Southern Thailand · Chumphon

Chumphon travel guide: Thung Wua Laen beach and the Koh Tao ferry

Chumphon, where the southern peninsula narrows, is best known as the mainland port for Koh Tao. But it has a quiet coast of its own: Thung Wua Laen, which the Ministry of Tourism and Sports' directory calls the most beautiful beach in Chumphon, and Mu Ko Chumphon National Park, a chain of more than 40 islands with coral reefs.

AsiaVela editorial teamUpdated 1 October 20263 min read

The long sweep of Thung Wua Laen beach with palms and a headland under a cloudy sky — Thung Wua Laen beach, Chumphon.

Suggested time: 1–2 nights
Where to stay: Thung Wua Laen beach or Chumphon town
Season and timing: Roughly January to September is drier on the Gulf coast; October to December brings heavy rain and rough seas.

The short answer

Stay a night or two. Swim at Thung Wua Laen beach (reached by minibus from town), take a boat trip to snorkel in Mu Ko Chumphon National Park, and visit the Krom Luang Chumphon shrine on Hua Khao Than hill. Then continue by boat to Koh Tao. Chumphon has an airport and is on the southern railway.

Thung Wua Laen beach

In Pathio district, Thung Wua Laen is a long beach of fine white sand that shelves gently, suitable for swimming, according to the directory, which also notes a Second World War Japanese landing point here.

From Chumphon station, a yellow minibus on the Chumphon–Saphli route runs to the beach.

Mu Ko Chumphon National Park

Mu Ko Chumphon National Park has more than 40 islands, some with white beaches and some of strangely shaped limestone, surrounded by coral reefs, as the directory describes; Koh Ngam Yai, Koh Ngam Noi and Koh Talu are among the most visited.

Snorkelling trips leave from the coast near town. Pay the park fee and follow reef rules.

White sand and shallow water at Thung Wua Laen beach — The shore at Thung Wua Laen.

A fishing boat passing forested islands off the Chumphon coast — Islands off the Chumphon coast.

Make time for the local food

What to eat and where to look

Seafood

Fresh fish and shellfish from the Gulf at beach restaurants.

Where to look: Thung Wua Laen beach.
Fit it into your day: Dinner by the sea.

Prices often by weight.

Southern curries

Spicy curries over rice at town restaurants.

Where to look: Chumphon town.
Fit it into your day: Lunch.

Very spicy.

Night market food

Grilled snacks and sweets at evening stalls.

Where to look: Chumphon town.
Fit it into your day: Before an overnight boat or train.

Stalls vary.

Krom Luang Chumphon Shrine

On Hua Khao Than hill near Sai Ri beach in Sawi, a shrine honours Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, Krom Luang Chumphon, revered as the father of the Thai navy, as the directory describes; the hill looks out over the sea.

Visitors leave offerings; dress modestly.

The ferry jetty at Hat Sai Ri used by boats to Koh Tao — The jetty at Hat Sai Ri, for boats to Koh Tao.

Getting there and on

Chumphon is on the southern railway and the main highway from Bangkok; Chumphon Airport has flights from Bangkok. Boats to Koh Tao leave from piers on the coast.

Book ferry and transfer tickets together; departures depend on the weather.