Thailand is home to an astonishing array of islands offering all manner of diving, swimming and sunbathing opportunities all year round. The hardest part for any visitor is singling out Thailand's best islands among the hundreds. Here are 20 of our favourites (listed in no particular order), taken from theRough Guide to Thailand’s Beaches & Islands Dropdown content. And remember, if you're after a relaxing trip, our Tailor-Made Trips service can help. Get in touch Dropdown content and we'll connect you with a local expert to start planning your dream holiday.
Thailand has islands on all three sides. In the Andaman Sea on the west coast you'll find Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta. On the east and west sides of the Gulf of Thailand, you'll find places like Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Tao. Getting around in high season is easy, with regular ferry services and internal flights. In low season ferry services may stop, but you'll nearly always find pricier speedboat transfers available.
Edged with white-sand beaches and backed by jungle-clad hills,
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A white-sand Ko Chang beach © Vlad61/Shutterstock
The unhurried pace and absence of consumer pressures head to tiny, rocky
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For drinking and dancing,
Ko Pha Ngan, one of Thailand's party islands © Diego Fiore/Shutterstock
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Blessed with the softest, squeakiest sand within weekending distance of Bangkok, the tiny island of
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Small, slow-paced, peaceful
Life goes slowly onKo Mak, Thailand © DeltaOFF/Shutterstock
The fourth-largest island in Thailand, forested
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Anemone and Clownfish seen at Ko Tao, Thailand © Vlad61/Shutterstock
No, we’re not repeating ourselves, this is a different Ko Chang, not to be confused with its much larger namesake off the east coast of Thailand. It’s a forested little island about 5km offshore, whose car-free, ultra laid-back, roll-your-own vibe more than compensates for the less-than-perfect beaches. The pace of life here is very slow and for the relatively small number of tourists who make it to the island the emphasis is strongly on kicking back and chilling out. Bring your own hammock and you’ll fit right in.
The diminutive kangaroo-shaped island of Ko Phayam offers fine white-sand beaches and coral reefs and is home to around 500 people, most of whom either make their living from prawn, squid or crab fishing, or from growing cashew nuts, sator beans, coconut palms and rubber trees. Because of its roads, Ko Phayam has a slightly more developed feel than neighbouring Ko Chang, underlined by a low-key beach-bar scene – all hand-painted signs and driftwood sculptures – and the presences of a significant number of foreigners who choose to spend six or more months here every year.
Ko Phayam has a chilled vibe © ksl/Shutterstock
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Hilly, forested Ko Ra (measuring about 10km north to south and 3km across) sits just off Khuraburi pier’s mangrove-lined estuary and is covered with intact rainforest full of towering trees, hornbills and wild, empty beaches. The island is home to some two-dozen Moken and Mai Tai people and offers great hiking opportunities.
Spectacularly varied and unusually shallow reefs, a palette of awesomely clear turquoise waters and dazzling white sands, and dense forests of lofty dipterocarps combine to make the islands of Mu Ko Surin National Park one of the must-visit destinations in south Thailand. It’s very much an outdoors experience, with most of the bulk of accommodation in national park tents, no commerce on the island at all, and twice-daily snorkelling the main activity.
Relaxing on one of the Surin islands, Thailand © DC_Aperture/Shutterstock
Rated as one of the world’s best spots for both above-water and underwater beauty, the eleven islands at the heart of the
This is the sort of laidback spot people come to for a couple of days, then can’t bring themselves to leave. Though there’s plenty of accommodation on the island, there’s nothing more than a handful of beach bars for evening entertainment, and little to do during the day except try out the half-dozen west coast beaches and read your book under a tree. Nights are low key: it’s paraffin lamps and starlight after 11pm at places off the main grid, and many places don’t even provide fans as ocean breezes are sufficiently cooling.
A jungle lodge on Ko Jum © tropical-travel/Shutterstock
Located in an idyllic spot on the edge of Phang Nga bay, almost equidistant from Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi, the island of
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Although
Sunset on the beach in Ko Lanta © Adel Newman/Shutterstock
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The most developed of the Trang islands, Ko Ngai (also known as Ko Hai) is still decidedly low-key. The island’s action, such as it is, centres on the east coast, where half a dozen resorts enjoy a dreamy panorama of jagged limestone outcrops, whose crags glow pink and blue against the setting sun, stretching across the sea to the mainland behind. The gently sloping, fine white sand beach here runs unbroken for 2km and there’s some good snorkelling in the shallow, clear water off the island’s southeastern tip.
Ko Kradan is known for its clear waters © Denis Costille/Shutterstock
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Further south than the other Trang islands, low-lying
This is the largest of the Ko Turatao National Park archipelago and it offers the greatest natural variety: mountains covered in semi-evergreen rainforest rise steeply to a high point of 700m; limestone caves and mangrove swamps dot the shoreline; and the west coast is lined with perfect beaches for most of its 26-kilometre length.
Ko Tarutao is notable for its mountains © khlongwangchao/Shutterstock
This rainforest-covered island has narrow beached backed by a canopy of pines. There’s a half-hour climb to Sha-do cliff that’s worth tackling, with great views over Ko Lipe island to the south. Another option can be found near the main park station, where a 20-minute trail leads to the small Pirate Waterfall.
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Explore more of Thailand's best islands with the