Surin

In 1988, beyond the northern rocks, on a former coconut plantation above Pansea Beach, Amanpuri opened: the first Aman. On the same beach stands The Surin, one of the first hotels of this calibre on the island.

The beach itself has grown quieter over the years: the clubs and large restaurants were cleared from the sand as early as 2016. Catch Beach Club moved long ago to the southern end of Bang Tao.

Administratively, this is the same Cherngtalay as Bang Tao and Layan, with Boat Avenue and Laguna next door.

Not to be confused with the Surin Islands. Mu Ko Surin is a marine national park near the border with Myanmar, 55 km from the mainland, open from 15 October to 15 May.

On the hill above the bay. The villas on the slopes around Surin look out over the sea and the sunset. The water is a few minutes away by car or along a path. Before booking, we ask the villa manager about the way down to the beach and lighting on the path at night, and the answers go into the shortlist.

An Amanpuri villa. Besides its pavilions, Amanpuri has villas with several bedrooms⁠—at the tip of the headland, among coconut palms and above the sea. Pansea Beach, the restaurants and the children’s programmes are all within the resort.

Closer to the sand. If walking to the water matters more than seeing it from the bedroom, we look for a house below, by the beach.

• The villa. We compare private villas on the hills with Amanpuri’s villas on price, service and the way to the water; Amanpuri villas we book directly with the resort.
• Buying. If you are looking at a house on the hills of Surin, we will find one to suit how you plan to use it and, before any deposit, arrange for a lawyer to check the documents.
• Tables. Catch for sunset. At Amanpuri, southern Thai cooking at Buabok, Italian at Arva, Japanese at Akari; on the sand at Pansea, Nura, Mediterranean and seasonal. We book tables in advance.
• A driver for the whole trip or just for the evening⁠—to dinner in Bang Tao, in Laguna or on the Kamala headland.
• The sea. The Similan and Surin islands are open from 15 October to 15 May, and national park tickets are electronic only. More on yachts.
• Children. Amanpuri has a children’s club and programmes for teenagers; we check ages and schedules with the resort for your dates. For those staying in a private villa, we bring a coach to the house. Schools for the academic year are covered in Family & Schools.