Thailand has some of the best beaches in the world with pristine white sand coastlines and crystal clear waters. But some of the beaches here are actually overrated and not so great — with pebbly sand, sharp rocks, and seaweed, jelly-fish filled waters. Yuck! After living here for more than 15 years, I’ve been to my share of both. Plus, it’s good to realize that some of the best beaches in Thailand are actually better for those seeking a party scene, some are great for avid divers, but some are perfect for families. So let’s narrow in on the best beaches in Thailand for families.
- Phra Nang Beach in Krabi
- Railay Beach in Krabi
- NorthPoint Beach on Koh Lipe Island
- Klong Prao Beach on Koh Chang Island
and 6 more to come soon.
Table of Contents
#1 for Best Beaches in Thailand : Phra Nang Beach, Krabi
Positives about Phra Nang Beach in Krabi, Thailand:
- The stunning limestone cliffs jutting out of the emerald blue sea make this place magical and unlike any other place in the world!
- Being only accessible by long-tail boat or speed boat makes this place such a hidden gem!
- The powdery white soft sand that stretches far and wide makes it easy to feel like you’re in your own little paradise.
- Beautiful sunsets — we loveeee a good sunset!
- Some areas have shallow water that’s great for toddlers to play in, but there are also deeper areas good for swimming. Thus, it’s a win-win for all ages!
- So many activities to do and many places to explore like the Phra Nang Cave with an amazing viewpoint or you can walk ‘across the sea’ to access a true hidden gem called Ko Rang Beach with a very large limestone cliff jutting up out of the Andaman Sea. You can even snorkel around the coral reefs right off the beach!
Negatives about Phra Nang Beach:
- This could be a plus or minus: there is only one place to stay on Phra Nang Beach — a 5 star luxury beach resort that would make for the best family vacation destination in Thailand, possibly the world, if you could afford it (our family could not — so this being the only place to stay at this beach was a negative for us)
- Phra Nang Beach has one of the most unique restaurants in the world to eat : The Grotto (Since it’s for hotel guests only, this was also a negative for us because we really wanted to eat here!).
- Even though it is a public beach, there are no public bathrooms.
- There are also no restaurants or shops selling any food or smoothies or anything. But at least, Railay Walking Street is just a nice 20 minute stroll away.
Best Beaches in Thailand : Railay West Beach in Krabi
Positives of Railay Beach Krabi:
- The stunning limestone cliffs jutting out of the emerald blue sea make this place magical.
- The pristine white sand beaches that are powdery soft unlike some other beaches in Thailand that might be pebbly, rocky or even muddy.
- Part of the charm is being a walkable beach town that has many restaurants, ice cream shops, cafes, massages, souvenirs, tours and activities located all within walking distance from your family friendly resort in Krabi.
- Did I mention Railay Beach is only accessible by boat? Can you imagine how exciting it would be for your kids to jump into a wooden long-tail boat that glides calmly across the emerald blue waters while passing towering limestone cliffs all along the way?
- Railay Beach is one of the most kid-friendly beaches in Thailand due to its long stretch of white sand and also how the shallow, calm waters gradually get deep.
- Lots of fun activities on Railay Beach Krabi such as kayaking, exploring caves, hiking to viewpoints, rock climbing, snorkeling, diving, long-tail boat tours, and much more!
- Krabi has an international airport with many daily flights from Bangkok, or if you’re already in Phuket, it’s just a 2 hour taxi ride (about $50 USD).
Negatives of Railay Beach West Krabi:
- Railay Beach West does not have its own ‘pier.’ Sometimes the long-tail boats will drop you off right in the middle of the ocean where you then have to tote your own luggage in the shallow waters and through the sand to get to your resort. Ahhhh! So be sure to tell the longtail boat drivers to drop you off at Railay Beach East (and then you can walk along the sidewalk for about 10 minutes to Railay Beach West).
- Railay Beach does not have any of the typical chain hotels like Marriott, Hyatt, etc.
- Railay Beach does not have any chain restaurants either like McDonalds, Starbucks, etc.
- When you book your stay, be sure to find a family resort in Railay Beach West not Railay Beach East! Railay Beach East is the ‘mangrove forest’ side of the island and where the pier and all the boats are parked.
Most child-friendly beaches in Thailand : North Point Beach in Koh Lipe
Positives of North Point Beach on Koh Lipe Island:
- If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly version of the Maldives, then Koh Lipe Island is your place!
- Crystal clear turquoise waters
- Powdery, soft white sand beaches
- Like Phra Nang Beach and Railay Beach above, this one is also only accessible by boat.
- Since it’s only 3 kilometers wide, you can explore this little island by foot. We personally love this because who wants to be worrying about getting scammed by a taxi while enjoying paradise!
- Not overcrowded with tourists or long-tail boats as the other beaches on this island
- Spectacular sunsets
- Some fun activities would be to go kayaking to a nearby island, go snorkeling amongst the coral reefs, or take a longtail boat tour.
Negatives of North Point Beach on Koh Lipe Island:
- Koh Lipe Island is a bit hard to reach. From Bangkok, you’d need to take a 1.5 hour flight to Hat Yai + a 2 hour taxi to the pier + a 2 hour ferry ride to reach Koh Lipe Island.
- Not much shade at this beach, so the afternoon sun is scorching!
- At high tide, the sloping sand bar can be a bit dangerous for littles wanting to swim here. Another great option for families would be Pattaya Beach on Koh Lipe Island because of the shallow waters.
- Not many of the resorts allow children to stay for free, so we think Akira Resort
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Long Beach on Phi Phi Island is perfect for families!
Positives of Long Beach on Phi Phi Island:
- Out in the middle of the Andaman Sea, about a 2 hour ferry ride from Phuket or Krabi, Phi Phi Island is a dream vacation destination!
- From November to April, the crystal clear waters of Long Beach are flat and calm and perfect for little swimmers.
- At the very end of the beach, you can go snorkeling with the Blacktip Reef Sharks and discover lots of marine life like clownfish and sea urchins. Since humans are not on their menu, they are considered not aggressive and relatively safe to swim with. Our little girls were not up for it though!
- At low tide, we did find lots of Star fish, sand dollars, and crabs. This was super fun for our girls!
- Breathtaking sunsets
- Phi Phi Island is the best place to do an island hopping day trip on a longtail boat! Not only is it closer to the small islands, it will be more affordable than doing it from Phuket or Krabi.
Negatives of Long Beach on Phi Phi Island:
- Phi Phi Island has a reputation for being a backpacker haven with loud music way into the night. A good thing about Long Beach is that is far enough away from the party scene to still be a serene escape. If you want to stay away from the loud music, do not book any hotel or resort on Phi Phi Island on the Loh Dalum Beachside. Long Beach, Viking Beach (but far down away from the pier), or Ton Sai Beach are better options for families.
- About a 25 minute walk to get to Tonsai Pier where the ferry will drop you off. It’s worth paying an additional 100 baht ($3 USD) to take a longtail boat to Long Beach.
- This also mean it’s about a 20-30 minute walk to the main area with all the restaurants, coffee shops, massage spa, etc. But Long Beach has its fair share of restaurants and massage huts right along the beach.
Klong Prao Beach on Koh Chang Island is our favorite family-friendly beach stays in Thailand.
Positives of Klong Prao Beach
- After living in Thailand for 15 years now, Klong Prao Beach on Koh Chang Island is one of our family’s personal favorite beach destinations.
- While riding the 30 minute car ferry, you will see the lush, dense jungle while gliding over the pristine blue waters that are mostly shallow and great for the kids.
- Just beyond that palm tree line are luxurious hotels with infinity pools and incredible family-friendly resorts that have waterparks and epic kids clubs
- From budget-friendly accommodations on Koh Chang to luxurious 5 star resorts“] and main chain hotels as well
- This is the 3rd largest island in Thailand after Phuket and Koh Samui, so it is full of activities like :
- Kayaking through the Mangrove Forests
- Hiking to Waterfalls
- Visiting an Elephant Sanctuary — Koh Chang literally means ‘Elephant Island’
- Incredible beach-side fire shows
- Snorkeling trips with an abundance of marine life
- We love that Koh Chang has a car ferry, which makes it great to take our family van or you could rent a car from the airport.
- Beautiful sunsets with the prettiest pink skies you’ll ever see
- Not over-commercialized nor over-touristy like Phuket or Koh Samui, so it still ouzes with Thai charm even though it is quite a large island.
Negatives of Klong Prao Beach
- It is a little difficult to get to Koh Chang Island. It’s a 5 hour drive to the pier from Bangkok then a 45 minute ferry ride. There is a small, local airport with flights from Bangkok though.
- Not a walkable beach town, so you will probably need a vehicle to get around because it is quite large. If you stay at Centara or on White Sand Beach then you’ll probably be fine without a car. They do have public Song Taews that run from 8am-8pm that are about 50-200 baht per person per ride depending on where you are going. I don’t recommend to stay at Lonely Beach or Kai Bae Beach if you don’t have a vehicle though.
