Have you ever been to a place that made you feel so in love with it, so possessive that you didn't want anyone else to go there?

This feeling arose after returning from Ranong, the place we visited... The simplicity and tranquility are what impressed us, so we couldn't help but share it. Therefore, we would like those who are thinking of going to read this review first. Don't just look at the pictures and decide to go. I hope this review will be of some use. If there is anything wrong, please point it out.

This trip had a challenge of traveling to the Andaman Sea with a limited budget. We drove ourselves, which was our friend's first time driving south. Therefore, we chose a nearby destination, which ended up being Koh Phayam in Ranong province. There were four of us, and we had 2 nights and 3 days (excluding travel days). We planned to stay and explore Koh Phayam on the first night. For the second day, we wanted to visit Koh Chang, but we couldn't book accommodation in advance. We decided to take our chances and see what we could find upon arrival.

You can follow our other trips at https://www.facebook.com/KeepGoingThailand/

Traveling to Koh Phayam

Buses >>> Bangkok-Ranong buses are operated by several companies, including BKS, Chok Anan Tour, and Sombat Tour. The fare is around 400 baht, and the bus will drop you off at Ranong Bus Terminal. From there, you can take a blue songthaew to the fish market.

Private car >>> I must say that we rarely travel by private car. Let me explain briefly. We used Google Map to navigate and set our destination as "Ranong". The most confusing part was leaving Bangkok via Rama 2 Road. After that, it was a smooth drive through Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, and Phetchaburi. During this time, we opened Google Map intermittently. The road signs were good during the Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, and Ranong sections. Some parts of the road were under repair, so we had to drive carefully. We stopped to ask for directions sometimes, as we didn't want to rely solely on technology. The route is not complicated, as I mentioned. My friend, who was driving down south for the first time, managed to get there easily. We left Pathum Thani around 9 pm and arrived in Ranong just as the sun was rising.

The pier to cross to Koh Phayam is the Pak Nam Municipality Pier.

There are many types of boats to choose from.

-Speed boat 350 baht per person, takes 45 minutes

-Express boat 280 baht per person. New air-conditioned boat, travel time approximately 1.30 hours.

-Ferry boat 200 baht. The slow boat has 2 trips a day, 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM. It takes 2 hours to travel. We chose to go on the slow boat of Tai Kaek, which has free parking. On the boat, there is free wifi. It takes two hours to get there, so we were afraid that the passengers would be hungry. There are also free large bananas to eat. You can just walk up and grab them.

It took us a little over two hours to reach Koh Phayam. We also tried our best to bring food from the mainland. A tray of drinks, lemon-soda, instant noodles, snacks, and fresh food for grilling. We wanted to save some money and have a light barbecue party.

Disembarking from the boat, we were greeted by a motorbike rental shop. We had our pick of the litter, opting for two automatic bikes at 250 baht each, fuel included. We then headed straight to our accommodation for the night, "Kwang Pee Pri Resort," the sole lodging establishment on Kwang Pee Beach. This seclusion contributed to the tranquility and privacy of the location. However, accessing the resort proved challenging due to the rough, rutted dirt road that perfectly matched the width of a motorbike tire. The steep inclines and descents would pose a significant obstacle for inexperienced riders.

A small path like this, alternating with a gravel path.

Checking in at the resort was a breeze. The owner recognized our friend's face as soon as we walked in (our friend had contacted the resort via Facebook). He handed us the room key right away. If you're interested in staying here or want to inquire about more details, you can contact them on Facebook at "Kwang Pee Resort - 'A Resort in the Embrace of Nature'".

Our accommodation is located right by the sea and is very private. It is a detached house. If you want to walk to the restaurant, you have to walk a bit. The bathroom is spacious and open-air, without a roof, so it is not very private. However, as I mentioned, the house is detached, so you can shower without worrying. There is only one electrical outlet, which is used to power the fan in the room, which is the only one. In fact, this room can only sleep two people, but we asked for two extra beds by using the chairs in front of the house as extra beds. We are easy to sleep anyway. We paid an additional 500 baht, bringing the total to 2,000 baht. There is electricity from the afternoon until the morning (we woke up at seven o'clock and the electricity was still on). I must say that most of the accommodation and shops on the island have limited hours of electricity. As for water, it is available all the time. Ice is very expensive here, which is understandable.

Let's set up a grill in front of the room and ask the accommodation to prepare it for us. Use our scouting skills to light the fire and fight against the sea breeze.

However, it must be kept tidy and food scraps must not be thrown into the sea under any circumstances!

From the room, you can see the sunset, but the downside is that the sunlight shines into the room. Oh... you can also go snorkeling near the accommodation. The owner is very friendly. During the time I went, the owner let the employees go home, so the service may not be comprehensive. Some things have to be picked up by yourself. I have no problem with this. It allowed me to talk to the owner. If you want anything, pick it up first and pay for it when you check out.

After a long journey, we rested and then ventured out to Hippy Bar at night. The owner of our accommodation told us that if we were on Koh Phayam, we had to visit Hippy Bar. It's a fantastic bar that feels like you've stepped into a haunted pirate's land. It has a mysterious atmosphere with red and green lights and smoke from mosquito coils.

There are no snacks available. If you're hungry, my brother said he'll go pick some wild betel nuts and roast them for you. Can you wait? Haha. The staff at the shop are very friendly and funny. I asked them to recommend their best cocktails, and they brought out two different types, two glasses of each. I can't remember the names, but they were 180 baht each. The glasses were big, and the drinks were delicious and strong. Sipping cocktails while listening to reggae music was just perfect...^^

Beach bar... the floor is sand, which is good because when we stagger because we're drunk, the people around us won't know. 'I'm not drunk, the floor is just uneven.'

Waking up to the sound of the waves, opening the door to the sea, I wish I could stop time here. But I can't, because today we have a destination to reach.

After checking out of Krung Pi Resort, I rode a motorbike to visit various points on the island. I couldn't visit every place due to time constraints.

**Hin Thalu Ao Khao Kwai** This place has many strangely shaped rocks and is another great spot to watch the sunset.

The Blue Sky Resort We came at the wrong time...now the water is low, so it doesn't look like the Thai Maldives. You can go in and have food, snacks and drinks.

Wat Koh Phayam has a donation point at the entrance. The monk told us that we could take an umbrella because it was very sunny on the way to the church. However, we had to return it after we finished praying. Under the church, there are many small fish living. You can see the fish without having to dive. On the day we went, we saw striped catfish and lionfish.

After returning the motorbike, we waited for the boat from Green Banana Pirate House on Koh Chang to pick us up. We would spend the second night there.

- Accommodation options are plentiful, ranging from hundreds to thousands of baht. If you're a solo traveler, accommodation costs shouldn't be a major concern.

- Most accommodations have limited electricity hours, so you may not have electricity all day. However, there are accommodations that have electricity 24 hours a day.

-The sand here is not white, the sea water is not blue, but it is clear and clean.

-The best time to visit is from November to April. If you are coming outside of this period, it is recommended that you call the accommodation first, as some accommodations and shops may be closed during the monsoon season.

- Don't worry about running out of snacks, there are grocery stores everywhere, and the prices aren't much higher than on the mainland. However, there are no convenience stores.

- If you're looking to escape the hustle and bustle, this place is perfect. Another thing I love about this place is that the people who sell boat tickets, the people on Koh Phayam, the people at Hippy Bar, and the people on Koh Chang all seem to know each other. Our original plan was to stay at Green Banana Pirate House on Koh Chang on the second night, but we couldn't get in touch with them. We wouldn't have had the chance to go there if we hadn't talked to the person who sells boat tickets for Tai Kaek. He called them and gave us the contact number for Ke, the owner of Green Banana Pirate House. It was like everything was meant to be for us to go there. There was a room available and a boat to pick us up from Koh Phayam to Koh Chang. The boat fare was 200 baht per person.

Traveling to Green Banana Pirate House

First, you need to contact the accommodation in advance because the accommodation is located in a small bay with no boat access (there are boats to Koh Chang but not to the small bay). Call to book your accommodation and inform them of the boat you will be taking and the time of arrival. If you are taking the Tai Kaek Ferry, the accommodation will send a Moken boat (similar to a long-tail boat, but in my opinion, it's a pirate ship, haha) to intercept the Tai Kaek boat to pick up the guests who will be staying at the accommodation in the middle of the sea. If you are taking a speedboat, you must also inform the accommodation because the boat cannot dock at the beach and a small boat will have to be sent out to pick you up.

Upon arriving at the Pirate House, I greeted P'Kay, P'Kay's mother, and the rest of the Pirate House team. P'Kay then told me to choose a room myself and go inside to see which one was available. I could then tell him which room I wanted.

- The accommodation has a total of 10 rooms with private bathrooms at 300 baht per night and shared bathrooms at 200 baht. The price is very cheap. The room only has a mosquito net, mattress, pillow, and blanket. There is no fan. It's simple and comfortable. During the day, the wind was cool and we slept comfortably. At night, the wind was calm. For us, sleeping in a room without a fan but with a light sea breeze was not bad at all. We even liked it. As for those who choose to stay in a room with a shared bathroom, the bathroom is also very clean.

- Electricity will be available from 6 pm to around 11 pm to midnight. You can charge your electrical appliances at the DJ booths or at the points with plugs below. There will be no electrical outlets in the rooms.

• Food… There is a la carte food by your brother K's mother. You can look at the menu and order. It's not as expensive as you think. If I remember correctly, it starts at 60 baht and up. The taste is delicious, the ingredients are fresh. It might be a bit slow because the main chef is your brother K's mother. If you want seafood to grill, you can tell your brother and he will take you to buy it from the fishermen.

- We have soft drinks, ice, alcoholic beverages, and cocktails, but no snacks.

- Clear phone signal, play social, upload photos comfortably

- Koh Chang, Ranong Province, the best time to visit is around October-May. In mid-May, the rain starts to come. After this period, the Andaman Sea is in the monsoon season. If you want to go, you should call to inquire. If there is no monsoon, you can go. In April, most of the guests are Thai people. If you want to meet foreigners, Phi K said to come at the end of the year ^^

- Contact number: Phi K 0817285147

Let's take a look at the atmosphere around the accommodation. The houses, seating areas, sleeping areas, and bars are all made of wood, some even built on trees, blending seamlessly with nature.

Anyone who is tired of their room and wants to sleep in a treehouse at night is welcome to do so.

I'm so jealous of the dogs here. They run around, play with each other, and roll in the sand all day. They must be the happiest dogs in the world.

We met five new friends who invited us to share the cost of squid and crab they bought from the fishermen. My brother's mother prepared the squid and dipping sauce, complete with a grill. She charged a small fee for her work, but we didn't have to do anything. Our only job was to cut and eat.

We can see the sunset from the beach of our accommodation.

The pirate ship was anchored off the beach. When we called Brother K about the boat that would pick us up, we heard him call this boat the "Mogan".

We had dinner together amidst the post-sunset atmosphere. The sky gradually darkened, and the orange, red, and green lights of the pirate house gradually lit up with the sound of reggae music. Eating and getting to know each other, it's strange, isn't it? We just met, but it feels like we've known each other for a long time. This new friendship is a very delicious one.

After we finished our meal, the staff would always come and clear our plates and check on us. Oh, and when we order something to eat, we only pay when we leave. Ke would write it down in an account book, but we also had to help him remember. I missed a lot of items, but Ke was honest and friendly. We, as visitors, should also be honest and friendly.

After dinner, there was a fire baton show from the Pirate House team. We drank, listened to reggae music, and talked and exchanged ideas. It was a very memorable evening.

In front of the bar, there were cashew fruits placed. People in the central region call cashew fruits "Himalayan mangoes." When I was a child, there was one tree near my house. When the fruit was ripe, it was red and smelled very bad. I remember it smelled bad. This time in Ranong, it was the season of cashew fruits. We were sitting in front of the bar, and there were cashew fruits placed there. I told P'K, the owner, that when it was ripe, it smelled bad. He said it didn't smell bad and that it was edible. Some people even made wine from it. Then, P'K took a cashew fruit and stuffed it into my mouth, saying that I had to try it. It really didn't smell bad. It tasted like a mango, but it was a bit astringent. The texture was like eating an unripe jackfruit, biting into it and sucking the juice. I've tried a lot of new things in Ranong. Next time I see a cashew fruit, I won't pick up the seeds. I'll eat the yellow fruit instead. It's more delicious.

If you come here and encounter this kind of atmosphere, the nighttime is like a time for us to get to know each other. We are the ones who fight to the end until everyone goes to sleep. Tonight, before going to bed, our brother Kapa took us to the beach, away from the radius of light from the accommodation so that we could see the bioluminescent plankton. And we really did see it. When the waves hit the shore, there were small green lights. Looking up at the sky, there were stars everywhere... there were stars both in the sky and in the sea.

Before going to bed, P'K gave us flashlights because there would be no electricity after that. The night was very calm, but not too hot... This morning's meal was simple. When you come to the sea, you have to eat stir-fried basil. It's not anything special. We ordered similar easy-to-cook menus for the convenience of the cook and for speed, because we had an appointment to go diving.

Our diving equipment was incomplete, so we had to take turns wearing it. We saw some coral, but the water was quite cloudy today. The diving fee was 200 baht per person.

There are also pierced stones.

The rocks here are very sharp, so be careful not to get hurt. We had a big lunch before heading back because we would be on the boat for two hours. We ordered some dishes, including omelet with cockles, tom yum soup, fish with chili sauce, and large fresh cockles, which were delicious.

On the way back, we will return on the Ferry boat of Tai Kaek. If anyone wants to return by speedboat, Brother K will contact you. As for the Ferry boat, he will take the Moken boat to intercept the Ferry boat in the middle of the sea like when we came here, there is no charge. Go pay for the boat on the shore, 200 baht per person.

We were so impressed with this place...it was peaceful and simple, like we had entered another world. If you guys were pirates, like the name of the house suggests, you would be the kindest pirates ever. You may look tough on the outside, but you are actually lovely, funny, and took such good care of us.

We asked Phi K: ...If you get to know more people here, would ten houses be enough for you to build more? Or if there were investors, would you make it more of a business?

"We only do what we need to get by," explained P'K. "That's because the whole idea behind this place was to give our friends a place to stay. Everyone on the island knows each other, and we live like brothers and sisters. We follow the example of our King, who embodies the principles of moderation and sufficiency. That's how we've been living at Pirate House for the past 16 years, and we hope it will always be this way."

Thank you for a wonderful night at Green Banana Pirate House, Koh Chang, Ranong Province.

(Thank you for the photos, P'Tonfon.)

We each paid 3,600 baht (4 people) and spent it all perfectly. ^^