Ranong is Thailand’s green, rain-soaked gateway to the northern Andaman. The province faces Myanmar across the Kraburi River estuary, has natural hot springs in the middle of its provincial town, and protects some of the country’s richest mangrove forests as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Offshore, Koh Phayam and Koh Chang are laid-back islands with no big resorts. It suits travellers who like nature, rainforest waterfalls, quiet islands and an old town with Hokkien Chinese roots.<\/p>\n
Flights from Bangkok land at Ranong Airport south of town; schedules change, so check which airlines are flying. Many travellers take an overnight bus from Bangkok or travel by train to Chumphon and continue by minivan across the hills. Buses also link Ranong with Phuket, Krabi and Surat Thani.<\/p>\n
In town, numbered songthaews run along the main roads to the market, the hot springs and the piers, though they stop in the evening. To explore waterfalls, viewpoints and Laem Son National Park, a rented car or motorbike gives you the most freedom. Boat trips across to Kawthaung in Myanmar have been suspended and restarted several times in recent years; check the current rules locally before planning one, and do not rely on it for a visa run.<\/p>\n
Steaming natural springs bubble up in a park on the edge of Ranong town. The water is too hot to touch at the source, so locals boil eggs in it, while cooler public pools and nearby spas let you soak. Go early in the morning or at dusk. Map<\/a><\/p>\n A small island with long, quiet beaches such as Ao Yai and Ao Khao Kwai, cashew and rubber plantations, and a village where motorbikes are the main transport. Bungalows range from simple to stylish, and the mood is relaxed. Boats run several times a day in high season. Map<\/a><\/p>\n Not to be confused with Koh Chang in Trat, this island is even quieter than Phayam, with no cars, simple guesthouses and mangrove-lined shores. Electricity can be limited. Map<\/a><\/p>\n The park protects a long stretch of coast and islands. Hat Bang Ben has a casuarina-shaded beach, a campsite and boats to nearby islands in season. Map<\/a><\/p>\n Part of the Ranong Biosphere Reserve, recognised by UNESCO in 1997, this centre has walkways through dense mangroves where you can see mudskippers, crabs and birds. It is a good introduction to why these forests matter. Map<\/a><\/p>\n Ranong’s heavy rain feeds many waterfalls. Punyaban, just off the highway north of town, is an easy stop, while Ngao Waterfall inside the national park is larger and set in forest. They are fullest in the rainy season, when paths can be slippery. Map<\/a><\/p>\n On Niwet Khiri hill, this teak building recreates the residence built for King Chulalongkorn’s visit to Ranong in 1890. It tells the story of the town’s tin-mining era. Map<\/a><\/p>\n Ruangrat Road and the streets around it have old Chinese shophouses, coffee shops and the town market. Nearby, the hillside tomb of Ranong’s first governor, a Hokkien Chinese tin merchant ennobled by the Thai court, is guarded by stone statues. Map<\/a><\/p>\n In Kraburi district, a monument marks the narrowest point of the Malay Peninsula, only about 44 km between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. It overlooks the Kraburi River, which forms the border with Myanmar. Map<\/a><\/p>\n Rolling hills covered in grass instead of forest, a popular photo spot that turns bright green in the rainy season and golden in the dry months. Map<\/a><\/p>\n Day 1:<\/strong> Morning soak and boiled eggs at Raksawarin, then Rattanarangsan Palace and a walk along Ruangrat Road. Afternoon at the Ngao mangrove walkway and Punyaban Waterfall; dinner at the night market.<\/p>\n Day 2:<\/strong> Boat to Koh Phayam for a day of beaches and cycling, or stay the night. If the sea is rough, drive north to Kho Khot Kra and Phu Khao Ya instead.<\/p>\n Ranong celebrates Songkran in April with merit-making, water blessings and water play in town; read our Songkran etiquette guide<\/a> and, if you are heading south along the Andaman coast, our guide to Songkran in Phuket<\/a>. After Buddhist Lent, around the eleventh lunar month (usually October), communities on the Kraburi River hold a Buddha image boat procession and boat races. Chinese shrines in town mark Chinese New Year and the Vegetarian Festival (usually September or October), and Loy Krathong (November) is held at rivers and ponds. Dates change every year, so check with TAT.<\/p>\n Roughly December to April, when rain is lighter and island boats run regularly. The rainy season is very wet, but waterfalls and forests are at their greenest.<\/p>\n Take a songthaew or taxi to the pier a few kilometres from Ranong town, then a ferry or speedboat. Services are frequent in high season and reduced in the monsoon.<\/p>\n Boat trips to Kawthaung have been on and off in recent years. Check the current rules with Thai immigration in Ranong before planning a trip.<\/p>\n Yes, if you like green landscapes, waterfalls and hot springs, but island trips may be limited and some roads can flood.<\/p>\n Cover photo: Raksawarin hot spring.jpg<\/a> \u00b7 Natthaporn3809 \u00b7 CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a> \u00b7 Wikimedia Commons<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ranong travel guide: Raksawarin hot springs, Koh Phayam, mangroves, waterfalls, Kra Isthmus, a 2-day route, festivals and tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5513,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"province":[215],"class_list":["post-5512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-attractions-en","province-ranong-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5512"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5524,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5512\/revisions\/5524"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5512"},{"taxonomy":"province","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/province?post=5512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Koh Phayam<\/h3>\n
Koh Chang (Ranong)<\/h3>\n
Laem Son National Park<\/h3>\n
Ngao Mangrove Forest Research Centre<\/h3>\n
Namtok Ngao National Park and Punyaban Waterfall<\/h3>\n
Rattanarangsan Palace<\/h3>\n
Ranong old town and the governor’s tomb<\/h3>\n
Kho Khot Kra (Kra Isthmus viewpoint)<\/h3>\n
Phu Khao Ya (Grass Hill)<\/h3>\n
Suggested 2-day itinerary<\/h2>\n
Festivals and events<\/h2>\n
Practical tips<\/h2>\n
\n
FAQ<\/h2>\n
When is the best time to visit Ranong?<\/h3>\n
How do I get to Koh Phayam?<\/h3>\n
Can I visit Myanmar from Ranong?<\/h3>\n
Is Ranong worth visiting in the rainy season?<\/h3>\n
Keep exploring<\/h2>\n
\n