Until recently, Ton Sai was a wild and hippy hangout but is now considered a rather pricey haven for rock climbers, yogis, raw foodists and Rastafarians. While some areas remain untouched by developers. Ton Sai beach itself is quite decent for sunbathing, but swimming is only comfortable if you don’t mind rocks and seaweed.
Beach Overview
Generally, Ton Sai is known for its rock climbing scene rather than swimming. Railay is the real Mecca for climbers. Different parts of the peninsula have rock faces of varying difficulty, with routes suitable for both beginners and experienced masters. They come here specifically to hang out and climb rocks. Instructors and equipment can be hired on site, so there’s no need to bring anything with you.
In every nook and cranny of Railay, you can spot climbers dangling on their ropes, carrying them to the cliffs, or resting, eating and sleeping right on the rocks. Overall, Ton Sai beach is a 33-foot wide strip of sand that stretches for just over 985 feet (300 metres) between impassable cliffs on the right and a collapsed cliff on the left (where the passage to West Railay is).
Swimming
Starting from the shoreline and for about 33 feet (10 metres) underwater, the entire seabed is covered with pebbles, shells and coral fragments. The gradient of the bottom is slight, almost shallow, so the sea recedes by 16-23 feet (5-7 metres) during low tide, leaving behind various bits of rubbish. In general, the whole beach matches the atmosphere of this area – wild.
Nobody looks after the cleanliness, there are no resorts or hotels adjoining the water, so Ton Sai looks as nature intended it. Plus the boatmen, their ropes and anchors ) Waves only occur during stormy weather or strong winds.
Sunbeds and Shade
Natural sources of shade at Ton Sai grow along the shore in abundance, so there’s no need for personal umbrellas. Somewhere after one o’clock, shade becomes problematic because the sun has a clear path until sunset. There are a couple of spots at the edges of the beach, near the rocks, where shade is available at any time of day.
Beach Photos
Amenities
Apart from kayak rentals and taxi boats, no services are offered on the shore. No massages, no corn sellers. On Ton Sai there’s one rock climbing school and one shop selling snacks and beer. All other cafes, bungalows and yoga centres are located deeper in the peninsula. In the evenings, the whole community gathers in the beach cafes. The crowd is mostly young; besides alcohol, they spin poi and walk on slacklines. It’s fun. It’s expensive.
Taking advantage of being cut off from the main part of the resort, local entrepreneurs have hiked up prices for everything – accommodation, services and products. For a bottle of water that costs 7 baht in Ao Nang, they ask around 30 baht on Railay, so bring water with you. The only water dispenser with a reasonable price per litre of drinking water is located on the path between East and West Railay (marked on the map at the end of the post).
Ton Sai has an autonomous diesel power source hidden in a brick building somewhere in the middle of the area. It’s better not to stay near it – it runs too loudly.
Accommodation
Despite the fact that most bungalows on Ton Sai are built as authentic island huts, the price tag for accommodation is far from humane. There isn’t much accommodation on Ton Sai; among hotels with good ratings and visitor reviews, there’s the decent Tonsai Bay Resort 3, which is excellently located right on the beach.
A bit inland from the beach are very simple straw huts Chill Out Bar & Bungalow 3, perhaps the most affordable accommodation in the area. A great option for backpackers.
How to Find the Beach
You can reach Ton Sai by boat from Ao Nang or Nopparat Thara, but if you happen to arrive at West Railay, it’s not difficult to get to Ton Sai by two routes.
The first goes through long-collapsed cliffs located between Ton Sai and West Railay. The steps are quite steep; ropes are stretched in difficult places and it takes about 10 minutes to walk, no more. You can also walk through the water near these cliffs, but it’s quite deep in places and you might get your belongings wet, and walking on the rocks at the bottom isn’t very pleasant.
The second route goes through the interior of the peninsula. This route is half an hour longer, easier and more interesting. You need to leave West Railay along the path that starts under the Walking Street sign, but don’t turn towards East Railay, keep going straight. By the way, this same path is more convenient for those who landed at Pra Nang or East Railay – you don’t need to turn to West Railay (left), turn right.
Up ahead you’ll come across a decent cave, entry to which costs 40 baht, but it’s better to enter during high tide; you’ll get more enjoyment and better photos. After the cave there will be a resort; pass it on the right side. After that there will be a fork in the path (marked on the map), take the left one.
It leads through the jungle and a small pass to the shore itself. If you turn right, you’ll hit an abandoned resort. On the way to the beach, you’ll also see Ton Sai’s infrastructure and its inhabitants.
