Skip to content
First Time Thailand
Home / Within Thailand / Islands & Beaches
The coasts

Thailand’s Islands & Beaches

Thailand has two coasts with opposite seasons. Pick your islands by when you are traveling, then by the vibe you want, from full-on resorts to barefoot quiet.

A palm swing over a turquoise Thai island beach
A palm swing over a turquoise Thai island beach Pexels
Belle
Thai American who travels to Thailand every other year
The two coasts

Andaman or Gulf?

Andaman is wettest May to Oct, so aim for Nov to Apr.
The Gulf islands are driest mid-year and wettest Oct to Dec, so go Feb to Sep.

Andaman (Ideal from Nov–Apr)Gulf (Ideal from Feb–Sep)
Two Coasts, Opposite Seasons
November to April
ANDAMAN (WEST COAST)
Dramatic limestone cliffs and turquoise bays
Fly into Phuket or Krabi, then short ferries
Best for scenery, climbing and island-hopping
February to September
GULF (EAST COAST)
Palm-fringed beaches and calmer, gentler seas
Fly into Samui or Surat Thani, then ferries
Best for diving, parties and easy resorts
Andaman coast · Best Nov to Apr

Phuket

The biggest island: full infrastructure, its own airport, beaches for every mood, nightlife, and easy boat trips to quieter islands nearby.

Explore Phuket →
Andaman coast · Best Nov to Apr

Krabi (Ao Nang & Railay)

Dramatic limestone cliffs, longtail boats and some of the world’s best beginner rock climbing, with calmer family beaches close by.

Explore Krabi →
Andaman coast · Best Nov to Apr

Phi Phi & Koh Lanta

Phi Phi for showpiece bays and a party streak; laid-back Koh Lanta next door for long, quiet sands and slow sunsets.

Explore Phi Phi & Lanta →
Gulf coast · Best Feb to Sep

Koh Samui

Resorts, direct flights and a polished, family-friendly feel, with waterfalls and spas alongside the beaches.

Explore Koh Samui →
Gulf coast · Best Feb to Sep

Koh Phangan

Empty beaches and yoga by day, the famous Full Moon Party by night. Easy to do either and skip the other.

Explore Koh Phangan →
Gulf coast · Best Feb to Sep

Koh Tao

The budget diving capital, one of the cheapest places in the world to learn, with a low-key backpacker feel.

Explore Koh Tao →
Plan it right

Choosing & Getting There

Let the season decide
Andaman shines Nov to Apr, the Gulf Feb to Sep. Pick the coast that is dry when you travel.
Flight plus ferry
Most islands are a flight to a coastal hub (Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani, Samui) then a ferry or speedboat.
Buffer your exit
Spend your last night near the departure airport so a missed or canceled ferry never costs your flight.
One island, not five
Island-hopping eats days in transit. Two islands in a week is plenty for a first trip.
Side quests

Off the Beaten Path

Phuket, Krabi and Samui get the crowds, but the south hides quieter islands and coves a short hop away. The map shows where these calmer escapes sit relative to the main hubs.

Koh Yao Noi beach & karsts
1Off Phuket / Krabi

Koh Yao Noi & Yai

Two low-key islands right in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, with rubber plantations, empty beaches and longtail trips among the limestone karsts.

Koh Kradan / Emerald Cave
2Trang coast

Trang Islands

Koh Kradan, Koh Muk and the swim-through Emerald Cave: quiet, powder-sand Andaman islands with a fraction of the crowds.

Koh Lipe turquoise water
3Far south

Koh Lipe & Koh Adang

Tiny Koh Lipe fringed with clear water, next to wild, jungled Koh Adang. Thailand’s deep south, near the Malaysian border.

Similan Islands dive site
4Andaman, Nov to May

Similan & Surin Islands

Some of Thailand’s best diving and snorkeling, on liveaboards or day boats from Khao Lak. Seasonal, and worth timing your trip around.

Ang Thong Marine Park lagoon
5From Koh Samui

Ang Thong Marine Park

A 42-island archipelago of emerald lagoons and viewpoints, a day trip by boat from Samui or Koh Phangan.

Old Phuket Town shophouses
6In Phuket

Old Phuket Town

Not a beach at all: a grid of pastel Sino-Portuguese shophouses, cafes and street art, the island’s most underrated half-day.

Plan with the source

Official & Useful Sources

Marine-park seasons, island closures and ferry details change with the weather and conservation rules. Confirm with the official government sources before you travel.

Tourism Authority of ThailandOfficial tourism board → (opens in a new tab)Royal Thai Government · DNPMarine national parks → Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand (opens in a new tab)Dept. of Marine & Coastal ResourcesReefs & marine life → (opens in a new tab)
Keep reading

More First-Timer Guides

Timing

When to Go

The three seasons, region by region, plus festivals worth planning around.

Pick your dates →
Route Ideas

Sample Itineraries

First-timer routes for 7, 10, and 14 days without overpacking the map.

See the routes →
Get Around

Within Thailand

Trains, buses, and cheap flights between cities and the coasts.

Plan the hops →
About this guide

Written by Belle, a Thai American who travels to Thailand every other year and has family in Bangkok. Everything here comes from my own visits unless the text says otherwise. Prices and journey times are typical cases rather than quotes, so recheck anything time-sensitive before you pay. Brand mentions are never paid placements, and the guide is reader-supported: some links may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

How we research →
Photo credits

Photographs on this page that are not mine are used under the licenses below and hosted on this site rather than hotlinked. Uncredited photographs are my own.