Category: Thongsala

The Port

Soi Krung Thai in Thongsala

Posted on by Srithanu Blog

Soi Krung in Thongsala has emerged over the last few years as the principal hub for shops, restaurants and bars in the main town of Thongsala in Koh Phangan. For years Thongsala did very little to embrace tourism. It was a place to catch a ferry and do some souvenir shopping. Over the last decade more foreigners have set up businesses in Thongsala and more tourists make the town the starting point for their holidays.

The street didn’t seem to even have a name for ages. It was always the side street with the post office on. Now the street not only has a name it always has street markets, pedestrian only times and a thriving scene. Soi Krung Thai is off the main road in Thongsala and it heads down to the port. See the map below for the location of Soi Krung Thai.

Location of Soi Krung Thai

About Soi Krung Thai

During the day the street is a popular place for shopping and eating. By night the street has become the focal point for the nightlife in Thongsala. Lots of people come to the town for the cheap eats and then head over to a bar where they can enjoy a range of beers and cocktails. The prices for drinks in Thongsala are often cheaper than on other beaches on the island, where they often take advantage of ‘captive audiences’ to inflate drink prices.

Here are some of the outlets on Soi Krung Thai.

A’s Famous Cafe

A’s Cafe has been around for so long it has decided that it is not unwarranted to change its name to A’s Famous Cafe. It is an American style dinner that does breakfasts, burgers, subs, cold cut plates, fresh coffee, shakes, 100% juices, beers and sweet treats.

The cafe has recently been refurbished. It is a pleasant spot to sit and soak up the atmosphere. The American owner runs a tight ship and standards are always high. Not really a late night drinking spot but sometimes they host live music.

Beaton Macramé and Stone

The shop has a selection of hand crafted jewellery with gem stones. They also do macramé with gem stones. If you are into local artisan products for souvenirs this is a good place to check out.

Beauty Bar Seafood

Bit of a silly name really. Is it a spa or a seafood restaurant? It’s a seafood restaurant. Sample locally caught fish cooked to traditional Thai recipes. It is a small restaurant with a couple of tables and chairs outside.

For You French Bistro

French style restaurant taking local and fresh ingredients to make delicious French style cuisine. Naturally, wine is available but the prices might make you think about ordering a beer instead.

John’s Bar and Bistro

This is a bigger restaurant with open plan seating inside and out. The yellow decor makes this place stand out on the street. They serve English breakfasts, pies, Thai curries, coffees, juices and Sunday roasts. This is a bistro English style. John’s is a good spot to pass the time while waiting for a ferry.

They also have a selection of beers on offer.

Khunpen Restaurant

A small restaurant that serves a wide range of Thai dishes. They also do vegetarian dishes. So far this place has mixed reviews on Trip Advisor. Don’t have high expectations if you choose this spot for lunch or dinner.

Lilawadee

Lilawadee calls itself a ‘concept store’. It sells a range of handmade jewellery, clothes, fashion accessories, home ware and customised motorbike helmets. It is open 10am to 2pm and 6pm to 10pm. If you are struggling to find a present to take home this shop might have just the thing.

Mona Lisa

No tourist street in Thailand is complete without a pizza place. Mona Lisa does pizza and pasta. They have wine and beers. There is seating inside and out. So far this place has got mainly good reviews.

Phangan Ink

Likewise, no tourist destination in Thailand would be complete without a tattoo parlour. Phangan Ink does machine tats and traditional bamboo tatts. Starting rate is 2,500 Thai Baht.

The Port

Stylish new cafe near the port. They have indoor and outdoor seating. They offer coffees, soft drinks and snacks.

Whiski Bar

Small bar on Soi Krung Thai. They serve not just Thai whisky but also imported beers and cocktails. This is a place for those who like a tipple or two.

Read more about Hotels is Thongsala

Hammock Home

More Shops in Thongsala

Posted on by Srithanu Blog

Thongsala is the principal town in Koh Phangan, although at times it can feel like it is Haad Rin when there is a massive influx of people for the Full Moon Party. That aside, most of the commercial space on the island is in Thongsala. It is here that many people choose to set up a shop or business. Some succeed and some fail. As a result, the shop scene in Thongsala is very fluid. Here are a collection of businesses in Thongsala you might not be familiar with.

Karnibar Burger

Karnibar Burger

Karnibar Burger

Karnibar Burger

Karnibar Burger is located in the centre of town. It sells gourmet burgers with fries. They also have a variety of shakes and juices as well as bottled beers. This is a fairly new start up. They have a few glowing reviews of their burgers on their Facebook page. Run by an Italian.

Location

Hammock Home

Hammock Home

Just around the corner from Karnibar Burger is Hammock Home. This is a shop dedicated to hammocks. They have a variety of colours and styles to choose from. They also have some hand crafted hammocks. So if you just can’t find the hammock your resting body deserves look no further. Hammocks also make great gifts and souvenirs.

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20 Thai Baht Shop

20 THB Shop

The name says it all. This is a very handy shop when you just need a little of something. You might be leaving in a couple of days and not want to buy a big box of washing detergent. Never fear the 20 Baht shop is here.

The 20 THB Shop also has an assortment of useful tools, storage boxes, general household and hardware equipment, barbecues, clothes drying racks and pretty much everything else at very cheap prices, although not 20 THB.

Location

Passara Spa and Herb

Passara Spa and Herb

Passara Spa and Herb is on the main road, just as it bends south heading to Baan Tai. This new spa offers a range of massages and spa treatments that include herb saunas. If you are looking for a place to relax and rejuvenate in Thongsala then Passara might be what you are looking for. As yet they don’t have a website or Facebook page.

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Pizza Chiara Italian Restaurant

Pizza Chiara Italian Restaurant

Two Italian men have set up a pizza restaurant on the main road in Thongsala, near Pantip Market. As you would expect they serve a range of handmade pizzas made from fresh and local ingredients where possible. They also offer pasta dishes. They have been getting mixed reviews on Trip Advisor. It seems Koh Phangan is becoming the home of burgers and pizzas!

Pizza Chiara is open from 11.30am to 11.30pm

Location

Siam Souvenir

Siam Souvenir

Siam Souvenir sells Thai artwork such as statues, carvings, embroidered pillow cases, candles etc. at moderate prices. They have the best range of such products on Koh Phangan. If you are hunting for a gift for a friend back home this is a good place to start. Moreover, the range of items here means you can save yourself plenty of leg work and make time for a drink and snack.

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Soho Bar in Thongsala

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Soho Bar in Thongsala has become one of the leading spots on Koh Phangan to enjoy draught beer, home cooked food and perhaps a bit of sports action on TV. It is a medium sized bar that seats just over 60 people.

Soho Bar has been running for a couple of years now. It’s decor and presentation place it above the traditional hole-in-the-wall or bamboo bar that used to be spotted all over the island. Although they have rented a space in Thongsala which is a traditional hole-in-the-wall commercial space, they have attempted to bring a bit of modernist style to the decor to provide a more stylish ambience.

At the outside of the bar are high stools for those looking for a quick drink or for those who like to watch the passing flow of people as they sip their cold drink. Inside there is a long bar, a high stool area for solo drinkers and then against the opposite wall are a series of open booths for those who want a bit more intimacy and more table space. Above the bar is a large flat screen TV. It feels very much like a modern bar.

There is also more seating upstairs.

The menu at Soho Bar features English breakfast, BBQ chicken wings, baguettes, a large selection of burgers, Mexican food, and grill items. This is bar fare with a heavy emphasis on quality meat. The burgers are home made from the freshest ingredients. Those who are familiar with bars in the States will be at home at the Soho Bar.

There is a wide range of drinks on offer from branded spirits to draught beers and ciders. The bar keep is more than capable of rustling up a cocktail to suit your taste.

Although I am disappointed that the leading picture on their website for their sports offering is of Chelsea, this is no reason to discount the Soho as a spot to catch the latest Premier League action. They also screen boxing, rugby and Formula One. Indeed if it is on, they will endeavour to show it.

Regarding the name, the branding is meant to suggest a cool London bar rather than a reference to the salacious past of the notorious area in London. So you are safe in the Soho Bar from the attention of ‘working girls’ more commonly known in Koh Phangan as ‘beer bar girls’.

The bar is located on the main road going through Thongsala, near the Pantip Market. If you stroll down the main drag you can’t miss it.

The bar also caters for groups and birthday parties. They claim to do business conferences although the need for this in Koh Phangan seems small.

So if you fancy a draught beer, a decent burger and a bit of footie in a pleasant atmosphere then check out Soho Bar.

Location

Contact

Message form: http://sohophangan.com/contact/

Koh Phangan Hospital

Koh Phangan Hospital

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Koh Phangan Hospital

A lot of people visit Koh Phangan and not discover that there is a government hospital on the island. This is because the hospital is located just north of Thongsala down a road most won’t go down. The other reason is that there are several medical centres in Thongsala and Haad Rin that are more visible and who attract the majority of burn victims and road accident victims.

These medical centres have competent general practitioners. For a narrow range of medical concerns they have plenty of experience and can make sound judgements regarding treatment. They also have access to speed boats who can take people with more serious injuries to the bigger and better equipped hospitals in Koh Samui.

The main issue with the medical centres and the main advantage of Koh Phangan hospital is the price. Here we see the dual pricing system in action. At the private medical centres they greet you with forms for you to claim your money back from your medical insurance, and you are going to want to do so because it is expensive. Look around in the waiting room: you see only farang busted up and burnt waiting to be seen.

I had an infection on my left foot that started out as an innocuous mosquito bite. I scratched too much and it bled and before I knew it my foot was going black and green. I got a lift on the back of a motorbike to Koh Phangan Hospital. They saw me almost immediately. A doctor examined the foot and then a nurse cleaned and dressed the wound. The bill was about 100 Thai Baht.

In contrast, my wife and I fell sick on the beach. We were delirious with fever and covered in small, hard red dots. We went to a medical centre in Thongsala. The doctor we saw told us we had a reaction caused by herpes. He sold us expensive medicine to accompany his handsome fee. When we returned to the beach we discovered a couple of locals had the same medical condition. They recognised it immediately as dengue fever!

Koh Phangan Hospital

Koh Phangan Hospital has a large corrugated metal awning at the entrance. It is a basic rectangular concrete building in a functional 1970s style. As you enter on the left is a treatment and consultation room, on the right is a small ward with 10 or so beds. The hospital is usually staffed with at least one doctor and one nurse. The hospital is clean and well stocked with the basics of medicine: bandages, swabs, antibiotics, aspirin. It doesn’t have much equipment. I am not sure if they have an x-ray machine. I doubt they could perform major surgery.

The doctors working at Koh Phangan are usually young and bright and capable of holding a conversation in English. They are starting out on their medical career. It is customary for newly qualified doctors to be given rural posts. Unlike the white Sadhus in Srithanu, they don’t view Koh Phangan as the centre of the universe, rather a back water to be suffered for a short time.

So if you don’t have medical insurance and have something wrong with you then your options are to use a pharmacy and try and self medicate or you can get a doctor’s opinion at Koh Phangan Hospital for a few dollars. This is easily done if you are staying on the west coast anyway.

Koh Phangan Hospital Location

You can take the road heading east from Wok Tum that goes past Wat Ampawan and Wat Phu Khao Noi. From Thongsala take the road heading north by Tesco Lotus. When you get to the petrol station (PTT) turn left and the hospital is on your right.

Koh Phangan Museum

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HMS-Phangan

Koh Phangan got its closest thing to a museum in January 2011 when His Majesty’s Ship Koh Phangan was moored in a port berth in Thongsala next to the pier. It is an interesting reminder of Thailand’s previous military involvement as well as an attempt to provide some culture in Koh Phangan not based on hearsay, dance beats and nebulous spiritual pursuits.

The Koh Phangan Royal Ship was given to Thailand in 1957 under the Military Assistance Program. The USA was keen to develop a strong friendship with Thailand which was seen as a bulwark against the spread of communism in South East Asia. The warship was used in operations connected to the American military action in Vietnam.

The war ship was decommissioned in 2009. The ship was donated to the municipal government of Koh Phangan along with a grant to build a permanent dock for the boat. The boat was moored on 2011 at Thongsala

It wasn’t until 2014 that the warship was in place and the museum set up. The museum opened its doors in October 2014 to the general public.

The museum on the boat offers visitors the chance to stand on a Thai navy warship. There are displays explaining the history of the boat. There are also exhibits relating to Koh Phangan.

The ship museum is a great thing in itself but it is also the first real museum on the island. It is a great opportunity for guests to learn more about Thailand. It is also a great starting point in trying to promote a more formal and academic approach to presenting historical information about Koh Phangan.

To find HMS Koh Phangan Museum use the map below or simply go to the main pier in Thongsala and look north. It might be the perfect way to kill a couple of hours before your ferry arrives.

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Exciting Phangan

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jungle-man

Exciting Phangan is a tour company in Thongsala that offers tailored tours and Koh Phangan experiences. It is a new start up that brings together many of the highlights of the island. Whether the company can flourish is very much open to debate.

Exciting Phangan – Tours that Matter. That is the strapline. The website also uses the tagged phrase ‘Off the Beaten Track and Exclusive Excursions in Koh Phangan’. This means the company will organise a private tour or experience with a knowledgeable local. The tour needs to be booked at least 7 days in advance to allow for preparations. Customers can choose from a range of tours and experiences or discuss with the team who will tailor-make their experience.

To give you an idea of the range of tours on offer here is the activity list given on the website:

Hike with a Real Jungle Man
Discover Jungle Medicine Plants
Culture of Koh Phangan
The Culture of Thai Cuisine
Craft your own Silver Jewellery
Dance like a Thai
Reiki – Master the Energies
Fascinating Fire spinning
A Better Me
Reenergize Yourself
Relax and Indulge
Private Dinner on the Beach

Some of these are self-explanatory such as fire spinning. Anyone who has been to a beach party in Koh Phangan has seen a young Thai lad fire dancing with a burning rope. Learning Thai cooking is also another typical holiday learning experience.

Less common are the dance lessons. A female Thai dancer teaches the student at her home. Thai dancing is for women; although in this enlightened age that we live in, men are also welcome. The lesson is 90 Euros.

No one has so far given tours and lectures on medicinal plants. Recreational plants has been more the Koh Phangan thing for the last 2 decades! The tour is lead by a local man with an extensive knowledge of the jungle and the uses of the plants found there. Whereas tours of the National Parks in Koh Phangan is not new, the emphasis on how to use jungle plants is. This experience costs 100 Euros and needs groups of 3 or more people.

‘Culture of Koh Phangan’ is such a general term. This tour essentially involves being driven around by a local man who goes to lesser known places and who tells stories about the island. It is as much about making friends with a local as it is about getting a deeper understanding about an island that had something of a ‘Wild West’ feel to it prior to tourism. This tour costs 120 Euros.

Other tours seem to be re-packaging yoga, meditation, spa services, reiki lessons etc. Srithanu has a range of gurus who while being highly realized realise that they still need to make a few bucks. The New Age and spa services is essentially outsourced and you are paying for the recommendations that the third party can bring. Better Me costs 150 Euros. Reenergize Yourself costs 120 Euros and Relax and Indulge will set you back 150 Euros. So if you think the prices are high you are paying for recommended service and for the livelihood of the middle person.

Is this great value? That is subjective. What is noticeable is that their Facebook page has no entries for 2016, and just as tellingly, the blog part of their website still has the ‘Loren ipsum’ Latin blurb that template websites have when they are first uploaded to a domain. From a webmaster’s point of view, it is very poor, and so easily rectified with one short blog post.

No doubt Koh Phangan is exciting and offers much for those interested in nature, water sports, yoga, cooking and Thai culture but it is doubtful that this company will align itself as the main provider of tailor made tours and experiences on the island. Backpackers might be going out of fashion, but the information available on the net means even the greenest of greenhorns can organise activities independently.

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Website: www.exciting-phangan.com

Yoga Shops

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Agama

The Agama Yoga Shop is mostly manned by friendly volunteers. It is within the Agama context of a campus atmosphere with a variety of students coming and going; off to classes; hanging out in the cafe; getting a massage.

Being as it is Agama, the website has a page devoted to the shop. It sells yoga mats, towels, bags and clothes. Those wanting souvenirs and other aids can also find books, tote bags, yantras, tongue scrapers, eye cups, neti pots and jewellery. And of course Ganesha incense sticks.

The Agama Shop in Srithanu is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10.30 to 12.30. Those are nice working hours!

Agama_Yogishop

Ananda Wellness Resort and Orion Healing

Ananda Wellness Resort in Hin Kong doesn’t have a yoga shop. This must be of some concern to new yoga students not properly attired and kitted up. The yoga instructors no doubt offer advice to new students looking for their own personal mat. The same goes for Orion

Sunny Yoga

Sunny Yoga (Haad Chao Phao) to the north of Laemson Lake in Srithanu has a good supply of yoga stuff. It is marketed for free using the name ‘Koh Phangan Yoga Gear’ Facebook page. These Canadians know how to do business. Among the usual yoga essentials there is a line of ‘funky’ yoga clothes ideal for those girls wanting freedom of movement to better help the process of spiritual betterment. She has leggings, crop tops and Ayurvedic herbal bath soap.

kohphanganyogasupplies

Kamala Healing Centre

The Kamala Healing Centre in Thongsala has a shop. However, it is an online shop for treatments. The would-be yogi must rise to the challenge of avoiding the sting of disappointment that only chains a person to the wheel of existence.

Gaia Yogashala

Gaia Yogashala in Srithanu doesn’t have a shop and goes further – it sets a Zen koan. They have yoga mats but they insist students bring their own. This begs questions and is tinged with paradox. If you read further down the FAQs they do offer the advice that yoga mats are expensive in Thailand.

Thongsala

I always head to Thongsala if I am looking to buy a specific item. It is amazing what a variety of items that are available in the big supermarkets. It is also amazing how shopkeepers in Koh Phangan are well-versed in the stock of their competitors. Ask for a yoga mat and they will probably give you a couple of good tips.

As they say in the Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, ‘Don’t Panic’. You will find the right mat, yoga leggings or incense for you with a bit of perseverance.

For more about yoga schools in the area visit www.srithanu.info/therapyandyoga.html