Surfing In Thailand - An Upcoming Surfing Paradise
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Loading... - Boram Choi
- 15 Feb 2023
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Surfing in Thailand wasn't popular until the 1990s. Thailand has slowly gained popularity in recent years to become a fantastic location for budding as well as professional surfers to hit the water and catch some waves. Best of all, it sees far fewer crowds than popular locations which means the entire beach can be yours! Earlier, its beaches were known for their beauty and not their waves. You can understand why - islands like Koh Samui and Koh Phangan on the Gulf of Thailand have consistently flat waves that are ideal for swimming alone. But if you were to move to the other side of the mainland facing the Andaman Sea, it's a different story. Sumatra and the Nicobar Islands may block some of the southern waves that make their way to Thailand, but you'll still find your fair share of swells that are perfect for surfing.
Best Beaches for Surfing in Thailand
1. Kata Beach
Kata Beach is the most famous Surfing beach among all of Phuket's Beaches. Kata Beach is known to be the epicentre of surfing culture in Thailand where you can find surf bars, surf schools, rental shops and a new artificial surf park. It hosts the annual Phuket Surfing Contest which has had significant organisers such as Quiksilver. This typically takes place during September in peak surfing season. Surfers from around the world travel to Indonesia to compete in this international extreme sports event for a cash prize of more than THB 100,000.
Surfer Level: All
Coast Length: 1500m
Wave height: 2m
2. Bang Tao Beach
Bang Tao Beach is a pretty long beach that offers decent surf challenges to its intermediate surfer crowds. The central stretch of the Bang Tao Beach has smaller but rideable waves. The north of the beach gets bigger waves due to better exposure to the winds. This exciting part of Bang tao is also relatively difficult and unpredictable due to the shifting sandbanks.
Surfer Level: Intermediate
Coast Length: 6000m
Wave height: 3m
