My First Impression Of Koh Phangan

[easer]

If I was the OP and received the hostile reaction that you guys have all given him (except for JonnyF, the most recent reply), I wouldn't post much again in the future...

I might not have except that I've been coming here daily for more than a year so I know the amount of whining to expect. I can handle them.

And thanks for understanding and not getting offended.

I liked the post koheesti, there is a lot to be said for first impressions although many here complain you have not given it a chance.

When you do go back, give us a followup post, that would be cool.

Cheers, HB

Agreed on that. Realy good thread and informative too! I lived a long time in Samui before but never went to pagnan, i guess the time i do it will be also a trip where first impression is all i get. Very short. I wich there where more travelers guides for people that visit places a day or two only, cant see why koohesti need to be slammed and slaggered for putting a first impression in print.

[maccaroni man]

hmm I went to KP some 12 years ago, stayed in a place called Lofa (sp) bungalows in the hills on the opposite side of the mountain from the full moon party. A simple bohemian complex, with a lady boy serving guest mushrooms and herbs on request (not me of course) I found the sea water murky and warm, the sand bottom full of sea cucumbers and the beaches nothing to write home about. The expats I did come in contact with seemed lost in the 60’s hence I have never returned and have never recommended the island to anyone who has asked for nice beaches and clear water.

[sbk]

Loyfa is on the shallow sandbar side of the island. If you had taken the time to explore the rest of the island you would have found deeper waters, clearer seas and beautiful beaches on the eastern side of the island.

[maccaroni man]

Loyfa is on the shallow sandbar side of the island. If you had taken the time to explore the rest of the island you would have found deeper waters, clearer seas and beautiful beaches on the eastern side of the island.

How much time should I have given? As I recall just getting up the hill was a death trap of washed out road! I really do not think that any place should expect a 1st time visitor to search the whole of it's property to find something nice or worth while. I covered a fair amount of territory on my trecks and was not impressed and that is my opinion like it or not that is what I was left with.

[Birdman]

Loyfa is on the shallow sandbar side of the island. If you had taken the time to explore the rest of the island you would have found deeper waters, clearer seas and beautiful beaches on the eastern side of the island.

How much time should I have given? As I recall just getting up the hill was a death trap of washed out road! I really do not think that any place should expect a 1st time visitor to search the whole of it's property to find something nice or worth while. I covered a fair amount of territory on my trecks and was not impressed and that is my opinion like it or not that is what I was left with.

My first time on KPG was 86. It was pure paradise. We stayed on the western coast and walked through the jungle to the eastern part without plans, maps or any clue of orientation. We managed to get to our place on the same day - a small adventure.

I can remember the very relaxed Thais and the handfull stoned farangs in the shallow and very beautiful waters. Magic was in the air.

Years later we wanted to walk from the "Sanctuary" to the next inhabited beach towards north on the eastcoast. There was no path and we ended sleeping on some kind of ruins of an old house in the middle of nowhere between the rocks and the bushes next to the sea. We had no food or water, because we thought, that it would be a not too difficult walk to that next beach. So, on the next day we returned to Had Rin from that ruin. We were very exhausted and had to rest many times.

I live on Samui now since 18 years and everytime I go to KPG its like holidays on a far away island from hectic USM for me. (I have not been there since appr. 2 years)

I wish it would stay like that, but it will not...

[dee123]

I've been on Samui 7 months and look out towards Koh Phangan almost everyday. But I had never been until yesterday.

This was just a day trip - took 11:00 ferry there and 17:30 ferry back. Arrived in Haad Rin - ate and drank at a few places. Hung out on the beach. Then went to Thongsala for an hour and returned to Haad Rin for some more drinking before hopping on the ferry back.

First impressions: This is Thailand? Where are all the Thais? 95% just white 20-somethings. Looked more like MTV's Spring Break in Florida than Thailand. The Full Moon Party is a week away. I'd hate to be there then. There were no Thais on Haad Rin Beach. On Chaweng Beach, you see a lot of vendors selling footballs, corn, souvenirs, etc in addition to other Thais. Nothing but young farang as far as the eye could see. We stopped off at one place to use the toilet and even ordered a drink first. My friend went in the wrong door and the woman there started screaming for him to get out of the bar and refused to serve us. I've been drunk in a lot of bars on Samui and I've never seen rudeness like this. I would guess it's just like Spring Break destinations in Florida where the business owners see so many drunks destroying things that they hate them even while taking their money. Songthaew prices were even higher than Samui. From Haad Rin to Thongsala was 100 baht per person firm. On a Sunday afternoon? Should be half that at most.

Certainly not long enough of a trip to form a complete picture of KP but this is only my first impression. I'll go back again - but stay away from the southeast part of the island.

just as I pictured it in my minds eye,......thanks for the info,......good honest post,....i think i'll steer clear (freedom of press forever)

Edited March 25, 2008 by dee123

[sbk]

I just find it quite funny that people spend a limited amount of time somewhere and then declare it either a Paradise or awful. Perhaps I am different but I prefer to withhold judgment until I actually have some information with which to judge.

[koheesti]

I just find it quite funny that people spend a limited amount of time somewhere and then declare it either a Paradise or awful. Perhaps I am different but I prefer to withhold judgment until I actually have some information with which to judge.

So how much info is needed to form a FIRST IMPRESSION? By definition I had more than enough to form one. Just remember that a first impression is not a final "judgement" on anyone, anything or anyplace.

[Birdman]

I just find it quite funny that people spend a limited amount of time somewhere and then declare it either a Paradise or awful. Perhaps I am different but I prefer to withhold judgment until I actually have some information with which to judge.

SBK, at that time for that limited time it was paradise for us...

[sbk]

Birdman, nowhere is Paradise. Everywhere has issues and problems. If you'd asked the locals back in 86 how great Koh Phangan was they would have said, "a hospital with a real doctor would be nice, as would a bank."

As for koheesti, never mind. I give up. You keep your first impressions. But next time I hit Samui I'll be sure to post my impressions based on my few hours there

[dee123]

I just find it quite funny that people spend a limited amount of time somewhere and then declare it either a Paradise or awful. Perhaps I am different but I prefer to withhold judgment until I actually have some information with which to judge.

So how much info is needed to form a FIRST IMPRESSION? By definition I had more than enough to form one. Just remember that a first impression is not a final "judgement" on anyone, anything or anyplace.

another fine post,...the information you supplied was as u said limited, but never the les you are entitled to post that,....others may say you do not know until you research more, but i am gratefulfor your post ,...don't be intimidated....

[Lite Beer]

Koheesti.

You are of cause 100% correct.

Your post was about first impressions .

They are winding you up. Don`t let them get to you.

Years ago my 1st Wife and I went to Crete for a holiday. After 2 days we thought it was awful.

We went back every year for the next 10 years. Loved it.

First impressions do not always last.

[ham]

interesting comments, but I have to say this saying "We don't see things the way they are...we see things the way we are."

ham

you could see it also like that; when walking around this small lovely village, rearly cars, small streets, a lot of nice shops, nice restaurant, beautiful young people (Farang and Thais) having fun and having a happy time together, joining a event, dancing all night..............so what????

btw. I know also about the sad murder story, but this is not the topic in here!

It sounds like a lot of people here has never been young??

...a place where I not would stay. but like to go from time to time ;-)) like a little bit holiday the other way, ibiza or so .....action

[easer]

Ok.

Another "worthless first impression review" if im aloud.

Now i been in pagnan for the first time. Im bying a boat and had to go there to see it. Arrive with the lomprayha ferry from choumpoon. It started 5 o clock in the morning so i give it that i might not have been up to explore things and to much guidening but still, the guy who met me aroung 10:30 in the morning in thong sala is a guy who lived 8 years in Phagna. I had this thread in mind so i told him to bring me to the real good stuff on the island.

I was hungry and he asked if i eat pizza. PIZZA? (after driving around the island i realize that pizza is easier to find than pad thai). He brought me to his favorite pizza-place in thong sala and i have to say: un-eatable. Absolutely discusting. I told him to bring me to a hotel with a pool and a nice beach. After turning down his first two suggestions only by the look of it (ton nai pan he brought me to first saying it is a really nice beach, it totally sucks!, and the bungalows he reccomended dolphin where a shithole that is undescribable and by this point i wanted to go to samui already, secondly he brought me to ban tai and that was possibly even worse), he finally brought me to had salad resort on salad beach. Nice resort, good pool, no beach comparable to anything else in Thailand but ok for cooling of. Day 2 again he picked me up and drove to had rin (hated it) and ban kai (shitty beach aswell), and i finally told him that i go on to samui to spend the rest of my week there.

Impressions of Koh pagnan after my first trip there with a guide that lived there 8 years and with the instruction to show me the best things. He got a week but i managed to be there a day and a half:

1: Koh pagnan beaches.

Shittiest in Thailand. Garbage everywhere. Not impressed at all. Even hua hin has better beaches than this. But for a beachguy i reccomend samui bigtime, dont even bother visiting Kohphagnan.

2: Food.

Sucks. An island with approx 30 pizzaplaces? (from what i reccon on my drives around the island), a local takes me to his nr 1 and it is un-eatable, the few thaiplaces i stopped at where nothing that impressed me either. Might be good to go on a diet when visiting this craphole. And pricewise it did not compare to what im used to in Thailand either.

3: Pagnan in general

Dont bother visit. As i always thought, the people that love it are mostly youngsters that go for the party. The rest of us, that love Thai culture, beaches, nightlife, food, and so on have absolutely no buisness going there.

Hard words, based on a short visit i know, but i lived in Thailand for a long time so i know what to look for, i speak thai and can express myself good, and i would say i usually find the cream of every place i visit.

Sorry guys, my impression will go hand in hand with koheesti and others and maybe even further on. I say: Koh pagnan totally sucks, dont bother visit this island.

Edited April 4, 2008 by easer

[Rooo]

Ouch!

[5tash]

Ok.

Another "worthless first impression review" if im aloud.

Now i been in pagnan for the first time. Im bying a boat and had to go there to see it. Arrive with the lomprayha ferry from choumpoon. It started 5 o clock in the morning so i give it that i might not have been up to explore things and to much guidening but still, the guy who met me aroung 10:30 in the morning in thong sala is a guy who lived 8 years in Phagna. I had this thread in mind so i told him to bring me to the real good stuff on the island.

I was hungry and he asked if i eat pizza. PIZZA? (after driving around the island i realize that pizza is easier to find than pad thai). He brought me to his favorite pizza-place in thong sala and i have to say: un-eatable. Absolutely discusting. I told him to bring me to a hotel with a pool and a nice beach. After turning down his first two suggestions only by the look of it (ton nai pan he brought me to first saying it is a really nice beach, it totally sucks!, and the bungalows he reccomended dolphin where a shithole that is undescribable and by this point i wanted to go to samui already, secondly he brought me to ban tai and that was possibly even worse), he finally brought me to had salad resort on salad beach. Nice resort, good pool, no beach comparable to anything else in Thailand but ok for cooling of. Day 2 again he picked me up and drove to had rin (hated it) and ban kai (shitty beach aswell), and i finally told him that i go on to samui to spend the rest of my week there.

Impressions of Koh pagnan after my first trip there with a guide that lived there 8 years and with the instruction to show me the best things. He got a week but i managed to be there a day and a half:

1: Koh pagnan beaches.

Shittiest in Thailand. Garbage everywhere. Not impressed at all. Even hua hin has better beaches than this. But for a beachguy i reccomend samui bigtime, dont even bother visiting Kohphagnan.

2: Food.

Sucks. An island with approx 30 pizzaplaces? (from what i reccon on my drives around the island), a local takes me to his nr 1 and it is un-eatable, the few thaiplaces i stopped at where nothing that impressed me either. Might be good to go on a diet when visiting this craphole. And pricewise it did not compare to what im used to in Thailand either.

3: Pagnan in general

Dont bother visit. As i always thought, the people that love it are mostly youngsters that go for the party. The rest of us, that love Thai culture, beaches, nightlife, food, and so on have absolutely no buisness going there.

Hard words, based on a short visit i know, but i lived in Thailand for a long time so i know what to look for, i speak thai and can express myself good, and i would say i usually find the cream of every place i visit.

Sorry guys, my impression will go hand in hand with koheesti and others and maybe even further on. I say: Koh pagnan totally sucks, dont bother visit this island.

I get the impression you had your mind made up about kpg before your visit. I think you you had it in for the island from the start! I could pick many holes in your review. I suggest you don't give up your day job. I'm also sure that you posted this review to stir the thread up, and see what sort of reaction you would receive.

As in your own words "another worthless first impression review"

[stiggy]

Yes I agree..

I went to England once ...

spent 5 hrs at some town called heathrow, the food bad service appalling, not a British person in site,and the noise from the traffic beyond belief.

Ill never go back to England again.... :D

But seriously you just ventured to the wrong area for what you were looking for ,Other parts of KPg are amazing, chilled stunning beaches (tong Sai pan)

Great locals (away from the ello geeeezer brigade from Haad Rin).

Next time venture North and have fun,It takes a few days to feel the KPG vibe.

I Live on Tao visit both Samui and KPG often all offer different experiences, slow down spend time and njoy

[ClaudeFeller]

I went two times ot KPN:

Once with my wife, 3 years ago, we stayed only a couple of hours, it was just boring, too sleepy, too many youngsters with ethno tatoos. Not our taste.

Second time for business reason on Koh Maa. Could hear some nice stories of the neighbors coming over to sit down, putting theirs guns on the table, drinking whisky without paying - just to intimitate the (south thai) bungalow manager. Then they had no fresh water because the neighbors just cutted his PVC pipe. Later on I went to some nicer places in the north and west, nothing special, nothing to remember but good places if you are young traveller and like easy beach life.

All in all: Like Samui maybe 20 years ago!

[burman]

1: Koh pagnan beaches.

Shittiest in Thailand. Garbage everywhere. Not impressed at all. Even hua hin has better beaches than this. But for a beachguy i reccomend samui bigtime, dont even bother visiting Kohphagnan.

Really, the beaches are that bad? I stay around Haad Yao end and they seemed fine to me, very nice in fact. And no garbage everywhere at all. I visited Chaweng a few days later and was wandering along the beach picking up broken beer bottles along my stroll down the beach.

2: Food.

Sucks. An island with approx 30 pizzaplaces? (from what i reccon on my drives around the island), a local takes me to his nr 1 and it is un-eatable, the few thaiplaces i stopped at where nothing that impressed me either. Might be good to go on a diet when visiting this craphole. And pricewise it did not compare to what im used to in Thailand either.

Yes I agree, not a great deal of good food there from what I have seen (only an annual visitor though), and ertainly nothing to compare to what the more developed islands offer. You would have found Vantana's at Thong Sala very nice for English food though.

3: Pagnan in general

Dont bother visit. As i always thought, the people that love it are mostly youngsters that go for the party. The rest of us, that love Thai culture, beaches, nightlife, food, and so on have absolutely no business going there.

As I said earlier in the thread, two total outsiders, my 60 yr old parents, found Koh Phangan to be their favourite island by far.

They didn't rate Samui very much at all, but to be fair they didn't stay on Haad Rin on Koh Phangan and stayed at Chaweng on Samui.

By the way anyone who has spent time in Thailand should know that if you get a local guide to sort out your rooms and food etc. they will not be thinking of your best interests but the commission they earn. It's like coming to Bangkok and asking a tuk tuk driver to show you around and then complaining that it's only full of tailor and gem shops.

[easer]

By the way anyone who has spent time in Thailand should know that if you get a local guide to sort out your rooms and food etc. they will not be thinking of your best interests but the commission they earn. It's like coming to Bangkok and asking a tuk tuk driver to show you around and then complaining that it's only full of tailor and gem shops.

Well, yes. I agree with this. Allthough my guide was a very good friend of mine that i known for 35 years! No way he is in any commission at all.

I told him that i want to see the nice beaches of this island and he drove me to at least 4-5 beaches he consider to be the best. Its a small island. 4-5 beaches i would say cover enough percentage to find one good. I found had salad halfway descent but still nothing to brag about. Not at all.

Anyway, taste is what it is. Some people love what i hate. Just thought i post my impressions of phagnan as a follow up to opening post. I know people are interessted in reviews from short-time visitors aswell as long-time expats. Eventhough i realize offcourse the long-term expats that love the place get angry over this and think its unfair, i still think longtimers get a bit "home-blind" and sometimes dont even see the shit they are crawling around in.

And my posts in this thread is just only ONE MANS OPPINIONS. Read them for what they are and please dont feel offended. Alot of people love kohpagnan and have alot of reasons to. Perhaps it is a good idea to start the thread "i love kohpagnan because....", and we could get those views aswell......

Easer

[koheesti]

And my posts in this thread is just only ONE MANS OPPINIONS. Read them for what they are and please dont feel offended. Alot of people love kohpagnan and have alot of reasons to. Perhaps it is a good idea to start the thread "i love kohpagnan because....", and we could get those views aswell......

Easer

Yesterday I was talking to a really hot Swedish woman (late 30's I'd say) in a little blue bikini here on the beach in Bangrak (she was on her hoineymoon ). She said they weren't impressed with Samui after 4 weeks and were going to KPN where they had been before and loved it. I mentioned some of the things in my opening post and she said they loved to party and found Samui lacking.

[sunlife2000]

i lived in samui for 5 years and moved to phangan 2 years ago and i wouldnt go back if you paid me, everyone to their own i guess

[SamuiJens]

Ouch!

Didn't you mean grouch, Rooo??

Edited April 7, 2008 by SamuiJens

[leoleo]

Ok.

Another "worthless first impression review" if im aloud.

Now i been in pagnan for the first time. Im bying a boat and had to go there to see it. Arrive with the lomprayha ferry from choumpoon. It started 5 o clock in the morning so i give it that i might not have been up to explore things and to much guidening but still, the guy who met me aroung 10:30 in the morning in thong sala is a guy who lived 8 years in Phagna. I had this thread in mind so i told him to bring me to the real good stuff on the island.

I was hungry and he asked if i eat pizza. PIZZA? (after driving around the island i realize that pizza is easier to find than pad thai). He brought me to his favorite pizza-place in thong sala and i have to say: un-eatable. Absolutely discusting. I told him to bring me to a hotel with a pool and a nice beach. After turning down his first two suggestions only by the look of it (ton nai pan he brought me to first saying it is a really nice beach, it totally sucks!, and the bungalows he reccomended dolphin where a shithole that is undescribable and by this point i wanted to go to samui already, secondly he brought me to ban tai and that was possibly even worse), he finally brought me to had salad resort on salad beach. Nice resort, good pool, no beach comparable to anything else in Thailand but ok for cooling of. Day 2 again he picked me up and drove to had rin (hated it) and ban kai (shitty beach aswell), and i finally told him that i go on to samui to spend the rest of my week there.

Impressions of Koh pagnan after my first trip there with a guide that lived there 8 years and with the instruction to show me the best things. He got a week but i managed to be there a day and a half:

1: Koh pagnan beaches.

Shittiest in Thailand. Garbage everywhere. Not impressed at all. Even hua hin has better beaches than this. But for a beachguy i reccomend samui bigtime, dont even bother visiting Kohphagnan.

2: Food.

Sucks. An island with approx 30 pizzaplaces? (from what i reccon on my drives around the island), a local takes me to his nr 1 and it is un-eatable, the few thaiplaces i stopped at where nothing that impressed me either. Might be good to go on a diet when visiting this craphole. And pricewise it did not compare to what im used to in Thailand either.

3: Pagnan in general

Dont bother visit. As i always thought, the people that love it are mostly youngsters that go for the party. The rest of us, that love Thai culture, beaches, nightlife, food, and so on have absolutely no buisness going there.

Hard words, based on a short visit i know, but i lived in Thailand for a long time so i know what to look for, i speak thai and can express myself good, and i would say i usually find the cream of every place i visit.

Sorry guys, my impression will go hand in hand with koheesti and others and maybe even further on. I say: Koh pagnan totally sucks, dont bother visit this island.

This is my first posting here at the forum. I have been reading it for quite some time now, but I cannot go past this one. I have been coming to Thailand for holidays for the last 17 years, every year, because I love this country. The climate, the people, the food, everything. First I was going to Samui, then when they built an airport, Samui turned into just another charter tourism destination, prices went up, the quality of the food went down. Big hotels came over, gated communities with villa rentals... and now there are daily traffic jams!

I shifted to Phangan and never looked back. Yes, Phangan is developing as well, but there is no such sudden influx of the charter crowd as to Samui. Prices are lower, beaches are clean and in many cases untouched. Thai people here are local people, not Thais who are here just for two months to make money. Both groups are friendly, just that locals know more about the place and perhaps care more.

To be frank, I am not sure where you found 30 pizzaplaces. Outside Haad Rin there were just two only a coup

le of years ago. There are a bit more now, but not that many  

Nice and not that pricey European restaurants are popping up. Please do not misunderstand me, I am not trying to trash Samui, it is a good place for charter people who come to stay a week in a hotel plus two excursions all inclusive. Phangan is for the rest of us.

[koheesti]

Prices are lower,...

Are we talking about the same island? Considering the additional cost to bring everything over to KPG I'm not surprised it's more expensive than Samui.

[JimmyCA]

KP has nothing going for it ... 6 hours is plenty

and samui is not much better

[leoleo]

Prices are lower,...

Are we talking about the same island? Considering the additional cost to bring everything over to KPG I'm not surprised it's more expensive than Samui.

This talk surprises me as well, but yes, we seem to be talking about the same two islands. What are currently average prices for a bungalow at Samui? Say, 700-800 Baht? It is lower than 500 at Phangan. (I know, it is quite hard to talk about 'an average bungalow ') How much would you expect to spend for cabs at Samui - starting at about 200 Baht to go pretty much anywhere (also next door with traffic jams).. well, 300 Baht is pretty much the top you pay to go anywhere at Phangan. (Thanks God, rental bikes cost pretty much the same at both islands, however with this traffic load, it is plainly not very safe to drive a bike at Samui). Food - are there many places at Samui below 100-120 Baht for any item in the menu? I am sure there are some, but few. At Phangan this level is standard. I am not talking about serious things like land. Prices at Phangan are much lower (well, there are fewer peope).

Those who read this thread may perhaps provide a link to information I recently read somewhere done by Thai Tourist Authority. Their research showed that this year Samui is expected to become the most expensive tourist destination in Thailand overdoing Phuket.

Again, I am not trying to say that there is nothing good at Samui. The island is much more developed than Phangan and hence more expensive. It also offers more variety of hi-end entertainment and leisure than Phangan.

PS. You would be right if goods were produced at Samui and then shipped to Phangan. Then there would be an additional cost. But most goods are produced elsewhere to be shipped both to Samui and Phangan.

(It is very hard for me to compare two most wonderful islands in the world. I love them both)

[leoleo]

KP has nothing going for it ... 6 hours is plenty

and samui is not much better

It is all relative. If you live in a warm, developed country, this is perhaps true. For you. However if you live in a county with half a year of frost-rain-snow, both islands are sheer paradise

[JimmyCA]

KP has nothing going for it ... 6 hours is plenty

and samui is not much better

It is all relative. If you live in a warm, developed country, this is perhaps true. For you. However if you live in a county with half a year of frost-rain-snow, both islands are sheer paradise

Sure, OK for a one time first time tourist eith no travel experience

If you'er going to travel halfway around the world, may as well pick someplace decent.

[Birdman]

KP has nothing going for it ... 6 hours is plenty

and samui is not much better

It is all relative. If you live in a warm, developed country, this is perhaps true. For you. However if you live in a county with half a year of frost-rain-snow, both islands are sheer paradise

Sure, OK for a one time first time tourist eith no travel experience

If you'er going to travel halfway around the world, may as well pick someplace decent.

...which?