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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Mai Khao
หาดไม้ขาว
Spend 1–2 days in Mai Khao for beach relaxation; arrive by taxi (≈20 min, ≈350 THB) from Phuket Airport.
Mai Khao is a quiet beach on Phuket's north‑west, part of Sirinat National Park. It lacks nightlife, so a short stay (1‑2 days) suffices for sun, sand and nature walks.
- Country
- Thailand
- Local name
- หาดไม้ขาว
- Best months
- Jan–Mar (calm seas, low rain)
- Avoid
- May–Nov (rough seas, limited swimming)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ฿1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid ฿2,500–4,000 excl. bed · High ฿5,000–8,000 excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance 1669 · Tourist police 1155
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Taxi from airport (metered) | ≈350 THB |
| Local bus to Phuket town | 50 THB |
| Motorbike rental (per day) | ≈300 THB |
| Beer (restaurant) | ≈80–120 THB |
| Ice cream (Swensons) | ≈60 THB |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HKT · Phuket International
- Taxi ≈20 min, ≈350 THB (incl. 100 THB airport tax)
Typical fares
- Airport → Mai Khao (taxi)
- ≈350 THB, 20 min (metered, includes 100 THB airport tax) (check)
- Local bus Phuket town → Mai Khao
- ≈50 THB, 90 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Taxi from airport (≈350 THB) or hotel transfer; local bus 50 THB to Phuket town (≈90 min); motorbike hire ≈300 THB/day, car ≈1 000 THB/day.
See and do
Known for
- Long sandy beach
- Sirinat National Park
- Quiet nature walks
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Patong Beach | Taxi or bus ≈1 h, ≈200 THB | ≈1 h |
| Phuket Town | Local bus from Hwy 402, 50 THB | ≈90 min |
Sleep
- Phuket Campground
- Lakeside camping, basic facilities, budget option.
- Seaside Cottages & Restaurant
- Round en‑suite cottages or bamboo huts; camping from 200 THB.
- Sirinat National Park camping
- Tent rental at Visitor Centre; cheap bungalows on Nai Yang.
- Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas
- Luxury pool villas, starting $353 per night.
- Avani+ Mai Khao Phuket Suites
- Mid‑range suites, 4 250 THB per night.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | ขอโทษkŏr‑tôt |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkòp‑kun |
| How much is it? | เท่าไหร่tâo‑rài |
| Can I have the menu? | เมนูหน่อยme‑nù nŏi |
| Where is the bathroom? | ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหนhâwng‑náam yùu têe‑năi |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Beach cleaning is irregular; litter may be present.
- Swimming unsafe May–Nov due to rough seas.
- Taxis can overcharge; use meter kiosk at airport.
Mai Khao is low‑risk; main concerns are traffic, taxi scams, and rough sea conditions in low season.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Mai Khao yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Long sandy beach
- Sirinat National Park
- Quiet nature walks
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Mai Khao, revision 5269313 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5269313
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/mai-khao). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.