What to Do in Rawai Beach?
Rawai Beach, at the south end of Phuket island, is not suitable for swimming, but it offers beautiful views of the nearby islands and has a peaceful local atmosphere. It’s a great place to enjoy some excellent seafood by the ocean and a good starting point for island hopping.
As you drive south of Chalong, you will reach the Rawai Pier. To the left side of the pier is the remaining old ‘Gypsy Village’, where long-established fishermen in rather precarious houses still live off fishing, boat chartering and selling shells. Now it’s mostly famous for the crowded Rawai Seafood Market, where tourists buy fish, lobsters and crabs directly from the local fishermen and ask the nearby restaurants to cook them.
On the right side of the pier is a long beach road where locals anchor dozens of longtail boats and speedboats. The place has changed a lot in recent years and now has many bars, convenience shops, massage, fitness clubs, and a few hotels. Thankfully, despite the many changes, there are still a few excellent local restaurants by the sea.
Rawai Beach Travel Guide
Things to Do in Rawai
Rawai has a discreet charm and more things to do than most people think. A couple of superb beaches are nearby, and you get easy access to many islands nearby.
The Beach
Rawai is not really a beach for sunbathing or swimming. However, local kids swim at each end while parents enjoy a picnic in the shade of trees. If you have booked in this part of the island, you can still find a decent sunbathing spot at the east end of the beach. It’s not as neat as on the west coast, but it’s right there.
Promthep Cape View Point
Promthep Cape View Point is famous for striking sunsets framed by iconic sugar palm trees. It is such a symbolic landmark of Phuket island that you can recognise it on the Phuket car plates with a ‘lucky plate number’.
Nai Harn Beach
Rawai Beach isn’t really for swimming, but Nai Harn Beach is just a short 2 km drive away and completely different. Nai Harn has soft sand, clear water, and enough space even in high season. It’s one of the best spots in the south to swim safely (during high season) and relax for the day. Many people stop at Rawai for a meal, then head to Nai Harn for the day. It remains quieter than many West Coast beaches.
Windmill Viewpoint
Just 2 kilometres east of Rawai, the Windmill Viewpoint offers a beautiful panoramic view of Ya Nui Beach and Nai Harn.
Ya Nui Beach
Ya Nui is a small but much-loved sandy cove located below the Windmill Viewpoint mentioned earlier, also 2 kilometres west of Rawai.
AKA Thailand
AKA Thailand is a large combat sports resort located in the tropical heart of Phuket, known for its Muay Thai and MMA training. Voted the #1 Muay Thai School in Thailand by the Thai Government for four years in a row (2021-2024), they offer a modern, welcoming approach to training in Thailand.
LeSpa by Stay Wellbeing & Lifestyle Resort
LeSpa by Stay Wellbeing & Lifestyle Resort is a large spa facility in Rawai, spanning 900 square metres with 17 treatment rooms, a relaxation lounge, gender-specific lockers, and a Japanese-style Onsen.
Rawai Park Kids Club
If you come as a family, you can spend the afternoon at the Rawai Park Kids Club. The Kids Club features a lot of games plus a vast, colourful swimming pool.
Phuket Art Village
Phuket Art Village is a small art gallery and artist community hidden at the end of a small lane on the way to Rawai Beach, south of Phuket Island. The place is surprising and fun to explore, consisting of several little galleries, each with its own style and artist.
Where to Eat in Rawai?
Rawai Beach has always been very popular among the many seafood restaurants all along the waterfront. The best way to enjoy this unique experience is to sit on floor mats and eat at low tables placed on the sidewalk, just as locals do. It’s fun, and the food is often better than in tourist restaurants. It’s a more memorable experience and a beautiful photo to take home.
Salaloy Seafood
| Michelin Listed |
Salaloy Seafood Restaurant in Rawai offers an excellent seaside dining experience with ocean views and a cool breeze under immense trees. The restaurant is always busy, especially during lunch and dinner, and even more since its inclusion in the Michelin Guide. Known for its extensive seafood menu with fish, prawns, shells and crabs, the restaurant offers authentic local food at reasonable prices.
Nikita’s Beach Restaurant
For over 20 years, Nikita’s Beach Restaurant has been a favourite spot among expats and returning visitors. Set by the sea in the shade of huge trees near the Rawai pier, Nikita’s serves good Thai food and seafood at an excellent price.
Vida Nova
Vida Nova Phuket is a seaside restaurant offering international dining, overlooking Rawai Beach. Their Boho-inspired setting is open throughout the day. Visitors can enjoy all-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner while enjoying the ocean view just across the street.
Baan Rimlay
Baan Rimlay is a small rustic Thai restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere where locals like to go for dinner or a party. The restaurant is under the trees by the sea, not far from the pier.
Rawai Seafood Market
As mentioned earlier, the Rawai Seafood Market is very popular. You can order any fish or seafood you like from one side of the road and take it to the restaurants just opposite to have it cooked for 100 baht per kilo. It’s also fun, but since everywhere tourists tend to flock, prices go up fast.
Where to Stay in Rawai?
Rawai Beach offers a wide range of hotels along the east coast, stretching from Rawai itself up to Chalong Bay. Most hotels in this area are small to medium-sized, with a friendly atmosphere and reasonable prices. Travellers will find simple guesthouses, comfortable resorts, and a few upscale options with sea views. While Rawai Beach isn’t a typical swimming beach, many people choose to stay here for the relaxed vibe, easy access to local seafood restaurants, and boat trips to nearby islands. This area suits visitors who want a quieter holiday base, while staying close to other parts of southern Phuket.
| 3-star |
Navatara Phuket Resort is a 37-unit boutique hotel located in Rawai that captures Thai hospitality’s essence through its exclusive Art Home philosophy. The resort blends authentic Thai architecture and contemporary luxury through hand-carved teakwood wood furnishings and state-of-the-art facilities all over the complex. This resort is 220 meters from Rawai Beach and well-positioned for easy access to explore Phuket’s still-undiscovered southern shoreline.
Range: 3-star
Swimming Pools: 1
Restaurants and bars: 1 restaurant
Distance to the closest beach: 150 m
Check the rates
The Title KR Beach Condotel
KR Beach Condotel is a beachfront property with apartment-style rooms and direct access to Rawai Beach. It has three outdoor swimming pools set in tropical gardens, a fully equipped gym, plus sauna and steam rooms.
Range: 3-star
Swimming Pools: 3
Restaurants and bars: 0
Distance to the beach: Across the street
Check the rates
Where to Shop in Rawai?
There are a few shops and convenience stores along the beach road of Rawai, but the recently opened Mixxmall Rawayana is the most eye-catching shopping mall in the area!
Mixxmall Rawayana
Mixxmall Rawayana is a brand new and bright red mall located roughly in the middle of Rawai Beachfront Road. So far, we have seen a large Starbucks, a huge Tops Supermarket, and a Rip Curl shop. The most attractive is The Roof, which mostly has an attractive sitting area by the beachfront across the street.
Nearby Islands to Visit
Bon Island
From Rawai Beach, you can take a longtail to the nearby Bon Island and spend the day snorkelling, relaxing and enjoying a tropical lunch in this little-known hideaway.
Buddha Island (Koh Kaeo)
Koh Kaeo, also called Buddha Island, can be reached by longtail boats from Rawai. It’s a tiny island with two large golden Buddhas, one sitting and one standing, and a small temple on top of the hill.
Coral Island
Coral Island is just 15 minutes away by longtail boats from Rawai. It consists of 2 beautiful beaches: Banana Beach, which can be rather crowded with tourists, and Long Beach, where the Coral Island Resort offers beach bungalows. Note that the Banana Beach on Coral Island is not the same as the Banana Beach on Phuket Island!
Can you swim at Rawai Beach?
Unfortunately, Rawai is not a swimming beach, as there are way too many longtail boats and speedboats parked at any time of the day. However, if you walk to the east end, past the large Rawai Seafood Market, you will find a reasonable swimming spot.
Insider Tips
The seafood market gets very busy around dinner time, especially during high season. Go around 11:30 am for a calmer experience and better selection. The fish is just as fresh since boats return in the early afternoon.
Skip the tourist-facing stalls at the market and walk further along the beachfront to the local restaurants where Thai families eat. Sitting on floor mats at low tables by the beach is the original Rawai dining experience, and the food is often better and cheaper than at the more visible places.
If you want to swim, Rawai is not the place. But Nai Harn Beach is only 2 km away and is one of the best swimming beaches in southern Phuket. Many people combine a seafood lunch at Rawai with an afternoon at Nai Harn.
The east end of the beach, past the seafood market, has a small sandy stretch where local kids swim. It is not a proper beach, but if you are staying nearby and just want to cool off, it works.
Rawai is one of the main departure points for longtail boats to Koh Bon, Coral Island, and the Racha Islands. Hiring a boat directly from the beachfront is cheaper and more flexible than booking an organised tour from Chalong Pier. Agree on the price before you go.
Rawai Beach Through the Years
Rawai in the mid-1990s was a quiet, remote corner of Phuket that most tourists had no reason to visit. The main attraction was the Chao Ley community, the sea gypsy village on the southeast side of the beach near the pier. The Chao Ley (also called Urak Lawoi) are among the oldest inhabitants of Phuket, and their village at Rawai was one of the last places on the island where you could still see a traditional fishing community at work. They had their own language, their own animist beliefs, and twice a year they held the Loy Ruea ceremony, launching small wooden boats filled with carved figures, rice, and hair clippings to carry away bad luck. It was unlike anything else on the island.
On the west side of the beach, a handful of seafood restaurants lined the road. There were no real sidewalks. The restaurants would unroll straw mats on the ground and place a low table on each one, right by the beach. Traffic was rare. It was one of the most relaxed places to eat seafood on the island, and that simplicity was the whole appeal.
Despite being remote, Rawai already had a surprising expat community living in the south of the island. A few restaurants along the beachfront even qualified as trendy by 1990s Phuket standards, which admittedly was not a high bar.
For years, the seafood market near the pier stayed small. A few fishermen selling their daily catch, a couple of basic restaurants willing to cook it for you. That changed dramatically after 2015. The concept of buying your own fish and having it cooked across the road caught on with tourists, especially from Asia. More stalls opened, more restaurants followed, and prices climbed fast. Large prawns that were once a casual local purchase started costing up to 1,500 baht per kilo. The modest fishing village became one of the most popular dining destinations in Phuket.
The rest of Rawai followed. Saiyuan Road filled up with cafes, gyms, and international restaurants. Muay Thai camps opened one after another. Mixxmall Rawayana appeared on the beachfront with a Starbucks, a Tops supermarket, and a rooftop terrace. The Chao Ley village is still there by the pier, but it is a fraction of what it once was, squeezed by development and long-running land disputes. Rawai today is almost unrecognisable compared to the quiet fishing village of the 1990s, but the beachfront road, the longtail boats, and the seafood by the sea are still there.
Rawai Beach Directory
Latest entries:
RAWAI BEACH PHOTOS
Rawai Beach Fast Facts
| ⛱️ Beach condition: | Not swimmable |
| 📷 Thing to do nearby: | Promthep Cape |
| 🏝️ Island nearby: | Bon Island |
| 🏝️ Island further: | Coral Island |
| 🍴 Best restaurant: | Nikita's Beach Restaurant |
| 🍴Best seafood restaurant: | Aek Seafood |
| 🛎️ Best hotel nearby: | The Nai Harn |
| 🛏️ Best budget hotel: | Lotus Bleu Resort |
| ✈️ Distance from Phuket International Airport: | 46 km |
Rawai Beach Map
Get the directions on your phone: https://goo.gl/maps/3Kk5XTi4nD8a9qcEA
This story was first published on June 6, 2016
