Lamai beach is located to the south of Chaweng beach, with a few bays lying in-between. While in Chaweng, everything from the sand and water to the facilities are excellent, in Lamai, all these are below par. The sand is not white enough, the beach is not long enough, the restaurants and bars are not good enough. Lamai is said to be the poor cousin of Chaweng.

However, Lamai has its own advantages. Here you will find budget resorts and guesthouses. The beach is not crowded. If this is what you are looking for, Lamai is the right place for you.

The beach is divided into three sections – the north, central and south sections. The north section extends from the promontory to Sand Sea Resort. This area has seen less developments and hence quieter than the other sections. Another reason for its seclusion is that during low tide, this portion of the beach is prone to mudflats. Also, the storm water draining from inland, makes the seawater along this stretch very dirty.

In the central and southern sections, the water is cleaner. Here jet skiing is very popular. The central stretch is more developed of the two.

The restaurants and entertainment facilities on the beach road have a cheap feel to it, when compared to Chaweng. This is mostly due to the presence of dozens of sleazy girlie bars in the area. You can avoid all these by sticking to the beach itself, which has a few good restaurants. The food here is fresh and tasty and the price much less than Chaweng.

If you want to enjoy a beach vacation without spending a lot, Lamai is a good choice. However, here you should be content just to laze around the beach. However, if you are looking forward to water sports and a variety of restaurants and other facilities, Chaweng or Bophut are better choices.