Bang Tao Beach and the surrounding area, including Layan and Cherngtalay, have become one of the fastest-growing parts of Phuket. The beach itself is six kilometres long and backed by the Laguna Phuket resort complex, but the dining and lifestyle scene now extends well beyond the hotels. Boat Avenue in Cherngtalay is the main hub, with restaurants, cafes, a weekend market, and a Villa Market supermarket. The streets around it have filled with independent restaurants, wine bars, and brunch spots catering to the mix of long-stay residents and upmarket visitors who have settled in the area.
On the beach, Catch Beach Club and XANA Beach Club draw a daytime crowd, while the restaurant scene inland ranges from local Thai seafood places to Italian, Japanese, and modern European dining. The northern end toward Layan is quieter and more residential, with villa rentals and a handful of boutique restaurants. Cherngtalay’s Baan Don area has a morning market and some of the best affordable local food in this part of the island.
Directory
Below is our directory of places we have visited in Bang Tao, Layan and Cherngtalay, including hotels, restaurants, beach clubs, bars and local businesses. We add new entries regularly. If you run a business in the area, you can submit it for free using the button below.
TAKÉ (pronounced 'takeh') is an excellent Japanese restaurant often recommended by the Japanese expat community of Phuket, which is quite ... Read More
Chef Gautam’s two-decade journey across eleven countries finds its natural conclusion at Ember Steakhouse in Bangtao. With a wood-fired kitchen ... Read More
Experience the enchantment of Sanook, an interactive all-day dining experience and the resort's primary breakfast venue. Sanook is modeled after ... Read More
Experience authentic Lebanese cuisine at Babylon Lounge Phuket in Bangtao, Phuket. Enjoy both air-conditioned and outdoor seating while savouring a ... Read More
Bang Tao is on the west coast, roughly halfway between Phuket Airport (20 minutes south) and Patong (25 minutes south via Kamala). From Phuket Town, the drive takes about 30 minutes heading northwest. The Phuket Smart Bus stops along the main road near Cherngtalay. Parking is easy at Boat Avenue and the Laguna complex, though the beach road itself has limited space during peak season.
I arrived in Phuket in 1994 and have never left. After travelling through 40+ countries and working with Club Med and Expedia, where I created the Hotels.com Go Guides international travel guide with my team, I launched Phuket 101 in 2011 to share what I've explored, discovered and learned. Everything here comes from personal experience, with my own photography and videos from across Thailand.View Author posts
