Bang Tao Beach is situated almost in the center of Phuket’s west coast and is, in my opinion, one of the island’s most beautiful, convenient, and serene beaches. It’s an ideal base for exploring neighboring beaches and Phuket Town. The sand is soft, there’s plenty of shade, and the infrastructure is top-notch. Plus, you’ll find many undeveloped areas that add to its charm.
Beach Overview
Bang Tao borders a small, semi-private beach to the north, Pansea Beach, separated by an impassable cape. To the south, Bang Tao meets another small cape with rocks in the water.
Bang Tao is less than a kilometer (0.6 miles) long. It is wide but crowded with sun loungers and umbrellas during the high season, sometimes up to five rows deep.
The sand is fine and light, with colors ranging from yellow to almost white depending on the lighting. There is no mud; the water is clear and beautifully azure. During the season, the beach is meticulously cleaned, with trash bins and sweepers keeping it tidy.
In high season, the beach is crowded. Unlike the spacious and laid-back Bang Tao, Surin is more lively. It attracts many young and middle-aged Europeans who enjoy drinking beer on the loungers. There are also families with children. The local expat community organizes children’s events here for New Year.
The northern end of the beach is less crowded and more spacious, bordered by a high bank with palm trees. Out of season, there are fewer loungers and tourists, many cafes close, and the extra infrastructure is removed. Tourists love this beach.
If you’re interested in reading about other places, I have a brief overview of all the beaches in Phuket to help you choose the best one.
Swimming
The shore is relatively high, especially noticeable at low tide. This means it gets deep quickly, almost immediately. At low tide, the entry is more gradual. The waves are strong, even when they look small. Off-season, the waves are very powerful, starting in April. At the cape, the storm waves dramatically crash against the rocks, sending sprays skyward.
During the season, the sea is very gentle and beautiful, although it’s rarely completely calm. There is usually some surf with white foam. Since it gets deep quickly, the waves don’t break until the very end. In season, buoys are placed in the water to designate swimming areas, and a pontoon bridge is built for walks.
There are many jet skis. If you want to see rocks, head to the ends of the beach. It’s good for children who can swim or are with their parents since the water is clear and clean. However, there isn’t much space to run around.
Sunbeds and Shade
Immediately behind the beach is a promenade, which can be accessed by steps at several points. Trees line the promenade, and underneath them are open-air cafes. However, there isn’t much shade directly on the beach, so it’s best to choose spots with larger canopies. By noon, the sun covers everything.
There are no free shaded spots; all are occupied by paid loungers. There is a free public shower in the center of the beach, near the parking lot and temple. Loungers cost 100 baht, with the front row sometimes costing 150 baht. The back row gets some shade from the trees along the promenade, making it cooler.
Since the beach is enclosed by a high bank, it can get very hot, almost like a sauna, as it isn’t well-ventilated by wind.
Beach Photos
The Northern Part of Bang Tao Beach
The Central Part of Bang Tao Beach
The Southern Part of Bang Tao Beach
Amenities
The southern part of the beach is the most developed in terms of infrastructure. Behind the resorts, there’s a street with cafes and shops, along with taxi stands. The taxis can take you to the Tesco Lotus supermarket and McDonald’s, located about a mile (1.5 kilometers) from the shore, for 100-200 baht.
Between this road and the beach, there’s a Muslim village with the calls of muezzins and roaming chickens, mixed with expensive villas and small hotels. Beyond the main road, the village continues with houses available for rent. There are also a couple of 7-Eleven stores, a Supercheap, and a market along the main road.
Rows of shops and local cafes stretch along the road all the way to Surin. There are two markets. One is across from Supercheap, about a kilometer (0.6 miles) from McDonald’s.
The other is an evening market, just past Tesco Lotus towards the beach. Both markets operate twice a week. Massages on Bang Tao Beach cost 200-250 baht. You can also enjoy long-tail boat rides, jet skis, and a dive center. In the evenings, there’s even a small elephant that strolls along the beach.
Accommodation
Right on the beach, you’ll find either large luxury hotels or villas that cost around 200,000 baht per month ($5,700). There are hardly any small rental homes right by the water due to the 2004 tsunami that wiped out much of the small-scale infrastructure.
Behind the casuarina grove lining the beach, there’s a quiet, narrow road. Beyond that, you’ll often come across fields with cows and empty lots with bushes. Further inland, you’ll find villas and homes of local residents, mainly Thai Muslims. Most of the development is concentrated in the southern part.
There are several condo-hotels with rooms priced between 1,000 and 1,500 baht per night ($28-$43), not directly on the beach but about 200 to 500 meters (650 to 1,640 feet) away. In the Muslim village between the beach and the main road, you’ll find many small houses or rooms in two-story buildings available for rent.
You can also rent houses across the main road for a lower cost, but it’s a bit far from the sea. On average, houses cost around 10,000 to 15,000 baht per month ($285-$430) and are located 1 to 2 kilometers (0.6 to 1.2 miles) from the beach. Rooms can be rented for 7,000 to 9,000 baht per month ($200-$260).
Approximately in the middle of the beach’s arc is a lagoon, lined with small houses:
There is a very large hotel complex with its own infrastructure and ponds, situated near the Laguna Phuket Golf Club. The northern part of Bang Tao Beach has very few accommodations and is generally quite deserted.
How to Find the Beach
There is a central parking lot in the middle of the beach, not far from the temple. The promenade has a narrow road between two rows of cafes and shops, which you can drive through and find parking for a motorbike. To the north, the road goes through a village and hotels towards Bang Tao.
A busier, larger road leads away from the beach and goes to McDonald’s and the large Tesco Lotus, located near Bang Tao.
Walking from Bang Tao to McDonald’s and Tesco Lotus takes about 40 minutes, through an endless string of local shops, fairly civilized European restaurants and bakeries, a local market, and mosques. The other direction goes uphill and leads to Kamala.
You can take a songthaew from Phuket Town in 40 minutes for 40 baht. From Kamala, it’s also a 10-minute ride by songthaew. From the road where the songthaews run, it’s a five-minute walk to the water. From other beaches, you will need to transfer in Phuket Town. By taxi from the airport, it takes 30-40 minutes and costs 1000 baht.
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