Thailand has hundreds of beaches on two seas that do not share a monsoon. “Best” is not a trophy. It is whether you wanted solitude, a family-safe shelf, a house reef, or a neon strip. This page groups standouts by job. The fork that stops you booking the wet sea by accident is Which coast.
Best for scenery
Railay Beach, Krabi (Andaman)
Limestone cliffs, white crescent, longtail only — a headland blocks the road. Railay East is mangrove and boat landing; Railay West is the swimming beach; Phra Nang is the cave beach with a shrine. Rock climbing on the karst is world-class (700+ bolted routes is the figure climbers quote). Gateway: Krabi.
Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi Leh (Andaman)
The beach from The Beach (2000). Enclosed bay, vertical walls, water that photographs as an advertisement. After years of closure it reopened with caps: no swimming in the bay, time-limited visits, boats kept out. The scenery is still extraordinary. The lesson is the cap.
Thong Nai Pan, Ko Phangan (Gulf)
Horseshoe bay, jungle headlands. Noi (smaller, pricier) and Yai (larger, looser). Palms, boulders, Gulf gold at sunset.
Best for swimming
Kata Beach, Phuket (Andaman)
Long golden arc, decent swimming in the dry season (November–April). A surf break appears at the southern end in monsoon months, which is also when you should not have booked Phuket for the sea. Phuket.
Chaweng Beach, Ko Samui (Gulf)
About 7 km of pale sand, shallow entry, Gulf warmth. North quieter; south livelier. Koh Samui.
Klong Chao Beach, Ko Kut (Gulf)
Water clarity that people compare to the Maldives without having been to either. Palm backshore, a waterfall stream onto the sand.
Best for diving and snorkelling
Ko Tao (Gulf — the island as a school)
The world’s most popular place to learn to dive, which is a crowd fact and a reef-pressure fact. Japanese Gardens snorkels from shore. Shark Bay still produces blacktip reef sharks if you are patient. Snorkel or dive, Dive sites.
Ko Lipe, Sunrise Beach (Andaman)
Walk in, you are over coral. The Walking Street snorkel trail is tens of metres off the sand. Southern Andaman clarity when the season is right.
Ao Tanot, Ko Tao (Gulf)
Boulder bay, house reef, soft coral, morays, hawksbills. Shore dive and snorkel both work.
A snorkel mask you already own beats a rental that has seen a thousand noses. Rash vest does more honest sun work than a “reef-safe” label. Coral reefs.
Best for families
Ko Mak (Gulf)
Flat, car-free, shallow, sandy. Family bungalows. The pace is the product.
Ao Nang, Krabi (Andaman)
Mainland town, longtails to islands, hotels, kayaks, climbing. Less intense than Phuket, more logistics than a remote sandbar.
Hua Hin (upper Gulf)
Long, wide, shallow. Markets, seafood, waterparks. Royal summer residence in the background. Weekend Bangkok overflow.
Best for solitude
Ko Kradan, Trang (Andaman)
Often cited as Thailand’s most beautiful beach, and often nearly empty. Powder, a reef off the sand, almost no development. No cars. No ATM. Cash, or enjoy the walk.
Bottle Beach, Ko Phangan (Gulf)
Boat or a steep jungle trail. Small bay, a handful of bungalows. No road.
Ko Tarutao (Andaman)
Former prison island, now a wild marine park. Long empty beaches (Ao Pante Malacca, Ao Molae), rainforest, wildlife. Basic DNP beds. Robinson Crusoe with a ranger.
Best for nightlife (if that is the job)
Patong, Phuket (Andaman)
The famous party beach. Bangla Road runs off the sand. The beach itself is wide and swimmable in season.
Haad Rin, Ko Phangan (Gulf)
Full Moon Party since the late 1980s. Even off the moon, this is the Gulf’s loudest strip. The rest of Phangan is not this beach; people forget.
Best for sunsets
Surin Beach, Phuket (Andaman)
West-facing, beach clubs, Andaman drop.
Bophut (Fisherman’s Village), Ko Samui (Gulf)
Northwest shore, colours in calm water, restaurants along the old street.
Season is the whole argument
| Coast | Best months | Treat as wet | 2026 pin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman | November–April | May–October | Similans closed ~16 May–14 Oct 2026; park fee commonly ~500 THB |
| Gulf | February–September | October–December | Samui wettest often November |
| Eastern (Trat / Chang) | November–May | June–September | Dry northeast monsoon |
The golden rule still holds: there is always a workable beach somewhere in Thailand. The two coasts’ opposing monsoons are why. Book the wet side and you will stare at a red flag. Monsoon seasons, Andaman coast, Gulf coast.
A dry bag 10 litre for the longtail. Last boats are real. Park islands take cash. Park permits.
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Which coast, Andaman coast, Snorkel or dive, When to visit, Island hopping.