Koh Rin - remote island of Pattaya

Koh Rin - a desert island in the Gulf of Siam

20 km to the south-west of Pattaya in the Gulf of Siam lies another coral island - Koh Rin.

Koh Rin is a very small uninhabited island with an area of only 0.5 sq.km. There is no infrastructure: you won’t find any sun chairs, umbrellas, hotels, cafes, restaurants or shops. But this is the thing! Here tourists can enjoy wild nature which is not touched by the civilization. However, tourists should be warned that they should be careful when walking deep into the island’s bushes and jungles or it is even better not to go there at all.

Koh Rin is a naval training ground, that is why it is possible to come across shells and bullets here. During the trainings tourists are not allowed on the island. There is no ferry communication between the main land and Koh Rin.

To get to Ko Rin from Pattaya you can get a sea tour to island by big boat or a speed boat. Travelling time is about 1 hour.

In the north the relief of the island is hilly with slightly sloping rocky shores. In the south and east it is flat - this is where the two beaches with white little sand and clear emerald waters are located. Here you can walk into the water gently and slowly. The island is very convenient and comfortable for a holiday with kids. The breadth of the coast line changes during the ebbs and tides. During the rising tide it is not the best time to go swimming with little children - the water will be deep at the seashore. When the ebb happens, the sand coast line becomes a lot wider. In this time you can sit on the beach and see tropical fish swimming at the shore. If you are travelling to the island during the ebbs, bring rubber footwear that will protect your feet from sharp corals.

Diving is one of the popular entertainments in Koh Rin. This island is a perfect spot in Pattaya waters for both beginners and professional divers. However. the island is not very good for snorkeling because all the interesting “sea stuff” - corals, fish and other sea creatures are hidden in the depth.

Divers are attracted to Koh Rin by beautiful coral reefs studded with actinias. You can also see sea-urchins, rays, medusas, moray fish, barracuda fish, black reef sharks and other unusual fish and sea creatures. You will be absolutely impressed by the bright and colorful underwater world!

There are four diving sites at Koh Rin. For beginners it is recommended to dive near the island (Koh Rin Bay dive site). Here it is also possible to do snorkeling.

Koh Rin dive sites are well-known because there are granite walls with small rocky outcrops which are homes to many fish spieces.

After training diving, you can continue your underwater adventure in the north-western part of the island where the waters are 16 m deep and where is no strong current (Koh Rin North Rock - Hin Khao dive site).

For professional divers there are interesting sites in the southern part of the island where the depth is 30-40 m (South Rock - Hin Ton Mai dive site). if you are lucky, you will be able to see big marble stingrays which are up to 2.5 m long. Divers also like finding used shells and cartridges on the bottom of the Gulf of Siam.

Koh Rin is one of the brightest of remote islands of Pattaya. The island attracts with its colorful underwater world and wild nature. Since Koh Rin is the naval ground of Thailand, we recommend to visit it with organised tourist groups.