Koh Kho Khao

Ko Kho Khao is a long, low island off Takua Pa in Phang Nga, reached by a short car ferry rather than a long-tail boat — the crossing from the mainland landing near Bang Muang takes about ten minutes. Rubber and coconut plantations cover much of the flat interior, with beaches running along the western, Andaman-facing shore and mangrove channels separating the island from the mainland on the east.

The island was badly hit by the 2004 tsunami. Its low, flat western coastline offered little protection, and a number of residents who lost homes and land chose not to rebuild — a quieter, less-populated stretch of coast than it was before. Tsunami warning towers and marked evacuation routes are now a visible part of daily infrastructure here, part of the same warning network covering Khao Lak on the mainland opposite. It’s a real part of the island’s recent history, not a footnote, though the community today is focused on ordinary island life rather than the disaster.

A handful of resorts and small restaurants now line the western beaches, drawing a slow trickle of visitors looking for a quieter alternative to Khao Lak just across the water. Fishing remains part of daily life in the villages, and the eastern mangrove channels are calm enough for kayaking. There’s little in the way of nightlife or organised activity — bring your own plans, or ask at your resort about kayak or boat trips into the mangroves.

Watch out: accommodation and dining options are limited compared with Khao Lak, and some close outside peak season — check ahead in the rainy months (May-October) rather than assuming a restaurant will be open.

Insider Tip: if you’re staying on the mainland in Khao Lak, Ko Kho Khao makes an easy half-day trip — bring the car onto the ferry, spend a few hours on the western beaches, and head back before the last afternoon crossing rather than trying to fit it around a fixed boat schedule.

For tsunami history from the mainland side, Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Park documents the same event, and Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park covers the coastal park just across the channel.