It can be hard to chose where to live or stay on the island of Koh Phangan and there are many factors which you will want to consider depending on what you want to do or experience during your stay. In this article in particular we will focus on BUDGET which can, for some people be a deciding factor or an important one at least which you can then base other decisions around.
Please bear in mind that this is a general guide, if you look ard enough you will find great deals everywhere and also some high budget places in our low budget lists, hope we can help…
Low Budget
Best areas to stay; Haad Rin, Baan Tai, Chaloklum
If you are on a seriously low budget then obviously the best choice for you would be a bed in a dorm at a hostel. These can be found in the Full Moon Party area of Haad Rin although some have been around for years so will be basic. If you want to have a bit more comfort then Baan Tai is the kind of ‘new’ area for hostels, still with the price tag of Haad Rin but many offer chillout areas, sports, food etc and are newer so a bit more luxurious.
We include Chaloklum in this low budget list if you are looking for more long term accommodation like a house or bungalow. Although it is a good 20 minute drive from the hub centre of Thong Sala, you can find very affordable houses in Chaloklum and this is why a lot of long termers tend to live up this way.
Medium Budget
Best areas to stay; Baan Tai, Thong Sala, Madhuwan, Sri Thanu
Most central locations on the island have a range of accommodation to fit a medium budget, nicer than hostels etc but not luxurious resorts.
The area of Madhuwan which is the centre of the South has really affordable housing as it is not near the beach, the closer to the beach the more expensive it becomes.
Baan Tai is popular with residents, there are lots of jungle and garden houses for between 5000 - 12,000 Baht per month.
Sri Thanu is also in our high budget list but if you look hard enough you can find some medium budget accomodation, mostly tucked away in the jungle.
High Budget
Best areas to stay; Sri Thanu, Thong Nai Pan Noi, Haad Salad
We’ll start with Sri Thanu, it tends to be slightly more expensive as it is obviously very beautiful but also this is where a lot of the yoga/spiritual schools are and so for some reason this pushes the cost up. Although it may have to do with a higher standard of property in this area, more residential and a lack of hostels.
Thong Nai Pan Noi is famous for its luxury resorts as it has one of the most beautiful beaches and scenery on the whole island so expect to pay for it. Resorts such as Buri Rasa and Anantara offer exquisite accommodation with service to match.
There are houses in Thong Nai Pan and beautiful ones at that but you will pay higher prices than elsewhere. This is the case with Haad Salad which has seen a rapid development of high end holiday homes being built over the last few years. If you do stay round here though it will be an experience you will never forget!
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