Southern Thailand Gulf Coast

The southern provinces on the Gulf of Thailand side, centered on the three islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, along with southern Thai cities such as Hat Yai and Songkhla; the rainy season is the opposite of the Andaman coast.

This region is the side of southern Thailand facing the Gulf of Thailand and is defined by whole provinces, 8 in total: Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. Khao Sok National Park is administratively in Surat Thani Province, but it is usually visited together with Khao Lak and Phang Nga Bay, so it is assigned to the Andaman Coast as an exception.

Highlights: off the coast of Surat Thani, Koh Samui (Chaweng, Lamai, the Big Buddha Temple), Koh Phangan, famous for its Full Moon Party, Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan, popular worldwide for dive certification, and Ang Thong National Marine Park, made up of more than forty islands; on the mainland, the beaches of Chumphon, Wat Phra Mahathat in Nakhon Si Thammarat, the Thale Noi wetlands in Phatthalung, and Songkhla's old town, Songkhla Lake and the Hat Yai night market.

Classic itinerary: 3–4 days on Koh Samui, plus 2–3 days on Koh Phangan or Koh Tao, and a day trip to Ang Thong Marine Park; 2 days in Hat Yai and Songkhla, which can connect onward to Malaysia.

Getting around: Samui Airport has flights from Bangkok, Phuket and elsewhere; you can also fly to Surat Thani or take a train to Surat Thani or Chumphon, then continue by ferry or speedboat to the islands. Hat Yai International Airport is the transport hub of the far south of Thailand.

Good to know: parts of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces and some districts of Songkhla have long had security risks, and many governments advise against non-essential travel; boats between the islands are affected by the monsoon and are often suspended at the end of the year.

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Itineraries