Is it worth the trip?
4Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft8 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft16 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Thu 5 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft14 s
- Energy
- 3kJ
- Wind
- N 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 2kJ
- Wind
- ENE 7 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Sun 8 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 3kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Mon 9 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft10 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- ENE 9 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 25, too small
- Tue 33, too small
- Wed 42, too small
- Thu 54, too small
- Fri 65, too small
- Sat 74, too small
- Sun 85, too small
- Mon 92, too small
- Tue 103, too small
- Wed 112, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 1–5 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Jul, Sep–Oct1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 5, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 29°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft8 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft16 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east, 6 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 4, too small | under 1 ft14 s1 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 5, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 4, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 5, too small | under 1 ft12 s1 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | offshorewind from the east, 9 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft10 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 9 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east, 7 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft12 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 29°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 03:03 +0.9 mLow 09:49 −0.7 mHigh 16:14 +0.6 mLow 22:19 −0.5 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:43 +0.7 mLow 11:31 −0.7 mHigh 17:59 +0.7 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:10 −0.5 mHigh 06:20 +0.8 mLow 12:51 −0.8 mHigh 19:13 +0.9 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jul, Sep–Oct
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
Koh Phayam on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Koh Phayam
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (247°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (67°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–5 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 850 m out (1 in 85). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 31°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually July, September and October, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. Nearest place to stay we found: Aow Yai Bungalows, Ranong, 0 km. Nearest beds: Surat Thani, 122 km. Nearest airport: Ranong Airport (UNN), 22 km.
Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,130–US$2,270 each
about US$1,130–US$2,270 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to USM, estimated from distance and season, changing at HKG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$884–US$1,840 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$47–US$80 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$114–US$208 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,130–US$2,270 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 122 km away
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
No town nearby
Nearest place to stay we found: Aow Yai Bungalows, Ranong, 0 km. Nearest beds: Surat Thani, 122 km. Nearest airport: Ranong Airport (UNN), 22 km.
See places to stay near Surat Thani, 122 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 29h 55m
About 29h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → USM, changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), then 3h 30m by road
Flights ORD → USM on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.