Laem Singh Beach is a small palm-fringed cove on Phuket’s west coast, tucked between Kamala Beach and Surin Beach. It was cut off from the road in April 2017 after a land dispute, and the old staircase access never reopened. Today Laem Singh is reachable only by a short boat ride or a 15-minute walk along the rocks from Surin. The result is a beach that feels almost deserted, even in high season. Every time I walk down there, I wonder why more people don’t make the effort.
You can walk to Laem Singh Beach from the south end of Surin Beach. It takes about 15 minutes and involves climbing some rocks.
What You’ll Find at Laem Singh Beach
Laem Singh is about 300 metres of soft golden sand, backed by giant granite boulders and palm trees. The water is clear, with calm waves most of the year. The beach is compact, so finding a shaded spot near the rocks is easy in the morning. By midday most of the beach is in full sun.
One small Thai restaurant still operates on a wooden terrace built into the rocks. The food is simple but good, the view is superb, and they have cold drinks. A couple of vendors sell souvenirs, and sometimes a Thai massage is available under a palm tree. There are no other facilities: no shops, no toilets, no lifeguards, no sunbed rentals like you get on bigger beaches. This is a place where you bring what you need and leave with your rubbish.
Snorkelling is good around both headlands, especially the southern end near the rocks separating Laem Singh from Kamala Bay. The sea floor drops off quickly past the sand, so swimmers should take care, and there are submerged rocks to watch for. I always bring my own mask because the restaurant does not always have gear to rent.
How to Walk to Laem Singh Beach from Surin
The walk starts at the very south end of Surin Beach, just past Patcharin Seafood, which is the last restaurant still standing at that end. Walk through or around the restaurant and you will see the rocks where the path begins. The first few metres require climbing over boulders, so I would not do it with small children, anyone unsteady on their feet, or at high tide.
Look for the small painted signs pointing the way. After the rocky start, the path flattens out and becomes much easier. The restaurant owner has done a proper job maintaining it, including a small wooden bridge over a gully. The whole walk takes 15 to 20 minutes.
Wear proper shoes. Flip-flops are not ideal on the wet rocks at the start. A pair of trainers or sport sandals is perfect. Bring water because it is warm work, and the only place to refill is the small cliffside restaurant you will pass near the end of the path. Stopping there for a cold drink is a polite thing to do, and the view from the terrace is one of the best on the west coast.
How to Get to Laem Singh Beach by Boat
If you don’t fancy the rocks, a small local boat runs from the south end of Surin Beach to Laem Singh. The price has been 100 baht per person one way for several years, or around 400 baht if you charter the whole boat and don’t want to wait. The crew gives you a numbered card and you hand it to the boatman at Laem Singh when you want to return. There is no extra charge for the return trip.
The boat beaches directly on the sand, so expect to get your feet wet boarding. The crossing itself takes only a few minutes. Boat service depends on weather and sea conditions, so it may not run during heavy monsoon weather from June to October.
Photos of the Walk to Laem Singh Beach
Laem Singh Beach Through the Years
I have watched Laem Singh change several times over my years in Phuket. When I first visited in the 1990s, it was a genuinely secret beach. You had to know someone to find it. By the mid-2000s the internet had done its work: three rows of beach chairs, six or seven beach restaurants, jet skis, a big concrete staircase from the road, and a paid car park charging 40 baht. The two famous restaurants at that time were Da Ali, an Italian-Thai place run by a well-liked Muslim owner, and the one with the funny misspelt sign reading “Lame Singh Restaurant”.
Everything ended in April 2017. A property dispute closed the staircase from the road, and by the end of that year the land had been sold to a major hotel group. For a while the beach was completely cut off. Then someone realised that Thai law allows public access to all beaches by sea, and the small boat service from Surin started up. A year or two later, the cliffside restaurant cut and maintained the rock path that most visitors use today. Almost a decade on, the jet skis, the foot-massage touts, and the parking attendants are long gone. What’s left is the best version of Laem Singh I have seen since the 1990s.
Insider Tips for Visiting Laem Singh Beach
After years of visiting Laem Singh, these are the things I wish someone had told me before my first walk in.
Go in the morning. The beach faces west, so morning sun is gentler and the sand has more shade along the boulders at the back. Afternoons are beautiful but hot with no natural shelter.
Check the tide before you walk. The first stretch of rocks on the path from Surin is much easier at mid to low tide. At high tide, waves wash over the lowest section and crossing is slippery. If you are unsure, take the boat.
Bring cash. The restaurant on the beach takes Thai baht in cash only. There are no ATMs within walking distance.
Support the restaurant. The family who runs the small place on the rocks is also the reason the path exists. Have a drink or a plate of fried rice on the terrace. The view alone is worth the stop.
Don’t expect loungers. Unlike the bigger beaches, Laem Singh has no chair rentals. Bring a sarong or a light mat if you want to lie down.
Snorkel at the southern headland. The rocks on the left side of the beach, closer to Kamala, have the best fish. The water is shallow but there are small drop-offs.
Leave no trace. There are no bins on the beach. Whatever you bring down, take back up with you.
