Racha Kiri Resort & Spa — A Khanom Clifftop Looking Across the Gulf to Koh Samui
If you want a Khanom stay that isn't just another roadside room, Racha Kiri Resort & Spa is the name that comes up most. The resort sits on a rocky headland at the southern end of Nai Phlao Beach, its Thai-roofed suites stepping down the wooded slope toward the water. What guests return to talk about is the view across the Gulf of Thailand to Koh Samui sitting on the horizon and the red timber pier that runs out over the sea to a little waterside bar — a setting that's genuinely hard to find elsewhere in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Racha Kiri opened in 2007 on a rocky headland at the southern end of Nai Phlao Beach in Khanom. The resort runs to around 52 Thai-roofed suites stepped down the wooded slope, most of them turned to face the sea so you look straight out across the Gulf of Thailand to Koh Samui and a scattering of smaller islands on the horizon. Guests say the same thing again and again: you wake up, open the curtains, and the first light is already coming up over the bay. That orientation is what sets it apart from the roadside places most Khanom visitors end up in.
The heart of the resort is a lagoon-style pool that winds through the garden across the headland, with a Thai-style pavilion in the middle and loungers along the edge. Walk past it and down the slope and you reach the red timber pier that runs out over the sea, ending at an open-sided bar where warm lights catch the water at dusk. Plenty of guests call an evening drink out there at sunset the highlight of the whole trip. The Khanapnum restaurant serves Thai food and seafood on a terrace that looks over the same bay.
"Sitting at the bar on the end of the pier in the late afternoon, the waves quiet below and Koh Samui far out across the water — time really does slow right down."
Rooms are large suites finished in dark Thai timber, and most bathrooms have both a bathtub and a separate shower, plus a minibar and safe. The ones guests like best are the Sea View Suites, with a private balcony aimed straight out to sea. One thing to know up front: the resort is built into a slope, so the paths are a mix of steps and ramps — the view comes at the cost of walking up and down. If stairs are a problem, ask for a room in the upper zone near the lobby and pool when you book.
The setting works because Khanom itself is still a quiet stretch of coast, nothing like the crowds on Samui. Its best-known draw is the pink dolphins — the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins that feed along the Khanom shore — and the boat-tour jetty is only a short drive from the resort. Around it you also have the Naern Thae Wada viewpoint, the Khanom-Sichon road viewpoint, and Ao Thong Yi bay, all a few minutes away by car. Nai Phlao Beach itself is a short walk down the hill from the resort.
The overall score lands around 8.4 — Trip.com gives it 8.7 from 39 reviews, while Booking sits lower at 7.2 from 54. Guests consistently praise the view, the privacy, the pool, and the easy-going staff. The honest complaints are worth repeating: some rooms are showing their age, with lime stains along the tile edges, in-room Wi-Fi is weak in places, and the path lighting at night is fairly dim. This is a long-established resort whose appeal is the setting and the view rather than the freshness of the rooms.
On price, Racha Kiri starts around ฿2,400/night for a sea-view Superior, which is good value for a view at this level in Khanom. Families have the Family Suite at roughly 76 sqm, with room to spread out. Over long weekends and in high season (December–February) the sea-view rooms fill fast, so book three to four weeks ahead and compare a couple of platforms before you commit.
The bottom line: Racha Kiri suits anyone who wants to get away and stay somewhere quiet on the Khanom coast, with Koh Samui views and a sea pier thrown in. It isn't a shiny new build, but you get the atmosphere, the privacy, and a location close to both the pink dolphins and the viewpoints. If you need a spotless, brand-new room or can't manage stairs, weigh it up carefully — but if the view and the quiet matter most, it's well worth the price.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Sea and Koh Samui views from the rooms are excellent
- ✓ Wide lagoon-style pool with a calm setting
- ✓ Easy-going, helpful staff
- ✓ Very private and quiet — good for unwinding
- ! Some rooms are dated, with lime stains along tile edges
- ! In-room Wi-Fi is weak in places
- ! Built on a slope — expect steps up and down
- ✓ Clifftop position above Nai Phlao Beach, open to the bay
- ✓ The sea pier and waterside bar are lovely in the evening
- ✓ Spacious suites with both bathtub and shower
- ✓ Close to the Khanom pink-dolphin boat tours
- ! Path lighting at night is fairly dim
- ! Beach is a walk downhill — not directly on the sand
- ! Sea-view rooms book out fast on long weekends
- 💡If stairs are difficult — the resort climbs a slope, and the lower rooms have the best views but the most walking → ask for an upper-zone room near the lobby/pool when you book, your knees will thank you
- 💡If you want the best-condition room — some rooms are more dated than others → request a recently refurbished room or a Sea View Suite at booking, and check the latest guest photos before you confirm
- 💡If you're here for the pink dolphins — tours leave early in the morning → have the resort arrange the jetty in advance and get up early; morning trips have better odds of a sighting than afternoon ones