Mai Khao Beach
Best for. Couples and quiet seekers who want space, nature and a long undeveloped walk, plus plane spotters who like the runway right behind the dunes.
Best spot. The northern stretch near the turtle conservation area, where the sand is widest and you can walk for a long time without seeing another lounger.
Know this. This is a wild national park beach with few vendors, a quick drop off into deeper water and a real monsoon swell, so it is for space and nature rather than easy swimming.
Mai Khao is the anti Patong, a wild ten kilometre ribbon of golden sand along the north coast that ends, more or less, at the airport runway. It is the longest beach in Phuket by a distance and one of the emptiest, because most of it sits inside Sirinat National Park and is backed by casuarina trees and a string of low key resorts rather than a wall of bars. If your idea of a good beach day is space, a long barefoot walk and the sound of the sea instead of a sound system, this is the one.
Two things define the experience. The first is the planes, because the runway sits just behind the dunes at the southern end and aircraft come in low overhead, which has turned that stretch into a famous plane spotting spot. The second is the turtles, since Mai Khao is a nesting beach for sea turtles inside the protected park, and from roughly November to February there is a chance of seeing conservation releases in the area. Both are reminders that this is a natural beach first and a tourist beach a distant second.
The honest caution is about the water. The sand is slightly coarser than the powder bays of the south, the sea deepens fairly quickly after a shallow start, and in the monsoon months the currents here can be strong and genuinely dangerous, which is why warnings should be taken seriously. In the dry season near the edge it is a pleasant swim, but this is not a calm family lagoon. Come for the length, the quiet and the nature, bring your own water and shade since vendors are scarce, and let the southern bays handle the lively beach club day.
Clubs on this beach
Mai Khao is a long, wild national park beach rather than a club strip, so service comes from the resorts spaced along it rather than a run of independent clubs. For a daybed and table day the bigger Phuket clubs sit further south and are mapped in the clubs guide.
Photo: JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa via GoogleResort frontage on the sand
A handful of resorts sit spaced along the long beach and run their own beach service for guests. Some food and drink outlets may be open to non guests, but lounger access and any minimum are set by each resort and are to be confirmed, so ask before you settle in.
Quiet stretches between resorts
Between the resorts the beach is wild and largely empty, with no vendors and no shade beyond the casuarina trees. This is the heart of Mai Khao and the reason to come, but it means carrying your own water, food and sun cover for the day.
No beach club strip
There is no run of independent daybed clubs on Mai Khao, in keeping with its national park character. For a dense set of beach clubs you want Bang Tao, Kamala or Patong further south, all described in the Phuket beach clubs guide.
North coast, Phuket
Mai Khao runs along the north coast right beside Phuket International Airport, so it is the closest major beach to the terminals, often only a ten to fifteen minute drive from arrivals depending on which end you choose.
Most visitors arrive by taxi, a metered Grab car where available, or by car from one of the north coast resorts. Because the beach is so long, pick your access point first, since walking the whole length is a serious undertaking.
Combine Mai Khao with the other northern park beaches, Nai Yang and Nai Thon, which sit just to the south and share the same quiet, tree backed character on this stretch of coast.
Photo: Thopak Pongpit (Sarah P.) via GoogleBook a beach club
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Common questions about Mai Khao Beach
Is Mai Khao Beach good for swimming?
In the dry season from November to April it is a pleasant swim near the edge, where the start is shallow before the sea deepens quite quickly. In the monsoon the currents here can be strong and genuinely dangerous, so warnings should be taken seriously. This is a wild beach for space rather than a calm family lagoon.
Why are there planes over Mai Khao Beach?
Phuket International Airport sits just behind the dunes at the southern end of the beach, so aircraft come in low overhead on their approach. That has made the southern stretch a well known plane spotting spot, though it is the closeness of the runway, not a viewing platform, that creates the show.
Can you see turtles at Mai Khao?
Mai Khao is a sea turtle nesting beach inside Sirinat National Park, and turtles come ashore roughly from November to February. There is a conservation presence in the area, and releases of young turtles sometimes take place during the season, though sightings are never guaranteed and the nesting areas are protected.
Are there beach clubs at Mai Khao?
Not in the sense of a club strip. The long beach is backed by spaced out resorts that run their own beach service, plus wild empty stretches with no vendors. For a full daybed day you are better off at Bang Tao, Kamala or Patong further south, all mapped in the Phuket beach clubs guide.
How far is Mai Khao from Phuket airport?
It is the closest major beach to Phuket International Airport, often only a ten to fifteen minute drive from the terminals depending on which end of the long beach you choose. That makes it a popular first or last night base for travellers with early or late flights.
