Nai Yang
The northern part of Nai Yang Beach belongs to Sirinath National Park and is so far undeveloped—clearly waiting for a local with good connections to “discover” his long lost family title to the land. There are a few open pavilions in the area, but otherwise it has none of the hassles (or conveniences) of the more southern beaches like Patong.
Many locals take advantage of this area to have a picnic of the local variety, which means that you sit on a bamboo mat and the only “food” you bring with you is the whisky. The rest of the food is provided by well positioned vendors, who can get you all the spicy food and indigenous fruits that you could want. They also serve some great noodles.
In the central part of the beach, you can get kite board lessons or rent a board from Kite Board Asia. The school is only open from the beginning of June to the end of August because of the seasonality of the winds. The school offers a range of courses, from beginner to advanced, or you can even get private lessons if you just don’t like (learning with) other people.
Further south there are more commercial developments including some standalone restaurants in addition to the resort affiliated restaurants that have somehow migrated from the resort onto the beach. Overlooking the questionable legal nature of the beach restaurants, they’re wonderfully positioned on the sand and you can have an exquisite meal, served professional, in an unmatchable location with your feet right in the sand. It is a real treat.
Continuing south, past the Indigo Pearl, an ultra-modern industrial design boutique hotel—what’s it doing here?—there are a few other beach restaurants of a more local variety. Many have a good selection of typical Thai seafood dishes. Bars along the beach remain open till later in the evening, and offer a good selection of drinks right on the beach in a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.