Best Quiet Beaches in Thailand
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Everyone thinks that Thailand is full of crowded beaches, but the secret is…many tourists all go to the same destinations. However, it is still very easy to find quiet beaches in Thailand if you know where to look.
With so many islands and so many beaches, it’s difficult to decide where are the best quiet beaches in Thailand. In the past, due to less tourism AND the Covid pandemic many visitors enjoyed quiet beaches in Thailand but if you live here, then you know where to find these beautiful calm beaches and I’m going to share them with you.
Everyone thinks that Thailand is full of crowded beaches, but the secret is…many tourists all go to the same destinations. However, it is still very easy to find quiet beaches in Thailand if you know where to look.
With so many islands and so many beaches, it’s difficult to decide where are the best quiet beaches in Thailand. During the Covid pandemic and less tourism in the past, many domestic tourists enjoyed untouched beaches but now tourists are beginning to return and islands are getting busier. However, having lived here for 8+ years I am going to share with you the best quiet islands in Thailand with uncrowded beaches.
Where to find quiet beaches in Thailand?
Both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea both boast some of the best quiet beaches in Thailand. There still exist some untouched Thai islands where the sand is white, the water clear, lots of greenery around and the beach is calm and empty. I have been lucky enough to visit a lot of quiet islands in Thailand and here are my island reviews of the best quiet beaches in Thailand. Some of these are beaches on the mainland which are still gorgeous and some are on islands or quieter areas of islands where tourists don’t tend to congregate.
Best Quiet Beach in Surat Thani
When I first visited Khanom it was because I’d heard about the possibility of seeing pink dolphins (yes they exist!). I couldn’t believe how quiet the beach was and it’s a huge stretch of beach for several kilometres…with nobody on it, making it one of the best quiet beaches in Thailand in my opinion. You can stay in a range of accommodation and there is so much more to this area than anyone tells you about! During my multiple trips to Khanom beach from Bangkok, I never saw more than a handful of people on this beach- even during Thai holidays. From Khanom beach you can do trips to see the pink dolphins of Thailand, all done ethically and this is truly one of the best ethical wildlife encounters you can have. You can rent a scooter and explore the coastline, do boat trips to see uninhabited islands, shrine islands and what is known as ‘the pancake rocks’. One of the hidden gems is a HUGE cave with bats flying around and some of the most impressive stalagmites, stalactites and rock formations I’ve ever seen. This is a national park called Khao Wang Thong and I definitely recommend it if you love visiting caves.
Where to Stay
The best hotel RIGHT on Khanom beach that I’ve stayed at is Khanom Beach Resort and Spa. The rooms were gorgeous, each with luxurious bathrooms and a little terrace with a pond and greenery. The restaurant and swimming pool are just before the beach. Staff were lovely and the food enjoyable.
Best Quiet Beaches in Thailand: Kantiang Bay, Koh Lanta
This is definitely one of the quietest beaches in Thailand, in the Andaman sea. It has a huge area of white sand, you can see your feet when standing in the sea and the jungle comes down to meet the sand, meaning no big built up buildings or roads in the way. It is incredibly calm and when I was there in April time the beach had about five people on it. Koh Lanta is a much less touristy place than other islands and in off-peak season there are barely any people around. It is not a party island and not so many backpackers when compared with islands like Koh Phi Phi or Railay beach. Koh Lanta is one of the best quiet beaches in Thailand in the Andaman area.
How to get to Koh Lanta from Bangkok: Travel by plane to Krabi and then take a ferry. You can book a ferry using this website, and get discounts for more than one ticket.
Best Quiet Islands in Thailand: Main Beach, Koh Kradan
This is one of the best, secret, quiet beaches in Thailand. It’s a tiny, mostly uninhabited island which has limited accommodation and is mostly a National Park. Most island hopping trips around the area of Koh Lanta stop here for a visit or lunch break. This means the beach can be busy with daytrippers but if you consider staying on Koh Kradan then you will have the beautiful beaches to yourselves! The main beach is stunning; white sand and crystal clear waters and the decent coral around here means that is a great snorkelling spot.
Best Quiet Beach Resort Koh Kradan: To avoid the day tripper crowds, consider staying at a resort like this one on Koh Kradan.
Top Quiet Beaches in Thailand: Koh Similan Islands
The Similan Islands are some of the most beautiful islands in Thailand. They are extremely old and have smooth shaped rock formations as they used to be submerged underwater as coral reefs. While the snorkelling and diving here is not what it once was it is still worth a visit and the quiet beaches are breath-taking. They have very white sand and transparent water and also some great viewpoints for photos.
Best Quiet Beach Thailand Tip: My best advice to avoid the day crowds is to camp overnight through the National Park service here.
Best quiet beach in Thailand: Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe
Another winner for the white sand and clear waters, head to Koh Lipe for one of the most stunning islands in Thailand. It’s is known as the ‘Maldives of Thailand’ because of this and it is my favourite island in Thailand. While it can get busy during peak season, if you head there during rainy season it will be much quieter and you can get better rates in hotels. I’ve written a full guide here for Koh Lipe as well as shared all the Koh Lipe hotels that I’ve stayed at before.
Where to Stay
This is the best luxury hotel in Koh Lipe for when you are feeling fancy. It is still affordable and right on sunrise beach in Koh Lipe. It has amazing interior design in the rooms, two swimming pools and one of the best hotel breakfasts I’ve had in Thailand.
Best Quiet Beach Thailand Tip: In the evening, walk round to the very aptly named Sunset Beach for some of the best sunsets that I’ve seen in Thailand
Best Quiet Beach in Thailand in the Gulf: Bottle Beach, Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan is famous or infamous for its full moon parties but it also has a quiet island vibe in other areas. One of my favourite beaches on this island it is only accessible by boat. This makes it a very quiet beach in Thailand. It has a few places for lunch time eating and it’s in a pretty white sand bay. Head here to avoid the crowds, especially around Full Moon time when the island fills up.
Best Quiet Beach in Thailand Tip: Get a group together to make the longtail boat ride cheaper
For more Thailand island blog posts, check out the following islands:
For the all my island summaries read this post to help you decide which island to visit..
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