Kata Beach (Kata Yai)
Family bay with a gentle gradient, Koh Pu island offshore, surf schools at the north end in the green season.
Kata · 1.5 km · Rettungsschwimmer: Ja · November–April · Revision 5. Sept. 2026
Kernfakten
Stand September 2026 · Alle Quellen- 1.5 km
- Länge
- Ja — daylight
- Rettungsschwimmer
- open to the south-west monsoon
- Exposition
- high
- Rip-Risiko, Mai–Okt
- low
- Rip-Risiko, Nov–Apr
- November–April
- Beste Monate
- Straßekostenlos
- Zugang
- 28.8–31.0 °C
- Meer °C
- $29 pro Auto, Index-Median
- Taxi vom Flughafen nach Kata
Short answer
Kata Beach (Kata Yai) is 1.5 km of sand in Kata, open to the south-west monsoon, lifeguarded in daylight, reached by Straße free of charge. Best months to swim: November–April; rip-current risk from May to October: high. Good for swimming, children, surfing, snorkelling.
Kata Yai is the compromise beach and a good one: a kilometre and a half of sand with a gentle gradient, a small island (Koh Pu) off the southern end that strong swimmers reach in calm weather, snorkelling along the rocks at both ends in the high season, and a town behind it small enough to walk. It is the island's family beach by default. From May to October it becomes its most consistent beach break — the surf schools set up at the northern end, board rental is cheap and the waves forgive beginners on most days — and the same swell makes the rips real: red flags mean no swimming, and the lifeguards will whistle you out. Five of them pulled two French children from a rip here in July 2025. Kata Noi, over the hill, is the quieter sister.
Quelle: Thai Examiner — Phuket lifeguards save two young lives at Kata, July 2025 (5. Sept. 2026); Whale Surf School — surf lessons Kata Beach (5. Sept. 2026) · Alle Quellen
Meer nach Monat
| Monat | Seegang | Raue Tage | Meer °C | Beste Monate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | ruhig | 0 | 28.8 | ja |
| Feb | ruhig | 0 | 29.1 | ja |
| Mar | ruhig | 0 | 29.8 | ja |
| Apr | ruhig | 0 | 30.7 | ja |
| May | leichte Dünung | 4 | 31.0 | — |
| Jun | leichte Dünung | 8 | 30.1 | — |
| Jul | rau | 13 | 29.9 | — |
| Aug | rau | 9 | 29.9 | — |
| Sep | rau | 12 | 29.4 | — |
| Oct | ruhig | 2 | 29.5 | — |
| Nov | ruhig | 0 | 29.8 | ja |
| Dec | ruhig | 0 | 29.0 | ja |
Quelle: Open-Meteo (ERA5), 2015–2026 (island rough-sea days, 2015–2025, damped for a beach that is open to the south-west monsoon); Open-Meteo Marine API (sea-surface temperature, 2022-12–2026-09).
Median monthly mean, west-coast grid point, 2022-12–2026-09 · Open-Meteo Marine API
Island rough-sea days, median per calendar month, 2015–2025; the beach's best months in the figure colour · Open-Meteo (ERA5), 2015–2026
The table above applies the island's marine normals to this beach: median rough-sea days per calendar month from Open-Meteo (ERA5), 2015–2026 (2015–2025, marine fields from 2022), damped by the beach's shelter, and median sea-surface temperature from Open-Meteo Marine API (2022-12–2026-09). Calm months here: October–April. Some swell: May–June. Rough: July–September. The sea is 28.8–31.0 °C as monthly medians, warm in every month; temperature never decides a swim on Phuket, the sea state does. The best-months row is the beach's own calm season and is derived, not opinion.
Sicherheit
Kata Beach (Kata Yai) is open to the south-west monsoon, which decides its year. It takes the south-west swell directly, so it follows the island's marine normals exactly: a calm sea in October–April and rough-sea days in May–September, when red flags fly on rough days and the rip-current risk is high. Lifeguards patrol in daylight; a red flag means the sea is closed to swimming, and the guards will whistle swimmers out. Caught in a rip: float, swim parallel to the beach until the pull stops, then in. Phuket records around 30–40 drownings a year, most of them between May and October on the open west coast; the hospitals catalogue names the nearest 24-hour emergency room from Kata, and the emergency number is 1669. Jellyfish drift in after storms on the whole coast; vinegar is the first aid.
Ausstattung
- Liegenja
- Restaurantsja
- Toilettenja
- Duschenja
- Parkplätzeja
- Natürlicher Schattenja
Loungers in licensed zones; Club Med on the central beachfront; restaurants at the southern end and along the beach road.
Anreise
Straße · kostenlos
Beach road; parking at both ends; walkable from most of Kata.
$29 Taxi vom Flughafen nach Kata, pro Auto, Index-Median, September 2026 · n = 11
Anreise
Beach road; parking at both ends; walkable from most of Kata. There is no entry fee. The beach is 0.1 km from the centre of Kata as the site defines it. From the airport, the taxi-counter fare to Kata was $29 per car as the index median in September 2026 (11 observations); the airport-transfer page compares taxi, ride-hailing, minivan and the Smart Bus for the area. 42 km separate the airport from Kata by road. The nearest other beaches in this catalogue are Kata Noi Beach (1.3 km), Karon Beach (2.7 km), Nui Beach (2.9 km), Ao Sane Beach (4.5 km).
Ausstattung
Loungers in licensed zones; Club Med on the central beachfront; restaurants at the southern end and along the beach road. Loungers, where present, are rented by the day from licensed operators in zones set after the 2014–2016 clean-ups. Natural shade exists behind the beach. Food and drink are available at or just behind the beach. Nearby in the things-to-do catalogue: Surf House Phuket (flowrider), Kata (0.2 km), Surf lesson at Kata Beach (0.3 km), Karon Viewpoint (2.7 km). Hotels, villa rents and the cost of a day in Kata are priced on the area page from the index.
Nachbarstrände
- Kata Noi BeachShorter, steeper and quieter than Kata Yai; two large resorts and little else.
- Karon BeachThree kilometres of fine 'squeaky' sand with a steep shore-break; space to spare, mid-range resorts behind the road.
- Nui BeachTiny cove below the Karon Viewpoint road, reached by a steep track; a beach-club operation was ordered removed in 2026.
- Ao Sane BeachThree tiny coves of coarse sand and boulders past the Nai Harn hotel driveway; snorkelling and a dive-centre feel.
Häufige Fragen
Is Kata Beach (Kata Yai) safe for swimming?
In November–April, yes — the sea is calm on the island's marine normals. From May to October the rip-current risk is high: the beach takes the swell directly and flies red flags on rough days. Lifeguards are on duty in daylight. Red flag means no swimming; in an emergency call 1669.
When is the best time to visit Kata Beach (Kata Yai)?
November–April. The sea is calm here in October–April and rough in July–September, on the island's marine normals (Open-Meteo (ERA5), 2015–2026) applied to a beach that is open to the south-west monsoon. Sea temperature runs 28.8–31.0 °C through the year, so it is never the deciding factor. For surfing the answer is the opposite: May to October.
How do you get to Kata Beach (Kata Yai)?
Beach road; parking at both ends; walkable from most of Kata. Entry is free. The airport taxi to Kata was $29 per car as the index median in September 2026; Kata is 42 km from the airport by road.
Does Kata Beach (Kata Yai) have loungers, restaurants and toilets?
Liegen, Restaurants, Toiletten, Duschen, Parkplätze, Natürlicher Schatten. Loungers in licensed zones; Club Med on the central beachfront; restaurants at the southern end and along the beach road. Other beaches in Kata: Kata Noi Beach, Nui Beach.
Eine private Woche auf Phuket planen — ab 10.000 $
Villa, Yacht, Helikopter und private Touren als ein Programm, mit datierten Preisreferenzen und einem Ansprechpartner.
- Villa mit Personal oder 5★-Suite, ein Tag auf dem Wasser und ein Flug über die Bucht — nach Ihren Terminen
- Ein schriftlicher Plan binnen 24 Stunden — jede Position nach veröffentlichten Tarifen, nichts geschätzt
- Ein Kontakt von der ersten Nachricht bis zum letzten Transfer