How to Rent a House in Koh Phangan, Thailand

Who doesn’t dream of living on a tropical paradise island? For many people its just a dream but luckily, there are many places where it is actually possible and affordable to live this dream!

I’ve been lucky enough to call Goa, India home, spent a few months living in Bali, Indonesia, and now I’ve come to Koh Phangan –  a gorgeous tropical island in Thailand to live and work for a few months and I want to share how I did it.

In this post I’ll explain why this magical island is a great place to live and how to rent a house in Koh Phangan and live here on a budget.

Update 2024: Koh Phangan has gotten a lot more popular, more upmarket, and more expensive in recent years. The standard of accommodation is generally higher, there are even luxury pool villas now, but the prices are much higher – maybe even double, from when I lived there in 2018.  

Why I came to live in Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan is mainly famous for the Full Moon Party but this beautiful island in the Gulf of Thailand has so much more to offer.

The island is picture postcard beautiful with soft white sand beaches, clear turquoise oceans and a lush green jungly mountainous interior complete with many waterfalls to explore and some great hikes to stunning viewpoints.

Koh Phangan is a great place not just for party people (there is a lot of great nightlife on Koh Phangan and so many more parties to enjoy even if its not full moon time) it’s also a spiritual island with loads of amazing, world class yoga and meditation retreats.

It’s also a great place for digital nomads with a growing digital nomad community and co working spaces – some, like Beach Hub, are even located right on the beach.

Unlike Goa, where its hard to get decent internet, most houses to rent in Koh Phangan come with decent wifi so what better place to work while soaking up the island lifestyle!?

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How to find a house for rent in Koh Phangan

While there are plenty of hotels on the island for all budgets, if you want to live on Koh Phangan longer term than renting a house is often a more affordable option.

There are a few ways to find a house for rent in Koh Phangan – it’s likely a bit different to what you’re used to because the best way is to arrive and then ask around and drive around looking for a place – however in peak season you might find most places are full.

If you prefer to get everything sorted before you arrive then there are loads of amazing houses to rent on AirBnB and you can also find bungalows on Booking.com. This can be a more expensive option than the DIY approach but is a more secure way to book online before you arrive as you can read reviews and these platforms offer some protection if you arrive and things aren’t as described.

You could also look online and go through a local rental company but I don’t know how trustworthy most of these organisations are and I don’t know anyone who did it this way so I can’t advise on any specific company to use. Most of the houses and villas advertised online are marketed exclusively to foreigners so you won’t find the best deals online.

Another way to find a house to rent is on Facebook Marketplace and in Facebook groups like – House for Rent on Koh Phangan. However, there can be scams on these platforms so I wouldn’t send money to anyone before seeing the house myself. I find it’s best to arrive and stay in a hotel for a few days and go and see any houses advertised on Facebook and get the keys before handing over any money.

If you’re on a tight budget then Air BnB and Facebook is probably not the cheapest option. It often works out cheaper to come to Koh Phangan first, book into a backpacker hostel or a cute beach bungalow for a couple of days, rent a scooter and drive around to look for the house to rent signs.

There are SO many house to rent signs all over, just drive around the areas that you like the look of and call the numbers on the sign to ask to look inside the house, meet the owner, and negotiate the price. The season and duration of stay will effect the price but most places won’t rent for less than 1 month.

If you want a house for less than 1 month it’s probably best to just book one on Booking.com. The Naiwok Hills Resort is a good choice with modern 1 and 2 bedroom bungalows complete with living room, kitchen, balcony, pool and gym in a quiet area. Or try Peace Home KPG if your on a smaller budget.

A scooter is essential for most people living on Koh Phangan and prices start at 250 Baht per day but can be cheaper if you rent it by the month (around 3,500 Baht per month)

You’ll need to get a Thai sim card too (cheap and easily available at the airport or in shops in Thong Sala, just make sure your phone is unlocked) so that you can call the numbers on the signs to arrange to view the houses.

Where to live on Koh Phangan

Another advantage of looking for a house to rent in Koh Phangan in person is that you can check out the different beach and areas of the island. This way you can see which one you like best and you can also check everything in the house before handing over any money.

Generally speaking the North and West parts of the island are most quiet, and relaxing and the houses are not too close together, you may even be able to find a really private house surrounded by nature in the jungle.

Thong Sala is the main town on the island, it’s where the ferry comes in and is well connected to most other places on the island but doesn’t have a beach. You’ll have more a local vibe here and cheaper prices, plus you’ll be close to the food market for cheap meals.

Haad Rin is where the Full Moon Party happens it gets very busy and noisy with backpackers, party people and short staying tourists over the full moon period but isn’t too crazy the rest of time. It’s a bit far from the rest of the island though and not where I’d recommend for living long term.

Baan Tai is a convenient and centrally located area between Haad Rin and Thong Sala. The beach isn’t the island’s best but it’s a convenient location with plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, nightlife and things to do.

On the West Coast, Sri Thanu is where most of the yoga schools are located and is my favourite area. There are co working spaces located in Baan Thai, Sri Thanu and also further North towards Chaloklum.

Further North from Sri Thanu and around Chaloklum is also really nice but felt a bit too far out for me.Thong Nai Pan Noi and Thong Nai Pan Yao are the best beaches on the island but located in the north away from everything else so it’s quite remote and better for a holiday or beach day than living there.

This post has more details on the different areas and my recommendations for the best hotels in each which could be useful while your looking for a house.

Cost of renting a house in Koh Phangan

The cost of a house to rent in Koh Phangan depends on the season, how long you rent for, and how luxurious you want to live.

When I lived in Koh Phangan in 2018 rents ranged from 6,000 – 8,000 Baht per month for a basic 1 bedroom fan house to 20,000 Baht, or more, for a more modern villa. The cheaper houses did not have A/C, Wifi and hot water. The average for a larger, more modern 1 bedroom AC house was around 10,000 – 12,000 Baht per month.

Our house was a 1 bedroom modern house with AC, wifi, kitchen, bathroom with hot water, living room and balcony and cost 12,000 Baht per month but nowadays the price could be double. See here for more on my costs of living in Koh Phangan.

In 2024 prices seem to range between 15,000 – 25,000 Baht for a 1 bedroom AC house in the off season and go to 100,000 baht or more for a new 3 bedroom luxury villa with swimming pool in the peak season!

Many houses to rent in Koh Phangan are available daily, weekly and monthly but the longer you stay the better deal you will get. If you come in low season or you are staying for a long time then you should be able to negotiate on the price.

Many Koh Phangan houses are more like studio bungalows – they don’t have a living room, just a big bedroom and living space in one. So if you want a separate sleeping and living/ working area your search may be a little harder but not impossible.

Most rentals ask for a deposit and charge extra for electricity and sometimes water. Wifi is often included but if you’re a digital nomad and need good wifi to work its best to run a speed test to check how good the connection is first. You’ll also want to check all the electrics, water etc are working properly before you agree to anything.

The cheaper houses in rent in Koh Phangan have quite basic furniture and limited cooking equipment but there is a furniture store in Thong Sala where you can buy anything else for the houses that you might not need if it doesn’t already come with it.

How to get to Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan is an island located in the Gulf of Thailand in Surat Thani province. The next island is the very popular resort island of Ko Samui and Koh Tao is also not far away. You have a couple of options to get to Koh Phangan:

The quickest and most expensive way of getting to Koh Phangan is taking a flight from Bangkok to the neighbouring island of Ko Samui and then a ferry over (approx. 300 Baht) but the prices are usually around $100 one way for the flight to Ko Samui.

The next quickest way of getting to Koh Phangan is to take a flight from Bangkok to Surat Thani or Nakon Si Thammrat on the Thai mainland, then get a bus and ferry over to Koh Phangan. Nok Air and Air Asia offer combined flight, bus, ferry tickets which take the hassle out of arranging it all yourself. Prices are between 1,500 and 2,500 Baht

The next best way to get to the island is by taking the overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to Surat Thani (12 hours but the train is comfortable and you can sleep) and then getting the bus to the port and the ferry. The price depends on whether you go A/C or fan only and again you can get a combined ticket from a travel agent. Prices start at about 1,600 Baht.

The cheapest and most uncomfortable way to reach Koh Phangan is by taking the bus all the way from Bangkok and then the ferry. It’s about 900 Baht by bus. The easiest way to book tickets online is on 12GoAsia .

Visas for living in Thailand

Renting a house in Koh Phangan is easy, getting a visa to live in Thailand is more complicated. Most visitors to Thailand get a free 30 day visa exemption on arrival, (now 60 days) which is extendable.

If you want to extend your visa you’ll need to catch the ferry over to the next island of Koh Samui and head to the immigration office where you can pay 1,900 Baht and extend your visa by another 30 days.

You can only extend your visa once. After that you’ll have to do a visa run to a neighbouring country like Malaysia and then come back and start again when you re-enter Thailand.

However, you should keep up to date with the regulations are they can change and sometimes the Thai authrorties crack down on people doing too many visa runs. You can read more here for more about Thai visas and border runs. 

There are several options for long term Thai visas, if you want to learn Thai or Muay Thai an education visa is a popular option but if your a digital nomad I would look into the new Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) which allows 180 days stay and is valid for 5 years.

And if you tire of island life on Koh Phangan and want to explore more of Thailand you might also like my other Thailand travel guides and blogs:

• Koh Phangan beyond the full moon party
• My Cost of Living in Koh Phangan
• Best Yoga Retreats in Koh Phangan
• Is Koh Phangan’s Full Moon Party worth the hype?
• 6 Best Backpacker Hostels in Koh Phangan
• The Ultimate Thailand Itinerary and Backpacking Route
• Where to stay in Koh Phangan (for all areas and all budgets)