Koh Mak

Discovering Koh Mak

We arrived on Koh Mak by speedboat from Trat’s Laem Ngop Pier, forty-five minutes across calm water that turned from brown estuary to bright turquoise somewhere around the halfway mark. The boat pulled up to a wooden pier where a single pickup truck waited to carry luggage, and the driver asked where we were staying with the casual certainty of someone who knows every resort on the island by first name. There were eight passengers on the boat. Three were returning visitors. That ratio tells you everything about Koh Mak.

The island is 16 square kilometers — small enough to cycle in two hours, large enough to feel like you have space. There are no 7-Eleven-lined walking streets, no fire shows, no competing touts at the pier. What there is: a handful of quiet beaches, coconut and rubber plantations crisscrossed by flat concrete paths, a few dozen family-run resorts, and a pace of life that makes Koh Chang feel like a metropolis. Koh Mak sits in the Gulf of Thailand between its two larger neighbors — Koh Chang to the northwest and Koh Kood to the southeast — and has deliberately chosen to stay small while both of those islands grew.

We spent our first afternoon on Ao Kao Beach, the island’s west coast crescent, watching the sun drop into the gulf from a beachfront restaurant where the only sound was the generator humming behind the kitchen. The sand was clean, the water was warm and clear to waist depth, and the beach was shared between us and a family from Bangkok who had spread a blanket under a casuarina tree. No vendors, no jet skis, no thumping bass from a beach club. Just the water, the sky, and the slow turning of the afternoon into evening. Koh Mak is the Thailand that existed before the full moon parties and the Instagram influencers, and it intends to stay that way.

What Makes Koh Mak Different?

Koh Mak’s distinguishing feature is intentional restraint. In 2012, the island received a “Low Carbon Destination” designation from a Thai government initiative, and the local community has enforced it with genuine conviction. There are no high-rises, no motorboats for hire, no parasailing, and no nightclubs. The island’s electricity still comes partly from solar panels installed by a community cooperative. The roads are narrow, mostly flat, and dominated by bicycles and the occasional motorbike moving at a speed that suggests the rider has nowhere urgent to be.

The result is an island that feels like a Thai fishing village that happens to have a few comfortable places to sleep. The population is around 400 people, and in low season the tourists might number fewer than the residents. Even in peak season — December through February — Koh Mak never feels crowded. The beaches absorb visitors without effort because there simply are not that many visitors to absorb. This is not a criticism. It is the entire point. Travelers who want stimulation go to Koh Chang. Travelers who want pristine water go to Koh Kood. Travelers who want to disappear for three days come to Koh Mak.

The island also functions as a base for snorkeling at Koh Kham, a tiny island 15 minutes away by longtail with water clarity that rivals anything on the Andaman coast. The rocky reef off Koh Kham’s southern tip has healthy coral, schools of parrotfish, and the occasional hawksbill turtle drifting through. For a Gulf island, the visibility is exceptional — 8 to 15 meters on good days, which is remarkable for waters that can turn murky further north.

Where Are Koh Mak’s Best Beaches?

Ao Kao Beach is the island’s main draw — a 1.5 km crescent on the southwest coast with fine sand, shallow entry, and sunset views that turn the sky into layers of pink and gold every evening. Most of the island’s resorts line this beach, spaced far enough apart that you never feel hemmed in. The water is calm and warm from November to April, with gentle waves that barely qualify as surf. This is a beach for swimming, floating, and forgetting what day it is.

Ao Suan Yai on the northwest coast is wider, quieter, and backed by coconut groves rather than resorts. The sand is slightly coarser and the water a shade greener, and on a weekday morning you might be the only person on it. A couple of small restaurants operate at the northern end, serving grilled fish and papaya salad to whoever wanders by. This is where we came when we wanted even less stimulation than Ao Kao provided, which is saying something.

Ao Nid on the southeast is a small, rocky cove better for exploring tide pools than swimming, but the view across to Koh Kood at sunrise is worth the early alarm.

What to Do on Koh Mak

Cycle the Island — Koh Mak is flat, compact, and perfectly designed for two wheels. Rent a bicycle from your resort (100-150 THB / $2.85-4.25 per day) and ride the loop road past rubber plantations, coconut groves, a Buddhist temple, and the island’s single school. The full circuit takes about two hours at a lazy pace with stops. The roads are concrete, mostly shaded, and nearly car-free. This is the best way to understand Koh Mak’s scale and rhythm.

Koh Kham Snorkeling Trip — A longtail boat from Ao Kao takes 15 minutes to reach Koh Kham, a private island with a single white-sand beach and a rocky reef on the southern side. Entry fee is 200 THB ($5.70), and boat trips run 300-500 THB ($8.50-14) per person. Bring your own mask and snorkel if you can — the rental gear is basic. The reef has hard and soft coral, blue-spotted stingrays, parrotfish, and occasional turtles. Morning trips have the clearest water before the afternoon wind picks up.

Kayaking to Koh Rayang — Sea kayaks are available at most Ao Kao resorts (200-300 THB / $5.70-8.50 per hour). Koh Rayang Nok, a tiny island off Koh Mak’s southwest tip, is a 30-minute paddle in calm conditions. The beach is small, the snorkeling is decent, and the sense of having arrived somewhere entirely on your own power is satisfying. Check wind conditions before going — the crossing is exposed.

Cooking Class at Koh Mak Cooking School — A half-day class (1,200 THB / $34) covers three dishes, starting with a visit to the island’s small market. The instructor, a local chef, teaches southern Thai favorites — green curry paste from scratch, pad Thai in a real wok, and mango sticky rice. You eat everything you cook. Classes run three days a week; ask your resort to book a day ahead.

Sunset at Ao Kao Viewpoint — The rocky headland at the southern end of Ao Kao Beach has an informal viewpoint accessible by a short scramble over rocks. The sunset from here — with Koh Kham silhouetted in the foreground and the open gulf beyond — is Koh Mak’s finest view. No entrance fee, no crowds. Bring a cold Singha from the nearest shop and sit on the rocks as the light changes. Budget: free, plus the cost of a beer (60 THB / $1.70).

Where to Eat on Koh Mak

The dining scene on Koh Mak is small, unpretentious, and reliably good. Most restaurants are attached to resorts or run by families who cook what they know. Do not expect craft cocktails or fusion menus. Expect fresh seafood, honest Thai cooking, and prices that remind you what Thailand used to cost.

• Koh Mak Seafood — A no-frills beachfront spot near the main pier that grills whatever the boats brought in that morning. Grilled squid (120 THB / $3.40), steamed sea bass with lime and chili (250 THB / $7), and fried rice (60 THB / $1.70). The plastic chairs and fluorescent lights are part of the charm. Cash only. Open lunch and dinner.

• Food Art by Rin — The closest Koh Mak gets to a destination restaurant. Rin’s kitchen produces thoughtful Thai dishes with fresh herbs from her garden — the massaman curry (180 THB / $5) is excellent, and the papaya salad is properly spicy. The setting is a wooden deck under frangipani trees. Open for dinner only; closed Mondays.

• Good Time Coffee — Morning base camp for the island. Espresso (60 THB / $1.70), Thai iced coffee (50 THB / $1.40), eggs and toast (90 THB / $2.55), and banana pancakes (80 THB / $2.25). Wi-Fi works most of the time. Opens at 7:30 AM, which qualifies as ambitious by Koh Mak standards.

• Ao Kao White Sand Beach Restaurant — Resort restaurant that welcomes walk-ins and does a reliable pad Thai (100 THB / $2.85), green curry with chicken (130 THB / $3.70), and cold beer at tables on the sand. The sunset hour here is the island’s social gathering — what passes for nightlife on Koh Mak is a dozen people eating dinner and watching the sky change color.

Where to Stay on Koh Mak

Accommodation on Koh Mak is uniformly low-key. There are no chain hotels, no infinity pools perched on cliffs, and no lobbies with marble floors. What there is: clean bungalows, family-run resorts with personality, and a price-to-quality ratio that the bigger islands lost years ago.

• Koh Mak Resort — The island’s most established property, with bungalows spread across a coconut garden on Ao Kao Beach. The beachfront rooms (3,500-4,500 THB / $100-128 per night) open directly to the sand. The garden bungalows (2,000-2,500 THB / $57-71) are set back but still a two-minute walk to the water. Pool, restaurant, and a staff that has been here long enough to know what you want before you ask. Best for couples and families.

• Monkey Island Resort — Budget bungalows in a coconut grove near Ao Suan Yai. Fan rooms run 600-1,000 THB ($17-28) per night. The rooms are basic — bed, fan, mosquito net, cold water shower — but clean, and the hammocks on each porch compensate for the lack of air conditioning. Free bicycle use and a restaurant that does a solid fried rice. Best for backpackers and budget travelers.

• Lazy Day Resort — Mid-range option on Ao Kao with air-conditioned rooms, a small pool, and a beachfront restaurant. Rooms run 1,500-3,000 THB ($43-85) per night depending on season. The style is modern Thai — concrete and wood, clean lines, good mattresses. Quiet enough for couples, casual enough for friends. The on-site restaurant serves decent Thai and Western breakfast.

• The Cinnamon Art Resort — Koh Mak’s closest approach to boutique, with artfully designed rooms using local wood and textiles. The pool area is landscaped with tropical plants and the restaurant serves the island’s most creative menu. Rooms run 3,000-6,000 THB ($85-170) per night. It is not luxury by Phuket standards, but by Koh Mak standards it is the top of the range. Best for couples seeking a bit of style.

When Koh Mak Stays With You

Our last morning on Koh Mak we borrowed bicycles from the resort and rode the loop road one more time. Past the rubber trees dripping latex into coconut shell cups, past the temple where a monk was sweeping the courtyard, past the school where children played in matching uniforms behind a chain-link fence. The entire circuit took ninety minutes and we saw four cars. A woman selling coconuts from a cart waved as we passed, and the road curved back to Ao Kao where the water was turquoise and flat and nobody was on the beach.

Koh Mak is not for everyone. If you want nightlife, watersports, shopping, or a packed itinerary, the island will bore you by lunchtime. But if you have spent a week navigating the chaos of Bangkok or the crowds of Koh Chang and you need a place where the loudest sound is the wind in the palm trees, Koh Mak delivers with a quiet confidence that no amount of development could improve. Some islands earn their reputation through spectacle. Koh Mak earns it through the simple act of leaving you alone.