vertsurgris

On 10/25/2015 at 12:12 AM, anotheruser said:

So just got back from Koh Phayam. Mixed feelings about the place in general. The flight situation in Ranong doesn't make it the easiest place to get to. You will be stuck in Ranong on your first and last day there at least if you are traveling from somewhere like Bangkok. You get the speedboat in Ranong and it is quite pleasant, however the port is pretty scummy and stinks basically of raw sewage.

Once you get to Phayam, at least this time of year services are fairly limited. This would be expected but actually for the amount of people around they could do better in this regard. For example the main "bar" right at the port only had luke warm cans of Leo beer. Order a rum and coke and you could be disappointed, although I finally managed to get a Sang Som with coke and ice after they went to go buy coke and ice separately. Bare in mind this is the main tourist bar right at the port and the shop was around 10 meters away.

I used to think Laos was bad in regards to service but this place makes the effort to do less.

I found my best luck was at Oskar's bar which is actually owned by a guy named Rich. You order the day before and they do pretty good food. I had a pretty nice meal of Indian food there complete with homemade nan. The ocean and beaches on Phayam are generally polluted and not so great. I want to say what Phayam lacks in night life it makes up for with something, but the truth is it lacks nightlife and the beaches are nothing special. I asked about activities but there really are none unless you want to go on a live aboard dive boat. I was quoted 6,500 for a snorkeling trip and understand the distances they go for such trips given the price but didn't see the point. At that sort of price you can do it many other places that are better and cheaper.

The nicest stretch of beach I found was on Buffalo bay right in front of a place called The Sun. Really nice restaurant and place to chill the bungalows are nothing special and not on the beach. The staff were very friendly and they procured whiskey, smokes and ice for me even if it took awhile. The service was much better than some foreign owned places that are much closer to all of the conveniences.

The port side basically stinks and the big place Blue Sky there is way over priced. I wanted to like that resort but the service is horrible and the food is basically inedible at any price. If you go any amount of money you bring won't help you buy a better lifestyle, it simply isn't that kind of place. Blue Sky charges $190 a night and I just can't see paying that although I could afford to if I wanted to splurge.

So that leaves me to going back to the place on Buffalo bay and they are located in the only good spot on the beach that I saw. The sand is gentle and the water was sort of clear. They are in a sheltered corner but I saw a lot of garbage and natural debris anywhere away from this place. As a destination I can not recommend it but if you are already in the area I would say it is the best place to go if you are looking for a relaxing time.

The smog from Indonesia didn't help matters I have never seen anything like it outside of Chiang Mai. I spent 4 days but would have been happy to leave after 2 or 3. There is no party vibe and conversely the beaches are littered with garbage. They are basically mud flats if you stay on the Ranong side of the island.

I wouldn't rate it as good value for money although it is still cheap and if you are passing nearby anyway it is worth a visit. Phuket visa hoppers might find it worthwhile. Cashews are very cheap but after a few days you might get tired of them. Bring everything you think you might need because there is a very limited selection of anything to buy. I brought a box of wine and found that was a worthwhile thing to bring. The best part about the island is the locals are very friendly.

That is my take on Koh Phayam. Anybody that doesn't share my views can feel free to write their own trip report. Also just for Phuketrichard I refrained from smoking in the room.

Thank you for your feedback, I have spent the last week end in Koh Payam, and the guy RICH you mention who is running the OSCAR bar turn to be a scam. I will advice to everyone to stay away from this man... stay safe cheers!