9 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Do you include yourself as one of the "cheap kind"?

If the place is as overcrowded as you claim it is then why did you go there?

I was actually staying in a charming resort in Rayong. But after a few days of trying to find a good beach in Rayong, it was clear that that was not going to happen and the locals advised me to go to Ko Samet. So being the intrepid adventurer that I am, that's what we did. I didn't know anything about Ko Samet then. I didn't know that there were top resorts like Paradee with private beach, and I was unware of the massive overcrowding. I was definitely slumming it, the tourists there are not exactly high net worth individuals, but what can you do.

11 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Koh Samet is the closest and most accessible nice beach destination from Bangkok

It's not a nice beach at all, and pales to what's out there in Phuket, Trang, Krabi etc., again you are not well informed.

Ko Samet is a passable, user friendly beach, but it is very overcrowded and unremarkable in many ways.

6 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

He says he went in February. Probably during Chinese New Year, one of the busiest times. And guess what, loads of Chinese go there then.

And he insists it is like that all year round. Ridiculous man.

No, actually, I went there before Chinese New Year. I'm not crazy.

9 minutes ago, it is what it is said:

if you're interested in beaches don't go to thailand. the only people who rave about thai beaches are people who've never travelled. go to australia, the maldives, west indies... they have beaches worth talking about.

Particularly the West Indies, Grand Cayman has by far the best beach in the world, 7 mile beach.

City Beach: Hua Hin from soi 67 to soi 23, approx. 4km.water is not clean, but beach very walkable and not busy.

Accessible outside of city beach: Suan Son Beach to Khao Tao Beach 7 km of relatively clean, safe , lightly populated beach a few km. south of Hua Hin city. Water as clean as it gets in Thailand.

Great potential: The beaches of Nahkon si Thammarat, Unfortunately, badly polluted with trash and illegal dumping of garbage in the grasslands.

A lost love: Karon Beach, Phuket for its quality of sand. (Now, too crowded, poorly maintained and subject to polluted runoff)

Krabi has some nice beach areas but they are not long enough for a good walk, and they are not always easily accessible.

1 minute ago, Patong2021 said:

City Beach: Hua Hin from soi 67 to soi 23, approx. 4km.water is not clean, but beach very walkable and not busy.

Accessible outside of city beach: Suan Son Beach to Khao Tao Beach 7 km of relatively clean, safe , lightly populated beach a few km. south of Hua Hin city. Water as clean as it gets in Thailand.

Great potential: The beaches of Nahkon si Thammarat, Unfortunately, badly polluted with trash and illegal dumping of garbage in the grasslands.

A lost love: Karon Beach, Phuket for its quality of sand. (Now, too crowded, poorly maintained and subject to polluted runoff)

Krabi has some nice beach areas but they are not long enough for a good walk, and they are not always easily accessible.

Hua Hin has nicer stretches of beach than Ko Samet. Much less crowded too.

Karon in Phuket was polluted and unbearable. Nai Harn is much better in Phuket.

I spent about 3 weeks in Koh Phangan this past June, and after that I spent 5 days in Koh Samui.

In Koh Phangan I rented an airbnb bungalow and then rode my rented a scooter and went to about 5 or 6 different beaches in Koh Phangan and yes, I completely avoided Full Moon Party. I had those beaches to myself from 0700-0900 and after that it was boiling hot I had to scram back to my resort. So yeah, that full moon beach, Haad Rin, it was just me and off in the distance I saw a couple of tourists.

Then, I took the ferry to Koh Samui and stayed at Pinnacle Samui Resort a old, but nice resort on Mae Nam beach. I really liked that resort it was really large and had both hotel rooms and separate bungalows. You could see the beach from the pool and the buffet breakfast was a little above average. I got lucky the rooms were only approx 1,000 baht a night, the bungalows were 1,300 a night.

Like I said, I was lucky, I went in June the prices go up in July/Aug because thats a high season down there. Koh Samui was way more crowded and to me it was more fun. Overall both places are pretty nice I always made sure to rent a bike the taxi mafia down there are brutal.

Thailand has plenty of mainland beaches fitting your requirements (wide, uncrowded). Unfortunately, the more uncrowded, the more full of trash. The few clean beaches left are clean because hotel staff clean them daily, sometimes twice a day.

Well, not the best water but Jomtien Beach is a wonderful beautiful stretch of beach. Karon Beach on Phuket is still my favorite. Wade out into the water, turn around and can see the giant white buddha on the hill top is serene and almost surreal.

Ao Nang and Railey are OK.

Kamala is on my radar but have not been there yet.

Hua Hin was OK. Not crowded. Easy bus trip from Bangkok. Stayed there a week last February.

Thank you all for your additional comments. I am going to try to reply to as many as I can.

The main reason I started this topic was because I haven't been to the beaches in Thailand for many years. I guess that's because I remember the islands back from a time when many of them generally weren't overcrowded yet and Thailand had less than 25% of the number of annual tourists it has now. For example, the first time I drove past Karon Beach on a motorcycle, it was just a lazy fishing village and not even a place for tourists to visit yet.

This was also well before the big influx of East Asian tourists from India and China. So the prospect of returning to any of those islands now doesn't really grab me, knowing how nearly all of them, except for the very distant and remote ones, are filled with vendors, tourists, and touts, many of whom weren't even born yet when I first visited some of these places.

So I was thinking, after seeing the short video linked below that was posted by KhunLA the other day, that maybe there are still some ways to enjoy walking along the ocean in Thailand by sticking to the much less touristy coastal and mainland beach areas.

I also remember that old boat pier at Samet being kind of rickety as you walked past all those pungent-smelling tables selling dried fish snacks and other stuff as you approached the boat pier. The whole experience wasn't particularly pleasant, but back then none of it really resonated with me as much as the good times to be had on the island. I think the attraction of Samet back then was that it was an easy getaway if you only had a weekend to recharge your batteries. I even took some of my family there once or twice when they visited from overseas, and they loved it.

I am sure Samet can still be a nice time, and you can probably find some reasonably priced places if you hit it at the right time when it isn't overcrowded. But just the heavy commercialization of all these places over the last 25 years takes the allure of it all away for me, and perhaps that's the main reason I am not so inclined to return.

Back then, most of the accommodations on Samet were pretty atrocious, but the average cost was between 150–300 baht a night if I remember correctly, so it wasn't expensive and you went there for the island experience more than anything. I think what it had going for it mainly was the easy access from Bangkok, the lack of tourists and overcrowding, the idea that it could still give you a tropical island experience, and the fact that it was good value.

It never really compared to going farther south in Thailand, if you had the time, but it nicely filled the gap for a weekend. Even then, though, on the weekends, the few places on Samet very close to the park entrance were filled with Bangkok Thais also coming down for the weekend, so it could get a bit crowded in that area. But as you went down a bit farther toward Ao Thub Tim, the crowds quickly thinned out.

Yes, now I remember. First there was Ao Phai, then came Ao Thub Tim, and then there were two or three more beaches like Ao Nuan and Ao Wong Duean, which I never visited. I guess the island still continues on south for a while, and then there are probably another four or five beaches before you reach the southern tip of the island. But back then, nobody ever talked about those places because I don't think there was even anything developed beyond Wong Duean. The rest were just fishing villages.

I think at the time the best place on the island to stay was a place run by a Swiss guy and his Thai wife that was always fully booked because everything worked inside the bungalows. He had his own speedboat and the rooms were around 500 baht a night. It was always fully booked by his regular customers from Europe who would come for long stays so I never got a chance to stay there myself, but I ate at his restaurant a few times, which was quite good. I can't remember the name of the place now. It was the last set of bungalows just before the headland, before heading over to Ao Phai.

At the time, I used to take the bus down from Ekamai for the weekend, and sometimes I had access to a company car on the weekends and would drive down and park the car in a lot just opposite the pier, next to the bus terminal. Either way, it was all pretty easygoing.

Anyway, it's nice to hear that there are much better accommodations on the island now and many more boat options to get across the channel, but because of all the commercialization, I somehow still don't feel inspired to go back. I think it would be hard for me to see the place the way it is now, given all the nice memories I have of it from when it was just a lazy weekend getaway.

As for the comments about nice beaches around the world in general, I spent a number of years in Hawaii when I was younger, so I had some exposure to some pretty fantastic beaches. But I would say some of the most beautiful island spots I saw in Thailand were the small islands off the coast of Krabi, accessible only by day trips. Mainly because they were national parks with no development, so much of the natural beauty is untouched and still remains.

The reason I didn't put Hua Hin on my original list in my OP is because I had visited a handful of beaches there and, although they were good for walking, the water was always kind of brown and brackish and never really appealed to me. It felt like a rather far drive to look at what seemed like pretty underwhelming seas.

Maybe I should rent a car in October or early November, just before the high tourist season starts, and drive to some of the other beach areas in Prachuap myself. A 3-4 hour drive would be OK for me, but driving as far as places like Chumphon, Krabi, or anywhere much further south of there is probably further than I would want to travel overland.

1 hour ago, ONIB said:

I think at the time the best place on the island to stay was a place run by a Swiss guy and his Thai wife that was always fully booked because everything worked inside the bungalows. He had his own speedboat and the rooms were around 500 baht a night. It was always fully booked by his regular customers from Europe who would come for long stays so I never got a chance to stay there myself, but I ate at his restaurant a few times, which was quite good. I can't remember the name of the place now. It was the last set of bungalows just before the headland, before heading over to Ao Phai.

That's Samet Villa. That's where I always used to stay as it was one of the best places around. Decent place, good restaurant. It became a bit run down and that's when I had a ten year break. Took my mum and dad there and for some reason it was filthy, the tap water was brown, the rooms were just a bit run down. We checked out after a night and went to Centara Grand Mirage for a few nights instead. And then I didn't go back to Samet for a long time.

However it was been totally redone and the bungalows / villas are nice. Still a great restaurant, nice gardens too. I'm not sure if the Swiss guy is still alive but it is still run by his family if he isn't.

https://samedvilla.com/

Personally I don't stay there anymore as that little beach is a bit rocky and there a run off area right there which is not very nice (run off from the mountains). I stay a few resorts down which is better for me, nicer sandier beach, no run off, but still go there to eat sometimes.

And for your concerns about over-commercialisation, I wouldn't worry about it. In fact I would say if you did go back you would be pleasantly surprised about how similar it feels to how it always used to - this is down to the fact that it is a national park so construction is heavily restricted, you can't build higher than the trees, so it still has a nice small island feel and doesn't feel commercialised.

Of course, the islands in the south are nicer and have more to offer, but Samet still has a real charm and I can be there in not much over two hours after leaving home, there is nothing like that unless you want to go much much further - certainly not for a weekend break.

Edited September 3Sep 3 by josephbloggs

Khanom Beach.

About 30m drive from Surat Thanini.

Totally deserted.

Saw only one or two people on the beach besides us.

Relatively expensive hotels, restaurants too.

It's a Thai tourist weekend place, but why?

I have no idea. 😎

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

That's Samet Villa. That's where I always used to stay as it was one of the best places around. Decent place, good restaurant. It became a bit run down and that's when I had a ten year break. Took my mum and dad there and for some reason it was filthy, the tap water was brown, the rooms were just a bit run down. We checked out after a night and went to Centara Grand Mirage for a few nights instead. And then I didn't go back to Samet for a long time.

However it was been totally redone and the bungalows / villas are nice. Still a great restaurant, nice gardens too. I'm not sure if the Swiss guy is still alive but it is still run by his family if he isn't.

https://samedvilla.com/

Personally I don't stay there anymore as that little beach is a bit rocky and there a run off area right there which is not very nice (run off from the mountains). I stay a few resorts down which is better for me, nicer sandier beach, no run off, but still go there to eat sometimes.

And for your concerns about over-commercialisation, I wouldn't worry about it. In fact I would say if you did go back you would be pleasantly surprised about how similar it feels to how it always used to - this is down to the fact that it is a national park so construction is heavily restricted, you can't build higher than the trees, so it still has a nice small island feel and doesn't feel commercialised.

Of course, the islands in the south are nicer and have more to offer, but Samet still has a real charm and I can be there in not much over two hours after leaving home, there is nothing like that unless you want to go much much further - certainly not for a weekend break.

Thanks. It sounds like it would be worth considering for, say, a 3 to 4-night stay midweek. I wonder how rainy it might still be down there in October. I guess it’s probably hit or miss. Or maybe the first week in November would be better to avoid rains. But perhaps the prices will already be up to high-season rates by then.

Yes, Samed Villa was indeed the place. You’re right, much of it is up along the rocks close to the headland. But at the time, 25 years ago, it was really the best and quietest place there. As I said, I never stayed there myself, but I had a friend who did, and I saw the rooms. I remember they were a bit small, but they did the job, and they were clean, with all the bug screens, widows and doors working well and in good repair. All the bungalows back then were quite small down there though, from what I remember. So I guess it was the standard.

Anyway, if I did go down there, I don’t think I would want to stay at that place if there are better options. Is there a place you normally stay when you go there now?

I guess you could even take a taxi down there from Bangkok for around ฿2,000 if you didn’t want to deal with the buses.

If you're considering Phuket's beaches, keep in mind that Thailand has a copy of Phuket without the crowds of tourists - Koh Lanta (There is a very short and fast ferry crossing - usually without queues.)

Edited September 3Sep 3 by zmisha

Troll post removed @SiSePuede419

But just the heavy commercialization of all these places over the last 25 years takes the allure of it all away for me, and perhaps that's the main reason I am not so inclined to return.

You are of course right to be concerned about the commercialization of Ko Samet. The poster who is telling you not to worry about it is wrong, as he usually is. Ko Samet is now full of budget tourists, motorcycle rentals, the restaurants are packed, the beaches are packed (not in the water of course, which is why those photos are misleading that were posted). Over commercialization is a big problem on Ko Samet now. Too many people everywhere, cheap tacky tourist joints and crowded streets.

There are ways to avoid the overcrowding, you can still enjoy Ko Samet, but you really have to plan carefully where you go and at what time. The ideal way would be to book Paradee, which has its own beach, picks you up so you avoid even ferries, and gives you a full luxury experience, but you pay 16000 to 28000 baht per Villa for that. If you opt for cheaper places you will be experiencing overcrowding unless you really plan very carefully where you go and at what time.

If I would tell you they wouldn't be "uncrowded*" anymore 😂

On 9/2/2026 at 2:28 PM, ONIB said:

I’m wondering what people would consider the five best beach areas in Thailand if you’re looking for places that are wide open and generally free of tourists.

I’m particularly interested in areas that are easy to access by car and don’t require a lot of effort to reach. Islands usually involve more time and effort, so I’m thinking more about coastal beach areas that are relatively easy to get to and don’t require traveling too far south.

I realize I might be asking for a lot, but I’m assuming there are places that fit this description in areas such as Rayong, Chumphon, or Prachuap Khiri Khan. I’m just not sure how many other places like this there are.

Basically, I’m looking for long, open beaches where you can walk for a while and not feel surrounded by tourists or resort and hotel development.

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What would your top five be?

If you are willing to travel as far south as Chumphon, then you should also consider taking Highway 4 over the mountains into Ranong Province and check out the Andaman Coast south of Ranong down into Phang Nga province. From there, right down to the Sarasin Bridge to Phuket, there are many great beaches that meet all your requirements (long empty stretches with no tourists or development). Of course, that excludes the Khao Lak area (which is touristy but not as bad as Phuket) but both north and and south of Khao Lak there are some of Thailand's very best beaches.

The photo below is our local beach (Natai Beach) earlier this week which does have some resort development, but 15 mins north of here is the beautiful Bor Dan Beach which has zero buildings (and zero people this morning except me and my partner - second photo). 15 mins north of that is Tha Sai Beach which only has a monastery and cafe and after that the magnificently natural beaches of the Khao Lampi - Hat Thai Mueng National Park (third photo) . You will find gems like these both north and south of Khao Lak. Much of the Andaman Coast is mangrove estuaries but between those there are many gorgeous empty beaches that are easily accessible by car.

Whilst I would generally rate the Andaman Coast beaches better than the Gulf Coast beaches, the Andaman beaches usually have a steeper incline than the Gulf beaches so are not so comfortable for walking on unless you can time your walks to coincide with low tide.

9 minutes ago, banyanman said:

... but both north and and south of Khao Lak there are some of Thailand's very best beaches.

The photo below is our local beach (Natai Beach)

Agree, and definitely some of, if not best streches of beaches in TH. Andaman consistently better then the Gulf. Khao Lak use to be a regular stop for us, about 10+ years running, 2X a year, on the way to Phuket. Sometimes, simply staying when surf cooperating.

As stated, around 2015, started getting a bit crowded, Khao Lak area itself. North of and lovely, quiet beaches.

Stopped at Natai Beach once, and was a very pleasant surprise. Pier there gets a little busy, though mild compared to touristy places, during sunset time. But long stretches of sand to stroll on.

Northward from pier

7 hours ago, zmisha said:

If you're considering Phuket's beaches, keep in mind that Thailand has a copy of Phuket without the crowds of tourists - Koh Lanta (There is a very short and fast ferry crossing - usually without queues.)

For that you have to fly to Krabi, or take a days bus ride.
But if you are more adventourous you can take the overnight sleeper train to Trang and get transport from there. Book the sleeper well in advance, especially if you want a private room to avoid the noise that you can get from the telephones of the rabble in cheaper class who cant be bothered to use headphones. Sleeper bookings start 3 months in advance.
From krabi airport in the shuttle vans 3 to 4 hours to Koh Lanta South. Its not just a short hop because you have to get the ferry that adds 30 to 60 minutes, can take a bit of time. And there sometimes are queues.
Good beaches in Koh Lanta, some long ones such as Phra Ae (Long beach).
Look on google maps.

I cannot see anybody mention around Cha-am for long beaches without the crowds.
Worth looking at because its easy to go from Bangkok.
Sam Roi Yot and prachuap further south as mentioned by others has some very long sparsely populated beaches.
There are many small places to stay dotted around without having to stay in resorts, however check first for your itinerary and consider how you will travel around from place to place, if you do not have a car.

Edited September 4Sep 4 by jojothai
added some text

3 hours ago, Cameroni said:

You are of course right to be concerned about the commercialization of Ko Samet. The poster who is telling you not to worry about it is wrong, as he usually is. Ko Samet is now full of budget tourists, motorcycle rentals, the restaurants are packed, the beaches are packed (not in the water of course, which is why those photos are misleading that were posted). Over commercialization is a big problem on Ko Samet now. Too many people everywhere, cheap tacky tourist joints and crowded streets.

There are ways to avoid the overcrowding, you can still enjoy Ko Samet, but you really have to plan carefully where you go and at what time. The ideal way would be to book Paradee, which has its own beach, picks you up so you avoid even ferries, and gives you a full luxury experience, but you pay 16000 to 28000 baht per Villa for that. If you opt for cheaper places you will be experiencing overcrowding unless you really plan very carefully where you go and at what time.

I posted photos of the entire beaches.

Anyway, enjoy your trolling, you do it in every single thread, you just troll people. I'm not going to feed you any more.

10 hours ago, ONIB said:

Thanks. It sounds like it would be worth considering for, say, a 3 to 4-night stay midweek. I wonder how rainy it might still be down there in October. I guess it’s probably hit or miss. Or maybe the first week in November would be better to avoid rains. But perhaps the prices will already be up to high-season rates by then.

Yes, Samed Villa was indeed the place. You’re right, much of it is up along the rocks close to the headland. But at the time, 25 years ago, it was really the best and quietest place there. As I said, I never stayed there myself, but I had a friend who did, and I saw the rooms. I remember they were a bit small, but they did the job, and they were clean, with all the bug screens, widows and doors working well and in good repair. All the bungalows back then were quite small down there though, from what I remember. So I guess it was the standard.

Anyway, if I did go down there, I don’t think I would want to stay at that place if there are better options. Is there a place you normally stay when you go there now?

I guess you could even take a taxi down there from Bangkok for around ฿2,000 if you didn’t want to deal with the buses.

I'll PM you with some places to save the thread getting derailed even further when the "I"ve been to Samet once" troll will pop up to say they are ridiculous and you can only stay at a 28,000 baht a night place or go to the Cayman Islands.

2 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

I'll PM you with some places to save the thread getting derailed even further when the "I"ve been to Samet once" troll will pop up to say they are ridiculous and you can only stay at a 28,000 baht a night place or go to the Cayman Islands.

Thanks! He has been on a troll fest on several threads. Not worth engaging as he is only in it for the troll.

39 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

I posted photos of the entire beaches.

Anyway, enjoy your trolling, you do it in every single thread, you just troll people. I'm not going to feed you any more.

Stop talking nonsense, you're just completely wrong about Ko Samet, as always. You get everything wrong.

15 hours ago, Cameroni said:

It's not a nice beach at all, and pales to what's out there in Phuket, Trang, Krabi etc., again you are not well informed.

Ko Samet is a passable, user friendly beach, but it is very overcrowded and unremarkable in many ways.

The sea was very nice, but like everywhere in Thailand, the beach is covered in bitey sandflies. Which aren't a problem in Vietnam.

Edited September 4Sep 4 by BritManToo

I’m wondering what people would consider the five best beach areas in Thailand if you’re looking for places that are wide open and generally free of tourists.

On 9/2/2026 at 2:28 PM, ONIB said:

I’m particularly interested in areas that are easy to access by car and don’t require a lot of effort to reach. Islands usually involve more time and effort, so I’m thinking more about coastal beach areas that are relatively easy to get to and don’t require traveling too far south.

I realize I might be asking for a lot, but I’m assuming there are places that fit this description in areas such as Rayong, Chumphon, or Prachuap Khiri Khan. I’m just not sure how many other places like this there are.

Basically, I’m looking for long, open beaches where you can walk for a while and not feel surrounded by tourists or resort and hotel development.

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What would your top five be?

Khanom in Nakhon Si Thammarat has many beaches with hardly anyone around:

Had Yao - Long Beach, south of Krabi town:

Sam Roi Yot Beach in Prachuap Khiri Khan

Khao Tao Beach, Prachuap:

Khuk Khak Beach, Khao Lak, Phang Nga

Edited September 4Sep 4 by BMW Overlander

18 hours ago, Cameroni said:

Rayong is a lovely place for holiday, very relaxing, cute resorts, and wide streets. Good seafood restaurants. However, sadly one cannot rate the beach very highly. That's why people go to Ko Samet.

But Ko Samet is massively overrun with tourists. Unless you pay 40000 for that private resort there with private beach, you'll get the full Benidorm experience.

I could take you to at least one beach on samet that you could count the tourists on the beach on your hands. Motorbikes may come and go but the numbers stay low.

However I will keep that to myself.

10 minutes ago, LittleBear57 said:

I could take you to at least one beach on samet that you could count the tourists on the beach on your hands. Motorbikes may come and go but the numbers stay low.

However I will keep that to myself.

Yes, I know there are out of the way small pockets with less foot traffic, but on the whole, Ko Samet is overrun with tourists, it's a very small island and it is full of typical tourist traps. It's also overcrowded for the most part, even if there are isolated pockets where fewer people go. Those parts have fewer people for a reason, the better beaches in Ko Samet are overun and very busy indeed.

@ONIB If actually considering Ko Samet, then take a peek at this.

Never been, as more hassle than I want to do for any plance. The island is sort of split, touristy & quiet. He actually make a couple more vids since. Link under vid

Some long, some short vids

https://www.youtube.com/@PaddyDoyle./search?query=ko%20samet

Edited September 4Sep 4 by KhunLA