Koh Sirey

Overview

Koh Sirey (เกาะสิเหร่, also written Koh Sire or Koh Si Re) is a small island on Phuket’s east coast, about 5 km east of Phuket Old Town and joined to the main island by a bridge so short that most visitors never notice the water. It is a residential and fishing area rather than a beach resort. The draws are Wat Koh Sirey’s hilltop reclining Buddha, the Urak Lawoi village at Laem Tukkae, and seafood by the shore. Half a day from Phuket Town covers it.

Top Things to Do

Wat Koh Sirey. A road climbs to the temple on the island’s hilltop, lined with small memorial shrines; park where you can and walk the last stretch. The hall shelters a long golden reclining Buddha, and the terraces look back over Phuket Town and down to Laem Tukkae. Phuket 101 notes that an attendant may ask for a donation if you photograph the Buddha, so keep a few coins for the box.

The Urak Lawoi village at Laem Tukkae. The Urak Lawoi are one of the Andaman sea peoples often grouped as Chao Le, and a village elder told Window on Phuket his community had lived at Tukkae Cape for about 400 years. Today it is a working fishing village where people live and work around their houses, not a cultural show. Twice a year, around the full moons of the sixth and eleventh lunar months, the community holds Loy Ruea, building one ceremonial boat and launching it before dawn. Dates are set locally each year, and not every part of it is open to outsiders.

Monkeys at the bridge. Long-tailed macaques gather by the bridge, where locals feed them. Keep food and loose bags out of sight.

That is largely the list. For a longer east-side loop, add Khao Khat Views Tower between Chalong Bay and Cape Panwa, which looks across the water to Koh Sirey, or Khao Rang above Phuket Town.

Where to Stay

Most visitors base in Phuket Town and drive across. The island does have two upmarket options: The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, with rooms and villas looking over the bay, and Sinae Phuket, a pool-villa hotel on the hillside with a cafe at the top. The beach in front of the Westin is small and poor for swimming, so if sand is the priority choose Kata, Kamala or Nai Harn on the wider Phuket west coast instead.

Getting There

From Phuket Old Town it is a short taxi or Grab ride across the bridge, around 15 minutes in normal traffic. Scooters work if you are comfortable with local roads. From Phuket International Airport allow about an hour by road. No ferry or boat ticket is needed.

Best Time to Visit

November to April gives the clearest views from the temple hill. March and April are hot, so go in the late afternoon. From May to October the visit still works between showers, though paths can be slippery and views hazy.

Practical Tips

Cover shoulders and knees at the temple. Ask before photographing people in the village, stay on public paths and remember these are homes. Carry small cash for food stalls and seafood shacks near the fishing shore.

Insider Tip: Go up to the temple after 15:00, when the hilltop is cooler and the light is kinder, then stop for seafood by the fishing shore on your way back to Old Town for the evening.