📰 Phangan News
What's happening on the island right now
Latest news
Thailand just launched 10 hiking schools to teach responsible trekking — good news for anyone hitting the trails
Thailand just rolled out 10 new hiking-instructor schools focused on Leave No Trace principles — relevant if you're doing any of the trails here or at a national park on the mainland. 🥾
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The honest state of Thai tourism right now: 18.5 million arrivals, a mixed picture
The honest tourism numbers for Thailand this year: 18.5 million visitors so far, but down slightly year-on-year — with long-haul markets (and new direct flight routes) doing the heavy lifting. 📊
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Heads up if you're travelling in Thailand this week — Mother's Day is August 12
If you're moving around Thailand this week: Mother's Day is a real public holiday here (Aug 12), banks/government offices close, and domestic flights are already booking up around it. 🎂
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Thailand just unveiled a big 12-year economic plan — the short version
Zooming out for a second: Thailand just announced a big 12-year economic plan, and it's actually the backstory behind a lot of the infrastructure news we keep covering here. 📈
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Full Moon Party's August date is confirmed: August 28
August's Full Moon Party got the same treatment July's did — bumped a bit for a Buddhist holy day. Confirmed date: August 28. 🌕
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New THIM app is becoming the main way to register your arrival in Thailand
There's a new app called THIM that's about to become the main way you register before flying into Thailand. Here's what actually changes for you. 📱
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Koh Samui just topped a much bigger list — World's Best Island 2026
We already told you Samui won a regional award last month. This one's bigger — World's Best Island 2026, ahead of the Maldives. 🏝️
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Samui's rolling out 5 new tourism 'styles' for 2026 — worth knowing if you're island-hopping
Samui's pushing five new 'tourism styles' for 2026 — wellness retreats, art festivals, coral planting, the works. Relevant if you're combining a Samui stop with Phangan. 🌺
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Indigo Specialty Coffee & Bakery opened a second spot, right in Thong Sala
Indigo Coffee's original Hin Kong spot did well enough that they opened a second branch — this one right in Thong Sala. Worth knowing if you're in town for the ferry. ☕
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Local divers pulled ghost nets and garbage off the reef at Haad Yao
Good one to know about if you dive or snorkel here: local divers just cleared a chunk of discarded fishing nets and trash off the reef near Haad Yao. 🐠
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Surat Thani Airport's real expansion plan just got unveiled — full details
Surat Thani Airport — the mainland gateway most of us actually fly into — just unveiled a real expansion plan. Long timeline, but worth knowing about. ✈️
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The baht just hit a 15-month low — which, honestly, is good news for your budget here
Not great if you're Thai and paid in baht, but if you're visiting on foreign currency: the baht just hit a 15-month low. Your money goes further right now. 💱
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Loy Krathong 2026 is confirmed for November 25 — worth planning around if you love this one
Loy Krathong's date for 2026 is locked in — November 25. If you've never done it on Phangan, it's a genuinely lovely, low-key version of the festival. 🕯️
Read more →Heads up — the 60-day visa exemption most of us know is officially being replaced
OK so this one's actually important: Cabinet already approved replacing the 60-day exemption with 30 days for most people. Not law yet, but it's coming — here's the honest status. ⚠️
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Phuket just got facial-recognition passport gates — worth knowing if Bangkok's your way in too
Phuket airport now has facial-recognition passport gates cutting immigration queues by up to 70%. Bangkok and others might get them too — good news if you dread that arrivals line. 🛂
Read more →A new luxury tented resort is opening on Phangan's wild northeast coast
A new eco-luxury tented resort (31 suites, teak everything, an actual bathtub with an ocean view) is opening on the wilder NE coast. Not our usual budget-backpacker news, but worth knowing about. 🏕️
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Official forecast: a lighter rainy season this year, but watch August–September
Official word is this rainy season is running a bit lighter than usual overall — but August-September is still flagged for possible storms. Don't cancel your rain jacket order. ⛈️
Read more →TakeCare Clinic just expanded what it offers on Phangan — worth knowing before you need it
TakeCare Clinic expanded their services on the island — coral-cut wound care, IV drip rehydration, dive medical certs, the works. Good to know this exists before you actually need it. 🏥
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Is Thailand really about to require travel insurance for tourists? The honest status
You'll see headlines saying travel insurance is now 'mandatory' for Thailand. It's not — yet. It's a proposal under review. Here's the actual, unhyped status. 📋
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Phangan's only fully-licensed international school is finally opening secondary classes
Big deal for families on the island: Si Ri Panya is finally opening secondary classes this September — first time full IGCSE-level education has existed on Phangan itself. 🎓
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Heads up — July's Full Moon Party moved to the 31st, not the 29th
If you had July 29 circled for Full Moon Party — change it. New date is Friday, July 31. Blame the calendar, not the organisers. 🌕
Read more →Ferry prices went up again — here's the actual new numbers
Small but real — Seatran's Don Sak to Phangan fare went from 240 to 250 baht back in March. Still cheap, just flagging the actual number. 💸
Read more →Thailand is exploring direct China and Europe flights into Surat Thani — but it's still just a proposal
Heads up: talk of direct China/Europe flights into Surat Thani is real, but it's a proposal stage discussion, not a booked route yet. Don't plan around it. ✈️
Read more →Koh Samui named a top island in Asia-Pacific — good news for the whole Gulf, Phangan included
Koh Samui picked up a big regional tourism award — not our island directly, but good news for the whole Gulf of Thailand corridor we all share a ferry pier with. 🏆
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Thailand's digital nomad visa (DTV) got stricter in 2026 — the honest picture
If you're planning to move here on a DTV, the bar's gone up in 2026 — stricter checks, more rejections for vague paperwork. Here's what actually changed. 📄
Read more →Why more places on Phangan are quietly switching to solar
The island runs on one undersea power cable and won't see a real grid upgrade before 2030 — which explains why solar installers here are busier every year. ☀️
Read more →The reef off Koh Ma is actually recovering — 23% coral growth in two years
Genuinely good news for once — the reef at Koh Ma is recovering, not dying. 23% coral growth in two years. Here's what's actually behind it. 🐠
Read more →Boonsiri's van + catamaran combo from Surat Thani Airport — five months in, how it's actually going
Five months after launch, the Boonsiri airport-to-Phangan combo ticket is holding up well. One less thing to plan when you land. ⛴️
Read more →Thailand's had 17.36 million visitors so far in 2026 — and more flights are coming
17.36 million visitors to Thailand so far this year, and airlines are adding flights, not cutting them. Good sign for the rest of 2026. ✈️
Read more →Full Moon Party dates — July to December 2026
Quick heads up — July FMP is on the 31st, not the 29th. Buddhist holiday moved it. Here are all the dates through December. 🌕
Read more →Lomprayah adding extra sailings from November — here's the new schedule
Finally! Lomprayah is adding more sailings from November. If you've ever missed a ferry because it sold out, this is for you 😅
Read more →East coast road repairs — what's actually happening and how to get around it
Yep, the east coast road is a mess right now. Here's the honest situation and the easiest workarounds. ⚠️
Read more →Currency exchange rates July 2026 — the honest picture
Heads up — ATM fees on Phangan went up to 250 baht per transaction. Here's where to actually get a decent rate in July. 💸
Read more →Thailand visa-free entry confirmed through end of 2026 — what this actually means for you
Good news for long-term visitors: visa-free confirmed through end of 2026 for most nationalities. Here's the no-BS breakdown. ✅
Read more →New coworking in Srithanu — finally got proper fibre internet up here
OK I actually went and tested this new coworking in Srithanu and yes, the internet is genuinely fast. Here's the honest review 💻
Read more →⚠️ Also worth knowing
Heads up — the 60-day visa exemption most of us know is officially being replaced
OK so this one's actually important: Cabinet already approved replacing the 60-day exemption with 30 days for most people. Not law yet, but it's coming — here's the honest status. ⚠️
Heads up — July's Full Moon Party moved to the 31st, not the 29th
If you had July 29 circled for Full Moon Party — change it. New date is Friday, July 31. Blame the calendar, not the organisers. 🌕
The reef off Koh Ma is actually recovering — 23% coral growth in two years
Genuinely good news for once — the reef at Koh Ma is recovering, not dying. 23% coral growth in two years. Here's what's actually behind it. 🐠
Full Moon Party dates — July to December 2026
Quick heads up — July FMP is on the 31st, not the 29th. Buddhist holiday moved it. Here are all the dates through December. 🌕
East coast road repairs — what's actually happening and how to get around it
Yep, the east coast road is a mess right now. Here's the honest situation and the easiest workarounds. ⚠️
Thailand visa-free entry confirmed through end of 2026 — what this actually means for you
Good news for long-term visitors: visa-free confirmed through end of 2026 for most nationalities. Here's the no-BS breakdown. ✅