Thong Nai Pan Airport

The sign says: "Thank you Mr. Phum for supporting Kan Air to arrive in Koh Phangan."

The rumours about Koh Phangan getting an airport come around every year. It seems to be like the rainy season – an annual event. Speculation is also partly fuelled by developers who want to sell villas. The prospect of an airport anywhere in Koh Phangan would surely drive the value of villas and land up on Koh Phangan.

As with all good rumours there is a touch of conspiracy in the mix. Bangkok Airways that own Koh Samui airport have for years been overcharging for their Samui to Bangkok flights. These flights serve people not only who want to go to Koh Samui, but also Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. This lucrative monopoly would end if Koh Phangan got their own airport (unless it was also run by Bangkok Airways). And hence the conspiracy that Bangkok Airways have used their influence in the past to stop permission being given for Koh Phangan airport.

The other aspect to the back story is the lack of flat land on Koh Phangan, other than beaches. Jokes abound about using planes that can land in the water or reclaiming some land for an airstrip.

However, there is land being cleared between Than Sadet and Thong Nai Pan. There is flat land in this area. Moreover, the road now between Than Sadet and Thong Nai Pan is the best on the island.

For those who think that Koh Phangan will never be a 5 star destination and that the hotels on Koh Phangan aren’t that great, I humbly beg to differ. The evidence on the ground says a different story.

Koh Samui is over developed and has a jaded look to several parts of it. Most of the people who go to Chaweng are not the upper classes. It is more like an Ibiza crowd who want to get drunk and buy relationships with pretty Thai girls. Despite the Conrad Hotel and the Amari Palm Reef Hotel it is wrong to presume that all the rich folks go to Koh Samui on their holidays. Back in the 90s and noughties lots of ex-pats set up on the island and hence the big supermarkets, hospitals and schools. It is ex-pats, footballers and package tourists that have fuelled the Koh Samui boom. David Beckham might have bought a villa in Koh Samui but I doubt very much that he spends much time on the island.

The rich move on. They want something new. They want exciting and beautiful locations just as much as luxury resorts. Rasananda despite the high prices for their bungalows on the beach runs at nearly full capacity, so does Panviman and Santhiya. When I was on Thong Nai Pan Noi beach last Christmas and New Year I was surrounded by people with posh accents.

Bantai and Haad Rin might be predominately populated with full mooners, half mooners etc. but that is not the case with Thong Nai Pan. It has two outstanding beaches and isn’t ruined by over-development. Than Sadet is another beautiful beach with an historic waterfall. The only reason Than Sadet doesn’t have a Rasananda is because the locals don’t want to sell up.

A small airfield between Than Sadet and Thong Nai Pan doesn’t seem that far-fetched to me. The scoffers said there would never be a Tesco in Koh Phangan. They were wrong about that.

The source of this rumour: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/539702-koh-phangan-airport/

To keep up with the progress of Koh Phangan Airport visit www.kohphanganairport.com

Sunrise Villa in Thong Nai Pan Noi

Prices for Thong Nai Pan Noi Accommodation

The prices for accommodation in Thong Nai Pan Noi are getting very high. This is stopping many people who want to come and experience the beauty of the beach and the surrounding area from visiting. The cheapest villa in Rasananda in the low season is over 8,000 THB, Santhiya it is over 5,000 THB and at Panviman it is also over 5,000 THB. These places offer luxury but at a high price.

For old Thailand hands they are frankly not worth it. The villas and rooms at the resorts are all close together, and the prices for food and drink are outrageous compared to the real cost in the shops.

Private Villa Hire

The solution is private villa hire. Recently Sunrise Villa was completed. It is located in the hills behind Thongtapan Resort, about 800 meters from the beach. The villa is 2 storey. The upstairs has a master bedroom with floor to ceiling windows and en-suite bathroom with hot water.

Downstairs there are 2 more en-suite double bedrooms with air-con. There is also a fully fitted kitchen, a comfortable lounge with access to a large balcony. From the balcony and the master bedroom an amazing view of the Thong Nai Pan bay area and the surrounding jungle can be enjoyed. You can see several varieties of eagle and other birds of prey gliding in the thermals while sitting on the balcony furniture. 

Sunrise Villa is set in over 1,000 sq meters of garden that features a number of beautiful tropical plants. It also has banana, coconut and cashew trees. You can also pick wild pineapples. It is a tropical paradise setting removed from the noise of the beach.

Best Part

The best part of Sunrise Villa is the rental price: outside of the Christmas and New Year period it is a bargain 5,000 THB a night. The rent can be shared by 3 couples making the price per person only 833 THB ($27). That is cheaper than Thongtapan Resort!

Update

Sunrise Villa is currently closed.

Watching Footie in Thong Nai Pan

I've always been slightly frustrated by the lack of places that show English (sorry Swansea) Premiership Football. Many years ago it was fairly popular to show the footie at the weekend. Sandy's had a great TV set up; there was the Soccer Bar; the place in the middle of the beach that was later Pong's also had a TV room upstairs. All these football watching venues closed or changed.

For a while Mios in Thong Nai Pan Noi was excellent for catching a game, but that closed, leaving only Indigo Gecko as a venue for footie watching. Now Indigo Gecko has very little custom. It is still officially open but I never see anyone in there. I suspect they've not bought Sky Sports for quite a while.

All, however, is not lost for those football addicts in Thong Nai Pan Noi. The new Jip Shop in Thong Nai Pan Noi Village shows all the games. It's called 'shop' but actually it's a bar and restaurant. The staff in Jip Shop are very friendly. One of the lads working there also loves his football, and is happy to find a game for you.

Jip Shop is perhaps the best of the new places to open in Thong Nai Pan Noi recently. It has an attractive exterior and interior, heavily featuring bamboo. They do good Thai and Western food that is slightly cheaper than Luna and Better Than Sex. Jip Shop hasn't gone for the up-market 'boutique look' of other places in Thong Nai Pan Noi, but neither is it scruffy and 'backpacker'. I recommend the spicy grilled beef salad (120 THB) and the spring rolls with plum sauce (100 THB).

For those in Thong Nai Pan Yai looking to watch live Premiership Football the best option is the Game Bar.