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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Chalok Lam
Spend 2 days: beach, diving and Wat Pra Sanctum temple; longer if you want multiple dive courses or island hopping.
Chalok Lam is a quiet northern tip of Ko Pha‑Ngan with a 3 km beach, several dive schools and a daily temple ceremony. A short stay covers the main attractions; extra time lets you dive deeper or explore neighbouring bays.
- Country
- Thailand
- Best months
- Feb–Sep
- Avoid
- May–Oct (monsoon, check)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ≈300–500 baht excl. bed (bike, meals, drinks) · Mid ≈800–1,200 baht excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance 1669 · Tourist police 1155
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Motorbike rental | 100 baht/day |
| Fruit from roadside stand | 20–40 baht/kg |
| Bottled water (500 ml) | 10–15 baht |
| Beer (local bar) | 50–80 baht |
| Diving entry (single dive) | 1,200–1,800 baht |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- USM · Samui Airport
- Ferry to Thong Sala ~30 min, then songthaew to Chalok Lam
- URT · Surat Thani Airport
- Bus/ferry combo to Thong Sala, then songthaew
Typical fares
- Songthaew Thong Sala → Chalok Lam
- ≈30 baht, departs ~12:00 when ferries arrive≈30 baht, departs ~12:00 PM when ferries arrive
- Motorbike rental
- ≈100 baht per day
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk, rent a motorbike (≈100 baht/day) or share‑taxi from bungalows at 10:00 to Thong Sala.Walk, rent a motorbike (≈100 baht/day) or share‑taxi from bungalows at 10:00 AM to Thong Sala.
See and do
Known for
- 3 km beach
- Diving schools
- Wat Pra Sanctum temple
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Haad Rin Full Moon Party | Songthaew from Chalok Lam to Thong Sala, then ferry to Haad Rin (≈1 h total) | ≈1.5 h |
| Thong Nai Pan | Boat hire from Chalok Lam pier, 20 min | ≈30 min |
Sleep
- Chaloklum Bay Resort
- Beachfront bungalows, pool, spa; check‑in 12:00Beachfront bungalows, pool, spa; check‑in 12:00 PM
- Fantasea Resort
- A‑frame bungalows, 600–3,000 baht per night
- The Mandalai Hotel
- Boutique hotel, 2,250–3,750 baht
- Wattana Resort
- Spacious cheap bungalows, 600–2,500 baht
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much? | เท่าไหร่tâo‑rài |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkhàwp‑khun |
| Where is the beach? | ชายหาดอยู่ไหนchai‑hàat yùu năi |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Taxis must be negotiated; prices can be high.
- Temple ceremony at Wat Pra Sanctum starts 07:30 daily – arrive early.
- Dive school schedules vary; book ahead in peak season.
Generally safe; watch out for strong currents when swimming and negotiate taxi fares in advance.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Chalok Lam yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- 3 km beach
- Diving schools
- Wat Pra Sanctum temple
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Ko Pha‑Ngan: www.tourismthailand.org/Destination/Ko-Pha-Ngan
- Wikivoyage: Chalok Lam, revision 5073340 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5073340
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/chalok-lam). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.