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Mai Khao Beach Photo Gallery

5,700 viewsBy Willy Thuan · Living in Phuket since 1994

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Mai Khao Beach is the longest beach in Phuket, stretching about 11 kilometres along the northwest coast. The beach runs alongside Phuket Airport, which means planes pass directly overhead on approach. This has made the southern end of Mai Khao one of the island’s most popular plane-spotting locations.

Most of the beach is empty. A few luxury resorts are spread along the northern section, including JW Marriott and Sala Phuket, but the gaps between them are wide, and the sand is often deserted. It is the kind of beach where you can walk for an hour without seeing another person.

The sand is darker and coarser than the beaches further south, and the water can have stronger currents. Mai Khao is not the best swimming beach, but it is ideal for long walks, especially around sunset when the light stretches across the flat, open sand.

I have been photographing Mai Khao Beach since the early 2000s, long before plane spotting became a trend. The photos in this gallery show the beach at different times of day and year, including some shots of planes landing close overhead. All photos are my own. For the full travel guide, see Mai Khao Beach.