> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://easythailandvisa.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Islands Nobody Is Talking About (And Three You Should Skip) - URL: https://easythailandvisa.com/thailand-islands-nobody-is-talking-about/ - Published: 2026-10-01T01:08:31.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-09T05:50:01.000Z - Description: Koh Lanta is not a bad island. It is a fully-built resort with a jungle attached, which is a different thing. The mistake is treating it as undiscovered, because a lot of people have. - Author: Somchai Jaidee - Tags: Islands & Beaches Every August I get the same question from readers: which island should I book? And every August the answer is complicated, because the good islands are seasonal and the popular ones are popular for a reason that is not always bad. Let me split this three ways. The ones that deserve the ferry. The ones that are fine. And the three I would skip. Last verified 29 September 2026. ## The timing thing nobody tells you The Andaman coast and the Gulf coast do not have the same year. The Andaman side runs November to April. The Gulf side runs roughly the same window but the rain arrives differently and the prices swing harder. The monsoon, May to October, is not uniformly terrible: the Gulf gets afternoon downpours you can wait out, the Andaman gets a sky that opens and closes all afternoon. I have been in both in July. Both are wonderful, both are cheap, neither is where the photographs come from. ## Worth the ferry ### Ko Lanta — north end, not the south [Koh Lanta](https://easythailandvisa.com/koh-lanta-vs-phangan-vs-tao/) is not a bad island. It is a fully-built resort with a jungle attached, which is a different thing. The mistake is treating it as undiscovered, because a lot of people have. The northern half, past Klong Khong, is the part worth the drive: long empty beaches, a national park at the end of the road, and dive operators that will still take beginners. What to skip: the southern beaches around the ferry point. What to do: rent a scooter, go north, stay a week rather than two nights. ### Ko Tao, north of the party Everyone knows the party. The dive shops and the three hundred people on Haad Rin are the southern third. North of Ko Nang Yuan it changes completely — the same island, ten times quieter, with better [snorkelling](https://easythailandvisa.com/thailand-snorkelling-visibility-mask/) and nobody shouting about fire shows. The trick is to stay in Mae Haad or Bang Po and accept that you will be taking small boats rather than ferries. It is worth it. ### Ko Pha Ngan, north side The full-moon crowd stays south. The north side of Ko Pha Ngan has empty beaches in the high season and a snorkel reef that gets a lot less attention. The downside is real: without a scooter you are stuck. ### Ko Yao Noi Ten minutes by longtail from [Phang Nga](https://easythailandvisa.com/koh-yao-noi-phang-nga-honestly/). No cars, no crowds, no beach clubs. It has a genuine Muslim fishing village and a genuinely good bakery. It is a two-night island, not a two-week one, and trying to stay longer gets boring. ### Ko Adet, Ko Phi Phi Don and the small ones Ko Adet is a one-hour longtail from Krabi, has coral, and has a ranger station. Ko [Phi Phi](https://easythailandvisa.com/phi-phi-islands-what-nobody-tells-you/) Don is popular and worth it in season if you book the early boat and leave by four. Beyond those, the small ones are the good ones — you just have to be willing to be unreachable for a day. ## Fine, not special Some places are perfectly good and nothing more, and that is a fine thing to spend a week on. **Ko Samui** is polished, safe, has the best airport connections of any island, and will not surprise you. If you have children, a short flight, or limited days, it is the correct boring choice. **Ko Chang** is large, cheap, and the ferry from Trat takes four hours. Waterfalls. Fine. The east coast gets very wet in the monsoon and the sea gets brown. **Ko Rayong and the Rayong islands** are close to Bangkok and full of day-trippers. If that is what you want, they are the best option for that. If you want quiet, they are the worst. ## Three I would skip ### 1\. The Phi Phi versions people photograph Phi Phi Phi — the small island without the Don — was closed after the 2018 collapse and the fire. It is not a normal island any more and everyone selling tours there is either confused or lying. ### 2\. Coral Bay It is a real island and it is fine. It is also a family package destination that empties the entire island by 11am, and the underwater snorkelling that made its reputation was damaged in 2016 and has not recovered to what the tour operators still describe. ### 3\. Any island whose name is on a package tour with a stop at four other islands This is the one that costs you a day. A "4 islands 1 temple" speedboat tour does 4 islands and 1 temple in about nine hours, moving at 30 knots, on a boat built for 40 people carrying 55\. You will see a coral reef from the surface. I have done it twice so you do not have to. Pick one island. Hire a longtail. Spend the day. ## How to actually pick Four questions, and the answers will tell you more than any listicle. 1. **How long is the transfer?** Under two hours, fine. Over four hours, you will spend a day of your holiday travelling. 2. **Can you get a scooter?** If yes, the island is quiet. If no, you will be wherever the tours go. 3. **Is there somewhere to eat that is not a menu in four languages?** That is your signal about the crowd. 4. **What is the monsoon version like?** If you are going in July, find out what the island is in the rain before you book. **On getting there legally.** Since 15 September 2026 most nationalities get 30 days visa-free, which is enough for any island trip and not enough for the slow travel that most people actually want. The main long-stay route is in the [DTV guide](https://easythailandvisa.com/destination-thailand-visa-dtv-explained/). Last verified 29 September 2026\. Ferries change, weather does not. **More on this** - [Two River Islands, Ninety Minutes From Bangkok, and Almost](https://easythailandvisa.com/koh-kret-and-koh-sichang-day-trips-from-bangkok/) - [Koh Chang Is the Island Nobody Puts on the List and It](https://easythailandvisa.com/koh-chang-thailand-quiet-island-getting-there/) - [Koh Phangan Is Two Islands Dressed as One](https://easythailandvisa.com/koh-phangan-island-guide-full-moon-party/)