Bang Tao, Phuket
Bang Tao is Phuket's polished northwest: a long, quiet beach, the sprawling Laguna resort complex, the buzzing Boat Avenue lifestyle strip and a string of beach clubs. Upscale, spacious and expat-favoured.
Bang Tao
Featured places
A few of our favourite spots across the island right now.
Kin-Kub-Ei
Bang Tao · ฿฿
Kin-Kub-Ei is a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand Southern Thai restaurant set in a shaded, leafy garden in Thalang, Phuket, serving bold, home-style island cooking.
Jampa
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿
Jampa is a MICHELIN Selected and Green Star farm-to-table restaurant in Thalang, Phuket, led by chef Gongpitak with seasonal, produce-led tasting menus.
Thai Library
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿
Thai Library at Trisara resort is a MICHELIN Selected restaurant in Bang Tao, Phuket, showcasing refined Southern Thai cuisine in an elegant book-lined room.
Toh Daeng (Thalang)
Bang Tao · ฿฿
Toh Daeng in Thalang is a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand restaurant in Phuket, set in a renovated manor house, its name meaning the red dining table in Thai.
Xana Beach Club
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿
Xana Beach Club at Bang Tao (Angsana Laguna Phuket) pairs a 35 metre central pool and long swim-up bar with beach loungers, cabanas and sunset cocktails.
PRU
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿฿
PRU is Phuket's only MICHELIN-starred restaurant, a solar-powered, farm-to-table fine-dining room in Thalang led by acclaimed Dutch chef Jimmy Ophorst.
Catch Beach Club
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿
Catch Beach Club is Bang Tao Beach's beachfront spot for dining, cocktails, DJs and day beds. Book the Daily Day Pass for a full day of beach club vibes.
Krua Baan Platong
Bang Tao · ฿
Krua Baan Platong is a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand Southern Thai favourite of Thai celebrities, tucked down a quiet Thalang alley in Phuket for home cooking.
Krua Praya
Bang Tao · ฿฿
Krua Praya is a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand restaurant in Thalang, Phuket, showcasing bold, aromatic Southern Thai cuisine, especially its slow-cooked pork belly.
Suay (Choeng Thale)
Bang Tao · ฿฿
Suay in Choeng Thale is a MICHELIN Selected Thai contemporary restaurant in Phuket, with a bright, breezy interior and hand-laid Portuguese-tiled floors.
Buabok
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿
Buabok is a MICHELIN Selected Thai restaurant inside Amanpuri resort in Bang Tao, Phuket, serving refined Thai dishes among reflective pools and palms.
Sole Mio Boutique Hotel & Wellness
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿
Sole Mio Boutique Hotel is an adults-only wellness retreat near Bang Tao Beach with the rooftop 7th Floor Restaurant & Bar and a THB 650 pool day pass.
Five Olives
Bang Tao · ฿฿
Five Olives is a MICHELIN Selected Italian restaurant in Thalang, Phuket, known for its wood-fired Neapolitan pizza with puffy, airy Canotto-style crusts.
Anantara Layan Phuket Resort
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿฿
A THB 6,500 net Wellness Day Pass in Phuket at Anantara Layan: breakfast, a 60-minute treatment, a wellness consultation and 4 hours of Layan Life facilities.
Gym Club Phuket
Bang Tao · ฿฿
Spa and sauna day pass in Bang Tao at Gym Club Phuket: 500 THB gets you saunas, ice baths, cold plunge pools and magnesium recovery baths, towels free.
Breathe Phuket
Bang Tao · ฿฿
A 650 THB thermal spa day pass in Phuket at Breathe: Finnish sauna, steam room, ice baths, mineral hot baths and open-air pool, towel and locker included.
DOPA Sauna & Wellness Club
Bang Tao · ฿฿
A 650 THB wellness club day pass in Bang Tao at DOPA: Himalayan salt sauna, banya, steam room, ice bath, hot and cold onsen and a magnesium main pool.
Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿
A THB 900 net Pool and Beach Fun Day Pass in Phuket at Dusit Thani Laguna's Casuarina Beach Club, with THB 700 back as food and drink credit.
Lertrod
Bang Tao · ฿฿
Lertrod is a MICHELIN Selected Thai restaurant near Phuket Airport in Thalang, serving simple, satisfying central and southern Thai fare at fair prices.
Renew Sauna & Ice Bath
Bang Tao · ฿฿
Sauna and ice bath day pass in Bang Tao at Renew: 445 THB single entry with a towel, Finnish sauna, Turkish hammam, magnesium hot pool, ice plunge, daily.
Amora Beach Resort Phuket
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿฿
Amora Beach Resort Phuket on Bangtao Beach offers a day pass with pool access, a private beachfront lounger, a food and drink credit, plus SUP and kayak time.
SAii Laguna Phuket
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿
A THB 1,500 net spa day pass in Phuket at SAii Laguna: a 60-minute massage at SAii Spa plus full pool and Bang Tao Beach access, daily 10am to 6pm.
Nitan
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿
Nitan is a MICHELIN Selected Southern Thai restaurant in Thalang, Phuket, offering a seasonal tasting menu with wine pairing built around local produce.
Peang-Prai
Bang Tao · ฿฿
Peang-Prai is a MICHELIN Selected, family-run Thai restaurant set beside the entrance to Bang Pae waterfall in Thalang, Phuket, for hearty local cooking.
NORA Beach Club
Bang Tao · ฿฿฿
NORA Beach Club on Bang Tao Beach is a Mediterranean-inspired beach club with daybeds, DJ sunset sessions and fire shows. Day pass from THB 1,200 net.
The Lazy Coconut
Bang Tao · ฿฿
The Lazy Coconut on Bang Tao Beach, part of the Twinpalms group, sells beach sunbeds and cocoon day beds by the sand, jungle or pool. Day passes from THB 500.
Best of Bang Tao by category
Bang Tao, in the Cherng Talay district, is one of Phuket's longest beaches and its most refined area. Where the southern towns grew up around tourism, Bang Tao feels more like a lifestyle destination, generous in space, quality dining and comfort.
The vibe and who it suits
This is where a well-heeled, long-stay and expat crowd tends to gravitate. It suits families, remote workers, couples and anyone after a quieter, higher-end base with excellent food and a relaxed beach. The atmosphere is smart but unstuffy, and there's a genuine residential community here rather than a purely seasonal one.
What it's known for
Bang Tao is anchored by the Laguna Phuket complex, a large gated cluster of resorts, a golf course and lagoons. Just inland, Boat Avenue and the adjacent Porto de Phuket are the area's social hub, lined with restaurants, cafés and bars, plus a popular weekly market. Along the sand, a row of stylish beach clubs makes Bang Tao one of the island's leading spots for a day on a lounger with cocktails.
The beach
Bang Tao Beach is long, wide and relatively uncrowded, backed by resorts and beach clubs but with plenty of quiet stretches. Swimming is good in high season; heed the flags in the green season. Our Phuket beaches guide has the seasonal detail.
What you'll find here
Expect upmarket hotels, villas and serviced residences, some of the island's best international dining, sophisticated nightlife at the beach clubs, and easy access to golf and island tours.
Getting around
The area is spread out, so a car or scooter is genuinely useful, distances between the beach, Boat Avenue and accommodation are too far to walk comfortably. The airport is close, around 20 to 30 minutes north, one of Bang Tao's practical advantages, and Surin, Kamala and Patong are all a straightforward drive down the coast. High season (November to February) delivers the calmest sea and the busiest beach clubs, while the green season is quieter and better value, with bigger surf and the occasional downpour. The size and self-contained nature of the area make it especially well suited to families and longer stays.
Browse the Bang Tao listings below, or return to the Phuket overview to compare areas.