skewers, noodle soups and southern curries at local prices.
Outdoor things to do in Phang Nga
Surakul Pier
The town pier for hiring a private longtail early, the best route into the bay before the day trip fleets.
Koh Hong
A limestone island in the bay whose sea caves open by canoe at the right tide into a hidden mangrove lagoon.
Koh Panak
The second classic canoe island, long tidal cave passages and lagoons reached only in a low tide window.
John Gray's Sea Canoe
The original bay canoe operator, whose Hong by Starlight tour paddles hongs by day and seeks plankton after dark.
Sa Nang Manora Forest Park
A free, small forest park north of town, a gentle waterfall, swim basins and a 2 km trail to a bat cave.
Raman Waterfall
A forested waterfall with swim pools in Namtok Raman Forest Park, paired with the cave temple on tour routes.
Mu Ko Similan National Park
Clear water islands open mid October to mid May only, reached by boat from Thap Lamu, not from Phang Nga town.
Mu Ko Surin National Park
Remote snorkelling islands open mid October to mid May only, boats from Khuraburi, with a Moken village.
Best hotels in Phang Nga
Katathong Golf Resort & Spa
An 18 hole golf resort with pool and spa outside town, the top end in Phang Nga terms only, with a car needed.
Le Erawan Phang Nga Hotel
The reliable mid-range town hotel, pool, Thai restaurant and generous breakfasts, built for early bay starts.
Bedter Hotel Phang Nga
A clean, central budget hotel in town, praised for comfort and staff who help arrange taxis and bay days.
The Sleep Phang-Nga
A simple, clean cheap hotel on the main road in town, compact rooms and praised service for pier mornings.
Is Phang Nga expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | THB 1,100 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | THB 2,400 a person |
| Splurge | THB 6,500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Koh Hong: a few days ahead
- Koh Panak: a few days ahead
- John Gray's Sea Canoe: a few days ahead
- Mu Ko Similan National Park: weeks ahead
- Mu Ko Surin National Park: weeks ahead
- Book Hong by Starlight at least two days ahead, and island boats and park beds well ahead in December to February.
- Check Similan and Surin park status for your exact dates, because both parks close mid May to mid October.
- Agree the longtail route, stops and total price, and whether the park fee is included, before casting off.
Is Phang Nga safe?
- Current official warnings cover parts of the far south and the Cambodia border zone, not Phang Nga.
- Wear the life jacket on every boat and canoe, and never pressure an operator to sail or enter a cave against the tide.
Phang Nga travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- James Bond Island at midday is crowded, commercial and lined with souvenir stalls, so go early or late.
- Do not feed the monkeys at Wat Suwan Khuha, and keep food, bottles and sunglasses held firmly or hidden.
- Do not plan Similan or Surin as a walk up day trip from town, or at all outside the park season.
Getting around Phang Nga: public transport and more
- Phuket airport is roughly 1.5 to 2 hours south by road, and Surakul Pier is about 15 km west of town.
- Walk the town centre, and arrange a car, songthaew or motorbike taxi for the piers, cave temple and forest parks.
- Similan boats leave from Thap Lamu and Surin boats from Khuraburi, not from Phang Nga town piers.
Who Phang Nga suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Phang Nga your trip
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