Laem Thong Beach (also known as Laem Thong Beach) is located at the northernmost tip of Phi Phi Don island, shaped like a sausage, and faces east. It’s considered the most remote major beach on Phi Phi Don, accessible only by boat or (for jungle trekking enthusiasts) on foot across the entire island.
The beach is absolutely gorgeous, uncrowded, with decent though basic amenities and even its own pier, which is hidden on the opposite side of the island – the width of the sausage-shaped land reaches just 590 feet (180 metres) at most.
As luck would have it, I only saw the reverse side of Laem Thong – that very pier on the rocky shore, and even that was just in passing. So you’re left with only a text description of the beach and photos of the rocks, while I’ve planned a visit to Laem Thong for my next trip to Phi Phi Don.
Beach Overview
The best beach in this part of the island. Laem Thong Beach offers 3,000 feet (nine hundred metres) of white sand with a yellowish tint, almost free from impurities and rubbish. Near the palm trees it’s softer and finer, while underwater and further out towards the reef, you’ll find stones of various sizes and shells.
The beach attracts well-off, laid-back visitors. There’s no hustle and bustle like in Phi Phi Town, and tourists are typically few and far between, though during peak season it can get rather packed.
The beach is enclosed on all sides by dense vegetation and forms an almost perfectly straight line. Along nearly the entire length of Laem Thong, the seabed is clean and clear.
Swimming
The shore at Laem Thong slopes gently, unlike its rocky neighbour opposite where the pier is built. It’s so gentle that during high tide, the beach almost completely disappears under water, while after low tide you’ll discover what looks like a football pitch about 490 feet (150 metres) wide and almost 0.6 miles (one kilometre) long.
At the edges of the beach, large flat rocks hide underwater, and if you walk to the end of the field towards the horizon, you’ll find the remains of a coral reef – it’s better to swim here during high tide.
Waves during the peak season are typically small and within comfortable limits, due to the shallow water. During the monsoon season, swimming here isn’t quite the thing, and the shore suffers from storms, which is why it’s been reinforced in places with concrete rings.
Sunbeds and Shade
Sunbeds are available mainly on the grounds of the adjacent resorts, of which there are only four in total. Swimming is most comfortable when the water reaches its maximum level, and then for about two or three hours after the ebb begins.
The sea comes right up to the trees on the shore, and everyone chills out under the beach umbrellas provided by the resorts and in the natural shade of the rather dense greenery on the shore. As the day progresses, the sun moves westward and the shadows on the beach lengthen, but not enough to cover all 490 feet (150 metres) of empty space.
Beach Photos
These are more photos of the pier rather than the beach.
Amenities
The beach infrastructure includes all the services of four resorts (massage parlours, SPAs and restaurants), boatmen who dock directly at the beach, causing certain inconvenience to swimmers. There are a couple of kayak rentals, as well as a proper concrete pier on the opposite side of the hill behind the beach.
There are no chain or private shops at Laem Thong due to low foot traffic and the nature of this “isolated” beach. It makes sense to come here for your entire holiday and spend it completely on the beach and hotel grounds. There aren’t any landmarks or attractions here, but if you wish, you can wander around the area – once will be enough.
Accommodation
Laem Thong boasts four resorts with excellent ratings, and they’re excellent not just compared to the Phi Phi shambles, but on par with serious Thai hotels.
- Phi Phi Natural Resort
- Zeavola Resort
- P. P. Erawan Palms Resort
- Phi Phi Holiday Resort – Sha Extra Plus
Combined with a coral reef where you can snorkel right from the shore, and the low number of beach visitors, Laem Thong can be considered one of the best places on Phi Phi Don for quality beach holidays. The link below will take you to a general list of hotels on Phi Phi Don.
Hotels on Laem Thong Beach β
How to Find the Beach
I don’t think you’ll be interested in the walking route, so the easiest option is by boat. On any beach, approach a boatman with a tourist map and point to where you want to go. Then haggle and sail, in exactly that order, not the other way around.
