Khao Lak Beaches

With roughly 30 km of beaches, it’s important to make a clear idea about which one to choose as a base before you head to Khao Lak.

Well, exploring the length of the coastline from north to south in search of your perfect beach can be a highlight of your trip, but an understanding of what options you have in general will make your life a lot easier and allow you to get the most of your time spent in this wonderful part of the Andaman Coast.

Central beaches

This is the area which is commonly known as Khao Lak. Stretching south from Khuk Khak in the north along Phetkasem Road (route 4) for almost 20 km until the Khao Lak beach.

Nang Thong Beach

Right in the middle of this Khao Lak area sits Nang Thong Beach which is technically located in La On Village. This is the most developed part of Khao Lak, with plenty of accommodation options, restaurants, bars and shopping opportunities. It is also where you will be dropped off from the bus if you don’t give the driver any more specific indication.

The fact that it’s the busiest part of the coast doesn’t mean you will have to fight for a quiet spot on the beach. 2 km of white sand are usually enough to guarantee everyone a decent degree of privacy, and if you want to combine your beach bum days with some fun at night then Nang Thong Beach is the place for you. It’s also the beach where the majority of diving shops and travel agencies organizing trips to the Similan islands are found.

Bang Niang

A couple of km north, Bang Niang was primary a backpacker destination bot now is developing into the biggest competitor of Nang Thong area.

Still notably quieter than its neighbour, it’s probably the best choice for those who search for a relaxing beach but do not want to risk getting bored at night. The beach is huge and similarly to Nang Thong it never gets overcrowded – even in the high season.

In general, Bang Niang is cheaper than Nang Thong offering some of the most affordable guesthouses you can find along this coast and a decent night market that will help saving some money on your dinners.

Khao Lak

The southern part of the central beaches (5 km south of Nang Thong) is by far the less developed of the three central parts and surprisingly it gives the name to the whole area. Khao Lak is our favourite choice when we travel to these parts of the coast.

The beach is quiet all the time with elegant casuarinas provide enough shade any time of the day. The main road with noise coming from passing traffic is a few hundred meters away – what is a rare case in Thailand. There is still a surprisingly good choice of restaurants, shops, accommodation options and facilities within an easy reach from the beach – what else do you want?

Strictly speaking, the beach is the only attraction here and good snorkelling spots are located at both the ends of Khao Lak. A couple of bars will give you the chance to stay out late for a beer or a cocktail, but if you want to party this is definitely not the place for you.

Northern beaches

Further up from Khuk Khak which sits 2 km north of Bang Niang a 20 km stretch of road brings you to Baan Nam Khem. All you will find here is a couple of almost deserted marvellous beaches with few mid-range and high-end resorts. If you want to get away from the rest of the world for a few days, this is the place to go. Be ready spend your time exclusively within the grounds of your hotel and on the beach, since beside a few convenience stores located on the main road there is nothing else here other than soft sand and crystal clear sea water. White Sand Beach is one of the beaches in the vicinity, and it got its name for a good reason.

Southern beaches

The feeling of remoteness and wild gets even more palpable if you head south past Thap Lamu. Even if strictly speaking this is not considered Khap Lak anymore, you might want to check out the 20 km long deserted beach of Thai Muang while you’re visiting Lampi Waterfall and the Underwater Park Conservation Centre.

The accommodation options here are represented by several exclusive resorts, thanks to what the very few tourists who do come here have the beach at their own disposal.