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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Khanom
Spend 1–2 days in Khanom for quiet beaches, waterfalls and cheap fish‑spa; easy day‑trip to Donsak ferry for island hops.
Khanom is a small fishing town on Thailand's Central Gulf Coast. Its beaches, caves and waterfalls are low‑key and reachable by motorbike. One night covers the main sights; a second day lets you visit the nearby ferry pier or relax on a quiet beach.
- Country
- Thailand
- Best months
- Jan–Apr (dry, sunny)
- Avoid
- May–Oct (rainy season)
- Stay
- 1–2 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 ฿800–1,200 excl. bed · Mid ฿1,200–2,000 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 |
|---|---|
| Fish spa (Suan Ta San) | ฿20 |
| Coffee (Cacao Cafe) | ฿40–350 |
| Motorbike rental (per day) | ฿150–250 |
| Mini‑bus to Surat Thani or Nakhon Si Thammarat | ฿80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- URT · Surat Thani Airport
- Mini‑bus to Khanom about 1 h, ~80 THB
- NST · Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport
- Mini‑bus south to Khanom about 1 h, ~80 THB
Typical fares
- Mini‑bus Surat Thani ↔ Khanom
- ≈ ฿80, 1 h (check)
- Motorbike rental (daily)
- ≈ ฿200
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
Rent a motorbike (most rentals on Nadan Beach Road). Traffic is light; helmets required.
See and do
Known for
- Nai Plao Beach
- Khuan Kloi Waterfall
- Grand Canyon Khanom
- Fish spa at Khanom Spapla
- Freshwater Well on Koh Nui
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Donsak Ferry Pier | Mini‑bus 20 min north, then walk 5 min | ≈30 min |
| Khao Wang Thong Cave | Motorbike 15 min north | ≈20 min |
Sleep
- Baan Nadan
- Beach‑front 3‑story hotel, rooms ~500 THB+, 30 min walk to town
- Baan Thong Ching Resort
- Thai‑style bungalows, pool, ~3 000 THB/night
- Racha Kiri Resort and Spa
- Modern rooms, large pool, spa
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | สวัสดีsà-wàt-dee |
| How much? | เท่าไหร่tâo‑rài |
| Where is the beach? | ชายหาดอยู่ที่ไหนchai‑hàat yòo têe 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
- Mini‑buses run hourly 06:00‑16:00; seats fill fast, buy tickets early.
- Overnight Bangkok buses are few; book in advance.
- Some beach facilities lack toilets; bring water.
Low crime; watch belongings on beaches and keep an eye on motorbike rentals; follow local traffic rules.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Khanom yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Nai Plao Beach
- Khuan Kloi Waterfall
- Grand Canyon Khanom
- Fish spa at Khanom Spapla
- Freshwater Well on Koh Nui
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Khanom: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123456
- Wikivoyage: Khanom, revision 4987649 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4987649
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/khanom). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.