Chalong
Areas in PhuketPhuket · ChalongA working bay to pass through, not a stroll — arrive by car, taxi or tour transfer; boat trips are ticketed separately.
Phuket's main boating hub on the southeast coast — home of Chalong Pier, where most island-hopping, fishing and dive boats assemble, with the island's most venerated temple a few minutes inland.
Attractions in this area
Separate places to discover — each with its own page
More places to explore
Common questions
Is Chalong a swimming beach?
No — the shoreline is mudflat and mangrove reserved for boats. The swimming beaches (Nai Harn, Kata, Karon, Patong) are all a short drive away.
Which trips leave from Chalong Pier?
Most speedboat day trips to Racha and Phi Phi, dive boats and fishing charters depart here. Each product states its own departure pier — check before booking.
What is there to do in Chalong besides the pier?
Wat Chalong is the headline stop, plus the temple fair ground and everyday comforts — dining, markets and services that suit longer stays.
Good to know
Phuket's main boating hub on the southeast coast — home of Chalong Pier, where most island-hopping, fishing and dive boats assemble, with the island's most venerated temple a few minutes inland.
Chalong is the largest town on Phuket's east coast and the island's gateway to the water. The bay is a working anchorage rather than a swimming beach: Chalong Pier is where speedboats to Racha and Phi Phi, dive boats and fishing charters gather each morning, and the roads behind it fill with dive schools, tour offices and chandleries. Offshore, the mooring field of yachts and longtails is one of the most photographed sights on this side of the island.
Away from the waterfront, Chalong is a practical, spread-out neighbourhood — supermarkets, banks and dining strip along its main roads — which makes it a common base for longer stays on the quiet side of the island. A few minutes inland sits Wat Chalong (Wat Chaiyathararam), the most venerated temple in Phuket, usually paired with Chalong on the same visit.
Highlights
- Chalong Pier — the departure point for most island-hopping, dive and fishing boats
- Wat Chalong, the island's most venerated temple, minutes inland
- A mooring bay of yachts and longtails along the east-coast road
- A practical base with the island's everyday services close at hand
Good for
Travelers starting a boat trip — check your ticket's departure pierDivers and anglers picking up morning boatsLonger-stay visitors who want the quiet side of the island with services
Getting there
Chalong lies on the southeast coast, south of Phuket Town — roughly 20–30 minutes by road from Phuket Town and under an hour from the airport in normal traffic. Cars, taxis and ride-hailing reach the pier easily; parking near the pier tightens on busy mornings, so arrive ahead of your boat's check-in.
- The bay shore is for boats, not swimming — plan beach time at Nai Harn, Kata or Karon instead.
- Confirm which pier your tour departs from — 'Phuket' tickets can leave from Chalong, Rawai or Ao Po.
- Pair the pier area with Wat Chalong and Big Buddha — both sit within a short drive.
- Morning departures run most days year-round, but monsoon weather (roughly May–October) can delay or cancel small-boat trips at short notice.
Planning several days?
The trip planner builds a day-by-day Phuket plan: trip details → day plan → review & pay. You pick every activity yourself — nothing is added automatically.
- 1Trip details
- 2Day plan
- 3Review & pay