Koh Racha Yai Island

Name: Koh Racha Yai Island
Rating: 4

20/05/2019 Sepp Hatzl 2,759 views No Comments

If you visit one island during your stay in Phuket, head down to Koh Racha Yai Island stunning beaches and spend the day – or longer! You’ll find the sand on this island to be just what you’re looking for – white, deep, and plenty of it. There are a couple of nice beaches here, and you should see them all!

The Koh Racha Islands are comprised of two islands, Yai, and Noi. Koh Racha Yai Island lies just 10.5 miles (16.9 km) south-southwest of the southern tip of Phuket Island in the Andaman Sea. The island is almost 2.5 miles (4 km) long and about 1 mile (1.6 km) wide.

Siam Bay Beach Clubs, Restaurants, Bars

There is a restaurant and bar as part of the resort detailed below.

Siam Bay Beach Accommodation

Racha Island Resort – Just behind the beach is this large resort that is sometimes known as the Rayaburi Resort and other times as the Racha Island Resort. Between 11 am. and 4 pm. there are many tourists arriving on tours and they stop at this beach. If you’re staying at this resort you can hide from them during that time and come out after when the best times are had anyway – early morning and evenings.
While nearly everyone enjoyed their stay, there was almost always a complaint about some aspect of the resort. Just know that not everything will be perfect. Wi-Fi was mentioned often as not fast enough. We have no details on the bar and restaurant at the resort, nobody talked about them in the reviews we read. Rates begin around 3,300 THB per night.

Siam Bay Beach Facts & Features

Location in Relation to Phuket: 11 miles (17.7 km) south-southeast from the southern tip of Phuket Island.
Surrounding Beaches: Patok Beach is west and two small unnamed beaches with good diving are east around the corner.
Direction Facing: North.
Beach Length: 451 meters (1,480 ft.)
Beach Width: 30 meters (100 ft.) on average.
Estimated Beach Area: 13,750 m2 (148,000 square ft.)
Beach Quality: Excellent with deep, white sand mostly free of rocks. Crystal clear water.
Ocean Bottom: Excellent in the shallows, but quickly turning to coral reef.
Restroom / showers facilities? Yes, at the resorts and restaurants.
Beach features: Very clear water, soft white sand and fewer people than Koh Phi Phi make this a good choice for a stop during your tour of the islands off Phuket.
Public or Private? Entrance fees? Public.
Lifeguard Available? No.
Boat anchorage possible? No.
Boat dock and marina? No.
How to reach Siam Bay Beach on Koh Racha Yai Island? From Chalong Pier by tour company.
Attractions: The beach is really beautiful with clear water and fantastic snorkeling.
Activities: Snorkeling is the number one activity, with coral covering the entire perimeter of the beach and island. You can snorkel for hours and only see a fraction of what is available. You can rent a scooter at one of the resorts and tour the island, or just walk around and get some exercise.
Surfing? None.
Sunbeds Available? Yes, with extra charge.
Umbrellas? Yes, with extra charge.
Water quality: Very Good.
Convenience shop available? No.
Massage available? No.
Picnic possible? Yes, however please don’t leave your rubbish behind.
Smoking? Thailand authorities are cracking down on smoking at beaches around the country. Soon they expect to make it a country-wide smoking ban – so do stay up to date because fines are high and can include prison time.
Warnings: Many rocks in the shallows to cut your feet on, wear shoes if wading.

Be aware! There is another beach you might want to visit on Koh Racha Yai Island: the Patok Beach, located just around the corner from the Siam Beach going eastward!…

Patok Beach Clubs and Bars

There is a restaurant and bar as part of the resort below, but we have little information about their service and food quality.

Patok Beach Restaurants

The Cliff – On the north end of the beach, The Cliff overlooks the beach and provides great views from the deck. Sunset views are spectacular and there’s no better place to be for it than The Cliff. The food was reviewed as better-than-average with 3.9 out of 5 stars on Google. Most dishes are 250 THB and a local beer in a big (660 ml) bottle will run you 200 THB. They serve Thai cuisine focusing on seafood, pasta and sandwiches – something for everyone. 3,300 THB per night.

Patok Beach Accommodation

The Racha – This is an older resort in need of renovation, but many people are satisfied with it for the price. It really is probably priced right for an older hotel on a fantastic beach on a picture-perfect island with a number of jaw-dropping beaches. The hotel has a very large swimming pool and a number of villas have private pools as well. One issue a number of reviewers cited was the large number of day tourists who flood the beach during the hours of 11 am. to 4 pm. Outside of these times the beach is much more enjoyable. Rooms start around 6,300 THB for a night.

Note – there is another option for people wishing to stay at this beach, but it is a very low-grade option and we like to suggest better properties to ensure your happiness.

Patok Beach Facts & Features

Location in Relation to Phuket: 11 miles (17.7 km) south-southeast from the southern tip of Phuket Island.
Surrounding Beaches: Siam Beach is around the corner going east.
Direction Facing: Northwest.
Beach Length: 280 meters (920 ft.)
Beach Width: 120 meters (120 ft.) on average.
Estimated Beach Area: 10,256 m2 (110,400 square ft.)
Beach Quality: Exceptional – white sand and lots of it. Set in a bay that is quite picturesque.
Ocean Bottom: Patches of rocks and coral out in the center of the bay, but mostly clear bottom makes for good wading and swimming.
Restroom / showers facilities? Yes, at the Racha Resort for guests.
Beach features: Very wide beach accommodates many visitors, and it can get crowded. The Racha resort has a restaurant and bar you can visit for refreshments and meals.
Public or Private? Entrance fees? Public.
Lifeguard Available? No.
Boat anchorage possible? Yes.
Boat dock and marina? There is a boat dock. Unknown whether it is private or public.
How to reach Patok Beach on Koh Racha Yai Island? From Chalong Pier by tour company.
Attractions: The beach is incredibly beautiful, so many people don’t see any more of the island! There are shops toward the center of the island. Snorkeling is the main attraction, though it’s better at Siam Beach.
Activities: Snorkeling and dive tours are the most common things to do at Patok Beach. There are well over 100 beach chairs with umbrellas that you can use for a fee. There is some shopping behind the resort, and you can take a motorbike taxi around the island or tour it yourself with a rental motorbike, bicycle, or hiking around.
Surfing? No.
Sunbeds Available? Yes, for a fee.
Umbrellas? Yes, for a fee.
Water quality: Very Good.
Convenience shop available? No.
Massage available? Yes.
Picnic possible? Yes, however please don’t leave your rubbish behind.
Smoking? Thailand authorities are cracking down on smoking at beaches around the country. Soon they expect to make it a country-wide smoking ban – so do stay up to date because fines are high and can include prison time.
Warnings: Strong tides during large wave periods. Sea urchins are in the holes in the coral and rocks and have venomous barbs that break off inside the skin. Enjoy, but be cautious.