Phuket Island is home to many beaches, some are extremely beautiful, some not so much. The vast majority of the beautiful Phuket beaches fall along the western coast of the island, but they are not limited to there. There are a few beaches of note located on the south of the island that may very well be some of the top Phuket beaches.
It is only natural to get caught up in the beauty of the beaches on the Island of Phuket, but even though you are on holiday, don’t forget the dangers of Phuket beaches.
North-West Phuket Beaches
The North-West Beaches of Phuket are generally considered the best beaches on the island. For the most part, they are white sand beaches that slope gently into the sea creating perfect environments for sunbathing and water activities.
The majority of beaches located in the north-west are quieter and less developed then the busy south-west coast. However, the area around these beaches are typically pricier. With expensive resorts occupying much of the beachfront real estate, these beaches are less welcoming to the average beach goer that is not a resident at one of the resorts.
The major beaches are Kamala Beach, Bang Tao Beach and Mai Khao Beach, but there are a large number of smaller beaches both easily accessible and not easily accessed.
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The South-West Beaches of Phuket Island are also the most famous. Not necessarily famous for their natural beauty so much as the tourist districts that occupy the surrounding areas. These are the busy beaches that tourists built.
On most of these Phuket beaches, you will find all of the accommodations that you would expect at a tourist beach locale. There are beach loungers for rent, rentals for water activities available, as well as drink and food services delivered right to your chair. The beaches are more crowded then anywhere else on the island, but they are also the most accessible to the majority of tourists.
Along the south-west coast you will find the infamous Patong Beach as well as the beautiful Kata Beach and Karon Beach.
South Phuket Beaches
The Beaches in the South of Phuket as a whole are the worst beaches for sunbathing and water-sports, with the exception of Ao Yon Beach. The majority of the beaches to the south are located along the Chalong Bay and Panwa Cape. Most of the beaches along these coasts are rocky and narrow. When the low tide comes in, the water recedes very far from the shore, exposing a muddy and rocky seabed.
The majority of the beaches along south Phuket Island are relatively sheltered compared to those along the western coast. During the monsoon season, these beaches do not suffer as badly to foul weather as do the western beaches.
There are fewer tourists along the eastern and southern coasts of Phuket Island, so the beaches located here also offer more privacy then you would experience on the other Phuket beaches. In addition to the privacy, the south beaches offer beautiful views of the Chalong Bay and Panwa Cape as well as many of the outlying islands. So for a relaxing vacation away from the crowds, south Phuket may be the perfect area to check out.
Private Phuket Beaches
In Phuket, there is no such thing as a private beach. A lot of times, a developer will purchase all of the land adjacent to a beach, making it virtually inaccessible to anyone else. It is illegal to cross over the private land to gain access to the beach, but it is perfectly legal to arrive at the beach by sea. If there is a beach that is accessible only by sea, the land owner cannot force you off of the beach, but they won’t be nice to you.
About Lawrence Michaels
If I have to take a car on rent in phuket which is the reliable place to hire this.Thank you
There are probably a hundred places to rent a car in Phuket. It’s difficult to give you an exact place really. Just make sure that wherever you do rent a car, the car comes with Insurance included. If you have never driven in Thailand before, be sure to read my guide on Surviving the Roads of Thailand. I wrote it with motorcycles in mind, but those driving cars could also learn a thing or two.
Those beaches are stunning! I had visited once in the Philippines and I think both beaches are worth visiting for!
I am doing a solo, 6 month backpacking trip to Se-Asia in March this year. Do you know whether the west or the east side of Thailand has the best beaches around the March-April period?
I imagine that there are good and bad on all of the coasts of Thailand, but unfortunately, my experience really only extends so far as Phuket. On this island, the beaches on the west coast are far superior to those on the east. Concerning the rest of the country, I couldn’t really say.