6 miles from Patong Bay
A beautiful bay framed by two rocky headlands, used to be the favourite spot for paradise seekers and ageing hippies who preferred the short longtail or tuk-tuk ride from Patong to the gruelling bus to Krabi.
Anchor in 3-12 metres on a sandy bottom. There are no umbrellas or food vendors on this beach – but there is a ‘local’ restaurant. just off the beach and a few entrepreneurs will get you cold beers and inflatable beach beds.
The 300-metre steep climb from the main road has been closed by investors in the land, so the only access now is by speedboat from Surin or a long tricky walk around the headland. This beach has returned to what it was 40 years ago.
Around the headland to the north is Surin Bay. One of the island’s only zoned public beaches and park, it has been designated a heritage beach in honour of HM King Bhumipol. As such, there shouldn’t now be any restaurants, beach clubs, toilet amenities or facilities of any kind. However, entrepreneurial vendors have opened pop-up restaurants in the car park and behind the beach – and have ‘created’ access to toilets in the decaying sports stadium.
Surin beach is well-worth a visit now the wall-to-wall sunbeds have gone. Anchor in 5-8 metres anywhere off the beach outside any swim lines that may still exist.
