Ao Nam Mao Beach

A working beach and pier east of Ao Nang, past the Shell Cemetery, where the longtails to Railay and the mangroves load up. It's not a swimming or sunbathing beach — the sand is muddy and mangrove-lined — but it's a quieter, more local spot to watch boats and eat at the simple seafood shacks. Handy departure point that dodges the Ao Nang crowds, and it's next to the Shell Cemetery fossil beach. Free, functional, and a window into the everyday coast.

Highlights