Staying in Thong Sala: hotels and hostels in Koh Phangan's port town

74 accommodations

Thong Sala (also written Thongsala or Tong Sala) is the main town and port of Koh Phangan, on the south-west coast. Almost every visitor lands here: the Lomprayah and Seatran catamarans from Samui, the Raja and Seatran car ferries from Donsak, the Songserm boats and the night boat from Surat Thani all use its three piers, which sit a few hundred metres apart at the southern end of the main street. The town has the district office, immigration, every Thai bank, the Big C supermarket, pharmacies, dive shops and the Pantip night food market, and it is the hub of the songthaew network that fans out to the beaches. It is not a beach resort, and that is exactly why some travellers choose it.

Is Thong Sala a good place to stay?

Stay in Thong Sala if you arrive late or leave early, if you want the cheapest beds on the island without the party noise of Haad Rin, if you are working remotely and need reliable services, or if you plan to explore several coasts and would rather sit in the middle of the road network than at the end of it. The 74 places listed here are mostly hostels, guesthouses, small hotels and holiday homes within walking distance of the pier and the market, plus a few resorts on Ao Nai Wok, the shallow bay just north of the piers, and villas in the inland valley of Madeua Wan.

Do not stay in Thong Sala for the beach. The town shore and Ao Nai Wok are tidal and shallow, with mud flats at low tide; they are good for kite-surfing and for watching the sun set behind Samui, not for swimming. Srithanu (10 minutes) and Ban Tai (10–15 minutes) are the nearest proper beaches, and Haad Yao, Haad Salad and Chaloklum are 20–30 minutes away by songthaew or scooter.

Hotels, hostels and villas in Thong Sala

The town itself is dormitories and simple double rooms, mostly at 300–1,200 THB (US$9–38) a night, in converted shophouses and small hotels along the main street and the lanes behind the market; several have rooftop terraces, and a few mid-range hotels near the pier have pools. Ao Nai Wok, ten minutes on foot north of the piers, has small beachfront resorts and bungalows with gardens facing Samui, typically 1,200–2,500 THB. Inland, the road towards the Phaeng waterfall and the villages of Madeua Wan and Ban Nai Suan has become villa country: two- and three-bedroom pool houses among coconut plantations and rubber trees at 3,000–7,000 THB a night, usually with a kitchen, a car or scooter recommended, and the Wonderland Healing House retreat nearby. Every listing shows the distance from the pier and the town centre, which matters more in Thong Sala than the star rating.

How do you get from the pier to your hotel?

Most town hotels are a five- to fifteen-minute walk from the piers along the flat main street; hotels on Ao Nai Wok and in Madeua Wan are a short songthaew or taxi ride (100–150 THB) or a free pick-up if the property offers one — check the listing. Songthaews to every other beach leave from the pier area and the main road: about 100–150 THB a person to Ban Tai or Haad Rin, 200 THB to Srithanu, Haad Yao, Haad Salad or Chaloklum, 300 THB to Thong Nai Pan, more at night. Scooters rent for 150–350 THB a day, cars and pick-ups for 500–1,500 THB, with police checkpoints on the Ban Tai road that fine riders without a valid licence. Ferry tickets for the return trip are sold at the piers and at agents all along the main street, and the timetables to Samui, Koh Tao and Donsak change with the season.

What is there to do in and around Thong Sala?

The Pantip night market, ten minutes on foot from the pier, opens daily from about 16:00 to 22:00 with grilled seafood, noodle stalls, roti and fruit shakes for 50–100 THB a dish; on Saturdays the old town's Walking Street adds craft stalls and live music from 16:00 to 22:30. Wat Phu Khao Noi, the island's oldest temple, is on a low hill just outside town, and the Chinese temple on the Chaloklum road has three terraces with views over the west coast. The Phaeng waterfall and Domsila viewpoint are 5–10 minutes inland (100 THB, trails from 30 minutes to an hour and a half), and the Khao Ra summit trail, the highest point on the island at about 630 m, starts from the same side: four to six hours there and back, best with a guide in the wet season. Day trips to Ang Thong marine park and snorkelling boats to Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan leave from the Thong Sala piers, which is another reason to sleep here the night before.

When to stay in Thong Sala

The town works year-round because it is sheltered from the north-east monsoon that batters the east coast from October to December; the trade-off is that it is hot and airless in April and May. Rooms are cheapest from September to November and hardest to find in the last two weeks of December, when arrivals peak and the ferries fill up. On Full Moon nights, Thong Sala is a common fallback for people who could not get a room in Haad Rin: songthaews run to the party all night for 150–300 THB a person.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Thong Sala from Haad Rin?

About 12–15 km by road over a steep hill, 25–45 minutes by songthaew or taxi; the Haad Rin Queen ferry from Samui goes directly to Haad Rin pier and avoids the hill altogether.

Can you swim in Thong Sala?

Only at high tide and even then it is shallow and muddy; the nearest swimming beaches are Srithanu and Zen Beach to the north and the Ban Tai strip to the east, both about 10 minutes away.

Are there ATMs and hospitals in Thong Sala?

Yes: every Thai bank has a branch or ATM on the main street, and the private Thai International Hospital and Bangkok Hospital clinic are on the road towards Ban Tai; the government Koh Phangan Hospital is in Wok Tum, 3 km north.

Is Thong Sala noisy?

The main street has traffic and bars until late, but the town has no beach parties; the lanes behind the market and the Ao Nai Wok resorts are quiet by 23:00.