# Khanom

Khanom (ขนอม) is a small town in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, along the Central Gulf Coast.

## Understand

Khanom is a small, quiet fishing town with lovely beaches, a little bit off of the beaten path, but still fairly easy to get to. It is a great stopping point when travelling through southern Thailand. Nai Plao Beach is where you will find most hotels and restaurants located.

## Get in

By mini-bus: You can get to Khanom from the nearest cities of Surat Thani (an hour north of Khanom) or Nakhon Si Thammarat (an hour south of Khanom) for about 80 baht. Minibuses generally depart from the "old" bus terminal in the center of Surat Thani.
By bus: Overnight buses to Khanom depart from Sai Tai Taling Chan bus terminal in Bangkok, and they pass Surat Thani new bus terminal on the way. There are only a few buses a day, and they can get fully booked hours before departure - buy tickets in advance.

## Get around

The best way to get around is by motorbike. The town and beaches have very little traffic so it is safe to ride a motorbike around to get to the local attractions and to check out the different beaches.
* 9.1832399.858051 The 14 Khanom - Motorbike Rental, Nadan Beach Road, ☏ +66 83-551-3795. Daily, 08:00-22:00. Motorbikes, bicycles, and car for rent. Speaks English, French, and Thai.
* Mr. Toon Taxi, 1/19 Moo 3 Tambon Khanom, ☏ +66 93 394 9946, tuldee@hotmail.com. Daily, 09:00-21:00. Taxi, tickets, rentals and tours. (updated Dec 2018)

## See

The beaches are nice and practically deserted. There are two caves in the area, a few waterfalls, a nice paved road up Dat Fa Mountain.

### Beaches

* 9.1596499.873881 Hua Thanon Beach (หาดหัวถนน). Government cleaned and maintained beach. Free public toilets and showers. BBQ area and food vendors.
* 9.183299.874612 Na Dan Beach. Good for swimming and sunbathing.
* 9.112399.898733 Ao Thong Beach.
* 9.1333399.878174 Nai Phlao Beach. Popular with Thai tourists. You'll find more restaurants and older accommodations in this area.
You can take a boat ride from 9.31218899.8031462 Laem Prathap Pier.
In Thong Nian (25 km from Khanom Bay) to see the famous pink dolphins and some interesting islands. The tour costs 1,000 baht and takes about two hours. The best time to watch the dolphins is in the morning although it's not guaranteed you will see one.

### Waterfalls

* 9.1356899.853425 Khuan Kloi Waterfall.
* 9.1385499.849666 Samet Chun Waterfall.

### Caves

* 9.20482599.7740577 Khao Wang Thong Cave.
* 9.26195999.7640558 Grand Canyon Khanom. Free..
* Freshwater Well on Koh Nui (บ่อน้ำจืดกลางทะเล).
* 9.2196599.852929 Bang Pang Bridge.
* 9.3119499.7831110 Talet Bay Wooden Bridge (สะพานไม้อ่าวเตล็ด).
* 9.1364499.872511 Khanom View Point (Scenic Hills Angels).
* 9.1262899.885312 Bridge and Love Locks @ Racha Kiri Resort And Spa.

## Do

Relax, see some of the natural, unspoiled attractions in the area. Hike or mountain bike through the jungle to the waterfalls and caves or kayak and swim off of any beach.
Go to the Wednesday morning market in town and see the variety of fruits, veggies and fish and other local merchandise.
* 9.26434299.765571 Khanom Spapla And Camp (ขนอมสปาปลา&แค้มปิ้ง), ☏ +66 85-8870442. Daily, 09:00-17:00. Natural fish spa in the river.
* 9.26657999.7593412 Suan Ta San (สวนตาสรรค์), ☏ +66 89-589-3245. Daily, 09:00-17:00. Natural fish spa in the river. 20 baht.
* 9.2650499.7638343 Ton Tarn Resort & Spa, ☏ +66 81-945-0263. Daily, 08:00-18:00. Petting zoo with sheep, alpaca, ponies, rabbits, cassowary, and parrots. Inflatable waterpark. Natural fish spa in the river. Great place for kids.

## Buy

Dried stingray (ปลาวง) is a local specialty.

## Eat
### Thai

* 9.2828699.842481 Khiang Talay Seafood (เคียงทะเลซีฟู๊ด), ☏ +66 98-734-2904. Daily, 08:00-22:00. Beachside seafood restaurant. Popular with locals.
* 9.20634699.870522 Khun Lee Restaurant (ครัวคุณลี่), ☏ +66 88-753-1609. Thai and European food.
* 9.2221199.839673 Krua Tangke Seafood Restaurant (ครัวตังเก), 81 Thong Nian, Khanom, ☏ +66 89-288-9099. 10:30-21:30 daily. Southern style Thai food and fresh seafood. (updated Oct 2022)

### European

* 9.1512199.874074 Aalto Restaurant @ Aava Resort And Spa, ☏ +66 75-300-310. Fine beachside dining. Asian fusion cooking as well as classic European and Asian dishes. Finnish owned.
* 9.1614799.871725 Cacao Cafe, Naiphlao Beach Road (opposite of Chula Beach Resort), ☏ +66 930538056. 09:00-16:00. Serves breakfast and brunch, coffee, sandwiches, cake, artisan bread, beverages and alcoholic drinks. Attached is a small deli section that offers all kinds of imported European gourmet food and delicatessen items like chocolate, beer, wine, cheese and cold cuts from France, Switzerland, Italy and Germany. 40-350THB. (updated Jul 2022)
* 9.2136899.861076 Dusty Gecko, ☏ +66 84-448-4540. Tu-Su, 15:00-22:00. Finnish chef. Fusion international food, burger, steaks, pizzas, cold smoke salmon, and more. Est. 2011.
* 9.1729399.873877 Le Petit Saint-Tropez Restaurant, ☏ +66 63-210-4993. Beachside dining, mainly Italian food. Used to be French, now Dutch owned.
* 9.3122499.80268 Zum Grünen Baum. Fantastic German restaurant on the beach of a small fishing village.

## Drink
### Bars

* 9.15278999.8739991 CC's Beach Bar, Na Dan Beach, ☏ +66 87-893-8745.
* 9.1624399.8723442 Jambay Bar & Art Space, Na Dan Beach, ☏ +66 88-180-9124. A favourite weekend hangout spot for expat English teachers from Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat.

### Coffee

* 9.1836699.857473 Khanom Espresso, ☏ +66 81-686-2953. 08:00-16:00.
* 9.2221299.853224 Le Pes Café (เลอเพชรกาแฟ), ☏ +66 62-926-2656. A small café inside Le Pes Villas serving Thai organic coffee, teas, and cakes.

## Sleep

* Baan Nadan (next to the Golden Beach Resort 50 m from Ao Na Dan Beach), ☏ +66 89 6999232. A small, 3-story hotel. Modern, new rooms with concrete finish, balcony, TV, fridge, and very comfortable beds. One of the rare beach hotels from which you could theoretically walk into town (30 min). No restaurant, a minimarket with limited goods next door, 100 m to the nearest motorbike rental. No English spoken at reception. 500+ baht.
* Baan Thong Ching Resort, ☏ +66 655899200. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Separate Thai-style bungalows on a nice beach (there's also a pool) and lovely secluded setting. A bit pricey. ฿ 3000 a night.
* 9.12564199.885491 Racha Kiri Resort and Spa, ☏ +66 7530-0245, +66 8647-92491, info@rachakiri.com. Modern rooms. Large pool and spa onsite.

## Go next

Mini-buses leave Khanom every hour from about 06:00-16:00 to Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat. There is also big bus and a VIP bus that goes to Bangkok every day at 17:30. It arrives in Bangkok about 12 hours later.
Khanom is between Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat and about 20 min away from Donsak Ferry pier, which has ferries to Ko Samui and Ko Pha Ngan.
* Surat Thani
* Ko Samui — backpacker paradise gone up-market
* Ko Pha Ngan — home of the infamous Full Moon Party
* Ko Tao — popular diving spot and a good place to get certified
* Ang Thong National Marine Park