Khao Lak Overview

Like a Phoenix rising from the rubble left behind by the devastating 2004 tsunami, Khao Lak has returned with a vengeance. The rebuilding began almost as soon as the debris was cleared and today this small coastal town has enough infrastructures to attract tourists back to its stunning beaches. The town itself lies primarily along a point on the coastal road that winds its way from Phuket in the south to Ranong in the north. A cluster of small restaurants, travel shops and mini-marts provide the basics. Most of the resorts are located on the sand at the town’s main beach, an 8km stretch of beautiful uncluttered sand. Although only about 40 per cent of the resorts have been rebuilt, there’s a decidedly upmarket feel to the new Khao Lak.

Khao Lak’s remote location 100kms north of Phuket has always made it a destination for those seeking quiet relaxation. The beaches are ideal for long walks and the warm clear water perfect for swimming. Within a short drive are several excellent national parks if you want to explore tropical rainforests, waterfalls, exotic wildlife and hot springs. Scuba divers and snorkellers will think they’ve found heaven after experiencing the underwater splendors at the Surin and Similan Island Marine Parks, both considered world-class dive sites.

Evenings in Khao Lak revolve around sunsets over the Andaman Sea, a cold beer and seafood from the daily catch. Despite being hardest hit by the 2004 tsunami of all the beaches in Thailand, Khao Lak is back in business. Its beaches are as clean and beautiful as ever and life slowly continues to recover. The best thing visitors can do is simply come and stay. Spend your money, enjoy the scenery, and help Khao Lak return to its former glory as one of the last great hideaways among southern Thailand’s plethora of beach destinations.

Khao Lak’s most profound moment in its history was also its most tragic. The devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 put this sleepy beach town on the map for all the wrong reasons, but the coastal region around Khao Lak had been well-known to traders and merchants long before it became popular with beachgoers. During the early 19th century, a formidable migration of Chinese entrepreneurs moved to the area lured by tales of rich natural resources. This ethnic group formed the first major commercial interests around Khao Lak as they opened tin mines and shipped the mineral to eager customers abroad. The riches these Chinese settlers accumulated can still be seen today in the distinctive Sino-Thai architecture that permeates neighbouring Phuket Town to the south and Takuapa to the north. The town known as Khao Lak never played much of a direct role in the mining boom of the 19th century, but since it was located between these two major tin production centres it was part of the trading route.

The tin mining boom also created plenty of fighting to go with the wealth being dug out of the earth. A fairly substantial war broke out between rival tin mining outfits, and when it was finally quelled, a Buddhist temple named Wat Chalong was built in Phuket to celebrate the welcomed peace. As the tin industry began to level out, creative businessmen turned to rubber as a new source of income. In 1903, the first rubber trees were planted in the region, sparking the second major economic boom in the Khao Lak area. Although Phuket remained the centre of all this newfound prosperity, the region around Khao Lak became for a time the richest part of Thailand. So prosperous was the region that by 1910, Phuket became the very first place in Thailand to get paved roads and motorised vehicles. Khao Lak, of course, remained a sleepy coastal stopover between the main towns of Phuket and Takuapa.

When Sarasin Bridge was built in the 1970s, Phuket was suddenly connected by road to the mainland and Khao Lak’s province. Travellers soon began arriving in substantial numbers to the west coast, attracted by the prospect of virgin beaches and crystal clear waters. Many of them discovered Khao Lak’s stunning natural resources along the way, thus putting the remote beach town on the tourist map. Beach resorts began to open in the 1980s and by the late 1990s, Khao Lak was considered one of the great hidden beach areas for those seeking solitude instead of parties. The Thai government created a number of national parks around Khao Lak as well, which added to the allure. Inland Khao Sok National Park and the Marine National Parks of the Surin and Similan Island chains turned the region into a nature lover’s paradise.

Everything was looking rosy for Khao Lak at the dawn of the new millennium. Tourist numbers were breaking records with each passing year and the once quiet backwater was quickly evolving into a substantial town in its own right. But all that changed early in the morning of December 26, 2004 when a massive tsunami levelled nearly all of Khao Lak. The biggest wave was estimated at around 30 metres in height and moved nearly 2kms inland. Some 90 per cent of the resorts, homes and buildings were flattened and around 4,000 Thais and foreigners were killed. Khao Lak was the hardest hit of all the beaches in Thailand and the devastation was absolute. However, the locals were quick to get back on their feet and start rebuilding their world. With help from many organisations worldwide and the Thai government, Khao Lak went to work putting the shattered pieces of their lives back together. Today, the beaches are as lovely as ever and a handful of resorts have reopened, painting a bright future for Khao Lak.

Khao Lak has a typical coastal tropical climate, which means it’s nice and warm all year long. In reality, there are two seasons which sort of blend into each other at the edges dictated by the annual monsoons. The hot, dry season typically runs from November to May, when the northeastern monsoon delivers wonderfully cool temperatures at the beginning in November followed by increasingly hot temperatures during March, April and May. An occasional afternoon thunderstorm may roll in to bring a bit of welcome relief, but generally you can expect dry and sunny days which become extremely hot towards the end of May.

By the end of June the rainy season has settled into the western coast of southern Thailand, brought on by the arrival of the southwestern monsoon. The temperatures tend to hover around a consistent 30°C during the rainy season. During the first three months of the rainy season, from June to August, the weather can often be dry and sunny, with an occasional afternoon downpour to crank up the humidity. Fortunately, these storms last about 30 to 40 minutes, after which the sun peeks out again. By the end of August however, the rains really seem to set in. The sunny intervals become shorter and the rainy spells can linger for days as low marine clouds blanket the sky. During these months, the water conditions deteriorate and storms create waves that halt boats and make scuba diving a waste of time. But this is the low season, so you can be assured of low crowds and cheaper room rates. If you aren’t coming specifically to scuba dive, then it may not be too bad.