Practical guide
The 15 Best Beaches in Thailand, Ranked
Fifteen beaches worth flying for, ranked, with the coast that's dry when you're going
- Best for
- couples, families
- Logistics
- Easy
- Updated
- Sep 28, 2026
The best beaches in Thailand, ranked
Phra Nang Beach in Krabi is the best beach in Thailand, with limestone walls, a sea cave with a shrine in it, shallow clear water and longtail boats selling lunch off the bow. Railay West next door, Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh, Sunrise Beach on Koh Lipe and Donald Duck Bay in the Similan Islands round out the top five, and none of them is a hard call. The list below ranks fifteen, each with how to get there, when it's in season and where to sleep nearby, because the timing decides the trip. The Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi, Lanta, Lipe) is dry November to April, the Gulf islands (Samui, Phangan, Tao) January to August, and the eastern islands (Koh Chang, Koh Kood) run with the Andaman. Pick your beach with the tool below if you already know your month, or read straight down the ranking.
Find your beach
Say what matters most and when you're going. The picks come from the ranking below, and the month check uses the two coasts' opposite monsoons, so you don't book Phuket for August.
Krabi · Andaman coast
Cliffs on three sides, a cave shrine, and the shallowest, clearest swimming on the Railay peninsula.
Krabi · Andaman coast
Boat-access only, 100-meter limestone walls, and the country's most photographed sand.
Phi Phi Leh · Andaman coast
The cove from The Beach, reopened under strict rules (no swimming, capped numbers) and still breathtaking.
Closed August to September for reef recovery.
Season check follows the guide's Andaman vs Gulf rule: Andaman November to April, Gulf January to August.
Arriving in Krabi
Where to stay for a beach trip
Pick the coast, then the beach area, and search with your dates. Filter for free cancellation if you want to hold a room while you decide between two islands.
See Krabi hotelsOpens Booking.com with your dates · also on Expedia · Trip.com
Key Facts (2026)
Phra Nang Beach in Krabi is the best overall
Limestone cliffs, a cave shrine and shallow, gin-clear water on the Railay peninsula. A ฿100 longtail from Ao Nang, then a ten-minute walk. Go at 08:00, before the day boats.
The Similan Islands have the clearest water (open mid-October to mid-May)
30-meter visibility in season, and Donald Duck Bay ranks in the world's top ten. On an island you can sleep on, Sunrise Beach on Koh Lipe and Koh Kradan in Trang are the standouts.
Couples do best at Thong Nai Pan and Koh Yao Noi
Thong Nai Pan Noi on Koh Phangan has the island's most polished resorts and no party noise. Koh Yao Noi is a quiet Phang Nga Bay island with karst views.
Koh Larn (2 hours plus a ฿30 ferry) and Koh Samet (3–4 hours) are the closest to Bangkok
Samae Beach on Koh Larn is the best swimming within half a day of the capital. Hua Hin is the nearest resort town with a train. Bang Saen, 90 minutes away, is a promenade, not a swim.
The 15 best beaches in Thailand
Ranked on the beach itself, meaning the water, the sand, the setting and how it feels once the boats arrive. Fame counts for nothing here, which is why Patong is last and a Trang island most people haven't heard of is in the top ten. Every entry has the record behind it, so the rating, hours and directions stay current.
1. Phra Nang Beach, Krabi
Best overallA cove on the Railay peninsula that you can only reach by sea, with limestone walls rising straight off the sand, a sea cave at one end holding a shrine to the princess spirit Phra Nang, and water that stays shallow and clear far enough out for a proper swim. Longtail boats moor in the shallows and cook lunch off the bow, which is the most Thai way to eat I know of.
The catch is that everyone else has read the same reviews. The day boats from Ao Nang land from mid-morning, and by noon the sand is busy. Get the first longtail over, walk through to Phra Nang while Railay is still waking up, and you'll have the best beach in the country nearly to yourself for an hour.
- Getting there
- Longtail from Ao Nang beach to Railay West, ฿100 each way, leaving when about eight people gather (roughly 08:00 to 18:00), then a ten-minute walk along the path past the caves. From Krabi Town, boats leave Chao Fah pier for Railay East (฿150).
- When to go
- November to April. Mornings, before the tour boats.
2. Railay West, Krabi
Best scenery and climbingThis is the postcard, a wide crescent of white sand closed in by 100-meter karst cliffs, no road in, climbers working the walls above you. The water is calm and shallow, and noticeably cleaner than Ao Nang across the bay. Bring water shoes, because the sharp rocks near the waterline catch people out.
There's no reef, so skip the snorkel. What's worth waiting for is the evening low tide, when the seabed opens up and the small marine life comes out. Restaurants sit back from the sand and charge Railay prices, and the one bar actually on the beach has a handful of seats with the view.
- Getting there
- The same ฿100 longtail from Ao Nang, about 15 minutes. After 18:00 the boat crews charge extra for the trip back.
- When to go
- November to April. First or second boat of the day for the quiet beach.
3. Maya Bay, Phi Phi Leh
Most famous, most regulatedThe cove Danny Boyle filmed in 2000, and still the most beautiful single view in the Thai islands, with cliffs on three sides, powder sand, water the color of the film poster. It nearly died of its fame. By 2018 up to 5,000 people a day had killed most of the reef, and Thailand closed it for four years.
What reopened in 2022 is a managed site. Boats dock at a pontoon on the east side of the island and you walk through on a boardwalk; swimming inside the bay isn't allowed, numbers and time on the sand are capped, and rangers enforce both. It's still worth it, on the earliest boat you can find, as long as you go in knowing you're visiting a view rather than spending a day on a beach.
4. Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe
Clearest water you can sleep besideKoh Lipe is the far southern island near the Malaysian border that people call the Maldives of Thailand, and Sunrise Beach is why. A long east-facing sweep of white sand, gently shelving, mostly seagrass-free, with shallows that glow turquoise until late morning and Koh Adang's jungle peaks across the channel at the northern end.
It's big enough to find your own patch in high season, Walking Street's restaurants are five minutes away, and the longtails lined up along it run snorkeling trips into the Adang-Rawi archipelago. Walk to the northern tip for North Point, where a sandbar appears at low tide.
- Getting there
- Speedboat from Pak Bara pier in Satun, about 1.5 hours (about ฿700). Most people fly or take the train to Hat Yai and buy a combined minivan-and-boat ticket, about 4.5 hours door to door. High-season ferries also run from Koh Lanta.
- When to go
- November to April. From May to October boats drop to one or two a day and much of the island closes.
5. Donald Duck Bay, Similan Islands
Clearest water in ThailandAo Kuerk on Koh Similan, named for a duck-shaped boulder and recently placed in the top ten of the World's 50 Best Beaches. Giant granite boulders stack up at the headland, the sand is squeaky white coral, and the water is clear enough that snorkelers watch fish from the surface as if through glass. Climb the short Sail Rock trail for the photo everyone takes.
The trade is that you can't stay. The bay is reached only on national-park day trips and liveaboards, the day boats stack up at the busy beaches, and you'll be there for an hour or so. Divers get the better deal, because Richelieu Rock, Thailand's best dive site, is on the liveaboard circuit.
- Getting there
- Speedboat day trips from Khao Lak, ฿2,200–3,200 with the marine-park fee on top; a 04:30 pickup if you're coming from Kata. Liveaboards run three to six nights.
- When to go
- Mid-October to mid-May only. The park closes for the monsoon.
6. Freedom Beach, Phuket
Best beach on PhuketThe kind of beach Phuket's west coast has mostly built over, a 300-meter cove of clear water and soft sand south of Patong, with trees for shade instead of rows of plastic loungers. There's a bar and restaurant on the sand, snorkel and umbrella rental, and a roped-off boat lane that makes the swimming area smaller than it looks.
The climb is the price of admission. It's ฿100 at the gate and a long jungle path down; coming back up in afternoon heat is the part people grumble about, so pay the ฿100 for the shuttle truck at the top. It fills by midday even on weekdays. Nine o'clock is the hour.
- Getting there
- By the trail from the road above (฿100 entry, ฿100 for the truck back up), or a longtail from the south end of Patong beach, about ฿1,200–1,500 round-trip.
- When to go
- November to April. Before 10:00 for a shady spot.
7. Nai Harn Beach, Phuket
Best swimming beachThe swimming beach I'd send anyone to on Phuket, a wide crescent of white sand at the island's southern tip, casuarina shade, hills closing in at either end and a lagoon behind. The water is usually calm through the dry season, which is more than most of the west coast can say, and the crowd is locals, expats and people who did their homework rather than coach parties.
It faces west, so the sunset brings a crowd around six. Come in the morning if the beach is the point. Kata Noi, twenty minutes north, is the family alternative, smaller, with a shallower entry and hotels a short walk from the sand.
- Getting there
- About 30 minutes by Grab from Kata, or the Phuket Smart Bus to Rawai and a short ride.
- When to go
- November to April. From May to October the swells build and red flags go up; watch them.
8. Klong Dao Beach, Koh Lanta
Best for familiesKoh Lanta's northernmost beach and the one nearest Saladan pier, about three kilometers of golden sand with a gentle gradient, so small children can paddle for a long way out, and a string of beach bars and restaurants that keep toys and slides for them. The island is low-key by nature, with bungalow resorts rather than high-rises behind the sand, which is why families keep coming back to it.
Know the tide. Klong Dao shelves so gently that the water goes out a long way at low tide; Long Beach (Koh Lanta), the next bay south, shelves more steeply and stays swimmable when Klong Dao doesn't. Base at Klong Dao, and walk or scooter to Long Beach for the afternoon swim.
- Getting there
- Minivans from Krabi town or the airport reach the island in 2–3 hours (about ฿400–540) over one short car ferry and the Siri Lanta bridge; Klong Dao is a few minutes from Saladan pier. High-season ferries connect from Phi Phi (about an hour), Phuket and Koh Lipe.
- When to go
- November to April.
9. Bang Bao Beach, Koh Kood
Best quiet beachKoh Kood's postcard bay, on the west coast of Thailand's fourth-largest island. It's a sheltered, palm-fringed horseshoe where shallow, bathtub-calm water grades from clear to aquamarine over clean sand, with a long wooden pier reaching across the bay and a few low-key resorts behind the palm line. Even in high season it rarely feels busy, because six hours from Bangkok is far enough to keep most people away.
The water is safe and shallow a long way out, kayaks are easy to rent, and Klong Chao, the next bay over the headland, has a waterfall swimming hole twenty minutes up the river. If your idea of a beach vacation is a book, a swim and a sunset, this is the best beach in the country for it.
- Getting there
- Bus or minivan from Bangkok to Laem Sok pier in Trat and a speedboat across; around six hours all in. Flights to Trat cut that to about three.
- When to go
- November to April. Koh Kood runs with the Andaman, and July is its wettest month.
10. Bottle Beach (Haad Khuat), Koh Phangan
Best seclusionNo road in, which is the whole point. A wide crescent of soft sand on Koh Phangan's north coast, jungle hills behind, water calm enough for a long swim rather than a splash, and a handful of simple bungalow operations and beach restaurants. Day trippers see a busy beach; anyone who stays a night gets it near enough to themselves once the last longtail leaves.
Do the short scramble up to the viewpoint at the end of the bay. If the party isn't why you came to Phangan, Thong Nai Pan, two horseshoe bays around the corner, has the island's most polished resorts and the same calm water.
- Getting there
- Longtail from Chaloklum, about 15 minutes and ฿100–150 a head, or the jungle trail, 60 to 90 minutes and hot.
- When to go
- January to August. The Gulf monsoon hits hardest in November.
11. Sairee Beach, Koh Tao
Best for diving and snorkelingKoh Tao's longest beach, on the west coast, and the reason the island exists for most visitors. The dive schools sit right on the strip, the calm clear water is the classroom, and the Open Water course here is the cheapest PADI certification in the world. The sand is wide enough to find a quiet spot even when the beach is busy.
It's a social beach. Guesthouses, bars and restaurants line the whole length, the crowd is young and international, and the evenings bring sunset bars and the occasional fire show. For snorkeling off the sand, Tanote Bay and Ao Leuk on the east coast beat it; for learning to dive, nothing in Thailand does.
- Getting there
- Lomprayah catamarans from Chumphon, 1.5–2 hours (฿600–700), usually after an overnight bus or train from Bangkok; ferries from Koh Phangan (about an hour) and Koh Samui (1.5–2 hours). No airport.
- When to go
- January to August. February to April is flattest.
12. Silver Beach (Crystal Bay), Koh Samui
Best on Koh SamuiSmall, boulder-framed and almost absurdly photogenic, this is the cove everyone means when they talk about Samui's prettiest swim. It tucks in between Chaweng and Lamai, a few hundred meters of pale sand, aquamarine water that stays clear over a sandy bottom, and granite boulders at each end that give the snorkeling its point. A handful of low-key resorts and restaurants back the sand.
It's small enough that a few dozen people change its character, so come early or late. If you want a long, slow beach day instead, Maenam on the north coast is several kilometers of calm water and palms with Koh Phangan across the channel.
- Getting there
- Between Chaweng and Lamai on the ring road, about 15 minutes from either by songthaew or Grab. Samui has an airport with flights from Bangkok in about an hour.
- When to go
- January to August. December to March is driest and busiest.
13. Koh Kradan, Trang
Best castaway beachThe Trang islands' star, a slender jungle-backed island inside Hat Chao Mai National Park whose east-facing main beach topped a global best-beach ranking in 2023. The formula is powder-soft white sand, water that shifts from glass-clear to deep turquoise over a snorkelable house reef you swim to from the sand, and views across to Koh Mook and a horizon full of karsts.
Development is a handful of low-key resorts and barely a beach bar, so days revolve around swimming, snorkeling and the boat to the Emerald Cave on Koh Mook. Stay the night rather than day-tripping from Lanta; the beach empties completely once the boats leave.
14. Koh Ngai, Trang
Best beach nobody has heard ofA tiny island at the top of the Trang archipelago with one long, east-facing beach and almost nothing else. No town, no roads, a few resorts strung along the sand and a handful of rustic beach bars. The water is turquoise and shallow, the coral is close enough to swim to, and the view takes in three small islets that make every photograph look staged.
It sits between Koh Lanta and Koh Kradan on the island-hopping route, which makes it the easy way to add a Trang island to a Lanta trip without committing to the mainland piers.
15. Patong Beach, Phuket
Best for nightlifeLast on the list, on purpose. Three kilometers of white sand on Phuket's west coast with turquoise water in front and a wall of restaurants, shops and bars behind, jet skis and parasailing most of the way along, and Bangla Road a short walk back from the sand. As a beach it's outclassed by a dozen others on this page. As a place to walk from the sand to dinner, a massage, a beer and a bed without arranging transport, nothing else in Thailand comes close.
Use it as a base rather than a destination. Freedom Beach is a longtail from its south end, and the day boats to Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay pick up here.
- Getting there
- About 45 minutes from Phuket airport by taxi or the airport bus.
- When to go
- November to April for calm sea. From May to October the surf churns and red flags go up.
Which coast? Andaman vs Gulf vs the east
Thailand's two coastlines run on opposite monsoon schedules, which means there's a sunny beach somewhere every month of the year. You just need to pick the right coast.
On the Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi, Koh Lanta, Koh Lipe, the Similans), November to April is the season, with calm seas and clear skies. May to October brings the southwest monsoon; the Similans close, Lipe half-closes, boats to the smaller islands thin out. Phuket and Krabi stay open year-round with lower prices and afternoon rain rather than washouts.
The Gulf islands (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao) run January to August, with February to April the driest. The Gulf monsoon hits hardest in November, with heavy rain and rough seas, and December can be wet but often clears by Christmas.
The eastern islands (Koh Chang, Koh Kood, Koh Mak) run with the Andaman, November to April, and Koh Chang's Trat station records the wettest July in the country. Koh Samet is the exception, one of the driest spots on the Gulf and workable most of the year.
The sweet spot for beach lovers on a budget is the Gulf islands in May to July, when the Andaman is in monsoon and Samui, Phangan and Tao have their sunniest weeks at 30–50% off peak prices.
The golden rule is Andaman and the east from November to April, and the Gulf from January to August. In the overlap (January to April) both coasts are at their best and their most expensive. The month-by-month detail is in the Thailand weather by month guide.
Which Thai island has the best beaches?
Koh Lipe, if the beach itself is the question, because Sunrise Beach and North Point are the clearest water on any island you can sleep on. Koh Lanta, if you want a whole island of beaches to work through at a slow pace, from family-friendly Klong Dao to Kantiang Bay. Koh Kood, if you want the beach to yourself and don't mind six hours from Bangkok.
For convenience, Koh Samui has an international airport, five-star resorts and a beach for every taste from Chaweng's noise to Maenam's calm, with Silver Beach in between. For diving, Koh Tao. For backpacker bungalows, Koh Phangan beyond the Full Moon Party, and Koh Lanta. For honeymooners, Koh Yao Noi in Phang Nga Bay, or Thong Nai Pan on Phangan.
For families, Koh Lanta's gentle beaches and laid-back pace are ideal, Koh Samui offers the most infrastructure, and Koh Chang in the east is large, affordable and still under the radar. The full comparison is in the best islands in Thailand guide.
Best beach towns in Thailand
A beach town is a different question from a beach, because you want restaurants, a pharmacy, a range of hotels and a way to get somewhere else, with good sand within walking distance. These are the ones I'd pick a base in.
Ao Nang and Railay, Krabi
Ao Nang is the working base for the whole Krabi coast, with hotels at every price, a beachfront of restaurants and tour desks, and the longtails to Railay, Phra Nang and the Four Islands leaving from the sand. The beach itself is functional rather than beautiful. Railay, one ฿100 boat away, is the reverse, extraordinary beaches, a small choice of resorts and cafés, and nothing else.
Kata and Karon, Phuket
Kata is where I'd base a first Phuket trip. It has two good beaches (Kata and the calmer Kata Noi), a night market, restaurants at every budget, and Nai Harn, Freedom Beach and the Phi Phi boats all within an hour. Karon next door is the same idea with a longer, wider beach and a more sedate crowd. Patong is the base if nightlife is the trip.
Hua Hin
The nearest proper resort town to Bangkok, three hours south by train or minibus, with a long shallow beach, a night market, good seafood and a Thai-family atmosphere that Pattaya lost decades ago. Suan Son Pradiphat and Khao Takiab, at the southern end, are the quieter beaches.
Khao Lak
An hour north of Phuket airport and a different world, a string of long, quiet beaches (Nang Thong, Bang Niang, Bang Sak) backed by low-rise resorts, no bar street, and the departure pier for the Similan and Surin Islands. The town for people who want the Andaman without Phuket.
Lamai and Bophut, Koh Samui
Lamai is Chaweng's calmer sibling, with a long clean beach, easy swimming and a real town behind it. Bophut's Fisherman's Village is the island's best evening, with boutique hotels and a Friday walking street, though its beach is for sunset drinks rather than a swim.
Best beaches near Bangkok
Bangkok has no beach of its own, but four are within three to four hours. Koh Larn, a ฿30 ferry from Pattaya, has the best swimming within half a day of the capital, since Samae Beach and Tien Beach have clear water and white sand that the mainland lacks. Koh Samet, three hours east and a short boat from Ban Phe, is the weekend island, with Sai Kaew the busy beach and Ao Phai and Ao Prao the quieter ones. Hua Hin is the resort town with a train. Bang Saen, 90 minutes from Ekkamai, is the closest beach to Bangkok, and it's a seafront promenade with street food rather than a swim.
Every one of them, with how to get there and what the water is really like, is in the beaches near Bangkok guide. Koh Chang and Koh Kood, five and six hours east, are where the beaches become truly good.
Beaches I'd skip, or go into with open eyes
Pattaya Beach, the mainland beach in front of the city, is for a stroll, not a swim; take the ferry to Koh Larn instead. Ao Nang is convenient, lined with restaurants and boats, and not a beach you'd travel for; it's the base for Railay, not the destination. Patong is on this list for the nightlife, and honest about what that costs in peace.
Maya Bay is the one to think hardest about. You can't swim, the time on the sand is capped, and you'll share the view with every other boat that left Phuket that morning. It's still the most beautiful cove in the country. Go on the first boat of the day, take the photograph, and spend the rest of the day on Phi Phi Don's Long Beach.
Two general rules. A famous beach at midday is a different beach from the same sand at eight in the morning, and almost every disappointment I read in reviews is a midday one. And the sand near the pier is never the best sand on the island. On Koh Larn, Koh Samet, Koh Lipe and Phi Phi, walk or ride ten minutes further and the crowd halves.
Swimming safely at Thai beaches
Yes, you can swim at almost every beach on this page, in season. The risk is the monsoon. On the Andaman coast from May to October, and on the Gulf from October to December, the swells build and rip currents form off the long west-facing beaches; Phuket's Karon, Kata and Nai Harn fly red flags on those days and the drownings each year are almost all people who ignored them. A red flag means no swimming, not strong swimmers only.
The best swimming beaches for calm water are the sheltered coves and the shallow Gulf bays, so Phra Nang, Kata Noi, Nai Harn in the dry season, Klong Dao, Bang Bao, Thong Nai Pan, Maenam and Hua Hin. Jellyfish appear seasonally on the Gulf side and warnings are posted when they do; vinegar stations stand on the busier Samui and Phangan beaches. Lifeguards cover the main Phuket beaches and few others, so if you're not a confident swimmer, stay where they are.
See the beaches before you choose
Two travelers' videos that show the water, the sand and the crowds better than any description can. Both open here only when you press play.
Every region's beaches, ranked on their own pages, plus the guides that plan the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about The 15 Best Beaches in Thailand, Ranked.
Phra Nang Beach and Railay West in Krabi, Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh, Sunrise Beach on Koh Lipe, Donald Duck Bay in the Similan Islands, Freedom Beach and Nai Harn on Phuket, Klong Dao on Koh Lanta, Bang Bao Beach on Koh Kood, Bottle Beach on Koh Phangan, Sairee Beach on Koh Tao, Silver Beach on Koh Samui, Koh Kradan and Koh Ngai in Trang. Phra Nang wins on the beach itself, the Similans on water clarity, Klong Dao for families and Patong for nightlife.
Phra Nang Beach in Krabi. Limestone cliffs on three sides, a cave shrine, shallow clear water and longtail boats cooking lunch in the shallows. It's reached by a ฿100 longtail from Ao Nang and a ten-minute walk, and it's at its best at 08:00 before the day boats arrive.
The Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi, Koh Lanta, Koh Lipe and the Trang islands) for scenery and water clarity, with limestone cliffs, coral reefs and the country's most famous beaches, in season from November to April. The Gulf islands (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao) have calmer bays and a dry season that runs January to August, so the best part depends partly on your dates. The eastern islands (Koh Chang, Koh Kood) are the quiet third option.
Koh Lipe for the beaches themselves, with the clearest water on any island you can sleep on. Koh Samui for convenience (an airport, resorts and a beach for every taste), Koh Lanta for families and slow travel, Koh Tao for diving, Koh Phangan for a mix of parties and secluded bays, and Koh Kood for empty sand.
Phuket if you're traveling November to April, want the widest choice of beaches and hotels, and plan day trips to Phi Phi or Phang Nga Bay. Koh Samui if you're traveling May to August, when the Gulf is dry and the Andaman is in monsoon. Both have airports. Phuket's Kata Noi, Nai Harn and Freedom Beach beat Samui's Chaweng for water clarity, while Samui's Silver Beach and Maenam are calmer and quieter.
They do different jobs. Bangkok is the city trip, with temples, markets, food and nightlife, and no beach. Phuket is the beach trip with a city's worth of infrastructure. Most first visits do both, two or three nights in Bangkok and the rest on the coast; the Bangkok vs Phuket comparison lays out the split.
It depends on the beach you want outside the door. Our ranked lists of the best beach resorts in Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui, and the best honeymoon resorts in Thailand, are built from the highest-rated beachfront properties on each coast. The quiet-coast flagships are The Sarojin in Khao Lak, Pimalai on Koh Lanta's Kantiang Bay and Anantara Rasananda on Thong Nai Pan.
The sheltered coves and shallow bays in their dry season. Phra Nang in Krabi, Kata Noi and Nai Harn on Phuket, Klong Dao on Koh Lanta, Bang Bao on Koh Kood, Thong Nai Pan and Bottle Beach on Koh Phangan, Maenam on Koh Samui and Hua Hin's long shallow beach. Avoid the long west-facing beaches in monsoon and never swim under a red flag.
Klong Dao on Koh Lanta first, for three kilometers of gently shelving sand, calm water and beach bars with toys, on an island with no party scene. Kata Noi on Phuket and Maenam on Koh Samui are the easy-swimming beaches with hotels within walking distance. Near Bangkok, Hua Hin's beach stays wadeable for about a hundred meters out.
Samae and Tien Beach on Koh Larn (two hours to Pattaya plus a ฿30 ferry) for the best water, Koh Samet (three to four hours plus a short boat) for a weekend island, Hua Hin (three hours by train or minibus) for a resort town, and Bang Saen (90 minutes) for the closest sand, which is a promenade rather than a swim. The beaches near Bangkok guide covers each one.
The Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi, Lanta, Lipe) from November to April, and the Gulf islands (Samui, Phangan, Tao) from January to August. January to April is when both coasts are dry, and also when they're most expensive. For a cheap beach trip, take the Gulf islands in May to July while the Andaman is in monsoon.
The Similan Islands, with 30-meter visibility in season (mid-October to mid-May) and Donald Duck Bay ranked in the world's top ten. On inhabited islands, Sunrise Beach and North Point on Koh Lipe and Koh Kradan in Trang are the standouts. Water is clearest on the Andaman coast from November to April.
Yes. Koh Kood, Koh Mak, Koh Ngai, Koh Kradan, Koh Bulon Leh and Koh Yao Noi are all genuinely uncrowded, and the Surin Islands have no development at all. Even the famous islands have quiet pockets, like Bottle Beach on Koh Phangan, Nui Beach on Phuket, and any beach ten minutes' walk from the pier. Shoulder season adds solitude everywhere.
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Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
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