Hat Yao

Introduction

Sunset from Had Yao

© matt_25

Hat Yao is a nice long beach on the west coast of Ko Pha Ngan. This beach is a lot more chill then Hat Rin but close enough to make trips to the full moon party or just a night out in Hat Rin possible. This is the ideal beach if looking for some place quiet but at the same time a little lively.

Sights and Activities

• Beach: Chill out on the beach and play some games with other travellers

Getting There

Grab a share pick up truck and just tell them Hat Yao and the driver will take you straight there.

Getting Around

The beach is small enough that walking around is a fine option for transport. If wanting to explore some of the nearby beaches it is best to rent a motorbike.

Eat

Many the guesthouses have excellent restaurants attached to them. go check out the different restaurants to try different food. Also some of the restaurants set up grills on the beach to grill up fresh fish every night.

Drink

Several makeshift bars have appeared on the beach. Just walk up and down the beach to find one. Most people start going out early and go in early on this beach. Therefore don't expect a wild all nighter.

Sleep

There are several small guesthouses located across the beach that offer varying degrees of comfort. Some are basic bungalows on the beach while others are small air conditioned palaces with a pool. Due to the smallness of the beach everyone has to share in the end and no one seems to angry if you use their pool for a bit.

Property	Address	Type	Area
Haad Yao See Through Resort			Haad Yao
Sandy Bay Villas
Haad Yao Bay View Resort
Baan Haad Yao Villas			Haad Yao

Keep Connected

Internet

There are countless internet bars across the country in big and small towns. Internet cafés are widespread and most are inexpensive. Prices as low as 15 baht/hour are commonplace, and speed of connection is generally reasonable, but many cafes close at midnight. Higher prices prevail in major package-tourist destinations (60 baht/hour is typical, 120 baht/hour is not unusual). Keyloggers are all too often installed on the computers in cheap cafes, so be on your guard if using online banking, stock broking or even PayPal. Remember that in the smaller towns and more traditional areas the owners and staff of internet bars prefer if customers take off their shoes at the entrance and leave them outside. This might seem strange although this gesture goes a far way to make friends and give a positive image of foreigners to Thai people.

Outside the most competitive tourist areas, free Wi-Fi is not as common as in neighbouring countries in many budget hotels and guesthouses and they may charge small fee for Internet by LAN or Wi-Fi even if you bring your own laptop. Wi-Fi is commonly available in cafes and restaurants serving Westerners.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The international code for Thailand is 66. 999 connects to all emergency services. Standard GSM emergency number 112 is supported in mobile networks. 911 for Tourist Police Department, English available.

For mobile phone users, Thailand has three GSM mobile service providers - AIS, DTAC and Truemove - which may be useful if you have a mobile phone that will work on either one or both of the GSM 900 or 1800 frequency bands (consult your phone's technical specifications). If you have one, you can buy a prepaid SIM card for any of the Thai carriers in any convenience store for as little as 50-200 baht and charge it up as you go. Using your own mobile phone while on holiday with a Thai pre-paid SIM card can save a lot of money and lets you give your number to family back home, so they can have an emergency contact number.

Post

Thailand Post is the Thai postal service that deals with all local and international mail in Thailand. The business is operated from local post offices. Post offices are easy to recognise with their red white and blue motifs and the words 'Thailand Post' in English and Thai above the entrance. They are open from Monday to Saturday, usually 8:30am to 4:30pm (main ones until around 8:00pm), though keeping shorter hours on Saturdays (usually until 1:00pm). They are generally closed on Sundays and Public Holidays. Each post office offers a comprehensive service which includes an Express Mail Service (EMS) and parcel post. They also have a price calculator for letters, postcards and parcels, both domestically as well as internationally. They also have a track and trace system and money transfer services. If you want to send packages, it might be a good idea to check with private courier companies like DHL, TNT or UPS, as they are fast, reliable and generally quite competitively priced.