Banana Beach

Banana Beach is a curving bay of white sand on Phuket’s northwest coast, between Bang Tao and Nai Thon — not to be confused with the other “Banana Beach” nicknames used on Koh Phi Phi or Koh Yao Noi. For years this one was among the island’s quieter spots, reached only on foot down a steep jungle trail or by longtail boat. That changed in late 2025: the old hilltop trail was closed off, a car park opened at the north end, and a beach club moved in.

The water is still the main draw. It stays calm and clear inside the protective headlands, with good visibility for swimming and light snorkelling around the rocks at either end of the bay. The sand is soft and pale, and the hillside behind it is still green and undeveloped past the beach club itself.

What has gone is the sense of having the place to yourself. A beach-club restaurant and bar now runs rows of numbered sunbeds along the sand, with music and food and drink service through the day. The car park charges around 100 THB, and a shower/toilet block nearby charges roughly 20 THB per use. Midday is busiest, when day-trippers and tour vans arrive from Bang Tao and Nai Thon; a weekday morning is still the closest thing to the old, empty version of this beach.

Insider Tip: Arrive before 10am on a weekday — the sunbed rows fill in fast once the first tour van pulls into the car park, and the light on the water is better early anyway.

The best weather runs from November to March, with calm seas and little rain. Bring water, sunscreen and cash for the car park and beach club — there’s still shade under the trees at the back of the sand if you’d rather not rent a bed. For accommodation and other sights in the area, the Bang Tao hub covers the wider stretch of coast this beach sits on.