Hat Tham Khao Phang

Hat Tham Khao Phang is Koh Sichang’s main swimming beach, a curved sandy cove wrapped around Ao Atsadang (Atsadang Bay) on the island’s western side. It’s small by mainland standards, but the bay’s shape keeps the water calm and clear, which is what makes it the island’s go-to spot for a swim rather than just a photo stop.

The sand is fine and pale, and the water shifts from pale green to turquoise depending on the light. Because the cove is sheltered, swimming conditions stay gentle even when the open sea beyond the headland is choppier. Colourful canvas sunbeds and umbrellas line the back of the beach — hire is a token 10 THB or so, and the money goes toward upkeep. Vendors near the beach rent out kayaks and run banana-boat rides, and there are simple restaurants and shower facilities right by the sand, so you don’t need to bring everything with you. A short path from the beach leads up toward Khao Chakrapong for a higher viewpoint back over the bay.

Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends, when day-trippers from Sri Racha and Pattaya add to the local crowd. The name references the rocky, cave-pitted headland (khao phang, roughly “collapsed hill”) that frames one side of the bay — worth a look on foot, though it isn’t set up as a walk-through cave. Most visitors treat this as a half-day stop within a wider loop of the island, which is small enough to circle by rented motorbike or songthaew in a few hours.

Insider Tip: Combine the beach with the nearby Phra Chuthathut Ratchathan Museum — the old royal palace grounds are a 10-15 minute ride away and make a shaded, cultural break either side of your swim.

Watch out: The rocky outcrops at the edges of the cove are slippery and have sharp shells — stick to the open sand for swimming and watch your footing if you wander onto the rocks for photos.

Ferries to Koh Sichang leave hourly from Sri Racha’s Koh Loi pier between roughly 07:00 and 19:00, take about 45 minutes, and cost 40 THB one-way. Once on the island, a rented songthaew or motorbike is the easiest way to reach the beach and loop on to other sights like Koh Loi Si Racha back on the mainland side of the crossing.