Phuket 2014

After a week in Bangkok we were ready for some R & R on the beach so we headed off to Nai Harn Beach on the southern tip of Phuket.
As tourist beaches go, Nai Harn is pretty good, although our last visit three years earlier was full of not so pleasant memories.
We've been to Nai Harn 8 or 9 times over the last decade and have seen development around, and leading to, the beach grow enormously. So much so that much of the sleepy charm we remembered so well on our early visits was gone.
None the less, Nai Harn is still probably one of the better "tourist beaches" left on the island.

The one advantage Nai Harn has over some of the larger beaches is the fact that jet skis and motor traffic is not allowed. The water is cleaner and clearer with an abundance of sea life.

The Russians have taken over Phuket.
We first noticed a large number of Russians at the beach community of Jomtien, near Pattaya, just southeast of Bangkok.
On our first week here on Nai Harn this year we were surrounded by Russians, upwards of 80%. Many were younger (20s to 40s) with infants and toddlers in tow. This made for quite a bit of noise on the beach.
Posing for photos seems to be a favorite activity on the beach for many and the Russians were no exception.

If you don't mind the crowds, Nai Harn still remains a decent beach to visit. We will most likely return but it may not be as regularly as it once was.