Top 10 Beautiful Islands in Thailand You May Not Know

Thailand's islands are pristinely kept clean, the water is super clean with high visibility, the surrounding nature is out of this world, and the beauty of the island will leave you with memories that will never leave you.

In this guide, we are going to cover 10 paradise areas rated as the topmost beautiful islands in Thailand. 

Many of the islands we mention here are not what you might expect either because we are basing our judgment purely off beauty!

1. Koh Similan

Koh Similan is easily the most beautiful island found off the West coast of Southern Thailand in the Andaman Sea. This one was not as difficult to rate as the other islands when it comes to its astounding natural beauty.

Just as Bangkok was once named the 'Venice of the East' Koh Similan can easily be described as the 'the Caribbean of East'. There are 8 other islands nearby also boasting equally astounding beauty.

From just a small hill off the coast of one of these beaches, you can still see the seabed through the crystal blue waters here. Then when you walk across the luscious white sandy beach to take a dip in the crystal-clear blue and turquoise seawater to take a look at what's beneath, you will be mesmerized by the colorful corals, sea life, and visibility.

There are in fact 9 islands here beaming with untouched nature and living off its own eco-system. Put it bluntly, this is unarguably the most beautiful island in Thailand without a question of doubt.

Best Time to Visit: The best time to visit is the cool season between November and the end of March. Although March through to May is a good time, it can be quite hot.

How to Get there: The best way to get here is by plane to Phuket airport. Then you will need to take a taxi which is about an hour, and finally, book a boat trip to the island.

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2. Koh Kood

This island is often missed by tourists because it is so difficult to get to. For reasons that the direct translation in Thai is hard to put into English, you may see people call this island Koh Kood, Koh Kud, or Kut.

To avoid confusion, all these names refer to the same island. It is off the South East mainland area of Thailand near the Cambodian border. It requires quite a journey, but once you are there, it is well worth the journey.

As with Koh Similan, the water, beaches, and the islands nature are all untouched paradises. The island and its surrounding waters are also very similar to that of a Caribbean island.

Best Time to Visit: Between the end of October to the beginning of March there is rarely any rain and the boat journey here is peaceful and calm.

How to Get there: Fly to Trat airport via Bangkok Airways from Suvarnabhumi airport, then take a minibus to the ferry port. You can also get there from Koh Chang by speed boat. 

3. Koh Mak

This island is in between Koh Chang and Koh Kood. It shares the same beautiful waters as the aforementioned Koh Kood and as it is within close proximity of these two islands, it is ideal if you are planning to stay on more than one island during your trip to Thailand.

The island is a paradise not just because of its beautiful waters and untouched landscape, but also because there are no cars or motorbikes. The island is so small there are no roads, and instead, you will find small tracks for walking.

You will also have to be without the internet and electricity in the evening, so there no bars or parties here either.

If you are looking to escape to somewhere where the modern world practically left it untouched, then this island is going to take your breath away as this is most certainly one of the top beautiful islands in Thailand.

Best Time to Visit: Try to visit Koh Mak between the end of October and the beginning March. The island is never packed with tourists even in peak season. Also, avoid visiting this island during the monsoon season!

How to Get there: You will need to get a plane from Bangkok to Trat airport then take a minibus to port and head over to Koh Chang. From here, you will need to book a boat to Koh Mak. It will take the best part of a day to get there so we recommend stopping Koh Chang for the night.

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4. Koh Lanta

Just 20 years ago there was nothing on this island. Now there are a few large hotel resorts offering the luxury holiday of a lifetime, and that is exactly what you will get.

Koh Lanta is a large island situated in the South West of Thailand near Krabi.

It is in abundance of with rubber plantations, rice paddies, historic temples, caves, waterfalls, viewpoints of amazing lakes with islands within the island, and you will find plenty of restaurants set on top of hills with 360 degrees views so you can absorb the island's surroundings.

Even though Koh Lanta is now famous, it is still very quiet and clean unlike some of Thailand's more popular islands that have become somewhat overrun with tourists and hotels.

Also, there are loads to do on Koh Lanta giving you the opportunity to take in the full extent of the island's natural beauty. The best way to see as much as you can on land is to cycle or hire a jeep.

Of course, the best way to experience the island's marine life is by boat where you will be able to go snorkeling, diving, or just swim in the warm and very clean waters of the Andaman Sea.

Best Time to Visit: Visit Koh Lanta between the months of November to February for the coolest weather and to avoid the rainy season.

How to Get there: You can fly directly to Krabi or Trang airport, then transfer from here. The entire journey will take you at least 5 hours.

5. Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai is a popular honeymoon and couples destination located slap bang in the middle of Phuket and Krabi in the scenic Phang Nga Bay.

There are actually two islands with its sister island called Koh Yao Noi and both are as beautiful as each other.

The island has its very own rustic charm mixed in with sublimely pristine beaches while the island is charmed with its simplistic and very interesting architecture which is mainly comprised of traditional wooden homes.

With this island being in the famous Phang Nga Bay of the Andaman Sea, the marine life needs no introduction here, but it is well worth mentioning the interior island settings where you will be able to get in touch with nature with a brisk walk through the many rubber plantations and coconut groves.

Best Time to Visit: You should only really consider coming here between November and February if you don't want to get scorched.

How to Get there: Flying to Phuket is the fastest route to get nearby, and then book transportation to Bang Rong pier to catch a speed boat which will take around 30 mins to get you there.

6. Koh Lipe

Koh Lipe is close to northern Malaysia in the Tarutao National Marine Park and boasts some of Thailand's best diving as well as snorkeling.

It is also well regarded because it is one of Thailand's most colorful islands with a mixture of rocks, blue and green sea meeting with the differing tides, grassy hills, dense forest lands, clay and tarmac roads, and white as well as yellow sand beaches.

It seems this island was lucky enough to get all of Thailand's natural wonders in one small place hence it is becoming very popular as of late and makes it to our list of top beautiful islands in Thailand.

Best Time to Visit: Visit the island in November, December, January, or February for cool climates. For the best prices, few people, and no rain then March and April are also good months.

How to Get there: Fly to Hat Yai airport then you will need to get a minibus to the pier where you will be able to get a ferry that will take about 1.5 hours from the mainland.

7. Koh Si Chang

First of all, we have to mention that you should not mix this island up with Koh Chang which we will get to in our list of the top 10 beautiful islands in Thailand below.

It is hard to believe that this island is so close to Thailand's busy and dusty capital of Bangkok because in just two to four hours you can go from one extreme to the next.

Set in the Gulf of Thailand Koh Si Chang island is a paradise on its own. The island's amazing beaches have some of Thailand's softest white sand and small rocky cliffs that look amazing when you take a boat out and look back in at the island from the sea.

It is also one of the rare islands not overflowing with tropical jungles and trees. Instead there are grassy hills and rocky areas that you can walk across and look out to the beautiful blue sea made even more stunning during sunrise and sunset hours.

Best Time to Visit: As always, the cool season between November and February are the best times to visit the island. This is the peak season, but for the most part, you will find local Thais more than foreigners here.

How to Get there: Book a taxi from your hotel or from the airport in Bangkok. It will take around 2 hours to the port and 30 minutes on the boat to get to the island.

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8. Koh Chang

Now we get to Koh Chang. This island is full of natural beauty, clear blue seas, and is truly tropical by nature, but deservedly comes eighth on our list of top beautiful islands in Thailand because it is not quite as pretty as the above seven.

That is not to take anything away from this island's picturesque viewpoints and unique jungle treks through its dense wilderness inhabited with tribes of monkeys and other wildlife indigenous to Thailand.

The beaches on all sides of Koh Chang are still amazingly beautiful, but the reason it comes down to number eight is that it is also one of the most visited islands mentioned in this guide.

The more people that visit, the more structures are built and so you get the picture. That said, this makes this island perfect if you are not someone that wants to visit a dead quiet island with not much to do aside from diving, snorkeling, sunbathing, or taking a walk.

On Koh Chang, you get a mix of beauty, nature, lots of restaurants, entertainment, and nightlife too.

Best Time to Visit: October to March are perfect times to visit Koh Chang. You may want to leave it until late October though just miss the monsoons.

How to Get there: Fly to Trat airport and take a boat directly to Koh Chang. This will take you about 4.5 hours. However, if you want to take a minibus from the airport add in another 1.5 hours to the journey.

9. Koh Tao

Koh Tao is starting to lose the appeal these days and would have come further up on our list had its local government-controlled the rate of construction on the island.

Even though the island has been bombarded with new buildings, it is still rated as one of the topmost beautiful islands in Thailand. The sea waters around Koh Tao are still very clean, and the beaches are kept clean by the local hotels and businesses.

Plus, as this island is practically in the middle of nowhere when you look into the horizon over the clear seawaters, you can lose yourself for hours thinking about absolutely nothing.

Best Time to Visit: Go here in the months of November to February. This way you get the coolest weather and no rain. However, this is a popular island, so there will be lots of tourists. For a more peaceful time of it, you can go in March if you are OK with the heat.

How to Get there: Fly to Koh Samui airport and get a ferry directly to Koh Tao. Alternatively, you can go to Chumphon (about 4-5 hours from Bangkok) on the East coast where there are ferries to the island throughout the day.

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10. Koh Phayam

This island is rarely mentioned in any travel books when it comes to Thailand, but it is there, and it is amazingly stunning thanks to lack of publicity.

It is close to Burma just off the West coast in the Andaman Sea and is well worth a visit. There are very few roads here meaning hardly any cars, and the island has several practically untouched beaches because of the lack of visitors here.

As the island is surrounded by the tropical waters of the Andaman Sea, divers will be right home.

Best Time to Visit: Between November and March you will get a nice climate, cool sea breezes, and a very limited amount of rain if any at all.

How to Get there: Fly to Ranong Airport and get a minibus to the ferry port. It takes about 30 to 45 mins by boat to arrive.

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