Beach recommendations

[susanlea]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Lanta Villa used to be my go to destination, but haven't visited any beach in LOS since 2010 ( I don't consider Pattaya a beach ). Back then Lanta was a great destination as they couldn't ruin the ambience with long tail boats. Phi Phi was the worst for them. Phi Phi was OK before the tsunami, but they concreted it over after. Greed is a terrible sin.

14 years is a long time. I can tell you Hua Hin is much better than Lanta. Anywhere from Cha-am down the coast will be better for a beach experience. The bay south of the main beach at Hua Hin is about 8 to 10km long. Hardly any people on it. A few areas with Thai food. The next bay is small but nice beach and good food. Called Sai Noi or something like that.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, susanlea said:

I would choose an island bases on beaches, convenience, activities, gyms, hotels, cost and food. I want to eat good food but pay a fair price.

 

When was the last time you visited a Thai island? I visited some last year.

Too long ago. Not so easy when living in Chiang Mai and my wife worked too much to get enough time.

 

I certainly didn't choose an island for a gym and if it cost more than 600 baht a night it was a rip off. Didn't need anyone to provide "activities". Walking and communing with nature was enough.

 

My most favourite beach was Than Sadet, no gyms, no hotels, no "activities", very difficult to get too ( kept the riff raff away ), no electric after 10 pm, no hot water, no tv, no clubs, no discos, no bar beers or gogos, but great scenery, fantastic ambience, wonderfully quiet.

The food in the cliff top restaurants may not have been Cordon Bleu, but the view was worth a million baht.

[thaibeachlovers]

11 minutes ago, susanlea said:

14 years is a long time. I can tell you Hua Hin is much better than Lanta. Anywhere from Cha-am down the coast will be better for a beach experience. The bay south of the main beach at Hua Hin is about 8 to 10km long. Hardly any people on it. A few areas with Thai food. The next bay is small but nice beach and good food. Called Sai Noi or something like that.

At least on Lanta the beach doesn't vanish at high tide.

[susanlea]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

At least on Lanta the beach doesn't vanish at high tide.

Hua Hin has 15km of beaches that don't disappear at high tide.

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, susanlea said:

Hua Hin has 15km of beaches that don't disappear at high tide.

Yes, but the one south of the town is encroached below high tide. I know as I tried to walk along it to the promontory at the south end. Had to take a tuk tuk to get there.

 

I stayed on a gulf coast beach once with my wife to be.The place we stayed at and a private residence next door were the only human habitations for miles. That was real bliss.

[susanlea]

4 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Yes, but the one south of the town is encroached below high tide. I know as I tried to walk along it to the promontory at the south end. Had to take a tuk tuk to get there.

 

I stayed on a gulf coast beach once with my wife to be.The place we stayed at and a private residence next door were the only human habitations for miles. That was real bliss.

The south headland is really nice spot to eat and drink and admire the view. Some of the sois have development at the beach end but you can walk through cafes which is what we did.

[Captain Flack]

A number of bickering and unhelpful posts removed.

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Gosh, it's like some go to an island based on the restaurants. Silly me, I thought people went for the ambiance of a nice beach.

My go to restaurant meal was always fried rice chicken as it's quite hard to mess that up. Not that I had a favourite restaurant for it.

I get you're line of thinking.   But 2 dishes I rarely order, fried rice anything, or pad Thai.   There has to be absolutely nothing else of interest for me to order either.   No fried rice, as just not a fan of, beside TH rice lacking any nutritional value IMHO.

 

Along your line of thought, I'll order Sweet & Sour whatever, when stumped for choice, as hard to screw up, and a nice serving of veggies, which I don't eat enough of at restaurants.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

14 hours ago, susanlea said:

I guess you have not been to many islands. A lot of them have rubbish collecting on the beaches when it is not busy. Most of the beaches are not that good anyway and food is usually disappointing. 

Been surprised this trip Koh Chang. As you say can be dirty in low season but have seen very little rubbish. There was a guy collecting outside the hotel this morning on Khlong Prou but nothing much to collect. 

[susanlea]

1 minute ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Been surprised this trip Koh Chang. As you say can be dirty in low season but have seen very little rubbish. There was a guy collecting outside the hotel this morning on Khlong Prou but nothing much to collect. 

That's good to hear. Been a problem often but not always. 

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, susanlea said:

Hua Hin has 15km of beaches that don't disappear at high tide.

You obviously haven't walked it all at high tide, as it laps against to steps and wall at some spots.

[susanlea]

12 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

You obviously haven't walked it all at high tide, as it laps against to steps and wall at some spots.

Was there last month. We walked for kms on the 2 large bays. Beach is far better than the rubbish beach in front of Prachuap Khiri Khan or Pattaya. Also nicer sand than Ao Manao. The south might have some better but then you have Russians or inconvenience going to remote beaches.

[KhunLA]

29 minutes ago, susanlea said:

Was there last month. We walked for kms on the 2 large bays. Beach is far better than the rubbish beach in front of Prachuap Khiri Khan or Pattaya. Also nicer sand than Ao Manao. The south might have some better but then you have Russians or inconvenience going to remote beaches.

Yea, but I wouldn't swim in any part of the HH beach, though nice to look at.  I have swam at Ao Manao.  Ao Noi (deep boat pier) & Ao Prachuap (fronts town) is not a swimmer's beach at all.   

 

Ban Krut & Thung Wua Laen still very swimmable.  Not overly developed, when surf cooperating.

 

When at PP, back beach was all broken shells & shallow, so not swimming on that one.  Other side was boat pier and long tails, and not swimming in there either.   Didn't venture to the other ones.

 

The Gulf is the gulf, and if not clear, usually isn't, I'm not going in anyway.  HH is overly developed and polluted, and wouldn't even consider going in.  Along with most developed tourist spots, and no or insufficient waste water treatment plant available.  Not a fan of ear infections.

 

These 2 spots are quite nice for swimming, North of PKK, as developed for locals, but nothing for Int'll tourist there.  Strangely called Had Wa Khao also (swim at your own risk at both), though 10 kms away from same named Wa Khao beach

[susanlea]

1 minute ago, KhunLA said:

Yea, but I wouldn't swim in any part of the HH beach, though nice to look at.  I have swam at Ao Manao.  Ao Noi (deep boat pier) & Ao Prachuap (fronts town) is not a swimmer's beach at all.   

 

Ban Krut & Thung Wua Laen still very swimmable.  Not overly developed, when surf cooperating.

 

When at PP, back beach was all broken shells & shallow, so not swimming on that one.  Other side was boat pier and long tails, and not swimming in there either.   Didn't venture to the other ones.

 

The Gulf is the gulf, and if not clear, usually isn't, I'm not going in anyway.  HH is overly developed and polluted, and wouldn't even consider going in.  Along with most developed tourist spots, and no or insufficient waste water treatment plant available.  Not a fan of ear infections.

 

These 2 spots are quite nice for swimming, North of PKK, as developed for locals, but nothing for Int'll tourist there.  Strangely called Had Wa Khao also (swim at your own risk at both), though 10 kms away for same named Wa Khao beach

We didn't get ear infections. I've seen more dirty water in Phuket. Ear infections are more common in pools I believe. Anyway it depends what you want. The remote beaches on Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Chang will provide a more exotic trip but you pay more and use up more time. In Hua Hin I could do gym, pool, beach and mall in 1 day. VIP bus to Bangkok 290 baht very efficient. Airport has cheap flights to Chiang Mai. I wish they had flights to Chiang Rai as well. Under used airports. I can't understand why they don't make Chiang Rai a major airport. The Hua Hin airport should be south of town to service the mid coast. Not good planning.

[Luuk Chaai]

On 6/4/2024 at 9:33 AM, charleskerins said:

hua hin?

Just don't go on Saturday or Sunday

Over run with foreigners crammed in on lounge chairs, food vendors, cheap jewlery vendors, scarfs and shirt vendors,  knockoff sunglasses

manicure ladies. and on the beach massage tables ..   then we have the "Horses"

Wenesdays are best ,   the beach is "closed to all of the above.

Hua Hin City officials met horse-riding operators following beach complaints about some horses and riders. Hua Hin Permanent Secretary Jirawat Pramanee met Mr Sinthchai Amphawa, vice-president of the horse-riding operator group, and 61 horse operators late last month.

They discussed complaints that horses hired out for riding on Hua Hin beach do not have proper “parking areas” to wait for riding patrons. Sometimes these horses stand in front of luxury beachfront hotels and drop dung scattered on the sand, creating aromatic eye-sore for visitors.

[Luuk Chaai]

16 hours ago, KhunLA said:

You obviously haven't walked it all at high tide, as it laps against to steps and wall at some spots.

 especially in the "winter months"

[charleskerins]

3 hours ago, Luuk Chaai said:

Just don't go on Saturday or Sunday

Over run with foreigners crammed in on lounge chairs, food vendors, cheap jewlery vendors, scarfs and shirt vendors,  knockoff sunglasses

manicure ladies. and on the beach massage tables ..   then we have the "Horses"

Wenesdays are best ,   the beach is "closed to all of the above.

Hua Hin City officials met horse-riding operators following beach complaints about some horses and riders. Hua Hin Permanent Secretary Jirawat Pramanee met Mr Sinthchai Amphawa, vice-president of the horse-riding operator group, and 61 horse operators late last month.

They discussed complaints that horses hired out for riding on Hua Hin beach do not have proper “parking areas” to wait for riding patrons. Sometimes these horses stand in front of luxury beachfront hotels and drop dung scattered on the sand, creating aromatic eye-sore for visitors.

JC

[khunpeer]

On 6/2/2024 at 8:24 AM, charleskerins said:

Have not been to the beach here yet   (well Pattaya once but -no thanks)     looking for nice beach quiet clean    I am in Central Thailand    

 

TIA

for you living in CentralTland, I would not go to HuaHin but to direction of Trat, KohChang, KohKood! better beaches along the way starting BangSaray!

[josephbloggs]

On 6/8/2024 at 11:18 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

That's good news about Samet. Last time I went it was filthy. I hope they made the piers safe too. Very dangerous last time I went.

Yes, it is much improved. Very very pleasantly surprised after going back for the first time in 15+ years.

The pier is much better and more organised. There is also now a high speed catamaran service from Ban Phe. I haven't used it as I prefer to go by speedboat but it looks very nice.

The only development I don't like is that speedboats from the mainland now can't drop you directly on your beach. Every boat has to dock at the main pier, and then there is an organised set up to pay the park fee. It is way more organised and makes sense, but I did like just rocking up on a speedboat right outside your hotel.

The road is now a proper road. And even the 7-Elevens there don't give out plastic bags. It's clean.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 6/9/2024 at 5:12 AM, Luuk Chaai said:

Just don't go on Saturday or Sunday

Over run with foreigners crammed in on lounge chairs, food vendors, cheap jewlery vendors, scarfs and shirt vendors,  knockoff sunglasses

manicure ladies. and on the beach massage tables ..   then we have the "Horses"

Wenesdays are best ,   the beach is "closed to all of the above.

Hua Hin City officials met horse-riding operators following beach complaints about some horses and riders. Hua Hin Permanent Secretary Jirawat Pramanee met Mr Sinthchai Amphawa, vice-president of the horse-riding operator group, and 61 horse operators late last month.

They discussed complaints that horses hired out for riding on Hua Hin beach do not have proper “parking areas” to wait for riding patrons. Sometimes these horses stand in front of luxury beachfront hotels and drop dung scattered on the sand, creating aromatic eye-sore for visitors.

 

 

HH is one of my favorite getaways from BKK, and we usually make a point of staying there on weekday periods... Nice beach town environment but also plenty of good international restaurants and malls for eating and shopping and relaxing. Even did a grocery delivery order to my hotel from Villa Market HH last time there.

 

However, the horses on the beach has always been a turn off for me... Not only do the horses do their business on the sand when nature calls, but they also at times do their droppings at the water line, and the waves wash up and disperse the poop into the beach waters...

 

So I do much enjoy the broader beach environment in HH, and like walking the beach from the downtown area several KMs to the south.  But the horse poop issue is enough to make me decide against doing any ocean swimming there, and will stick to hotel pools for that.

 

Also the  VIP bus service from Suvarnabhumi to HH for about 350b per person is a very good deal and efficient, dropping you off at their bus station next to to the HH airport. But the bus operator then also will provide free van rides into town to the Clocktower meeting point, or, direct van service to local hotels for arrivals (but not return trip departures) for 100b per person.