Lonely Beach, Koh Chang
The verdict
- Best for: Young, sociable travellers and backpackers who want the island's liveliest nights, cheap rooms and a wide beach to recover on the next day.
- Best spot: A beach bar on the sand for the sunset and the evening, with the wider northern stretch the better place to lie out by day.
- Know this: This is the party beach, so the night is the point and quiet is not on offer. The water shelves quickly in parts and the south end can run strong, so read the sea. Families and couples are better at Klong Prao or Kai Bae.
Published 11 April 2026. Last reviewed 1 May 2026
Lonely Beach is the one beach on Koh Chang you come to for the night rather than the day. Known locally as Hat Tha Nam, it sits on the west coast road south of Kai Bae, where the road starts to climb and wind toward the far south, and it has long been the island's young backpacker party corner. The draw is the scene: late beach bars, fire shows, cheap rooms and a sociable, easy crowd that makes friends fast. If you are travelling young and want company and a good night, this is your beach, and it is the liveliest on the island by a clear distance.
The beach itself is better than the small footprint suggests, a wide stretch of sand that gives you room to lie out and recover the morning after. The northern part is the broader, easier lie out, with the south end narrowing toward the rocks and the headland. By day it is laid back and slow, the bars quiet and the sand half empty, and the value is real, the best spread of cheap guesthouses and casual food on Koh Chang. It is worth saying that even at its loudest, Lonely Beach is calmer than the full moon islands, more a friendly party than a heaving one.
The honest note is who it suits and the water. This is the party beach, so quiet is not on the menu and the nights run late, which makes it the wrong base for families or couples after calm. The swimming is less of a sure thing too, with parts that shelve quickly and a south end that can run strong with current and surf, so read the sea before you go in and never swim out at the rough end or after a night out. For peace, gentle sand or service, go north to Klong Prao or Kai Bae. But for the best night on Koh Chang and honest budget value, Lonely Beach delivers exactly what it promises.
Clubs near this beach
Lonely Beach is a run of casual beach bars rather than a polished club strip. We describe the setting factually and route enquiries through our directory; we never invent venues, minimum spends or amenities.
Late beach bars
The beach is fronted by casual bars with loungers by day and fire shows, music and a party crowd by night, the reason most people come to Lonely Beach. Their names, drinks, any cover and the run of the night are set by the venues and to be confirmed.
Guesthouse beach bars
Many of the cheap guesthouses run their own casual beach bars and kitchens on or just behind the sand, sociable and easy for a day and an evening. Access, hours and any minimum are independent and to be confirmed, and the mood is backpacker rather than refined.
Lonely Beach lies on the west coast road south of Kai Bae, where the road starts to climb and wind toward Bang Bao and the far south. You reach the island by car ferry from the piers near Laem Ngop in Trat province, roughly five to six hours from Bangkok, then the short crossing. The shared songthaew pickups run down the coast road from the ferry for a small fare and stop at Lonely Beach, and a hired scooter gives you freedom, though the climbing, winding road here takes a careful and confident rider. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
The beach and its bars sit a short walk down from the road, with informal parking at the top and around the guesthouses. Bring reef safe sun protection, insect repellent for the evenings and cash, since the budget end runs more on cash than card. If you are here for the nights, line up a room within a short walk so you are not riding the dark hill roads after a party, read the sea before any swim and keep well clear of the water at the rougher south end and after a night out.
Reserve a day at Lonely Beach
Tell us your date and party and we will point you to the right beach bars and casual daybeds along Lonely Beach and the wider Koh Chang west coast, with the wide sand and lively nights the beach is known for. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
Is Lonely Beach the party beach on Koh Chang?
Yes. Lonely Beach, known locally as Hat Tha Nam, is the young backpacker party corner of the island, with late beach bars, fire shows, cheap rooms and a sociable crowd. It is the liveliest night on Koh Chang by a distance, though still far calmer than the full moon islands. If that is not your scene, base at Klong Prao or Kai Bae instead.
Can you swim at Lonely Beach?
There is a decent stretch of sand and the dry season water is usually swimmable, but parts of Lonely Beach shelve quickly and the south end has been known for stronger current and surf, so it is not the gentlest swim on the island. Read the water, watch the flags where present, and in the green season the sea turns rough. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed and there are few or no lifeguards.
How do you get to Lonely Beach?
Lonely Beach sits on the west coast road south of Kai Bae, reached by the shared songthaew pickups from the ferry or your own scooter. The road begins to climb and wind here toward the far south, so a scooter ride takes a careful hand, and the beach and its bars sit a short walk down from the road.
Is Lonely Beach good for families?
Not really. The late night bar scene, the cheaper backpacker rooms and the quicker shelving water make it the wrong fit for most families. Families are far better served at Klong Prao for space and gentle sand or White Sand for services. Lonely Beach is built for the young and the sociable.
Is Lonely Beach still cheap?
It remains the budget end of Koh Chang, with the island's best spread of cheap guesthouses, hostels and casual bars, though it has grown more comfortable over the years. Prices for rooms, drinks and any bar minimums are set by the venues and to be confirmed, and the dry season holidays push them up.
