Bang Tao

Bang Tao is a beach town filled with opulent resorts. With its 6-kilometer-long stretch of beautiful white sand it has the second largest coastline in Phuket, after Mai Khao. Boasting great shopping venues and some of the greatest beach clubs in Phuket, Bang Tao is an upscale, family-friendly destination.

It’s a home to some of Phuket’s top hotels, including Banyan Tree, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, Angsana, Saii (formerly Outrigger Laguna Phuket), Hilton Garden, Mövenpick Resort Bangtao etc.

Central Bang Tao is dominated by Banyan Tree’s Laguna integrated resort, which has kickstarted the development of the overall area in 90s. Today it spans over 1000 acres of tropical parkland and comprises 7 hotels, multiple residential developments (including a number of upcoming ones), golf course, restaurants, spa, retails etc.

At the entrance to Laguna is Boat Avenue shopping and entertainment area, featuring some of the best dining options in the area. Next to it one of Phuket’s newest shopping malls - unique open-air Porto de Phuket lifestyle mall by Central Group.

The beach has some of the best beach clubs on Phuket, including Catch, Xana and newly opened Carpe Diem.

Bang Tao boasts a strong and vibrant international community: from expat families whose kids attend nearby UWC International School to retirees playing golf at Laguna course. This allowed the area to stay active and running even during the height of Covid pandemic.

The area has historically been a home to more high-end villa developments than any other on Phuket; this trend still continues with most of new mid-to-high end developments planned either here or in nearby Layan and Kamala.

Overall Bang Tao strikes a good balance of beautiful beach and developed infrastructure, making it a good choice both for short vacation or long-term stay.

In terms of real estate Bang Tao historically had been an upscale area. First, Banyan Tree pioneered the development of the entire district with Laguna Phuket - its residential projects had been almost exclusively high-end Thai Balinese villas, surrounging the central Bang Tao's lagoons and Laguna Golf course. This lead to a self-perpetuating cycle of high-end developments attracting businesses, shopping and dining, and those attracting more high-end developments. This trend continued for a while, both in Bang Tao and nearby Layan and Kamala. 

However the area really kicked into gear after COVID - developed infrastructure, established upscale vibes, as well as commendable handling of pandemic made it the most sough-after spot for new homebuyers. Meeting the new demand, Bang Tao saw a number of mid-to-high-end residential projects coming up. The increased competition - especially with several big Bangkok deveopers entering the market - also means that we are seeing better designs, more sophisticated facilities and more effort to offer something unique and special. As things stand, currently it is a top choice those looking to buy luxury villas on Phuket.

Also, perhaps more importantly, Bangtao keeps actively developing infrastructure: we see emergence of new shopping and entertainment centers, dining, spa, wellness and sports facilities, as well public road construction - both locally and connecting the district to upcoming large-scale projects in Mai Khao. 

SUNWAY says: 

Northernmost part of Bang Tao is known as Layan beach. It can be technically considered part of Bang Tao, however we have made a separate guide for it.