No lifeguard post
There is no lifeguard post; keep an eye on children in the water.
Banana Beach
Choeng Thale · west coast
A small, curved cove between Nai Thon and Bang Tao: clear, calm dry-season water, palm shade and snorkelling off the rocks, now with a car park and a beach club.
Also written Banana Beach Phuket, Hat Kluai, Banana Rock Beach, Banana Beach Nai Thon · หาดบานาน่า · Банана-бич
Banana Beach in photographs
The parking area under the palms. The cove seen through the trees from the rocks. The water and the rocky south end.
- Sand
- Soft, pale sand under the palms
- Water
- Calm, clear water inside the headlands
- Snorkelling
- Fish around the rocks at both ends
- Shade
- Palm shade along the back
- Water entry
- Gentle slope into the sea
- Access
- Car park a minute from the sand
About Banana Beach
Banana Beach is a short, curved cove on Phuket's north-west coast, below the coast road between Nai Thon and Bang Tao and about 500 m north of Trisara. Rocky headlands hold the bay on both sides and a rock splits the sand in two, so the water inside stays calm and clear in the dry season. Tall palms line the back of the beach and give plenty of shade.
For about twenty years this was one of the island's best-kept secrets, reached by a steep jungle path from the road, with one family-run seafood restaurant on the sand. In late 2025 the hilltop path was closed and a car park opened at the north end, together with a beach club with a long bar, numbered sunbeds, kayaks and music, and a toilet and shower block.
The original restaurant still serves Thai food and seafood further south along the sand. The beach is small, so it fills up by midday, especially at weekends and on Thai holidays; mornings on weekdays are still calm. It should not be confused with the other Banana Beach on Coral Island, reached by boat.
Things to do at Banana Beach
The parking area under the palms. The cove seen through the trees from the rocks. The water and the rocky south end.
Swimming · dry season
Swim in a sheltered cove
From November to April the water inside the headlands is calm and clear, with a gentle slope from the sand.
Snorkelling and diving · dry season
Snorkel off the rocks
Both ends have rocks full of small, colourful fish; bring your own mask, as hire at the beach club is expensive.
Water sports · dry season
Paddle a kayak
Kayaks can be rented at the beach club for a paddle along the rocky headlands.
Food and drink
Lunch at the original restaurant
The family-run Banana Beach Restaurant has served seafood on the sand since the early 2000s; the fried fish with garlic is the local favourite.
On the sand · dry season
A day bed at the beach club
Numbered sunbeds and cabana-style beds with umbrellas; one visitor paid 1,000 THB a bed for the day (2026).
Wellness · dry season
Massage in the shade
Masseuses work in the shade near the restaurant, at around 300 THB an hour.
Boat trips · dry season
Arrive by longtail
Longtail boats from neighbouring beaches can drop you in the cove, a way to see the coast from the sea.
Food and drink
Michelin-starred dinner at PRU
Trisara's restaurant, 500 m south, holds a Michelin star and a Green Star for its local produce.
A day at Banana Beach
Park at the north-end car park before 10:00 and choose your spot under the palms while the cove is still calm. Banana Beach Car Park
Swim out to the rocks at the southern end, the left side as you face the sea, where the fish are most plentiful.
Walk south to the original Banana Beach Restaurant for Thai food and fried fish with garlic, caught nearby. Banana Beach Restaurant
Rent a sunbed at the beach club or take a kayak out along the headlands while the sea is calm. Banana Beach Club by Sollis 2.0
PRU at Trisara, about 500 m south, serves a Michelin-starred tasting menu; book well ahead. PRU
Our Banana Beach score
4.6out of 5
A family beach day or a snorkelling morning, from November to April.
A small curved cove with clear, calm water inside its headlands, snorkelling off the rocks at both ends and palm shade along the back. Since late 2025 it has a car park, toilets and a beach club; it holds back from the top band because the sand is narrow at high tide and the low season washes debris ashore.
The character of the beach
A profile, not a mark: where Banana Beach sits on four scales, and what it is known for.
- Lively
- For children
- Surf
- Snorkelling
No lifeguards · Soft pale sand under the palms
What is good about Banana Beach
Snorkelling straight from the sand
Swim out to the rocks at either end of the cove to see shoals of small, colourful fish and starfish; the southern side is the richest.
Sheltered and clear
Headlands on both sides keep the water calm and clear from November to April, with good visibility for swimming.
Easy with children
The sand slopes gently, the palms give shade, and since late 2025 there are toilets, showers and a car park a short walk from the beach.
Two ways to eat
A beach club with a long bar at the north end, and the original family restaurant with bamboo tables further south.
Kayaks on the beach
Kayaks can be hired at the beach club for a paddle around the headlands on a calm day.
Before you swim at Banana Beach
At its best in the dry season
From May to October the waves are bigger and the tide brings debris ashore; the cove is calmest and clearest from November to April.
Water shoes for the rocks
The snorkelling spots are over rocks at both ends; water shoes help, and please do not touch coral or starfish.
Longtails and kayaks
Longtail boats anchor in the bay and kayaks paddle around it. Keep clear of anchored boats and look up when you surface.
Little sand at high tide
At high tide only a narrow strip of sand remains. Set up near the trees and keep bags away from the water line.
Beach clubs, bars and restaurants on Banana Beach
2 places open on the sand in September 2026, walked south to north, then the road behind the beach and a few minutes inland. A price level is what one visit typically costs a person.
A few minutes inland
Banana Beach Club by Sollis 2.0
Beach club · on the sand · every day 09:00–23:00 by its own site; Google Maps showed closing at 20:00 on Wednesday
An open-air beach club on Banana Beach, the small bay between Layan and Nai Thon, run by Sollis 2.0.
Banana Beach Restaurant
Restaurant · on the sand
The original restaurant of Banana Beach, a small cove between Nai Thon and Bang Tao, south along the sand from the beach club at the north end.
Banana Beach Car Park
Transport · the road behind
The car park at the north end of Banana Beach, opened in late 2025 in place of the old hilltop path; 100 THB, with a toilet and shower block (20 THB) and the sand under a minute away.
PRU
Restaurant · a short drive · Tuesday–Thursday 18:00–22:30, Friday–Saturday 12:00–15:00 and 18:00–22:30; closed Monday and Sunday
The fine-dining restaurant of the Trisara resort above Nai Thon Beach, and the only restaurant on Phuket with a MICHELIN star, held every year since 2018, together with a Green Star for sustainable cooking.
What it costs to live near Banana Beach
6 months or more
Apartments
฿48,000/ month
median of 4 · from ฿41,500
Villas
฿162,500/ month
median of 2 · from ฿129,500
- The zone
- The waterline
- Chosen step: The zone
- A home and its rent
- A place, as the list numbers it
Homes for rent near Banana Beach
6 months or more
- homes for rent nearby
- 11
- within a 13-minute walk of the sand
- 6
- the nearest home to the sand
- 180 m
There are no homes or hotels on the cove itself. Trisara's luxury villas sit just to the south, the Andaman White Beach Resort to the north, and Nai Thon village, 3 km north, has small hotels and pool villas on the hills.
Homes by type
Rent a month
6 homes in the beach zone
- Rooftop pool
- Workspace
3‑bedroom apartment in Banana, Casuarina Park
฿64,000/ month
180 m to the sand · 2 min on foot
- Sea view
2‑bedroom apartment in Banana, Sunset Villas
฿47,500/ month
250 m to the sand · 3 min on foot
- New building
3‑bedroom villa in Banana, Coral Heights
฿162,500/ month
380 m to the sand · 5 min on foot
- Rooftop pool
3‑bedroom apartment in Banana, Casuarina Park
฿48,000/ month
420 m to the sand · 5 min on foot
- Rooftop pool
2‑bedroom apartment in Banana, Casuarina Park
฿41,500/ month
440 m to the sand · 6 min on foot
- Rooftop pool
3‑bedroom villa in Banana, Coral Heights
฿129,500/ month
510 m to the sand · 6 min on foot
Around Banana Beach
Every place inside the beach zone, by category: choose one to see its places, nearest the water first, each numbered as its mark on the map.
Banana Beach by month
The season · November to April
Calm sea, clear water
November to April: calm, clear water inside the headlands, good snorkelling and every facility open. The best weather runs from November to March.
The monsoon · May to October
Waves, walks and red flags
May to October: stronger waves, debris washed ashore and a quieter beach. On stormy days the sea can reach the trees; swim only when it is flat.
| Month | The sea |
|---|---|
| Jan | Calm |
| Feb | Calm |
| Mar | Calm |
| Apr | Calm |
| May | Changing |
| Jun | Rough |
| Jul | Rough |
| Aug | Rough |
| Sep | Rough |
| Oct | Changing |
| Nov | Calm |
| Dec | Calm |
Calm: swim any day Changing: check the flags Rough: monsoon swell, red flags on many days
Banana Beach with children
Banana Beach suits families well in the dry season: the slope is gentle, the water is calm inside the headlands, and the palms give shade. Since late 2025 the car park, toilets and showers make a day with small children much easier.
- A gentle slope into calm, clear water from November to April.
- Palm shade along the back of the sand.
- Toilets and showers near the car park, 20 THB.
- A walk of under a minute from the car to the sand.
- Fish around the rocks for older children with a mask.
Getting to Banana Beach and parking
- From the airport, by car
- 15–25 min
- From Patong, with the traffic
- 35–50 min
- From Phuket Town
- 40–55 min
Drive towards Nai Thon, pass the Andaman White Beach Resort and turn right into the car park before Trisara. The old path down the hill from the road was closed in late 2025.
- By car. The car park entrance is on the right of the coast road, after the Andaman White Beach Resort and before Trisara. Parking costs 100 THB.
- By scooter. The same car park takes scooters; the coast road here is narrow and winding.
- Grab and taxis. A taxi or ride-hailing car can drop you at the car park; arrange the ride back before you go.
- By boat. Longtail boats from neighbouring beaches can bring you into the cove.
Parking. A car park at the north end of the beach, 100 THB. Toilets and showers next to it cost 20 THB.
Who will love Banana Beach, and who will not
Will love it
- Families with small children: a gentle, sheltered cove with shade and toilets near the car.
- Snorkellers who want fish around rocks without taking a boat.
- Couples after a pretty, palm-lined cove and a seafood lunch on the sand.
- Day-trippers from Bang Tao or Nai Thon looking for a change of scene.
Will not
- Anyone hoping for the empty secret cove of old guidebooks: there is now music and a midday crowd.
- Budget travellers: parking, toilets and beach-club beds all cost extra.
Tips for Banana Beach
Come before 10:00
The car park makes it easy for tour groups too; by midday the beds near the beach club are full.
Pick a weekday
The cove is small and fills fast at weekends and on Thai public holidays; Tuesday or Wednesday mornings are best.
Eat at the old restaurant
Walk south to the original restaurant for better prices, the same view and no loudspeakers.
Bring your own mask
Snorkel gear can be hired at the beach club, but the mark-up is steep.
Carry small notes
Parking is 100 THB and the toilets 20 THB; have change ready.
The old path is closed
Do not stop on the hill looking for the old jungle path: it is blocked with signs. Use the car park at the north end.
Not the Coral Island one
There is another Banana Beach on Coral Island, reached by speedboat. Say Nai Thon or Trisara to your driver.
Questions about Banana Beach
How do I get to Banana Beach Phuket?
By car or scooter to the car park at the north end of the beach. Drive towards Nai Thon, pass the Andaman White Beach Resort and turn right before Trisara. The old path down the hill was closed in late 2025.
Is there parking at Banana Beach?
Yes, a car park opened at the north end in late 2025. It costs 100 THB, and the sand is under a minute's walk away.
Is the old path to Banana Beach still open?
No. The steep path through the trees from the road was closed in late 2025 and is blocked with signs; everyone now uses the car park at the north end.
Is Banana Beach good for swimming?
Yes, from November to April. The water is calm and clear inside the headlands and the beach slopes gently. From May to October the waves get stronger, so swim only on flat days; no lifeguards are reported.
Can you snorkel at Banana Beach?
Yes, straight from the sand. The rocks at both ends have plenty of small, colourful fish, and the southern side is usually the richest. Bring your own mask, as hire at the beach club is expensive.
Are there restaurants at Banana Beach?
Yes, two. A beach club with a bar and sunbeds at the north end, and the original family-run Banana Beach Restaurant further south, serving Thai food and seafood at fairer prices.
How much are sunbeds at Banana Beach?
Prices vary. Sunbeds and umbrellas are rented at the beach club; one visitor in March 2026 paid 1,000 THB per cabana-style bed for the day. The shade of the palms is free.
Are there toilets at Banana Beach?
Yes, a toilet and shower block near the car park, 20 THB per use.
Is Banana Beach good for kids?
Yes, in the dry season. The slope is gentle, the cove is sheltered and there is shade, toilets and a car park close by. Keep children close, as there are no lifeguards.
Is Banana Beach Phuket the same as the one on Coral Island?
No. This Banana Beach is on Phuket's north-west coast near Nai Thon; the other is on Coral Island off the south-east coast and is reached by boat.