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A guide to Koh Phangan

Tropical island in the gulf of Thailand that offers white sand beaches, waterfalls, lush jungle and an ever evolving community of contact improvisation on land and in the water.

Between January and April 2025, we resume the season with workshops, retreats and jamming programs.

For all of you who are curious to join the dance, we put together some information to help you navigate the island more smoothly.

A bay of clear blue ocean with a mountain in the background

Accommodation

Koh Phangan has a wide range of accommodation options to suit different preferences and budgets. January and February are "high season", we strongly recommend booking in advance or coming earlier to find a place.

 

Approximate prices (in THB)

  • 1 bed fan bungalow from ~700/ night

  • 1 bed bungalow, aircon from ~1200/ night​

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Not all bungalows are equipped with kitchens, especially those close to the beaches. There are many restaurants and markets of the island, with a diverse range of Eastern and Western foods available.

The west coast and inland is within 15-20 mins scooter drive from the venue.

The east coast, areas such as Had Rin, Than Sadet or Thong Nai pan are further away and involve driving over some steep inclines, so we don’t advise staying there.

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Suggestions of where to search for accommodation

  • FB market place

  • FB public groups - there are quite a few ‘Koh Phangan house for rent’ that regularly post​

  • Drive and ask around - many local places only rent offline

  • Accommodation websites - Booking/ Airbnb/ Agoda

  • Google maps, search for hotels and give them a call to check (most businesses speak a good level of English)

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A sunset view over the calm water surface

Living Expenses

Food prices

 

Restaurants can vary largely depending on whether you choose Western or local cuisine. Here are some rough estimates:

  • Local Thai restaurants charge 80 -120 THB for dishes like noodles, fried rice or curry.

  • Western style or vegan restaurants charge around 250THB per plate.

  • A fresh coconut is around 40 THB in fruit stalls and 80 THB in a restaurant.

  • Fruit plate in local fruit shop is 60 -100 THB.​

  • Coffee - there are increasingly many cafes. A cappuccino starts from 70 - 120 THB for the fancier variations.

 

Check in with the residents for recommendations ;)


 

Getting around the Island - Scooter

 

The easiest way to get around the island is by scooter.

Koh Phangan is a small island. It takes about 20 minutes on scooter from Thong Sala (the pier) to Chaloklum (fishing village in the very North).

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Rental options start at 3500 THB per month.

While you will not be asked for your international drivers licence to rent a scooter, it is required for driving in Thailand. The bike rentals usually ask you to deposit some proof of identity or cash.

 

Book a scooter in advance or walk around when you arrive at the port, and you will find many places to rent scooters.
 

**note about safety: most roads are paved but there is a lot of sand and sometimes dirt roads. Sand is one of the major culprits for accidents, therefore it’s important to not drive fast or break in curves.

 

And wear a helmet while driving!
 

Travel & Visa

Visa requirements

 

Depending on your country of residence, you might be eligible for 15 days visa on arrival, or in most cases, a 60 day visa exemption.

 

To stay longer, you can extend your stay for 30 days. This can be done at the immigration office on Koh Phangan. The process takes half a day to one day and costs 1900THB.

 

After this extension you would have to leave the country to stay longer. For this you can do a so called 'border run' to Malaysia, which can be done in an overnight trip with an agency.

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For more details check here.​​​

Sunset over shallow water with reflections
Arrival

 

... by Airplane

to Samui International Airport, which is the fastest way to arrive to Koh Phangan. There are direct flights from Singapore, Bangkok and Chiang Mai, or international routes from other countries with transit in Bangkok. From the airport, you can get a mini van to the pier and then speed boat to Koh Phangan. The journey from Samui takes less than 1 hour.


To Surat Thani or Nakon Si Thammarat Airport, there are low-cost domestic flights from both Bangkok and Chiang Mai. From there, you can get a mini bus transfer to Donsak Pier and then a ferry to Koh Phangan. The journey takes ~5 hours from the airport, depending on the schedule.

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... by bus

visit https://www.rajaferryport.com where you can buy bus tickets from Bangkok with a transfer of the ferry to Koh Phangan. The journey takes around 12 hours.

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You can check 12Go Asia for bus and ferry connections.

Dancing on the island

Dancing in hot and humid climate might be a little different to what you're used to.

Here are some things we found useful to keep in mind from experience:

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  • Bring a water bottle. Most venues offer refill possibilities, some even reusable cups. The tap water on the island is not advisable to drink. â€‹â€‹â€‹

  • Be prepared for sweaty humid dancing - no way around it ;) 

  • Bring at least one change of shirt, ideally multiple and even extra trousers to every jam. It is nice to have a dry start to a dance for you and your partners.

  • Despite the heat, we recommend long sleeves for dancing as some of the floors combined with the humidity can become sticky and bare skin makes movements on the floor even dangerous.

  • Make sure to get some electrolytes as most drinking water provided on the island lacks minerals - there is a sugar free local one you can buy in several shops

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