Klong Son Beach, also known as Son Bay Beach, is a secluded beach on the west coast of Koh Yao Yai with almost no development. The beach has a serene atmosphere with white fine sand, calm shallow water, which is ideal for swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing.
The bay is around 1km long and is lined with trees, creating natural shades. There are almost no crowds on the beach, but you can walk further east end or west end for an even more tranquil atmosphere and greater privacy.
When I visited the beach, there was only one beachfront restaurant, no other tourist facilities such as bars, cafes, or resorts along the beach shore. The restaurant serves food, drink, sunbeds, tables, and chairs for their customers.
Where is Klong Son Beach, Koh Yao Yai?
Klong Son Beach is located on the west coast of Koh Yao Yai. It’s around 20 minutes drive south of Chong Lard and Chong Lard Village, 20 minutes drive west of Hin Kong Beach, and 35 minutes drive north of Loh Pared Beach.
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How to get to Klong Son Beach, Koh Yao Yai?
The best way to get to Klong Son Beach is by renting a scooter. You can hire a private local pick up truck called songthaews but it can be very expensive. There are no riding shared services such as Grab, Bolt, or InDrive on Koh Yao Yai.
You can rent a scooter for 250-300 baht per day. Most popular areas such as the piers, and main areas such Chong Lard, Loh Pared Beach, Hin Kong, Loh Jak, have scooter shops where you can rent a scooter for exploration.
The main roads in Koh Yao Yai are relatively good with paved and flat roads. It’s easy to drive around. I recommend avoiding venturing off the main roads if you’re a novice driver. Small, rural roads among the rubber trees are often gravel roads, and difficult to drive.
The road from northern areas of Yao Yai island such as Chong Lard and Klong Hia Piers to Klong Son Beach is a flat paved road. The route to Klong Son from the southern part of the island, such as from Laem Yai Pier, Loh Pared, and Loh Jak, includes a small dirt road.
What to do at Klong Son Beach, Koh Yao Yai?
Swimming, sunbathing, taking a stroll along the beach
With white fine sand, calm water, and peaceful atmosphere, Klong Son Beach is ideal for swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing. It has shallow water, making it safe for children to swim.
The beach has a different atmosphere at low tide and high tide. It’s best to swim at high tide. At low tide, the beach is very wide, water goes very far from the shore, and is not ideal for swimming.
There are some rocks at the two ends of the beach, so be cautious when entering the water. It’s possible to snorkel near the rocks. There is a mangrove forest at the northern (west end) of the beach.
There are plenty of shaded areas from the trees along the beach. You can bring your own beach towel to chill on the sand, or rent the sunbeds from the beachfront restaurant at the middle section of the beach.
If you want even more secluded places to swim, you can see a nice beach on the dirt road from Klong Son toward the south of the island. You’ll likely have the whole beach for yourself. It’s around a 5-10 minute drive south of Klong Son.
Watch the sunset
Located on the west coast, Klong Son is a good spot to watch the sunset. The sunset at Klong Son is much quieter than other popular sunset spots on Koh Yao Yai such as Loh Pared and Laem Haad Beach, so you can stick around for a bit in Klong Son in the late afternoon to watch the sun go down.
As the Klong Son Beach in an isolated location with the nearest accommodation is around 5 minutes drive away, make sure to get back to your hotel before it gets dark.
Eat on the beach
There is a beachfront restaurant on the beach called Rambo and Bar, where you can order traditional Thai food, have smoothies, fresh coconuts, or rent sunbeds.
The restaurant is located at the central area of the beach right at the road the the beach. You can try local Thai food such as fried rice, pad Thai, or Thai curry. The owner can help organize boat tours, and kayak hire to explore the nearby mangrove forests.
Kayaking at the nearby mangrove forest
The mangrove forest is located near the western end of Klong Son Beach, you can book kayak trips or canoeing trips along the mangrove waterways from the restaurant at the beach or ask for your hotel to arrange in advance.
Along the kayaking route, you can spot some wild animals such as black crabs, snakes, birds, monkeys as well as experience local life in a small village for fresh coconut water, bananas, and watermelon.
Where to stay in Klong Son Beach?
There are no hotels or resorts on Klong Son Beach. There is one hotel located on the main road, around 6 minutes drive north of Klong Son Beach. For more accommodation choices, you can choose to stay in either Chong Lard area or Hin Kong area.
Chong Lard area is home of Chong Lard Pier and the beautiful Laem Haad Beach. This area is located around 20 minutes drive north of Klong Son on the flat paved road.
Hin Kong Beach is around 7km east of Klong Son Beach via a small dirt road. It was a bit difficult for me to drive through the dirt road but I passed it. If you want to avoid the dirt road, you can get to Klong Son via Laem Hard in the northern part of the island. It takes a longer route, around 13km.
Best places to stay near Klong Son Beach, Koh Yao Yai:
YaoIsland Resort and Farm
This accommodation is located on the island’s main road, between Chong Lard Pier and Klong Son Beach. It has basic bungalows and tent options with a farm atmosphere. A good base in a remote area, surrounded by nature and you can rent a scooter to explore other beaches around the island.
Backpack Hostel Kohyaoyai
I stayed at this hostel due to its convenient location from Chong Lard Pier. It’s around 10 minutes walking distance from the hotel and the pier, which can save money on local taxis. The hostel provides both dorm rooms and pirate tent rooms in the garden. I stayed in the tent rooms and enjoyed it.
Koh Yao Yai Village
This 4-star mid-range resort is one of several popular accommodations in Koh Yai Yai. It’s located in a tranquil area of Hin Kong Beach, within a short distance from several local shops and restaurants. The resort is large and has everything for a comfortable relaxing holiday.
Baan Taranya Koh Yao Yai Resort
This 4-star resort is located in the Hin Kong Beach area on the east coast of Koh Yao Yai. It has an outdoor pool and varieties of rooms such as ocean view rooms or garden view rooms. It’s a good quiet base for relaxing and unwind, within walking distance to several tourist facilities like local restaurants, and massage parlors.
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Klong Son Beach is a serene beach on the west coast of Koh Yao Yai, and it’s a must see when renting a scooter and beach hopping around the island.