Nai Thon and Nai Yang

Nai Thon beach

Nai Thon (หาดในทอน Hat Nai Thon) and Nai Yang (หาดในยาง Hat Nai Yang) are two adjacent quiet beaches in northern Phuket. There are a few hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants in both towns. The atmosphere is generally laid back and quiet. New hotel projects are in the process of being built so it will change here too.

Understand

Nai Thon is at the foot of high hills and has a fine strip of sand. This quiet bay is good for swimming.

Nai Yang is basically a narrow road running towards the beach and a strip of two storey hotels and restaurants along the sea front. Mostly, the town caters towards families and older people wanting a break. In this respect, it offers a subdued and relaxed atmosphere and is almost free of the sleaze that is common to many Thai beach resorts. With its golden sandy beach, forests, small lagoon and island, the town is the quintessential coastal resort.

Sirinat National Park(อุทยานแห่งชาติสิรินาถ) covers an area of 90 square km, stretching all the way to the island's northern tip. The park headquarters are on Nai Yang, with shady pine trees providing excellent opportunities for swimming and relaxation. Off-shore is a large coral reef which serves as habitat for sea life, particularly sea turtles.

Get in

It is only a short taxi ride to and from the airport. The taxi stand outside the airport building arranges cars for 300 Baht

Get around

Walk! Bikes available for rent for 200 baht per day. Motorbikes are 300 baht in the high season.

Short taxi rides (to your accommodation on the main road for example) are 150 baht and up. Negotiate.

See

Mangrove forests, situated on the island's northern tip, cover a large area of 320 acres. A nature trail has been cleared for the convenience of visitors with signs indicating and explaining the various species.

Do

Basically this is a chill on the beach sort of place! It seems that the most popular thing to do is to have a massage.

You can kite surf in summer season. Don't expect strong winds, so take your biggest kites. There are waves on one side of the lagoon and flat water with reef break on the other. Kite schools KBA and Kitezone will help you with lessons and gear.

You can go snorkelling off the beach in Nai Yang from the life guard post in the park. (You don't pay park entrance fee when you walk in from the beach.) There's some fish/animal life and the corals are starting to grow/recover from the 2004 tsunami.

Eat

Small informal restaurants are situated literally on the sand for the length of Nai Thon and Nai Yang Beach, and offer a relaxing meal at minimal cost. Food is either cooked in tents on the beach or in houses across the road. Tables and chairs are set up on the sand, and range from plastic outdoor settings to solid wooden settings with tablecloth. However, appearances can be deceiving, as the tackier looking restaurants often dish up better meals.

Mains start at around 70 baht, offering excellent value for money, but service can sometimes be slow, and orders confused if made in English. The key is to sit back, smile and soak up the serenity; beach-front dining on pocket change doesn't get much better than this.

• Green Home Made Pizza. Great view of the sunset. ~200 baht. 
• Nai Yang Coffee and Meal (Nai Yang Beach), ☏ +66 89 205 9716. Located right on the sea front. Serves Thai and Western food and a selection of coffees ~160 baht +. 
• Phen's Restaurant Bar & Coffee (Nai Yang Beach), ☏ +66 818959489. 10:00-21:00 daily. One of the beach front restaurants on Nai Yang Beach. 200-2,400 baht. (updated Oct 2022)

Drink

• Sunset Beach Bar. This is a great place to chill with a beer and watch the sunset while reclining on "tea beds" on the beach. 

Sleep

• The Angel of Naithon, ☏ +66 81 8309628. The Angel of Naithon offers a traditional Thai-style private bungalow just a walk to the beach. The swimming pool is surrounded by bungalows and beautifully landscaped gardens like a hidden small village. 
• Pensiri house, 112 Moo 5, Nai Yang (on the road leading from airport, close to Indigo Pearl Hotel), ☏ +66 81 8959489. Nice, clean guesthouse. Rooms with air-con, cleaned every day, big windows. Good coffee and breakfast available on ground floor. 5 min walk from beach. As this is a popular guesthouse, it is best to make an advance reservation 500+ baht.