Hat Kho Khao

Hat Kho Khao is the northernmost of Khanom Bay’s three connected beach sections — Kho Khao, Na Dan, and Nai Phlao run north to south along the same stretch of coast — and it’s the least polished of the three. A deep-sea cargo port sits at its northern end, and the sand here sees more washed-up debris than its neighbours. What it does have is easy parking right at the water’s edge and a run of beach bars and seafood restaurants that fill up with locals most evenings.

Swimming is fine rather than exceptional: calm, shallow water with a gently sloping bottom, similar to the rest of Khanom’s Gulf-facing coast. It works better as a sunset-and-dinner spot than a swimming destination in its own right — plastic tables spill onto the sand outside a string of casual restaurants, and by early evening the smell of grilled squid and the sound of Thai pop from parked-up cars carries down the beach. Locals come specifically because it’s easy to reach by car and doesn’t require the walk-in that Na Dan and Nai Phlao further south involve.

Watch out: Khanom’s famous pink dolphins — Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins — are far more reliably seen off Laem Prathap and Ao Kwang Phao, both a short drive away, than directly offshore at Kho Khao. Book a dolphin-watching boat from one of those points rather than expecting sightings here.

If Kho Khao is thinner on scenery, it makes a practical base: parking is straightforward, a few small resorts sit right behind the beach, and it’s the closest of the three sections to Khanom town for supplies. Early morning is quiet enough for a walk before the port traffic and beach-bar setup gets going; by evening it’s the busiest of the three beaches, especially on weekends when families from town come down to eat.

Insider Tip: For actual swimming and scenery, walk or drive the short distance south to Na Dan or Nai Phlao — save Kho Khao for the evening seafood-and-parking convenience it’s genuinely good at.

Songthaews and motorbike taxis connect the beach to Khanom town center in about ten minutes, and it sits close enough to Ao Khanom and the district’s dolphin-watching piers to fold into the same day trip.