Last Updated on 24/07/2024
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Have you heard about pink dolphins in Thailand? Not many visitors or even Thais know that you can experience pink dolphins in Thailand, near Koh Samui, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
This is an ethical wildlife encounter as the pink dolphins in Thailand are wild and free to swim. They are not fed and they live locally in these waters.
One of the things that continues to amaze me, even after seven years of living in Thailand, is both the range of species and wildlife that lives here and also how quiet and untouched by tourism some areas still are. If you are looking for the real unseen Thailand with no tourists, then consider a visit to Surat Thani or Nakhon Si Thammarat province. There is so much more that I want to explore here, so watch this space. I spent a weekend down in Khanom with the aim of seeing the pink dolphins and they did not disappoint.
The moment when two big pink dolphins approached our boat!
How and Where to see Pink Dolphins
We arranged a private long tail boat with a local fisherman through our hotel. The beach in Khanom is stunning, a huge stretch of yellow sand for kilometres and the dolphins were not far away both trips that I have done to see them.
Bear in mind because this is a non-touristy destination in Thailand and there will be limited choices for restaurants and bars but you can enjoy an empty beach.
Where to Stay in Khanom for Pink Dolphin Trips
There are a few different places to stay in Khanom which is a large stretch along the coast. The below options are where I stayed – the Khanom Beach Resort and Spa. I definitely recommend this hotel, the rooms are lovely with outdoor areas, the pool is gorgeous and restaurant right on the beach. The beach is also nice for swimming. Golden Beach is where my friend stayed, which is a more basic, budget option which still has a swimming pool right on the beach.
Best Hotels in Khanom | Stars | Price | Best for… | Book on Agoda | Book on Booking.com |
Khanom Golden Beach Hotel | ** | $$ | Budget with a pool on the beach |  |  |
Khanom Beach Resort & Spa | **** | $$$ | Luxury, with a pool on the beach | | |
Pink Dolphin Tours and Boat Trips
For the pink dolphin trip, I recommend booking through your hotel. If you are lucky or in a group, there is a full day trip costing around 2400 baht that includes pink dolphin spotting and some small island exploring. Remember a tip goes a long way in Thailand and it is always appreciated, so I recommend tipping your boat captain.
Thailand’s Pink Dolphins
In all honestly, the dolphins did not look SUPER pink, though I have seen some pinker dolphins in photos. Not that much is known about these pink dolphins who are a sub-species of white Chinese dolphins. It is thought there are around 2000 in the wild and around 150 in Thailand. It felt a completely ethical animal experience, which can be rare in Thailand. I have now done this pink dolphin spotting trip twice – once in 2017 and again in 2024 and both times we were successful in seeing the pink dolphins.
The first pink dolphin trip I did we were lucky enough to spot around 8 pink dolphins in two areas, not far from the mainland. The only other boats we could see were longtail fishing boats – about 2 of them which was so refreshing. Compared with other busy dolphin watching trips I have taken in places like Indonesia and the Philippines, it felt really good to be the only people there and not be ‘chasing’ the dolphins. The dolphins were much bigger than dolphins I had seen before and at one point even came really close to the boat. We could hear them making noises through the blowholes and at one point even heard them ‘squeak’ to each other. We also spotted a baby pink dolphin. It’s magic moments like this that make me fall in love with Thailand a little bit more.
The second, more recent pink dolphin spotting trip I did in 2024, we just saw one pink dolphin by Donsak Pier in Surat Thani – where the ferries come in from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. Keep an eye out if you are a passenger on any of these ferries.
Want to see wild pink dolphins for yourself?
Useful Advice for Seeing Pink Dolphins in Thailand
How to get to Khanom to see the wild pink dolphins
Stay in one of the above hotels in Khanom and book your pink dolphin spotting trip through them. It was 2400 baht for the boat hire which was private and just with our driver – usually a local fisher (approximately 51 GBP or 66 USD).
What else to do in Khanom, Nakon Si Thammarat
After our dolphin spotting experience, our boat driver took us to visit a few uninhabited islands with some very unusual rock formations. Some of them have layers which give them the name ‘pancake’ rocks and another tiny island has a Buddhist shrine and great viewpoint to look at.
Well named ‘pancake’ rocks above
I definitely recommend the pink dolphin watching trip in Thailand, it will be a more local, less touristy experience where you can appreciate wildlife and nature.
More on my Thailand travel blog:
Interested in more untouched and non touristy beaches in Thailand? Read my post here
Check out my Thailand travel blog post here for the best wild animal experiences in Thailand
Planning to head to the Southern islands after Khanom? Here are my honest island reviews
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