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Forested hills above a tidal beach on Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand
Islands of Mu Ko Chumphon National Park in the Gulf of Thailand
A quiet stretch of sand and sea at Khanom on the Gulf coast
The gold-tipped chedi of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat

Things to do in the Gulf Islands: Samui, Phangan, Tao

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Photo: Alexey Komarov, CC BY-SA 4.0

Chumphon

Snorkel Koh Mattra and the Ngam islands off Chumphon

Photo: Chaiyathat, CC BY-SA 4.0

Khanom, Nakhon Si Thammarat

Take a boat to the stacked rocks and tidal pond of Khanom

Photo: Ahoerstemeier, CC BY-SA 3.0

Nakhon Si Thammarat

See the gold-ringed chedi of Wat Phra Mahathat in Nakhon Si Thammarat

Photo: Ahoerstemeier, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Gulf Islands sit off Thailand's southern Gulf coast in the Chumphon Archipelago: Koh Samui, the largest and busiest, Koh Phangan just to the north, and Koh Tao, the smallest, given over to diving. Catamarans link all three, so most trips move between them by sea.

The mainland behind them is worth more than a ferry transfer. Chumphon, where many Koh Tao boats leave, has its own island park; Khanom, facing Samui, has a quiet coast with pink dolphins; and Nakhon Si Thammarat holds the south's most important temple.

Places in this region

4 things to do in Gulf Islands

The gold-tipped chedi of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat

See the gold-ringed chedi of Wat Phra Mahathat in Nakhon Si Thammarat

Nakhon Si Thammarat

1 to 2 hoursFree

The most important Buddhist temple in southern Thailand, whose chedi carries about 600 kg of gold leaf.

Been there?
A quiet stretch of sand and sea at Khanom on the Gulf coast

Take a boat to the stacked rocks and tidal pond of Khanom

Khanom, Nakhon Si Thammarat

A full dayFree

A quiet mainland coast facing Samui, with calm bays, limestone stacks and a freshwater pond in the tidal flats.

Been there?
Islands of Mu Ko Chumphon National Park in the Gulf of Thailand

Snorkel Koh Mattra and the Ngam islands off Chumphon

Chumphon

A full dayBook ahead

About forty islands off the town where the Koh Tao boats leave, with giant clams, coral heads and far fewer boats.

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Made-up berths in a second-class sleeper coach of the State Railway of Thailand

Take the night train from Bangkok to Surat Thani

Bangkok to Surat Thani

About 10.5 hours overnightBook ahead

Board a sleeper out of Bangkok in the evening and wake at Surat Thani, ready for the fast ferry to the Gulf islands.

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Traveller picks

Hidden gems suggested by travellers. We check each one before it goes up; the words are theirs, not ours.

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Plan your trip

  • Which island for what

    Koh Samui for flights, the widest choice of hotels and easy day trips. Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party, but also jungle waterfalls and quiet northern beaches. Koh Tao for learning to dive or freediving and a small, walkable island.

  • Combining them

    Lomprayah and Seatran catamarans run between Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, and on to Surat Thani and Chumphon on the mainland. A loop from Samui north to Tao, then out to Chumphon for the train, avoids backtracking.

  • Getting there

    Koh Samui has its own airport, but fares are high; Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Chumphon airports are cheaper, with a bus and ferry after. The overnight train south reaches Chumphon and Surat Thani, and night boats with bunks run to the islands.

  • When to go

    The Gulf gets its main rains from about November to February, the opposite of the Andaman coast, whose monsoon runs from May to October. That makes the Gulf the usual choice for a summer trip. On Koh Tao, November is the month to avoid for diving.

Questions travellers ask

Samui, Phangan or Tao?

Samui for comfort and flights; Phangan for the parties or for jungle and quiet beaches away from Haad Rin; Tao for diving. Many trips combine two or all three by catamaran.

Gulf or Andaman coast?

Go by the season. The Gulf is usually drier from about March to October, and the Andaman coast from November to April. The Gulf has no limestone towers like Krabi, but it has sheltered, beginner-friendly diving at Koh Tao.

Is it worth stopping on the mainland?

Yes, if you have time. Chumphon's island park makes a good stop on the way to or from Koh Tao, Khanom is a quiet beach base facing Samui, and Nakhon Si Thammarat's temple is the south's most important.

Other places to go

Things to do in Thailand

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