Pingchan Beach Resort

A clutch of huts set on the powdery white sands of the Thong Nai Pan Yai are swaddled by acres of lush rain forest, so that the Pingchan Beach Resort’s setting looks frankly paradisiacal. A small oval swimming pool sits near a wooden terrace, but it’s the crystal blue waters of the Gulf of Thailand that are the real attraction here. There are plenty of loungers on the beach, as well as a beach bar underneath a bamboo pergola. Tables and chairs are set out on the beach with Thai-style triangular bolster cushions. Compared to the outdoors, the resort’s reception and restaurant, boxy brick rooms with unremarkable wooden furniture, look pretty bland. 

Set on the sands of the Thong Nai Pan Yai beach, a secluded bay on the relatively unpopulated north-eastern coast of Koh Phangan, the Pingchan Beach Resort is a pretty isolated place, but that’s part of the experience. There’s not much near the resort apart from a few restaurants and other, similar, hotels dotted along a dirt road that runs parallel to the beach. It’s a 35-minute journey to Haad Rin for the Full Moon Party and the resort organizes a free shuttle service to and from the event, which can fill up fast. Thong Sala is a half-hour drive away. The closest airport is Samui International, on neighboring Koh Samui, an 100-minute journey via ferry from Nathon Pier to Thong Sala, while it takes three hours and 50 minutes to transfer from Surat Thani International Airport, on the mainland.

The 25 rooms at the Pingchan Beach Resort are all situated in individual villa-style bungalows that are not particularly attractive from the outside: boxy brick constructions covered in wooden cladding. But inside, they are upscale affairs kitted out with hardwood floors polished to a high sheen, as well as a shaded porch with wooden patio furniture and a tiny private garden with an outdoor shower behind a high brick wall. The villas have either one or two bedrooms, furnished with a king-size bed with crisp white linen and a gauzy pink mosquito curtain, as well as a desk which doubles as a stand for a flat-screen TV. All rooms have a flat-screen TV, minibar, safe, kettle, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are simply decorated, but have wet-room showers with rainfall heads and richly-patterned ceramic sinks. 

The main draw at the Pingchan resort is the near-deserted sandy beach. Guests also rave about the restaurant, which serves an a la carte breakfast with Thai and Western choices, as well as lunch and dinner. There's also a bar out by the beach which sells drinks and snacks, and has plenty of tables and chairs, as well as Thai-style low tables and bolster cushions on rugs. The hotel’s lovely oval pool is set in a wooden terrace which looks out over the ocean, and has plenty of sun loungers situated to make the most of the views. Once a month, the resort runs a free shuttle service to and from Haad Rin for the Full Moon Party, but this can fill up quickly. Wi-Fi is free throughout the resort.