Photo shoot in Phuket: which beach to choose
Which beach should you choose for a photo shoot in Phuket?
At first glance the answer seems simple: find the most beautiful beach and go there for photos.
In practice it’s a bit more complicated.
Phuket has a huge number of beautiful places, and it doesn’t always make sense to drive across the whole island just for a photo.
I’ve been living and working in Phuket since 2015 and have done more than a thousand photo shoots here. So when choosing a location I usually look at several things at once:
- where you’re staying;
- how much time you’re willing to spend on the road;
- what kind of photo shoot you want;
- how important privacy is;
- whether it has to be a beach;
- whether you want a regular shoot or a real wow location;
- and what budget you have in mind.
So I usually suggest that clients choose a location roughly like this.
If you’re staying in the north of Phuket
If your hotel or villa is in the north of the island, I’d look at Bang Tao or Mai Khao first.
The principle is simple: why drive an hour or more to the south when there are great options right nearby?
Bang Tao
Bang Tao is one of my favourite beaches for photo shoots in Phuket.
It’s big and quite varied, so we can find different spots for the shoot.
Bang Tao is especially good for evening photo shoots.
At sunset there’s beautiful soft light, a long shoreline and enough space to find interesting spots.
For a couple, a family or an individual shoot it’s one of the most versatile options.
If you’re staying around Bang Tao, Laguna, Surin or elsewhere on the north-west coast, I’d look in this direction first.
Mai Khao
Mai Khao is another logical choice for those staying in the north of Phuket.
It’s a very long beach and nothing like the busier beaches in the south of the island.
Here you can get calmer, more spacious photos.
Mai Khao is also known for photos with planes flying overhead.
But I wouldn’t choose it just for that effect.
For a good photo shoot, the overall light, composition and atmosphere matter much more to me.
If you’re staying in the north of Phuket, Mai Khao can be a great option, especially if you want space, a long beach and a calmer atmosphere.
If you’re staying in the south of Phuket
If your hotel is around Karon, Kata, Kata Noi, Nai Harn, Rawai or Chalong, I wouldn’t advise heading north unless you have to.
The south has great options of its own.
Karon
Karon is one of the best all-round options for a photo shoot in the south of Phuket.
The beach is big, so we can choose a spot depending on the time of the shoot and the number of people.
It’s especially good for evening photo shoots.
Here we can do a classic beach series, walking shots, romantic photos and sunset photos.
Kata Noi
If you want a more intimate and beautiful beach location, consider Kata Noi.
I’d especially recommend it for morning photo shoots.
I hardly ever use Kata Beach itself for professional shoots — there are too many people.
Kata Noi is much more interesting photographically.
Secret beaches
This is where the options begin that you can’t really describe in an ordinary tourist ranking.
Over my years in Phuket I’ve found several little-known beaches and small spots where you can get much more interesting photos than on the most popular beaches.
The main advantage is fewer people.
For a photographer that’s very important.
We can work calmly, without waiting for someone to leave the frame, adjusting to hundreds of tourists or trying to remove people in editing.
If you’re staying in the south of Phuket and want not just “a photo on the beach” but a beautiful, full shoot, I often suggest places like these.
I deliberately don’t publish the exact location of some of them.
Because if you post the coordinates online, in a couple of months the secret spot won’t be a secret any more. :)
Want a top location? A desert island
If an ordinary beach isn’t enough and you want a truly top location, my first suggestion is a desert island near Phuket.
It’s about 10 minutes from Rawai.
And the main reason to go there: white sand, turquoise water and almost no people.
For a photo shoot it’s a completely different level.
We don’t depend on how many tourists have come to the beach that day.
We can work calmly, move along the shore, take photos in the water, change outfits and get completely different shots.
So if you ask me, “Nikita, where can I have a really beautiful photo shoot in Phuket?”, this island is one of the first places I’ll name.
It’s no longer just a good beach.
It’s a location worth planning a separate trip for.
Want a super-top location? Then a yacht
And then there’s a whole other level.
If you want not just a beautiful photo shoot but the most spectacular, luxurious one, I’d consider a yacht.
A yacht photo shoot is a completely different story. We get:
- the yacht itself;
- the open sea;
- islands;
- swimming;
- several different spots;
- beautiful views;
- the sunset;
- the chance to change outfits;
- and the feeling of a real journey.
In the end you don’t just get beach photos.
You get the whole story of your holiday in Phuket.
You can spend a few hours at sea and combine the photo shoot with a full yacht trip.
For a couple, a proposal, an anniversary or simply a luxurious holiday, it’s one of the most spectacular options.
And if you want the ultimate wow?
If your budget allows and you’re ready to spend more time travelling, you don’t have to limit yourself to Phuket at all.
There are several destinations I’d call a premium-level photo shoot.
Phi Phi
The Phi Phi Islands have stunning views, cliffs, turquoise water and a completely different atmosphere.
The photos there can look as if you’ve stepped into an advertising campaign for a tropical resort.
But there’s a flip side — the journey and organisation of such a shoot take more time and money.
Racha
Racha Island is another great option if you want a beautiful island landscape, white sand and clear water.
This is no longer an ordinary “walk out of the hotel and onto the beach” photo shoot.
A shoot like this needs to be planned in advance.
Similan Islands
The Similan Islands are the real “wow” level.
White sand, incredible water colour, islands and very beautiful natural scenery.
But keep in mind that it’s far, expensive and requires a separately organised trip.
The result, however, can be truly luxurious.
Which option to choose?
If I simplify my advice as much as possible, it looks like this:
- 🟢 Staying in the north of Phuket — Bang Tao or Mai Khao. No need to spend hours driving across the whole island.
- 🟢 Staying in the south of Phuket — Karon, Kata Noi or one of the secret locations, especially if you want a beautiful shoot without crowds of tourists.
- 🔵 Want a top location — a desert island. White sand, turquoise water and almost no people.
- 🟣 Want super-top and luxury — a yacht. Combine relaxation, travel and a professional photo shoot.
- 🔴 Want the ultimate level — Phi Phi, Racha or the Similan Islands. This is a separate trip: more expensive, longer and harder to organise, but the experience is completely different.
Do you need to cross the whole of Phuket for a photo shoot?
Not always.
It’s one of the mistakes I often see tourists make.
People find a photo of some beautiful beach online and decide, “That’s where we’ll have our photos taken.”
Then it turns out it’s an hour and a half to get there, the same back, and the place itself is packed with people.
In the end several hours go on the road, and the photos may be no better than on a beach 15 minutes from your hotel.
That’s why I always ask clients first where they’re staying.
If there’s a good location nearby, there’s no point crossing the island.
But if you want a truly special place, then it’s worth planning a trip specifically for it.
What if you want several locations at once?
Then we can do a combined photo shoot.
For example, start on one beach, move to another location and finish at sunset.
Or spend a whole day on a yacht and combine the photo shoot with an island-hopping trip.
Here we can build a route just for you.
My main advice
Don’t choose a beach just because it tops some tourist ranking.
For a photo shoot, the most beautiful beach isn’t always the best one. What matters to me:
- the number of people;
- the time of day;
- the light;
- the weather;
- high and low tide;
- the freedom to move around;
- the variety of shots;
- and, of course, your time.
Sometimes a great result is ten minutes from your hotel.
And sometimes it really is worth spending more time and money to go to an island or out to sea on a yacht.
Photo shoot in Phuket — which location shall we choose?
I’ve been living and working in Phuket since 2015 and know a great many places to shoot — from popular beaches to little-known spots and islands.
If you don’t know which beach to choose for your photo shoot in Phuket, just message me where you’re staying and what kind of photos you’d like.
I’ll suggest suitable options based on your location, time, shoot format and budget.
And if you want the maximum effect, we can do a photo shoot on a desert island, on a yacht, or even go to Phi Phi, Racha or the Similan Islands.
Phuket lets you have a photo shoot of almost any level — from a beautiful shoot next to your hotel to a truly luxurious photo shoot on tropical islands.
