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Thong Nai Pan

The area of Thong Nai Pan on Koh Phangan is split into two beaches, the larger Thong Nai Pan Yai and the smaller Thong Nai Pan Noi. This area of Koh Phangan is somewhat idiosyncratic due to the fact that it is one of the most remote and difficult locations to reach by road, yet one of the most modern and well-developed areas of the island. In recent years large package holiday companies have constructed several high-end boutique resorts in the area of Thong Nai Pan, and visitors to these resorts are picked up by speedboat from neighbouring Koh Samui and taken directly to resorts in Thong Nai Pan.

Interestingly enough, until these companies decided that Thong Nai Pan was an ultimately marketable area of Koh Phangan, this was one of the cheapest and most visited backpacker areas of the island. Modern-day Thong Nai Pan still maintains a single backpacker focused bungalow resort, and obviously this accommodation is almost always full.

If you intend to visit Thong Nai Pan when staying elsewhere on the island, then it is possible to take a shared taxi to Thong Nai Pan, although this can be a rather arduous journey. Additionally, most taxi drivers will not be willing to take single tourists, as this is one of the longer trips on the island, and is only cost effective if they can fill their vehicle and collect multiple fares.

Driving to Thong Nai Pan on a rented scooter is possible, although not recommended, even though the road was concreted for much of its length several years ago, almost all of it was destroyed in the flooding of 2007. This means any scooter trip to Thong Nai Pan is dangerous in the extreme, as you will be driving over dirt roads, and many of these roads have an extremely steep incline with sheer drops on one side.

Possibly the best way to visit Thong Nai Pan is by renting a four-wheel-drive jeep, the cost of this can be quite inexpensive if it is shared between several people. It is advised that the driver is experienced in operating a four-wheel-drive vehicle as even by jeep this journey is not easy.