CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons (User:WolfgangHolzem1965)Landmark· Phuket· Thailand
Rawai Pier and Sea Gypsy (Chao Lay) Village
7° 46.3′ N · 98° 19.7′ E
Rawai is one of Phuket's three main small-boat ports, home to an Urak Lawoi sea-gypsy (Chao Lay) village just north of the pier. Longtails leave from the beach for Koh Bon, Coral Island and the southern islands, and the waterfront is lined with seafood restaurants.
Practical
The tide is pronounced: boats moor off, then sit on the mud when the sea recedes, so it is not a swimming beach (Wikivoyage). The new pier is used for walking and fishing rather than by boats. Rawai longtails to Coral Island cost about 1,500-2,000 THB per boat return (Phuket 101, verify). The Chao Lay hold the Loy Rua boat-launching ceremony in the 6th and 11th lunar months; ask before photographing people, and treat the village as a home, not an attraction.
Best for
Longtail trips to the southern islands and a glimpse of Chao Lay culture