Patong · Beaches · 4 h
100–200 THB ≈ $3–6 · price dated Sep 5, 2026
Hours: Daylight; longtails run in calm weather only
Best time: November–April mornings; the cove faces west and takes the green-season swell
Season: No road — a steep path from the Patong–Karon road (with a fee) or a longtail from Patong beach
Kids: No · Rain: No
The cove over the southern headland from Patong that appears in every 'hidden beaches' list: 300 metres of pale sand between granite headlands, clear water and snorkelling at both ends, a couple of drinks vendors and no road. Access is either a longtail from the south end of Patong beach (a boat costs roughly 1,200–1,800 THB return, more if you bargain badly) or a steep twenty-minute path from the coast road through private land where 100–200 THB is collected. It is worth the effort in the calm months and not safe from the water in the wet ones. Full details, sea by month and safety are on the beach page.
Source: Visitor guides, 2025–2026: 100–200 THB entry via the private path; longtail from Patong about 1,200–1,800 THB return per boat
Kamala · Beaches · 3 h
Free price dated Sep 5, 2026
Hours: Daylight; boats from Surin in calm weather
Best time: November–April; reached by a rock path or a five-minute boat from the north end of Surin
Season: The old staircase from the coast road has been closed since the 2017 land dispute — access is from Surin only
Kids: No · Rain: No · Free
A 300-metre cove of golden sand under granite boulders between Kamala and Surin, the prettiest small beach on the west coast and one that keeps its quiet because it has no road. Since the staircase from the coast road closed in 2017 the ways in are a fifteen-minute scramble along the rocks from the northern end of Surin or the small boats that shuttle from the same spot for a few minutes' ride. There are a few vendors and no loungers to speak of. It faces west and takes the green-season swell; go in the calm months. The beach page has the sea by month and access details.
Source: No entry fee; boats from Surin charge per seat (varies), 2025–2026
Nai Harn · Beaches · 4 h
Free price dated Sep 5, 2026
Hours: Always open; lifeguards in daylight
Best time: November–April for swimming; May–October for surfing
Season: Red flags for much of the green season; the lake behind the beach is the shaded picnic spot
Kids: Yes · Rain: No · Free
The south's best swimming bay: 700 metres of pale sand between two headlands, a monastery at one end, a lake and casuarinas behind it, and in the high season some of the clearest water on the island and a yacht anchorage offshore. Free, with parking, loungers at the southern end and a row of restaurants on the lake road. From May to October it turns into a surf beach with a fast shore-break and rips off the headlands — a good intermediate surf spot and a red-flagged swim. Ya Nui and Ao Sane, the two small snorkelling coves either side, are five minutes away. The beach page has the sea by month and facilities.
Source: Public beach; no admission