Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Walking from Thong Nai Pan Yai to Than Sadet

I have never met anyone who has walked from Thong Nai Pan Yai to the beach at Than Sadet. It’s something I am always meaning to get around to. I was greatly impressed by Tezza’s blog. He not only does this walk but does all the hikes along the mountainous east coast of Koh Phangan.

http://tezzasthaiinfo.blogspot.co.uk/2006/12/ko-phangan.html Gives a detailed account of these hikes and is an invaluable resource for those visitors to Koh Phangan who want to get off the beaten track and experience the natural beauty of the island. Although the east coast holds the leading luxury resorts on the island as well as the construction site for the new airport, it is an area that remains mostly untouched by the development sweeping Koh Phangan. Beaches like Haad Thong Reng, Haad Yao East and Haad Wai Nam are places that time seems to have forgotten, places that feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the Full Moon Party.

Haad Sadet to Thong Nai Pan Yai

The trail to Thong Nai Pan Yai starts on the main access road, near the Rangers Station. Follow the signs for viewpoint bungalows. After 5 minutes the track divides. The right turning goes to Viewpoint Bungalows. Take the left turn. Follow this path and you get to Thong Nai Pan Yai. The path goes up and down and at parts is no more than a narrow path through the jungle. The journey cannot be done on a motorbike.

The trail comes out on the road where the Funky Buddha is located. It takes about 55 minutes to walk the trail. Considering it would take about 40 minutes to drive a motorbike between Thong Nai Pan and Than Sadet this is a good route.

You are unlikely to meet anyone while on the trail. Be sure to wear boots, carry water and use sunscreen. Also don’t set out late in the afternoon as the sun goes down quickly in the evening.

Future Roads

The local government plan to connect all the beaches up by concrete roads in the future so now is the time to enjoy this adventure before the trail is made redundant.


Respect to Tezza for his independent researches. We recommend checking out his blog for information about other walking trails in Koh Phangan. I can think of few better things in life than exploring the stunning beaches on the east coast of Koh Phangan.