Approaching Bang Tao Bay from the south, watch out for the large rock shown 150 metres off the headland on the chart. If it is visible, vessels can pass close on either side, as there is 10 metres of water all around. At high water, however, give the headland a wide berth and proceed well north before turning into the bay.
Bang Tao has been developed by the Laguna Phuket group as Asia’s first fully integrated resort complex. This lovely 4-milelong beach is the setting for the Bang Tao Beach Resort, Amora Beach Resort Dusit Laguna, Laguna Beach Resort, Sheraton Grande Laguna, Allamanda and Banyan Tree Resorts. Before being reclaimed by this massive development, which began in 1989, most of the area behind the beach was a cratered wasteland, having been seriously degraded by tin mining operations. Today, the hotels are all interconnected by inland lakes and are backed by Laguna Phuket’s golf course and huge residential development.
There are over 2,000 hotel rooms ashore, with more than 30 restaurants and bars within the Laguna Complex, as well as some very good locally run beach restaurants.
Anchor in sand in 8-10 metres northeast of the rocky outcrop on the beach. Be careful of the many floating polypropylene lines, both among the fishing boats and close to the beach when coming ashore by tender.
Only 25 minutes from the airport, this anchorage is often used as a charter departure point.
Anchor in 6-8 metres on a sandy bottom in front of any of the hotels. Ashore, you will also find several good beach restaurants catering to a wide range of budgets. Just 25 minutes from the airport, these hotels are a useful pick-up point for visitors.
All the hotels in the Laguna complex can be accessed by the free resort shuttle tuk-tuks and boats on the canals.
On the very north end of Bang Tao beach, just inside the island, is a high tide river that can be accessed by dinghy leading to two huge, previously tin-dredged inland lagoons.
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate, the charts of anchorages are based on personal experience and satellite imagery and are intended as a guide only. They should not be used for navigation. Please refer to Official Hydrographic Charts of the respective countries.
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