Guests are encouraged to enjoy wearing comfortable informal clothing. We do not have in place a strict dress code but as a matter of courtesy we wish to recommend that smart casual attire be worn at breakfast and dinner. Beachwear is acceptable at the beach restaurant and dining facilities adjacent to the pools.

At the “Seven Seas”, our signature restaurant, we are a little bit more formal and request – at breakfast and dinner services - that guests come more appropriately clothed, so we do not allow “thongs”, “short shorts”, swimsuits or overly revealing attire.

During the high season the seas are calm and guests have the option of swimming in either of the resort’s 2 infinity pools or in the warm blue waters of the Andaman Sea. During the green season (May to October), we may have the red flag raised about 20 times during that period. In general and because of the bay being sheltered, swimming in the sea is almost all year round..

Pimalai is only a few degrees north of the equator and therefore experiences a typical tropical climate with 2 main seasons: hot and dry from November to April and not quite so hot and not so dry throughout the rest of the year....the green season. Typically, average maximum temperatures range from about 28 C/ 82 F to 35 C/ 95 F in the hot season and goes down to about a pleasant 25 C/77 F to 27 C/ 80 F in the cooler season. The mercury drops by about 5-10 C/ 8-16 F during the night. January and February are the driest months with rain appearing on maybe 3 or 4 days per month. March and April are the hottest.

The some rainfall occurs in May to July but some tourists prefer to visit at this time because the temperatures are lower and the island and resorts are less busy. It should be noted that just like the rest of the world Koh Lanta is experiencing more variable weather conditions than in the past, this being attributed to global warming. So, sometimes there are clouds and rain in the dry season and conversely there can be bright sunny days in the green season. It should be noted even though the temperature may slightly drop during a tropical downpour, often these events consist of spectacular bursts of thunder and lightning that may last for only 1 or 2 hours then the skies brighten.

The weather is out of our control but what we can influence is the enjoyment of our guests should there be an extended period of wet weather. There is usually ample time to wander on the beach, read the newspaper, swim in the pools (temperature 28-30 C all year round), loiter over meals, watch a video, have a long massage, etc. It should be noted that on overcast days it is still possible to receive a suntan or even a sunburn as the sun’s U.V. radiation can penetrate through the clouds; sun block use is still and always advisable!

To our knowledge there have not been cases of malaria recorded on Koh Lanta. The resort has a pest control program in operation and for that reason the population of mosquitoes is rather low on our property. If you are concerned then you may wish to apply an insect repellent.

If you intend to spend a lot of time in the northern regions of Thailand where malaria is more common you should consult your doctor or local health authority for advice re anti-malarial medications.

Generally Thais are quite open to western ideas and behaviour but within certain limits. One should realise the King of Thailand is absolutely respected by Thai people and the monarchy should in no way be questioned or criticised. The majority of Thais (96%) are Buddhist and there are thousands of wats (temples) throughout the country including two small wats on the east coast and on the north end of Koh Lanta. When visiting a wat, wear appropriate clothing...beach shorts and tank tops are not appropriate. Monks should not be touched by women. The 2-handed “wai” greeting is common in Thailand. You may return the greeting with a smile, eyes cast downward and a slight bow or you should simply smile and say thank you. It is best that you do not initiate a “wai” as there is a protocol as to who should “wai” first. Thais are not used to skimpy clothing and topless or nude sunbathing is frowned upon.

Although we do not promote ourselves as a family oriented resort we do regularly welcome families, mainly during the green season, especially from Thailand and nearby countries. Most of these families have selected us so as to enjoy the tranquility of our surroundings, the good clean air found amongst the tropical vegetation and the fact that we are right on a beach where children enjoy collecting shells, chasing crabs, kicking a ball or building a sand castle! A children’s menu is also available at our restaurants.However an advance notice is to be given, and this service is subject to the babysitters’ availability.

We have on occasion had requests to set aside an area that caters specifically to activities for children and keep them gainfully occupied, especially on rainy days. In response, we have decided to allocate a small area for that purpose. We would not dare to call it a “Kids Club”. They is simply a game/ play room; one for the younger ones (mainly 4 to 8 years old) furnished with basic child-minded games; one for the older children, up to 8 years old, where a couple of play station are available for their enjoyment. This children’s corner operates from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. excluding a lunch break from 12:00 noon. to 1:00 p.m.

One of our staff is on standby to supervise the children during the opening hours. Note: children who do not behave properly will be asked to leave the Children’s Corner. Please note that this Game/play room is closed from November to April.

Yes, there is a cost associated with being in a location that is more remote and consequently more peaceful than the crowded beaches of Phuket, Pattaya, Samui etc. To provide our guests with the highest quality of fresh seafood, fruit, vegetables and other consumables requires us to make frequent trips to mainland Thailand. We get supplies from Phuket, Bangkok and even as far as Chiangmai, where many varieties of vegetables such as endives are grown. There is nothing available locally and certainly not when catering for an average of 250 guests, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Although we can absorb some of these transportation costs we also must pass some on to our guests.

You might also be surprised to know that, there are times during the year – especially from November to April – that seafood is scarce on the island, prices go up because of a higher demand, and that local fishermen do even take their catch to Phuket were the demand is even higher and therefore the money made of the sale of their catch becomes even greater!

One particular product that may appear to be excessively expensive throughout Thailand is wine. This is not due to gouging by the restaurants, hotels and resorts but is a reflection of a huge import tax levied on this beverage, in the region of 300%. To this one must add brokerage fees for the wine merchant coupled with transportation costs from the country of origin to Bangkok and Bangkok to Koh Lanta. Nevertheless, we do stock a wide variety of wines catering to our guests’ demands. And you may want to know that we still manage to sell some of our wines at a cheaper price than many other tourist destinations in Thailand, including Bangkok!

The majority of staff are Thai and speak Thai plus local dialects. Those staff who are in frequent contact with guests have some proficiency in English and we run frequent training sessions to help their communication skills. We also have senior staff who can communicate in French, German, and Flemish.