Overview
The bay was a fishing village until the 1970s and the 2004 tsunami hit it hard, killing hundreds and destroying the beachfront, which was rebuilt within two years. Beach chairs and umbrellas were cleared by law in 2014 to reopen public access, and the sand is now noticeably emptier than the photographs from before. Bangla Road closes to traffic at six and is a walking street of bars and shows until late.
Highlights
Swim between the flags: the rip currents here kill several people a year and the red flags are not decorative. The beach is best at either end, north towards Kalim and south towards Tri Trang, where it quietens. If you want Phuket without this, Kata and Nai Harn are twenty minutes south and are different beaches entirely.