Phayam Cottage Resort — Beachfront Bungalows on Buffalo Bay with a Pool That Looks Out to Sea
Aow Khao Kwai (Buffalo Bay) is the west-coast sunset beach that many travellers rate as the prettiest stretch on Koh Phayam, and most places along it are plain wooden bungalows on the sand with no pool. Phayam Cottage Resort is one of the few that has an outdoor pool looking out through the casuarina pines to the sea, with a choice of fan and air-conditioned bungalows set in a garden a few steps back from the beach. Say it plainly: this is a relaxed, simple resort rather than a polished one — but a sunset-beach location with an actual swimming pool is genuinely hard to find on this island.
Phayam Cottage Resort sits right on Aow Khao Kwai (Buffalo Bay), the west coast of Koh Phayam — the side that faces the sunset over the sea. There are around 30 bungalows spread through a grassy garden, linked by paved paths. Some have attractive thatched palm roofs painted orange; others are older units with metal roofs. Each one has a small wooden terrace out front with a daybed and a low table, fine for a morning coffee, and the walk from your bungalow down to the sand is only a few steps — no road to cross.
What sets this place apart from the other bungalows on the same beach is the curved outdoor pool near the sand. Sit on the edge and you look straight through a line of casuarina pines to the water of Buffalo Bay. On an island where most stays are no-frills bungalows, having a pool at all feels like a real bonus. Rooms divide into air-conditioned bungalows (Deluxe) and fan-cooled bungalows (Superior). The air-con rooms are decorated in warm tones with hot water, a TV and a fridge; the fan rooms are cheaper but have no hot water. Anyone who wants full comfort should book an air-con bungalow.
One guest describes the routine that made their stay: a short walk to the sand straight from the bungalow each morning, coffee on the terrace with the garden quiet around them, then an afternoon swim in the curved pool while the light was still warm, watching the colours shift over Buffalo Bay through the casuarina pines before walking the few steps to the beach for the sunset itself. They'd looked at newer, sharper places on the island before booking — but most of them either had no pool or weren't on the beach. Here they had both. The rooms, while simple, were clean, and the daybed terrace meant they spent most of the day outdoors anyway, reading in the shade or watching the birds move through the palms. The beach restaurant in the evening was calm, unhurried, no music loud enough to drown the waves — just the sky changing colour over the water and a plate of grilled fish that cost roughly what it would have at a mid-range place on the mainland. A few bungalows look older up close, and the Wi-Fi in the rooms is too slow to rely on, but they hadn't come to Koh Phayam to scroll through a phone. The island runs on its own pace, generators and boat schedules included, and this resort fits that rhythm well. No late check-outs were possible the day they left, which meant an early start, but the staff arranged the transfer to the pier without fuss and the boat left on time. They mention that the snorkelling trip the resort arranged — a longtail out to the coral spots north of the island — was a highlight they hadn't planned for, and that the reef, while modest compared to the Similan Islands, still had enough colour and fish to make the morning worthwhile. The water around Koh Phayam is clear on calm days, and having a base right on the beach means you can be in the water within minutes of deciding to go. The guest says they would book the air-con bungalow again without hesitation — it makes the heat of midday manageable — and would tell anyone considering it: come for the beach and the pool, keep your expectations for the rooms realistic, know the place runs simply and has for a long time, and you will leave happy. Getting there involves patience — the speedboat from Ranong takes the best part of an hour, and the transfer across the island another fifteen minutes — but for a guest who was after genuine isolation from noise and schedules, that distance felt like the point. Koh Phayam has no ring road, no proper shops beyond a few village stalls, and electricity that cuts off after midnight in some parts. Those are the conditions this resort was built for, and it handles them without apology. A return trip — this time in the shoulder season to catch the beach at its quietest, before the high-season crowds arrive — is already being planned.
The resort restaurant is an open-sided sala on the beach, with long cushioned seating for lounging alongside proper dining tables, and it's open to non-guests too. The menu runs to simple Thai and Western dishes. Several guests praise the setting for an evening meal as the sun goes down, though reviews are honest that the menu isn't wide and prices climb with the cost of barging supplies over to the island. Breakfast isn't bundled into every rate, so check at the time of booking or order it on the day.
The beach in front of the resort is a long white-sand stretch with clearer water than the island's east coast. In high season the sea is calm enough for easy swimming, and this is where most of the island gathers for sunset. That's the big advantage of the location — a good beach and the sunset in one spot. At low tide the sand opens up wide and you can walk a long way. Longtail boats run snorkelling trips to coral spots around the nearby islands, and the resort can help arrange one.
Now the honest part before you book. This is a long-established, relaxed resort rather than a sharp new build. Reviews mention some bungalows that are showing their age and could use more upkeep, beds that run firm, and basic bathrooms. Wi-Fi is strong only around the reception and restaurant — in the bungalows the signal is weak. If you're expecting a slick luxury resort, adjust your expectations; but if you take it as a simple beachfront stay on Koh Phayam, these trade-offs are easy enough to live with.
Getting there works like every stay on Koh Phayam. The island has no bridge, so you take a speedboat from Ranong (Pak Nam) pier, roughly 45 minutes, then a motorbike taxi or the resort's transfer from Koh Phayam pier across to Buffalo Bay, about 15 minutes more. Let the resort know your boat time and they can collect you. Roads on the island are narrow motorbike tracks with no regular cars, and mobile signal and electricity are limited at times — standard for Koh Phayam, and part of the deal.
The bottom line: Phayam Cottage works best for travellers who want to sleep right on Buffalo Bay's sunset beach but still want a pool and an air-con room without paying a lot. The appeal is the beach location and the rare-for-the-island pool, not the polish of the rooms. If you can take a simple, long-running island resort and plan to spend your time on the sand and in the sea, this is better value and a better location than many places on the same beach.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Right on Buffalo Bay — a white-sand west-coast sunset beach
- ✓ Has a sea-view pool, hard to find on Koh Phayam
- ✓ Bungalows in a quiet garden, a few steps from the sand
- ✓ Beach restaurant with a fine setting at sunset
- ! Some bungalows are aging and need more upkeep
- ! Wi-Fi only strong near reception, weak in the rooms
- ! Beds run firm and bathrooms are basic
- ✓ Beachfront, pretty and quiet — a genuine place to switch off
- ✓ Helpful staff who arrange boats and island transfers
- ✓ Pool and shaded garden around the bungalows
- ✓ Reasonable price for a beachfront stay with a pool on the island
- ! Hard to reach — a 45-min boat then a transfer across the island
- ! Fan rooms have no hot water, pick air-con if you want comfort
- ! Limited menu and prices that climb with island supply costs
- 💡If you want a comfortable room with hot water — book an air-con bungalow (Deluxe) and skip the cheaper fan bungalow (Superior) → fan rooms have no hot water and run hotter during the day
- 💡If you need to work online — Wi-Fi is only strong around reception and the beach restaurant, weak in the bungalows → plan to work in the common areas, or bring a backup mobile data SIM
- 💡If you're planning the rainy season — May–October the Andaman sea gets rough, boats may not run on some days and some places close → once booked, always check the boat schedule directly with the resort before you travel