Thailand’s southern isle of paradise, Phuket Island is bounteously provided with a wide array of attractive beaches and idyllic islands surrounded by the warm turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea. Beaches range from gentle crescents of sand with calm waters to rocky headlands pounded by raging surf. Phuket Island is surrounded with beaches, all of them with their own character. We have put together a list of 24 beaches that you can visit on your trip to Phuket. Phuket Island is irregularly shaped, with a north-south length of approximately 26 nmi and an approximate east-west average width of 8 nmi. Two areas of the island are of interest to this evaluation: Patong Bay on the west side of the island, and Makham Bay on the southeast side of the island.

Phuket Island is Thailand’s largest island and it is connected to mainland at Phang Nga Province by the Sarasin Bridge and it is considerably more developed than any other island in Thailand. Phuket is located 850 km south of Bangkok.

The east coast comprises limestone shoals with only a few sandy beaches while spectacular limestone islands adorn the horizon. Coral gardens full of exotic marine life dot the emerald waters surrounding the island. However, the beach shelf is steep and the fairly heavy surf renders it unsuitable for swimming. Strolling along the private, sandy beach or luxuriating in your own villa pool, you will not find a more stunning backdrop. Coconut Island’s The Village is poised to be one of the premier resorts in Thailand.

In addition to the splendid reefs there are two fine beaches on the north and west. Koh Hey is part of a marine preserve, but accommodations, restaurants, various water sports and diving are all available. Phuket has a lot more to offer its visitors other than its natural heritage sea, sand, sky, beach, forest, and world renowned diving sites. Sino-Portuguese architecture casts its spell delighting travelers to the city, while Phuket-style hospitality has never failed to impress visitors from all walks of life.

In addition to the splendid reefs there are two fine beaches on the north and west. Koh Hay is part of a marine preserve, but accommodations, restaurants, various watersports and diving are all available. Each year then from around May to October there are bulldozers on the beach replenishing the sand and there are sandbags along the top of the beach providing protection. I know from personal experience that this is not a major problem because the seas are generally too dangerous for bathing at that time anyway; however, I believe it important that the visitor should be aware of what for some could be an eyesore.

While not as flashy or fast as modern speedboats, a voyage in a longtail boat is an interesting experience and a great way to take short sightseeing trips. Longtails are not advisable while traveling with small children or non-swimmers. If you are unlucky enough to go when the tour boats arrive, it can get very busy. The main appeal of Coral Island is the coral reefs just off the beaches. When you climb up to Sailing Boat Rock, consider the brilliant white sand below. This beach is in large part a product of diligent scraping and nibbling away by organisms such as the parrotfish - an average individual of which species may excrete more than 16 kilos of sand in the course of a year’s lunching on hard corals.

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