Koh Nui

Ko Nui is a tiny, uninhabited islet off Khanom in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, best known not for beaches or diving but for a freshwater spring near the shoreline — the “bo nam chuet klang thale” that gives the island its full Thai name. Local legend credits it to the revered monk Luang Pho Tuad: when his boat crew ran out of drinking water on a voyage, he struck the ground with his staff and fresh water rose up in the middle of the sea. A small shrine to him sits at the top of the islet.

Almost nobody visits Ko Nui as a standalone trip. It’s typically one stop — often a brief one — on a wider Khanom boat tour that also covers the area’s pink dolphins, Khao Wang Thong Cave, and sometimes a natural fish spa. A shared tour covering several of these stops runs around 1,200 THB per person; chartering a private longtail from a mainland pier costs roughly 1,500 THB for the boat for about 1.5 hours. There’s no separate entrance ticket for the island itself — what you’re paying for is the boat, not a park fee.

Insider Tip: Ask your boat operator to time the stop around low tide. The spring sits close to the waterline and is mostly submerged at high tide; some operators will fill a small bottle from it for you to taste if conditions don’t allow landing.

Watch out: Don’t book a Ko Nui tour expecting a beach day. There’s no swimming beach, no facilities, and boats typically stop for 15-20 minutes rather than a full visit — it’s a curiosity stop within a longer itinerary, not the main event.

Most operators combine Ko Nui with the wider Hat Khanom-Mu Ko Thale Tai National Park area and a stop at Ao Khanom beach. For where to stay nearby, see the Khanom guide.