Remote Ranong - Sea Kayaking Thailand's West Coast

“I think we should cross to the mainland instead of Kang Khao Island,” I said to my paddling partner half way across Ratchakrut Channel. “The wind is steadily increasing and when the tide turns, this channel is known for strong currents.” “Agreed,” he responded and we changed course accordingly.

An hour and a half later, we were on the mainland coast of Thailand's remote Ranong Province. With more than 3000 km of coastline and over 1000 islands, it is surprising that Thailand is largely unknown to sea kayakers. The Andaman Sea, on the west coast, offers endless paddling possibilities and regardless of where you paddle, the people are friendly and accommodating.

The northernmost portion of the Andaman coast is Ranong Province. It is the most desolate coastal region in all Thailand. South, Pha Nga Province stretches to Phuket Island. With the exception of the hyper-touristc Khao Lak area, this entire section of the Thai coast is noteworthy for miles of empty beach, punctuated by isolated fishing villages.

Remote Ranong is typified by extensive the mangrove estuaries of Ranong Biosphere Reserve and Khlong Kapoe. Offshore, a couple dozen islands are scattered along the coast and a large portion is designated national park. Access is difficult from land. From the sea, everything is possible and this is where you encounter virgin stretches of barren beach.

This coast is exposed and paddlers should have experience with surf launches and landings. There is often no margin for error. Additionally, tides can swing up to 12 feet and it is critical to make crossings at slack tide. Fighting a 1.5 knot current is just not fun. And there is nothing as disheartening as lugging your gear several hundred meters across a tidal flat or watching your kayak float away for failing to observe tide charts.

A good base is Phayam Island, roughly 25km from the town of Ranong. Rent a beachfront bungalow and get acquainted with the Andaman Sea. There are exposed beaches to practice launch and landing skills, as well as sheltered bays and mangrove forests to explore. The north point is perfect to discover what happens when swell, wind and tide meet to create a frothing sea. Phayam Island is a good base for short trips.

Neighbouring Chang Island has plenty of bungalow options. Nearby Sai Dam Island is a nice overnight camping trip and exploring the mangroves of Ngao and Tha Ton Son is idyllic. South, across Ratchakrut Channel, is Kum Islands National Park. The Park offices were completely destroyed in the tsunami of 2004, but in late 2013, National Park staff returned. Spend a day or two paddling about these islands and enjoy pure nature. They are deserted and the only signs of life are footprints of crab-eating macaques in the sand.

On the mainland, Bang Ben Beach or Laem Manao are also good spots to camp and the sole coastal village for miles, Baan Talae Nok, a tiny community of fishermen, has one homestay. North and south of this village lie miles of untouched beach. Pick a spot to camp and revel in the complete absence of humanity.

Crossing into Pha Nga Province, there are three large islands near the mainland town of Kuraburi. Ra Island has a National Park office on the northern tip with a good place to camp, fresh water and a friendly park staff on site. This island is rugged and the west coast is dotted with stunning beaches. If the sea is calm, a west coast beach camp is yours. If it is rough, take care.

A narrow channel separates hilly Ra Island from a very flat Phra Thong Island, the most bio-diverse island on the west coast. There are bungalows just off the beach with more coming each year as the island recovers from the 2004 tsunami. Tawan Bar, a few hundred meters from the main path, has excellent food and superb sunset views.

These island are the two remaining gems on this coast. Camp anywhere you like. My personal favourite is the north point on Phra Thong Island. At the south end of Phra Thong, paddle out the channel to the west side of Kho Khao Island and camp on yet another desolate stretch of beach. The northern half of this island has one lonely resort, a far cry from the southern half where resorts abound. Beyond, lies Khao Lak, land of package tourism.

Enjoy remote Ranong and pristine paddling.

In Search of Surf

The first time I traveled to southern Thailand, my initial destination was Ranong. I chose Ranong precisely because it was not recommended in guidebooks, which meant there would be few foreigners. Quite by accident, I walked into Pon’s Place and spotted a photo of a woman on a beach holding a boogie board. Immediately, I knew further investigation was required and I was on the next boat to Koh Phayam.

My objective was to check out the island for a few days, find that boogie board and see if there were waves. As fate would have it, three days turned into a week and a week into three weeks. And yes, there were waves on Aow Yai Beach. In October that year, I rode that boogie board often. Now, more than ten years later, I have returned to that idyllic island each year, often for as long as six months.

On my second visit, I brought a waveski and was the lone wave rider for several years. Three years ago, my nephew joined me and I brought a second waveski. We owned the waves that season. Only the occasional surfer passed through, always expressing surprise to discover rideable waves.

The following season, Matt bought a surf board and learned to ride. He quickly outgrew that board and sold it to a Thai friend. At the end of the season, Matt sold his second board to the same friend and the local guys started to surf. It was not long until they were bitten by the surf bug and the surf scene on the island began to take hold. The first dedicated surf shop was at South Star, but today, there are several places with a range of rental boards on Aow Yai Beach.

Matt Morch at Aow Yai Beach, Koh Phayam

Koh Phayam is an emerging blip on the surf radar and it is known to work well in a SW swell, particularly from late April to October. It will often pick up waves before Khao Lak and Phuket, making it a good choice when the swell is passing those locations. There are more riders every year and the most recent edition of the popular Storm Rider Surf Guide even mentions the beach breaks of Koh Phayam in its Thailand section.

With the surf scene steadily growing in Thailand, those established breaks of Phuket and Khao Lak are also seeing more riders. It is natural evolution that people are exploring new locations. Breaks in Pha Nga province as well as those in the Gulf of Siam are being explored. However, they can be challenging to access and remain largely unexploited. But this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

The coast of Ranong province remains virtually untouched and is littered with untapped potential and miles of secluded beach. There is little road access and the only way to truly discover them is from the water.

Jack from the UK at Aow Yai Beach

In search of surf, I set out in a sea kayak to peruse the Andaman coast of Thailand and identify new breaks. I departed Koh Phayam on December 20, 2010, and paddled almost 700km to the Malaysian border at Langkawi. To my surprise and pleasure, I discovered was that there are plenty of hidden gems, not only in Ranong, but in the south as well. While I am not going to give up everything I unearthed, I will highlight several that might pique the interest of an adventurous soul.

A major challenge facing the sea kayaker is capturing images of surf. When the waves are breaking, there is no chance I will pull out my dSLR camera to try and shoot. But since that inaugural trip, I have purchased a waterproof camera with high-definition video to capture those images

South of Ranong town (north of Kapoe) near the village of Bang Ben, there is a beach break that is already known to some. Located off Highway 4 at the end of Ranong Ro Pho Cho Road, this break can generate some powerful waves, mostly rights. Leave the car at the National Park facilities and walk south along the beach. The resort here has rooms and food but as this is part of Laem Son National park, there is also plenty of space to set up camp. I have a friend who has explored parts of this coast and he swears the longest ride he ever had in Thailand was at this location.

Secret location near Koh Lanta

Just south of Bang Ben and across the mouth of Khlong Kapoe is Laem Manao. I camped on the beach and watched an interesting wave that wrapped around the point and peeled left as it neared the beach. The chart profile shows several changes in the shoreline along the intertidal zone. There is a rock protuberance near the point which is followed by a large hole. A second outcropping closer to the shore appears to set off the wave. Near the beachfront, a burned out house has a freshwater well for bathing. Don’t mind the cows as they meander along the beach after sunrise or before sunset. It should be easy to negotiate boat access from the pier at the end of Khrongkan Thanon Nai Mu Ban soi Tha Phae Mu 4 Road, near the resort.

Another beach break is located 4.5 kms south of Laem Manao, just north of Ban Thale Nok. Here, a small inlet with a broad fronting sandbar sets up waves at a variety of tide levels. At low tide, the waves break at the outer reaches of the sandbar. At higher tides, especially with a larger swell, the sandbar sets up waves that break in both directions closer to shore. This is also part of Laem Son National Park, which runs along the coast of Ranong province. There is nothing there, so camping on the beach is not a problem. Access is by boat only.

Further south, near Kamphuan, Ranong 2003 O Bo To Road leads back into Laem Son National Park and runs along the shore. There is an interesting change in the coastline here where a point juts out protecting a large inlet. Although the swell was small when I camped nearby it definitely merits further exploration.

One area that has already been identified by surf explorers is the Kuraburi district. Nonetheless, the islands of Ko Ra, Ko Phra Thong and Ko Kho Khao continue to be relatively unknown. The west side of these islands have a steep profile, rising from a depth of 66 feet to 6 feet in a very short distance. Ko Ra generates some powerful beach breaks. In particular, the most southerly beach on Ko Ra has an interesting depth profile that changes from 16 feet to 6 feet and then back to 16 feet before rising to the beach, all of this in approximately 100 meters. This creates a powerful wave that any self-respecting boogie board rider would love to sample. In fact, on December 24, the waves were big enough that I was caught by a large set, lifted onto the peak of a wave that rose a solid 7 feet and dumped me unceremoniously upside down on the beach. Merry Christmas! This is definitely NOT how to land your sea kayak. Beware: the rip currents can be extremely strong.

Personally, I think that some of the best potential lies on Ko Phra Thong. The narrow channel between Ko Ra and Ko Phra Thong has large sandbars on either side that deliver waves. I saw head high waves that peeled left and right on both sides of the channel and the larger sets broke directly into the channel itself. I met a longtail captain who showed me the prow of his boat that was snapped by a large wave that proceeded to swamp the boat coming out of the channel that day. Now that is some power! Ko Phra Thong also has a couple beach breaks at the northern end of the island on the way to the channel. An Australian surfer told me he had been riding short but powerful beach breaks for the week leading up to Christmas.

"Surfer's Point", Koh Phra Thong

In October, 2011, I returned to Koh Phra Thong with a crew of Australian surfers filming a surf documentary on Thailand. They were pleasantly surprised by the waves and very happy to know that the 12 of us were members of an exclusive club of the handful of riders ever to have surfed this spot. I have since been back to this spot and it definitely works well. There are miles of unspoiled beach here that produce powerful beach breaks. The boogie board crowd will certainly like to explore this area.

This island is reputedly the most bio-diverse island on the Andaman Coast. In recent years, a number of smaller resort operations have opened on this island as it recovers from the tsunami.


The channel between Ko Phra Thong and Ko Kho Khao also has prominent sandbars that stick out over 2 kms on both sides of the channel shaping lefts and rights. Ko Kho Khao is easily accessed by ferry and roads lead to the north end of the island, making this an uncomplicated candidate for the car crowd.

Khao Lak has a number of well known breaks like Kuk Kak, Cape Pakarang and Taxi, to name a few. The surf scene is growing rapidly here with Pak Arang surf shop and others offering rentals and instruction. Andrew, from Siam Surf Dogs, knows this area well. He has explored extensively with an SUP and informs me there are plenty of secret spots that work very well when conditions are favourable. From beach breaks to reef breaks, Khao Lak is only second to Phuket on the surf scene.

There are a few intrepid surfers who ride the waves around the town of Thai Muang. The beach break here, I am assured, can be quite good. South of town, there is a large sand pit behind an opening between two sand spits that looks as though it should generate waves. From Highway 4, follow Pha Nga rural road 5012 .6km and turn left onto an un-numbered road. Drive south for approximately 3km (the road turns sharply to the right and then left near the coast). The rest is up to you.

Na Tooei, 10km south of Thai Muang off Pha Nga rural road 3006, also generates good breaks. There are some rocks near the beach that look promising and the pier just south is also reputed to work quite well.

Sunset near Koh Lanta

Further south, I noted a few potential locations on Ko Klang, just north of Koh Lanta, where waves set up with regularity. This island is not covered by Phuket and its exposure allows the swell to arrive unfettered. Near the northern end of the island at Khlong Lat Li Ki there is a large sandbar that was working reasonably well as I paddled past. Krabi 3141 Ro Pho Cho Road ends at the khlong. Additionally, a number of beach breaks were also showing potential a several bends in the beach along Krabi 4026 Rural Road.

One spot that I thought was particularly interesting were the sandbars off Koh Lanta. The waves were taking good shape on both of the sandbars. Accessible by boat only, they probably only work under specific conditions and are likely to shift seasonally. Nonetheless, they merit further examination.

Naturally, there are others. And some of the places I have identified may not work as well as others, but in the spirit of exploration and information sharing I encourage others to survey the sites and the surf community can develop a better database.

The Coconut Telegraph, Issue 26

There are some things in life that are very difficult to surpass and one of them is summer, specifically, summer in Ontario. It is something that must be experienced to appreciate. After a long winter of hibernation, Canadians are ready to get outdoors. Summer is a celebration. There are so many things to do; from music festivals and cultural events to exploring the thousands of lakes and rivers that make up this great province.

As Jimi Hendrix put it: "are you experienced?" If the answer is "no", I recommend you put that on your 'bucket list'.

Without a doubt, Canadians love their cottages. There are literally thousands of hectares of land bordering lakes and rivers and these are dotted - sometimes clotted - with cottages of all shapes and sizes. From the traditional wood cottage or log cabin to the modern colossus, each lake has a different ambiance. My sister and brother-in-law have a place on a lake 40 minutes from Ottawa on the Quebec side. It is a magical spot. The classic cottage. Since it is the only place on a 20 hectare island, it enjoys unprecedented privacy.

Summer G&T on the dock

Likewise, 'HJ' has a cottage on 41 hectares of reforested land on the shores of a lake roughly 200km southwest of the city. It has a different character, with a greater sense of remoteness and a completely different physical geography. As you will see in the photos, some friends caught up there this summer.

In late August, I had the pleasure of paddling my kayak from Ottawa to Kingston on the Rideau Canal. The complete length of the canal is 202km. I cut off 20kms on each end as they are mostly locks - which can take an very long time - with very few open stretches between. I paddled the first 80km solo to Perth, Ontario, where I visited friends. My friend Cam met me Perth and we paddled southward 89km. Ramblin' on the Rideau was a nice surprise.

Joe remarried this summer. His bride, Jennifer, is an excellent addition to the 'family'. She has many qualities, but the one I like best is that she makes Joe a happy man. It is tradition to have 'stag', so we did. A few close friends gathered on a boat to laugh, drink, eat, drink and laugh some more on a gorgeous June evening.

And Ted resurfaced a few times this summer! It was great to catch up with him and share a few laughs.

Enjoy the last of the warm weather my northern friends ... the days are getting shorter. Please visit The Coconut Telegraph to read this and other tales.

The Coconut Telegraph Issue 23

I was lucky when I arrived in Bangkok as the flooding was just starting and getting out of the city was not a problem. I had arranged for a minivan to meet me at the airport to take me to Cosmos Composite and pick up my new wave ski and two sea kayaks. During my layover in London, I confirmed that everything was okay. At the airport, my driver was nowhere to be seen and the man who arranged the minivan had a dead cell battery. Eventually, I contacted Khun Prasit and he told me that his driver could not come as the road was washed away and the van could not move. So, he came himself to try and sort things out. Although he had not planned to drive to Ranong, Khun Prasit felt responsible for me - so he drove me to Ranong himself.

We arrived later in the evening and went directly to the pier. I dumped the three boats and we went to Tinidee Hotel for the night. I showered and crashed, having come directly from Ottawa non-stop. But sleep took some time as the Ice Bar beside the swimming pool was thumping out big bass tones that shook the hotel. Not the best for such an expensive place. But I made up for it by eating like a trooper at the breakfast buffet!

Tim Morch at Aow Yai, Koh Phayam

Made the slow boat at the last minute, threw the boats on the boat and proceeded to Koh Phayam. With the island in view, I called Clay at South Star and he told me he would meet me at the pier. Clay arrived, a tractor came behind and everything went across the island nice and easy.

When the boat approaches Koh Phayam, there is a glaring barren land on the northern end of the island that has been decimated by loggers. This is becoming a huge problem on the island and if the people do not stop this activity there will be no more jungle in a few years. It is truly a sad state of affairs.

There were waves when I arrived and I was eager to test my new custom, carbon fiber waveski from Cosmos Composite. It is a total rocket ship, delivering speed and agility far superior to my last waveski!

The sea kayaks are a pre-production version of an RTM model that never went into full production. It seems the market favours the sit-on-top and plastic models and the fiberglass boats were cancelled. But lucky me, I got two of the last units from my friend Laurent who used to work with RTM! It is called the "Tooka" and seems to work quite well.

Click HERE and enjoy this edition. I am off to the Philippines for two months to sea kayak with Ian Taylor - reports to follow later.

The Coconut Telegraph, Volume 22

Summer has raced past. My first contact with Canadian weather was a cold and rainy spring. That soon changed into one of the finest summers for weather I can recall in recent times. Unfortunately, speeding time eclipses reality: July was a blur, August was fleeting, September came and went in a flash and now October is upon us. Like all migratory species, I start to think of flights and warm thoughts. And it will be only a matter of hours until I board a flight to SE Asia.

Summer highlights included the Ottawa BluesFest, with an impressive set of performers and performances. Stephen Marley played an awesome set, mixing his music and father Bob's seamlessly. Bootsy Collins rocked and Ben Harper rolled as we 'burned one down'. The surprise show was John Fogerty. He played Creedence Clearwater Revival songs with an energy and spirit befitting a 21 year-old, while his guitar showed the experience of a seasoned artist. Wow! There were many others, too many to list. And let us not forget the stage blowing down on Cheap Trick (perhaps a message from above). As always, good times with great friends.

This summer marked the entry of two friends into the Harley family. Both arrived via different highways: Bubba renewed his passion for riding after a long hiatus and Mike just decided to go buy a Fatboy. Perhaps the three of us will squeeze in a trip next summer.

Although I did have a few jobs secured for the summer, I learned early on where I was to spend the bulk of my time. I went to Mike's house to replace "a couple of rotten boards" and discovered that the chimney was rotten all the way to the roof, a mere 30 feet above. A couple of rotten boards turned into a career for me, much to the chagrin of Mike's bank account. In addition, I had the pleasure of doing some building out of town for other friends. These "away games" are always wonderful as it allows me the opportunity to spend some quality time them and their families. How fast those wee ones grow into young adults.

I managed to put my kayak in the water a mere four times so far this summer. Sad, I know, but sometimes life gets in the way of living. The paddling highlight was a few days in the Kawartha region with Cam Taylor, complete with a wee dose of poison ivy.

As happens every summer, I had the pleasure of visiting several cottages in within a couple hundred kilometers of Ottawa. Kenny Island, Fifth Depot Lake, Ella's Place and Jayman's as well. These are quintessential cottages, situated on small lakes in the Canadian wilderness. Although they differ in several ways, they are also very much the same in what they represent.

Please visit the following link to read the whole story: Volume 22

The Coconut Telegraph Issue 21

As with every good thing, there is always an end. Having said that, an end need not necessarily be final. An end can be like a period at the end of a sentence. There is always another sentence to follow. And so an end to the season's chapter in SE Asia and the beginning of another summer in Canada.

The journey homeward is always a bit of an adventure. The mandatory stop in Bangkok includes a visit to the nice people at Nikon, a meal at one of my favourite restaurants near Lumpini Park and a night on the town. My friend Dave - a surfer I met in Sumatra - was in town, so I showed him a few highlights and we shared some laughs. I visited the nice folks at Cosmos Composite to check out a variety of carbon fiber products. From high-end carbon fiber business cards to water skis, surf boards, kayak helmets and more, Laurent and his team make a variety of super lightweight products. We are working out the details of a new carbon fiber wave ski for me to test next season.

As seems to be part of an established pattern, I visited Chris Watts in Hong Kong for ten action-packed days. Chris was finishing his second book and was shooting the video that will accompany the online book "The Beauty of Posture". I photographed this session to include some stills in the book and we spent another evening shooting with a model.

It is a long flight from Hong Kong to Toronto, but it is direct. Arriving in Toronto with three massive bags and two smaller bags got me to that 'special' line at Canada Customs. You never know what they are going to do when they haul you off to the side. No harm, no foul, as they say, just another customs officer who cannot understand why my passport is so full of stamps.

The shock of the cooler climate reminds me of the words of an older Swiss man I met in the Annapurna's: 'there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes." Although I have all the gear to keep warm, I prefer fewer clothes and warmer weather any day!

Back in Ottawa, the rain falls with a vengeance. It seems that rain has been the predominant weather hitting many parts of Canada this spring, with flooding occurring across the nation. After a record breaking spring for rain I think everybody is keen to see summer suns shining and torrid temperatures.
Rain or shine, my Harley is my only transport and, as usual, she fired up ready to roll for another summer.

And then "bam!" Back to work, pay off some of the debts and try to put a small cushion in the bank for the next adventure. At the rate time seems to be whizzing past, the next adventure will upon me before I realize the summer has come and gone.
Enjoy the spring.

Here's to a summer filled with hot days and wild nights!

To view the complete edition of The Coconut Telegraph click here.

The Coconut Telegraph Issue 20

Anyone who stays on Koh Phayam for a length of time knows just how cyclical the island is. From mid-October until mid-December, there are few foreigners, the vibe is mellow and there are plenty of opportunities to get to know the local people, rekindle relationships and enjoy some quiet time in their company. This time of the year is a particular favourite of mine.

The switch gets flipped somewhere around December 20th when the holiday-makers arrive in droves. Gone is the backpack toting, wannabe hippy crowd - welcome to the suitcase with wheels world. Space is tight, rates are raised as everyone wants those elusive Euros and dollars. People are too busy to remember to breath and everyone starts the whine that they are working too hard.

Things level out somewhat in March and the downturn in arrivals is gradual. This season, the weather was very unusual and March saw a lot of rain. It damaged the cashew crop and the psyche of tourists, who left in flocks. The island was deserted and it seemed as though that peaceful "end of season" period was upon us. Then, along comes Songkran - Thai New Year - and along come the expats on holiday, along come the Thais and along comes the water. Songkran is always a special time of year in small communities like Koh Phayam. Here, the flavour is participation not aggravation. Sure, you might find some cold water, or colored powder, but that comes from someone you know - someone to whom you can return the favour.

My last days on Koh Phayam delivered fantastic surf! Check out the Beach Report for a full breakdown. To view surf photos, click here.

As happens every year, I visited my Weaving for Women friends in Sangkhlaburi, near the Three Pagodas Pass Burmese border crossing. It has been a tough year for them as tourism was especially low this year following the October clashes on the border, poor weather, a dismal world economy and so on. Nonetheless, I am continually impressed by their endurance, survival skills and above all continued ability to smile in the midst of all these trials and tribulations. The town continues to change with each passing day.

Check out the full edition of The Coconut Telegraph. Click here.

And so, it is time to pack up, carry on and return to try and find some elusive dollars for the next adventure.