Koh Wai Island

Koh Wai Island is a small picturesque tropical island located in Thailand’s Trat province. It measures 3 by 1 km and has a mountainous terrain, so to get from one side of the island to the other, you need to overcome several low rises and descents. This place is popular with beach lovers and snorkeling fans.

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Video: Koh Wai Island

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General Information

Ko Wai is small in size and has no developed tourist infrastructure. Except for five hotels, there is nothing here. On the island there are no roads, markets, stores, tourist attractions, museums and bars, so rest in this part of Thailand choose those who like to spend time away from noisy cities and large tourist centers. The absence of cars, bikes and bicycles, as well as a small number of people will appeal to those who like to relax in the lap of nature. People come to Koh Wai for sunbathing, swimming, kayaking, snorkeling and colorful sunsets.

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All island hotels have bungalows and single-story buildings with 4-8 rooms. Keep in mind that most bungalows do not have separate toilets and showers, and three hotels only have electricity for a few hours after sunset. Internet is not available in all places either.

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Each hotel has a restaurant that feeds everyone. Prices in local restaurants are about one and a half to two times higher than in the resort Koh Chang and even more so on the mainland of Thailand. At the hotels there are small stores selling essentials such as toothbrushes, pastes and shampoos.

Only two of the five hotels are online, and rooms can be booked in advance. Thais like to come to Koh Wai on weekends to relax, so during the high tourist season all bungalows may be occupied. Tourists come to the island from October 1 to early May, and during the rest of the year there are no water connections to Ko Wai.

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Beaches of Ko Wai Island

The island of Ko Wai attracts travelers with its clear sea and white coral sand beaches. The sea water near the shore has a pleasant turquoise hue. Tropical forest begins 50 meters from the water’s edge, and growing along the shore of palm trees provide vacationers with a saving shade.

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The Koh Wai Pakarang Resort beach is considered the most unkept. Part of it is never cleaned, and along with sticks and leaves there is plastic garbage. The beach strip near Koh Wai Paradise Resort is considered the most beautiful on the island. The entrance to the water on the entire beach is gentle, there are few large stones on the bottom of the sea.

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Almost every day, from 9.00 to 15.00-16.00, to these two beaches bring organized day trips from the resort island of Koh Chang. At Koh Wai Paradise Resort beach, tourists stop to sunbathe and swim, while the coastal strip near Koh Wai Pakarang Resort is used for snorkeling. Tourists snorkel, enjoying the beauty of the underwater world 100 meters offshore, but do not land on the beach itself.

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The beach near the southern Koh Wai Beach Resort is difficult to access and can only be accessed by water, so only hotel guests spend time here.

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Where to stay

There are only 5 hotels on Koh Wai: four in the north and one in the south. New hotels are unlikely to spring up here as there is simply no suitable land on Ko Vai. The island is covered with forested uplands, and there are many large boulder-stones near the sea shore.

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It should be borne in mind that vacation on the island of Koh Wai is very popular, so booking rooms in local hotels should be taken care of in advance. Particularly large influx of tourists falls on Catholic Christmas and New Year, places for which are reserved several months in advance. In addition, there is an increased demand for cheap accommodation options.

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In the northern part of the island, the Koh Wai Pakarang Resort is considered the best. It is provided with electricity around the clock, and there is an Internet connection available at the reception. Travelers can stay in comfortable bungalows with toilets and showers. Cheaper lodges are equipped only with a fan, while those that cost more expensive have air conditioning. The difference in prices is also determined by the proximity to the beach. In addition, tourists can rent rooms in single-story buildings.

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Hotel “Koh Wai Paradise Resort” has the cheapest bungalows on the island of Koh Wai. These are small wooden structures on stilts, equipped with fans and mosquito nets. The cheaper huts do not have their own toilet and shower. There is no Internet in the hotel either, and electricity is provided to guests only in the evening. This hotel is not suitable for vacation with children, but is in demand among those who are looking for budget accommodation options.

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Next to “Koh Wai Paradise Resort” is the hotel “Good Feeling Resort”, where tourists can find good white bungalows on stilts with amenities inside. The huts are not equipped with power outlets, so you have to go to the reception to charge your phones. Electricity is only supplied to the hotel after sunset. The hotel restaurant is located near the pier, where they take day trips, and it is the most expensive on the island of Ko Wai. True, the lack of some amenities is well compensated by a secluded vacation and an excellent beach.

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The Ao Yai Ma Resort, also known as the Grand Ma Hut, is a small hotel. It nets 7 mid-priced bungalows with a toilet and shower. There is no internet and the weak generator only produces electricity in the evening. The hotel has the cheapest restaurant on the island, so guests from other hotels often come to eat there.

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The most expensive hotel on the island of Koh Wai is in the south. Prices at the three-star Koh Wai Beach Resort start at 2,000 baht per night. Built in an isolated bay, the hotel has internet and even a small massage parlor. This place is chosen by those looking for the most comfortable vacation possible.

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How to get there

Ko Wai Island is located a few kilometers south of the larger island of Ko Chang, in the province of Trat. It takes travelers 50 minutes to get here from the pier of the fishing village of Bang Bao. Boats to Ko Wai Island depart daily at 9:30 and 12:30. Alternatively, the island can be accessed from the Thai mainland. A small ferry runs from Laem Ngop pier to Ko Wai every day at 4 pm.

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