Khao Lak Day Trip From Phuket: Park Fee and Beaches

Khao Lak is a long day trip, about 60 km north of Phuket. Go for the beaches and Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park, where a foreign adult pays 100 baht and the gates are open daily from 06.00 am to 06.00 pm. Pick November to April for the dry season.

Khao Lak is a beach-and-forest day: a long strip of wide sandy beaches plus a national park with rain forest and waterfalls. Most of it lies in Takua Pa district, and it is a departure point for Similan Islands diving trips. This page covers fees, hours, what to pick and how to get there; for the islands themselves, see the Similan Islands day trip guide.

Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park: entry fee and hours

The park is the official anchor of a Khao Lak day: it covers 150 square kilometres and opens daily from 06.00 am to 06.00 pm. The table gives the figures the tourism authority attaches to each stop, and a dash means no figure is given.

Checked November 2026.

The national park fee rates for group 1 parks match the table (foreign adults 100 baht, children 50 baht), and Khao Lak-Lam Ru is on that group. If you are heading for Lam Ru Waterfall, plan around its shorter hours.

What to see at Khao Lak

The beaches

The Khao Lak coast is one long stretch from Ban Nam Khem to Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park, with wide sandy beaches shaded by fir and coconut trees. The water suits swimming, and skim boarding and SUP boarding are on offer.

Inside the park, Hat Khao Lak is the sandy beach for relaxing and swimming, and Hat Lek is 1.4 km from the park office with viewpoints and a coral reef beach. Bang Sak Beach draws locals and tourists for a swim and the sunset, and it is open daily 24 hours. Most beaches along the coast have accommodation, shops and restaurants.

The park and its waterfalls

The park has rain forest, beach forest, mangrove forest and mountains, and its edge meets the sea with stone beach, sand beach and coral reefs. Ton Chong Fa is the big waterfall, with a nature trail, and its best time is December to January; it cascades down five tiers and the water runs all year.

Lam Ru Waterfall is a medium waterfall of five tiers, also with water all year. Phrao and Hin Lad are two smaller waterfalls that start from Plai Bang To Canal.

Who it suits (and who should skip it)

• Pick Khao Lak for a long beach day: the coast is wide sandy beaches with shade, and most beaches have places to eat.
• Pick it for a sunset: the coast is known for its sunset spots.
• Pick the park for a forest walk, as Ton Chong Fa has a nature trail.
• Try skim boarding or SUP boarding if you like watersports.
• Skip the monsoon months for calm water: the west wind brings strong winds and waves.
• Skip Ton Chong Fa on a tight day: it is 28 kilometres from Takua Pa district.

How to get to Khao Lak from Phuket

Khao Lak is about 60 km north of Phuket, so plan on a drive of well over an hour each way and check the exact time in Maps for the day you go. If you are flying in, the park’s tourism page points to a bus from Phuket International Airport on Phetkasem Road towards Thai Mueang district. Our car rental guide covers the driving option, and Getting around Phuket covers the other transport options.

Once you are in the area, the park’s landmark is the Phor Ta Khao Lak Shrine, with the park 50 metres from the road beside it. For Ton Chong Fa, turn left at Ban Bang Niang for 5 kilometres towards Wat Phanat Nikhom. Lam Ru Waterfall is reached from the Kapong side instead: Highway 4090, nine kilometers beyond Kapong District Office, then another 1 kilometre from Ban Lam Ru.

On a motorbike, riders and passengers must both wear a helmet; the motorbike rental guide covers licence and rental rules.

When to go

The park lists all year round as its travel season. The dry season runs from November to April, while from May to October the west wind brings strong winds and waves. Ton Chong Fa is best in December and January, although its water runs all year.

If you like turtles, sea turtles nest on Hat Thai Mueang from November to February, when there are no monsoon rains. Arrive when the park opens at 06.00 am, so you have the day ahead of you.

For sea safety, read jellyfish and rip currents in Phuket, and see the rainy season guide for what the Andaman monsoon does to the water.

Nearby and how to combine it

Takua Pa old town has Sino-European architecture along five main roads, and every Sunday evening its main road, Sri Takua Pa, becomes a walking street with local food, sweets and snacks. Plan the day to finish there on a Sunday, when the walking street runs.

Hat Thai Mueang is a 13 km beach in Thai Mueang district, which also covers part of Khao Lak. A simple day plan is the park when it opens, a swim on the coast, then Takua Pa on a Sunday evening.

See also: Similan Islands day trip, Khao Sok day trip, Phang Nga Bay day trip and things to do in Phuket.

Before you go

• Have the park fee ready: 100 baht for a foreign adult and 50 baht for a child.
• Arrive after 06.00 am and leave by 06.00 pm; Lam Ru Waterfall is open 8am-5pm.
• Check the drive time in Maps, since Khao Lak is about 60 km north of Phuket.
• Wear a helmet on a scooter, as riders and passengers must.
• Mind the sea from May to October, when the west wind brings strong winds and waves.
• The park has guesthouses, campsites and shops; a night there is an option if the drive back feels long.

How we picked: sights with a Tourism Authority of Thailand page, plus the national park fee regulation; no tour price or drive time is stated.

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Not confirmed: The drive time from Phuket is not confirmed, so check Maps for the day you go. Opening hours for the tsunami memorial sites are not confirmed, so ask your hotel before you drive. The park and Lam Ru Waterfall list different hours, so confirm at the gate.

General information checked against the sources listed above. Prices, opening hours and other details change; confirm them with the provider before you act. See how guides are checked.

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