On the remote eastern side of Koh Phangan, along a secluded stretch of beach accessible only by boat, a new tourism project is taking shape — one that aims to redefine the traditional vacation model in Thailand.
Behind the initiative is Nir Adan, a former member of Israel’s Shin Bet personal security unit, later CEO of Midburn, and now an experience design specialist. Together with partner Uri Raz, an Israeli restaurateur based on the island, Adan is developing a resort built around a participatory model.
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Far from the crowds: the beach where the resort is being built
(Photo: Hannah Katznelson)
“We’re trying to create a different paradigm,” Adan told ynet. “The line between guest and host is very blurred. You arrive at a resort, but we’re located on the uninhabited side of the island, on a very isolated beach you can only reach by sea.”
At the core of the project are the guests themselves. “We’re creating a space that allows people to bring their zone of genius,” Adan said. “We’re somewhat like Burning Man — a platform that invites people to bring their knowledge, experience and passion into a shared space.”
Adan, who is deeply familiar with the global “burner” community, has enlisted prominent partners in the field, including Semel Keren, founder of Experience House, and Philip Bullenbach, founder of The College of Extraordinary Experiences.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty,” he said of the concept. “If you come to one of our sessions, I can’t tell you in advance who the guests will be or what content they’ll create. If you’re a yoga teacher, you can lead a class. If you’re a musician, you can perform. If you love cooking, you can join the kitchen. The entire experience is built on that foundation.”
Unlike other parts of Koh Phangan known for their wellness tourism, Adan said his resort will encourage guests to stay on-site. “It’s not like the other side of the island, where you move between places,” he said. “People who come here will mostly stay with us.”
The resort is expected to include about 100 rooms and roughly 200 beds. While accommodations will be of a high standard, Adan emphasized that the rooms are not the focus. “We don’t want you spending too much time there. Everything happens outside.”
The price is set at about 550 shekels ($150) per person per night in a shared room, all-inclusive, with a minimum stay of five nights. “We don’t want guests dealing with their wallet or constantly calculating costs,” Adan said.
The project, estimated at about 20 million shekels ($5.5 million), is being built without external investors or loans. “Everyone who joins as a partner also invests,” Adan said. “It’s a community-based model.”
Programming will include daily wellness activities such as yoga and Pilates, alongside evening entertainment and workshops organized by the resort. At the same time, much of the experience will rely on guest participation.
To facilitate connections, the resort employs a 16-person team tasked with matching guests based on their backgrounds and interests. “If there are musicians, we connect them. If there are chefs, we bring them together,” Adan said. “We create the conditions for collaboration.”
Still, Adan acknowledged the unpredictability of the model. “You might arrive at a highly inspiring session and meet people you’d never encounter elsewhere,” he said. “Or you might come a year later and it will be completely different — maybe less powerful. We’re okay with that. Like Burning Man, you never know exactly what you’ll get.”
Adan also addressed concerns about the growing presence of Israelis in Koh Phangan, including recent criminal incidents involving Israeli nationals.
“We are guests here, not the owners,” he said. “The local culture is very different from Israeli culture, and there are frictions — not always intentional, but they exist.”
He said the main issue lies in the approach. “There is a strong Israeli community here, and we received help from other Israeli projects,” he said. “But when it comes to real estate, that’s where problems start. When people come to a tropical island and clear the jungle to build as many units as possible just to maximize profit — that feels wrong in relation to the place.”
The resort’s concept is also rooted in Adan’s personal journey. Raised in a military environment — his father served in the Israeli Air Force and his grandfather, Avraham Adan, was a senior general — Adan said he followed a conventional path before experiencing a turning point.
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Far from the crowds: the beach where the resort is being built
(Photo: Hannah Katznelson)
“At 26, I had an identity crisis,” he said. “You start asking what is really yours and what was dictated to you. Everything I was told to stay away from suddenly attracted me.”
He transitioned into experience design and later co-founded Midburn, which he led for eight years. In 2018, he launched a cross-cultural project in Egypt called “What If,” aimed at bringing together participants from different countries. The initiative was shut down by Egyptian authorities hours before opening.
“That was the final nail in the coffin for that project,” he said.
Despite the new venture in Thailand, Adan said he has not fully relocated. “I’m not based in Koh Phangan,” he said. “I’m living between worlds — connected both here and there.”