Beaches

Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and come to a stunning array of beaches.  The most famous is Patong, situated towards the southern end of the island.  Patong Beach offers travelers with stunning white sand beaches and calm seas, as they recover from a hard night’s partying at the bars on Soi Bangla.

Also to the south of the island is the island’s second most developed area, Karon Beach, and Kata Beach. Both beaches are famous for their ideal surfing conditions.  As Karon is a surf beach, during the wet season, the beach is not safe for swimmers of low ability, and currently closed between dusk and dawn due to a spate of drowning.

Phuket’s northern and western coastlines which face the Andaman Sea provide travelers with a peaceful alternative.  In fact, many believe that the island’s best beaches are scattered along the coast.  The exclusive resorts along the north and west beaches are a Favourite for honeymooners.

The major beaches in alphabetical order consist of:

 Banana Beach ( Coral Island ) — 15 minutes from Chalong Bay. The very beautiful, quiet with all facilities featuring horn bill rainforest birds and fish life

Bang Thao (Laguna Beach) — long, very quiet beach

Cape Panwa — home to Phuket Aquarium

Kalim Beach — a series of small beaches just to the north of Patong

Kamala Beach — a quieter beach to the north of Patong

Karon and Karon Noi Beaches — the second most-developed beach after Patong

Kata Noi Beach — quieter sister of Kata Yai

Kata Yai Beach — busy, clean tourist beach with good surf

Laem Sing — small bay with stunning views, between Kamala Beach and Surin Beach

Mai Khao (Sai Kaeo) (say my cow) — north of the airport, very quiet and far away from it all (tourists). Location of many posh resorts, but also local Thai villages and temples and restaurants (try Kindee near the JW Marriott for an incredible authentic–on a bamboo platform over the estuary– Thai meal by an award-winning Thai chef)

Nai Han and Ao Sen — a quiet beach (probably the best) in the south, near Phromthep Cape view point

Nai Thon and Nai Yang — two quiet beaches in Sirinat National Park

Patong Beach — the largest beach resort, known for its nightlife

Rawai, Mittraphap and Laem Ka — set off point for lots of local islands, popular with locals for eating on the beach

Surin and Pansea Beach — an up-and-coming upmarket destination

Phuket Islands 

There are dozens of small islands (ko) between Phuket and Krabi Province in the Phang Nga Bay. The following have accommodation:

Ko Bon — 10 minutes from Rawai, an ideal island for a day of snorkeling and relaxing.

Ko Hae (Coral Island) — 15 minutes by speedboat from Chalong Bay, accessible all year.

Ko Lon — quiet, mostly Muslim island with a few bungalows

Ko Mai Thon — gorgeous little island with only one (expensive) place to stay

Ko Maphrao (Coconut Island)

Ko Racha (Ko Raya) — consists of two islands (Yai and Noi), popular with scuba divers and a relaxing snorkeling destination.

Ko Sire (Ko Si Le) — Sea Gypsy colony, connected to the mainland by a causeway

Ko Yao — two islands halfway to Krabi, with four upmarket resorts