Laem Haad Beach is a beautiful part of the 4km long bay on the northeast coast of Koh Yao Yai. The beach is known for its white fine sand beach, a long sand bar, and the palm trees.
The beach has two sides, one facing the west and one facing the east, making it a peaceful spot for watching sunrise and sunset. Morning has the most quiet atmosphere, mid day can be very hot, and late afternoon is the popular time to see the sun going down, but never feel crowded.
It has a different atmosphere at low tide and high tide, so it’s worth checking out the beach both times if you stay nearby. At high tide, you can go swimming and see lots of small fish from the shore. At low tide, you can walk very far on the sand bank toward Koh Yao Noi island.
The beach is very undeveloped, creating a tranquil atmosphere. There are almost no resorts, beach bars, restaurants, sunbeds, or umbrellas on the northern end of the beach. I visited the beach several times during the day and different days, but only saw a small bar stall at sunset.
Where is Laem Haad Beach, Koh Yao Yai?
Laem Haad Beach is located on the north east coast of Koh Yao Yai island, in Phangnga Bay. The beach overlooking Koh Yao Noi island. It’s around a 5 minute drive from Chong Lard Pier, which is one of the several main piers of Koh Yao Yai. If you stay in Ban Chong Lard Village, you can walk to the beach.
Laem Haad Beach is around 30 minutes drive north east of Loh Pared Beach, which is a popular beach town located on the southwest coast of Koh Yao Yai.
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How to get to Laem Haad Beach?
There are various ways to reach Laem Haad Beach, depending on your starting location. If you’re already in Koh Yao Yai island, you can reach the beach by riding a scooter, private songthaew truck, or even walking to the beach if you’re staying at a hotel in Ban Chong Lard Village.
Laem Haad is around 15 minutes drive north of Hin Kong Beach, 30 minute drive northeast of Loh Pared Beach, and 4- minutes north east of Klong Chack Beach.
If you’re planning to visit Laem Haad Beach from Koh Yao Noi island, you can take a 10 minutes long tail boat ride from Manoh Pier to Chong Lard Pier, then take local songthaews to get to the beach.
The ferry ticket is around 50 baht if sharing with other people, 200 baht if using the private boat. The taxi fare from Chong Lard Pier to Laem Beach is around 200 baht. You can walk for 30 minutes from the pier to the beach, but it’s not ideal in the middle of the day under the heat.
If you’re coming from Phuket, you can take a speed boat from Bang Rong Pier on the island’s north east coast to get to Chong Lard Pier. Ticket 400 baht, and the ride is around 30 minutes. From the pier, you can taxi local taxis to get to the beach.
There are also many day trips from Phuket to Hong island that combine with a stop at Laem Haad Beach. The ticket is around 2500-3000 baht per person in a small group, so you can consider taking this option when just wanting a day tour from Phuket.
Things to do in Laem Haad Beach, Koh Yao Yai
Swimming, sunbathing
Laem Haad is a great place for swimming and sunbathing without large crowds. The best time for swimming at the beach is at high tide. This time, the water goes close to the shore, where you can chill next to the white soft sand and the shade of the palm trees.
The water at high tide is shallow, calm, and clean. At low tide, the water goes very far, showing the muddy bottom. Low tide is not the best time to swim.
Walking on the sand bar
Laem Haad Beach is most famous for its picturesque white sand bar, both at low tide and high tide. TThe sandbar stretches farther out to sea at low tide, but it’s also very beautiful at high tide. The sand bank is a popular spot to take photos.
Watching the sunset and sunrise
Laem Haad has stunning sunset views, and is one of the best beaches to see the sun going down, just after Loh Pared. Laem Haad has a peaceful atmosphere and beautiful views of the golden sky, calm water, palm trees, and surrounding mountains.
Unlike Loh Pared, there are no facilities such as sunbeds, umbrellas, or beach bars/ restaurants on the beach, so the atmosphere is tranquil. Remember to bring your own beach towel for extra comfort.
Taking Instagram photos
The beach is a popular destination for Instagram photos and Tik Tok videos. It has a nice background with palm trees, white sand banks, calm clean water, and beautiful views of nearby mangrove forests and islands such as Koh Yao Noi.
Where to stay in Laem Haad Beach? – Best areas and Hotels
There are no accommodations on the northern part of the 4km bay where Laem Haad Beach is located. But you can find resorts and guest houses in the nearby Ban Chong Lard Village, and at the southern part of the bay (around 2.5km south of the northern end of the beach).
Chong Lard Pier is located in this area, so it’s very convenient for those who take speed boats from other islands to Chong Lard Pier. I arrived at Koh Yao Yai from Koh Phi Phi, and left Koh Yao Yai to Phuket, so it was very convenient for me to stay in the Ban Chong Lard area.
Additionally, this area is also close to Koh Yao Noi, Nok island, and Hong island. Boats from Koh Yao Yai to these islands depart from Chong Lard Pier, so I don’t have to travel too far to get to the pier and don’t need to spend too much on transportation.
The best areas to stay in and near Laem Haad Beach
1. Ban Chong Lard Village
Chong Lard Pier is a budget-friendly area to stay at Koh Yao Yai that is close to Laem Haad Beach. It has a good range of small guest houses and backpacker hostels, and ideal for those who want reasonably priced hotels and plan to rent a scooter to explore the island.
Ban Chong Lard is home to a 7-Eleven with an ATM, which is convenient to withdraw cash and stock up snacks. There are several local restaurants in this area, but if you have a scooter, you can have more choices by visiting other parts of the island.
Laleuca Café & Eatery is a good cafe located on the way to Ban Chong Lard Beach. The Dang Paradise Food near the pier is also a popular restaurant for Thai food. He also has a scooter for rent.
Best hotels in Ban Chong Lard Village:
Backpack Hostel Kohyaoyai
I stayed in this guest house and recommend it for those who want to stay close to Chong Lard Pier and Laem Haad Beach. The hotel has both shared dorm room and tenses, so you can choose a budget option or private stay. I stayed in the tent room and felt comfortable with it.
They have nice common areas in the garden and the kitchen with a pot, pan, kettle, microwave, and fridge for cooking. The shared bathrooms and toilets are clean. The owner is very friendly, he gave me the lift to the pier and helped to book tours to Hong islands.
Laleuca At Laemhad Kohyaoyai
This hotel is located on a small road to Laem Haad Beach. It has comfortable rooms, and easy walking to the beach. 7-Eleven and several local restaurants are also near the hotel. There is a nice onsite swimming and restaurant at the hotel.
Koh Yao Modern Inn
This is a good accommodation near Chong Lard Pier, Laem Haad Beach, and 7-Eleven. The hotel has a comfortable and modern room with all basic facilities for a comfortable stay. The owner can help organise boat trips, scooter rental, and transport.
2. Southern part of Laem Haad Bay
There are a range of hotels and resorts located on the island’s main road and the beachfront area at the southern half of Laem Haad Bay. This area has more bars, shops, and convenience stores than the Ban Chong Lard village. There are more mid-range resorts in this area.
The beach in this area is not in the best condition for swimming, but great long walking along the shore at low tide. Many resorts offer bungalows with beach views.
Best hotels in South Laem Haad Bay:
Thiwson Beach Resort
This 4-star beachfront hotel is a good spot to stay in the southern area of Laem Haad Bay. The hotel has beautiful ground lined with tropical greenery.
It has an outdoor swimming pool overlooking the ocean, with sunbeds and umbrellas around the pool. You can choose to stay in a hilltop bungalow or the beachfront bungalow.
Koh Yao Beach Front
This beachfront is located around 5 minutes drive from Laem Haad Beach, and walking distance to several local restaurants. It is a peaceful place to stay on the island. The rooms are clean and comfortable. The hotel can arrange pick up from the pier for a reasonable price.
Better View Koh Yao Yai
This 3-star hotel is located at the southern part of Laem Haad Bay, 5-10 minutes drive from Chong Lard Pier and the beautiful northern part of Laem Haad Bay. It’s a good place to relax and unwind. The hotel has well equipped rooms and comfortable beds. You can have stunning views of the beach, and they have a swimming pool where you can take a dip on hot days.
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I hope you enjoy reading my brief introduction about Laem Haad Beach. It’s one of the top places to visit on Koh Yao Yai, and if you have a scooter, don’t miss it.