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Friendship Beach (Chalong Bay)

Phuket Province · Mueang Phuket District · Rawai / Chalong

also known as Chalong Bay, Kite Zone Friendship Beach

Part of Phuket →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

flat waterbeginner-friendlymedium crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Nov–Mar

Months riders and schools name

How windy

10-20 kt

Character: mixed

Room to launch

tight

access rules on record, below

Water

flat

29.7 °C in summerSheltered bay water, shallow and mostly flat with some chop

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

medium crowds · busy Nov Dec Jan Feb

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

46 min

Phuket International Airport (HKT)

When it fills in

Mornings are reported as the best of the thermal. The daily onset is unconfirmed.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Pullman Panwa / Cape Panwano page yet
Layan Bayno page yet
Koh Lon / Coral Island downwinder areasno page yet

The spot

Friendship Beach is a teaching spot inside Chalong Bay, on Phuket's south-east side just up from Rawai. It works in the northeast monsoon: beginner courses at Chalong Bay run November to March, and Rawai as a whole is listed November to April.

Water conditions

The water is the reason to come, shallow and sheltered, mostly flat with some chop, waist-deep straight out from the school. The beach is not the reason. Water launching is normal here: the launch strip is small, there are trees behind it waiting for a kite, rocks and mangroves at the edges, and Chalong Bay is full of boats.

Tide and seasons

The tide picture does not add up: the spot is called tide independent in one place, while elsewhere the training area dries out at low water, and the Ban Chalong tables show a big range, so check the tide before you commit a day to it. Do not come for waves.

Come for a first course, flat-water hours or a light-wind foil session, and if you turn up in the southwest season ask whether the school has moved to Nai Yang on the west coast.

The wind

locals call it Northeast monsoon / easterly wind season

Direction

cross-onNE to E

Direction to shore

cross-on

Dominant direction

NE to E, with ENE, E and ESE also reported.

Kite sizes

678910111213141516

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

8-12 m for a 75-85 kg rider through the northeast monsoon: 12 m on the 10-14 kt mornings, 9 or 10 m when it settles in the high teens, 8 m on the rare stronger day. Indicative sizing for the Rawai and Chalong side rather than a local measurement.

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Typical strength

10-20 kt is the common figure; 15-25 kt is also reported for the wider Rawai and Chalong area.

Moderate and fairly consistent through the NE monsoon, though the strength estimates disagree.

Beginner courses at Friendship Beach and at the Pullman Panwa partner site run November to March.

The April-October programme is boat-supported downwinders and multi-day safaris for advanced riders only, so April is a transition month rather than a lesson month.

The wider Rawai easterly season is quoted November to April, and Nai Yang on the west coast takes over roughly April to September.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

Jan, riders' month27
Feb, riders' month29
Mar, riders' month19
Apr8
May25
Jun22
Jul35
Aug28
Sep43
Oct13
Nov, riders' month10
Dec, riders' month33

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec.

10 ktJan29°
10 ktFeb29°
9 ktMar30°
8 ktApr31°
9 ktMay32°
9 ktJun31°
10 ktJul30°
9 ktAug30°
10 ktSep30°
8 ktOct30°
8 ktNov30°
10 ktDec29°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds.

Every figure, month by monthForce 4+ · Knots · Wind from · Air · Water

Month	Force 4+	Knots	Wind from	Air	Water
Jan	27%	9.7 kt	ENE	27.1 °C	29 °C
Feb	29%	10 kt	ENE	27.7 °C	29.4 °C
Mar	19%	9.1 kt	E	28.2 °C	29.9 °C
Apr	8%	8.2 kt	NW	28.9 °C	30.9 °C
May	25%	8.9 kt	WNW	28.5 °C	31.6 °C
Jun	22%	9.1 kt	W	28 °C	30.6 °C
Jul	35%	9.9 kt	W	27.6 °C	30.1 °C
Aug	28%	9.3 kt	W	27.3 °C	30.2 °C
Sep	43%	10.4 kt	W	26.9 °C	29.6 °C
Oct	13%	7.9 kt	WNW	26.6 °C	30.1 °C
Nov	10%	8.1 kt	ENE	26.6 °C	30.1 °C
Dec	33%	9.5 kt	ENE	26.7 °C	29.3 °C

How this is modelledmodelled · 2022-2024

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024

The water

Type

flat

Standing depth

Waist-deep straight out from the school through the November-March lesson season, which is why beginner courses run here. How far the standing shelf reaches, and how much of it survives a spring low, is unconfirmed.

Tides

Semi-diurnal, two highs and two lows a day. Highs run about 1.3-1.7 m and lows drop to around 0.0 m, with spring lows going slightly negative, so the working range is close to 1.7 m.That is enough for the tide to decide whether the training area is rideable at all: at low water the ground in front of the school is very shallow and lessons take a short boat ride to a nearby island. A description of the spot as tide-independent is the weaker outlier.

Temperature

29.7 °C summer · 28.7 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 29–32 °C

Wetsuit

Shorts/UV top; no wetsuit normally needed.

Conditions

Sheltered bay water, shallow and mostly flat with some chop. Low tide exposes very shallow ground, and rocks and mangroves line the edges.

Shorts/UV top; no wetsuit normally needed.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Beginner courses run here in waist-deep flat water. The spot is also rated intermediate, or intermediate to expert, which reflects the low-tide ground, the small launch and the boat traffic rather than the wind.

The scene

What riders come here for

beginner lessonsflat-water practicefreeridefreestyle practicewingfoil/eFoil/SUP on light-wind days

Quiet next to Phuket's west-coast beach hubs, but high season is busy and the bay is shared with schools, resorts, boats and other watersports.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

3 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: tight

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

2 spots nearby

All 2 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

Cover on a course is the school's boat: radio lessons are run from it and downwinders are boat-supported. There is no lifeguard, no kite-specific rescue service and no published emergency number for the bay. An independent rider is on their own among the boat traffic.

Launch

Small beach and resort-side access at Friendship Beach with the school facilities next to it. Launching from the water is the advice, and there are trees to watch for. The Kite Zone site is grass with direct beach access, parking, a restaurant and a bar.

Rules & access

1 min read

2026: no Rawai or Chalong Bay municipal or marine-park kite permit, zoning rule or boat-channel restriction specific to Friendship Beach has been found. The bay is shared with general boat and dive traffic, so check current practice with a school before you sail out.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

Pull the Ban Chalong tide table before you book. Whether low water is rideable at all is unconfirmed.
Water launch. The beach strip is small and the trees start right behind it.
Bring booties for the shallow ground and for the rocks on the northern side of the bay.
Expect 10-20 kt rather than a strong-wind week, and rent a bigger kite if you are heavy.
Outside November-March, call ahead: the school may be running boat downwinders, or teaching at Nai Yang instead.
Pull the Ban Chalong tide table before you book. Spring range is close to 1.7 m and lows reach 0.0 m or just below, so pick a session on the flood or the top of the tide.
If you want a beginner course, come between November and March. From April the school's programme is advanced safaris, and it may be teaching at Nai Yang on the other coast instead.
There is no rescue boat unless you are on a lesson. Ride with someone.

Getting there

Airport

Phuket International Airport (HKT)

Route

Taxi or private car from HKT is the direct way in: 43 km, about 46 minutes. By bus via Phuket Town and Rawai it is about 2h05 (2026). From Chalong Circle head south and turn left onto the small Friendship Beach road before the road bends uphill.

Transfer

46 min

Cost level

medium

Staying

Beachfront/resort accommodation exists at Friendship Beach; Kite Zone's camp has simple bungalows next door plus camping, and Rawai/Chalong have many hotels and rentals nearby.

No-wind days

SUP, wing SUP, eFoil, island boat trips from Chalong Pier, scuba/snorkel trips, Rawai seafood, Promthep viewpoint, Wat Chalong, Big Buddha and Phuket nightlife.

Photos

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Friendship Beach?

Beginner courses run November to March during the northeast monsoon/easterly wind season, while advanced downwinders and safaris continue April to October.

Is Friendship Beach suitable for beginners?

Yes, Kite Zone markets waist-deep flat water right outside its school for beginner courses, though the small launch and shared bay traffic mean assisted launching is recommended.

What is the wind like?

Wind is a moderate, cross-onshore northeast to easterly breeze, commonly reported around 10-20 knots.

Are there kite schools at Friendship Beach?

Yes, Kite Zone Phuket is based directly on the beach, with Kiteboarding Asia and Kiteflow also operating in the Rawai/Chalong area.

What are the main hazards?

Hazards include shallow or dry ground at low tide, shared boat traffic in Chalong Bay, and trees and rocks near the small launch area.

The bigger pictureEverything about Phuket

Last updated: August 2026