Phuket to Khao Lak by Car

The road and its sections

The route is about as simple as a road trip gets. Head north up the island's main road, cross the bridge onto the mainland, then continue north on the main highway. There is nothing to memorise and very little to get wrong.

The first section, on the island, is the slowest. It passes through populated areas with traffic lights and turnings. Once you are over the bridge the road widens and the pace picks up considerably.

Khao Lak is not one place

This is the part people get wrong. What is called Khao Lak is a chain of separate beaches and villages along the highway, each with its own turning down to the sea. Decide which beach you want before you set off, because driving up and down the strip looking for the right one costs an hour of your day.

What it means for the car

An ordinary car does the whole trip. There is no rough ground and no serious gradient. What matters is highway comfort: cold air conditioning, decent tyres and a car that is quiet enough at speed to hold a conversation.

The turnings to the beaches

The last few hundred metres down to some beaches are unsealed and can be rutted after rain. Nothing dramatic, but if you have a low car take it slowly and stay in the middle of the track where the surface is firmest.

The drive back in the evening

Do not underestimate the return leg. The highway is fast, but it carries heavy vehicles, and after dark there are unlit motorcycles and side turnings without markings. Leave in daylight if you can, and if you cannot, drive it more slowly than you drove it earlier.

Where to park in Khao Lak

Parking here is easy in a way it never is on Phuket. Space is plentiful and mostly free, whether at restaurants, shops or the beach turnings.

The beaches

Most beach access points have open ground to park on, often shaded by trees. Choose the shade, and if the surface is soft sand rather than firm ground, park before it rather than on it.

Nam Khem and the villages further north are quieter still, and if you are driving anyway they are the parts of the coast worth the extra twenty minutes.

Do not leave bags visible. This applies everywhere, but it applies more where you park on open ground away from anything.

• Pick your specific beach before setting off
• Park before soft sand, not on it
• Choose tree shade over closeness to the water
• Head back in daylight where possible

What people do in Khao Lak with a car

The car turns Khao Lak from a beach into a region. With one you can move between the quiet northern beaches, the national park areas inland and the villages along the coast in a single day.

Where people drive on from here

Inland roads lead into forested hills with waterfalls and quiet viewpoints, and the coast continues north for a long way with progressively fewer people on it. This is the appeal for anyone who found Phuket too busy.

Shopping and practicalities

There are supermarkets and fuel stations along the highway, and the branded stations take cards. If you are staying a few days, do the shop on the way in rather than driving back out for it later.

Cars that suit this

For two people, a compact does the trip perfectly well. It is a highway run, not an expedition.

A crossover earns its place if you are four with luggage or plan to use the unsealed beach turnings often.

With a group

Five or more want a minivan, because this is a day with real driving time in it and comfort matters more than it does on a beach hop. Before you go, confirm with us that your cover extends beyond the island, because that is the one thing on this trip that cannot be sorted out afterwards. Ask on WhatsApp or Telegram and we will put the answer in writing.