Bang Tao Beach - What to Do in Bangtao (Updated)

What to Do in Bang Tao Beach?

Bang Tao Beach (or Bangtao) is one of the longest beaches of Phuket, halfway between Phuket airport and Patong Beach on the west coast of the island. With such a beautiful stretch of sand, Bangtao has long been home of the famous Laguna Phuket. This immense complex hosts some of the most luxurious and largest resorts on the island such as Banyan Tree Resort, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, Angsana Resort, and Outrigger Resort.

This area was one of the tin mines that made the fortune of Phuket long ago. They abandoned it later, and the land was considered worthless. Laguna Phuket managed to transform it into a very profitable award-winning Eco-project. In the first years, Laguna started as a luxurious complex, but it was known to be a little isolated. Guests of the resorts had little choice outside the resort restaurants and facilities, and therefore prices were always on the high side.

Bangtao changed a lot, and it has become one of the most versatile beaches of Phuket with an incredible choice of restaurants, shopping, and even beach clubs. In recent years, an astonishing amount of luxury villas and properties were built in the back of the Bangtao Beach, all the way to Layan Beach. Laguna has always been the ‘high-end’ part of the island, and you can easily see the difference of market with Patong when looking at the shops, villas, and cars around the area. However, it is still an affordable place to go for lunch or drinks on the beach.

What to Do in Bangtao

If you stay at any of the resorts of the Laguna Complex, you will enjoy tons of activities proposed by your hotel: sailing, kayaking, archery, immense swimming pools, massages, and amazing spas. Usually, if you are a guest of one of the resorts, you are allowed to use the facilities of any other hotel in the group. Surprisingly beach clubs are back in Phuket, and Bangtao has no less than four fantastic beach clubs, and beach clubs are also a great way to spend the day and party at night.

Blue Tree Water Park

Blue Tree is the most recent and the largest water park in Phuket. It includes water slides (Slip’n’Fly’), a zipline over the water, a lot of water activities, and several restaurants. Read more

Xana Beach Club

Xana Beach Club at Angsana Laguna Phuket is a trendy place to spend the day and the evening. You can use their unique beach pool or large and comfortable beach sofas, then order drinks and food at any time. There are regular DJ events and parties on the beach. Read more

Catch Beach Club

Catch Beach Club is one of the most famous beach clubs on the island (it was the very first beach club in Phuket). Read more

Dream Beach Club

Dream Beach Club, a little further north near Layan Beach, is a beautiful place but a little less known due to its isolated location. Read more

Spas and Wellness

The Laguna complex has always been home to the best spas resorts and wellness centres in Phuket, including Banyan Tree Spa and Angsana Spa. If a spa treatment in a hotel is above your usual budget, there are several good massage huts available right on the beach for about 300 baht! Read more

Wat Choeng Thale

Wat Choeng Thale (or Wat Cherngtalay) is a little far from the beach, but it is a beautifully decorated temple to admire, especially if this is your first visit to Thailand.

Phuket Adventure Mini Golf

This 18 holes miniature classic championship golf course is surrounded by palm and bamboo trees and comes with a large restaurant.

Where to Eat in Bangtao

There are three distinct areas to eat in Bangtao, each has a different style, and you can find something for every budget.

Tinlay Village

At the entrance of Bangtao are Tinlay place and Boat Avenue, two excellent dining alternatives to the many restaurants found in the Laguna. Tatonka, Supper Club, and Black Cat have been successful for more than a decade, but the new generation of restaurants are adding a fresh breeze to Bangtao, and the most noticeable is Bampot Kitchen.

Beach Restaurant and Bars

Just south of Outrigger you will be surprised to find many kinds of seafood and Thai food restaurants right on the beach. The road to reach them is well hidden, but there is a decent parking space once there. We tried the Green Leaf restaurant, and it was good, not exceptional but good.

The sea view and the beach setting made up for the slightly touristy taste and atmosphere. There are a lot of restaurants there, and they all look the same with their bamboo tables and colourful umbrellas. They probably also taste similar but that for you to try. There are also a handful of old fashion tiny reggae bars consisting of a bamboo shack, five stools and blasting Bob! It’s fun, maybe a little busy but fun.

Bampot Kitchen & Bar

Bamphot Kitchen is one of our favourites modern restaurants in Phuket, serving a young cuisine with a perfect mix of tastes and textures. The team is young and friendly, and the atmosphere is perfect to end the day with a little trendy touch. Read more

Palm Seaside Restaurant

Where to Shop in Bangtao Beach

Bangtao has evolved a lot, and there are plenty of shopping opportunities around. Most are centralized around the Laguna Complex, but things are growing beyond.

Boat Avenue

If you choose to stay there, you can’t miss the new and growing ‘Boat Avenue’. Boat Avenue is the new heart of Bangtao with trendy shops and restaurant and even an immense Villa Market where you find a lot of import food (and an extensive wine cellar too!). Read more

Fun Friday Avenue

Every Friday night, in the same Boat Avenue street, there is a night market. Fun Friday Avenue Market is fun and colourful but also a chance to try some food you might not have seen before. Be curious and try! Read more

Villa Market

Villa Market is a very large and well-supplied supermarket on Boat Avenue. You can find a wide range of local and imported products, fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, lots of excellent meats, wines and alcohols. Read more

Porto de Phuket Mall

Porto de Phuket is the latest mall in Phuket by Central Group. This lifestyle mall is a small complex offering a mix of restaurants, shops and a supermarket.

Canal Village

You might also want to visit the ‘Canal Village’ shopping plaza near the Dusit Thani resort, but it was never a real success and often looks a little too quiet. Anyway, have a look at the Jim Thompson outlet. A shuttle boat is permanently circling the five resorts and marks a stop at Canal Village.

Where to Stay in Bangtao

The Laguna Complex is very self-contained, and guests from any of the main resorts are welcome to use other resorts facilities: restaurants of course, but also pools, spas and the Laguna Golf. Newcomers are Angsana Laguna Phuket (used to be Sheraton Phuket) and Outrigger Laguna Phuket and Movenpick Resort Bangtao Beach Phuket.

Banyan Tree Phuket

Banyan Tree Phuket Resort with its world-renown spa is as luxurious and exclusive as ever. I do have a feel for Banyan a lot because that was my first job in Phuket back in 1994! Read more

Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket Resort

Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket resort, one of the oldest hotels in Laguna, is now a beautiful classic.

Angsana Laguna Phuket

Angsana Laguna Phuket (used to be Sheraton Phuket)

Around Bangtao Beach

Tinlay place has many bars and pubs, souvenir shops, spas and massages and it’s also your chance to visit a real fresh market, an experience everyone should have, and not very far from the market is the Wat Cherngtalay, a bright and colourful Thai temple.