When to go to Koh Phangan
TMD has no weather station on Phangan, so we use the normals for Ko Samui, 20 km south. The seasons differ from Phuket’s: dry from February to April, moderate in summer, with the rain peaking from October to December.
| Period | Rain per month | Rainy days | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| February-April | 64-116 mm | 6-8 | the driest time |
| May-September | 102-134 mm | 13-15 | short showers, drier in summer than the Andaman coast |
| October-December | 263-445 mm | 14-19 | rainy season, peaking in November |
| January | 127 mm | 11 | a transition month |
The mean temperature ranges from 26.8 °C in December to 29.2 °C in May.
Koh Phangan beaches: which to choose
| Beach | Where | From Thong Sala pier | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haad Khuat (Bottle Beach) | north | 19.3 km, about 41 min | hilly road |
| Thong Nai Pan | north-east | 17.7 km, about 27 min | two bays, hilly road |
| Haad Salad | north-west | 11.3 km, 18 min | near Srithanu |
| Haad Rin Nok and Haad Rin Nai | south-east | 11.0 km, 17 min | full moon parties, see Haad Rin |
| Ban Tai | south | 4.8 km, 8 min | closest to the pier, see Ban Tai |
Road distances by OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data, 17.10.2026. On the hill roads to the north and east the real driving time is longer than the routed one.
Things to see on Koh Phangan
- Than Sadet-Ko Pha Ngan National Park. Entry is 100 baht for a foreign adult and 50 baht for a child under the 2023 DNP fee table. The park includes Than Sadet waterfall on the east coast, 13.9 km and about 24 minutes from Thong Sala pier
- Phaeng waterfall. In the centre of the island, 5.3 km and about 14 minutes from Thong Sala
- Bottle Beach and the viewpoints above it. The north of the island, with a hilly last stretch of road
- Haad Rin. The south-east peninsula with two beaches and the full moon parties; the organisers announce the dates
- Koh Tao. The neighbouring island in the same district, reached by Lomprayah catamarans that call at Phangan
How to get to Koh Phangan
There is no airport on Phangan.
| Route | Operator | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samui (Bangrak, Plai Laem, Nathon) → Phangan | Lomprayah | 20-30 min | 250-350 baht, 450-550 with hotel transfer |
| Samui (Lipa Noi) → Thong Sala | Raja Ferry | about 1 h 30 min | 140-230 baht on the provincial scale |
| Donsak (mainland) → Thong Sala | Raja Ferry | about 2 h 30 min | 210-300 baht on the provincial scale |
| Samui → Haad Rin pier | Haadrin Queen | to be confirmed | to be confirmed |
Lomprayah 2026 timetable, Raja Ferry timetable as of 17.10.2026. Raja Ferry fares are set by the Surat Thani provincial notice of 06.06.2022 and follow the diesel price, so they are shown as a range. For the Samui airport and the island itself see our Koh Samui guide and Koh Samui travel guide.
Koh Phangan or Koh Samui for a holiday
The seasons are the same, and so is the TMD station. The difference is in scale: Samui is bigger, with an airport, large beach areas and six private hospitals. Phangan is smaller and quieter, reachable only by sea, with two small private hospitals. The islands are 20-30 minutes apart by catamaran, so a day trip to the other one is easy. If you plan to stay longer than a holiday, start with the Koh Phangan hub.
FAQ
When is the best time to visit Koh Phangan?
February to April: by TMD normals these months get 64-116 mm of rain and 6-8 rainy days. July and August are also fairly dry at 102-117 mm. The wettest months are October, November and December, with 263-445 mm and 14-19 rainy days.
Is November a good time for Koh Phangan?
You can go, but it is the wettest month of the year: 445 mm of rain and nearly 19 rainy days by TMD normals. If your holiday falls in November, the Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi) is drier by then: Phuket gets 178 mm.
How do I get from Samui to Koh Phangan?
By Lomprayah catamaran or speedboat from Bangrak, Plai Laem or Nathon piers, 20-30 minutes and 250-350 baht on the 2026 timetable. By Raja Ferry from Lipa Noi pier in about 1 hour 30 minutes, 140-230 baht on the provincial scale. Haadrin Queen boats go to Haad Rin pier.
How do you get to Bottle Beach?
Bottle Beach (Haad Khuat) is on the north coast. On OpenStreetMap roads it is 19.3 km from Thong Sala pier; OSRM routing gives 41 minutes, and the last stretch is hilly, so in practice it takes longer.
How much is the national park entry on Koh Phangan?
Under the DNP fee table (2023 version), Than Sadet-Ko Pha Ngan National Park costs 100 baht for a foreign adult and 50 baht for a child, 20 and 10 baht for Thais. Fees are reviewed, so check the current figure on site.
How do I get from Koh Phangan to Koh Tao?
By Lomprayah catamaran: on the 2026 timetable services from Samui to Koh Tao change boats on Phangan, and a ticket from Samui costs 700 baht. Koh Tao belongs administratively to Ko Pha Ngan district.
What is the Full Moon Party?
Full moon parties on Haad Rin Nok beach in the south-east of the island. The organisers announce each date; we found no official calendar on government websites, so we do not publish dates.
Sources
- TMD. Climatological Data of Thailand for 30 Year Period (1991-2020), Ko Samui and Phuket stations
- Lomprayah. 2026 timetable
- Lomprayah. 2026 timetable (PDF)
- Raja Ferry. Donsak-Samui-Phangan timetable
- Raja Ferry. Fares under the Surat Thani provincial notice of 06.06.2022
- Haadrin Queen. Phangan-Samui boat
- DNP. National park entrance fees (2023)
- OpenStreetMap. Bottle Beach (way 170860502), Than Sadet waterfall (node 3266347661), Phaeng waterfall (node 1822525760)
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Thong Sala pier to Bottle Beach
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Thong Sala pier to Thong Nai Pan
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Thong Sala pier to Than Sadet waterfall
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Thong Sala pier to Phaeng waterfall
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Thong Sala pier to Haad Salad
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