Koh Mak FAQs – Hospitals, Police, Money, Internet, Shops, Sandflies

The main police station is located next door to the administrative centre, with the electricity headquarters on the other side – all are on the road leading away from Ao Kao Beach (White Sand Beach Resort end) towards the crossroads and junction down to Ao Suan Yai, a few hundred metres after the Ao Nid turning.

There are no banks but there is an ATM (frequently empty) at the door of the administrative centre – see the police station location above. Our advice is bring a good supply of cash with you.

Some of the resorts will accept credit cards, exchange money (dollars/euros/pounds) or indeed allow cash withdrawal against a credit card, at a surcharge of 2% to 5%.

All resorts have internet access with WiFi in the common areas and rooms. This comes from the telephone companies’ towers, which dot the landscape, so do not expect especially high speed access.

Mobile coverage is 3G/4G.

A post office can be found at the Koh Mak Information Point by the pier at Koh Mak Resort on Ao Suan Yai.

Koh Mak doesn’t have 7-11s or any big superstores (Makro, Big C, Lotus’s).

There are small minimarts in Ao Kao Beach, Ao Nid and at Ao Suan Yai Beach, which stock foodstuffs, toiletries and such like. If you know you need something for your trip but are unsure whether the island will have it, bring it with you to be safe. There is a pharmacy behind Makathanee Resort.

Even though shopping possibilities are a little limited, My Saltwater Heart Beachwear, roadside near Cha Cha Beach Club, has a very decent collection. The Island Shop, near Koh Mak Divers at the southern end of Ao Kao, is not open at the moment.

Food Art Hut set up Roja next door, where you can learn how to tie-die clothes and of course buy the stock already produced. Corsita on the east coast runs an Honesty Shop, full of donated clothes from previous holidaymakers and island residents. There are no price tags, you decide what you want to donate to the pot, with all proceeds heading to the Koh Mak Animal Clinic.

Unfortunately, Koh Mak does have an ongoing problem with sandflies on most of the beaches. There is no reason for it to ruin your trip but be aware of it, with the best advice to avoid lying directly on the sand, even on a towel.

You should also wear mosquito repellent if walking on the beach early in the day or at dusk, as the flies, preferring cooler temperatures, are more prevalent at those times. Locals advocate the use of coconut oil, but do not assume that this will make you immune after application.

The fly injects histamine, so the bite becomes very itchy and for some people, the reactions can be pretty severe. If at all possible, do not scratch the bite as this causes the spread of the redness. Tiger balm is another local recommendation to help stop the itching, but a tube of anti-histamine cream is a very useful thing to take with you.

Box Jellyfish

Box jellyfish, whose sting can be very dangerous and sometimes fatal, occasionally get blown into shore and vinegar stations are installed on all of the beaches, the curious red poles with a white cross.

Bites are extremely rare but by immediately pouring vinegar on the sting, you buy yourself valuable time to seek medical help.