Name: Koh Yao Noi Island
Rating: 5

Koh Yao Noi Island

Despite being located in an amazing place, Koh Yao Noi Island is just not filled with soft sandy beaches. Most of the island coast is muddy, and where there is sand, it’s mixed with dirt and the water is not usually very clear. Waves are absent in most places. If you’re coming to Thailand for fun in the water, Koh Yao Noi is probably not the island for you. If you’re coming for relaxation and a laid-back vacation, this is your island.

Koh Yao Noi Island is just north of its bigger sister Koh Yao Yai and is no small island at 7.7 miles (12.4 km) long and about 4 miles (6.4 km) wide at its widest point. Koh Yao Noi is also somewhat developed and has an even more relaxed vibe.

Long Beach is probably the best beach on the island for sitting around. It takes a bit of driving the motorbike to reach it, and there are few people, but this is the ideal spot for a picnic!

Koh Yao Noi Island Restaurants

Tha Khao Bay View Restaurant – Over 100 reviews with a 4.7 out of 5 rating makes this one of the top restaurants on the island. It’s rare to have restaurants rated this highly, so it must be good. Somewhat tricky to find, at the top of a long row of steps up the hill. Restaurant is set high on the hill and built with hardwood and thatched roofs. The view can be spectacular on a clear day, with many islands in sight. The restaurant faces east, so you won’t have any sunset view. The food was reviewed as good with some guests saying it was the best food they’ve had in Thailand.
Note – Though Tha Khao Bay View restaurant has alcohol, most staff and owners are Muslim on Koh Yao Noi and as a result, not all restaurants have alcohol. Keep that in mind!
Garden Café & Restaurant – Though this restaurant doesn’t have a spectacular view or setting, it does have incredibly delicious looking food in the photos on their Google Business listing. Social media reviewers give it 4.8 out of 5 on Google with forty reviewers checking in. If you’re near the southwest coast of Koh Yao Noi during mealtime, stop in and have a great meal. Featuring fresh spring rolls on the vegetarian menu, pad Thai omelet, fried rice tofu with green curry, pineapple fried rice, and a special hot pan featuring shrimp and other choice seafood.
Pradu Seafood – Friendly owners, the view of the pier, islands, fantastic sunsets, and the delicious food all combine to make this one of the most highly rated restaurants on the island. One nice feature at Pradu is the ability to choose portion sizes! This great idea should probably be mandatory for all restaurants! Pradu is located in about the center of the island from north to south and on the west coast.
Saaitara – Found on the south end of the large unnamed bay on the west coast of Koh Yao Yai, Saaitara restaurant offers spectacular views. Some guests reviewed the food as being extra delicious, but it seems the view and the excellent service are the most talked about features of this restaurant. This is an excellent place for enjoying a sunset dinner.

Koh Yao Noi Island Accommodation

The resorts on Koh Yao Noi are located away from the main beaches for the most part, so we will add some of the best accommodation below for you to browse.

Six Senses Yao Noi – Located on the southeast coast of the island, Six Senses Yao Noi is a 5-star resort that has an incredibly high rating on Google at 4.8 out of 5 stars and hundreds of reviews. Great food according to guests at all three restaurants. This resort has a tiny beach, but most of the guests didn’t mind at all, they came for the pampered experience and came away very satisfied.
While nearly all accommodation on Koh Yao Noi have room rates less than 5,000 THB per night, Six Senses begins around 30,000 THB.
Treehouse Villas Khao Yao Noi Luxury Resort – At the top of a small bay on the northeastern coast of the island, Treehouse Villas provides a unique stay surrounded by nature. Villas are set high up off the ground and so the breeze can be nice if one is blowing. The vertical height also serves to separate guests from the noise below. Treehouse Villas have thatched roofs and fully modern interior. This small resort is located at the northeaster tip of the island in lush rainforest.
The Treehouse villas get very high ratings for quality of stay including villas layout and furnishings, food, service, and extras. They have an extensive international menu including such dishes as coconut shrimp, salmon oasis, Maryland style crab cakes, French-fried mushrooms and onion soup, Hawaiian chicken breast, and fettucine alfredo! Nightly rates starting around 12,500 THB.
Koyao Bay Pavilions – This out of the way resort is located in the southeast corner of Koh Yao Noi and has its own private beach area. OK, it’s more like patches of sand, but we think you’ll enjoy it. Koyao Bay Pavilions combines old style hardwood architecture with a close interaction with nature at their lovely place on the southeast coast. There is a clean and quiet beach with swimming possible (recommended) only at high tide when it is deep enough to swim over the rocks. Not the best wading beach.
High ratings from most visitors who enjoyed the open ceiling, stylish décor, and relative secluded nature of the property and villas. Rates begin around 6,000 THB per night.

Long Beach Clubs, Bars, Restaurants, and Accommodation

None – though this is the largest beach on the island, there isn’t anywhere to eat, drink, or stay.

Long Beach Facts & Features

Location in Relation to Phuket: From the top of Phuket at Sarasin bridge connecting Phang Nga and Phuket and going directly east, Koh Yao Noi’s Long Beach is on the top of the island on the east side, facing Krabi.
GPS Data: 08° 10` 34” N, 98° 38` 05” E
Surrounding Beaches: Little Long Beach is just to the south.
Direction Facing: East.
Beach Length: 419 meters (1,375 ft.)
Beach Width: 4.6 meters (15 ft.) on average.
Estimated Beach Area: 1,916 m2 (20,625 square ft.)
Beach Quality: While there is a lot of sand in some places, the quality of the sand is not so great. Dirt from the bay is mixed with sand.
Ocean Bottom: Muddy.
Restroom / showers facilities? None.
Beach features: A lot of sand in some spots. This is a long stretch of beach covered with some rocks and patches of sand. This is probably the best beach on the island. There are no other buildings here, not even a snack hut.
Public or Private? Entrance fees? Public.
Lifeguard Available? No.
Boat anchorage possible? Yes.
Boat dock and marina? There are a number of docks located around the island to serve resorts, but at Long Beach, there is no pier.
How to reach Koh Yao Noi Island? From Ao Po Pier or Pang Rong pier by longtail boat.
Attractions: None here, but the island has some things to see.
Activities: Bring your own things to do and food! Around the island there is kayaking, paddle-boarding, climbing sheer limestone faces over the ocean, and more.
Surfing? No.
Sunbeds Available? No.
Umbrellas? No.
Water quality: Very Good.
Convenience shop available? No.
Massage available? No.
Picnic possible? Yes, however please don’t leave your rubbish behind.
Smoking? Thailand authorities are cracking down on smoking at beaches around the country. Soon they expect to make it a country-wide smoking ban – so do stay up to date because fines are high and can include prison time.
Warnings: Muddy bottom may have rocks or sharp shells. Stingrays may be found here under the sand.