Islands Near Pattaya
What are the best islands in Pattaya?
Nine islands in and around Pattaya, Thailand, compared on rating, price and area. Koh Kood is the highest rated at 4.7★ from 885 Google reviews, with Samae San Island close behind at 4.6★. They spread across Trat (3), Sattahip (2) and Koh Larn (1). Every entry carries a first-person verdict from Rob, who lives in Pattaya.
Pattaya is the jumping-off point for a long chain of islands, and they vary enormously. Koh Larn is a ferry ride from Bali Hai and busy with day-trippers; Ko Samet is a couple of hours down the coast and keeps its national-park beaches; the Sattahip pair are navy-run and need ID at the pier. Further east, Ko Chang, Ko Mak and Koh Kood are overnight trips rather than day trips. The distance shown on each is how far you drive to the pier, not counting the crossing.
| Place | Rating | Price | Area | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koh Kood | ★ 4.7 | — | Trat | Clean white-sand beaches and clear water, consistently called quiet and unspoilt |
| Samae San Island | ★ 4.6 | — | Sattahip | Clear, calm water with plenty of fish visible while snorkelling |
| Ko Kham | ★ 4.5 | — | Sattahip | Clear, calm water and clean white sand; praised as well managed and well preserved |
| Ko Loi | ★ 4.5 | — | Pattaya | Lively evening street food market with plenty of stalls and food trucks |
| Ko Mak | ★ 4.5 | — | Trat | Quiet and unspoilt, valued as an escape from busier beaches and city crowds |
| Ko Sichang | ★ 4.5 | — | Tha Thewawong | Peaceful and non-touristy, a genuine break from busy Pattaya |
| Koh Larn (Coral Island) Day Trip | ★ 4.5 | — | Koh Larn | Take the 07:00 ferry and go on a weekday to beat the tour-group crowds |
| Ko Samet | ★ 4.3 | — | Phe | Beautiful soft-sand beaches with clean, clear water |
| Ko Chang | — | — | Trat | — |
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“The pick of the eastern islands, and the one I'd happily travel five hours for — white sand, clear water, waterfalls inland and almost no cars. It's ferry-only from Trat with no public transport on the island at all, so hire a motorbike the moment you arrive. Go in the dry season, allow three nights minimum, and accept that it will spoil Pattaya's beaches for you.”
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“Navy-run, which means clear water, no litter and rules — and the snorkelling is the reason to come rather than the beach, which is ordinary next to it. The boat transfer costs more than you'd expect and more again if you're not Thai. Worth it for a day in properly clear water, though if you only do one island off Sattahip, Ko Kham is the prettier.”
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“The best beach day on this coast, and the visitor cap is exactly why — numbers are limited daily, so the island stays clean and quiet, and you can't turn up on a whim. Get to the pier early, because once the day's quota has gone, that's that. Fifteen minutes on the boat, clear calm water, shade under the trees and food on the island.”
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“A small island at the end of a causeway off Si Racha, ringed with Chinese and Thai temples, and really an evening trip — the street food market that sets up after dark is the reason to come. Arrive at sunset for the view back over the town, then eat your way along the stalls. Parking is the one headache, so beat the crowd to it.”
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“Quieter again than Ko Chang and reached from the same Trat piers — flat calm water, near-empty beaches and very little to do, which is the entire point. Most people fold it into an island-hopping run rather than travel five hours for it alone. Hire a motorbike or a golf cart when you land, because nothing here is walkable.”
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“A genuine island day out for under an hour of travel — hire a scooter off the ferry and do the loop: the red hillside shrine, the old royal palace grounds, and a couple of quiet beaches. Half of it is faded and half-ruined, which is much of the charm. The crossings can feel rough, so think twice with small children or anyone unsteady.”
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“Koh Larn is ideal for a day trip or a 2–3 day break, with some great beaches and restaurants. Tawaen Beach can get busy but has the most tourist facilities — banana boats, beach restaurants and the like. Beaches like Nual (Monkey Beach) on the other side of the island are a little quieter. It's best to rent a motorbike to get around, and there are some lovely trails to follow that most people miss. I always put guests on the early ferry — you get a couple of calm hours on the sand before the speedboat crowds land mid-morning. Weekdays over weekends, every time.”
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“The nearest properly beautiful island beach — powder-white sand and clear water about two hours east in Rayong, doable as a long day but better as an overnight. Go midweek to dodge the Bangkok weekenders, and take cash as the island runs on it. There's a small national-park fee on arrival.”
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“Thailand's second-largest island and a long day's travel each way, so give it three or four nights or leave it alone. The west-coast beaches are the draw, with a mountainous jungle interior behind them and waterfalls worth the walk in. It's the closest thing to proper island Thailand you can reach by road from Pattaya, and better still paired with Ko Mak or Ko Kood on the same trip.”
Common questions
- What are the highest-rated islands in Pattaya?
- Koh Kood (4.7★), Samae San Island (4.6★) and Ko Kham (4.5★), on Google rating. The pick of the eastern islands, and the one I'd happily travel five hours for — white sand, clear water, waterfalls inland and almost no cars.
- How many islands are covered in this guide?
- Nine, chosen and written up individually rather than scraped from listings. Ratings and opening hours come from Google and are refreshed periodically; the verdicts are Rob's own.
- Which is closest to Pattaya?
- Koh Larn (Coral Island) Day Trip, about 3 km from central Pattaya by road, plus a ferry crossing. Distances are driving distances, not straight lines.
- Where in Pattaya are they?
- Across Trat (3), Sattahip (2), Koh Larn (1), Pattaya (1), Phe (1) and Tha Thewawong (1). Pattaya here means the greater Pattaya area of Chon Buri province, which stretches from Naklua in the north to Bang Saray in the south.
- When was this list last updated?
- September 2026. It is maintained by Rob, who lives in Pattaya, and revisited as places open, close or change.
Top of our list: Koh Kood, rated 4.7★.
Curated in Pattaya · Last updated September 2026