Thailand.com - Rawai Beach, Phuket

Rawai Beach

Only 17 kms south of Phuket Town along Highway number 4024, Rawai was one of the first beaches on Phuket to attract tourists. Songthaew service to the beach from Tha Krung Thep circle is offered at a reasonable fare, or you can take a tuk-tuk but will pay somewhat more.

Rawai beach is somewhat rocky, and generally inferior to the cleaner beaches at Karon, Kata or Patong, but unlike those west coast beaches, it is safe to swim there year round as it is not subject to riptides and undertows during the monsoon season. Still popular with Thai families, it is also frequented by foreign scuba enthusiasts because it is convenient to the piers where scuba trips to nearby islands can be arranged.

Close to Rawai Beach is the 'Chao Leh' or Sea Gypsies village. A community of formerly nomadic fishing folk with their own indigenous language, many young sea gypsy men have tended to switch to land-based employment. Many kinds of handicrafts such as t-shirt batik painting and souvenir stalls can be found at the village.

Tasty seafood can be enjoyed at any of the pleasantly breezy shacks further south along the coast road at Rawai. You can get seafood grilled, fried, saut?ed, baked, roasted or steamed from the 'street food' vendors near the beach. Local foods such as 'mi hokkian' and 'mi sapam,' local unique noodles, are also worth a try.

Laem Prom Thep

Rawai is just north of Prom Thep cape, the southernmost point on Phuket island, where loads of camera toting tourists gather in the evening to capture images of the frequently dazzling sunsets.