Krabi or Koh Samui in August?

For a stay of four or five nights around August 15th, would you recommend Krabi or Koh Samui (or Koh Phangan)? Ideally, we're looking for crystal-clear waters and beautiful sandy beaches—more for walking than just lying around sunbathing on a lounger.

Hi In August, you should avoid the Andaman Islands! (Monsoon), so head to the Gulf of Thailand instead. Koh Samui is all concrete and pretty polluted (well, it already was 20 years ago, and it hasn’t improved), plus it’s overrun with tourists (I still wonder why?). I’d choose Phangan without hesitation.

It's interesting to ask others to choose between the mainland and the islands. You should first know your own preferences yourself.

It's not an issue related to the continent or an island, but to the geographical location of the place. In the Gulf of Thailand, August is a good period for rainfall. That's not the case on the Andaman Sea side. Actually, to find out, it's better to check the climatology and rainfall statistics rather than asking the forum. This also applies to health questions, vaccinations, etc. It's better to consult medical professionals. It seems pretty logical..

Yes, in that case, we’d recommend February instead.

Thanks, Koh Phangan! 😊

Depending on your preferences and dates, you might want to avoid or not a beach on the east side of the island where the Full Moon Parties take place.

You could possibly rent a boat to tour part of the island and take some great photos.

It's around the small, tourist-packed island of Koh Tao where diving or snorkeling is most popular, but I think Koh Phangan is still the best overall choice.

Thanks a lot! And yeah, I saw there’s that party every month, so we’ll make sure to stay away from that famous beach.