No Thai Beach On Tripadvisor'S 10 World Best Beaches 2011

[josuede]

only boracay philippines made it on 2nd spot for SE. what's happening on thai resorts nowadays? koh pangan on 25th spot

http://www.tripadvisor.com/TCBeaches

[DP25]

It's an American travel site, it makes sense almost everything is in NA and the Caribbean because that's what their customers buy trips for. Hardly any Americans go to Thailand compared to those places.

[kerryk]

I used to go to a beach that had oil spills, (from boats cleaning their bilges) fire ants, rattle snakes and cops on four wheelers with radar guns for speed traps. The sea view was so bad that people sat with their backs to the water and watched the drunks cruise up and down the beach in old trucks with kegs in the back. If the wind blew the right way you could see condoms floating in the water with the jelly fish. Two blocks in from the beach there were so many mosquitoes they would make your windshield black. Pattaya looks great in comparison.

[carmine]

It's an American travel site, it makes sense almost everything is in NA and the Caribbean because that's what their customers buy trips for. Hardly any Americans go to Thailand compared to those places.

Thats pretty much it. Its geared to their customers.

What i would like to see from the TAT or some authority, is them supplying refuse bins to the beaches here so people have somewhere to dispose of their rubbish.

[Nawtier]

This surprises you ??

Pristine beaches are not Thailands strong point.

With so many island and beach tropical destinations around the world.....it is surprising that any Thai beach makes into onto the top 100.

[dumball]

'carmine' timestamp='1304146947' post='4391295']

'DP25' timestamp='1304141284' post='4391117']

It's an American travel site, it makes sense almost everything is in NA and the Caribbean because that's what their customers buy trips for. Hardly any Americans go to Thailand compared to those places.

Thats pretty much it. Its geared to their customers.

What i would like to see from the TAT or some authority, is them supplying refuse bins to the beaches here so people have somewhere to dispose of their rubbish.

[/quote)

GARBAGE BINS????????????? aaaaaaaaaaaagh , You expect Thai to change life long cultural habits just for tourists??????????

In any case , what you refer to as a garbage bin is in fact a depository for AAAAAAAAAAAHHG , BOMBS , ask a rent-a-cop .

[IanForbes]

All those reports on the best of this and the best of that are totally biased. They mean absolutely nothing.

Thailand has some great beaches in too many locations to mention them all. And, they aren't cluttered with garbage like the beaches in the Gulf of Mexico.

These are all Thai beaches with easy access in different locations.

What Thailand DOESN'T have is exclusive beaches with limited access and very high prices.

Edited April 30, 2011 by IanForbes

[BangrakBob]

This surprises you ??

Pristine beaches are not Thailands strong point.

With so many island and beach tropical destinations around the world.....it is surprising that any Thai beach makes into onto the top 100.

Yeah these beaches are not a strong point for Thailand.....

[jimbeam1]

Thailand does have some wonderful beaches. A few on Samui come to mind, so does Rayong. As for rubbish bins. Take your own with you and dispose of it when you get home.

jb1

[anotheruser]

Thailand maybe deserves a few beaches rated in the top 25 but not the top ten. That being said Australia doesn't even have one listing here. Australia has way better beaches than Thailand or most places in the world for that matter.

[craigt3365]

I've been to pretty much every beach in this article. Have you guys ever been to the beaches in Florida? Even California. They are fantastic. No boats lined up on the beach, little trash, no vendors, no 3 rows of umbrellas. The US does have some fantastic beaches. Read the description of Panama City beach, "27 miles of beach". Where else in the world can you find that?

And of course the Caribbean islands are great. Grand Cayman's 7 mile beach is amazing. The water is clear blue and perfect sand. Aruba's is miles long also.

Sorry, but I've been to most of the beaches here in Thailand and they just don't stack up....not bad...but not in the top 25. I agree with this report. :jap:

[IanForbes]

To be fair, the list of beaches was trying to be balanced and provide a cross section. If you look at the whole report it does mention many beaches in Thailand. However, who desides what is best for EVERYONE. Access, and cost to get there and stay there are other factors. I was just surprised at Borocay being listed second. It is difficult to access and it means staying in one of the more corrupt countries in the world.

[craigt3365]

To be fair, the list of beaches was trying to be balanced and provide a cross section. If you look at the whole report it does mention many beaches in Thailand. However, who desides what is best for EVERYONE. Access, and cost to get there and stay there are other factors. I was just surprised at Borocay being listed second. It is difficult to access and it means staying in one of the more corrupt countries in the world.

These beaches were chosen by the members of Tripadvisor.com. So very subjective for sure. But the ones listed are for sure beautiful.

Here's a few other sources for best beach...some of which have the same listed as Tripadvisor.com:

http://www.forbes.com/2003/07/10/cx_cv_0710feat2.html

http://www.mostinterestingfacts.com/nature/top-10-most-beautiful-beaches-in-the-world.html

[IanForbes]

These beaches were chosen by the members of Tripadvisor.com. So very subjective for sure. But the ones listed are for sure beautiful.

Here's a few other sources for best beach...some of which have the same listed as Tripadvisor.com:

http://www.forbes.co..._0710feat2.html

http://www.mostinter...-the-world.html

Good point, Craig, but I was just pointing out how difficult it is for someone to decide that one beach is better than another. I've been to the Grand Cayman islands and they are lovely, but none of the beaches there impressed me as much as many I've visited in Thailand. And, Australia has miles of fantastic, secluded beaches, but no accommodation nearby. The lovely beaches of many countries are difficult to access. To get to Borocay you have to pass through Manila which is one of the dirtiest and most corrupt cities in the world. Then, you have to travel by a questionable ferry system that loses ferries every year in storms, or by overcrowding. And, the commercial fishermen have ruined all the coral reefs by using dynamite.

Some people want action and an active beach while others want seclusion. Clean water is always important, and anywhere near any metropolis will have pollution... no matter how "pretty" a beach may appear. When you visit a wilderness beach there are no shade umbrellas or lounge chairs to sit on, and nothing to eat or drink that you don't bring yourself. If Myanmar ever comes out of the dark ages and changes its medieval system, and develops the beaches along its Andaman Sea, it will blow away many tourist destination beach centres in the world, It still has reasonably good snorkling with many fish species available.

The Cayman Islands are lovely, but VERY expensive. I spent more in 12 days there than I did in 5 months in Thailand. And, I was staying for free with friends.

And, when you look close you always find garbage. In fact the highest point on Grand Cayman Island is the local garbage dump.

[craigt3365]

Great pics (except the trash!). Brings back some great memories. I use to be big into scuba diving and spent many weeks on the various Cayman islands. Little Cayman was always my favorite. Expensive is an understatement. That's why I'm in Thailand!

For sure Thailand has many great beaches. Unfortunately, trash from the sea washes up on pretty much every beach in the world. Much of it from cruise ships.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I've been to pretty much every beach in this article. Have you guys ever been to the beaches in Florida? Even California. They are fantastic. No boats lined up on the beach, little trash, no vendors, no 3 rows of umbrellas. The US does have some fantastic beaches. Read the description of Panama City beach, "27 miles of beach". Where else in the world can you find that?

And of course the Caribbean islands are great. Grand Cayman's 7 mile beach is amazing. The water is clear blue and perfect sand. Aruba's is miles long also.

Sorry, but I've been to most of the beaches here in Thailand and they just don't stack up....not bad...but not in the top 25. I agree with this report. :jap:

So.. a longer beach is a better beach?

I would disagree with that. I like small scenic bays. I dislike beaches like Karon in Phuket, they're just too long. Give me a beach in a small bay like the ones posted above!

[carmine]

'carmine' timestamp='1304146947' post='4391295']

'DP25' timestamp='1304141284' post='4391117']

It's an American travel site, it makes sense almost everything is in NA and the Caribbean because that's what their customers buy trips for. Hardly any Americans go to Thailand compared to those places.

Thats pretty much it. Its geared to their customers.

What i would like to see from the TAT or some authority, is them supplying refuse bins to the beaches here so people have somewhere to dispose of their rubbish.

[/quote)

GARBAGE BINS????????????? aaaaaaaaaaaagh , You expect Thai to change life long cultural habits just for tourists??????????

In any case , what you refer to as a garbage bin is in fact a depository for AAAAAAAAAAAHHG , BOMBS , ask a rent-a-cop .

Wait until the sun goes down before drinking.

[josuede]

It's an American travel site, it makes sense almost everything is in NA and the Caribbean because that's what their customers buy trips for. Hardly any Americans go to Thailand compared to those places.

if americans made it as far as the philippines i see no reason why they cant make it further to thailand which is not so far away from PI. this is traveller's choice from around the globe and hard to believe only americans are using this site. maybe it's some kind of wake up call to thai resort owners to improve their beaches. dont you think so

[josuede]

To be fair, the list of beaches was trying to be balanced and provide a cross section. If you look at the whole report it does mention many beaches in Thailand. However, who desides what is best for EVERYONE. Access, and cost to get there and stay there are other factors. I was just surprised at Borocay being listed second. It is difficult to access and it means staying in one of the more corrupt countries in the world.

i'm not a big fan of boracay either but the access didnt really bother me that much when i went there. though it was the overcrowding which is quite despicable (went there during peak season) the beach itself is truly among the most gorgeous i've been to. i havent been much to thai beaches except the krabi area i just thought there were better beaches in thailand that could land among the 10 best in the world.

[tombkk]

I've been to pretty much every beach in this article. Have you guys ever been to the beaches in Florida? Even California. They are fantastic. No boats lined up on the beach, little trash, no vendors, no 3 rows of umbrellas. The US does have some fantastic beaches. Read the description of Panama City beach, "27 miles of beach". Where else in the world can you find that?

And of course the Caribbean islands are great. Grand Cayman's 7 mile beach is amazing. The water is clear blue and perfect sand. Aruba's is miles long also.

Sorry, but I've been to most of the beaches here in Thailand and they just don't stack up....not bad...but not in the top 25. I agree with this report. :jap:

I spent Songkran on Hawaii this year. I disagree with Honolulu (I think they mean Waikiki) being a great beach, some beaches in Thailand beat it. But a beach on the North Shore of Ouahu was clearely better.

So were the beaches on Kauai, were we spent most of our time. Combine the efficiency and excellent road network of a developed country with the beauty of an island nation with relatively few visitors (yes, a lot fewer tourists per square meter than on Thai beaches) with beautifully clear ocean water, as I had experienced in Thailand 25 years ago but no more.

Hawaii is not that expensive these days with the US dollar being so low. The ticket was the about the same as to Europe or the US mainland, and the hotels around US$ 100 affordable. Food was a bit more expensive than in Thailand but a lot cheaper than in Europe.

Edited May 1, 2011 by tombkk

[DP25]

It's an American travel site, it makes sense almost everything is in NA and the Caribbean because that's what their customers buy trips for. Hardly any Americans go to Thailand compared to those places.

if americans made it as far as the philippines i see no reason why they cant make it further to thailand which is not so far away from PI. this is traveller's choice from around the globe and hard to believe only americans are using this site. maybe it's some kind of wake up call to thai resort owners to improve their beaches. dont you think so

There are 4 million Filipinos in the US vs 200,000 Thais. US has a much stronger connection to the Philippines, tons of people from there and tons of people married to people from there.

Sure not only Americans, but 19 out of 25 beaches on the list are in the US or the Caribbean/Central America. Very North American focused, nothing in Australia, Spain, Brazil etc

[DP25]

So.. a longer beach is a better beach?

I would disagree with that. I like small scenic bays. I dislike beaches like Karon in Phuket, they're just too long. Give me a beach in a small bay like the ones posted above!

Yup. I'm a big fan of the small scenic bays surrounded by mountain and jungle that you find in Thailand.

[IanForbes]

So.. a longer beach is a better beach?

I would disagree with that. I like small scenic bays. I dislike beaches like Karon in Phuket, they're just too long. Give me a beach in a small bay like the ones posted above!

Yup. I'm a big fan of the small scenic bays surrounded by mountain and jungle that you find in Thailand.

I"m on the same page as you and Winnie. I much prefer a smaller beach with interesting features and possibly a nice sunset.

A big expanse of empty beach, no matter how beautiful, doesn't do it for me. I can find lovely beaches like that on Vancouver Island in Canada. I can take my boat to a deserted beach an hour from my home.

What I want is clear, warmish water with lots of sea life. I like to snorkle around the rocky points and look for various fish species.

[craigt3365]

For sure small bays are great...but I'm also a beachcomber. Love to walk for an hour or more barefoot and be able to explore along the way. In Mexico, use to walk for over an hour, stopping at small shacks along the way for a snack or a drink. Hardly anybody else but me.

Fantastic stuff sitting with new friends, munching on seafood snacks, drinking a Corona and watching the sunset...

Edit: Same kind of walk is available on Bang Saphan and down in Ban Kruit. Great beaches for a long walk....

[anotheruser]

You do not need to take a dodgy ferry to get to Boracay. There are quite a few flights everyday to Boracay. I was in Boracay last September and while I was at the airport at least three other flights came in while I was waiting for my bags. Don't know how many flights they have per day but there are quite a few. Most of the planes seemed fairly new as well.

[IanForbes]

You do not need to take a dodgy ferry to get to Boracay. There are quite a few flights everyday to Boracay. I was in Boracay last September and while I was at the airport at least three other flights came in while I was waiting for my bags. Don't know how many flights they have per day but there are quite a few. Most of the planes seemed fairly new as well.

That is good news. When I first started visiting the islands it was ferries or nothing. But, I still found Borocay a bit boring... despite being beautiful. I guess we all want something different.

I know people who spend their vacations in isolated resorts in Thailand and love it, but that would drive me bonkers. I used to have a nice time share in Jomptien Beach, which I used as an exchange program until I ran into difficulties. I took several exchanges to various locations around Thailand, but every one was way off in the sticks somewhere. I was fortunate that I had access to a motorbike and was able to ride the 30 km into town. I guess I just like my freedom too much and don't like to be tied to anywhere that I can't escape from.

[lannarebirth]

Not too surprising. Few beaches in Thailand could be considered "world class". yes there are some nice beaches here but the vast majority of beaches here are sub par. No tidal range, no surf, you're probably not going to get on that list. And what about San Jose Del Cabo? Great beach not mentioned.

[anotheruser]

You do not need to take a dodgy ferry to get to Boracay. There are quite a few flights everyday to Boracay. I was in Boracay last September and while I was at the airport at least three other flights came in while I was waiting for my bags. Don't know how many flights they have per day but there are quite a few. Most of the planes seemed fairly new as well.

That is good news. When I first started visiting the islands it was ferries or nothing. But, I still found Borocay a bit boring... despite being beautiful. I guess we all want something different.

I know people who spend their vacations in isolated resorts in Thailand and love it, but that would drive me bonkers. I used to have a nice time share in Jomptien Beach, which I used as an exchange program until I ran into difficulties. I took several exchanges to various locations around Thailand, but every one was way off in the sticks somewhere. I was fortunate that I had access to a motorbike and was able to ride the 30 km into town. I guess I just like my freedom too much and don't like to be tied to anywhere that I can't escape from.

You must have been to Boracay a long time ago. It has great beaches, good food and drink, but the P4|P scene isn't that great. It is also a tad expensive.

[Richb2004v2]

I'm not that much of a beach man but I've seen many truly filthy beaches here in Thailand. I thought that the beaches of California were really great and much better than anything in Thailand. Still the Thais don't mind relaxing on garbage strewn beaches so no big deal. The ones in the tourist spots are probably much better.

[KeyserSoze01]

Not surprised at all by the OP. When gauging the "beach experience", the criteria is more that the physical condition of the beach, but also includes the local scene, transportation, safety, price, cleanliness, etc. Thailand does have some lovely beaches, although the rest of the "beach experience" is lacking with the well publicized issues that take place in the land of scams. som nom na,