Expatify

Travel & Expat Lifestyle Magazine

Navigating the Beaches of Thailand

Thailand is full of beautiful beaches of all sorts, as much of the country is on water. Beach goers can likely find their idealized spots, whether they are developed and full of action, or secluded and peaceful.

patong

Patong Beach, Phuket

Patong Beach is the most popular, well-known Thai beach. It is the largest beach on the island of Phuket, located on its western side. It is full of white sand and warm water. Since it’s such a big, spread out beach, many people like to rent scooters to go around the the surrounding town. There is a lot of development around the beach, but none directly on it, as there is a road that separates the beach from the town. There are many spectacular views and peaceful areas on Patong Beach; it is commonly visited by people in their 20s.

railey

Railay Beach, Krabi

Railay Beach is more quiet and low key, and does not have as much development around it. This beach is located on a small peninsula between two cities, and you can get there only by boat. It has beautiful clear blue waters, and there are small islands and interesting limestone rock formations sticking out of the water. Not much shopping or restaurant action here, but people can partake in sports like rock climbing, swimming and snorkeling.

maya beach

Mahya Bay, Ko Phi Phi Ley

This island is located on the Phi Phi archipelago, and it is a ring of steep limestone hills engulfed by a shallow bay. It is a popular spot for divers. Since it is a small beach, it can get a little crowded. It used to be very pristine,  but development has taken place the last few years. It was the location where the movie “The Beach” was filmed.

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Hua Hin Beach, Hua Hin

Hua Hin Beach is more on the upscale side, full of resorts and golf courses and other development. There are very wide stretches of beach with white sand, and water that is excellent for swimming. You can see some rock formations at the end of the main beach, and there are pine trees all along the sand. This beach gets very crowded with tourists (Thais and foreign visitors), and is full of family and children activities, so it’s definitely not a place to go to get away from crowds.

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