Southern Thailand · Phang-nga

Khao Lak travel guide: quiet beaches, the Similans and tsunami memorials

Khao Lak, on the Phang Nga coast north of Phuket, is a string of long, quiet beaches backed by forested hills. TAT describes it as family-friendly and ideal for peaceful holidays, and it is the main base for trips to the Similan Islands. It was also among the places worst hit by the 2004 tsunami, and its memorials are moving places to stop.

AsiaVela editorial teamUpdated 1 October 20263 min read

A long empty sandy beach lined with casuarina trees on the Khao Lak coast — A quiet beach at Khao Lak.

Suggested time: 4–5 nights
Where to stay: Nang Thong or Bang Niang beach
Season and timing: 15 October to 15 May for the Similan Islands; May to early November brings monsoon surf.

The short answer

Stay four or five nights. Choose a beach — Nang Thong for convenience, Bang Niang for quiet, Pakarang for surfing in the monsoon — and take a day trip to the Similan Islands from Thap Lamu between 15 October and 15 May, when the park is open. Visit the Ban Nam Khem tsunami memorial and the stranded police boat at Bang Niang, and Takua Pa Old Town. Fly into Phuket.

Khao Lak's beaches

TAT lists the main beaches: Nang Thong, the most popular, with golden sand and casuarinas; Bang Niang, quiet with calm, clear water in high season; Pakarang and Cape Pakarang, the centre of a surf scene in the monsoon; and the quieter Khuk Khak, Pak Wip and Bang Sak further north.

Swim only in calm conditions; rip currents are common in the monsoon.

The Similan Islands

The Similan Islands National Park opens from 15 October to 15 May; in 2026 it closed from 15 May to 15 October for safety and ecosystem recovery, as reported by Nation Thailand. Most day trips and liveaboards leave from Thap Lamu, just south of Khao Lak, TAT notes.

TAT has reported daily visitor caps and that overnight stays on the islands have not been allowed since 2018. Book a licensed operator that includes park fees.

The balanced granite boulder of Donald Duck Bay above turquoise water in the Similan Islands — Donald Duck Bay, Similan Islands.

A white-sand beach and clear turquoise water among granite boulders in the Similans — A beach in the Similan Islands.

Make time for the local food

What to eat and where to look

Southern Thai home cooking

TAT highlighted Nai Mueang in Khao Lak, a Bib Gourmand restaurant serving authentic southern Thai dishes that are not toned down.

Where to look: Local restaurants behind the beaches.
Fit it into your day: Dinner off the beach.

Southern food is very spicy.

Beachfront seafood

Grilled seafood at restaurants along the beaches.

Where to look: Nang Thong and Bang Niang.
Fit it into your day: Sunset dinner.

Prices often by weight.

Market food

Snacks, curries and sweets at local markets.

Where to look: Bang Niang and Takua Pa markets.
Fit it into your day: A casual evening.

Market days vary.

Tsunami memorials

At Ban Nam Khem, a wave-shaped concrete wall bears the names of the dead — more than 1,400 people died in this village alone, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports' directory — beside a fishing boat wrecked by the tsunami.

At Bang Niang, police boat T.813, a 60-tonne patrol boat, was carried about 2 kilometres inland and left where it landed as a memorial. Visit respectfully.

The police patrol boat T.813 stranded inland as a tsunami memorial at Bang Niang — Police boat T.813, the tsunami memorial at Bang Niang.

Khao Lak – Lam Ru National Park

Behind the coast, Khao Lak – Lam Ru National Park covers a mountain range rising to 1,077 metres, the source of the Phang Nga and Takua Pa rivers, according to the directory.

Short trails lead to viewpoints and waterfalls; check conditions at the park office.