9 Best Beaches in Thailand

Updated: December 6, 2023

Top 9 of the best beaches in Thailand, worthy of including in your trip if you are a lover of paradisiacal beaches.

The spectacular Thai beaches with fine white sand and crystal clear water They are among the best in the world and are the main tourist destinations in the country.

Thailand has 2,500 km of beaches with a very varied offer, from hidden beaches to relax, see dreamlike sunsets, snorkel or surf.

In addition, the country of smiles has a great advantage, it has beaches bathed by the Gulf of Thailand, on one side, and on the other by the Andaman with a different rainy season depending on the area, at the end of the article I will tell you more about this.

At the end of the list, I also leave you a playlist with videos of each of the beaches, most filmed with a drone.

1.- Haad Tien Beach in Koh Tao

Koh Tao is one of the most beautiful islands in the world and has beaches on both sides of the island that are worth a visit.

However, The best beach on Koh Tao is Haad Tien in Shark Bay (Shark Bay), is one of those beaches in Thailand that dazzles.

It is long with fine white sand and turquoise water with coconut trees in the background and trees above the beach that give it a wilder touch and you can shelter from the sun.

To access you have to pass the resort of the same name and they charge 200 bahts which includes the use of WiFi and the bathroom.

Shark Bay is one of the best places for snorkeling, where you can see blacktip reef sharks, huge sea turtles and a wide variety of marine fauna.

An excellent way to visit this beach and others on the island is with this Koh Tao snorkeling tour, which is cheap and very complete.

🐢 In this other Complete Guide to Koh Tao, where I talk about the best places to snorkel on the island and in this other one you can read about Shark Bay on Koh Tao, how to get there for free and tips to see the turtles and sharks.

2.- Koh Nang Yuan Beach

Koh Nang Yuan is an archipelago made up of 3 small islands joined by sand spits and the view from the top of its viewpoint is one of the best-known postcards of Thailand.

You can get there by long tail boat from Koh Tao which is just a few minutes away.

Although there are also excursions directly from Koh Phangan or Koh Samui such as this is the link including snorkeling stop in Koh Tao.

On the island you will find 3 beaches, the most beautiful is the one on the right side once you leave the pier.

Where you can rent some sun loungers to relax and enjoy snorkeling, one of the most interesting sea beds in Thailand, the Japanese Garden.

It is called a Japanese garden because of its rich coral background that is reminiscent of a Japanese garden.

A very practical way to visit is with this Koh Nang Yuan and Koh Tao excursion to spend a spectacular day at the beach.

3.- Bottle beach in Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan since the 80s has become a popular island for its massive party on Haad Rin beach, the Full Moon Party, when the island becomes truly crazy.

But this beautiful Thai island has much more to offer, it has varied and beautiful crystalline beaches.

The best beach in Koh Phangan is the Bottle beach, a beautiful quiet beach in the northwest area of the island.

Their secret to keeping mass tourism away is their not so easy accessibility like other beaches on the island.

To get to this beach in Thailand, you have to leave your motorcycle in the motorcycle parking lot, from there you can:

1. Walking to the beach takes approximately 1 hour depending on your physical level, because it is a tough route because of the ups and downs, and the heat doesn't help.
2. You can also go by 4×4, they take you for 100 bahts per person.

From the motorcycle parking lot you can also take a short hiking route (950 m) with a slight slope (60 m of accumulated slope) to the viewpoint, which has privileged views of Bottle beach like the ones in the photo.

The path that leads to the motorcycle parking lot is not easy, especially if you are not used to going on dirt roads in the mountains.

But you have another alternative, going by traditional Thai boat (long tail boat) from Chalok Lum, which usually charges about 600 baht for the round trip.

4.- Ang Thong Marine Park in the Gulf of Thailand

Ang Thong Marine Park, more than a beach, is an area made up of 42 islands, some of them are nothing more than small islets.

This is one of the most impressive beach destinations, with paradise islands in Thailand that is protected.

You cannot build there, so you will not find hotel chains or ferries to get there, thus maintaining the mass tourism free area to preserve the authentic beauty of this natural paradise.

The only way to access it is by private boat or excursion.

Going by private boat gives you the flexibility to stay there in the park's bungalows and enjoy all its corners to the fullest; However, it is not affordable for everyone.

The economical alternative is to go with a 1-day trip from Koh Samui like the link, which includes meals, a visit to the Esmeralda lagoon, the viewpoint and snorkeling.

5.- Railay in Krabi province

Railay beach is among the best beaches in Southeast Asia and is located in the province of Krabi.

It is a beach with unique characteristics thanks to the limestone cliffs that surround it and go into the sea forming a small bay.

Therefore, the only way to get there is by boat from the city of Ao Nang, which is a few minutes away for 100 bahts each way.

This beach with turquoise waters attracts a wide variety of tourists, from backpackers to those looking for a slightly more luxurious vacation.

Although Railay is a beach, it is an excellent destination to spend several days because there is a diverse range of activities. The most popular is the climbing, there are more than 700 routes for all levels.

Also, it is a good place to rent a kayak and visit the islets, nearby beaches such as the beautiful Phra nang Cave Beach and the princess cave.

Depending on the season, this beach receives massive tourism and you can find a lot of garbage in the sea, at least that was what happened before the pandemic.

6.- Maya Bay Beach in Phi Phi

One of the best beaches in the world is Maya, on the Phi Phi Islands, surrounded by 100 m high cliffs.

This beach located on Koh Phi Phi Leh, was made famous internationally for the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, The beach.

Maya Beach was already very popular for its beauty, but after the film, it began to receive hordes of tourists who had a negative impact on the seabed, which is why it was closed for 4 years.

Maya beach reopened in January 2022Although swimming is still not allowed, you can only bathe and snorkel at the entrance to the enormous Maya Bay.

There is no accommodation or anything on the island, so to visit it you have to do it by boat from Phi Phi Don (the main island).

Another alternative is to go with this excursion from Phuket or from Krabi, with 1-day tours that include food and visits to all the most important points of the Phi Phi Islands. Plus, they are very cheap. 🤑

⭐ In this complete guide you can read more about how Visit Phi Phi where I include information on how to get there and everything you can see there.

7.- Koh Hong in Krabi

The Hong Islands are probably the most beautiful in Andaman after Phi Phi and is an excellent 1-day trip from Krabi.

Koh Hong are in Krabi province and should not be confused with Koh Hong of Phang Nga which is near James Bond Island.

The advantage of the beaches in the province of Krabi are their crystal clear waters with great visibility, however, in Phang Nga, although beautiful, they receive water with sediment from the mainland.

⭐ In this other article I tell you everything about the Phang Nga Bay in Thailand.

The main beach of Koh Hong is white sand, forming a beautiful W (or M depending on how you look at it) and has the dense jungle in the background. The small hidden lagoon on the other side of the island is also spectacular.

On the island there is a restaurant and a couple of small bars, the rest is uninhabited because it belongs to the Than Bok Khorani National Park, for which you have to pay an entrance fee of 300 bahts.

The national park is made up of other islands, the most interesting of which are:

• Koh Lao Ladding with a beach considered one of the most beautiful in all of Thailand, and
• Koh Phak Bia At low tide it reveals a tongue of white sand that reaches the islet opposite.

A cheap and practical way is to go with a excursions from Krabi like the one on the link that includes a stop at all of them, with lunch and the option of kayaking.

8.- Haad Laem Sing in Phuket

The beach Laem Sing is among the best beaches in Thailand and compared to other beaches in Phuket it is a oasis of tranquility because, depending on the time, it is almost deserted.

Furthermore, it remains isolated from the road by vegetation and barely visible, except from the viewpoint from where you can take good photos.

Before, to get to this beach there was a small path from the road, but the Mandarin Oriental hotel chain bought the land behind the beach and you can no longer cross there.

However, in Thailand all beaches are public and can be accessed by sea or roads that do not pass through private property.

Be careful, that does not mean that on some beaches they can cause problems and want to charge you, this is not the case with this beach.

So, to get to this beautiful hidden beach you have several options:

• long tail boat: From Surin Beach it costs 100 baht per person or 400 baht for the boat in case you don't want to wait for more people to come.
• Walking: They have recently opened a path from Surin Beach. Although it is somewhat difficult because at the beginning you have to climb some rocks, it could be said that most people can do it. To find the way, you have to go down to Surin Beach and pass the rock area where you will see a sign. On the way there is also a small bridge that makes that part of the path easier. That bridge was put up by the owner of the bar next door, if you want to thank him you can at least have something there, and it's also a good place to take photos.
• Swim: This is the most tiring option because it is about 3.5 km each way. I only recommend this option if you swim well and go with fins, because in Phuket the currents can change and become dangerous. You can also combine this alternative with other of the previous ones if the sea changes a lot when you return.

😎 You may also be interested in this other article about 17 best beaches in Phuket: for all tastes

9.- Similan Islands

The Similan Islands was declared a National Park in the early 80s and is made up of 11 islands, although some cannot be visited because they are protected.

The word Similan in Malay means 9, because initially there were 9 islands and in 1998 2 more slightly more remote islands were incorporated into the park.

The only islands where boats arrive and there are accommodations to spend a few days are the main islands: Koh Meang and Koh Similan.

The Koh Similan beach It is one of the most beautiful in all of Thailand, it is a long beach with wonderful fine white sand and crystal clear water.

Furthermore, Similan Islands are a paradise for snorkelling and diving Due to its abundant marine life, there you can see: whale sharks, manta rays, different types of turtles, giant barracudas, among others.

The park is open from October 15 to May 15, that is, during the dry season. Although they can modify the dates according to weather conditions.

The best months to visit are from December to March, when it rains less and there is more visibility in the water. However, if you want to see whale sharks, most sightings are between March and April.

To get there you can go with a long-tail boat, although the most practical and economical way is with a diving excursion or a 1 day excursion like the one on the link that leaves from both Khao Lak and Phuket.

The advantage of the excursions is that they include everything, from transportation from the hotel, entrance to the park (500 bahts), meals and visits to the most interesting points.

Video of the best beaches in Thailand

Here you have a playlist with videos of each of the beaches I mention in the article, many of them filmed with a drone.

👍 If you want to buy a drone to film your vacation, I recommend this one, which is light, has excellent image quality and is well priced, for some reason, is the most popular at the moment.

What is the best time to visit Thai beaches?

Thailand has a tropical climate and in the south the temperatures remain in a constant summer and two seasons can be distinguished: dry and humid.

Although the Wet season can be a bit scary, it is not as serious as it may seem.

Below I tell you all the pros and cons that you can find because ultimately it will depend on what you want to do on your vacation:

Disadvantages of the rainy season:

• You may have one day when it rains all day, but it is not the most common, in almost 3 years living in Thailand it has only happened to me about 6 times. Normally, it is a torrential rain for a few hours and then clears.
• They can be delay and cancel ships. In general, in the Andaman there are no cancellations, only delays, but in the Gulf of Thailand during the months of October and November there may be some cancellations and the ship may leave the next day. This is important to keep in mind if you have a flight and have to connect with a ferry, during the monsoon it is better not to leave it until the last minute.
• Less visibility in the water if you are going to snorkel or dive.
• More waves and currents in some places, like Phuket.
• Slippery terrain if you plan to go hiking.
• More mosquitoes, although this has a solution and it is to always carry the repellent with you.

Advantages:

• Fewer tourists to enjoy the places no mass tourism.
• Cheaper, especially in hotels and some services that may have offers such as some tours or motorcycle rentals.
• It is the surf season in Phuket.
• It matches the time of most whale shark sightings on Koh Tao and in the Similan.

What are the rainy months in southern Thailand? And the best months to go?

One advantage of Thailand is that the rainy months in the Andaman do not exactly coincide with those in the Gulf of Thailand.

• Andaman (Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi, Koh Lipe, Koh Lanta, etc.): The monsoon runs from April to October, with the rainiest months being August to mid-October. The best months to travel to the Andaman are from November to February.
• Gulf of Thailand (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, etc.): in this area the rains are more concentrated in two months, October and November. The driest and best months to go to the Gulf of Thailand are from January to April.

Keep in mind that it is normal for the monsoon to come earlier or last a little longer.

Furthermore, Thailand is a tropical country and there are some months with more rainfall, but it is impossible to know when it will rain exactly, because It can rain in the dry months.

That's why I recommend that you travel when you have your vacation because During the rainy season you can also enjoy a lot.

Final Thoughts

These are the best beaches in Thailand, some hidden and difficult to access but worth the effort.

If you have any questions, leave me a comment below and if you found the article useful, share it with other fellow travelers. 😘

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