The 10 most fabulous beaches in Thailand

White sand, turquoise waters and palm trees are high priorities for just about every visitor to Thailand. And for just about every visitor, Thailand delivers.

In a country with over 2414km of coastline and some 1430 islands, you can expect to find a lot of postcard-perfect beaches. Yet you shouldn’t count on just lounging, though that’s fine too. Many of these sandy areas also offer activities such as snorkeling, diving and rock climbing, not to mention proximity to Thailand’s amazing cuisine and unique cultural experiences.

So while you can’t go wrong, how do you begin to choose?

In this guide to Thailand's best beaches, we touch on most of the country's coastal regions, with a mix of iconic beaches that are easy to reach, as well as islands that take a bit more work to get to. Get inspired and add a few of these blissful coves to your next itinerary.

1. Hat Ya Nui 

Best beach for escaping the Phuket crowds

Big hitters in Phuket Province such as Patong and Kamala get all the attention, which means they also draw all the crowds (and touts). To strike out on your own, head to this semihidden beach on the island’s far southern shore. Accessible via a 3km walk down a steep hill (or a brief, bumpy ride in the back of the truck), the petite cove is attractively framed by palm trees and massive boulders. You’ll find a handful of low-key bars and restaurants, and although you won’t be alone, you almost certainly won’t feel like part of the crowd.

Local tip: Hat Ya Nui, also known as Nui Beach, has emerged as something of an Instagram posing ground, with swings, frames and seats set up at the beach’s perimeter for that coveted shot.

2. Ao Khanom

Best beach for watching fishers and fish

For stretches of sand largely untouched by tourists, head to Nakhon Si Thammarat Province in southern Thailand, a 12-hour bus or 15-hour train ride (or a 1-hour flight) from Bangkok. In Ao Khanom's lengthy bay, you’re more likely to encounter local fishers and their brightly colored boats than crowds. If you’re lucky, you might even get to cross fins with one of the region’s adorable pink dolphins.

Local tip: Consider a side trip south to Sichon District for Wat Chedi, known as the Chicken Temple. The devout leave cement roosters as offerings here – and tens of thousands of them, including some larger than a long-tailed boat, can be found in an adjacent chicken “cemetery.”

3. Tubtim Bay, Ko Samet

Best beach for easy access from Bangkok

It is easy to get to Ko Samet from Bangkok, it’s true, and with its famous white sands, the island is seriously beautiful as well. On the east shore, the resort of Tubtim Bay provides good accommodations, a solid restaurant and a great main beach – plus access to lesser-known coves and tiny beaches.

Local tip: More popular with Thais than foreigners, Ko Samet draws lots of Thai university students and the domestic LGBTQ+ crowd. A late-night acoustic guitar session by the beach, fueled by a bottle of SangSom (a distilled spirit), is a classic Ko Samet experience.

4. Ko Kut

Best beach at little-visited islands

Thailand’s east is on the radar of few beach seekers, yet those who find their way here will enjoy some of Thailand’s loveliest – and least-visited – islands as their reward. At the edge of the Gulf of Thailand, just across from Cambodia, Ko Kut is the remotest speck of a tiny archipelago that includes the better-known Ko Chang. The beaches here, especially Hat Khlong Chao and others on the island’s west coast, have sand as fine as talcum powder and more palm trees than hotels. Since this is the fourth-largest island in Thailand, there’s much to explore both on the coast and inland, including waterfalls and day hikes.

Planning tip: You can reach Ko Kut via Laem Sok, in Trat Province. If Cambodia is on your itinerary, it’s possible to cross the border at Hat Lek.

5. Railay

Best beach for rock climbing

With a backdrop of towering karst cliffs that almost look artificial, Railay (also spelled Rai Leh) in Krabi Province boasts the most dramatic setting of just about any beach in Thailand. Those sheet cliffs – as well as the karst formations that jut out from the sea – are great for climbing, with lots of established routes. If you don’t want to strap on a harness, hike to the lagoon, which involves a stop to enjoy amazing views over the peninsula. Railay is also well positioned for boat jaunts to ocean-based climbing spots in the area or trips to hidden beaches and snorkeling spots in Phang-Nga.

Planning tip: While Railay is not on an island, the cliffs mean that it can be reached only by boat from Ao Nang, Ko Phi-Phi, Krabi or Ao Nam Mao.

6. Surin Islands Marine National Park

Best beach for scuba diving

This archipelago of five islands is one of Thailand’s premier diving spots. And above sea level, the protected natural refuge offers snow-white sand, jade- and turquoise-hued water, rocky headlands, rugged jungle and wildlife galore. With the island’s only accommodation and restaurant, Ko Surin Nuea is one of the best spots to appreciate it all. Another of the islands, Ko Surin Tai, is home to a relocated community of Moken: before the 2004 tsunami, they were among the few cultures who organized their society almost entirely at sea.

Planning tip: The only way to overnight here is in the national park. You can book rooms (or tents) via the DNP online portal once in Thailand or through agents on the mainland in Khuraburi (who also operate transportation to and from the islands).

7. Ao Maya

Best beach for a cinematic experience

Located on an island that forms part of Hat Noppharat Thara Mu/Ko Phi-Phi National Park, Ao Maya, also known as Maya Bay, is simply one of Thailand’s most gorgeous beaches. Indeed, its fine white sand, clear waters and palm trees were so perfect that it was featured in the 2000 film The Beach. Unfortunately, this star turn led to the same fall from grace that beset its fictional counterpart: too many people found out about it.

In 2018, Thai authorities closed Maya Bay. After a cleanup and some time for the natural environment to recover, it reopened in 2022 with strict restrictions on visitor numbers, duration (1 hour) and activities (swimming is not allowed), as well as strict sustainability goals.

Planning tip: Access to Maya Bay via speedboat from Krabi, Ko Phi-Phi Don and Ko Lanta is generally banned between August and October. It’s not possible to overnight there at any time of year.

8. Sunset Beach, Ko Kradan

Best beach for seclusion

Trang Province contains some of Thailand’s most fabulous beachy areas; removed from the typical visitor circuit, they receive relatively few visitors. Arguably the handsomest of the lot is Ko Kradan, an island with slender, silky white sand beaches that ring a lush, jungly interior. While there’s little development anywhere on the island, if you really want to escape, head to Sunset Beach, a tiny, rocky outpost on the island’s western shore. It might be one of the best secluded beaches in Thailand.

Planning tip: The landlocked provincial capital and likely your access to the island, Trang is one of Thailand’s best food cities. Be sure to tack on a night here to take advantage of the city’s fantastic dim sum halls, noodle shacks and markets.

9. Hat Khuat, Ko Pha-Ngan

Best beach for avoiding full-moon parties

The laid-back vibes of Ko Pha-Ngan have drawn backpackers since the 1970s. These days, the infamous Full Moon Party is the island’s biggest attraction, and the event has its passionate fans as well as detractors. Yet if you’re not looking to party, you’ll find plenty of quiet sandy places well away from the dance floor. Located on the island’s northern shore, Hat Khuat (also known as Bottle Beach) consists of a dreamy slice of white sand backed by green hills and fronted by turquoise waters. When you’re finished sunbathing, there are opportunities for swimming, snorkeling or even a day hike to a nearby fishing village.

Planning tip: The quietest months on Ko Pha-Ngan are April to June.

10. Ko Lipe

Best beach to find vacationing Thais

Among Thai tourists, Ko Lipe has been the It island escape for several years now, thanks to its remote location in Satun Province and access to some of the best diving in the region. Some unpleasant inland development has followed as a result. Yet the island’s two longest beaches, Sunset Beach and Sunrise Beach, still amaze: both salt-white crescents of sand backed by verdant hills, with access to nearby protected reefs a few meters off the shore.

Planning tip: Ko Lipe is generally only accessible from mid-October to mid-May via boats from Pak Bara in Satun. Have aspirations to go beyond Thailand? Boats link Ko Lipe and Pulau Langkawi in Malaysia.

The best times to visit Thailand's beaches

Peak season on all of the islands and mainland beaches is December to February. On the Andaman Coast and the islands off the eastern seaboard, crowds start to thin as rainy season (June to October) approaches. But July and August are still busy on the southern gulf islands of Ko Samui, Ko Pha-Ngan and Ko Tao, where good weather remains until the monsoon season from October to December.

Most mainland beaches get the monsoon between June and October, except for Ao Khanom, which has similar weather to the southern gulf islands. All of the beaches get much busier and prices go up on public holidays, especially during Songkran in April.

How to visit beaches in Thailand responsibly

Thailand’s islands and beaches are so popular that tourism infrastructure is often stretched to the limit, especially during the peak winter tourist season (December to February).

Rampant development is increasingly threatening ecosystems as larger hotels and mega resorts replace guesthouses and beach huts, personal watercraft buzz across bays, and islands struggle to maintain adequate fresh water supplies and to dispose of waste without negatively impacting the environment. Water pollution and large numbers of visitors can have a harmful effect on coral reefs especially.

Visitors can play their part in reducing the impact of overtourism:

• Opt for lesser-known islands or beaches such as Ko Kut, Ko Mak and Ko Wai on the eastern seaboard, or Ko Yao Noi, Ko Chang (Ranong) or Ko Phayam on the Andaman Coast.

• Travel out of high season – if you don’t mind a little rain, the quietest (and least expensive) period on the Andaman Coast is June to October.

• Check the credentials and safety records of tour operators and dive outfits before booking.

• Dispose of garbage carefully.

• Take care when diving and snorkeling. Remember that it is an offense to damage or remove coral in marine parks, and make sure that no equipment touches the reef.