Khanom
Khanom (ขนอม) is a small town in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, along the Central Gulf Coast.
Understand
Khanom is a small, quiet fishing town with lovely beaches, a little bit off of the beaten path, but still fairly easy to get to. It is a great stopping point when travelling through southern Thailand. Nai Plao Beach is where you will find most hotels and restaurants located.
Get in
By mini-bus - You can get to Khanom from the nearest cities of Surat Thani (an hour north of Khanom) or Nakhon Si Thammarat (an hour south of Khanom) for about 80 baht. Minibuses generally depart from the "old" bus terminal in the center of Surat Thani.
By bus - Overnight buses to Khanom depart from Sai Tai Taling Chan bus terminal in Bangkok, and they pass Surat Thani new bus terminal on the way. There are only a few buses a day, and they can get fully booked hours before departure - buy tickets in advance.
By taxi from Donsak Ferry Pier (which is the ferry to/from Ko Samui and Ko Pha Ngan).
Get around
The best way to get around is by motorbike. The town and beaches have very little traffic so it is safe to ride a motorbike around to get to the local attractions and to check out the different beaches.
See
The beaches are nice and practically deserted. There are 2 caves in the area, a few waterfalls, a nice paved road up Dat Fa Mountain.
You can take a boat ride from 1 Laem Prathap Pier. in Thong Nian (25 km from Khanom Bay) to see the famous pink dolphins and some interesting islands. The tour costs 1,000 baht and takes about 2 hours. The best time to watch the dolphins is in the morning although it's not guaranteed you will see one.
Do
Relax, see some of the natural, unspoiled attractions in the area. Hike or mountain bike through the jungle to the waterfalls and caves or kayak and swim off of any beach.
Go to the Wednesday morning market in town and see the variety of fruits, veggies and fish and other local merchandise.
Buy
Eat
- Khula Bhula Cafe (on the beach road). The coolest place in town, a lovely small cafe with a lot of characters that offers eclectic selections of food, from all-day international breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, to real coffee, smoothies, and Italian home-made ice cream.
- One More Beer. Great selection of both American and Thai food.
Drink
Sleep
- Baan Nadan (next to the Golden Beach Resort 50 m from Ao Na Dan Beach), ☏ +66 89 6999232. A small, 3-story hotel. Modern, new rooms with concrete finish, balcony, TV, fridge, and very comfortable beds. One of the rare beach hotels from which you could theoretically walk into town (30 min). No restaurant, a minimarket with limited goods next door, 100 m to the nearest motorbike rental. No English spoken at reception. 500+ baht.
- Baan Thong Ching Resort, ☏ +66 87 9158822. Separate Thai-style bungalows. If you want to escape from the madding crowd or unwind from the stresses of modern life in an unspoiled beach setting, this is the resort for you.
Go next
Mini-buses leave Khanom every hour from about 06:00-16:00 to Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat. There is also big bus and a VIP bus that goes to Bangkok every day at 17:30. It arrives in Bangkok about 12 hours later.
Khanom is between Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat and about 20 min away from Donsak Ferry pier, which has ferries to Ko Samui and Ko Pha Ngan.