Andaman Sea, Phang Nga Province
Khao Lak is not a town so much as a coastline in Phang Nga province, about an hour and a quarter north of Phuket airport: Nang Thong, Bang Niang, Khuk Khak, Pakweeb, Coconut Beach, each backed by resort gardens and casuarina trees rather than a road or a promenade. The beaches face due west and are long and open, which makes them the easiest sunset in the region to photograph — there is always a stretch with no one on it, and the sand is wide enough at low tide to walk into the reflection of the sky. There is no real centre either — a strip of shops and restaurants along the main road behind Nang Thong and Bang Niang — so a session here is a beach session almost by definition. Variety comes from the coast itself: granite boulders at Memories Beach in the south, coral rubble at Pakarang Cape in the north. What Khao Lak has instead of crowds is surf. The coast is exposed to the open Andaman, and from May to October the waves are heavy and swimming is dangerous; even in the dry season, wading for a photograph is something we judge on the day. It is also a family and honeymoon coast — quiet resorts, early evenings — so most sessions here start at the hotel and walk out onto the beach in front of it. Bang Niang has the Boat 813 tsunami memorial; we treat it as what it is and do not use it as a backdrop. Open sand here has no shade at all, so a family session with small children starts about an hour before sunset and finishes as the sky turns pink — the short window when the heat has gone and everybody is still cheerful.
Khao Lak is the most seasonal stretch of the coast. November to April is dry, calm and sunny, with clear sunsets almost every evening; the Similan Islands, its great day trip, are open only from mid-October to mid-May. From May to October the monsoon brings rain, strong surf and red flags, and a good share of resorts and restaurants close or scale down. Sessions still work in the wet season — the skies are the most dramatic of the year — but on the sand, not in the sea.
Here is where to shoot in Khao Lak, with ideal times and permit notes.
The central beach of Khao Lak: wide, west-facing and lined with resorts set back behind trees. At low tide the wet sand turns into a mirror for the sunset sky. It is the default for a hotel-based session because most visitors can walk here.
A spit of coral rubble running out into the sea at the north end of the coast. At low tide it extends far out and the sun sets beside it, so you can stand surrounded by water on three sides. The coral fragments are sharp — this is a location for sandals, not bare feet.
A small cove of granite boulders and soft sand at the southern end of Khao Lak, reached down a short path from a beach bar. The rocks break up the long straight horizon of the rest of the coast and give a sheltered corner even when the surf is up.
Jungle running down to a rocky headland and a small beach just south of Nang Thong. The forest trail gives green, shaded frames in the middle of the day, when the open beaches are too bright — the one useful midday location on this coast.
Granite boulders, white sand and very clear water, about an hour by speedboat from Thap Lamu pier. It is a group-tour island with fixed times on each beach, so a session here is short and planned around the tour schedule — but the colour of the water is unlike anything on the mainland.
These beaches and areas come under the Khao Lak rate: the photographer comes to you at no extra charge, and the session costs exactly the same.
About an hour and a quarter by road from Phuket airport, and closer to two hours from Patong or Kata. We cover Khao Lak for guests staying here; a session for someone based on Phuket is better done on Phuket.
In the dry season, on a calm evening, at the waterline — yes. From May to October the surf on this coast is strong and red flags are common, so the session stays on the sand. We decide on the day, not in advance.
It is one of the best for both: quiet beaches, resorts directly on the sand, and sunsets without an audience. Most ceremonies and family sessions here start in the hotel garden and finish on the beach in the last light.
