The Beach of Phuket

One of the many things I love about Thailand is that here, by law, all beaches belong to the public. I first heard about this from our good guide, the kindly Fohn, on my first ever trip to Thailand, in Phuket. I even had to clarify it from her, “Are you sure? Really? All the beaches? They belong to the people?” She answered with the brightest smile, even a light laughter, amazed at my disbelief, “Yes!”

And yes, some beaches may actually be more difficult to access. For example, a private property may have part of it blocking a passage by land towards a beach. Still, technically, as long as you can find means to get to any beach you want – say via chartered boats, or maybe you can swim from bay to bay like Aquaman, if he does that – you are free to do so and would not be in violation of any law.

This law sees its absolute power in Phuket, Thailand’s biggest island which possesses the country’s most stunning, world-class beaches. I come from a beach country, where every province boasts of a beach that’s pretty, and indeed we do have innumerable beautiful beaches as well – but not even my beach-proud country can equal this magnanimity of the Thai spirit.

So, in my first ever trip to Thailand – where I was deeply enamoured by Phuket’s Big Buddha, Thai cuisine, and most of all, the buoyant spirit of the Thais – I and my companions, guided by the amazing and saintly Fohn, allowed ourselves to relish that empowering law. We went to as many beaches as we could, and I share with you here the top ones that I loved the best, and that which I hope you would also seek.

Patong Beach, party central

We were hosted throughout our Phuket trip at The Kee Resort and Spa Hotel in the district of Kathu. The hotel strategically leads straight to Phuket’s jewel of a beach, Patong. This nearly three-kilometer long beach bears fine white sand and a wide, welcoming shoreline. So wide is this shoreline that people troop to it 24/7 for leisure. People stroll almost non-stop, sunbathe or jog in the daytime, dance to Zumba tunes just before sunset, and yes, stay on for the mesmerizing and famous sunset view.

But the most fascinating attraction of Patong is not exactly on Patong’s sands. You just need to take a few steps and walk towards Bangla Road, where all the action is. Fohn told me that there are lots of Filipinos in the Patong Beach area, which should not be a surprise because Patong is party central, and when you party, you need music. Thus, a lot of Filipinos here are singers and musicians in showbands, which service the endless strips of Bangla Road’s nightclubs and bars.

There is literally every kind of bar for your every partying interests. One night in my stroll, I happened to see just almost opposite each other, one bar with pole-dancing ladies, and another with fabulous Vegas-headdress-donning Lady Boys. And there are no doors in these bars, you easily see the parties going on inside. I’d say it’s all crazy, but crazy in a happy positive way, with nothing but good vibes all around.

Kamala Beach, diner’s delight

On the night of our dinner at the international tourists’ hotspot Cafe del Mar, I finally got to experience a party right at a Phuket beach. The beach fronting Cafe del Mar is Kamala Beach, which is around nine kilometers north of the lively Patong. While much of the partying in Patong Beach is concentrated on its parallel and adjacent streets such as Bangla Road, here in Kamala Beach, the bars and clubs are nearer the shoreline. You’d practically be stomping on sands while you dance.

And while you eat as well. We had a luscious beach feast of international and local favorites such as burrata pizza, stuffed octopus, crunchy oysters and crispy fries, and ice cold beers. What is even more interesting here in Kamala is you can walk along the beach and barhop more easily, with choices that are mostly high-end but definitely worth your precious bucks.

Being on Phuket’s west coast like Patong, Kamala is also a nice point to view amazing Phuket sunsets. I missed seeing the sunset here, though, but thank God for Cafe del Mar’s terrific fireworks show, along with its hypnotic disco ball that set its entire pool glittering, I had just the right amount of illumination for the evening.

Kahung Beach, family fave

Before heading to Kahung Beach, and since we were already at Chalong Bay where our Kahung take-off is slated, we passed by for a quick ocular of the 5-star Sinae Phuket. While there is no direct beach front at Sinae Phuket, its world-class facilities are definitely worth your indulgence if you want to be situated right at Phuket City, be near the iconic Old Town, while also having Chalong Bay easily accessible should you want the must-try island-hopping day trips. Yes, I want that! Thai law empowers me to have that! So off from Sinae Phuket, we headed straight to Nikorn Marine Tours which ferried us via speedboat to the islands.

First off, after a 15-minute speedboat ride, we reached Coral Island at the southern coast of Phuket. Here, we sought its most beautiful and beloved beach, Kahung Beach. This fine white sand beach is actually a cove facing the Andaman Sea. It is the primary white beach destination if aside from swimming and sunbathing, you would also like to snorkel, scuba dive, paraglide, paddleboard, or sail off in a kayak. It also has excellent restaurants that serve authentic Thai lunches and are often instantly arraged for by guests, especially those that come as families. I and my companions feasted on chunky chicken and plump shrimp satays, pad kra pao or basil stir-fry, and the spicy but soothing tom yum.

While this beach obviously is a bestseller among tourist families, it is delightful to note that the vibe is not boisterous nor disorderly at all. I had so much fun wading in the clear waters while teenaged-looking kids also waded next to me, all of us wading to the tune of a happy mashup of Mary J. Blige’s “Family Affair” with Eminem’s “Slim Shaddy”. We were almost laughing as we did! Not far back in the bar where the music was coming from, there are some more kids seated on swings, either eating ice cream or drinking sodas, being swung by their grooving parents. Take note that all this was during high noon, and none of us wanted to doze off in the shades. The bright heat was actually splendid amid the very cool waters and the sands beneath our feet.

Patok Beach, the fairest

It took us 30 minutes by speedboat to get to our next beach, but I had no complaints. As usual, the kindly Fohn kept me happy with cool watermelon wedges and sweet pineapple rounds, all while seeing to it that my companions cover themselves with fresh white towels as they enjoyed the sights by the rim of the speedboat.

Not only was our speedboat ride comfortable, it also afforded us breathtaking views of numerous other coves and even a yacht park, just before passing by Ao Ter or Ter Bay. Fohn said that travelers can avail of yacht rentals and stay out into the sea at the yacht park, for as long as two to three days of overnight stays. Guests who take on this experience enjoy much scuba diving, snorkeling, and fishing in the area.

Finally, we land on Racha Island (or Koh Raya or Raya Island), which is actually more specifically called by locals as Koh Racha Yai (or Big Raya, because a Small Raya island, Koh Raya Noi, also exists, and is more of a diving and fishing island due to its more pebbly and hilly terrain). Both islands, 20 kilometers south of the main island of Phuket, are known for their richly preserved marine ecosytems, which is why both are great venues for snorkeling and scuba diving. But in Big Raya, the finest white beaches are laid down, some of the best in the world, thus it is so tempting to forego the beauty underwater to savor more of the brilliant beauty of the shores.

Big Racha has five beaches: Patok Beach, the beach front of the 5-star resort hotel The Racha; Siam Bay, longer and known to be more quiet; Lha Bay, famous as a sunrise viewing point; Ter Bay, ideal for diving; and Kon Kare Bay which is more popular among snorkelers. Fohn did not have us land anymore in the other beaches after we made a round of the island via speedboat. She assured us that we would be seeing the fairest beach of it anyway, and you always take good Fohn’s word.

Patok, a crescent-shaped beach, bears a most stunning band of white sand. I have seen and held some of the best white sands from numerous journeys, and I must say that the sands of Patok Beach may be one of the whitest I have seen in my life, and is most definitely the whitest I have seen in my Phuket trip. Hats off to the Conde Nast-praised The Racha, the lone hotel resort in this spot, for honoring the law and not depriving the people of this beach. And though day trippers may not be billeted at the luxurious The Racha, there are nearby soda and snack shops from where they can get refreshments while enjoying the beach.

As for me, I did not need anything else. It was enough for me to do one little task before we left – my personal touch test. I walked the wide shoreline and dug my hands deep into the sand. So soft and so cool. I grabbed a pinch of the sands and examined it on my palm, continuously touching it then letting it all slip through my fingers. Fine, finer than sugar, and creamy white, almost like the texture of milk, but not at all clinging on my skin. All the best ones in the world are like this, I thought, all the best sands, the fairest of them all – they do not cling, as if they are aware of their very worth. This sand goes way up, definitely, in my touch test top hits. And I am just so happy that I, not even Thai, have not been deprived of beholding it.

The Beach of Phuket

From Patong Beach, all the way to the best of Coral and Racha islands, here’s a rundown of our favorite belts of sands in and around beautiful Phuket

Patong Beach, party central

Kamala Beach, diner’s delight

Kahung Beach, family fave

Patok Beach, the fairest

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