About Koh Phangan

Koh = island

Pha = meet or find

Ngan = sandy beach which can be seen at low tide

Koh Phangan is an island paradise in the Gulf of Thailand located about 100 km from the coast of Southern Thailand’s Surat Thani Province and about 15 km from the famous resort island of Koh Samui.

Koh Phangan is the largest of Samui’s neighboring islands with an area of 168 square km. Over 70% of its total area is mountains and tropical forest. The lowlands are beaches and coconut fields.

The island has 9.2 sq. km of coral reef, which is 100 to 1000 meters wide, with its widest part in the Wok Tum area. 50-70% of the reef is alive with 300-500 meters covered in seaweed. The most abundant fish is the Mackerel.

About 15,000 people live on Koh Phangan. Some are Chinese, whose ancestors migrated from China more than hundred years ago. The main population lives in Thong Sala Town.

Standard Thai is used as the official language, but the southern dialect is more widely spoken among the local people. English is understood in business circles and tourist areas.

More than 95% of the population is Buddhist, but there are a few Muslims in Baan Tai village.

Koh Phangan is a district (Amphoe) of the Surat Thani Province in the Southern Region of Thailand.

The most important product of Koh Phangan is coconuts. Each month Koh Samui and Koh Phangan produce more than 1 million coconuts for export to Bangkok. Another prominent island industry is fishing and of course the ever growing tourism business.