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 Thong
Sala ("Tong saLaah") is the principal town and
administrative centre of Koh Phangan, an island in the Gulf
of Thailand. While Haad Rin hosts the Full
Moon Party and attracts many of the island's more hedonistic
visitors, Thong Sala is mostly used by tourists as a ferry terminal
and jumping off point rather than a destination in itself.
The port area has three main piers, one of which is able to
handle medium to large sized container and passenger craft while
the others deal with the smaller passenger and dive boats that
flit between the islands of Koh Phangan, Koh Samui and Ko Tao,
and the mainland ports at Surat
Thani and Chumporn,
the latter connecting with the daily bus service to Bangkok.
 All
roads on the island lead to Thong Sala
and anyone planning on visiting the south, west and north coasts
of the island - basically anywhere other than Haad
Rin - would be well advised to head for Thong
Sala and avoid the rollercoaster jeep-taxi ride from Haad
Rin to the main part of the island. Motorbike rental is
available at many of the guesthouses, which largely cater to
those waiting for early boats or arriving on late ones. There
is not much of a "scene" for backpackers or bungalow
joints in the town itself but a few pubs have popped up and
the signs advertising Premiership football and English breakfasts
are visible enough on several sidestreets. The town is also
the best place on the island to find banking / currency services,
pharmacies and assistance from the authorities.
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