Long Beach
Best for. Value travellers and couples who want a long, relaxed sunset beach with cheap beach bars and easy midrange resorts, without the crowds of the big party islands.
Best spot. A beanbag at one of the long running beach bars near the middle of Long Beach for the sunset, drink in hand.
Know this. This is a laid back sunset beach best from November to April, when the monsoon months bring a rougher sea and many places wind down.
Long Beach, known locally as Phra Ae, is the beach that sums up why value travellers love Koh Lanta. It is a long, soft, golden stretch down the island's west coast, several kilometres of it, backed not by high rise resorts but by a relaxed string of beach bars, midrange guesthouses and casual restaurants tucked under the trees. There is no entry gate, no sunbed cartel and no pressure to spend. You can walk the whole beach for the price of nothing, then flop into a beanbag at a beach bar for a cold drink that costs a fraction of what the flashier islands charge.
The honest read is that Long Beach is about mood, not luxury. This is not a manicured resort beach with rows of matching loungers and a minimum spend, it is a barefoot, laid back place where the main events are a swim, a long walk and a sunset. In the dry season, roughly November to April, the Andaman Sea here is calm and swimmable and the sunsets over the water are the daily highlight. In the monsoon months the sea turns rougher and browner and many of the bars and resorts wind down, so the timing of your trip matters more than the beach you pick.
For value it is hard to fault. Rooms a short walk back from the sand cost a fraction of the big island prices, the beach bars serve cheap drinks and simple Thai food, and the beach itself asks nothing of you. Settle in for the late afternoon, order a drink, watch the sky do its thing over the Andaman, and you have the classic Koh Lanta sunset for a few baht. Come in the dry season, keep your plans loose, and Long Beach delivers the most relaxed good value beach day on the island.
Beach bars, not a club scene
Long Beach runs on relaxed beach bars rather than a formal beach club, and that laid back, low cost mood is exactly the point.
You will not find gated day beds and a minimum spend here. Instead a string of long running beach bars put out beanbags, low tables and fairy lights for sunset, serving cheap drinks and simple food. That is the Koh Lanta value in a nutshell, the sunset that would cost a fortune elsewhere for the price of a beer.
If you want a more structured day bed, a few of the island's smarter resorts offer one, and you can arrange that through the Koh Lanta beach clubs guide. On Long Beach itself, a beanbag and a drink is the honest, cheaper choice, and the one most travellers end up preferring.
On the west coast near Saladan
Long Beach, or Phra Ae, runs down the west coast of Koh Lanta Yai, a little south of the main village and ferry pier at Saladan. From the Saladan piers it is a short taxi or songthaew ride, and most visitors get around the island by scooter or by arranging transfers through their guesthouse. Koh Lanta is reached by ferry or by road bridges from the Krabi and Trang side of the mainland, and the ride to the beach is quick once you are on the island.
You need very little to enjoy Long Beach, which is part of its charm. Bring sun cover, water and a bit of cash for the beach bars, and rent a scooter if you want to explore the string of beaches down the coast. The Andaman is usually calm and swimmable in the dry season but can turn rough in the monsoon, and lifeguard cover is limited, so judge the sea and keep children close. Everything else, food, drinks, toilets and rooms, sits just back from the sand among the bars and guesthouses, so a whole easy day never asks much of your budget.
Photo: Kamila Andryskova via GoogleNot ready to book?
Keep the good shorelines coming. Shore Notes is our occasional letter on the best beaches and the clubs worth your day, sent straight to your inbox. One field, unsubscribe any time.
Book a beach club
Long Beach runs on relaxed beach bars, so tell us your dates and we will help arrange a lounger or a resort day bed on Long Beach or elsewhere on Koh Lanta. We reply by email.
Independent and honest · 1,340 beaches ranked across 103 destinations · We answer to no resort
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Long Beach
Is Long Beach on Koh Lanta free?
Yes. Long Beach, or Phra Ae, is a public beach with free access, so the only cost is what you spend at the relaxed beach bars behind the sand. A drink or a beanbag for the sunset is cheap, which is a big part of why value travellers love it.
Can you swim at Long Beach Koh Lanta?
In the dry season, roughly November to April, the Andaman Sea here is generally calm and swimmable, with gentle water and long sunset views. In the monsoon months from about May to October the sea turns rougher and murkier and lifeguard cover is limited, so judge the conditions and swim within your depth.
Does Long Beach have beach clubs?
Not in the formal, gated sense. Long Beach runs on relaxed beach bars that put out beanbags and low tables for sunset and serve cheap drinks and simple food, rather than day beds with a minimum spend. A few of the island's smarter resorts offer a more structured day bed if you want one.
When is the best time to visit Long Beach?
The dry season, roughly November to April, is the time to come, when the sea is calm and swimmable, the sunsets are reliable and all the bars and resorts are open. The monsoon months are wetter and quieter, with a rougher sea and many places closed or winding down.
Is Long Beach good value?
Very. Rooms a short walk back from the sand cost a fraction of the big party island prices, the beach bars are cheap, and the beach itself is free, so a relaxed day and a classic Andaman sunset here cost very little. That easy, low cost mood is exactly what Koh Lanta is known for.
