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The
best time to go to Thailand's beaches is Dec - March,
apart from peak holiday times.
The worst time to go is probably May - Oct, especially on the Andaman
[west] Coast [heavy rains].
The
Gulf [east] Coast has a much less heavy rains than the west coast
but longer, from June - Dec.
Thailand's
best overall sightseeing [i.e. non-beaches] time is the cool season,
Nov- Feb. Worst is April - Sept, hot and sticky. March -May is the
hot season. The rainy season is June - Oct.
The
'curse
of the longtails'
makes many previously desirable places a pain in the head now. These
typical Thailand taxi boats are fitted with unsilenced truck engines,
so put 2 or 3 together on water and it sounds like a 747 coming...and
going....and coming....
Beaches that are only accessible by boat, or used as a longtail
terminal have drone and diesel smell problems. Notably noxious are
Krabi and the Phi Phi islands. Hey Mr Thai Environment Minister,
put a noise suppressor on them!
This,
the west [Andaman] coast has buckets of rain May-October.
Khao Lak [beach
pictures]
An hour's drive north of Phuket airport , this strip of medium-fine
yellow sand and clear sea is little developed, with no buildings
over two stories and mostly good quality bungalows scattered under
the palms and casuarinas [a kind of fir tree] beside the beach.
The beach is winding, narrow in parts and has character, with rocky
outcrops and a lovely cluster of stlit bars and restaurants at one
end. Waves can be a problem for small children, especially at the
start of the season, i.e. December/January.
The bungalows aren't cheap but the location - Andaman Sea on one
side, wildlife-rampant rainforest the other, and Thailand's scuba
superb Similan islands 64 km offshore makes them worthwhile.
Tour groups haven't got here yet, tho' plenty of North Europeans
have.
The one horse town of Khao Lak provides basic shops and restaurants.
Best time Nov-March, but showers may happen anytime.
Phuket Island beaches, best time Nov-March.
Worst May-Oct [rough seas and winds] [beach
pictures]
Phuket is one of the world's most famous international resort islands.
It is the largest, the most expensive and the most touristy of all
Thailand's islands, with busy sand and an international airport.
Patong beach is particularly crowded and unpleasantly pushy, but
comfortable, quiet beaches do exist here, mainly far NW or far SW:
- Nai Harn beach, SW Phuket - for those with money, this beach is
quiet, clean, safe, pretty and has 2 hotels. The superb Le Meridien
[Phuket Yacht Club], and less expensive Nai Harn Resort. Big waves
in December.
- *[Bugbog's choice] Nai Thon beach, NW - very, very quiet, just
a couple of simple bars/ restaurants/ hotels, but wonderful squeaky
white sand, clear water, no boats, few cars, no package people,
no clubs and an adjacent nature reserve. Romantic! Big waves in
December.
- Mai Khao beach, NW - if you're looking for real solitude try the
least visited, hugely long Mai Khao Beach, turtle hatching area
[Nov-Jan, waves permitting]. Medium grain yellow sand, clear water,
big waves in December. Only one little bungalow operation in 13km,
under the trees and run by a friendly family, no air con.
Ko
[island] Phi Phi Don [Picture top left] and Ko Phi Phi Leh
[beach
pictures].
A hidden tropical paradise until the movie 'The Beach' was filmed
there, now another Thailand tourist mecca, the Phi Phi islands have
turquoise water, white sand and palm trees, and 1 million visitors
a year in a tiny area.
The infrastructure cannot support the numbers, though judging by
the building debris lying around the cramped new bungalows on Phi
Phi Don the owners of the islands are trying to host the world.
Facilities like power and sewage are unreliable, rubbish litters
the ground, coral is dying and perfect isolation? Hah!
However, if you stay well away from noisy, frantic Ton Sai bay -
the transport hub - even just across the neck at Loh Dulum bay,
you will get some serenity, lovely sand, turquoise water and those
sensational views.
Phi Phi Leh is half an hour by boat, has no accomodation at all,
but still suffers the 'Curse of the Longtails' - noisy boats packed
in the bays, awaiting their tourists.
Day trips by boat from Phuket are also popular. Best Dec-March.
West
Railay, the Krabi Coast
[beach
pictures]
Accessible from Ao [bay] Nang in a few minutes by longtail boat,
West Railay is stunningly pretty, has restrained developement, reasonable
prices, soft white sand and clear water, tho' longtail taxis park
there, cluttering the view, impeding swimming and not helping the
water purity. Still, it's better than paying the extortionate prices
at Thailand's Rayavadee Premier on the next beach - Laem Phra Nang
- and still getting the longtails and their day trippers cluttering
up the beach. Best Dec-March.
Khlong
Dao and Phra-Ae beaches, Ko Lanta island
[beach
pictures].
Ko Lanta is a relatively new resort island in Thailand, with a winning
combination of big, soft, sandy beaches on the upper west side,
calm clear waters, relaxed locals and cheap accommodation, though
the road running down the centre is an unnattractive mess. Beaches
are only accessible via hotels.
The longest and the most popular beach is Khlong Dao - where the
best hotels are [Bugbog's favourite was Lanta Villas] , but Ao Phra-Ae
[Long Beach], 2km south, has a more placid atmosphere.The further
south you go the cheaper the 'hotels' get and the worse the beaches.
Best Dec-March.
Ko
Tarutao National Marine Park, Ko Tarutao.
Ko Tarutao National Marine Park is a natural beauty, with about
50 mostly inhabited islands. The beaches in the park are considered
the least spoilt and the most magnificent of all Thailand's beaches.
Some simple accommodation can be found at Pak Bara on the mainland,
or three bigger islands [Ko Tarutao, Ko Adang, and Ko Lipe] have
bungalows and restaurants.
The park is closed mid-May to mid-November, due to the rains. Best
Dec-March.
Hat
Farang, Ko Mook
Ko Mook, known for its Emerald Cave, is popular with budget travelers
and not commercial yet. The island's best beach is Hat Farang, extremely
peaceful, with excellent swimming, snorkelling, and perfect for
sunset slumping. Best Dec-March.
Operators
offering tours to Thailand can be found in our listings here: Thailand
Tours
And
if you're interested in travelling around Thailand's beaches you
might also consider these guides:
Vietnam
Beaches | Malaysia Beaches
| Philippines Beaches | Australia
Beaches
Best
Beaches in the World | Indian
Ocean | Pacific Beaches
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