In 1928 King Prajadhipok RamaVII created one of Thailands first golf courses , a pitch and putt just off the beach. Today this beautiful parkland with huge trees frames a majestic beach that is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike .

Surin Beach
Sun Surf Shop SchmoozE !

Surin Beach is one of the most popular beaches on Phuket Island where there is a large selection of beach front restaurants, cafes, and bars offering fantastic beach views, delicious fresh seafood, and cocktails from lunch till dinner. Running parallel to Surin Beach is Surin Beach Road, where the hotels and holiday apartments of the area are located. Along Surin Beach Road, which is just a short walk from Surin Beach, there are more restaurants and bars, adding to the available dining and entertainment options.

Surin Beach lies on the central west coast of Phuket Island, between Kamala Beach and Bangtao Beach. Surin Beach itself is a short stretch of perfect soft sands shaded by casuarinas. The beach area used to be a private playground of King Rama VII until it was opened to public in the 1930s. Today, it is a popular beach with locals and holiday makers alike, where local events like football tournaments and other festivities are celebrated on the green fields adjoining the beach. On the beach front, rows of deck chairs are for rent for only 150THB a day.

In terms of accommodation, Surin Beach offers an extensive array of choices ranging from small guests houses to mid-range hotels to high-end luxury resorts. Surin Beach is home to the world-acclaimed Amanpuri, which is accessed through the northern end of Surin Beach Road. The Surin Beach Road is also home to the relatively new Twin Palms Resort. Construction is underway for a Marriott resort. Surin Beach Road is where the most sought-after real estate on Phuket island is found. Holiday apartments are also being built along Surin Beach Road to cater to increasing demand. Apartments for sale on Surin Beach include Surin Park Condos and Chava.

Although Surin Beach is home to many upmarket beach clubs, restaurants, and bars, delicious street food like barbeque chicken "gai yang", papaya salad "som tam" and sticky rice "khao niew" are sold at many mobile food stalls for a fraction of restaurant prices. These food stalls are found at the car park which is located set back some metres from the middle stretch of Surin Beach.

Getting to Surin is easy from Kamala Beach - simply take the main road running the west coast of the island from Kata to Mai Khao and turn left after passing the Treetops Resort.

New Happenings!

On the northern end of Surin Beach, in about six months from now, the Surin Beach Yacht Club - an upmarket restaurant and spa - opens its doors. Initial lifelong Membership is offered at 5000Euros for the first 200 members. Perks include a sun chair for life, and lots of discounts with other establishments on the island. For more information, write to info@asia-ms.com

Surin Beach Top Five Restaurants

Catch Beach Club - located on the northern end of Surin Beach, Twin Palm's Beach Club in the day is great for people-watching and hanging out. At night, live music is played, and food is served on the sands under the stars. Seating is comfortable, with sofas, loungers, and day beds available for rent at 1500THB a day to the public. Guests of Twin Palms, however, are offered complimentary use of the sunning facilities. The Catch menu comprises watered down sweet Thai food that is popular with holiday makers, but may prove a bit bland for those looking for a bit of spice. Other selections like pizzas and pastas are sold at hotel prices, but are mediocre and prepared without much love, but the Kid's Menu offer good portions of all-time beachside favourites like fish and chips and burgers. On the drinks side, Catch offers delicious juices, blends, and smoothies to quench your thirst; there is also a good wine list with wines from Chile, France, Australia, and Italy on offer. Service and quality are inconsistent, catching the attention of staff can be hard work, and do not expect your drink or dish to taste the same with a repeat order. However, Catch is still a lovely location to enjoy the sunset and a cocktail.

Pla - found on the southern end of Surin Beach, Pla offers both Thai and Austrian food from a newly renovated restaurant with a stylish white interior. Taking up most of the beach front with new day beds and sun chairs, Pla also offers a bar located on the sands for the convenience of sun lovers to order drinks without having to walk all the way to the restaurant. Pla's sun loungers look the most welcoming along the beach front. Instead of having the standard umbrella over a weathered deck chair, Pla had invested in whole day beds with canopies where you can enjoy relative privacy while basking in the sun. The menu of Thai and Austrian food is a warning sign not to expect too much in terms of quality, but portions are large and presentation is beautiful. The stuffed chicken breast is served with a salad and French fries - it was big enough for two. However, the shrimp with vermicelli was greasy and not at all appetizing. Service, on the other hand, was attentive and prompt. If you are traveling by motorcycle to Pla - be warned - do not park in front of the restaurant! Your bike may be moved without your prior knowledge to the public car park while you were enjoying your meal.

Nok - every time we have dinner at Nok, it is a relatively pleasant experience - the seafood is fresh, the service is attentive, the food is consistently good. Nok is the first restaurant to the right of the carpark. It offers generous beachfront seating with lots of space between tables. There is also a newly renovated indoor area which is spacious and clean and perfect as refuge from those surprise afternoon showers. The menu offers a good selection of Thai food with seafood, chicken, pork, and beef cooked in a variety of styles and flavours to suit every palette. Nok's barbeque crabs are always fresh and cooked perfectly. The barbeque squid is also delicious - charred just enough to have a smoky flavour, and cooked to a perfect consistency.

Twin Brother - very good pizzas and equally delicious barbeque seafood - Twin Brother found at the southern end of Surin Beach is named after the pair of twin-owners. The "s", which should be added to the end of "brother", is dropped as it is a local habit to not pronounce the last sound of a written word. The Twin Brother restaurant offers Italian and Thai food that is arguably one of the best on the Phuket Island. Pizzas at Twin Brother have a good balance of crust and filling; while the seafood served is fresh, with the best catch of the day offered at reasonable prices. Although Twin Brother is open at night, the best time to enjoy Twin Brother is during the day, when you can go for a dip in the sea, and enjoy the constant sea breeze with your food.

Taste - this new restaurant at the southern end of Surin Beach offers the most exciting menu with the best food at incomparable prices. Creative tapas like bread-crumbed aubergine served with truffle oil mayonnaise, cold soup of roasted vegetables, and crab dip with wanton skins sell for an amazing 99THB. Appetizers like spring rolls served with bean sprouts, romaine, and mint sell for 150THB. The gambas with chili, garlic, and parsley are offered with ciabatta bread. Even an otherwise ordinary chicken salad is souped up with cashews and mandarin oranges, served with a tangy dressing. Taste is simply one of the best places to dine on Surin Beach. Its comfortable indoor area offers sofas for lounging and tables for easy dining. Outdoor areas comprises tables and chairs on soft sands where you can relax, read a book, while ordering dish after dish of delicious and thoughtfully put-together tapas. For desserts, Taste offers traditional favourites like chocolate mousse and cheesecakes, but served with a modern twist. Chocolate mousse comes with cashews and orange peel on the side, allowing you the freedom of putting together your own blend of dessert according to your personal preference.