Expat Guide: Living In Koh Phangan

After traveling Koh Lanta and Koh Tao, the next stop was Koh Phangan.

It seemed to be a really smart destination as Koh Phangan is also popular amongst digital nomads and, let’s be honest, it’s cheaper than Koh Tao, ha!

When I was living in Bali someone told me about Koh Phangan. this friend told me it was a great place to live while in Thailand.

She gave me some tips and recommendations on where to rent a scooter, how to find a place, and how much you could expect to pay while you’re there.  

When I decided to stay longer in Thailand, it made sense to stay in Koh Phangan as I was already planning on visiting.

In this article, I will be sharing with you some details on what it’s like to live in Koh Phangan.

I’ll be sharing tips on how to rent a scooter and where to rent it,  how to find a flat or a bungalow, and what to expect in terms of cafes and coworking spaces. I’ll give you a great overview of life in Koh Phangan.

Note: you should also keep in mind that this reflects our experience living in Koh Phangan for about 6 weeks – we were based in Thong Sala.

Living in Koh Phangan | House for Rent Koh Phangan Long-Term

I say “bungalow” but it could be a hostel or an apartment.  We thought it would be hard to find a place to stay because everyone we knew who stayed in Koh Phangan struggled to find a place where to live long-term.   

We decided to join some Facebook groups that allow you to search for home rentals.

You could join these two Facebook groups:

• Koh Phangan House For Rent
• Koh Phangan People Rent A House

Most people who replied to our ad were offering really expensive rates (which was way outside our budget).

So, we decided to book two nights in a hotel not too far from the pier.  Our goal was to stay there until we can find something long-term.

As soon as we dropped off your luggage at the hotel, we rented a scooter and went on a flat hunt session.  It took us about 20 minutes to find some bungalows. (I’d recommend you drive around this area to find bungalows.)

We spotted bungalows, and one of them seemed to be empty, so we asked the person who was watering the plants if we could take a look at the place.  

We both loved it, so we decided to take it. It was quick and easy! Ha! We went back to our hotel to grab our bags and there we were, settling in our new bungalow.

How much did we pay for our bungalow?

TBH 13 000 per month. As we were two people, it was pretty affordable. We also had to leave a deposit of TBH 2 000.

Eventually, we decided to stay 10 more days so we managed to negotiate a rate per night.

Summary

The best way to find a place to stay in Koh Phangan when it comes to long-term stays is to rent a scooter and go around to find a place to stay.   

You could always join Facebook groups to find a place. After all, you might be luckier than us!

Renting a Scooter in Koh Phangan

As we were planning on staying for one month, it made sense to us to rent a scooter on a monthly rate. Normally if you’re renting for a month it’s a lot cheaper than the daily rate.

We managed to find a scooter that was almost brand new for TBH 3 500.  At first, the staff asked us for TBH 4 000 each, but because we were looking to rent two scooters we negotiated the price to TBH 3 500.

You should know that in Thailand, it is pretty normal to leave your passport as a deposit.  We left one passport for two bikes. If you don’t want to leave your passport, which I understand, you can always leave money for a deposit.

In Thailand, the renters are known to be quite OCD about their bikes (if I compare the situation to Bali where nobody will actually double-check the bike when you bring it back).  

When you first rent the bike, the staff will go around the bike with you and show you all the current scratches.

I suggest you take a video or photos of the bike at that moment to make sure you won’t have any trouble later on when you will bring back the scooter to the shop.

We rented our bike at a company called Sandee.  Our bikes were of high quality, new and beautiful. We had what they call “the new click”.

Getting a Gym Membership in Koh Phangan

When I travel and I stay somewhere for a long time, I like to get a gym membership so I can stay fit while I’m away. In Koh Phangan, there are a lot of gyms.

Most of them are without AC but if you’re willing to pay a little bit more you could find a decent gym with AC.  

We decided to take the one that was the closest to our place and they also offer Muay Thai classes if this is something you could be interested in.

Our gym was called Phangan Muay Thai. For one month, you can expect to pay TBH 1 500.  If you would like to mix it up a little, you can get access to the gym as well as having 10 Muay Thai classes for TBH 3 500.

Digital Nomad Life in Koh Phangan

When it comes to working online in Koh Phangan, you should know that there are two co-working spaces on the island.  The most famous one is called Beach Hub and there is also another one called Koh Space. They also offer co-living options if this is something you could be interested in.  

In Thailand, co-working spaces are quite expensive. It’s not like in Bali where you can choose a package per hour.

I do not work that much, so it made more sense for me to work in cafés and at home where the wifi was pretty good.

You could also check out places like Luna Café, Bubba’s Coffee Shop, Rong Café or Doppio. (Yes – they all have AC.)

Why Did we Stay in Thong Sala?

We stayed in Thong Sala the whole time.  It’s super close to the pier, there are a lot of cafes and gyms around and our friends were staying in this area. It just made sense to us to stay there.

Of course, if you’re looking on joining a coworking space,  you might want to check for a place up north, closer to Beach Hub.

Cost of Living in Koh Phangan, Thailand

The cost of living in Koh Phangan it’s quite cheap. If you eat Thai food you can eat for about TBH 60 to 100. If you’re looking for Western food,  you will have to pay a little bit more (around TBH 200).

If you go to places such as 7-Eleven, Tesco Lotus or Makro, you can also get cheap food.

These are shops and supermarkets if you’re planning on cooking at home. We, personally, always cooked our own breakfast at home, but we ate out for lunch and dinner.

There are also a lot of food market as well as food courts where you can find affordable meals.  

Overall, if I compared to Bali, the cost of living is pretty similar. In Bali, you might be paying more for the gym but you will save money on the motorbike.

That being said, when you add up the totals together it is pretty much the same.

How Did We Like Koh Phangan?

Overall, living in Koh Phangan was nice, but it wasn’t our favorite islands in Thailand. Koh Phangan is quite big, so there are a lot of nice beaches to discover, as well as waterfalls.

You can easily go on a hiking trip during the weekend or party your way around the island. As we aren’t “party animals”, we haven’t experienced the famous party scene. Although, we are fully aware of how crazy it can get!

The digital nomad community is unique. It reminds me a bit of the community found in Ubud (a bit more “hippie”, yoga-orientated). As I’m not really into this sort of things, it was harder to make friends in Koh Phangan.

You could also join this Facebook group called “Koh Phangan coffees & co-working” to connect with digital nomads in Koh Phangan.

If you’re planning on staying on an island for a month or so, I would suggest Koh Lanta – which is also known for its famous co-working space KoHub (best co-working space in the world to this day).

I LOVED Koh Lanta and it would easily be my first pick if I was planning on spending another month in Thailand.

FAQ about Koh Phangan

Here are some popular questions about Koh Phangan.

What’s the best time to visit Koh Phangan?

Anytime between January and September is a great time to visit Koh Phangan. You can try to avoid the rainy season which is between October and December.

Can you extend your visa in Koh Phangan?

You can’t extend your visa in Koh Phangan, but you can do it in Koh Samui which you can reach in about one hour by ferry. Find more information on getting your visa extended in Koh Samui here.

How to get to Koh Phangan?

You could either fly to Koh Samui and then take the ferry to Koh Phangan or take a ferry (check ferries here) from Surat Thani or the other islands around) to reach Koh Phangan.

Do you need travel insurance in Koh Phangan?

It’s recommended to travel with insurance. We heard a lot of horror stories (especially on a party island like Koh Phangan), so you should get travel insurance.  

Check out SafetyWing for long-term travelers (It’s super affordable)! There are many hospitals and clinics on the island. There’s also one optometrist (but they can only evaluate your vision).