Update: Made it to Kata. Ibis was indeed open and received us with extra temp checks and hand sanitizer. Looking at the hotel from the outside at night, looks like there is one other room populated other than ours. 

 

If you want to see Kata Beach as it would be after the apocalypse, come now. Dead. Zero restaurants open. Zero. Only businesses all the way up and down the beach road open (at 8:00 p.m.) are 7-11 and Family Mart. 

Just now, JCP108 said:

Update: Made it to Kata. Ibis was indeed open and received us with extra temp checks and hand sanitizer. Looking at the hotel from the outside at night, looks like there is one other room populated other than ours. 

 

If you want to see Kata Beach as it would be after the apocalypse, come now. Dead. Zero restaurants open. Zero. Only businesses all the way up and down the beach road open (at 8:00 p.m.) are 7-11 and Family Mart. 

How about a few photos?

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

How about a few photos?

Left the phone in the hotel when we went out for our long walk to survey the area...will take it in the morning and post some.

8 minutes ago, JCP108 said:

Update: Made it to Kata. Ibis was indeed open and received us with extra temp checks and hand sanitizer. Looking at the hotel from the outside at night, looks like there is one other room populated other than ours. 

 

If you want to see Kata Beach as it would be after the apocalypse, come now. Dead. Zero restaurants open. Zero. Only businesses all the way up and down the beach road open (at 8:00 p.m.) are 7-11 and Family Mart. 

During the day massage shops are open, and I'm in the shop as well sometimes.

 

Yes, that road is dead.

21 minutes ago, stevenl said:

During the day massage shops are open, and I'm in the shop as well sometimes.

 

Yes, that road is dead.

This is my wife's dream as she would ideally like to be on a deserted island with no other people. Me, on the other hand has historically come to Kata about 50% for the beautiful beach (with Thai food actually available) and the other 50% for the cute Russian girls in thongs on the beach. Oh well. At least one of us is happy. Now switching to the beer and pistachios diet for a few days until we return to BKK.

10 minutes ago, JCP108 said:

This is my wife's dream as she would ideally like to be on a deserted island with no other people. Me, on the other hand has historically come to Kata about 50% for the beautiful beach (with Thai food actually available) and the other 50% for the cute Russian girls in thongs on the beach. Oh well. At least one of us is happy. Now switching to the beer and pistachios diet for a few days until we return to BKK.

Buy your misses a thong, and you can both be happy.

12 hours ago, JCP108 said:

Update: Made it to Kata. Ibis was indeed open and received us with extra temp checks and hand sanitizer. Looking at the hotel from the outside at night, looks like there is one other room populated other than ours. 

 

If you want to see Kata Beach as it would be after the apocalypse, come now. Dead. Zero restaurants open. Zero. Only businesses all the way up and down the beach road open (at 8:00 p.m.) are 7-11 and Family Mart. 

move to kamala, 80% of restaurants,shops, bars open..Great deals on the few hotels/resorts open

Taken at 17:00 today...

move to kamala as suggested or bangtao

And while we are at it, put these cables underground <deleted>.

14 hours ago, stuarty said:

move to kamala as suggested or bangtao

other than a few 7/11's an massage places, nothing open in Bang Tao

90% of hotels/resorts closed

I drove thru last thursday

Yeah, but everything is open in Laguna town just a mile in from Bang Tao beach.

Yeah when i said Bangtao that's what I meant (Laguna), for a hotel tourist. A good range of restaurants, Villa, Central,  and the long beach

 

Rawai is quite busy I drove along the sea front around 5pm Sunday lots of people about and the market along the main road was busy

10 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Rawai is quite busy I drove along the sea front around 5pm Sunday lots of people about and the market along the main road was busy

Lot of expats in Rawai and not as touristy as say Kata/Karon.

On 8/9/2020 at 8:36 PM, LALes said:

Yeah, but everything is open in Laguna town just a mile in from Bang Tao beach.

He came for the beach. Why would anyone want to go swim and sunbathe at Bangtao beach? It's horrible and hands down the worst swimmable beach on the whole island. 

3 hours ago, hansgruber said:

He came for the beach. Why would anyone want to go swim and sunbathe at Bangtao beach? It's horrible and hands down the worst swimmable beach on the whole island. 

There's nothing horrible about Bangtao beach. I disagree, and I have swum  and sunbathed at Bangtao (middle section (i.e. Laguna) or Layan end) for decades. My kids grew up happily in that water over many years, and there is good shade, ample parking, and a range of reasonable bars etc in season. The worst swimmable beach honours must go to Mai Khao, which is my view often dangerous as it shelves away quickly, and is adjacent to several large family hotels and not much else.

Nothing wrong with Bang Tao.  I body surfed there last month and it was fine.  Patong was always the worst beach on the island.  Polluted from too many tourists.  The Pattaya of Phuket beaches.  But even Patong is looking good now after a few months of no tourists.

6 hours ago, LALes said:

Nothing wrong with Bang Tao.  I body surfed there last month and it was fine.  Patong was always the worst beach on the island.  Polluted from too many tourists.  The Pattaya of Phuket beaches.  But even Patong is looking good now after a few months of no tourists.

Indeed. All the beaches seem to be much more inviting these days.