Rawai Seaside, East & South Coast

THE EAST COAST

On this map (which you can enlarge by clicking on it) you will see the markings from

that will help you to locate yourself in relation to the photographs.

The Chalong Pier

The beginning of the East Coast (just below the pier)

The "southern" desert part

The small beach of Laem Ka Yai

Rawai Beach

The Chalong Pier

It is difficult to show the east coast of Rawai without starting with the port of Chalong. Let's say that's the starting point....
So a short tour, through the port of Chalong.

This small port which welcomes all small boats (sailboats, various motor boats and speed boats)
Its pontoon, 715 metres long, allows tourists to board or disembark in all weathers.

The shuttle service makes constant round trips between the quay and the seaside during rush hours.

It's June... it's the low season. The boats are not as numerous, or some of them have gone out...

in any case the activity seems quite calm.

I have always liked this little tower which acts as a lighthouse... and which gives a certain character to this nice place.
From here, speed boats take you to Koh Phi Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay, Koh Racha...
At the pier, there are departures for days of offshore fishing, scuba diving....

The beginning of the East Coast (just below the pier)

Rawai at low tide: This type of panorama when the sea retreats for a few hours has always attracted me. Extremely peaceful landscapes, this is generally the right time for fishermen to do some maintenance and cleaning on their boats that rest on the sand.

This long coast (almost 4 km) starts at the port of Chalong and goes south to the small beach of "Laem Ka Yai". It's an unnamed coast. Some had fun naming it "Friendship Beach" after a nearby establishment... but this name has remained very "farang", and the Thai people do not recognize this name. To my knowledge, this place does not have a name.... "East Coast of Rawai" seems to be the most appropriate.

Very little frequented, no swimming. Only locals come to fish, repair their boats, go for a walk. The sand in some places is sometimes very soft enough to sink into until mid-calf.... from time to time we meet one or the other tourist or resident, come to get some air or take some pictures of landscapes.

All the beaches of Phuket are located on the "West" coast of the island. On the east side, no idyllic white sandy beaches... but yacht harbours like Chalong, the cruise ship port in Makham Bay, the ferry port and Rassada fishing port in Phuket Town, even higher the marinas like Boat Lagoon, Royal Marina, or even higher in the northeast of the island, Ao Po, Ao Po Marina and finally the Yacht Haven Marina.

Sunrise on the East Coast

Facing east, this "east coast" is ideal for sunrise photos...

At 6am, it is a magnificent place of calm, with large expanses giving the impression of being able to look all the way to infinity...

It is rare to meet people... except a few fishermen who bring their lunch back fresh.

Sunrise on the East Coast

Facing east, this "east coast" is ideal for sunrise photos...

At 6am, it is a magnificent place of calm, with large expanses giving the impression of being able to look all the way to infinity...

It is rare to meet people... except a few fishermen who bring their lunch back fresh.

The Bangkontee Neighbourhood at low tide

This part near the port of Chalong is inhabited. There are many colourful houses, some shops,

and the main road is 50m away, a mosque directly by the sea. There are also hotels or residences.

The Bangkontee Neighbourhood in high tide

This highly populated district has its own mosque by the sea....
at the bottom right there, at the top of the hill, big Buddha

The East Coast

At two thirds of this coast, at this point, the view extends almost to infinity.

The port of Chalong, from which a few boats can be guessed in the upper part of this picture, is about 2.5 km away.

Hard to find more relaxing, more peaceful...

Laem Ka Beach

This small beach of Laem Ka Yai, it is the only beach for swimming on this east coast.
Very rarely visited, you can spend a few hours contemplating the very colourful panoramas.

This beach seems to be closed since several months... I nevertheless kept these pictures for the beauty of the place...

Rawai Beach

Rawai Beach... is facing due south, but again, there are only boats. Many boats can take you to Koh Racha, Koh Phi Phi Phi, Koh Bon, Koh Lon, Koh Hae...
Speedboats or Longtail boats, you have the choice according to the destination and in a few minutes you can reach one of these small islands where it is always nice to spend a few hours.
In this image, we can see Koh Bon, the closest to the islands. It only takes a few minutes to reach it.

The small island that lies in the axis of the Rawai Beach pontoon is Koh Bon.

You can get there with a longtail boat in a few minutes to spend a beautiful day.
A little further on, on the left, is Coral Island (Koh Hae).

Here too, you can spend a beautiful day in a rather idyllic setting!

Despite its somewhat confusing name, Rawai Beach is not a suitable beach for swimming.

Many boats are permanently there, always ready to take you somewhere.
Beautiful place to walk at low tide looking for some crabs, this place is very pleasant.
During the day, the sun floods the bay and the colours of the sea are very beautiful.
Many small local restaurants on Beach Road serve delicious food along the pier.
In Rawai Beach, we don't swim, but we walk, we dine...
In the evening, a few restaurants and other lively bars along this route offer you the opportunity to spend some relaxing time.