How to come to Koh Phayam... and to Friends Bungalow
Motorbike:
When you arrive at the pier you can rent a motorbike or take one of the motorbike taxis or tuk tuks that are already waiting there.
You can also rent motorbikes at Aow Yai Beach. Unfortunately we don't have any for rent ourselves.
The motorbike taxi to Aow Yai costs 100 Baht, the price is fixed and you don't have to bargain. With a tuk tuk, it depends on how many people are traveling and how much luggage is loaded.
If you drive by yourself you have to start from the pier on the big road until there is a crossing at the school. There you go left and follow the street. Short before you come to the beach there is another small crossing where you have to turn right (we are between Phayam Surfers and Hornbill Hut, just follow these signs). After a few hundred meters you will see a blue sign 'Friends', there you turn left.
Boat schedule:
There are 2 different boats to Koh Phayam.
The normal ferry (also called 'slow boat') takes about 2 hours and is 200 Baht per person.
The speed boat only takes about 40 minutes and is 350 Baht per person.
They only go in good weather conditions.
In high season the speed boats start from around 7.30 am in the morning until 4.30 pm, sometimes 5 pm. They go about every hour. In low season sometimes there is only one or two boats per day.
The timetable for the boats is different every year and can also vary during the season.
It's best to re-check the information one or two days before arrival, for example from your local travel agency (see below).
The slow boat schedule is not always the same either. Normally the boat from Tai Kek Pier leaves daily, but for the others you have to check before.
Ranong to Koh Phayam: 9.30 and 14.00
10.00 from different pier (Tai Kak Pier)
Koh Phayam to Ranong: 8.30 and 14.00
15.00 to different pier (Tai Kak Pier)
There are also various websites where you can book tickets online.
Bus:
If you don't want to fly, then you have the option of taking a bus from Bangkok directly to Ranong, or taking the train from Bangkok to Chumphon and then changing to a bus to Ranong. In my opinion the best option is to take the night bus.
The buses in Bangkok leave from the southern bus station at around 8pm and are quite comfortable. Make sure to book a bus that has no more than 24 seats (the more seats per bus, the smaller the space).
They are called VIP buses and a ticket costs around 700-800 baht.
The buses arrive in Ranong very early in the morning, a nice idea to spend the time until the ferry leaves is at the hot springs in Ranong. The best way to get there is to take a taxi.
Plane:
Nok Air and Air Asia fly the route Ranong - Bangkok daily, although I prefer Air Asia. In my opinion they are more reliable.
There are always various taxis and buses waiting for arriving guests at the airport. The journey to Phayam Pier takes about 30 minutes.
If the flights to Ranong are fully booked or too expensive, you can also take a flight to Suratthani and then take a minibus or taxi to Ranong. The journey takes around 2 hours.
You can order a taxi from the local travel agency (see below) and also ask them to make a reservation for the speedboat tickets for you.
Is there a bank on
Koh Phayam? ... No!
It might be helpful to know that there is only one ATM on the island, at the pier.
There is no bank on Koh Phayam.
If you want to exchange money, you will get a better exchange rate on the mainland. It is therefore advisable to bring enough cash in Thai Baht with you.
We have a safe for passports and valuables.
Unfortunately it sometimes happens that the ATM is broken or simply empty.
But then there are still ways to get cash on the island. The travel agency at the pier offers to use your credit card to get cash. The fee is 4 or 5% and the withdrawal counts as a purchase.
We also offer our guests the opportunity to pay their bill by bank transfer to our Thai account. Most people use the website wise.com. You are also welcome to transfer a little more and then receive the rest from us as cash in Thai Baht (as soon as the money has arrived on our account).
We also have a PayPal account. However, you should know that the exchange rate with PayPal is worse and there is also a fee (we only accept as payment what actually arrives in our account. If the 'Pay to friends or family' option is used, then there are fewer fees).
Travel Agency?
If you want to make any kind of bookings for transportation we can recommend Pon’s Place.
The travel agency is located at Ranong and offers all kind of transportation and bookings.
They are very honest and out of our experience the cheapest ones.
But they are also very busy, so it’s best to give them a call instead of writing mails.
http://www.ponplace-ranong.com/
077-823344 or 081-5974549