Khanom
Understand
Khanom is a small, quiet fishing town with lovely beaches, a little bit off of the beaten path, but still fairly easy to get to. It is a great stopping point when travelling through southern Thailand. Nai Plao Beach is where you will find most hotels and restaurants located.
Get in
By mini-bus - You can get to Khanom from the nearest cities of Surat Thani (an hour north of Khanom) or Nakhon Si Thammarat (an hour south of Khanom) for about 80 baht. Minibuses generally depart from the "old" bus terminal in the center of Surat Thani.
By bus - Overnight buses to Khanom depart from Sai Tai Taling Chan bus terminal in Bangkok, and they pass Surat Thani new bus terminal on the way. There are only a few buses a day, and they can get fully booked hours before departure - buy tickets in advance.
By taxi
[www.toontours.net Taxi] (Mr.TooN), 1/18 moo 3 Houther, e-mail: tuldee@hotmail.com. 9.00AM.- 9.00PM.
Get around
The best way to get around is by motorbike. The town and beaches have very little traffic so it is safe to ride a motorbike around to get to the local attractions and to check out the different beaches.
- 🌍 The 14 Khanom - Motorbike Rental, Nadan Beach Road, ☎ +66 83-551-3795. Daily 8AM-10PM. Motorbikes, bicycles, and car for rent. Speaks English, French, and Thai.
- 2 Mr.TooNMr.TooN, 1/19 moo3 Tambal khanom, ☎ +66 93-394-9946, e-mail: tuldee@hotmail.com. Taxi Ticket Rental & Tours
See
The beaches are nice and practically deserted. There are 2 caves in the area, a few waterfalls, a nice paved road up Dat Fa Mountain.
Beaches
- 🌍 Hua Thanon Beach (หาดหัวถนน). Government cleaned and maintained beach. Free public toilets and showers. BBQ area and food vendors.
- 🌍 Na Dan Beach. Good for swimming and sunbathing.
- 🌍 Ao Thong Beach.
- 🌍 Nai Phlao Beach. Popular with Thai tourists. You'll find more restaurants and older accommodations in this area.
You can take a boat ride from 🌍 Laem Prathap Pier. in Thong Nian (25 km from Khanom Bay) to see the famous pink dolphins and some interesting islands. The tour costs 1,000 baht and takes about 2 hours. The best time to watch the dolphins is in the morning although it's not guaranteed you will see one.
Do
Relax, see some of the natural, unspoiled attractions in the area. Hike or mountain bike through the jungle to the waterfalls and caves or kayak and swim off of any beach.
Go to the Wednesday morning market in town and see the variety of fruits, veggies and fish and other local merchandise.
- 🌍 Ton Tarn Resort & Spa, ☎ +66 81-945-0263. 8AM-6PM. Petting zoo with sheep, alpaca, ponies, rabbits, casowary, and parrots. Inflatable waterpark. Natural fish spa in the river. Great place for kids.
- 🌍 Khanom Spapla And Camp (ขนอมสปาปลา&แค้มปิ้ง), ☎ +66 85-8870442. 9AM-5PM. Natural fish spa in the river.
- 🌍 Suan Ta San (สวนตาสรรค์), ☎ +66 89-589-3245. 9AM-5PM. Natural fish spa in the river. 20 baht.
Buy
- Dried Stingray (ปลาวง). Local specialty.
Eat
Thai
- 🌍 Thai Me Up, ☎ +66 94-484-6313. TUE-SUN 1PM-10PM. Fresh and tasty Thai food, including Southern Thai and seafood. Homemade curry pastes. No MSG. Menu in English and Thai.
- 🌍 Khun Lee Restaurant (ครัวคุณลี่), ☎ +66 88-753-1609. Thai and European food
- 🌍 Krua Tangke Seafood Restaurant (ครัวตังเก), ☎ +66 89-288-9099. 10:30AM-9:30PM. Southern style Thai food and fresh seafood.
- 🌍 Khiang Talay Seafood (เคียงทะเลซีฟู๊ด), ☎ +66 98-734-2904. 8AM-10PM. Beachside seafood restaurant. Popular with locals.
European
- 🌍 Zum Grünen Baum. Fantastic German restaurant located on the coast of a small fishing village.
- 🌍 Dusty Gecko, ☎ +66 84-448-4540. TUE-SUN 3PM-10PM. Finnish chef. Fusion international food, burger, steaks, pizzas, cold smoke salmon, and more. Est. 2011.
- 🌍 Aalto Restaurant @ Aava Resort And Spa, ☎ +66 75-300-310. Fine beachside dining. Asian fusion cooking as well as classic European and Asian dishes. Finnish owned. .
- 🌍 Le Petit Saint-Tropez Restaurant, ☎ +66 93-727-0063. Beachside dining. French owned. .
Drink
Bars
- 🌍 Jambay Bar & Art Space, Na Dan Beach, ☎ +66 88-180-9124. A favourite weekend hangout spot for expat English teachers from Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
- 🌍 CC's Beach Bar, Na Dan Beach, ☎ +66 87-893-8745.
Coffee
- 🌍 Khanom Espresso, ☎ +66 81-686-2953. 8AM-4PM.
- 🌍 Le Pes Café (เลอเพชรกาแฟ), ☎ +66 62-926-2656. A small café inside Le Pes Villas serving Thai organic Hand-Roasted Coffee, selection of tea, and cakes.
Sleep
- Baan Nadan (next to the Golden Beach Resort 50 m from Ao Na Dan Beach), ☎ +66 89 6999232. A small, 3-story hotel. Modern, new rooms with concrete finish, balcony, TV, fridge, and very comfortable beds. One of the rare beach hotels from which you could theoretically walk into town (30 min). No restaurant, a minimarket with limited goods next door, 100 m to the nearest motorbike rental. No English spoken at reception. 500+ baht.
- Baan Thong Ching Resort, ☎ +66 87 9158822. Separate Thai-style bungalows. If you want to escape from the madding crowd or unwind from the stresses of modern life in an unspoiled beach setting, this is the resort for you.
- 🌍 Racha Kiri Resort and Spa, ☎ +66 7530-0245, +66 8647-92491, e-mail: info@rachakiri.com. Modern rooms. Large pool and spa onsite.
Go next
Mini-buses leave Khanom every hour from about 06:00-16:00 to Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat. There is also big bus and a VIP bus that goes to Bangkok every day at 17:30. It arrives in Bangkok about 12 hours later.
Khanom is between Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat and about 20 min away from Donsak Ferry pier, which has ferries to Ko Samui and Ko Pha Ngan.
- Surat Thani
- Ko Samui — backpacker paradise gone up-market
- Ko Pha Ngan — home of the infamous Full Moon Party
- Ko Tao — popular diving spot and a good place to get certified
- Ang Thong National Marine Park