Khao Lak
Andaman Beach Resort Strip; Base For The Similan And Surin Islands; Hit Hard By The 2004 Tsunami · Khao Lak, Phang Nga
Khao Lak is a string of long, quiet sandy beaches on the Andaman coast of Phang Nga, about an hour and a half north of Phuket airport, backed by forested hills and lined with low-rise resorts rather than a town. The name belongs to a headland and national park at the south end, but it now covers the whole strip from Nang Thong and Bang Niang north to Khuk Khak, Pakarang Cape and beyond. It is the main mainland base for the Similan and Surin islands, with speedboats and liveaboard dive boats leaving from nearby piers in the season from about mid-October to mid-May. On 26 December 2004 the Indian Ocean tsunami struck this coast harder than anywhere else in Thailand, killing thousands of residents and visitors; a police patrol boat still lies where the wave carried it, far inland at Bang Niang, now a memorial. The rebuilt coast is calm, family-friendly and green, with waterfalls in the hills, Takua Pa's old town to the north, Khao Sok's rainforest inland, and marked evacuation routes that are part of daily life. Many resorts close or thin out in the rainy season.
Bang Niang, Khuekkhak, Takua Pa, Khao Lak, Phang Nga, 82220, Thailand
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the beaches are open at all times. The Similan and Surin marine parks open only from roughly mid-October to mid-May, with dates set by the parks department each year, and day boats leave piers around 7 to 8 am and return by mid-afternoon. Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park and its waterfalls have opened about 8 am to 4:30 or 5 pm. Police Boat 813 can be seen at any time; the tsunami museum at Bang Niang keeps its own short hours and may close in the low season. The Bang Niang market runs in the evenings on set days, and Takua Pa's walking street runs on Sunday evenings. The traps that ruin a trip are booking a Similan trip outside the park season, expecting restaurants and dive shops open in the rainy months, and missing the only boat of the day to Surin. Confirm current times before relying on them.