The 14 Best Islands in Thailand, Ranked

Thailand's Best Islands at a Glance

The Andaman coast (Phi Phi, Lipe, Lanta, Yao Noi, Phuket and the Trang islands) is best November to April, the Gulf coast (Samui, Phangan, Tao) January to August, and the east coast (Chang, Kood, Mak, Samet) November to April.

The 14 best islands in Thailand

Ranked on the island as a place to spend three or more nights, meaning the beaches, the water, how it feels after the day boats leave and how hard it is to reach. Fame counts for little, which is why Phuket sits in the middle and two Trang islands most people haven't heard of make the list. Every entry has the record behind it, so the rating, map point and directions stay current.

1. 1. Koh Phi Phi, Off Krabi, Andaman Sea

   Best scenery

   No island in Thailand, arguably in Southeast Asia, matches Phi Phi's raw looks, twin bays separated by a palm-packed sandbar, limestone walls rising straight from turquoise water, and Maya Bay around the corner on uninhabited Phi Phi Leh. Phi Phi Don is the only inhabited island of the six and where you sleep; there are no roads or vehicles, so everything moves on foot or by longtail. Snorkeling, diving and kayaking are why most people come, and the coral gets consistent praise.

   Now the honest part. Tonsai village is dense and loud, the pier is chaotic on the return leg, day-trip crowds swamp Maya Bay mid-morning, and operator quality varies enough that you should research a boat rather than book from a stall. The fix for all of it is the same. Stay overnight, sleep at Long Beach or the quieter north end at Laem Tong, and take the first boat out. Overnighters see a completely different island than day-trippers.

   Getting there

   Ferry from Phuket, Krabi Town or Ao Nang, roughly one to two hours. The crossing can be genuinely rough, with open-seat boats leaving you soaked in spray, so take motion sickness tablets.

   When to go

   November to April for calm seas and the best visibility. Rooms go fast December to February.

   

   Ko Phi Phi Don

   4.6(930)

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   Hotels in Long Beach

2. 2. Koh Lipe, Satun, far south Andaman

   Best water and beaches

   Getting here is the price of admission, and what you get for it is water in colors that look edited, powder-white sand at Sunrise and Pattaya beaches, and snorkeling you can start from the shore, because the island sits inside the protected Ko Tarutao marine park. It is so small that Walking Street crosses the whole thing in fifteen minutes. Longtails do the work of taxis and the dive sites, Stonehenge and 8 Mile Rock, are minutes out rather than a morning's crossing.

   This is an island for people who want to swim, snorkel and eat, not for anyone chasing nightlife or big-resort polish. If you need variety after three days, it isn't the place for you. Sunrise Beach is the one to sleep on; it also made the top five of our beach ranking.

   Getting there

   Fly to Hat Yai, then a van to Pak Bara and a speedboat of about an hour and a half. In high season island-hopping speedboats also link Lipe with Koh Lanta via the Trang islands.

   When to go

   November to April only. Much of the island closes in the May to October monsoon, and December to February is the busiest stretch, so book transfers and rooms before you fly.

   

   Koh Lipe

   4.5(2,415)

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   Hotels in Sunrise Beach

3. 3. Koh Samui, Gulf of Thailand

   Best for comfort and easy flights

   The Gulf island for people who want a beach holiday without much effort. There's an airport, ferries and speedboats with bus transfers waiting at both the pier and the terminal, and a strip of bars, restaurants and shops running the length of Chaweng that stays open from breakfast until very late. If that sounds like too much, the island is big enough that you can find quieter sand at Choeng Mon, Maenam or the sunset-facing west coast and still be twenty minutes from a decent dinner.

   The beaches do the heavy lifting, golden sand, calm clear water, boat tours touted along the shore. The interior is the part most people skip, and it's worth a day for the rainforest and viewpoints. It is the default for honeymoons and families, and for anyone allergic to long ferry days, which is why our best hotels in Thailand list has three Samui resorts on it.

   Getting there

   Direct flights to Samui (USM) from Bangkok and the region, or fly to Surat Thani and take the cheaper bus-and-ferry combination. Our Bangkok to Koh Samui guide prices every option.

   When to go

   December to April for the driest skies and calmest seas; June to August is also good here while the Andaman is in monsoon. October through December is the wet stretch, when boat trips get canceled at short notice.

   

   Ko Samui

   4.6(3,589)

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   Hotels in Bophut

4. 4. Koh Lanta, Krabi province

   Best for families and slow travel

   The island for people who found the others too much. Long, uncrowded west-coast beaches, a 30 km/h pace, sunset restaurants on the sand, a protected national park at the southern tip and enough gentle sights to fill relaxed days. Food and rooms cost noticeably less than on the other Krabi islands, scooters cross it end to end in about an hour, and there are muay thai lessons and dive trips for anyone who gets restless.

   Flat roads and calm shallow water make it Thailand's best family island. The one caveat from recent visitors is that some strips have commercialized, so pick the beach before the room. Klong Dao in the north is the family default, Long Beach is the balance of quiet and restaurants, and Kantiang Bay in the far south is where Pimalai, Lanta's one grande dame, sits.

   Getting there

   About 1.5 hours from Krabi by van and car ferry, or by boat from Ao Nang and Phi Phi in season. Krabi airport (KBV) is the gateway.

   When to go

   November to April. The island half-closes in deep monsoon.

   

   Koh Lanta

   4.6(1,144)

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   Hotels in Long Beach

5. 5. Koh Tao, Gulf of Thailand

   Best for diving

   A diving island first and everything else second. Warm, clear water and healthy reefs mean you find people doing their Open Water certification alongside divers who have been under a hundred times, and the whole place is built around that. Open Water runs ฿9,000–11,000, roughly a third of what you'd pay in the Caribbean, with easy warm-water sites like Chumphon Pinnacle and Sail Rock nearby. Snorkelers get their money's worth at Koh Nang Yuan's triple-island sandbar next door.

   Mae Haad and Sairee Beach hold most of the dive schools, rooms and restaurants, and that's where the noise is, beach bars, a young international crowd, a social scene that runs late. Away from those two the island gets quiet fast, and the further corners reward anyone willing to reach them. If you have no interest in putting your head under the water, you'll still have a nice time, but you're paying for a ticket to something you aren't using.

   Getting there

   Ferries from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, about two hours, or from Chumphon on the mainland. Our Koh Samui to Koh Tao guide has the boats.

   When to go

   April to October brings the clearest visibility for diving, though people come all year. Book the dive school ahead in high season.

   

   Ko Tao

   4.4(1,773)

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   Hotels in Sairee Beach

6. 6. Koh Phangan, Gulf of Thailand

   Best for parties and wellness, on opposite coasts

   The Full Moon Party gets all the attention and deserves some of it; tens of thousands of people on Haad Rin beach once a month is a spectacle whichever way you feel about it. But treating this as a party island is a mistake. Most of it is coconut trees, quiet water and roads that lead to waterfalls, and the two versions barely overlap.

   Pick your side before you book. If you want the party, accept that rooms go early and prices climb hard around the full moon. If you don't, look at the north and west coasts, where the beaches are calmer, the yoga retreats cluster around Srithanu and the snorkeling is better. Thong Nai Pan Noi in the northeast is the honeymoon bay, with Anantara Rasananda as its proof. Check the lunar calendar before you commit to dates.

   Getting there

   Thirty minutes to an hour by ferry from Koh Samui, depending on the boat and the pier, or direct from Surat Thani. Our Koh Samui to Koh Phangan guide has every operator and fare.

   When to go

   February to September is calmest in the northeast; October to December brings the Gulf's rain. Full Moon dates need booking months ahead.

   

   Koh Phangan

   4.6(2,157)

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   Hotels in Thong Nai Pan

7. 7. Koh Kood, Trat, eastern Gulf

   Best for untouched quiet

   Thailand's fourth-largest island and arguably its most unspoiled, with empty white beaches at Klong Chao and Ao Noi, water clear enough to shame the Andaman, waterfall swims in the jungle interior and mangrove canals made for kayaking. There is no mass tourism, just a handful of exceptional resorts and family bungalows, a sleepy fishing village at Ao Salad and roads quiet enough to explore by scooter.

   Getting there takes commitment, around six hours from Bangkok via Laem Sok pier in Trat, which is exactly why it still feels like Thailand twenty years ago. If you want that with good coffee, Koh Kood is the answer.

   Getting there

   Bus or minivan from Bangkok to Trat, then a speedboat or ferry from Laem Sok pier; about six hours door to door.

   When to go

   November to April. Many resorts run a skeleton service in the monsoon months.

   

   Koh Kood

   4.7(881)

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   Hotels in Koh Kood

8. 8. Koh Yao Noi, Phang Nga Bay

   Best for escaping the crowds

   It sits in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, thirty to forty-five minutes by boat from either Phuket or Krabi, yet feels a decade removed from both, a quiet Muslim fishing island of rice paddies, rubber plantations, water-buffalo pastures and east-coast viewpoints looking onto the bay's limestone karsts. There are no bar streets and no jet skis.

   The draws are slow scooter loops, kayaking among the karsts, rock climbing on the island's crags and some of southern Thailand's most peaceful boutique resorts. It is the escape pick for travelers who found Phuket and Phi Phi too much, and it works as a two-night counterweight to either.

   Getting there

   Longtail or speedboat from Bang Rong pier on Phuket's east coast, or from Krabi, 30 to 45 minutes.

   When to go

   November to April.

   

   Koh Yao Noi

   4.4(181)

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9. 9. Phuket, Andaman coast

   Best for infrastructure and resort choice

   Thailand's biggest island and the easy answer, with direct international flights, serious hospitals, beaches for every taste and more hotel choice than the rest of the islands combined. Where you base yourself matters more than almost anywhere else in the country. Patong is the loud end; if that isn't your holiday, don't book it and then complain. Kata and Karon suit families, Bang Tao and Surin are the quiet-luxury coast, and Phuket Town, with its Sino-Portuguese shophouses and local markets, is a different island altogether and worth a day.

   Purists sniff that it doesn't feel like an island. True, and beside the point. It is the best base for beach days with infrastructure and the springboard for day trips to Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay and the Similans, which is why it sits mid-table here rather than at the top.

   Getting there

   Direct international and domestic flights to Phuket (HKT). Our Bangkok to Phuket guide compares flying with the overnight bus and train-plus-bus options.

   When to go

   November to February for settled weather and reliable boat trips. May to October is monsoon and some operators won't run.

   

   Phuket Island

   4.6(1,979)

   DirectionsSave
   Hotels in Kata

10. 10. Koh Kradan, Trang islands

    Best single beach

    The Trang islands' star, a slender, jungle-backed island inside Hat Chao Mai National Park whose east-facing main beach topped a global best-beach ranking in 2023. The formula is powder-soft white sand, water that shifts from glass-clear to deep turquoise over a snorkelable house reef, and views across to Koh Mook and the karst-studded horizon.

    Development is a handful of low-key resorts and barely a beach bar, so days revolve around swimming, snorkeling straight off the sand and the boat trip to the Emerald Cave on Koh Mook. It is one beach rather than an island with options, which is the whole appeal and the reason it sits below Lipe.

    Getting there

    Longtail from Pak Meng pier on the Trang mainland, or on the island-hopping boats between Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe in high season.

    When to go

    November to April.

    

    Koh Kradan

    4.7(442)

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11. 11. Koh Chang, Trat, eastern Gulf

    Best for jungle and beaches on a budget

    The hills are the thing people underestimate. Thailand's third-largest island rises steeply from the coast into dense jungle, which means waterfalls, viewpoints and hiking trails, and it also means winding roads with hairpin bends that have put reviewers off their scooters. If you're not a confident rider, take taxis and enjoy the view.

    Get past that and it's a proper island rather than just a beach. White Sand Beach in the north has most of the action, Klong Prao is the long family beach, Kai Bae sits in the middle and is handy for Bang Bao pier, where the dive boats and island-hopping trips leave, and Lonely Beach is the backpacker strip. Rooms run from guesthouses to resorts, and the five-hour bus-and-ferry from Bangkok filters the crowds beautifully. Carry cash; card payments usually carry a surcharge.

    Getting there

    Bus or minivan from Bangkok's Ekkamai terminal to Trat, a songthaew to the pier and a 45-minute car ferry; about five hours. Trat has a small airport if you'd rather fly.

    When to go

    November to May is the drier stretch.

    

    Koh Chang

    4.6(1,448)

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    Hotels in Klong Prao

12. 12. Koh Ngai, Trang islands

    Best for snorkeling off the sand

    A small, jungle-covered island at the northern end of the Trang archipelago, close enough to Koh Lanta to sit on the island-hopping route to Lipe. Almost everything happens on one beach, a long east-facing strip of soft white sand with shallow turquoise water, a coral reef within swimming distance of the shore and a view across to three small islets that make every photograph look arranged.

    There is no town, no road and no bank; a handful of resorts strung along the sand and a few rustic beach bars are the whole of it. Days are swimming, snorkeling off the beach and longtail trips to the Emerald Cave and Koh Kradan, both within half an hour. It suits couples who want the beach with the noise turned off and nobody who needs a choice of restaurants after dark.

    Getting there

    Longtail from Pak Meng pier on the Trang mainland, or the high-season speedboats from Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe. Bring cash; there are no ATMs.

    When to go

    November to April. Most resorts close or run a skeleton service in the monsoon.

    

    Koh Ngai

    4.6(319)

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13. 13. Koh Mak, Trat, eastern Gulf

    Best for doing nothing

    A small, largely unspoiled island near Koh Chang for travelers who want calm beaches, clear water and a slower pace. The long quiet stretches of sand are among the most striking in the region, and bungalows and small resorts keep the accommodation scene relaxed rather than overdeveloped. Snorkeling, diving and cooking classes fill the days for those who stay; day visitors come on half-day tours from Koh Chang.

    It suits people genuinely looking to disconnect. The one thing to check is where you sleep, because a few accommodation areas get bar noise into the late evening, and you'll need a scooter or a rental to get around; there is no real public transport.

    Getting there

    Boat from Laem Ngop or Laem Sok near Trat, or a day trip from Koh Chang.

    When to go

    November to April.

    

    Koh Mak

    4.5(414)

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    Hotels in Koh Mak

14. 14. Koh Samet, Rayong, near Bangkok

    Best quick escape from Bangkok

    White sand and clear water without spending a day getting there, roughly three hours from Bangkok by road and ferry, and compact enough that you can cross from a beach with bars and jet skis to a cove where nothing happens in a short walk. The reefs sit close enough to shore that snorkeling doesn't need a boat, and the whole island is a national park with an entrance fee collected on arrival.

    Weekends and Thai public holidays are when it fills up and the busier beaches lose their charm, so go midweek if you can. Pick your beach first and your room second; Sai Kaew is the lively end, Ao Prao the quiet resort cove on the west side. It is last here only because it is a weekend island rather than a week-long one.

    Getting there

    Bus or minivan from Bangkok's Ekkamai terminal to Ban Phe, then a ferry or speedboat; about three hours. Our beaches near Bangkok guide covers the details.

    When to go

    November to April for the dry, calm stretch. Midweek, always.

    

    Koh Samet

    4.3(2,164)

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    Hotels in Ao Prao