Top Lists
Curated lists of the best hotels, restaurants, temples, beaches, and nightlife across Thailand.
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16 lists matching filters
Best Hidden Beaches in Phuket
Phuket's quietest and least-crowded beaches — secret coves and secluded sands away from the crowds.
Best Snorkeling Beaches in Thailand
Thailand's top beaches for snorkeling — crystal-clear water, coral reefs, and marine life.
Secret Beaches in Thailand
Thailand's most beautiful under-the-radar beaches — quiet shores and hidden coves away from the crowds.
The 10 Best Beaches in Hua Hin, Ranked
Most of this list is quiet, shallow-water sand rather than party coast, with a run of southern spots around Khao Tao and Khao Takiab and a couple down towards Sam Roi Yot national park. Hua Hin Beach takes the top spot on sheer weight of visitors, though Suan Son Pradiphat is the one I'd point you to for pine shade and calm swimming. Ranked by Google rating, with review numbers breaking the ties.
The 10 Best Beaches in Khao Lak, Ranked
This is mostly long, palm-backed mainland sand strung along the Khao Lak coast, quiet stretches like Bang Sak, Khuk Khak and Pak Weep doing the heavy lifting, with resort-heavy Bang Niang and Nang Thong at the busier end. The odd one out is Donald Duck Bay on Koh Similan, granite boulders and a boat trip away, and worth the effort. Ranked on Google ratings, with review volume breaking ties.
The 10 Best Beaches in Koh Chang, Ranked
Most of this list hugs Koh Chang's west coast, from White Sand and Kai Bae down to Klong Prao and Lonely Beach, with a few strays from neighbouring Koh Kood and Koh Mak sneaking in near the top. Bang Bao on Koh Kood takes it, backed by a big pile of reviews for a bay that quiet. Ranked on Google ratings, with review volume settling the close calls.
The 10 Best Beaches in Koh Lanta, Ranked
This is a west-coast list through and through, and it leans quiet: small jungle-backed bays like Nui and Klong Jak sit above the long, easy stretches of sand up north. Nui Bay takes the top spot with far more reviews than anything below it, which is saying something for a beach people call crowd-free. Ranked on Google ratings, with review numbers breaking the ties.
The 10 Best Beaches in Koh Phangan, Ranked
The north coast dominates here, with Mae Haad, Bottle Beach, Ko Ma and Haad Khom all quiet, calm-water sand, plus the Thong Nai Pan bays round on the northeast. Zen Beach takes top spot on sheer weight of visitor opinion, while Haad Rin is the outlier, party ground on Full Moon nights. Ranked by Google rating with review volume as the tiebreaker.
The 10 Best Beaches in Koh Tao, Ranked
This lot leans heavily east coast, with quiet snorkelling bays like Tanote, Haad Sai Daeng and Ao Hin Wong doing most of the work, plus a couple of walk-in coves on the south side. Ao Leuk takes top spot on sheer weight of reviews, though Sairee is the one for anyone who wants a bar and a sunset rather than solitude. Ranked by Google rating, with review numbers breaking the ties.
The 10 Best Beaches in Krabi, Ranked
Half this list sits on the Railay peninsula, which means longtail boats and no road access, and most of the rest strings along the Ao Nang coast. Ko Poda is the one I'd single out, an island stop that scores higher than anything else here despite far fewer people rating it. Ranking is by Google rating, with review volume breaking the ties.
The 10 Best Beaches in Pattaya, Ranked
Half this list sits on Ko Larn rather than the mainland, so you're looking at a ferry ride for the clearest water. Samae Beach takes the top spot for me because the sand and the hill walk above the bay cost you little more than the boat fare. The rest split between Jomtien's long palm-lined stretch and quieter sand further south at Bang Saray, ranked by Google rating with review numbers breaking the ties.
The 10 Best Beaches in Phi Phi Islands, Ranked
Almost all of these sit on Phi Phi Don, and the list leans heavily towards quiet coves rather than the party sand, with Loh Dalum and Ton Sai the two obvious exceptions. Long Beach takes the top spot on rating and sheer weight of reviews, while Monkey Beach pulls the biggest crowd of all despite scoring lower. It's ranked by Google rating, with review volume breaking the ties.
The 10 Best Beaches in Phuket, Ranked
This is a west-coast list almost end to end, from the noise of Patong down through Karon, Kata and Kata Noi to the quieter sweeps at Bang Tao and Nai Harn. Patong takes the top spot purely on sheer weight of visitors, though the two Banana Beaches are the ones I'd flag, one an island trip off the south coast and both rated higher than the famous names. Ranked by Google rating, with review volume breaking the ties.
The 12 Best Beaches in Koh Samui, Ranked
The north coast runs away with this one, with Bo Phut, Choeng Mon, Maenam, Ban Tai and Bang Po all trading on calm, flat water and very little to do. Lamai takes the top spot on the strength of sheer numbers, a long clean stretch with coconut shacks rather than polish, while Chaweng sits just behind for anyone who wants noise. It's ranked on Google ratings, with review volume breaking the ties.
The 6 Best Beaches in Koh Lipe, Ranked
Koh Lipe is small enough that you can walk between most of these in an afternoon, and that's roughly what this list is: the three big-name stretches on the east, west and south, plus a few quieter corners like North Point and Maricilla that see a fraction of the crowds. North Point takes the top spot for me, since it pulls big-beach ratings without the longtail traffic. Ranked by Google rating, with review volume breaking the ties.
The 6 Best Beaches in Koh Samet, Ranked
This list splits neatly between the busy north and the quiet south, with Sai Kaew pulling the biggest crowds and the speedboat traffic to match, while Ao Wai, Ao Thian and Ao Kiu Na Nok are all small, calm coves down the bottom end. Ao Wai is the one I'd point at first, since it scores higher than the headline beach and still feels uncrowded. Ranked on Google rating, with review volume breaking the ties.