Thailand’s best beaches from peaceful paradises to parties
SRC:https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/thailand-which-beach-paradise Thailand Best Beaches
With over 1500 miles (2500km) of coastline and 1430 islands, Thailand’s beaches deliver everything.
Expect everything from otherworldly craggy limestone formations that appear to be precariously balanced on the turquoise sea, to colorful coral reefs whose inhabitants are best observed with snorkels and fins. Along many of those sands, beach shacks and street vendors sell fragrant regional grilled skewers and noodle dishes.
These beguiling beaches continue to attract all sorts of beach lovers, from backpack-toting cash-strapped students and families on holiday to those craving a buzzy scene or salt air pampering. November to March is probably the best time to visit Thailand to enjoy the most these spots have to offer.
Here are the best beaches in Thailand.
Among the string of 52 small uninhabited islands that make up Ko Lanta in Krabi Province, Ko Lanta Yai is the largest and most developed. On the northwest stretching for 2 miles (3.5km) is a wide, crescent-shaped beach with powdery sand, minimal rocks and shallow water that’s a safe, sun-drenched playground for children. Nearby, Two Scoops Gelato and Dessert doles out ice cream in ever-changing flavors. Just look for its shocking pink facade.
Hat Tham Phra Nang, Krabi: best beach for adventure seekers
In a country embarrassingly abundant with incredible waterfront spots, Hat Tham Phra Nang remains the benchmark. This Krabi Province beach ticks all the boxes: golden powdery sand, warm azure waters and dramatic karst formations that rise out of the sea.
Thrill-seekers can scale the tree-covered karst cliffs at the western end that rewards summiteers with a view of Ko Kai (referred to as “Chicken Island”), Ko Pada and the other craggy neighboring islands jutting straight out of the Andaman Sea. Afterward, fuel up with ice-cold coconut water and shrimp pad thai from one of the longboat restaurants docked here.
Chaweng, Ko Samui: best alternative to Phuket
If you’re looking to book somewhere other than Phuket, consider Ko Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. This island competes with Phuket as Thailand’s most popular tropical destination. On its east coast, the pink, pillowy sands, boutiques, beach bars, restaurants and pulsating discotheques on Chaweng Beach give Phuket’s popular Patong Beach a run for its Baht.
Snag a lounger in the sun or sofa on the shady patio and sip a Bird of Paradise cocktail – Aperol, rum, pineapple juice and lime – at the chic Elephant Beach Club. Later, dine on stir-fried garlic pepper crab at boutique Thai spot Khaw Glong before catching the late show at Paris Follies Cabaret – it’s racier than the matinee.
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Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan: best beach near Bangkok
A three-hour drive from Bangkok, Hua Hin has the distinction of being Thailand’s oldest beach resort. Developed in the 1920s as an escape for the elite, it became even more popular when King Rama VII built his summer palace, Klai Kangwon (Far from Worries), here too.
Hua Hin remains fashionable today and it’s a good budget alternative to the southern islands. With a renowned night bazaar and seafood aplenty, restaurants like Chao Lay offer a fantastic array of freshly-caught meals.
Sichon, Nakhon Si Thammarat: best lesser-known beach
For a relatively undiscovered stretch of sand mostly untouched by tourists head to Sichon in the far southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, an eight-hour bus ride from Bangkok (or a one-hour flight). Visitors here are likely to only encounter local fishers and their brightly-colored boats – and if you are lucky, one of the region’s adorable 60 pink dolphins, believed to be a subspecies of Chinese white dolphins, who call the waters home.
Try khanom krok, the local specialty of absolutely addictive coconut griddle cakes flecked with chopped scallions. Save room too for freshly-caught eels, local steamed clams or pad phet-style mackerel from the beach’s tiny restaurants and bustling street food vendors.
Ko Similan, Phang Nga: best beach for snorkeling and scuba diving
The Similan islands are possibly the best places to go in Thailand for water activities. Among the nine islands in the archipelago in the Andaman Sea, Island #8 is the largest and most popular. With average water depths of 82ft (25m), it affords some of the world’s best dive sites and snorkeling expeditions. In Ko Similan’s small bay on the western side of the island you’ll find coral reefs, massive sea fans, barrel sponges, and colorful marine life galore, as well as swim-throughs, cliffs and stone piles. Landlubbers can climb the smooth rock formation for photo-worthy sea views.
While the islands that stud the bay get all the attention in Phang-Nga province (including the over-visited “James Bond Island” (it appeared in the 1974 flick The Man With the Golden Gun), the mainland has its fair share of overlooked sun-soaked stunners.
Hat Bang Sak’s long, wide strip of sand is adjacent to a grove of mature pine trees; away from the water’s edge are mangrove swamps and rubber-tree plantations. Nearby, Be Friend Restaurant adds to the area’s romance with string lights, bamboo tables and chairs in the sand and island-inspired dishes like prawn cakes and squid with lemon sauce.
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Nui Beach, Ko Phi Phi: best alternative to Maya Bay
In a cruel twist of fate, Maya Bay – the cove on the uninhabited island of Ko Phi Phi Leh, which was made famous by its appearance in the 2000 film The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio – follows the same thematic fall from grace as the fictional atoll: too many people found out about it. Not only did the film company irreparably damage the once-pristine shoreline, but mass tourism forced the Thai authorities to close it in 2019.
So what’s the alternative? Well, the secluded cove of Nui Beach on Ko Phi Phi Don, with a bar, restaurant and spa, has the infrastructure to welcome tourists. Accessible by 4WD (prices vary), the bay is tucked away 2 miles (3km) through the jungle and a coconut grove, after the Kata-Karon viewpoint.
Haad Rin Nai, Ko Pha-Ngan: best for a Full Moon Party
Located in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Surat Thani, Samui competes with Phuket as the country’s most popular tropical destination. As Samui became overdeveloped and overcrowded, neighboring island Ko Pha-Ngan – with its combination of sandy coves and interior forest – has attracted backpackers with its laid-back vibe.
For the most immersive experience, time your visit to the lunar calendar: its raucous, uninhibited monthly Full Moon Parties at what’s known locally as Sunset Beach are legendary. Attracting upwards of 30,000 body paint-clad mostly Gen Z-aged attendees sweating it out to live music, swigging from cold drinks served in buckets and watching street performers tackle a flaming limbo stick. But the area’s nightlife pulses the other 28 nights of the month as well.
Mai Khao, Phuket: best beach on Phuket
When you fly into Phuket, the island’s best beach is at Sirinat National Park, just a 20-minute walk away from the airport. At 6-miles (10km) long, Mai Khao is the island’s longest beach; paddle a kayak, stroll through the pine forest, swim out to the cluster of plate coral and sea anemones, or grab your phone and watch the jumbo jets scream overhead as they approach the runway.