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Khao Lak
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Khao Lak

Quiet Beaches and the Gateway to the Similan Islands

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3 daysIdeal stay₹2,810From / night₹1,120Food / day₹1,410Entry

A string of long, quiet beaches north of Phuket with mid-range resorts, and the departure point for day trips and liveaboards to the Similan and Surin Islands, Thailand's best diving. Those parks close every year from mid-May to mid-October; Khao Lak itself stays open but is very quiet then. An hour and a half by road from Phuket airport.

Highlights

  • Similan Islands snorkel day (mid-Oct to mid-May)
  • Surin Islands and Moken village
  • Liveaboard diving to Richelieu Rock
  • Khao Lak–Lam Ru waterfall walk
  • Police Boat 813 tsunami memorial
  • Takua Pa Old Town Sunday market
  • Long empty beaches at Bang Niang
  • Sunset at Khao Lak beach

Things to do

  • Similan Islands speedboat snorkel dayNov–AprMorning · 10h
  • Khao Lak–Lam Ru waterfall trailMorning · 3h
  • Tsunami memorial & museumAfternoon · 1h 30m
  • Takua Pa Old Town walkAfternoon · 2h
  • Bang Niang beach afternoonAfternoon · 3h
  • Sunset at Khao Lak beachEvening · 1h 30m

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Khao Lakvia GetYourGuideTours & tickets in Khao Lakvia Klook

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When to go

Best time: November – April

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Similan & Surin Islands Closed

⚠️ The Similan and Surin island parks are closed to all visitors from 16 May to 15 October every year. Khao Lak itself stays open, but there are no Similan day trips or liveaboards in these months.

Worth knowing

Similan & Surin Close Mid-May, Reopen Mid-October

The Similan and Surin parks shut on 16 May and reopen on 15 October. Book a Similan trip only for dates inside the season, and expect the first boats after reopening to be cancelled if the swell is still high.

Worth knowing

Andaman Monsoon: Rough Seas and Red Flags

The south-west monsoon brings rain most afternoons and rough seas from May to October, worst in September. Red flags (no swimming) are common on Phuket's west-coast beaches, where rip currents drown swimmers every year; speedboat trips are cancelled at short notice and the crossings are bumpy. Hotels are much cheaper than in the high season.

  • Buddhist holy days (Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asahna Bucha) · Visakha Bucha 31 May; Asahna Bucha and Buddhist Lent 29–30 Jul — Candle-lit processions round the temples at dusk, worth seeing in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya. Alcohol may not be sold anywhere, bars included, for 24-48 hours (hotels and airport duty free excepted); the Full Moon Party moves a night.
  • Christmas and New Year peak — The most expensive fortnight of the year on the islands: resorts set 5-7 night minimums and compulsory gala-dinner charges on 24 and 31 December, and Phi Phi, Samui and Phuket ferries and flights fill a month ahead. Indian school holidays add to it. Book by October.