The Best Beaches in Thailand Worth Going To

Thailand has a coastline of about 3,200 kilometres (2,000 miles) along two seas, the Gulf of Thailand in the east and the Andaman Sea in the west. The best beaches in Thailand are on both sides but each sea has its own weather system and its own character. Geography is more important than people think, so get it right before you book.

This is a guide to the best beaches in Thailand honestly – including the overhyped ones and the best time to visit Thailand depending on which coast you are on, and practical tips to avoid the mistakes you can avoid.

8 Beaches That Hold Up

Here are hundreds of beaches. Most guides just repeat the same five. These eight are the ones worth planning around – across both coasts.

Railay Beach – Krabi, Andaman

Only accessible by boat, so not many crowds. Two beaches side by side (Railay West for swimming and Railay East for longtail docks) plus some of the best rock climbing in Southeast Asia, tall limestone cliffs. One of the best beaches in Thailand for drama and scenery – stay overnight to see it without the day-trippers.

Long Beach, Koh Lanta – Krabi Province

Several miles of sand that somehow still doesn’t feel crowded. Shallow water, good for kids, decent restaurants, not a party scene. The island people pick after they’ve done Phuket.

Ao Phrao, Koh Kood – Trat Province, Gulf

The least developed of the big islands in the Gulf. There aren’t any direct flights, and the ferries are hard to use. That’s the point. Water is clear green, which is something that most Gulf beaches stopped doing decades ago. Ao Phrao on the north west coast is wide and shaded by palm trees. One of the few Gulf beaches tourists haven’t discovered yet.

Nai Harn Beach – South Phuket

South of Phuket, away from Patong. A lake behind the beach stops development. Local food places here are a fraction of the price of anything near the main strip. If you’re doing Phuket stay here, it’s the best beach on the island by some way.

Koh Yao Noi – Phang Nga Bay

A Muslim fishing community halfway between Phuket and Krabi, culturally neither closer to one nor the other The main attraction is biking around the island and seeing the limestone karsts come out at low tide. Beaches are good on west coast. A full island circuit takes a couple of hours.

Hat Rin, Koh Pha Ngan – Gulf

A good beach at the wrong time of the week is a garbage-strewn rave. The rest of the time it’s a quiet crescent of sand, with cheap food and no fights over sun beds. Avoid three days before and after the Full Moon Party unless that is the reason you are there.

Laem Singh Beach – North Phuket

No access by road. You can get there by boat or a steep trail up a cliff. The clearest water on the island. No merchants. No bars. Check the access restrictions before you go – it has intermittent closures.

Khlong Dao, Koh Lanta

The longest beach on the island. You can walk for twenty minutes without seeing anyone else. Sunsets over the Andaman live up to the hype. Better as a base than a day trip destination.

Best Time to Visit Thailand

There’s no one answer, it all depends on which coast you’re visiting. This is actually a good thing; the two weather systems are out of sync, so there is always somewhere dry in Thailand.

The best time to go to Thailand on the Andaman side (Phuket, Krabi, Koh Lanta) is November to April. March and April are the sweet spot – dry weather, thinner crowds and lower prices than December. February to April is the best time to visit Thailand on the Gulf side (Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Tao). October on the Gulf is rough – avoid.

The offset works in your favour for budget travel: when the Andaman is in monsoon (May-October), the Gulf is often at its best. If you’re travelling north, the best time to visit Thailand is November to February – cool, clear and bearable.

Coast	Best Months	Notes
Andaman (Phuket, Krabi, Lanta)	Nov – Apr	March – April is the sweet spot: dry, fewer people, 20 – 30% cheaper than peak.
Gulf (Samui, Pha Ngan, Tao)	Feb – Apr	October is genuinely rough – avoid. Gulf stays dry while Andaman is in monsoon.
Bangkok / Chiang Mai	Nov – Feb	Cool and clear. March in Chiang Mai brings smoke from field burning – avoid for air quality.

Things To Do in Thailand Beyond the Beach

The things to do in Thailand that tend to stick are mostly off the sand. Other activities in Thailand where your time is well spent:

• Scuba diving – Koh Tao in the Gulf has PADI Open Water courses for around $300-350, about half the cost of Australia or Europe. Similan Islands (liveaboard, Andaman) For experienced divers the Similan Islands are on another level.
• Rock climbing in Krabi – Tonsai and Railay beaches have hundreds of limestone routes. Half-day intro courses are common and give you a physical read of the lay of the land.
• Cooking classes – Chiang Mai is the best base for Thai food in the north. Most classes start at a market, and then we spend three to four hours cooking and eating. The skills do carry over at home.
• Kayaking through sea caves – Phang Nga Bay has a network of caves accessible by kayak at low tide. You paddle dark passages into enclosed lagoons in limestone formations. Sea Canoe of original operator John Grey.
• Street food and night markets – Chinatown on a Friday night in Bangkok is overwhelming in the best way General rule of thumb: eat where you see locals, not where you see picture menus.

Practical Notes

Things that trip people up a little bit:

Getting around Domestic flights $30-60. For the Gulf islands, Lomprayah is the most reliable ferry operator – book ahead in peak season.

Money: ATMs charge around 200-220 baht (~$6) per withdrawal + foreign transaction fees. Having a wise or Revolut card greatly reduces that. Beach shacks and local markets are generally cash only.

Budget: Hostels, street food and local transport cost about $35–50 a day. A private room and occasional restaurants comes in at $80-120.

Visas: Most Western passport holders get 30 days on arrival, with one extension possible for about $60. Policies change – check current rules before making a booking.

Sunscreen: Oxybenzone is banned in some marine parks. Bring reef-safe mineral sunscreen from home – the choices at the resort shops are limited and expensive.

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