About Bangtao/Surin
This guide covers the stretch where Bang Tao meets Surin on the west coast, around 23 km from the airport (around 25-35 mins depending on traffic). Surin Beach is quiet. Authorities cleared its beachfront in 2016 and again in May 2025, so there are no vendors or beach clubs on the sand, just trees for shade, and some traces of demolition were still visible in September 2026. Tukta, a restaurant built on the rocks at the edge of the sand, is the place to eat on the beach itself, with hotel and street restaurants behind it, including Twinpalms Surin and The Surin Phuket. Bang Tao Beach, about 6 km of sand, runs to the north. Illegal structures were cleared there in 2026 too, but several beach clubs are still open.
Day to day, Surin has minimarts and shops on Surin Main Road, and Tops Daily and a Lotus Go Fresh are within a few minutes. Boat Avenue is around 5-10 mins away, Porto de Phuket and Big C in Kamala around 10 mins, and Muay Thai gyms are within around 3 km. There is no international school within 10 km, and the nearest are around 15-30 mins away. The nearest 24-hour emergency department is Patong Hospital, around 20-30 mins, with the private hospitals in Phuket Town around 25-35 mins.
What's in Bangtao/Surin
Beaches & nature
- Surin Beach Quiet sand with trees for shade and no vendors. Some demolition traces remained in September 2026
- Bang Tao Beach About 6 km of sand to the north. Several beach bars were cleared in 2026, but Catch, Carpe Diem, RAVA, Xana and The Beach Phuket were reported open in October 2026
- Kamala and Layan beaches Kamala is around 4 km south, around 5-10 mins. Layan is a quieter beach to the north, around 15-25 mins
- Blue Tree Forest Park About 5 km of free jogging and cycling trails, fitness stations and a pump track, open 06:00 to 22:00. Around 10 mins
Healthcare
- Patong Hospital, Bangkok Hospital Phuket and Bangkok Hospital Siriroj Patong is public, around 20-30 mins; the two private hospitals are in Phuket Town, around 25-35 mins. All have 24-hour emergency
- Vachira Phuket Hospital, Mission Hospital Phuket and Dibuk Hospital Vachira is public; all three are listed as 24-hour emergency, around 25-40 mins
- Thalang Hospital Public community hospital, around 15 mins. 24-hour emergency is not confirmed, so check before relying on it
- Bangkok Phuket Clinic Laguna and BDMS Wellness Clinic Laguna Clinics, not hospitals, inside the Laguna estate, around 6 km. The first is open daily 09:00 to 18:00 and the second Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 17:00
- Wattanapat Phuket Hospital Private 200-bed hospital in Kamala, with the first phase planned for the last quarter of 2026. See New & coming soon
- Vets HugMe Animal Hospital in Cherngtalay is listed as open 24 hours in older sources, around 15 mins, so call first. Thonglor Chalong Pet Hospital is the 24-hour option listed in Chalong. Ambulance: 1669
Schools & nurseries
- HeadStart International School, Cherngtalay campus British curriculum, Foundation (from age 2) to Year 9, on Srisoonthorn Road in Cherngtalay, around 15-20 mins (an estimate, check with the school)
- UWC Thailand and Glenalmond Phuket IB and English National Curriculum, both in Thalang beside Thanyapura, around 25 mins. Glenalmond opened in August 2026. UWC has an Early Years programme
- Kajonkiet International School and QSI International School of Phuket Both in Kathu. Kajonkiet is British and Cambridge, ages 2 to 18; QSI is American curriculum, ages 2 to 18. Around 25-30 mins
- British International School Phuket (BISP) and Finnway International School Both in Koh Kaew. BISP is British, ages 2 to 18; Finnway is Finnish-based, ages 2 to 12. Around 25-30 mins
- HeadStart International School, Chaofah City campus Same school, ages 2 to 18 including Sixth Form, in Phuket Town, around 25-35 mins
Shopping & daily needs
- Surin shops, Tops Daily and Lotus Go Fresh Surin Plaza, minimarts and 7-Eleven along Surin Main Road, within 1 km, and two small supermarkets a few minutes away. Tops Daily is listed as open 24 hours
- Boat Avenue Tops supermarket, shops, restaurants and a Friday evening market in Cherngtalay, around 5-10 mins
- Porto de Phuket Central Group open-air mall with Central Food Hall, SuperSports, B2S, Boots and many restaurants, around 10 mins
- Villa Market and Lotus hypermarket, Cherngtalay Imported groceries next to Porto de Phuket, and a hypermarket beside Boat Avenue, around 5-10 mins
- Big C Kamala and Kamala Beach Plaza Hypermarket and a small mall in Kamala, around 10 mins
- Fresh markets Boat Avenue Friday evening market, and Cherngtalay Fresh Market at Wat Manik on Tuesday and Thursday from about 16:00 to 20:00
- Lotus Thalang, Home Pro and Robinson Lifestyle Thalang Hypermarket, hardware and a mall along Thepkrasattri Road, around 15 mins
- Central Phuket Floresta and Festival, Makro, Index Livingmall Malls, wholesale and furniture on the Phuket Town side, around 25-35 mins
Restaurants & beach clubs
- Tukta Restaurant built on the rocks at the edge of Surin Beach, 09:30 to 21:00, with sea views from the upper floors
- Twinpalms Surin and The Surin Phuket restaurants Twinpalms has Wagyu Steakhouse (evenings), Oriental Spoon, Shimmer (beachfront seafood) and Kozo Handroll Bar on Surin Beach Road. The Surin Phuket has Sunset Cafe (all day), Beach Restaurant (grilled seafood) and Lomtalay (breakfast)
- Catch and Carpe Diem Beach Club Both on Bang Tao Beach. Catch has daybeds, DJs in high season, Friday BBQ and Sunday brunch, and was on Surin until the 2016 clearance; Carpe Diem is a quiet, restaurant-style Mediterranean and Italian club
- Cafe del Mar Phuket Beach club on Kamala Beach, the next beach south
- Boat Avenue and Porto dining Moonshine, Im En Ville, The Farmer and The Fisherman, Nanami Yakiniku, Five Olives, ETNA, Joya, Mrs B Bar & Table and CLC (high-end, closed Monday and Tuesday), 3 to 5 km away. SoL Phuket (modern Thai) opened in late 2024
Coffee & cafes
- Surin Chill House Cafe with a pool, Thai and European dishes. It has reportedly moved, so check the address
- Artis Cafe and Bake Breakfast, brunch and bakery at Twinpalms Surin
- BEANS Coffee Roaster and BARTELS Bang Tao Roaster in The Society by Sansiri, and breakfast with sourdough sandwiches, both on Lagoon Road, 07:00 to 19:00 and 07:00 to 18:00. Around 10 mins
- Bruschetta Cafe & Bistro, ASAP Cafe Phuket and Au Bon Pain Family-run breakfast and burgers, specialty coffee, and a bakery cafe, around Boat Avenue and Cherngtalay
- sync coffee bar & roastery Specialty roastery on Na Hat Road in Kamala, 09:00 to 18:00, around 5-10 mins
Sports & wellness
- Gyms and Muay Thai Fairtex, around 2 km; Revolution Muay Thai Camp on 6th Avenue, around 2.5 km; Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA (Muay Thai, MMA, BJJ, HYROX classes), around 10 mins. Gym Club Phuket and Delta55 are in Cherngtalay; Kamala Gym is an open-air gym with a pool
- Padel & pickleball Padel Bay Indoor Club (indoor, near Layan) is around 15 mins; Padel Phuket @ Blue Tree (6 courts, 4 covered, daily 08:00 to 22:00) around 10 mins; WAREHAUS.club (padel, pickleball, pool, gym) in Cherngtalay; The Peak Racquet Park (4 pickleball courts) around 15 mins; Destination Padel Club (6 courts) in Thalang
- Golf Laguna Golf Phuket (18 holes) around 10 mins; Red Mountain and Loch Palm around 20-30 mins; Blue Canyon and Mission Hills around 25-35 mins
- Thanyapura Sports and health club in Thalang with 50 m and 25 m pools, tennis courts, a gym and classes. Day passes are sold. Padel is not listed on its official site. Around 20-30 mins.
- Rebel Rock Climbing Indoor climbing gym with top rope, lead and bouldering, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 20:00. Around 15 mins
- Surf, dive and kite Talay Surf (school and hire, Lazy Coconut end of Bang Tao Beach, 08:00 to 17:00); Merlin Divers Phuket in Kamala, around 10 mins; KiteBoarding Asia at Nai Yang Beach, kiting season May to October, around 25-35 mins
Marinas
- Royal Phuket Marina At Koh Kaew on the east coast, near Boat Lagoon, around 15 km (around 20-30 mins)
- Ao Po Grand Marina Around 27 km (around 35-45 mins)
Attractions
- Blue Tree Phuket Padel courts, forest park, skate park, Kids Planet drop-in kids club (ages 1.5 to 6) and Adventure Village amusement park. The water park closed on 1 August 2024
New & coming soon in Bangtao/Surin
New
- NewGlenalmond Phuket (Thalang) English National Curriculum school at Thanyapura, opened August 2026, around 25 mins away.
- NewBangkok Phuket Cancer Institute Opened 14 September 2026 at Bangkok Hospital Phuket in Phuket Town, around 25-35 mins away.
- NewHYROX classes at Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA Official classes launched in July 2025, Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons then. Confirm the current timetable.
- NewWAREHAUS.club Padel, pickleball, pool and gym in Cherngtalay, called a newer arrival by Time Out in September 2026. Opening date not given.
Coming soon
- Coming soonWattanapat Phuket Hospital, Kamala Planned. A 200-bed private hospital in two phases of 100 beds. The company has said the first phase is planned for the last quarter of 2026. Check with the hospital for the current position.
- Coming soonBumrungrad International Hospital Phuket Planned in Mai Khao, near the airport. Opening is reported between the third quarter and the end of 2027, depending on the source.
- Coming soonSongklanagarind (PSU) Hospital Phuket Planned. A new university hospital, reported to open between 2029 and 2030, depending on the source. The site is reported as Kathu in some sources.
- Coming soonPhuket Airport expansion Planned. An international terminal extension and extra gates, taking capacity to at least 18 million passengers a year. Completion is given as between 2029 and 2031, depending on the source.
- Coming soonAndaman International Airport (Phang Nga) Proposed. A second airport on the mainland in Phang Nga, reported to open between 2030 and 2032, depending on the source.
- Coming soonNLCS Phuket (North London Collegiate School), Cherngtalay Announced in May 2026. The opening date has not been confirmed; one summary gives the third quarter of 2028.
- Coming soonICONPHUKET (Siam Piwat) Announced 5 October 2026. A retail and attractions project on Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang, planned to open in 2029 as part of the wider Synthesis Ark Phuket development.
- Coming soonCentral Phuket expansion Announced in early 2026. Floresta luxury retail space is planned to double by Q4 2026 and Festival by Q1 2028, with the programme complete by 2028.
Getting around from Bangtao/Surin
- Kamala Beacharound 4 km, 5-10 mins
- Boat Avenuearound 3 km, 5-10 mins
- Layan Beacharound 11 km, 15-25 mins
- Phuket Airportaround 23 km, 25-35 mins
- Patong Beacharound 15 km, 20-30 mins
- Phuket Townaround 24 km, 30-40 mins
- Boat Lagoon & Royal Phuket Marinaaround 15 km, 20-30 mins
- Thanyapura, UWC and Glenalmondaround 15 km, 20-30 mins
Properties in Bangtao/Surin
3For rent
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Villas for Rent in Bangtao/Surin
Other Phuket area guides
Bangtao/Laguna · Cape Yamu · Chalong · Cherngtalay · Kamala · Karon · Koh Kaew · Layan · Nai Thon · Natai Beach · Pru Jampa · Rawai · Sakhu · Thalang
Frequently asked questions
What is the Bang Tao and Surin area like?
A quieter, more local stretch than either full beach. Surin Beach has no vendors or beach clubs on the sand, with Tukta on the rocks and hotel and street restaurants behind it. Bang Tao Beach and Boat Avenue are a short drive north, and Kamala is around 5-10 mins south.
Are there international schools near Surin?
None within 10 km. HeadStart's Cherngtalay campus is the closest, an estimated 15-20 mins away. UWC Thailand and Glenalmond Phuket are around 25 mins away, and Kajonkiet, QSI, BISP and Finnway around 25-30 mins.
Is there a hospital near Surin?
Not close by. The nearest 24-hour emergency department is Patong Hospital, around 20-30 mins, with the private hospitals in Phuket Town around 25-35 mins. The ambulance number is 1669.
How far is Surin from the airport?
Around 23 km, roughly 25-35 mins depending on traffic.
Where can I train or play golf and padel near Surin?
Muay Thai gyms Fairtex and Revolution are around 2-3 km away. Padel Phuket @ Blue Tree has 6 padel courts, around 10 mins away, and Laguna Golf Phuket is around 10 mins away.