Muko Ranong National Park

Muko Ranong National Park protects a stretch of mangrove and evergreen coastal forest north of Ranong town, plus a scatter of offshore islands only reachable by boat from the mainland headquarters. It was established under its current name in 2010 (before that it was known as Mu Ko Phayam National Park) and covers Koh Sai Dam, Koh Fai Mai, Koh Bang Chak and Koh Yio close to shore, with Koh Chang, Koh Thalu, Koh Ta Khrut, Koh Mo, Koh Pring and Koh Rai further out. It’s a separate park from Laem Son National Park, which sits further south on the same stretch of Ranong coastline.

The two beaches most visitors come for are on different islands. Hat Hin Ngam on Koh Fai Mai is a stretch of round, multicoloured pebbles that catch the light when waves wash over them. The island itself is covered in moist evergreen forest. Hat Sai Dam on Koh Sai Dam is the opposite: a long run of black sand, its colour built up from decades of decayed wood and mangrove leaf litter rather than volcanic rock. Koh Sai Dam also has a small long-established community living off rubber and fruit orchards, plus Laem Makham, a cape with an intact mangrove ecosystem and a 4-km nature trail, and Ao Po, a quiet inlet on the island’s south side looking back over the mangroves. A third beach, Hat Sai Daeng, has brick-red sand from long-deposited decayed shell.

Watch out: None of the park’s beaches are walkable from the mainland headquarters. You need to arrange a boat there first, and boat availability can depend on tides and weather, especially during the rainy season (June–October) when seas around Ranong get rougher.

Entry costs 200 THB for foreign adults and 40 THB for Thai adults (half-price for children under the current fee schedule, in force since 7 June 2022), payable at the park office in Tambon Ngao. From Ranong town, drive south on Highway 4 (Phetkasem Road) for about 14 km, then turn onto the Ban Lang–Hua Thanon road for a further 4 km to reach the headquarters, where the park office can arrange boat hire out to the islands.