Rawai is one of the nicest areas on Phuket in my opinion. It's quiet, the resorts I have stayed at there are reasonably priced and I never have had a problem finding really good Thai or Farang foods there. It is home to Rawai Landing Pier my number on pick for places to watch and photograph sunrises (see my article here) and several unnamed beaches along the west coast of Phuket that are quite nice and tourist free. Rawai Beach on the other hand is not even in my top ten favorite beaches on Phuket.
The things I find bland and dislike about Rawai Beach as far as visiting it to swim and perform normal beach activities are also pluses if you are interested in taking photographs of boats and fisherman. The beach is littered with boats on any given day. In high season the waters are very busy as privately chartered long boats and yachts move in and out of the area taking tourists to places like Phi Phi Island as well as around Phuket on cruises and to various diving and snorkeling locations. Because of this it is very difficult to find a place to swim or lay on a towel on the sand.
Many long boats dock at Rawai Beach. They park just off the shore and then one or two large lines are run from the boat inland. This creates barriers from the beach out to the boat. This would be alright if it was one or 2 boats but we are talking hundreds some days.
Farther down the beach into the cove there is a market that is bustling with Thais especially early in the morning. Here fisherman sell their catch and you can also buy various cooked local dishes. I found it to be quite expensive compared to going to a store like Makro and buying the same fish there. The fish at Makro are alive when you purchase them most the time so there is no argument that they are just as fresh.
Around the market are some restaurants and an area where Thais repair their boats. Again from a photographers standpoint this is a great place to take some shots but as a vacationer out to enjoy a beach it is a bit bland and lacking. You could swim in this area but the waters are quite shallow. There are still boats parked in the area and there is an old broken down diving vessel that some times is run aground and other times barely afloat depending on the water levels.
Speaking of water levels, there are certain times of the year when there is no water in the ocean at all for about 150 meters out from the shore. It completely dries up for several hours of the day. During this time many Thais embark for a walk out around the pier and collect crabs, mussels and other delicacies that are normally protected by the water.
Swimming around the pier is possible and the waters there are crystal clear. However you should be aware of a few things. First of all it would not be safe to swim in this area in mid day when boats are coming in and out. The second issue is there are sea urchins in the water there and stepping on one will likely end your vacation quite quickly. The final thing you should be aware of is the tides. The tides in the area can change quickly and can cause waters to rise fast. This makes rather large waves crash into the pier. It would be quite painful to have a wave toss you into one of the footings or a concrete staircase so be cautious if you choose to swim there.
Farther down on the other side of the pier you will find less boats docked but beware. There is a sewage treatment plant located at the entrance to the pier and it dumps some rather nasty water out on to that side. Surely a swim on that side at the wrong time of day will at the least have you smelling just lovely when you get out.
Rawai Beach is a great place to photograph and watch boats. The pier is excellent for seeing sea life, catching a sunrise or going for a morning or evening walk. Rawai Beach is not a place I would go to spend a day at a beach for the traditional reasons. With Nai Harn being a few kilometers to the North and several unnamed beaches to the west within walking distance there really is no point in wasting your time on the sub par Rawai Beach area for beach activities.
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Happy travelling to Phuket and beyond! There are more interesting articles to come. Thanks for reading and showing your support.
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