Thailand’s best beaches
Hey, many are absolutely beautiful and still promise the deserted idylls that you’ll have seen on screen savers. Unfortunately, for others, this has determined their demise. High-rise hotels, all-inclusive private resorts, mass tourism and hedonistic parties have ripped the heart out of many of Thailand’s best beaches and turned them into quite the opposite. However, don’t despair, there are still plenty to discover that haven’t been, urm, ‘discovered’ by the SangSom bucket brigade.
Our Thailand Holidays
Thailand beach & rainforest holiday
Thailand city, beach, and rainforest soft adventure holiday
Thailand beach tour, West Coast
Clear waters, white sands, swaying palms & a beach bungalow
Thailand floating market & beach tour
Get a taste of rural Thai life and traditional cuisine
Thailand holiday, culture and beach
Experience Thailand's history, culture and tropical beaches
Family tour to Cambodia and Thailand
Ruined Cities, Tropical Islands, 2-week private family tour
Thailand island hopping holiday
White sands beach paradise in Koh Chang, Koh Maak & Koh Kood
Family holiday to Thailand, jungles and islands
Private, escorted family tour of Thailand - Oct. to April
Bangkok and beaches holiday in Thailand
Small group tour of Thailand from Bangkok to Phuket
Under 30's Thailand tour
Love beaches? Love islands? Love cocktails? Love this trip!
South East Asia holiday, culture and beach
From Bangkok to Singapore, see the best nature and beaches!
Halal friendly Thailand holiday
Muslim community immersion in southern Thailand
Southern Thailand adventure holiday
Alternative Eco adventure Beach holiday in Southern Thailand
Bangkok to Krabi holiday
Bangkok to the palm-fringed beaches of Krabi
Believe you me, you can lose weeks just lolling around eating mango sticky rice and playing keepy-ups with a rattan ball. There’s more to Thailand than just beaches but it would definitely be a shame to miss out after you’ve travelled all that way. Below are a few of the west coast and east coast beaches that we feature as part of our tailor-made and small group tours of Thailand.
West coast beaches
The beach town of Ao Nang in Krabi province has long been ‘discovered’ so please don’t expect a deserted white sand paradise. What you will find, however, is a relaxed vibe where massages on the beach, open air restaurants and thatched cocktail bars provide plenty of opportunities to recover from an overnight train ride from Bangkok and two and a half hours bus ride from Surat Thani. Other optional, more active, things to do include everything from snorkelling and kayaking expeditions, to learning how to safely climb limestone cliffs, and cycling trips to hidden waterfalls and rural villages.Ao Nang also provides an excellent platform to explore offshore with long tail boats offering access to the beautiful beaches on the limestone Railay Peninsula. Also, about eight kilometres offshore from Ao Nang sits the tiny Andaman archipelago of Poda, Tub, Mor and Kai islands. The surrounding coral reefs and isolated white sand make a boat trip to these west coast beaches worth every baht.
Head north of Krabi into Phang Nga province and yet more incredible island beaches can be found. The Surin Islands and the Similan Islands can both be reached on a small ship cruise from Phuket and provide a spectacular underwater experience as well as opportunities to kick back on white sand beaches fringed by tropical rainforests. Hiking, snorkelling, kayaking and SUP boarding can all be undertaken on a small ship cruise to Surin and Similan and you can also find out more about the sea-faring Moken people in the company of a local guide.
Another Andaman anchorage often used by small ships cruising in Phang Nga is a stretch of west coast shoreline known as Khao Lak. This is basically one long sandy beach interspersed with fishing villages. Although several of the villages have succumbed, somewhat, to tourism there’s nothing to indicate that things are going to get quite as out of hand as the beach resorts 60kms south. Local restrictions insist that new constructions can’t be taller than a palm tree. Hopefully this means Khao Lak can keep its sleepy, uncrowded, laid-back beach ambience for many more full moons to follow.
East coast beaches
Due, in part, to its relatively close proximity to Bangkok, and Surat Thani, Koh Samui island has developed into one of Thailand’s most popular destinations for backpackers, tourists and travellers looking for the beach. As Thailand’s second largest island – although it’s only 6kms in length – Koh Samui doesn’t take an age to explore. This is a real blessing for anyone hoping to escape the all-inclusive resorts around the airport and the busier beaches in Chaweng on the northeast coast. Hedonistic nightlife, jet ski hire and high-rise hotels exist on Koh Samui but so do plenty of peaceful and, as yet, untouched beaches. Head to the west coast or hire a bike, jeep or boat and explore.Our top Thailand Holiday
Thailand beach tour, West Coast
Clear waters, white sands, swaying palms & a beach bungalow
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