Thailand: seven Sportextreme resorts on two coasts

Seven resorts, and a price band too narrow to choose by

Every Thailand property on Sportextreme is a resort, and the price band is tighter than the mix of properties suggests. Amari Phuket is the cheapest of the seven at 741 SEK per person a night, Racha Island Resort the dearest at 1,109 SEK, and the five between them run from 808 SEK up to 1,094 SEK.

That narrow spread is what makes the rate a weak way to choose. A Marriott with 414 rooms and an island property with 68 should not sit that close together on price, and they do. What separates these places is which coast they are on and who they are built for.

The season narrows the trip before the resort does

Thailand's year turns twice in a way that decides what you can do outdoors. February is when the cool season gives way to the hot season, and October is when the rains end and the cooler months begin. Between those two markers sits the window most people aim for: November through January.

If the plan runs through a national park, entry is 200 baht for foreign adults and 100 baht for children aged 3 to 15, and opening times and the best season for sightseeing vary from park to park, so check the one you plan to visit before you build a day around it. A trip built on diving or snorkelling lives or dies on that calendar far more than on which room you book.

Phuket: four resorts, four different beaches

The cheapest of the seven is on Phuket. Amari Phuket, 741 SEK, sits on the southern headland at the quiet end of Patong Bay, with 380 rooms split between a Beach Wing and an elevated Ocean Wing and a wooden jetty running out into the sea. It is the one that leaves you within walking distance of Patong without putting the room in the middle of it. Phuket Marriott Merlin Beach, 808 SEK, is the one with its own sand: 414 rooms and three lagoon pools, plus a private beach a few minutes from Patong rather than inside it. Katathani Phuket Beach, 822 SEK, runs along 850 metres of Kata Noi Beach, with a beachfront wing and a garden wing.

Racha Island Resort is the dearest of the seven at 1,109 SEK and the only one off the mainland. It sits on Ko Racha Yai, a 35-minute speedboat ride from Phuket, with 68 rooms facing Siam Bay. What you trade is access for the mornings and evenings the day-trippers miss.

Krabi and the Gulf: quieter water, fewer rooms

Dusit Thani Krabi Beach, 935 SEK, sits on Klong Muang Beach in low-rise buildings behind a wide garden, well away from the crowds at Ao Nang. It is the Andaman coast without the volume.

Layana Resort and Spa, 845 SEK, is the only adults-only property of the seven, on Long Beach on Koh Lanta with 57 rooms, and the island is the access point for the Mu Koh Lanta National Marine Park. For a diver or a snorkeller, that is the property to pick. Haadtien Beach Resort, 1,094 SEK, is the geographic outlier: the Gulf side, at Shark Bay, with 71 rooms and a 350-metre private beach. The Gulf is a different trip from the Andaman coast, not a cheaper version of it.

Who is travelling settles three of the seven

Layana takes no children, which rules it out for a family and makes it the clear pick for a couple or a solo diver. Katathani is the mirror image, with 518 rooms and six pools laid out for families. Marriott Merlin Beach sits in the same camp.

The remaining four come down to how much quiet you want to buy. Amari is the cheapest and the most urban, Racha Island the dearest and the most remote, and Dusit Thani and Haadtien sit between them on opposite coasts. Ask about transfer times before you book: on the island properties the crossing is part of the trip whether or not you count it as one.

Frequently asked questions

What extreme sports can you do in Thailand?

The water is where the activity is: snorkelling, fishing and squid fishing in the coastal provinces. Sportextreme's Thailand offering is resorts rather than activities, so anything past that has to be booked with a separate operator, and certification and insurance are the two things to check before you pay.

Where is the best place for extreme sports in Thailand?

The Andaman coast. Phuket and Krabi hold six of the seven Thailand properties between them, four of them on Phuket alone, so the coast and the resort are one decision rather than two. The Gulf side is the quieter alternative.

What is the best time of year for extreme sports in Thailand?

November through January. The cool season gives way to the hot season in February, so the comfortable window closes at the end of January and the heat builds from there.

Can you do extreme sports in Thailand during the rainy season?

Yes, with the timing worked out: October is when the rainy season ends and the cooler months begin, so the later part of the monsoon is the better bet for anything on the water. Leave a spare day in the plan if a boat trip or a park visit is the point of the trip.

What extreme sports are available near Bangkok?

Bangkok is a river city rather than a water sports base: boat trips and river cruises are what you do there, not open-water activity. Plan the sea as a separate leg of the trip.