Activities in Southern Thailand revolve largely around the sea, the islands and diving, with a few cultural forays into the old quarters of Phuket Town and the local temples.
In Phuket, the west-coast beaches concentrate most of the action. Kata and Kata Noi are the best for family swimming and beginner surfing (November-March). Surin and Kamala are quieter and greener, favoured by travellers looking for less crowd. Patong is the nightlife district — Bangla Road and its bars — a festive holiday vibe very different from the rest of the country. Not to be missed in Phuket: the old quarter of Phuket Town, with its colourful nineteenth-century Sino-Portuguese houses, art galleries and trendy coffee shops in restored colonial buildings. From Phuket, the most popular excursions are Phang Nga Bay (James Bond Island, kayaking in the limestone caves, the lagoon of Koh Panyi and its stilted fishing villages) and the Phi Phi Islands (Maya Bay, made famous by the film The Beach, closed for regeneration and now reopened with a visitor quota).
At Krabi and on the peninsula of Railay, accessible only by boat from Ao Nang (15 minutes, 100-150 THB), climbing on the karst cliffs is an iconic activity: several operators offer courses for beginners and ascents for confirmed climbers on routes rated 5 to 7b. Railay West beach is one of the finest in Thailand — fine white sand, transparent water, sheer cliffs all around. The four-islands tour from Ao Nang (boat, snorkelling at Koh Poda and Koh Kai, beach and sunset) is the essential excursion of the area. Sea kayaking in the mangroves and the sea caves of Krabi offers a unique immersion, especially at low tide when you can venture into shadowy caverns before emerging into hidden inner lagoons.
At Koh Lanta, the atmosphere is more relaxed: long uncrowded beaches on the west coast, a national park to the south with mangrove forests, and a community of long-stay travellers who appreciate the island's calm even in high season. It is also a good base for diving on the sites of the Mu Koh Lanta marine national park, less crowded than Phi Phi.
Diving on the Andaman side centres on the Similan Islands (National Park, open November-May only), with sites like Elephant Rock and East of Eden where visibility regularly exceeds 25 metres. The Surin Islands, further north, allow diving at Richelieu Rock — a legendary underwater pinnacle where whale-shark encounters (November-April) are regular. On the Gulf side, Koh Tao is the global capital of PADI certification (Open Water from €280-350, among the cheapest in Asia): the reefs of Sail Rock, Chumphon Pinnacle and Shark Island offer conditions accessible to beginners as well as to confirmed divers.
For lovers of cultural experience, several Buddhist temples deserve a visit in the region: Wat Chalong in Phuket (the most revered on the island), and the mosques of the southern coast such as Krue Se mosque in Pattani bear witness to the religious diversity of the south, which has a significant Muslim minority. The night markets of Krabi Town and Ao Nang are essential stops for tasting southern specialities: crab curry, seafood miang and Thai roti filled with banana and condensed milk.
Read also
- Phuket, the great southern island — Patong and Kata beaches, nightlife and excursions to the Phi Phi Islands from Thailand's largest island.
- Krabi, cliffs and turquoise sea — Railay Beach, diving and kayaking at the heart of the Andaman's karst formations.
- Thailand — complete country guide — Formalities, budget, when to go and regions of Thailand.
- Northern Thailand — the other Thailand — Temples, night markets and trekking in the hills of the Thai north.