Ko Phayam

Ko Phayam lies about thirty kilometres off Ranong near the Myanmar maritime border, and it has developed on its own terms: there are no cars, and the island's transport is motorbikes on a network of narrow concrete paths, with motorbike taxis meeting the boats. The economy is cashew nuts and rubber alongside a modest tourism sector, and cashew is genuinely central - the plantations cover much of the interior and the nuts are the island's export. Two long beaches, Ao Yai on the west and Ao Khao Kwai on the north-west, hold most of the accommodation, which runs from very simple bungalows to a few mid-range places. Electricity reached the island properly only in the 2010s and some places still run generators. The monsoon here is severe - Ranong is the wettest province in Thailand - and from May to October boats reduce, seas are rough and much of the island closes.

What you actually see

• The motorbike paths - narrow concrete lanes instead of roads, no cars.
• The cashew plantations - the island's main crop, across the interior.
• Ao Yai and Ao Khao Kwai - the two long beaches with the accommodation.
• The Myanmar border - the maritime frontier just offshore.

When to go

November to April. From May to October the seas are rough, boats reduce and much closes - Ranong's monsoon is the heaviest in Thailand.

Honest expectations

No cars and no bank machine on the island - bring cash. Some accommodation runs on generators. Motorbike is the only real transport and accidents on the narrow paths happen. Extensive low-season closures.

Nearby

Ko Chang, Ranong's smaller island, is close; Ranong town and the Myanmar crossing are east.