Choosing a beach in Thailand

The month decides, not the beach

Thailand has two coastlines running on opposite monsoons. The Andaman Sea — Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi, Lanta — takes the south-west monsoon from roughly May to October. The Gulf — Samui, Phangan, Tao, Hua Hin, Pattaya — takes the north-east monsoon from roughly October to December.

So the same beach can be perfect in January and washed out in July, and the beach an hour away can be the opposite. Choosing the coast first and the beach second is the only order that works.

The overlap is roughly December to March, when both coasts are usually fine, and March to April, in the shoulder between the two.

The Andaman coast

This is the postcard Thailand: limestone cliffs, clear water, and islands rising vertically out of the sea. It is also the busier and more developed of the two.

• Phuket — the largest and most developed, with an airport, a wide range of beaches and the widest spread of accommodation. Choose your beach carefully; they are not interchangeable.
• Krabi and Ao Nang — the mainland base for Railay, the Hong Islands and Phi Phi. Railay itself is reachable only by boat.
• Koh Phi Phi — spectacular and crowded, best seen early in the morning.
• Koh Lanta — the quiet option, west-facing, with no airport and a much slower pace.
• Phang Nga Bay — not a beach destination as such, but the bay with the karsts and the sea caves, visited from Phuket or Krabi.

The Gulf coast

Less dramatic, calmer water, easier to reach from Bangkok, and better diving.

• Koh Samui — the most developed Gulf island, with its own airport and a beach for most tastes.
• Koh Phangan — the Full Moon Party at one end and quiet retreats at the other.
• Koh Tao — the diving island, small and relaxed.
• Hua Hin and Cha-am — mainland beaches three hours from Bangkok, not beautiful but extremely convenient and usable most of the year.
• Pattaya — the closest beach city to the capital, with a very wide range of what it offers.

Matching the beach to the trip

Once the month is settled, the rest is about what you want from the days.

• Families — shallow, calm water and easy logistics. Hua Hin, Jomtien, Klong Dao on Lanta, and the northern beaches of Phuket.
• Quiet and scenery — Railay, Kantiang Bay on Lanta, Bottle Beach on Phangan, the far south of Lanta.
• Diving and snorkelling — Koh Tao in the Gulf, the Similan Islands from the Andaman side in season.
• Nightlife — Patong, Chaweng, Haad Rin, Walking Street in Pattaya.
• Convenience from Bangkok — Hua Hin, Pattaya, Koh Samet.
• Long, empty and west-facing at sunset — the whole west coast of Koh Lanta.

What to know before you swim

Tides matter more than most visitors expect. A beach that is wide at low tide can be almost gone at high tide, and the hongs and caves of Phang Nga Bay are only reachable at specific states of the tide.

Jellyfish appear seasonally, particularly in the Gulf. Box jellyfish, which are dangerous, are rare but present; local advice and posted warnings should be taken seriously.

Rip currents occur on the Andaman coast in the monsoon. If you are caught in one, swim parallel to the shore rather than against it.

And be realistic about the sun. The Thai sun near the equator burns quickly, and the middle of the day is worth avoiding for reasons of both skin and comfort.