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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Thong Sala
ท้องศาลา
Spend one day in Thong Sala to see the night market, grab a cheap all‑you‑can‑BBQ, then catch a ferry to Haad Rin or Thong Nai Pan.
Thong Sala is the main port of Ko Pha‑ngan. Ferries arrive from Ko Samui, Surat Thani and Don Sak, and the village offers a night market, cheap eateries and basic accommodation. One full day covers the market, a quick massage or dance session, and a ferry connection to the island’s main attractions.
- Country
- Thailand
- Local name
- ท้องศาลา
- Best months
- Feb–Sep (dry season on the Gulf side)
- Avoid
- Oct–Dec (monsoon season, rough seas and frequent ferry cancellations)
- Stay
- 1 night
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 excl. bed · Mid ฿600–900 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 |
|---|---|
| Food market snack (pad Thai, som tam) | ฿30–70 |
| All‑you‑can‑BBQ plate | ฿99 |
| Traditional Thai massage (60 min) | ฿200–300 |
| Taxi from pier to Haad Rin | ฿100–150 |
| Scooter rental (per day) | ฿100–150 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- USM · Samui International Airport
- Main gateway for Ko Samui ferries to Thong Sala (≈1 h boat).
Typical fares
- Ferry Ko Samui → Thong Sala
- ≈฿200, 1 h (check schedule)
- Taxi pier → Haad Rin
- ≈฿100, 15 min
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
Taxis from the pier cost 100–150 baht to Haad Rin, 150 baht to the island’s northwest, 200–250 baht to Thong Nai Pan. Scooter rentals 100–150 baht per day and may require a passport deposit.
See and do
Known for
- Night market food carts
- All‑you‑can‑BBQ stalls (≈99 baht)
- Traditional Thai massage shops
- Lomprayah pier aerobic dancing
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Haad Rin (Full Moon Party area) | Taxi from Thong Sala pier, 100–150 baht | About 15 min |
| Thong Nai Pan (secluded east‑coast beaches) | Taxi 200–250 baht | About 30 min |
Sleep
- Shambhala Bungalow Village
- Bungalows 2 km (1.2 mi) north of Thong Sala, 600–1,200 baht per night, no air‑con, free Wi‑Fi.Bungalows 1.2 mi (2 km) north of Thong Sala, 600–1,200 baht per night, no air‑con, free Wi‑Fi.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is this? | เท่าไหร่tâo‑rài |
| Where is the taxi stand? | ที่จุดรับแท็กซี่อยู่ที่ไหนtîi jùt ráp táek‑sîi yùu têe năi |
| I would like a scooter, please | ขอเช่าสกู๊ตเตอร์kŏr châo sà‑gûut‑têr |
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
- Taxi prices are fixed but can be high for newcomers; walk to the roundabout taxi station for better rates.
- Scooter hire requires passport deposit and strict damage fees.
Thong Sala is generally safe; keep an eye on your belongings in night‑market crowds and agree taxi fares before boarding.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Thong Sala yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Night market food carts
- All‑you‑can‑BBQ stalls (≈99 baht)
- Traditional Thai massage shops
- Lomprayah pier aerobic dancing
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 – Thong Sala coordinates: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123456
- Wikivoyage: Thong Sala, revision 4638786 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4638786
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/thong-sala). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.