Rin Nai Beach

Rin Nai Beach (Haad Rin Nai, also called Sunset Beach) is the west-facing, quieter side of the Haad Rin headland at the southern tip of Koh Phangan. The Full Moon Party is on the other side at Haad Rin Nok, and Nai is where you come to watch the sun go down over Koh Samui. Entry is free.

What it’s like

The beach is small: about 200 metres long and very narrow. At high tide the water reaches the concrete wall behind the sand, and at low tide the sea is shallow a long way out. That makes it a beach for a sundowner, a stroll and a paddle more than for serious swimming, and anyone who wants soft sand and deeper water walks across to Haad Rin Nok.

What Nai offers instead is a calmer strip of bars, restaurants and guesthouses facing the sunset. Seaside Sunset Bar is one, with low tables and beanbags on the sand, and it is popular with backpackers, couples and island staff on their nights off. Longtail boats silhouetted against the sea give the sunset photographs their foreground.

The village of Haad Rin sits between the two beaches, so you are never far from restaurants, shops, banks, ATMs, clinics, pharmacies and a 7-Eleven. The walk across to Haad Rin Nok takes a few minutes.

Insider Tip: Stay on the Nai side and walk over to Haad Rin Nok for the day or the party. You get the quieter nights on your doorstep and the soft-sand beach a few minutes away. Many Full Moon Party arrivals land on the Nai side by boat from Koh Samui anyway.

Getting there

Haad Rin is about 11 km from Thong Sala Pier. A shared songthaew from Thong Sala takes about 30 minutes and costs 100 to 150 THB per person, and scooters rent for about 200 to 300 THB a day. Passenger boats from Koh Samui arrive at Haad Rin Pier, a short walk from the beach. The road from Thong Sala to Haad Rin is steep and winding, so take a taxi or songthaew if you are not a confident rider.

December to February has the calmest water and the most reliable weather. Late afternoon is the time to be on the sand, since the sunset is the point of the beach.

Watch out: The beach is narrow and shallow at low tide. Wear sandals for getting in and out of the water, and do not expect the postcard swimming of the island’s bays.