Mai Khao Beach
The longest beach on Phuket: about 11 km of almost empty sand in Sirinat National Park, with planes landing low over its southern end.
16 places
Phuket's beaches, compared
The west-coast beaches from Mai Khao to Ya Nui side by side: how you get there, what it costs to get in, and when the sea is calm.
Almost all of Phuket's beaches are on the west coast, facing the Andaman Sea, and almost all of them are reached by road. What sets them apart is what lies behind the sand: a national park and the airport at Mai Khao, the nightlife of Patong, family hotels at Kata and Karon, a lake and no town at Nai Harn. A few coves, such as Laem Sing and Freedom Beach, take a scramble over rocks, a steep path or a boat.
What they share is the sea: calm from December to March, rough on many days from May to October, when the southwest monsoon brings rip currents and red flags. On the day, the flag on the beach matters more than anything written here. The table below compares the beaches on what changes a plan; our beaches guide covers the flags, the season and each beach in detail.
Compare at a glance
| Places | Access | Entry | Time to allow | Best time | Distance (from Patong) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mai Khao Beach | By road | A long walk, or a quiet afternoon | December to March, when the sea is calmest | 28 km | |
| Nai Yang Beach | By road | An afternoon | December to March, when the water is calm | 22 km | |
| Nai Thon Beach | By road | An afternoon | December to March | 18 km | |
| Bang Tao Beach | By road | Free | A few hours, or a stay | December to March, for a calm sea | 12 km |
| Surin Beach | By road | Free | A few hours | December to March, for a calm sea | 9 km |
| Laem Sing Beach | On foot from the road | Half a day | December to March, when the boat runs and the sea is calm | 8 km | |
| Kamala Beach | By road | Free | A few hours, or a stay | November to April, when the sea is calm most days | 6 km |
| Kalim Beach | By road | Free | A short stop | May to October for experienced surfers; otherwise any dry-season day for the view | 2 km |
| Patong Beach | By road | Free | An hour, or a whole stay | December to March, for a calm sea | 0 km |
| Paradise Beach | By road | Entry fee at the gate | Half a day | December to March, for a calm sea | 3 km |
| Freedom Beach | On foot from the road | Small entry fee | Half a day | December to March, when boats run and the sea is calm | 3 km |
| Karon Beach | By road | Free | A few hours, or a stay | December to March, for a calm sea | 6 km |
| Kata Beach | By road | Free | A few hours, or a stay | December to March for swimming; May to October for surfing | 9 km |
| Kata Noi Beach | By road | Free | A few hours | November to April, when the sea is flat | 10 km |
| Nai Harn Beach | By road | Free | An afternoon | November to February, the calmest months according to one guide | 13 km |
| Ya Nui Beach | By road | Free | A few hours | November to April, for snorkelling | 14 km |
Nai Yang Beach
A quiet, shallow beach under casuarina trees, with a local feel and more Thai families at the weekend.
Nai Thon Beach
A small, calm bay with few loungers: good in the dry season, not a beach for the monsoon.
Bang Tao Beach
A long, open bay, rarely crowded, with the Laguna resort complex towards the south and the village of Cherngtalay to the north.
Surin Beach
A short, chic beach of clear water, loungers and massage tables, with a rough sea from May to October.
Laem Sing Beach
A cove of about 300 m between granite boulders, reached over rocks or by small boat from Surin.
Kamala Beach
A village beach, quieter than Patong, with simple restaurants and longtails, and calmer at its northern end.
Kalim Beach
The rocky northern tip of Patong's bay: a surf spot for experienced surfers in the monsoon, not a swimming beach.
Patong Beach
About 3 km of sand in front of the island's nightlife district: the busiest beach on Phuket.
Paradise Beach
Two small bays at the end of a private road south of Patong, with a paid entrance: more beach club than hidden cove.
Freedom Beach
A crescent of about 300 m south of Patong, quieter than its neighbours, reached by longtail or down a steep path.
Karon Beach
A long, wide beach of pale sand, and the beach where the most people have drowned on Phuket.
Kata Beach
About a kilometre of sand, more relaxed than Patong and popular with families, and a surf beach in the rainy season.
Kata Noi Beach
A small, calm bay below a headland, with three hotels along it and little parking.
Nai Harn Beach
A crescent bay with a small freshwater lake behind the beach and no town around it.
Ya Nui Beach
A small cove between the Windmill viewpoint and Promthep Cape, quickly full, with snorkelling out towards Koh Man.
See these places with us
Things to do · the beaches
Beaches
Phuket's beaches line its west coast, from an empty 11 km strand by the airport to small coves reached on foot or by boat. The one thing they share is the sea: calm from December to March, and dangerous on many days from May to October.
Where to stay
Where to stay
Kata and Karon for a first trip, Patong for the nights, the Old Town for the food, Mai Khao for the airport: the area you sleep in decides your beach, your evenings and your drives.
Things to do · Patong
Patong
Patong is Phuket's busiest resort: a 3 km beach in a bay on the west coast, a town of hotels, malls and markets behind it, and Bangla Road, the island's nightlife street. It is convenient, loud and very easy to enjoy if you know where its rules and its traps are.
Where to stay · Kamala and Surin
Kamala and Surin
Two quiet beaches north of Patong: a village bay and a small, smart one. What each is like to sleep at, what the sea does in the monsoon, and who would be happier somewhere else.
Common questions
Which Phuket beaches can you not drive to?
Laem Sing, reached over rocks from the southern end of Surin or by small boat from Surin, and Freedom Beach, reached by longtail from Patong or down a steep path. The other beaches here are reached by road; Paradise Beach is at the end of a private road, with a paid entrance.
When is it safe to swim at Phuket's beaches?
From December to March the sea is calm on most west-coast beaches. From May to October, swim only between the two red and yellow flags where lifeguards are on duty, and never when the red flag is up: it means swimming is forbidden.