Guide to the Southern end of Klong Prao Beach
2025 – 26 Update
✔ Local village nearby with everything you need – but not the same variety of shops and bars as on other beaches
✔ Want to party? Look elsewhere, there’s not a lot of nightlife
✔ Has the quietest stretch of beach on the west coast
After Klong Prao Resort, the road heads away from the beach and meanders for a couple of kilometres before reaching Klong Prao village and then running parallel to the sea again at the far southern end of Klong Prao beach. This southern section is home to several of the island’s best resort plus a couple of cheap backpacker hut options. But there isn’t anything beachfront for anyone looking for 2 star, mid range accommodation or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, an upmarket boutique resort.
The beach isn’t too bad (see below), it’s like this for most of the High Season. In the rainy season it gets quite a lot of debris washed up, so doesn’t always look as attractive.
This stretch of sand is just 2 minutes walk from Baan Rim Nam, our guesthouse. Most of the resorts are at the southern end of this section of this beach, a 1Km walk south. This helps the beach stay quiet. As the more expensive a hotel is, the less distance guests like to walk and explore.
South Towards Klong Prao Village
OK, back on the road and continuing the tour . . . having headed a kilometre south past Klong Prao Resort you may well have spotted the row of hastily constructed shop units set back and below road level on the right of the road – if you need a welder there’s a guy here who’s cheap, also a mechanic, a sign maker and a sweatshop. This is where your tailored clothes are actually made. The work isn’t done by the smiling, well spoken guy who will offer you the $99 deal of a lifetime on jacket, shirt and slacks combo as he spies you walking past his glass fronted tailors shop.
Not far away, the 3 star Annika Resort (formerly Ramayana) sits roadside, hoping that visitors will stay in the belief that they can easily walk down to the beach from here – they can’t. Although it’s a good choice for anyone wanting a very nice room at a reasonable price. A free, hourly shuttle service takes guests to the beach at Longstay Resort, which is bordered by the sea and river estuary.
Around 200 metres away, on the river estuary, Aana Resort offers another quiet alternative to the busier beachfront hotels, guests use the free boat service or free kayaks to get to the beach which is 300 metres down river.
The hotel restaurant ‘Ban Ta Klua’ has a good selection of traditional Thai dishes from Trat and Chanthaburi provinces. These are hard to find elsewhere. Close by there are two good Thai / Seafood restaurants ‘Pu-Talay’ and ‘Iyara’ both also on the banks of the river estuary. Both have been here for 20 years.
For a cold beer and simple plate of Thai food try Sapporot Bar, a small English / Thai run place also on the riverside. You can also rent scooters or fishing equipment there. Our holiday home, Baan Moon Fisherman’s Villa, is also down this side street by the river.
Adjacent to Iyara is the Stand Up Paddle Board Station. You can rent an SUP with guide and take a paddle up the river into the mangroves or down to the sea. In addition they have a very nice catamaran for daily hire. Ideal if you have a large family or group and want to go out for a day’s cruise or just for a couple of hours at sunset.
On the opposite side of the road to Annika, by a large sign for Aana Resort, you’ll see a gravel track. If you’ve ever wondered where all the Cambodian labourers and hotel workers live then take a look down here. Hidden away from sight is a makeshift town that’s home to an estimated 1,500 people. These are workers who will be earning 300 Baht or so a day for working from dusk till dawn.
It is in this area that many years ago a Dutch couple set up a small private school ‘Study Buddies’ to provide the workers’ children basic education and a safe place to play. The school is now self financing and run as a registered charitable foundation, so any donations of books, writing materials etc are always appreciated. Foreign teachers regularly volunteer here. More details of Cambodia Kids Care
A little further on and you’ll meet the turning for the waterfall – located about 1.5 kilometres inland. It’s worth a look but don’t expect to see more of a cliff face and less of a waterfall if you visit late in the High Season. But from May until December you can swim in the clear pool and watch visitors, usually loud Americans or even louder Russians, jumping off the cliff face into the water. The 600 metre riverside walk from the entrance to the main fall takes 15 minutes and is cool and shady.
There’s a 200 Baht entrance fee for foreign adults & 100 Baht for kids. Avoid weekends & Thai holidays when the place is packed out with Thai families and tour groups. The best time to visit is early morning , it opens at 08:30. Then you’ll have the place pretty much to yourself for the first couple of hours.
There is a nature trail which took more active visitors on a 1.5Km loop from the waterfall back to the entrance via a hillside trail. It was well marked and had signposts showing points of interest along the walk. However, a few years ago it was roped off to prevent people from using it for some reason. As of late 2025 it hasn’t re-opened
At the entrance to the waterfall is an interesting little shop. At first glance it looks like any other minimart. But look inside and you’ll find that it has an amazing selection of herbal remedies, creams, lotions and oils that will cure pretty much any known disease or genetic medical condition. The Thai owner speaks good English and can explain what these concoctions are good for etc.
Nearby, you’ll find a couple of good roast chicken and papaya salad restaurants. When Thais travel & need food to fill a minibus full of friends the simplest thing to do is order a couple of roast chickens , a few plates of ‘somtam’ plus beer or coke. Simple.
(If Jesus was Thai he’d have fed the 5,000 with chicken and somtam & turned water into Chang beer. Job done. Everyone happy.)
There’s also a very good seafood place just south of the waterfall turning. Visit Jae Eiew Seafood virtually any evening and it’ll be busy, 99% Thais. During Low season weekends it’s one of the busiest restaurant on the island with the roadside resembling the parking lot of a luxury hotel, with SUVs and Mercedes lined up.
While all the foreign tourists are eating overpriced seafood by the beach, the Thais are heading here for cheaper prices and better food. You won’t find it listed in Tripadvisor’s top 100 places to eat on Koh Chang but on Thai websites it’s #1. The original ‘Jae Eiw’ opened 20+ years ago at Ao Sapparot ferry pier on the east coast.
Map of the southern half of Klong Prao beach
This is just the highlights to help familiarize yourself with the area.
Klong Prao beach and river estuary
The beach itself is split in two by the Klong Prao river estuary. The sand shelves gently into the sea along the entire length of the beach, and so is ideal for children. In High Season dangerous currents or rip tides are very rare.
During the rainy season it’s a different story as high tide often leaves the the beach littered with flotsam and jetsam and riptides are common. At certain times of year jellyfish can also be a nuisance, the reason being jellyfish like to congregate and breed in areas where rivers flow into the sea. However, they aren’t life threatening.
It is a bit weird to swim through a school of small jellyfish but if they do sting you it feels like an insect bite or nettle sting. More annoying for 10 minutes than actually painful. The estuary that splits Klong Prao beach in two makes for a prime jellyfish hangout for a couple of weeks a year at the beginning and end of the rainy season.
The estuary itself is a little haven of tranquility. There’s nowhere like this elsewhere on the west coast or indeed on the island. It’s also the only place on the west coast where you can moor a speedboat or fishing boat right outside your house. The bank nearest the main road is lined with fisherman’s houses, and two good seafood restaurants that I mentioned earlier – ‘Iyara’ & ‘Phu Talay’.
The opposite bank has half a dozen houses and is backed by mangrove trees and coconut palms which lead down to the beach 150 metres further back. This is where I live, and a lovely place it is too. If you want a comfortable, quiet place to stay, take a look at ‘Baan Rim Nam‘ . . . .our guesthouse. And also our holiday home ‘ Baan Moon‘ is down here too. And not far from us is a more upmarket guesthouse, ‘Watercolours‘ also gets great reviews.
If you’ve rented a kayak on the beach then you can paddle into the estuary and can go around a kilometre along the river. Go past the houses, Aana Resort, and River View Villas (one bedroom bungalows available for monthly rent) and you’ll come to a lagoon with two mangrove lined rivers leading off it. The narrow river on the right, near Santhiya Tree Resort’s hotel block is picturesque. It’s also possible to swim here.
In the evenings an area along the river leading off at the right of the lagoon comes alight with fireflies. On a good night the mangrove trees light up like Christmas illuminations, although getting the fireflies to form any readable festive phrases or outlines of recognisable Disney cartoon characters is next to impossible. Both Iyara and Phu Talay restaurants run free firefly trips down here for anyone dining at their restaurants.
The nearby beach is home to the well-known budget KP Huts and Tiger Huts as well as Santhiya Tree Resort and further south, Barali Resort and Centara Tropicana Resort. To get to this area of beach take the access road, near CJ More minimart on the main road, signposted to Santhiya Tree Resort, KP Huts and Tiger Hut.
After 100 metres you’ll pass Soeren Muay Thai gym which offers professional personal training for aspiring Muay Thai fighters of any level. You can book a classes by the day, week or month.
KP Huts is now half it’s original size as the family who owns the land has divided it up. On the plus side, the excellent Thai Dutch restaurant, which was in the village for over a decade, relocated here in 2024. Adjacent, Tiger Huts have moved mid-market, the old fan rooms now replaced by aircon bungalows. And on the opposite side of Santhiya Tree Resort is Rimlay Restaurant, also known by it’s original name ‘ Palm Beach’. Head here for a super friendly welcome from the Thai family that have run it for 15+ years. The food is also as good as you’ll find on the island. Our guests eat here regularly.
Santhiya Tree Resort (formerly Panviman Resort) is a good choice if you want peace and quiet, immaculately landscaped gardens and great beach. The buildings are styled like Thai temples. Not overly kitsch, but teetering on the brink. A great beachfront location but 15 minutes walk to the village. In late 2018 their new hotel block opened. A towering construction, covered inside and out in teak wood. It certainly stands out and the rooms have their own plunge pools with mountain views, plus there’s a huge riverfront pool.
Further south, 10 minutes walk away, Centara Tropicana Resort, is one of the largest on the island but only has a relatively small stretch of beachfront, so expect the battles for sunbeds to be fierce. However, the bungalows and hotel rooms are very bright and spacious and it is only a few minutes walk to the village.
Adjacent, Barali Resort doesn’t seem to have much personality, but it’s a good 4 star resort that’s unlikely to provoke any strong reactions from guests. Spacious, well appointed bungalows which were refurbished in 2018, but packed quite close together.
Near the Centara Tropicana, Blue Lagoon bungalows has a loyal following among travellers and seekers of peace & quiet. A pontoon bridge links Blue Lagoon to the beach on the opposite side of the small estuary .
Once on the opposite side you will see Lin Bungalows, another inexpensive and deservedly popular place to stay with better than average concrete bungalows in a very pleasant setting by the beach. There’s only a handful of bungalows and these are usually booked a long time in advance by repeat guests.
You can also walk along the remaining southern section of the beach, past The Dewa, VAYNA Boutique & Dinso resorts, to the headland. More on this stretch of beach later.
Along the main road in Klong Prao village
Time to double back a bit and see what’s on the main road nearer the centre of the beach. After passing Jae Eiw Seafood you can’t miss the ultralight airstrip on the beach side of the main road. It used to be possible to take ultralight sightseeing flights but this hasn’t been the case for a decade or so being buzzed was far too annoying for hotel guests.
In the village of Klong Prao, around 5-10 minutes walk from Santhiya Tree, Barali & Centara Tropicana Resorts, there are still quite a few local shops, a temple, a school, a gas station plus a selection of restaurants catering to tourists, a decent bakery, a clinic, an elephant camp plus a bank, several ATMs and CJ More, 7-eleven and Lotus minimarts.
As it is home to a community of locals and also a large number of Thai and Cambodian workers you’ll find it easy to get ‘real’ Thai food at normal prices and won’t feel as though you are staying in a tourist ghetto.
For excellent Thai food, try Kati Culinary roadside near the elephant camp at the southern end of the village. Kati has some of the best Thai food on the island. Well worth trying and if you disagree get your tastebuds fixed and then go back and try again. The restaurant can be very busy in high season and they make dishes fresh from scratch. So don’t expect super quick service.
At the northern end of the village, past the 7-eleven, is a permanent market with roadside stalls selling various types of streetfood and fruit. Again, this isn’t aimed specifically at tourists, you’ll find many locals and hotel staff buying food here. The stalls tend to be at their liveliest from late afternoon until around 9pm.
Here you will find the excellent ‘ Apple Kitchen’ . Basically a large open fronted food stall with a good selection of Thai and seafood with plastic tables and chairs set up outside. It’s often very busy in the evening.
Also in the area but just north of CJ More minimart is Sam Sao (Three sisters) a rice and curry restaurant which is only open for breakfast or very early lunch. There are a dozen or so pre-made Thai curries and you just pick two or three of them to have with rice. It’s always packed out at 7am
A good choice if you want a proper, tough, Thai massage is Thanaporn Massage, opposite the temple by the road inland which leads to ‘Klong Prao Health Promoting Clinic’. It is locally owned and has been there for many years. They offer the usual range of Thai massages, body scrubs and hair braiding. Massage is from 250 Baht / hour. We’ve had a few guests try it and they all say that it did wonders for their ailments which ranged from injuries from a car accident to muscle strains from lifting weights.
Another good massage option is Lemon Massage, near The Gallery Hotel at the south end of the village. But this is more the type of place you go to if you want a gentle rubdown accompanied by the sound of traditional Thai music and the smell of lemongrass wafting through the air-conditioning.
On the inland side of the main road in this area, opposite the turning for Blue Lagoon you’ll see a tour agent with bicycles for rent for 100 Baht / day. Bike rental is also available at the gas station in the centre of Klong Prao village. A bicycle is a relatively easy way to explore the area between Kai Bae and White Sand beach. There are some inclines, not no super steep hills and the road is wide and in good condition.
For people on a budget or those like me who would rather not pay a premium to eat a simple plate of regular Thai food, a good place for a 50 baht lunch is Bam & Boy, opposite the temple. It apparently won an award for the best somtam on the island, but whilst good, it isn’t the best IMHO. It’s also probably best known for it’s rotisserie chicken. A chicken, somtam and sticky rice is a great way to fill your stomach for a day.
Opposite the petrol station is KP Clinic, which, when open, has an English speaking nurse who will patch you up and dish out pills. You’ll also find a couple of ATMs a little further south in the village, in the wall of a miminart & Marin Coffee. This is a modern coffeeshop with homemade cakes and smoothies. Plus ice cold air-con, so a good spot to escape the heat or do some work on your laptop. Nearby, on the opposite side of the road, Moccachino is another good spot for a morning coffee or western style breakfast or lunch.
Head down the adjacent track to find a cheap laundry. Much cheaper than getting your hotel to do it and they do the laundry for many of the resorts in the area. (If you are staying in the area and give your laundry to your resort to do, they will probably bring it here or to the other cheap laundry which is roadside at the north end of the village just past the bridge over the river.
Also in the centre of the village is the local temple, nothing too exciting, just a common or garden village temple with a dozen or so resident monks but if you want to see a typical village temple then you can wander through the grounds for a look around. The local primary school is located behind the temple.
Also around the back you’ll find some run down shophouses that are very cheap to rent and which have sea views from the roof terrace. The cheap VJ Bed & Breakfast, with apartment style AC rooms is also in this area, these can often be had for around 500 – 700 Baht / night even in High Season. A good deal if you just need a cheap, clean place to sleep. Opposite the entrance to the temple on the main road is ‘Crust‘ one of the best bakeries on the island. If you need real bread, proper sandwiches, pastries or a birthday cake made to order, put it on your must visit list.
Klong Prao village isn’t awash with Western restaurants – which is a good thing – but you’ll find excellent Italian food and pizza at couple of places. Babylon, opposite Kati Culinary and Baan Camp Chang Elephant Camp. And the new (2018) Pizzeria Spaghetteria Toscana Koh Chang, which is almost opposite and has a wood fired pizza oven roadside. And in the same area El Greco serves up good Greek food – which makes a nice change once in a while. The Lamb Kleftiko and Saganaki (fried cheese) are my favourites.
Heading south through Klong Prao village, there are a couple of good places to stay roadside – The Gallery and Iyara BOTY Resort which both have good value AC rooms and bungalows. For budget accommodation, also check out Baan Klong Koh, Papaya Cottage or Sabaidee Resort. They all have inexpensive aircon bungalows a few minutes walk to the beach for under 1,500 Baht / night in high season.
The road then again veers inland and towards the southern end of Klong Prao beach, in an area technically called ‘Mab Klong Kao’ . If you’re on a budget or looking to stay longterm then good value rooms can be found at Sofia Garden & Boonya Resort.
The development in this area, about 5 minutes walk south of the actual village, was all due to the 160 room Emerald Cove Resort opening up. A couple of rows of new shophouses and a small plaza of, permanently unoccupied shop units have sprung up.
The plus side is that there is a very good dentist here which offers a range of therapeutic & cosmetic dental treatments. So if you need a dazzling movie star smile, dentures or a root canal you can get it here at a fraction of the cost back home.
The Emerald Cove was sold and extensively renovated. It reopened in late 2024 as Dinso Resort and Villas Koh Chang Vignette Collection, and is an IHG managed property. It’s a big improvement on the old Emerald Cove
But not much in the way of inspired eating and drinking options by the main road in this area though. But there are a few simple Thai restaurants . There are also cluster of small bars in the area and a minimart or two. You will be better off either walking south to Kai Bae village or north to Klong Prao village for a bigger choice of eateries.
Back on the beach for a sunset beer or meal on the sand, you’ll find Pilot Bar , located just north of the The Dewa Resort. This is the most popular beach restaurant in the area but there are also a couple of other similarly priced beach bars on this stretch of sand.
Family Restaurant and Mandalay are two other popular choices for people wanting to spend their days in a deckchair in the sun but with cheaper & better food and drinks than their nearby hotel offer.
South of Dinso Resort is the ‘The Splash‘ plus a couple of longstanding, locally owned budget bungalow resorts – Magic Resort and Chok Dee. These cater more to Thai than Western visitors. But are changing , part of Magic Resort is now run by one of the family’s offspring as ‘Magic Sea Beach’, but it’s essentially the same place.
The Splash is located on the site of the old Grand Cabana Resort. This is opened in September 2020 during covid and quickly became very popular with Thai families. There are 85 four-star standard rooms plus a huge, 700sqm pool. The pool features several waterslides. It’s a great spot for families with younger kids. Although the pool is located roadside, rather than by the beach.
The beach here isn’t great but the views north along the length of the beach are excellent. On the headland at Chok Dee Resort is also a large house that has been converted into a backpacker hostel with cheap dormitory beds.
Chok Dee and Magic both have restaurants built over the sea, far better to eat your Thai food here in the evening than in your 5 star resort. The service won’t be anywhere near as good, the tableware won’t be a matching, but you can be sure it will be spicy and the bill will be far more easy on the wallet.
And finally, last but definitely not least, if you’re staying in the area and are bitterly disappointed by the coffee at your hotel – try Coffee Routine. This is more a coffee stall than shop, with a random collection of outdoor furniture as a seating area. But you go here for the coffee and friendly local owner.
From here a 10 minute walk along the main road, past the police box and a few small bars and restaurants, brings you to the start of Kai Bae beach.
Hotels on the southern half of Klong Prao beach
These resorts and bungalows are all on the southern half of Klong Prao beach or near Klong Prao village. They are all bookable on booking.com. The price shown is a typical high season nightly rate. It may well vary and expect it to be higher at holiday weekends and during peak season.
Ramayana Resort – 3* resort in quiet location with mountain views, but no beach access – 2,700 Baht
Aana Resort – Popular riverside resort with beach access by boat – 2,700 Baht
Baan Rim Nam – Our guesthouse :-) Nothing fancy just a quiet place to stay on the river , the beach is 100 metres walk through the coconut field – 1,500 Baht
Watercolours – Modern, five room guesthouse an easy walk or 5 minutes paddle to the sea – 2,000 Baht
Santhiya Tree Resort – Great staff at this 5* luxury on the beach in this beachfront resort – 6,300 Baht
Kun Garden Home – Small houses for rent daily inland from the village – 2,600 Baht
VJ Bed & Breakfast – Apartment style rooms in hotel block behind the temple, with pool – 950 Baht
Barali Beach Resort – Spacious 4* villas by the beach – 4,500 Baht
Centara Tropicana Resort – One of the largest and most popular beach resorts for families – 4,500 Baht
The Splash Koh Chang (NEW Sept 2020) Same owner as the nearby Dewa and with a huge pool featuring water slides. Ideal for families. – 4,000 Baht
Dinso Resort – Well known 4* star hotel with huge pool at the south end of the beach. One of the best resorts on the island – 7,500 Baht
Noren Resort – Well run, small roadside resort with stylish bungalows – 2,600 Baht
The Gallery – Modern, mid size hotel with roof top party bar – 2,600 Baht
The Dewa – Nicely designed 4* beach resort with lots of brushed concrete and groovy pool – 4,500 Baht
Boonya Resort – Budget bungalows with a pool 10 minutes walk to the beach – 700 Baht
Sabaidee Resort – Budget AC bungalows 5 mins walk from the beach – 1,400 Baht
Blue Lagoon bungalows – Longstanding budget resort with fan and aircon bungalows by the river – 1,500 Baht
Chokdee Resort – Locally owned resort with older air-conditioned bungalows and much nicer, new hotel rooms – 1,400 Baht
VAYNA Boutique Resort – (Formerly VJ Searenity.) Re-modelled and re-branded by the owner’s daughter. Once drab 2 star is now a very tasteful 3-4 star beach resort. – 2,500 Baht
More details and Reviews of hotels and resorts in the Klong Prao Beach area
Next: Past the headland to Kai Bae Beach
