Makathanee Resort — A Sunset-Side Beach on Koh Mak with the Island's Newest Sea-View Block
Koh Mak is the small Trat island people fall for because of how quiet it is — no high-rises, no thumping bars, just sand and bicycles. Makathanee Resort sits right on Ao Kao Beach on the west side, the side that looks straight at the sea as the sun goes down, with Koh Chang as the backdrop. What sets it apart from the older resorts on the island is its 2023-renovated sea-view block — full-height glass, genuinely modern rooms, a different world from the original timber bungalows. Worth saying up front: this is not a luxury property, but for the location and the view, it is hard to beat on price.
A quick note on Koh Mak's geography first — the two main beaches are Ao Kao on the west side and Ao Suan Yai on the north. Makathanee is on Ao Kao, the long, fine-sand stretch most visitors rate as the best on the island, and it faces the right way for the sun to set straight into the sea. Late afternoon you walk out to the deck chairs on the lawn, watch the sky shift colour, and the sun drops behind Koh Chang — it's the thing past guests mention more than anything else.
The resort opened in 2006 and has grown its room count over the years to around 42. The originals are timber beach bungalows a few steps from the sand, while the newer addition is the three-storey sea-view / pool-view block renovated in 2023 — bigger rooms, full-height glass opening onto a balcony, tiled floors, flat-screen TV, and air-con that actually copes with the heat. Reviewers consistently single out the new block as the reason Makathanee edges ahead of island rivals still running tired rooms. If you want a room that feels current, say so when you book — ask for the sea-view or pool-view block, not an original bungalow.
Maka Thanee restaurant is the social centre of the place — there's a beachside section right on the sand and an upper level with a wider sea view. The menu runs Thai and Western, and the dish guests bring up most often is the pizza, which you don't expect to find on a small island like this. Evenings bring a beach BBQ set out on the sand, eaten to the sound of the waves. Breakfast, to be straight about it, is simple — eggs and basics — and several reviews call it fine rather than memorable, so anyone expecting a big buffet should adjust expectations.
"Guests sum it up as dinner on the sand. That is the simple version of what happened, but it does not quite capture it. They spent the afternoon doing very little on purpose: some snorkelling off the pier, an hour in the pool, and time in the deck chairs with books while the light shifted over the water. The beach at that time of day is quiet in a way that feels earned rather than empty. No music from somewhere down the strip, no motorbikes, no crowds. The sound is almost entirely the sea moving in and out at its own pace, and the occasional creak of the wooden pier. Walking over to Maka Thanee for dinner, the front tables near the sand were already filling up, which tells you something about how other guests think about their evenings here. Ask at the front desk that afternoon — the right time to do it — and the staff sort you a spot in the front row without any fuss at all. The pizza arrived looking like something you would not predict on an island with ferry schedules and no supermarket. It was genuinely good. A couple of Thai dishes were straightforward and well-made too. The food is not really the destination — the table and the view are the destination — and yet it holds up, which matters more than it sounds. The sun starts going down while you are still eating. That is the thing about the west side of Koh Mak: the sunset is not a backdrop you have to walk somewhere to see, it is the wall in front of your table. The sky went orange, then deep pink, then a kind of dark blue-mauve at the edges, with Koh Chang sitting in the distance as a long, low dark ridge. The sea reflected all of it. Nobody at the surrounding tables was talking much during those fifteen minutes. You do not, really. You just watch. After it was fully dark, the air came in cooler off the water. The lights over the restaurant came on and the atmosphere shifted into something more relaxed. They stayed for another hour. The sound of the waves was close the whole time — not the filtered version from two floors up inside a hotel room, but the actual sound from ten metres away, which is a different thing. Well-travelled visitors say they have stayed at resorts that try considerably harder to impress. Larger pools, fancier bathrooms, more staff arriving to refill glasses before you have finished them. None of that was at Makathanee, and they did not miss any of it. What was there was a beach facing the right direction at the right time of day, a restaurant close enough to the waterline that you could hear the waves from your chair, and enough quiet to actually pay attention to where you were. That is what Koh Mak is for. Not for Koh Mak specifically, though the island delivers on what it promises. For the kind of evening that does not need explaining, and that does not leave you wondering whether you should have done something else with the time."
The outdoor pool sits in the middle of the resort among green gardens, with bubble seats built in for lazy soaking. There's a Thai massage room for anyone who wants to switch off properly, and the resort has its own private speedboat pier running out into the sea — so some speedboats drop you right at the front rather than leaving you with a long transfer. Snorkeling and dive trips run from the beach, since the waters around Koh Mak have several clear spots with coral. Bicycles are free to borrow, and the island is small enough to loop in a single easy day.
Now the honest caveats, before you book. First, the beach has sandflies on some evenings — plenty of reviews flag it, so pack insect repellent and you'll be glad you did. Second, some of the older timber bungalows are showing their age, with worn furniture and doors that don't quite close, a completely different proposition from the new block. And Wi-Fi is strongest in the central area, with weaker signal in some rooms. None of this is a deal-breaker if you choose the right room: the TripAdvisor 3.4/5 you'll see is largely driven by guests who landed in an old bungalow rather than the renovated block.
On price — pool-view rooms start around ฿1,900/night in normal periods, with beachfront bungalows and new sea-view rooms running ฿2,800–4,500 depending on season. Koh Mak largely shuts down to the monsoon in low season (May–September), when many properties cut rates hard or close for stretches. High season (November–February) brings clear water, good weather, and rooms that fill fast, so book 3–5 weeks ahead and compare Agoda, Booking and Trip.com every time — rates can differ by over a thousand baht between platforms.
The bottom line: Makathanee works best for people who want a quiet island and a good sunset-side beach without paying luxury money. Choose a new sea-view or pool-view room and you get a modern space at a fair price on one of the better beach locations on the island. If you're after full five-star service and amenities, this isn't it — it's a family-run island resort with warm, easygoing staff, who are the single most-praised thing guests note. Come to slow down, cycle, and watch the sunset, not for polish.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Beachfront location on Ao Kao with a beautiful sunset view
- ✓ Staff genuinely kind and easygoing
- ✓ New-block rooms spacious and modern
- ✓ Beachfront restaurant — pizza and Thai dishes both good
- ! Some older timber bungalows are run-down
- ! Sandflies on the beach on some evenings
- ! Breakfast is simple, nothing special
- ✓ Fine white sand and clear water — one of the best beaches on Koh Mak
- ✓ Private pier means speedboats can drop you at the front
- ✓ Garden pool with built-in bubble seats
- ✓ Snorkeling and dive trips arranged, free bikes to borrow
- ! Wi-Fi strong only in the central area, weak in some rooms
- ! Reaching Koh Mak needs a boat — plan boat times carefully
- ! Monsoon season (May–Sep) brings rough seas and some closures
- 💡If you want a modern room — specify the sea-view or pool-view block (renovated 2023), not an original timber bungalow, when booking → the new rooms are noticeably bigger and in much better shape than the older bungalows
- 💡If sandflies bother you — pack insect repellent and avoid the beach at dusk when they are most active → the beach is lovely but bites are a recurring complaint, so come prepared
- 💡If you have a flight or tight schedule — check speedboat departure times from Laem Ngop ahead and leave a buffer → Koh Mak is well offshore with limited boat slots, so don't book a return boat that cuts it fine against your flight