Kata Noi beach Phuket

Kata Thani beach

Kata Noi is the smaller Kata beach. (Noi means small in Thai). It’s about 1 km long and dominated by the Kata Thani resort which takes up more than half of the beach front. The Kata Thani is an upscale resort and Kata Noi feels like a more upscale beach than Kata. The restaurants and shops in Kata Noi are a bit more expensive than Kata.

This really is one of the best beaches in Phuket. Kata Noi is a lovely swimming beach with a gentle slope into the sea. As with all Phuket’s west coast beaches the sea is generally calm from November to April during the northeast monsoon. Then from May to October the southwest monsoon brings the waves and the surfers start to have fun.

Snorkeling and diving at Kata Noi beach

There is a reef at the the south end of the beach, just swim out along the rocks. On a good day the water can be quite clear. It’s very shallow for a long way out, on a dive you’ll struggle to hit 9 metres depth. When you get far enough out the reef takes a 90 degree turn and runs parallel to the beach for a short length. You can see stingrays in the sand here. Beach diving Kata Noi is possible in high season only.

Kata Noi is located just south of Kata beach. You can walk between the two beaches over the headland, or get a tuk tuk. There are steps down from the top of road to the north end of the beach. Or follow the road past the Kata Thani resort for beach access.

The road into Kata Noi is a dead end. When driving out of Kata Yai before entering Kata, take the right and go up the steep hill. You can follow the road all the way south to Rawai past Nai harn beach, Ya nui beach and Promthep cape. Along the way there are viewpoints and elephant trekking camps. There are also some excellent “after beach bars” built on stilts into the mountain overlooking Kata Noi. They are a great place to go for a sunset beer or cocktail.