In Or Around Thongsala For A Couple Of Days

[femi fan]

Hopefully looking for a bit of info...

I have managed to create some time and money to get myself a month down in ko phangan starting very soon. My home is in chiang mai, but i frequently went to ko phangan in the 90s, it was my favourite place. I've been back a couple of times in recent years, so am aware of the main changes it's undergone.

My plan is to stay in or very near thongsala for a couple of nights while i go motorbiking around looking for a decent bungalow and beach to spend four weeks. I'm trying to keep to a budget of not much more than 500 baht a night for the bungalow. I know i should be fine for the four week stay, but any ideas for a place to stay in thongsala? Or, i recall taking pretty much the first left out of the town onto the road going up the west coast, and there being a couple of bungalow resorts somewhere nearby. I think they are probably walking distance. Would they fit my budget?

How much are motorbikes for a day or two? And a typical rate for two or three weeks?

Any recommendations for a bungalow resort at ao plaay laem? What's the beach like during low tide?

What's the police presence in kp these days in trying to enforce helmet wearing?

If anybody has any other info that might be good for me, please fire away! I'm kind of expecting the weather to be pretty good in june, i'm sure i can remember a few visits at this time of the year when the weather was great. Not quite rainy season?

I used to stay over the years at island view cabana on mae had, but was very disappointed at its 'progress' when i went there two christmases ago. So i'm now on the lookout for some other beach and bungalow to spend my money at.

[Aza90]

Why don't you take a trip to Chaloklum. Fanta and North Beach bungalows within your budget. Lovely beach and great restaurants and places to drink in the village. Just a short drive to Mae Haad and Haad Salad on the bike.

Motorbikes are 200 baht a day in my experience but maybe a discount for a month hire.

Police sometimes in Thong Sala checking helmets.

Beautiful Island, enjoy your holiday.

NB Chaloklum has a facebook page and there is a very recent picture of the beach and sea outside Fanta bungalows.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Aza90

[femi fan]

Aza, thanks for the reply. At nearly 200 views i was thinking this would sink without trace!

That's a neat suggestion, one i'd not contemplated. I often used to go from my bungalow in mae had on my motorbike up over and down the hill to chaloklum to enjoy the vibes there. Very laidback and chilled. It never occurred to me to actually stay there this visit. Are the bungalows you mention towards the eastern end of the beach? Down a track if i recall? Not too close to the incoming squid piers? I hate the smell of squid!

Are fanta and north beach bungalows actually on the beach? Getting a bungalow right on the beach always used to be one of my requirements, and in the past not difficult at all.

So no real helmet checking out and about on the island then, just the main town?

Beautiful island is an understatement!! The first place i really used to go to a lot was had yao beach, but then it went awol with all that development. Was it bay view bungalows at the top end on the rocks?

Anyway, i can't wait to get down there. Thanks for the info.

[Eddymunich]

Sea Scene,very nice and quite location near to Thong Sala,you can rent a bike near to the pier for 150 baht day,no automatic...

[samuijimmy]

I did try replying to your post yesterday, but it shoot away into cyberspace .... will try again!

I am on KP at least once a month, just for a day, and l always rent my bike at Kate, which is just up from the pier and past 7-11 (go straight) cross the road with the boulevard and it's the second shop up about 50 meters on right side. The first shop is more bigger noisy bikes! Her price, is 150 baht for Clicks and another smaller Honda (cannot think of the name.... all fairly new automatic bikes) ..... and 250 baht for Honda PCX... now she may give me a discount because she knows me, not certain about that. Also may rise during FMP.

You were probably last at Island View during their renovations, they might be worth a second look, their lower priced bungalows are still 400 baht. I think one of the nicest beaches on either KP or Samui ... Mostly same staff that has been their for years... I always found them great and stop there for lunch each visit, as do hundreds of other people each day... it has to be the busiest lunch time places on KP.... never seems to make a difference to time of year. Their "western food" has also improved.

Snorkeling still fairly good, but harder to find live coral now... but still some there as are the fish.

If you stay in Mae Haad, consider renting a bike from Narwin Store on main street (big changes their) .... he does not rip people off in the event of an accident, I'm not sure of his current rental price.

As for staying in Tongsala, well better places and beaches around, I certainly agree Chaloklum is worth a look too. (away from the fish dock! )

[femi fan]

thanks jimmy

I stayed at the new beachfront bungalows at ivc. I brought mates over from england, booked up four bungalows for about eight days. The younger woman was now running things, i presumed a daughter who had now grown up! Perhaps she never took a like to me for some reason, but near the beginning i was asking her for some kind of discount. She was adamant none would be given (free christmas dinner i think!). I know it was high season, but eight nights, four bungalows, about ten of us eating most meals at her place. I vowed never to stay there again, which was a pity because i used to stay there a lot in the 90s and at the old 400 baht places back in 2007.

So it's not an option this time unfortunately. She loved money too much! But also, and you've put me off it even more, there were so many people on the beach! I absolutely don't want to go through that again. I don't get to phangan very often any more (chiang mai is a long way!), and want it to be as much like my experiences in the 90s as i can get. I've done well recently.

I was looking at the phanganbungalows website and it occurred to me that i could rent a house for a month. If anybody has any ideas on that, fire away.

I'll look up that bike place you mentioned. Cheers.

[femi fan]

Sea Scene,very nice and quite location near to Thong Sala,you can rent a bike near to the pier for 150 baht day,no automatic...

Thanks mate.

I saw on a site that they'd be about 1000 baht, although i think they had something cheaper. What might a 1000 baht a night bungalow go for for four weeks in june, ie the low season?

In other words to get a price of about 500 baht a night for staying somewhere for four weeks, what might the regular price be?

[samuijimmy]

thanks jimmy

I stayed at the new beachfront bungalows at ivc. I brought mates over from england, booked up four bungalows for about eight days. The younger woman was now running things, i presumed a daughter who had now grown up! Perhaps she never took a like to me for some reason, but near the beginning i was asking her for some kind of discount. She was adamant none would be given (free christmas dinner i think!). I know it was high season, but eight nights, four bungalows, about ten of us eating most meals at her place. I vowed never to stay there again, which was a pity because i used to stay there a lot in the 90s and at the old 400 baht places back in 2007.

So it's not an option this time unfortunately. She loved money too much! But also, and you've put me off it even more, there were so many people on the beach! I absolutely don't want to go through that again. I don't get to phangan very often any more (chiang mai is a long way!), and want it to be as much like my experiences in the 90s as i can get. I've done well recently.

I was looking at the phanganbungalows website and it occurred to me that i could rent a house for a month. If anybody has any ideas on that, fire away.

I'll look up that bike place you mentioned. Cheers.

Yeah I understand, that would have been the ex daughter in law, Lek, she's no longer there....or on long holiday?, but they never give discounts, I stayed there 3 months when I first moved to Thailand ...and several times before that, knew people who stayed 6 months each year for 20 years and never got a discounts.... but we got a few perks like free internet and other stuff too.

But at least not same as places like Ban Tai or Haad Rin which jack up prices for FMP and have minimum stay!

There are houses to rent around, by month, but you really need to check them out first... prices higher on KP than Samui, generally.

A friend stays at a place called Grandma's house each year for 6 months.... but in the middle of the island, no views although quiet ... 18,000 baht a month.

I am sure you'll find something suitable

[femi fan]

Yeah, that's it, lek! Oh well, after hearing that about discounts, i'll pop in about lunch time while scouring the island and see how busy the beach is. But really, if i get a bungalow it needs to be beachside!

I do like that top left hand corner of the island, encompassing chaloklum too.

If i get a house it must have at least seaviews. If it was jungle i may as well stick around up here in chiang mai and pay a whole load less.

Can i expect reasonably dry weather in june?

I had considered samui, maenam beach in particular since i expect it's changed the least over the years, and because it's away from the road. I always stayed at big buddha beach, but after all the real estate explosion in the area that became less attractive an option.

Oh yeah, the south is not really an option for me, unless the ban tai is any good. I've been considering wok tum and the ones up to sri tanu.

Edited May 22, 2012 by femi fan

[samuijimmy]

Yeah, that's it, lek! Oh well, after hearing that about discounts, i'll pop in about lunch time while scouring the island and see how busy the beach is. But really, if i get a bungalow it needs to be beachside!

I do like that top left hand corner of the island, encompassing chaloklum too.

If i get a house it must have at least seaviews. If it was jungle i may as well stick around up here in chiang mai and pay a whole load less.

Can i expect reasonably dry weather in june?

I had considered samui, maenam beach in particular since i expect it's changed the least over the years, and because it's away from the road. I always stayed at big buddha beach, but after all the real estate explosion in the area that became less attractive an option.

Oh yeah, the south is not really an option for me, unless the ban tai is any good. I've been considering wok tum and the ones up to sri tanu.

There are bungalows further down that beach, Wang Sai, next door is nice, but I think only one bungalow on beach and more money... nice people, but not sure about discounts. I think these places take the attitude we are busy anyway, so it does not matter to give discounts.

There are some "run down" looking places further down Mae Haad, I've never checked them out closely. Last month I saw one person in one of them... that end of the beach usually has no one on it! Then there is the little beach at the end, usually very quiet too.... a little bit of a walk, to gain tranquility!

No where on KP is much more than a half hour drive from anywhere, (except Haad Rin perhaps might be 45 minutes from north end) suggest finding a place for a day or two and just drive around for a "perfect spot" to stay longer...

As for Maenam, or Ban Tai, Samui, (north end) still nice, you need to get of the ring road and follow the windy roads and check places out....quieter than Chawang or Lamai, beaches good and usually not crowded, but some nice places to stay in all price ranges. June is going to be quieter everywhere, anyway!

You can get automatic bikes here for 150 baht a day, less by the month.... in Maenam at least.

As for weather June should be fine, it's rather hot here at the moment!

I would not give up on getting away.... a change of scenery is always good! Good luck!

[tinfoilhat]

Yeah, that's it, lek! Oh well, after hearing that about discounts, i'll pop in about lunch time while scouring the island and see how busy the beach is. But really, if i get a bungalow it needs to be beachside!

I do like that top left hand corner of the island, encompassing chaloklum too.

If i get a house it must have at least seaviews. If it was jungle i may as well stick around up here in chiang mai and pay a whole load less.

Can i expect reasonably dry weather in june?

I had considered samui, maenam beach in particular since i expect it's changed the least over the years, and because it's away from the road. I always stayed at big buddha beach, but after all the real estate explosion in the area that became less attractive an option.

Oh yeah, the south is not really an option for me, unless the ban tai is any good. I've been considering wok tum and the ones up to sri tanu.

There are bungalows further down that beach, Wang Sai, next door is nice, but I think only one bungalow on beach and more money... nice people, but not sure about discounts. I think these places take the attitude we are busy anyway, so it does not matter to give discounts.

There are some "run down" looking places further down Mae Haad, I've never checked them out closely. Last month I saw one person in one of them... that end of the beach usually has no one on it! Then there is the little beach at the end, usually very quiet too.... a little bit of a walk, to gain tranquility!

No where on KP is much more than a half hour drive from anywhere, (except Haad Rin perhaps might be 45 minutes from north end) suggest finding a place for a day or two and just drive around for a "perfect spot" to stay longer...

As for Maenam, or Ban Tai, Samui, (north end) still nice, you need to get of the ring road and follow the windy roads and check places out....quieter than Chawang or Lamai, beaches good and usually not crowded, but some nice places to stay in all price ranges. June is going to be quieter everywhere, anyway!

You can get automatic bikes here for 150 baht a day, less by the month.... in Maenam at least.

As for weather June should be fine, it's rather hot here at the moment!

I would not give up on getting away.... a change of scenery is always good! Good luck!

thongnai pan and thansadet and all points up that end as well

[femi fan]

As for weather June should be fine, it's rather hot here at the moment!

I would not give up on getting away.... a change of scenery is always good! Good luck!

Give up? No way!!

Hot is no problem. We've been in 38 in the shade for weeks in chiang mai. No sea breeze to cool things down either!

So much looking forward to the kp experience.

[femi fan]

thongnai pan and thansadet and all points up that end as well

Any specific recommendations for bungalow resorts? I have considered tnp, went there way back in the 90s, but have assumed it's gone price-crazy and too many people. I'd like to hear i'm wrong!

[tinfoilhat]

thongnai pan and thansadet and all points up that end as well

Any specific recommendations for bungalow resorts? I have considered tnp, went there way back in the 90s, but have assumed it's gone price-crazy and too many people. I'd like to hear i'm wrong!

yeah chasing the 90s on tnp is a recipe for disaster.

the dolphin is a great place to stay, but i doubt at your price range.

Thansadet would be a much better bet.

To be honest i started my love affair with phangan in the mid 90's, and i would not want to go back to those days. once the oldschool bungalows started to die out we realized it was time to build a house, and i ended up in Chaloklum.

best decision ever.

there are a few really oldschool places in Ban Kai, just at the start of the mountains into Haadrin, but their businesses are in turmoil. Deaths and illness in the family money problems etc.

my freinds return to golden beach (I think) year after year for a few months, but this xmas they were cooking for themselves in the kitchen and stocking their own beer. I think the family only bothered because they know them. Bungalows are right on the water, though i dont know if there is much of that in june.

[femi fan]

my freinds return to golden beach (I think) year after year for a few months, but this xmas they were cooking for themselves in the kitchen and stocking their own beer. I think the family only bothered because they know them. Bungalows are right on the water, though i dont know if there is much of that in june.

Where is golden beach? Never heard of that before!

The old phangan i like to find is simply one which has not been overrun with tourists, but rather retains the travelers set up and atmosphere. And a beach which doesn't have hordes of people on it. And staying in a reasonable bungalow overlooking the sand and beach, preferably facing west.

Are there any houses for rent in chaloklum? About five years ago when i was in mae had i met some lads renting a sort of house in chaloklum, i think more towards the western end of the beach. Not quite on the beach, but with the views i think.

Can you tell me any more about tan sadet? What's the beach like? Easy enough to get a bungalow next to the beach? Near or far from any roads?

Thanks for your info, and thanks to all on this thread who've helped with their knowledge. Just keep that weather nice and dry for me...!