Surin Beach - A sun worshipper's guide
Surin is a magnificent long uncluttered beach but in low season, care must be taken when swimming as surf can be rough and tides strong. During the calm months, Surin's clear waters are good for snorkelling or kayaking. Boogie boarding and surfing are also popular activities.
Surin is the site of Thailand's second-oldest golf course, now being developed into a public park.
Surin is a 25-minute drive north from Patong. Pass through Kamala and carry on past Laem Singh Beach. At Surin there is a three-way junction. Take the sharp left turn down to the beach.
Surin Beach: What's Good
Beautiful water, large white beach
Lots of food and dining options
Good beach shopping
Shady dining areas
No jet-skis
Surin Beach: What's not
Swimming unsafe in low season
With many vendors and plenty of space sunbeds are no problem in Surin, if anything in low season there are too many.
A set (2 sunbeds, a table and an umbrella) costs THB 200 for one day (2008).
There are no public toilets at Surin Beach but toilets can be found in the restaurant that line most of the beach.
Beach Eats
Surin Beach probably has the best selection of food available of all the beaches in Phuket, that's one of the reasons why it's so popular with Thais.
Hawker stalls, selling everything from barbequed chicken to Som Tam (spicy Thai salad, delicious) to cut tropical fruits to drinks, can be found in the car park that's the main access to the beach.
Additionally most of the beach is lined with reasonable priced restaurants and bars which mainly feature pizza, Thai food and seafood.
Watersports in Surin Beach
Due to the lack of a launch area speedboats are rare which pleases many. In high season jetskis are launched from other beaches so don't feature as prominently as on other beaches.
Kayaks can be hired and is popular with exclusive Pansea Beach a short distance away and only accessible through the hotels there or via the sea. Laem Singh beach is a little further but within reach if kayaking.
In the low season (May - October) boogie boarding and surfing are popular. Due to rocks and the nature of the waves surfing is best left to the who know what they're doing, beginners should check out the north end of Kamala Beach for more favourable conditions. Surin offers some good surfing opportunities at both ends of the beach. There are good waves on the high tide or on the low-mid tide. Watch out for the group of large rocks in the middle of the beach. The last rock at the northern end results in a sandbank with a fast left-hander.
Beach Activities
In high season the water at Surin Beach is exceptionally clear and some good snorkeling can be found by the rocks at the north and south ends of the beach. Equipment can be rented on the beach easily. In low season the water is not clear and the waves make snorkelling very difficult.
Volleyball is played when there's enough participants, there's a net close to the car park.
Throughout the length several salas have been set up for Thai massage at the top of the beach.
Beach Vendors
No visit to Surin Beach would be complete without buying an ice cream from the ice cream seller who walks the beach wearing a lion mask. He performs a hilariously funny unknown song with full air guitar.
Other beach vendors will try to sell you all manner of things such as silk, wood carvings, costume jewelery and clothes. Don't be surprised if you see some really odd items being hawked around.
A polite 'no thank you' is all that's required to ensure they pass you by. Should you wish to look at something on offer you're not obliged to make a purchase.
Don't forget to bargain if you want to buy something! Never accept the starting price and always smile! If you're really not interested it's enough to smile and shake your head. They will understand a softly delivered, ‘no thank you'.
