Best Beaches in Thailand

Patong is Phuket's busiest beach, a three-kilometre bay on the west coast lined with resorts, tailors and massage shops, with Bangla Road and its bars a block behind. Parasailing and jet skis operate along the whole strip, and the sand is wide enough that it rarely feels full even in season. From May to October a strong undertow can make swimming dangerous, so take the red flags seriously. Choose Patong if you want nightlife and everything within walking distance, and Karon or Kata if you do not. How to Reach: About 40 minutes by taxi from Phuket International Airport. Best Time to Visit: November to March

Maya Bay sits on uninhabited Koh Phi Phi Leh, enclosed by limestone walls over 100 metres high, and is the bay used in the film The Beach. It was shut for almost four years so the reef could recover and reopened under strict park rules: boats dock at a pontoon in Loh Samah Bay behind the island, visitor numbers are capped, and swimming in the bay is not permitted. It also closes for part of the low season, so check before you book. Go for the walk-in view and the photographs rather than a swim, and take the earliest boat to beat the day-trip fleet. How to Reach: Speedboat or longtail day trip from Phuket, Krabi or Koh Phi Phi Don. Nobody stays overnight on Phi Phi Leh. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Known For : Rock Climbing in Railey Tham Phra Nang Cave View Point and Lagoon

Railay is a peninsula cut off from mainland Krabi by limestone headlands, so there is no road in and every arrival is by longtail boat. Railay West has the swimmable sand and the sunset bars; Railay East is mangrove and mud at low tide but cheaper to sleep on. The cliffs carry several hundred bolted climbing routes, which is why Railay draws climbers year round. Choose it over Ao Nang if you want scenery and quiet evenings rather than shops and traffic. How to Reach: 15-minute longtail boat from Ao Nang, or about 45 minutes from Krabi Town pier. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Best Time: November to March

3 Railay (Rai Leh) Attractions

Ao Nang is the main beach town of Krabi province and the base most visitors use for the whole area. The beach itself is a working seafront rather than a swimming beach: longtail boats line the sand and the water clouds up after rain. What it gives you is access, with boats leaving all day for Railay, Poda, Chicken Island and the Four Islands tour, plus the widest choice of hotels, restaurants and dive shops in Krabi. Stay here and take a boat out each morning. How to Reach: About 30 minutes by taxi from Krabi International Airport. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Pattaya Beach is a three-kilometre crescent along Beach Road, two hours from Bangkok, which makes it the easiest sea day to add to a Bangkok trip. Jet skis, parasailing and banana boats run all day, and Walking Street starts a few minutes from the southern end. The water here is not the clearest in Thailand, so most visitors use the beach as a base and take the ferry out to Koh Larn to swim. Pick Pattaya for convenience, nightlife and cheap hotels rather than for the sand. How to Reach: 2-hour drive or bus from Bangkok, or train to Pattaya station. Best Time to Visit: November to February

Kata is a 1.5-kilometre bay on Phuket's west coast, quieter than Patong and better organised than most beaches on the island, with loungers, showers and lifeguards along the sand. From May to October a rideable shore break sets up and Kata becomes Phuket's main learn-to-surf beach, with board hire and lessons at the southern end. Outside those months the water is flat and good for swimming and for snorkelling around the rocks at either end. Kata Noi next door is smaller and quieter if the main bay feels busy. How to Reach: About 50 minutes by taxi from Phuket International Airport. Best Time to Visit: November to April for swimming, May to October for surf

Karon is a three-kilometre beach between Patong and Kata on Phuket's west coast, with a wide band of fine white sand that squeaks underfoot and stays walkable even at busy times. It has resorts, restaurants and a night market behind it but no bar strip, which is why families and older travellers pick it over Patong ten minutes up the road. The sand shelves steeply and surf builds from May to October, so check the flags before swimming. The Tuesday and Friday temple market is worth timing a visit around. How to Reach: About 45 minutes by taxi from Phuket International Airport. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Chaweng is Koh Samui's longest and busiest beach, about seven kilometres of white sand on the east coast, with the island's main concentration of hotels, restaurants and nightlife directly behind it. The northern end is calmer and shallower and suits families; the central and southern stretches hold the bars and beach clubs. Water sports run all day and swimming is safe for most of the year. Pick Chaweng if you want to walk to everything, and Lamai or Bophut if you want less noise. How to Reach: About 15 minutes by taxi from Samui airport. Best Time to Visit: December to April

Phra Nang sits at the southern tip of the Railay peninsula, backed by an overhanging limestone wall and reachable only on foot from Railay or by boat. The water is shallow, calm and genuinely swimmable, and the Princess Cave at one end is a working shrine filled with carved offerings left by local fishermen. There is no accommodation on the beach itself, so most people walk over from Railay for the day. It fills up from about 11am when the island-hopping boats arrive, so go early. How to Reach: Five-minute walk from Railay East, or longtail boat from Ao Nang. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Jomtien is the six-kilometre beach immediately south of Pattaya, and the one locals use when Pattaya Beach is full. It is wider, cleaner and much longer, with a proper promenade, cheaper seafood and far fewer touts. Kitesurfing and windsurfing schools operate along the middle section where the wind is reliable, and the northern end has the high-rise condos and the water park. Choose Jomtien over Pattaya Beach if you want a beach day, and stay in Pattaya if you want nightlife. How to Reach: 10 minutes by songthaew or taxi south from central Pattaya; about 2 hours from Bangkok. Best Time to Visit: November to February

Haad Rin is the beach at Koh Phangan's southern tip that hosts the Full Moon Party, which has run since the 1980s and draws tens of thousands of people once a month. The beach splits in two: Haad Rin Nok, the Sunrise side, has the fine white sand and the bars, while Haad Rin Nai, the Sunset side, is quieter and cheaper to sleep on. Outside party week the sunrise side is a normal, swimmable beach. Book weeks ahead for full moon dates and expect minimum-night stays. How to Reach: Ferry to Thong Sala from Koh Samui or Surat Thani, then 20 minutes by road, or a direct boat on the night. Best Time to Visit: December to April

Sairee is the main beach on Koh Tao, a 1.7-kilometre curve on the west coast holding most of the island's dive schools, guesthouses and restaurants. Koh Tao certifies more Open Water divers than almost anywhere in the world, and the shallow, calm water off Sairee is where most of those first dives happen. The beach faces west, so it is also the island's sunset spot, and the bars along it run fire shows after dark. Choose Koh Tao over Samui or Phangan if diving is the point of the trip. How to Reach: Ferry from Chumphon (about 2 hours), or from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. Best Time to Visit: March to September. November and December are the wettest months.

Koh Nang Yuan is three small islands off the northwest coast of Koh Tao, joined by a sandbar you can walk across at low tide. It is privately managed: there is a landing fee, plastic bottles are not allowed ashore, and day visitors are asked to leave by late afternoon. Snorkelling straight off the sandbar is among the best in the Gulf of Thailand, and a ten-minute scramble up the rocks reaches the viewpoint that appears on most Thailand posters. Go on the first boat, because the day trips from Koh Tao and Koh Samui start arriving mid-morning. How to Reach: 10-minute longtail boat from Sairee Beach on Koh Tao. Best Time to Visit: March to September

Kamala is a two-kilometre bay on Phuket's west coast between Patong and Surin, with a Muslim fishing village behind it rather than a bar strip. The northern end is quiet and shaded and the southern end has most of the restaurants; the sand shelves gently and swimming is safe in high season. A couple of beach clubs provide evening entertainment without Bangla Road. It suits families and couples who want to be 15 minutes from Patong but not in it. How to Reach: About 35 minutes by taxi from Phuket International Airport. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Nai Harn sits at the southern end of Phuket, backed by a freshwater lagoon and a working monastery, which is why almost nothing has been built along the shoreline. The bay is sheltered and the water is usually calm and clear enough for swimming and paddleboarding from November to April. Yachts anchor offshore through high season, and a short coastal path leads north to Ao Sane. Choose it if you want a well-kept Phuket beach with no resort strip behind it. How to Reach: About an hour by taxi from Phuket International Airport, 20 minutes from Rawai. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Lamai is Koh Samui's second-largest beach, a four-kilometre bay on the east coast, and the usual pick for people who want Chaweng's facilities at lower prices and lower density. The northern half has the clearest water and the softest sand; the southern end turns rocky and finishes at the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rock formations. Hotels, bars and a Sunday night market sit behind the beach. Currents can pick up along the southern half, so swim near the middle. How to Reach: About 30 minutes by taxi from Samui airport. Best Time to Visit: December to April

Freedom Beach is a 300-metre strip of white sand south of Patong, shut in by forested headlands with no road access. You reach it by longtail from Patong pier or on a steep 20-minute walk down a rough track, which is why it stays far quieter than the beaches on either side. The water is clear and calm enough to swim and snorkel in high season. Bring cash and water: there is one small bar and nothing else. How to Reach: 15-minute longtail boat from Patong pier, or a steep marked trail off Patong Hill. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Bang Tao is Phuket's longest beach, about six kilometres of sand on the northwest coast and the site of the Laguna complex of linked resorts. The northern half is organised, with loungers, water sports and beach clubs; the southern half is largely empty and good for a long walk. The water is shallow and calm from November to April and the bay is far less crowded per metre than Patong or Kata. It is the usual pick for a Phuket package built around a resort and a pool. How to Reach: About 25 minutes by taxi from Phuket International Airport. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Surin is a short, steeply shelving bay on Phuket's northwest coast, backed by casuarina trees and flanked by some of the island's most expensive resorts. The beach clubs that once covered the sand were cleared in 2014, so what remains is unusually open and uncommercial for Phuket. Waves and undertow build quickly from May to October and the drop-off is sharp, which makes it a poor choice for weak swimmers in low season. From November to April it is calm, clear and quiet. How to Reach: About 30 minutes by taxi from Phuket International Airport. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Bophut sits on Koh Samui's north coast and is best known for Fisherman's Village, a strip of restored Chinese shophouses turned into restaurants, bars and boutiques directly behind the sand. The beach has darker, coarser sand than Chaweng and the water is shallow, so it works better for a sunset walk and dinner than for a full swimming day. A Friday night walking street closes the village to traffic. Pick Bophut if food and atmosphere matter more to you than the beach itself. How to Reach: About 10 minutes by taxi west from Samui airport. Best Time to Visit: December to April

Monkey Beach is a short strip of sand on the western side of Koh Phi Phi Don, named for the troop of long-tailed macaques living in the trees behind it. It is a standard stop on Phi Phi island-hopping tours and about ten minutes by longtail from Tonsai. The monkeys are wild and used to people: they take bags and food and they do bite, so carry nothing loose and do not feed them. There is no accommodation and almost no shade, so treat it as a 30-minute stop rather than a beach day. How to Reach: Longtail boat from Tonsai Bay on Koh Phi Phi Don, or as part of a day tour. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Hua Hin Beach is a five-kilometre stretch on the Gulf coast about three hours south of Bangkok, and Thailand's oldest seaside resort: the royal family has summered here since the 1920s. The water is calm and shallow, kitesurfing runs from January to April when the wind is steady, and pony rides along the sand are a long-standing fixture. It is the easiest proper beach to reach from Bangkok without flying, which is why Thai families fill it at weekends. Go midweek if you want space. How to Reach: About 3 hours by car, bus or train from Bangkok. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Koh Lipe is one of the islands of the Tarutao Marine National Park. Initially, this island was predominantly settled by the Chao Ley or the sea gipsies who live in small villages here. Tourism has increased in Koh Lipe since the 1990s and hasn't seen a pause ever since. The vast coral reefs and gorgeous white sand beaches attract beach lovers and scuba diving and snorkelling enthusiasts every year. Pak Bara Pier in the Satun region is the closest pier to Koh Lipe, with speedboats and ferries available regularly.

Koh Chang is one of Thailand's larger islands, tucked into Trat province near the Cambodian border, with most of its area protected as Mu Ko Chang National Park. The name translates to 'Elephant Island,' but what draws visitors now is that it stays quieter and less developed than Phuket or Koh Samui. Much of the interior is still rainforest, with short treks leading to waterfalls such as Klong Plu, while Hat Sai Khao, or White Sand Beach, is the main strip for swimming and beachfront bars. It's a good match if you want a beach trip with some jungle trekking mixed in, without the nightlife scale of Thailand's bigger islands.

Sai Kaew, or Diamond Beach, is the longest and busiest beach on Koh Samet, next to the island's main village on the northeast coast. The sand is unusually fine and squeaks underfoot, the water is clear and calm, and jet skis, banana boats and windsurfers run all day. Bars along the beach put on fire shows after dark. Koh Samet is the closest island beach to Bangkok, roughly four hours door to door, so it fills at weekends and is far quieter midweek. How to Reach: Ferry from Ban Phe pier in Rayong, about 40 minutes. Ban Phe is around 3 hours from Bangkok. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Koh Lanta Island is renowned for being the lesser-known escape in the Andaman Sea between the Phi Phi Islands and the western coast of Thailand. It is a cluster of 52 islands, and most of them are uninhabited as well as away from the clutches of commercialization. This allows visitors to have an authentic island experience and a relaxing vacation amidst jungles, coral reefs, balmy weather, and secluded beaches. Not only this, but at Koh Lanta you can also enjoy scuba diving, snorkelling, getting inked, a soothing Thai massage, or just a longtail boat tour.

Klong Dao is the first beach south of Saladan pier on Koh Lanta, a two-kilometre bay with a flat sandy bottom and no rocks or sudden drop-off. That makes it the safest swimming beach on the island and the one families are usually pointed towards. Shops, restaurants and the pier are all within walking distance, which the beaches further south are not. Sunsets face west over the water and the sand stays wide enough to walk the full length at any tide. How to Reach: About 5 minutes by road south from Saladan pier on Koh Lanta. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Kantiang Bay is a curved cove near the southern end of Koh Lanta, about 40 minutes by road from the main pier and well away from the island's busier northern beaches. Headlands at both ends keep the water calm, and there is decent snorkelling straight off the rocks. A handful of resorts and beach bars sit above the sand, with a small village on the road behind, but no through traffic and no nightlife. Pick it if you want Koh Lanta at its quietest and do not mind driving to reach shops and food. How to Reach: About 40 minutes by taxi or scooter south from Saladan pier on Koh Lanta. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Mae Nam runs for about seven kilometres along Koh Samui's north coast, facing Koh Phangan across the channel. The water is shallow and calm most of the year, which makes it one of the island's easiest beaches for small children, and much of the sand is backed by coconut palms rather than resorts. Room rates run well below Chaweng and there is a Thursday night walking street in the village. Catamarans to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao leave from Maenam pier at the eastern end, so it also suits island hopping. How to Reach: About 20 minutes by taxi west from Samui airport. Best Time to Visit: December to April

Nai Yang is a long curved bay inside Sirinat National Park at Phuket's northern end, five minutes from the airport. Casuarina trees shade the whole length of the sand, a reef about a kilometre offshore keeps the water calm, and the beach draws Thai families on picnics rather than tour groups. From May to October it is one of Phuket's main kitesurfing beaches. It is the sensible choice for a first or last day on the island, and aircraft pass low overhead on approach. How to Reach: About 10 minutes by taxi from Phuket International Airport. Best Time to Visit: November to April for swimming, May to October for kitesurfing

Salad Beach, or Haad Salad, is a small bay on Koh Phangan's northwest coast, about 45 minutes by road from the Full Moon Party beach at Haad Rin. A reef sits close to shore, so the snorkelling is good and the water stays flat, though at low tide the shallow end is hard to swim in. There are a dozen or so small resorts and beachfront restaurants and nothing louder than that. It is the obvious choice if you want Koh Phangan without the party side of the island. How to Reach: Ferry to Thong Sala pier from Koh Samui or Surat Thani, then about 30 minutes by road. Best Time to Visit: December to April

Koh Kradan is a small island in Trang province, south of Krabi, inside Hat Chao Mai National Park. The main beach runs the length of the east coast and has live coral in shallow water only a few metres out, so you can snorkel straight from the sand without hiring a boat. There are only a handful of resorts and no roads, villages or nightlife, and some properties run on generator power. Choose it if you want a beach that is genuinely undeveloped and are willing to travel a long way for it. How to Reach: Longtail or speedboat from Hat Yao pier in Trang, about 40 minutes. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Ao Sane is a small rocky cove just north of Nai Harn on Phuket's southern tip, reached by a narrow unpaved track past the Nai Harn resort. There is very little sand: the draw is the rock and coral in shallow water a few metres out, which makes it one of the few places on Phuket where you can snorkel properly without a boat. A single beachfront restaurant handles food and drink and there is nothing else. Bring reef shoes, because getting in and out over the rocks is awkward. How to Reach: Drive or scooter along the coastal track from the north end of Nai Harn Beach. Best Time to Visit: November to April

Laem Sing is a small bay between Kamala and Surin on Phuket's west coast, hemmed in by headlands and invisible from the road above. Access is down a steep path from the highway pull-in or by longtail from Kamala, which keeps numbers low even in high season. The sand is soft, the water is deep enough to swim close in, and a couple of informal beach cafes operate through the season. Access has been restricted at times as the land behind the beach has changed hands, so check locally before making the trip. How to Reach: Steep footpath from the Kamala to Surin road, or a longtail boat from Kamala Beach. Best Time to Visit: November to April