With no tourists, I would expect the sea to have less "human pollution" from hotels etc. For those of you still there, is there a noticeable difference?

I was a frequent visitor to Phuket's west coast beaches, although Kamala was my "home beach". I like swimming, but I'm not a fan of sewage ☺️

Kata Beach sand and sea quality is pristine.

5 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

Kata Beach sand and sea quality is pristine.

Yeah, Kata is a beautiful beach.

You could say it's a good time to come all down the west coast as far as Nai Harn beach, at the weekends its fairly busy lots of locals and expats who live here, I drove to Patong the other Sunday I've never seen it looking so good

"A noticeable difference" is a major understatement. Some of the West Coast beaches are practically deserted. Come before the monsoon changes and the beaches take on a different character.

Kamala, Surin, Layan are fantastic>>>>
NO umbrellas, no chairs, clean.....NO people

Kamala at 4 pm has at the most 40 people :

PARADISE

Bang Tao was deserted. Not a soul on the beach. I'll be going back again shortly ????

Patong beach a couple of weeks ago

They probably look like they used to , 30 years ago ! I’ll never forget my first winter on Phuket, staying on Kata Beach at Cool Breeze bungalows , 1985, no supermarkets , one village shop telephone to call home with a stop watch , eating at Chao Kuan bungalows with the family who became my best friends, sunsets with a beer , my best memories of Thailand. 

La plage de Kamala est un delice et pas mal de business sont ouverts !

10 hours ago, geisha said:

They probably look like they used to , 30 years ago ! I’ll never forget my first winter on Phuket, staying on Kata Beach at Cool Breeze bungalows , 1985, no supermarkets , one village shop telephone to call home with a stop watch , eating at Chao Kuan bungalows with the family who became my best friends, sunsets with a beer , my best memories of Thailand. 

I was there then too. Didn't see you though. Great time and the seafood was sooo very cheap. For $12 a huge assortment of seafood. More than I could eat. Met some great girls who ferried me around on a motorbike. Met a female chef from Japan and her boyfriend and we hung out. Great time. 

31 minutes ago, elgenon said:

I was there then too. Didn't see you though. Great time and the seafood was sooo very cheap. For $12 a huge assortment of seafood. More than I could eat. Met some great girls who ferried me around on a motorbike. Met a female chef from Japan and her boyfriend and we hung out. Great time. 

Kamala beach 1989 with nothing on it except cattle at sunset, and Diver's Bar. 3 places to eat in the village, and Ran the host of the Bank Bar. Beer 20B and about B70 to the pound. Those were the days.

1 hour ago, stuarty said:

Kamala beach 1989 with nothing on it except cattle at sunset, and Diver's Bar. 3 places to eat in the village, and Ran the host of the Bank Bar. Beer 20B and about B70 to the pound. Those were the days.

IN ur dream
1989 39-46 baht to the  GDP

https://fxtop.com/en/historical-exchange-rates.php?A=1&C1=GBP&C2=THB&TR=1&MA=1&YA=1&DD1=01&MM1=01&YYYY1=1989&B=1&P=&I=1&DD2=20&MM2=03&YYYY2=1989&btnOK=Go!

The beach is nice now as the early 90's except for the buildings of which in kamala there were few.  Spoke the other week with some locals at kamala who i have know for 20+ years and they were kids back than ( 1996)

We hung out at woods place with our windsurfers on the beach in Patong in 1985-   beach is as nice as than but alot more buildings now of course and NO Paradise building in the view of the mtns

 

 

15 hours ago, stuarty said:

Kamala beach 1989 with nothing on it except cattle at sunset, and Diver's Bar. 3 places to eat in the village, and Ran the host of the Bank Bar. Beer 20B and about B70 to the pound. Those were the days.

I have a photo of the phoney "jeep" that we rented and I got stuck in the sand. We had to push it out. The good ol' days.

Yes agree with all the west coast benches are stunning...from Mai Khow in the north all the way down to Yanui in the south. And on most days, absolutely deserted. I particularly partial to Karon in the mornings for swimming, sunbathing, and walking because of of its easy access, ample parking (not a problem anywhere now) and 3 km length (for power walking). Yanui is great for lounging and snorkeling. 

 

Karon Beach yesterday at about 09:30...I was there till about noon and maybe a dozen people there the entire time.

 

 

 

 

Current views of Patong Beach at the start of this news clip:

 

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