Koh Chang: Jungle Island Close to Bangkok
Thailand's second-largest island — rainforest mountains, waterfalls and quiet beaches, reachable from Bangkok by road and ferry with no flight needed.
Things to do
🏖️ Beaches & Islands
Soft sand, clear water and island-hopping — the classic Thailand holiday.
Thailand has over a thousand islands across two seas, and choosing between them is the part of trip planning that most often goes wrong.
The reason is simple and unforgiving: the Andaman coast in the west and the Gulf coast in the east have opposite seasons. Phuket, Krabi and Phi Phi are at their best November to April. Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao are best February to April and July to September, and at their wettest in October and November.
Pick the coast that matches your dates first. Then pick the island. Doing it the other way round is how people end up on a beautiful beach in a storm.
Where to find beaches & islands in Thailand
Koh Samui: Gulf Island Beaches & Calm
A lush tropical island in the Gulf — palm-lined beaches, a golden Buddha and the Ang Thong marine park. And a season that's the opposite of Phuket's.
Hua Hin: Thailand's Original Royal Beach Resort
A calm, family-friendly seaside town three hours from Bangkok — long beaches, excellent night markets, vineyards and a national park with a remarkable cave.
Krabi: Limestone Cliffs, Railay & Island Hopping
Towering karst cliffs, beaches reachable only by boat, jungle pools and the best island-hopping in Thailand — and noticeably cheaper than Phuket next door.
Pattaya & Koh Larn: Beaches Close to Bangkok
The quickest beach escape from Bangkok — Pattaya's family attractions and viewpoints, plus the genuinely clear water of Koh Larn island 45 minutes offshore.
Phuket: Beaches, Islands & Old Town
Thailand's largest island — famous beaches, turquoise day-trip islands and a beautiful old town. Which beach to choose, and what most visitors miss entirely.
Other things to do
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