Surin or Bang Tao: Where to Stay in Phuket

Surin and Bang Tao are neighbours. The distance between them is less than a kilometre, they are on the same coast, in the same climate, with the same sea. And yet the choice between them is a real choice, because the areas offer a different scenario for the trip.

Let us look at how they differ and who each of them suits.

How close they are

Let us start with the facts about distance, because they change how the question is framed.

From the Mida Grande Resort complex in Surin:

• to Bang Tao Beach — 712 m;
• to Surin Beach — 769 m;
• to Pansea Beach — 912 m;
• to Kamala Beach — 1.7 km.

Note: from our complex Bang Tao is even slightly closer than Surin itself. That means when you choose accommodation at this point, you are not choosing between beaches — you get access to both, and to Pansea as well.

This is an important point that often gets lost in “Surin versus Bang Tao” discussions. If the accommodation stands on the border of the two areas, the argument is largely resolved: both beaches are within walking distance.

The real choice arises when the accommodation is deep inside one of the areas.

What sets Bang Tao apart

Bang Tao is a long beach, and it is noticeably more developed. A dense tourist infrastructure has grown up around it: more hotels, more venues, more activity.

This is an area for those who want things to be happening around them. Being able to go out in the evening and choose from a large number of options is a real advantage if that is what you came for.

The flip side is that where there is more infrastructure, there are more people, more noise, and more construction. The beach is long, but there are also more people who want to be on it.

What sets Surin apart

Surin is quieter. That is its defining quality, and it is exactly what people come here for.

Less tourist activity, less noise. We have written about the area separately in more detail: the Surin area — who it suits.

The flip side is clear as well: if you came for nightlife and want something new every evening, Surin’s calm will feel like boredom.

How to choose: by the scenario of your trip

An abstract “which is better” has no answer. It makes sense to ask: better for what.

If you are coming for a week or two, for the first time in Phuket

More likely Bang Tao or an area on the border. On a short trip you want to see more and not spend time travelling. Developed infrastructure nearby works in your favour here: less logistics, more impressions.

If you are coming with children

More likely Surin. The reasons:

• quieter, less traffic;
• on the grounds of our complex there are 6 swimming pools, 4 of them on the roof, and 2 children’s playrooms;
• the Phuket FantaSea theme park is 2.4 km away;
• the grounds of the complex are gated.

Separately about travelling with children: Phuket with children — where to stay.

If you are coming for a month or for the winter

More likely Surin. Over a long stay, tourist infrastructure next to your home stops being a plus and starts being noise. Instead, things that go unnoticed on a short trip start to matter: where to do the laundry, where to cook, where to work.

Our apartments have a fully equipped kitchen, a washing machine, a dedicated high-speed internet connection, and a TV with channels from more than 100 countries for exactly this. On the grounds there is a library-coworking space and 2 gyms.

A detailed look at long stays: wintering in Phuket.

If you are coming for nightlife

Bang Tao of the two is closer to that request. Although if nightlife is the main purpose of the trip, it is worth looking at other areas of the island as well: there is an overview of the west coast about them.

If you work remotely

It depends on how you work. If you need quiet and a stable connection — Surin. If it matters to you to change your surroundings and work from cafes — Bang Tao will give you more options.

What actually matters more than the area

We will say something that is rarely written in articles about choosing an area: on a long trip, the specific accommodation affects your impression more than the area does.

The difference between a “quiet area” and a “lively area” is a difference in the background. The difference between accommodation with a kitchen and a washing machine and accommodation without them is a difference in how each of your days goes.

What to look at first:

1. The actual distance to the beach in metres. Not “close to the beach”, but a figure. For us it is ≈ 750 metres, roughly 12–15 minutes on foot.
2. Whether there is a kitchen and a washing machine. For a trip of two weeks or more this is critical.
3. What the internet is like. A dedicated line or one shared with the whole building are different things if you work.
4. What is on the grounds. If the complex has pools, gyms, a restaurant, and a coworking space, the need to go out decreases — and the question of the area becomes less pressing.
5. Terms for a long stay. Discounts for long stays change the final amount noticeably. Ours are 10% from 14 days and 7% from 3 months, details in the terms.

The middle option

There is a third answer that often turns out to be the best: living on the border of the areas.

Our complex is exactly that case. 712 metres to Bang Tao and 769 to Surin: a quiet area to live in, with the infrastructure of the livelier neighbour within walking distance.

In the Mida Grande Resort complex we manage 7 apartments:

• one bedroom, 40–45 m² — Deluxe Pool View 40 m², Deluxe Ocean View 40 m², Deluxe Ocean View 45 m²;
• two bedrooms, 54–69 m² — Family 2 Bedroom 54 m², Grande 2 Bedroom Ocean View 69 m², Grande 2 Bedroom Jungle View 69 m², Grande Luxury 69 m².

The view is either of the sea or of the pool, floors 1 to 9.

Short conclusion

• Bang Tao — more infrastructure and more activity. For a short trip and for those who need things going on.
• Surin — quieter. For families, for long trips, for those who care about a calm background.
• The border between them — a compromise that resolves most of the argument: both beaches are within walking distance.

And most importantly: when comparing areas, do not forget to compare the accommodation itself. On a trip longer than two weeks, having a kitchen and a washing machine will affect your impression more than the name of the beach.