Staying at Nang Thong | Khao Lak's Busiest Beach

What it is like

Nang Thong is the busiest of the Khao Lak beaches, with the widest choice of places to eat and the most tour desks and dive shops. The beach shelves more steeply than Bang Niang, and the surf picks up earlier in the season. That is worth knowing if you are swimming with small children.

Who it suits

Divers and snorkellers who want a dive shop on the doorstep.
Anyone who wants the most choice for dinner and does not want to depend on a car.
Travellers staying a week or more who want services nearby.

Who should look elsewhere

If you want an empty beach and a resort to yourself, Bang Sak is the better fit. If you want a village feel rather than the busiest strip, Bang Niang is quieter. If you are travelling with very small children who will paddle in the shallows, check the surf on the day, since the beach shelves more steeply here.

Which hotel

The hotels we cover here are varied. Khaolak Laguna is central, with excellent pools. The Sands by Katathani is a family beachfront resort. Moracea has hillside grounds that run down to a long beachfront. The Leaf Oceanside has low-rise rooms a minute from Nang Thong. Each is listed below with a link to its own page.

When to come

The sea is generally calm from November through April. In the southwest monsoon, roughly May to October, red flags go up along this coast because of rip currents, and a good share of the businesses close. Check when to come before you pick dates.

Getting here

Nang Thong is roughly 70 to 80 km from Phuket airport, and the drive takes 1 to 1.5 hours. There is no public bus going north, so plan the transfer before you fly.

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Day trips from Khao Lak

Compare Khao Lak tours and day trips

Hotels on Nang Thong Beach

Khaolak Laguna Resort, 4-star: Central location, excellent pools
The Sands Khao Lak by Katathani, 5-star: Family beachfront resort by Katathani
Moracea by Khao Lak Resort, 5-star: Hillside grounds running down to a long beachfront
The Leaf Oceanside, 4-star: Low-rise rooms a minute from Nang Thong

Where to stay

Find a place near here

We cover hotels along this coast — the Khao Lak beaches, Phuket and Krabi — plus a handful on Koh Samui, across in the Gulf. Start with hotels in Khao Lak, or browse every hotel we cover; prices and availability show on the partner's own site.

Or see every place to stay in Khao Lak on Klook

Questions

Common questions

Is Nang Thong the main beach in Khao Lak?

It is the one most people mean when they say "Khao Lak". It has the greatest concentration of restaurants, bars, dive shops and tour operators on the coast.

Is Nang Thong good for families?

It can be. Some hotels here are family beachfront resorts. The beach shelves more steeply than Bang Niang and the surf picks up earlier in the season, so check conditions before letting small children swim.

Do you need a scooter at Nang Thong?

Not usually. Restaurants, shops and dive shops are walkable from most of the beach hotels, which is why this is the easiest beach to manage without a vehicle.

Nang Thong or Bang Niang?

Nang Thong has more places to eat and more dive shops. Bang Niang has a village feel with a night market and is a little quieter. Both are walkable.

Can you swim at Nang Thong?

In high season, yes. From roughly May to October red flags go up because of rip currents, and swimming is often unsafe. If a flag is flying, stay out of the water.

Planning the rest of the trip? Compare places to stay, or see what is open month by month.