Back to my little Thai paradise at Than Sadet, Koh Phangan.
After 14 years I finally returned to one of my dearest travel locations – Than Sadet beach at Koh Phangan, Thailand. This little Thai paradise is what I always refer to as my ‘The Beach experience’, from the popular movie. But my time there was only fun and games, no troubles at all. Let’s go back to how I found this hidden gem.
Finding my Thai paradise
May 2004, during my first backpacking trip, I found myself on the night-boat to Koh Phangan to experience a full moon party, like pretty much every other traveler in Thailand. I was traveling with Chad, a Canadian guy who I met in Malaysia. We decided to travel together for a bit and spend a few days at Koh Phangan. We weren’t really interested in staying in a busy place for too long, so figured a few days would be enough here. Along the way we met Lee from England, today still one of my best buddies.
Upon arrival at Koh Phangan he asked where we were planning to stay. We had absolutely no idea and answered we just wanted a nice quiet place, somewhere. ‘Then you should come with me’, he said with a smile. He was on his way back to the beach he stayed at for a month already, after doing a visa-run. He explained how a friend took him to the unknown Than Sadet beach, a true hidden gem that was almost impossible to reach due to horribly bad roads. There were only 2 ways to get there, by boat or return from the main town with the restaurant-owners’ 4WD. We opted for the last.
Those planned ‘few days’ turned into a month, one of the best months ever. Than Sadet was, and still is, one of the most incredible hidden gems I’ve ever visited, a wonderful little beach with nothing more than a bunch of simple huts and a few restaurants. With roughly 10 people staying there at a time, we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. A hut for $3 with a view to die for and some of the best people you can wish for, made these weeks some of the best of my life. Chilling in a hammock also has never been better 🙂
A few years later I heard of plans to build a huge hotel/resort on the beach. It broke my heart to know that the place would never be the same.
Returning to my Thai paradise
After 14 years my buddy Lee and I made plans to go back to Than Sadet. When doing research we were delighted to find out the hotel was never built. Yet we expected the beach to have changed a lot in those 14 years. With tourism booming everywhere, places change so quickly and nothing remains the way it once was. And Koh Phangan being as popular as it is, surely that would be the case here.
Imagine the surprise when we arrived there, having taken our motorbikes along the now cemented road, that almost nothing had changed! Time had stood still here, we couldn’t believe it. Yes, there were more people (mostly day trippers) thanks to the new two-year-old road. But otherwise the place was pretty much the same. It was so great to be back and a few months later and I decided to take Jen here and do a movie project at this gorgeous beach.
This time we stayed at Mai Pen Rai bungalows (before at Silver Cliff), one of the first accommodations at the island. They have been there for 25 years now and own most bungalows at Than Sadet. Their wonderful restaurant is right on the beach and is the place to go if you need anything, rentals, tickets, a boat ride to the full moon party, whatever.
My Thai Paradise movie
The timelapse/drone movie shows Than Sadet from the land and sky, throughout all times of day. This awesome beach with its popular little hidden beach and many rocks is such a great place with so many interesting angles and views. Shooting didn’t come very easy, as the first week we barely saw the sun. But hey, what’s new. Every project I do comes with those challenges and in the end things came together pretty well.
So, sit down, enjoy the movie and plan your next beach holiday here!
Music
‘Trip to Eternity’’ by SCORE SQUAD, www.score-squad.com
Gear used
- DSLR cameras/lenses: Nikon D850/D750, 16-35/f4, 28-300/3,5-5.6, 20/1.4 with B&W ND filters
- Compact camera: Sony RX100iv
- Motion control: Syrp Genie Mini Pan-Tilt
- Drone: DJI Mavic Pro with PolarPro filters
Read more about the gear I use for these movies at the Gear section!
Subscribe & Download
Watch the Than Sadet movie at & subscribe to my Youtube channel for all new movies.
Hi, I am Martien. This is where I write about my backpacking and photography adventures. From travel guides and itineraries to inspirational articles and helpful tips.
I help and inspire you to travel the world through engaging travel content, inspiring travel videos, stunning photography and so much more! Join me as I share the world through my eyes and experiences. 
To be honest, I’ve never been to Thai (yet!). But I’m willing to travel over there. The thing is that I’ve never heard of this place before. How’s that even possible? This is such a paradise, for real.
You’re the best, Martien+Jen! I’d love to get more tips from you!
Cheers from Argentina 🙂
– Maria
So happy to hear, thank you Maria!
That’s some amazing footage. I’ve love the islands in Thailand, but capturing it with a drone gives an entire different dimension to it. Awesome!
I does indeed, so much fun to fly a camera around 🙂
Wow- absolutely stunning! I subscribed to your YouTube Channel!
Awesome, thanks!
Your pictures are stunning and this place really looks like a Paradise! You make me want to get there right now!
Thanks! Sounds like I did my job 😉
It does look like a little piece of paradise 🙂 So special, and I wonder – how much it have changed since you visited it last? By the way, your videos are beautiful, thanks for posting them!
Just some new huts here and there, and the room I had 14 years ago now had a concrete bathroom with a western style toilet. That was it!
Wow this is a beautiful place! I can see why you love it here so much. Thanks for sharing!
thanks Jenn!
I cannot believe a gem like this has not changed after all this time. What a great find!
Don’t tell anyone 😉
I have been to Thailand only once but I still eep so great memories as the best sea I have seen and for the lush vegetation.
I can relate to that!
I’m surprised (and happy) that this island was spared from the typical mass tourism that plagues Thailand – a true gem it seems. Also: I’m also surprised that you found the time to put together a timelapse video this long and beautiful! When I’m about to leave the hostel at the destination I’m at to take photos (usually early morning or late at night), there’s usually a lot of nagging involved by my gf 😉
Projects like these take a lot of time, it’s not something I do on the side, my whole 3 weeks there were all about this movie. Needs some deep love and motivation to get it done and luckily Jen enjoys going along.
Than Sadet sounds amazing and the fact that it is almost unchanged in 14 years is incredible. I love the video you’ve created, it is truly stunning!
Thanks Chris!
WOAH! what a little corner of heaven this is! fantastic footage you’ve captured here – well done
Thanks so much, Mel!
That’s a relief that the hotel was never built. It breaks my heart when they do that. Seeing how beautiful the paradise it, I’m glad that it’s still the same with all the tourist visiting it.
Part of it thanks to the owner who grew up there and owns most of the land there. I think he likes to keep it as it is. The other side that is owned by people from Bangkok might change though. So far, so good 🙂
I love Thailand – due to the overcrowded beach regions rather the mainland, though. But this place does look like a corner the masses didn’t conquer as yet. Wonderful, wish Thailand would be like this everywhere.
Not yet, but that’s bound to change. I might be a bit guilty of that..
wow, such amazing photos, it really does look like a paradise worth visiting! We’ve seen a lot of Thailand over the years but seem to have missed this little piece of heaven!
Thailand just has so many spots! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Never even heard of this places, and that is probably why it’s still in such good shape. What a beauty. Can’t wait to stay here on my return to Thailand!
Hope you make it there, have a great time!
You had an amazing experience in Thailand before and it looks like paradise! I am happy to hear that you found that almost nothing have changed, as I think other places in Thailand have changed a lot.
They have indeed, tourism is growing everywhere, so it’s rather incredible. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.
I can relate with the feelings of returning to same place again, where you had great time in past, after many years. I had such experiences from Nepal. Beautiful post.. and I like video so much.. I wanna ask if the music is freely available on scoresquad.com
Going back will never be the same, it was a very different experience this time, but amazingly everything still looked the same, as if time had almost stood still. Not a lot of places that are like that.
Their music isn’t free. I wouldn’t know what it cost, because I did manage to make a deal with them for mutual help.
I enjoyed reading this post. Your video is amazing thanks for sharing.
Thank you Anki, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Wow, your shots and videos are always so lovely that I can’t stop myself viewing again and again. You take amazing Timelapse videos. I think Than Sadet, Koh Phangan is really a paradise and top of that your photography is also tempting us to visit this beautiful place.
Looks like paradise indeed! The drone shots look amazing by the way
Thanks Paulina, it’s so much fun to see things from a drone perspective.
I’m glad to hear that despite the tourism boom, almost nothing had changed in Than Sadet since your last visit. If that’s the case I would definitely want to go there 🙂
Much of that has to do with the road that has only been paved a few years back. Before that it was barely accessible. There are still a few places like that at the east, Like Lost Paradise.
Full moon party at Koh Phangan is super popular and apparently, I have heard after its success, the full moon parties happen almost on all the islands now 🙂 Is that not fun when few days turn into a month! That reflects how mesmerizing this place is and a must visit for anyone heading to Thailand. I just love backpacking there!
There are a lot of parties indeed, even half moon, black moon. Yet there’s only 1 real full moon party, but’s it’s become a very popular event. The island isn’t the party place you’d expect. Not back then, and still not now.
Oh man, Than Sadet is one of my best places in Koh Phangan. I enjoyed the video you made. It’s like heaven. Thanks for sharing:)
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Gonca!
This is a paradise, indeed. I’m dreaming about visiting Thailand someday. It will take me a while to convince my boyfriend to go back there. He went two years ago and he wasn’t that impressed. (Then again, he stayed in the cities and parted with his friends when they headed to the beaches, because he had to meet with me in London.)
I hope the video can convince him 😉
Wow!! you have captured it tremendously well. I am yet to visit Thailand but I so want to go there soon! The timelapse video is great
Thank you much, glad to hear 🙂
photos are breathtaking – When I was in Thailand I only visited Bangkok and Chiang Mai – next time I definitely need to do the islands
Yes you do! Glad you enjoyed the photos
I love the way you narrate your story and I’m so happy that this heavenly place has stayed unspoilt. As for the timelapse, dreamy as always. Can’t wait for the next one!
Thank you Maria, much appreciated 🙂
I lived in Thailad but this is the first time I heard of Than Sadet. It looks beautiful and you guys are amazing photographer.
Thank you so much Christine!
Love your videos. We didn’t make it to Koh Phangan on our Thailand island travels earlier this year. This gives us a taster of what we missed! Will have to go back for sure 🙂
Thanks Alex, glad you enjoyed it a reason to go back for sure 😉
You photos are beautiful! And seriously, I need to go to Thai – right now!
Thank you Kelsey, book it!