I wrote this guide for those looking for little corners of paradise with fine sand beaches and turquoise waters. There are countless blogs about Thailand, but if, like me, you have trouble choosing which island to explore, I share my feedback to help you find the best of the six Thai islands I visited in January 2026.

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Ranking of the best Thai islands

Here I detail each island I visited during my three-week trip in southern Thailand. I gave them an overall personal appreciation score, ranking them from worst to best, as well as scores based on more specific criteria, hoping to help you find the island that will suit you best.

In any case, I recommend choosing an island that appeals to you and spending at least 3 days there (which I did) instead of changing too frequently.

Phuket ★☆☆☆☆

Phuket is undoubtedly the most touristy island in Thailand, and for me, in the wrong sense. My experience is limited to Patong Beach and Freedom Beach. I tried to set aside my preconceptions, imagining it couldn’t be that terrible, but Patong was the place I liked the least during my year of travel and shouldn’t even be in this ranking of the best Thai islands! The atmosphere is dense, with an excess of tourism rarely seen elsewhere, masseuses calling out to you every ten meters offering happy endings, expensive international restaurants, and a beach invaded by sun loungers and quite dirty.

Freedom Beach, despite its beauty, is crowded and paid (although access remains free if you look a bit). If you are looking for peace and authenticity, look elsewhere.

Phuket’s old town seems prettier, but I didn’t have the courage to explore it after this experience.

My only photo of Phuket shows how much I wasn’t charmed by the place.

Ko Phi Phi ★★★☆☆

After Phuket, I was apprehensive about Ko Phi Phi. My fears were not entirely unfounded, but the islands turned out to be very beautiful and more pleasant than expected, with several possible activities:

Diving

I did two dives with Sea Frog. The first at Ko Bida Nok, my favorite spot, allowed us to observe blacktip reef sharks, a moray eel, clownfish, flying gurnards (yes, I looked it up on Google) and trumpetfish, all on still preserved coral reefs. The second dive at Maya Corner allowed us to see a green turtle.

Kayaking

From Loh Dalum Beach, rent a kayak from one of the many beach vendors (negotiation recommended) and set off for three hours of exploration at the foot of the karst cliffs. You can reach Monkey Beach, very crowded, but beware of monkeys! Observe them from your kayak without landing. I preferred Nui Beach, more pleasant and slightly less crowded.

Viewpoints

At sunset, head to the viewpoints. Viewpoints 1 and 2 are accessible for 50 baht, 3 (less crowded) costs 30 baht, but the quickest path goes through the first ones.

Partying

Ko Phi Phi remains a place of tourist clichés: beach, fire dancers, buckets of alcohol. You can’t miss the atmosphere of Loh Dalum Beach which resonates throughout the island but is still nice for one or two evenings.

The Reggae Bar is a unique experience: tourists can sign up to do Muay Thai there, which is the main attraction. I’m not a fan of combat sports, but it was surprisingly good-natured and quite unique to see tourists being the attraction for other tourists. Entrance is free, but a drink (80 baht for water, 120 for a beer) is mandatory.

Accommodation

I stayed at The View Hostel, which I recommend. Very clean, a bit away from the center for peace and quiet (still bring earplugs for the music), with free snacks and a magnificent view of the bay.

Beaches	Seabed	Island interior
★★★☆☆	★★★★★	★★★☆☆
The beaches are beautiful but remain very crowded	Very nice dive spots but snorkeling not very interesting	Few trails but beautiful viewpoints

Ko Lipe ★★★☆☆

Ko Lipe was my last island before continuing my trip to Malaysia. The island is mostly pedestrian, with a very lively Walking Street in the evening. It is small, allowing you to explore everything on foot. Although it is particularly urbanized, it serves as a gateway to an archipelago where snorkeling tours are among the most beautiful I’ve seen in Thailand. I took a tour with Wichit which was very good. The corals and fish are impressively abundant. I could have considered it one of the best Thai islands, however it suffers a bit from its success; there are people everywhere. One can hope that the crowds will become better managed, especially to protect the seabed. I met several people who told me that snorkeling there was more interesting than diving, so I stuck to that.

I stayed at The Street Hostel, perfectly located near the pier, with a nice common area and decent, clean small rooms. Remember to book in advance because the hotels were all full during my visit and some friends couldn’t join me for that reason.

Ko Lanta ★★★☆☆

Ko Lanta offers large beaches with magnificent sunsets. The island is vast and has a bit more local life than its neighbors, and its terrain is ideal for beginner motorbike riders: wide roads, little traffic, and relatively flat ground. This allowed us to ride around. Hotels are also cheaper than on the neighboring islands. It’s not the most beautiful island, but if you have time and you’re passing through, it’s worth stopping for a few days.

The beaches are particularly wide and long and line the entire west coast (guaranteed sunsets!). My favorite beach is Nui Bay, even though at the end of the day, monkeys land in force and are a bit too familiar. Snorkeling from the beaches doesn’t offer much.

The old town is nice for a stroll and an evening meal.

I stayed at C Lanta Hostel, a cheap establishment (450 baht per night) with a pool facing the sea. The value for money was excellent, even though cleanliness and maintenance could be improved.

Beaches	Seabed	Island interior
★★★★★	★★☆☆☆	★★☆☆☆
Beautiful large beaches	Snorkeling uninteresting but we didn’t dive.	Quite urbanized with some parts accessible on foot but paid

Ko Tao ★★★★☆

Ko Tao is a diving paradise and certainly one of the best Thai islands. The island has changed enormously since my first visit in 2013. Today, it has become urbanized, and the small formerly deserted beaches are being built up. It has gone from one 7‑Eleven to seven. The corals have suffered bleaching events, and even snorkeling tours seem average according to several reports. Yet, the island retains a certain charm and remains a top destination for divers.

I did my Open Water with DV Dive, a center I recommend, even though the instructor I had was only there for three weeks. Packages at 11,000 baht include nights at Deishaview Jungle Hostel, a place perched on a steep slope, away from the noise, with a nice view. For dives, I loved Southwest Pinnacle, as well as Shark Island. The underwater landscapes were spectacular and still seem preserved from bleaching events.

The island also offers some beautiful beaches. I appreciated the small beach at Aow June Juea. Moreover, the interior of the island remains beautiful despite urbanization. It is possible to go climbing there but I didn’t try.

Parties are regularly organized all over the island and offer a glimpse of Ko Pha Ngan without going there.

Renting a motorbike is convenient, but be careful: the terrain of Ko Tao is steep, and tourist accidents are frequent. It’s better to be experienced.

Beaches	Seabed	Island interior
★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★☆☆
Several beautiful beaches in a nice setting	Diving paradise	Still quite wild despite urbanization

Ko Phayam ★★★★★

And the big winner of this ranking of the best Thai islands: Ko Phayam. This small island exudes relaxation and calm. We spent three days there doing almost nothing, a real joy. Buffalo Beach (or Ao Khao Kwai) was our only stop, as we were so happy with its almost deserted atmosphere. The place gives the feeling of a Thailand from fifteen years ago, still preserved from mass tourism.

Don’t miss the Hippy Bar, an unusual place with its abandoned boat architecture and treehouses. The atmosphere is very relaxed. We stayed at the Starlight Resort, a well-located establishment with basic but pleasant rooms, each with a private terrace with a hammock and sun loungers facing the sea. As for snorkeling, we didn’t see much, but the island isn’t meant for that. You come here to relax.

Access to Ko Phayam is from Ranong.

Beaches	Seabed	Island interior
★★★★★	★★☆☆☆	?
Several beautiful beaches in a nice setting	Snorkeling uninteresting but we didn’t dive.	Not explored

Summary table of the best Thai islands

Island	My overall rating	Beaches	Seabed	Island interior
Phuket (Patong)	★☆☆☆☆	★★☆☆☆	★★☆☆☆	?
Ko Phi Phi	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★★	★★★☆☆
Ko Lipe	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★★	★☆☆☆☆
Ko Lanta	★★★☆☆	★★★★★	★★☆☆☆	★★☆☆☆
Ko Tao	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★☆☆
Ko Phayam	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★☆☆☆	?

Practical tips

Watch out for monkeys!

Monkeys are wild animals and can be aggressive, especially when they are used to tourists. One of them bit me while I was keeping my distance. I had to take antibiotic treatment and rabies vaccines for nearly 700 euros. Remember to get good insurance!

Money

Cash is king in Thailand, even for large payments. In the rare places where cards are accepted, a surcharge of 2 to 7% may apply. To optimize your fees, withdraw the maximum amount of baht upon arrival to pay the withdrawal fee only once, fixed at 250 baht per transaction. One of the banks allowed withdrawals up to 30,000 baht.

Budget

I spent an average of 70 euros per day over three weeks. This budget includes alternating between hotels shared with friends and hostels, my Open Water certification (300 euros), a day of diving at Ko Phi Phi (80 euros), and meals mainly taken in cheap restaurants. This figure is higher than expected, but it is explained by the high season and the fact that southern Thailand is generally more expensive than the north.

Recommended season

Weather and crowds vary depending on the coast. For the Andaman Sea islands (Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Lanta, Ko Lipe, Ko Phayam), the best period is from November to April, with dry weather and calm seas. This is also the high tourist season. For the Gulf of Thailand (Ko Tao), the ideal season is from May to October. However, keep in mind that these periods are generalities and the weather can always be capricious. I traveled in high season, which explains higher crowds and higher prices, but I had good weather even on Ko Tao.

Transportation

The choice of transport depends on the island and your comfort level.

• On the islands: a motorbike is the most practical means (200 to 300 baht per day). Thailand holds the sad record for the highest number of road accidents in Southeast Asia, and half involve motorbikes. Be extremely careful, especially on Ko Tao where the terrain is dangerous for beginners. On Ko Phi Phi, there are no motorized vehicles. On Phuket, traffic is dense and complex. Taxis are available everywhere, and Grab works on Phuket.
• Between islands: many local agencies offer ferry and bus tickets, sometimes combined. I recommend booking your transport as soon as you arrive on the island to have the most choice. Local agencies are often cheaper than online platforms like 12go.asia. Allow a two-day buffer to be safe, even though a slot can often be found the day before.

Accommodation

Book your nights in advance, especially for Ko Phayam and Ko Lipe which have few accommodations relative to the tourist influx. Demand is high, and the best addresses go quickly.

Where to go after Thailand?

From Thailand, you can reach several countries by land, for which I have written the following articles:

• Laos
• Malaysia