Food
7-Eleven (Phuket)
Convenience Store
Thailand's ubiquitous 24-hour convenience store chain, operated by CP All under exclusive license from 7-Eleven Inc, with thousands of branches nationwide and dense coverage across Phuket's…
17 places mapped in this area
Best for
Long-stay residents and families who want value, community and the sea at the end of the road.
The shore
Rawai: a working beach of longtails and seafood, not a swimming bay.
Airport
About 55 minutes.
The feel
Lived-in and international. A neighbourhood rather than a resort.
Right now in Rawai
—°
Loading conditions
Phuket runs a dry season from November to April and a green, wetter monsoon from May to October. It is warm all year - rain arrives in short heavy bursts rather than grey days.
- Airport: about 55 minutes
- Nai Harn beach: about 5 minutes
- Chalong: about 10 minutes
- Phuket Town: about 30 minutes
- Promthep Cape: about 10 minutes
Why people choose Rawai
Rawai is where a great many people who moved to Phuket permanently ended up. The seafront is a working one — longtail boats pulled up on the sand, a line of seafood grills where you choose from the tanks, and a pier that serves the southern islands — and behind it sits a large, established residential community with everything it needs.
The value is real: houses and land here cost considerably less than at Nai Harn or Kata, both of which are minutes away. What you give up is a swimming beach at your door.
Where it sits
Rawai occupies the southern tip of the island, facing east and south towards Chalong Bay and the islands. Nai Harn is five minutes west over the neck of the peninsula, Chalong ten minutes north and Promthep Cape ten minutes south.
The airport is around fifty-five minutes away, the longest run on Phuket.
Explore Rawai
Everything we would actually point a client towards — restaurants, beach clubs, schools, clinics, markets and services — mapped and filterable.
Real Estate
Anan Property Group
Real Estate Agency
Anan Property Group's Phuket office at The Menara Mall, Thalang, offering property sales, long-term rentals and villa management across Bang Tao, Laguna and Cherngtalay.
Financial Services
Bangkok Bank – Cherngtalay Branch
Bank Branch
A full-service Bangkok Bank branch in Cherngtalay, near Laguna, offering everyday banking, currency exchange and account services for residents and property owners. One of Bangkok Bank's…
Health & Medical
Bangkok Hospital Phuket
Private International Hospital
Phuket's premier JCI-accredited private hospital, part of the BDMS network, offering 200+ beds and a full spectrum of specialties from cardiology and orthopedics to cosmetic surgery…
Beauty & Spas
Banyan Tree Spa Phuket
Luxury Day Spa
One of Asia's most celebrated luxury spas, Banyan Tree Spa Phuket pioneered the tropical garden spa concept in 1994 and remains a benchmark for holistic wellness…
Home Services
CBRE Thailand – Phuket Office
Villa & Property Management
CBRE's Phuket office, part of the global commercial real estate services firm, offering villa and property management, maintenance coordination and portfolio services for property owners across…
Professional Services
International Law Office Phuket (ILO-Phuket)
Legal Services
A Phuket-based law firm operating since 1999, providing legal services to foreign residents and property buyers including property/conveyancing law, company registration, visas and work permits.
Pets
Phuket Animal Hospital
Veterinary Clinic
A long-established full-service animal hospital in Wichit, near Phuket Town, offering veterinary care for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and other pets. A well-known island-wide option for…
Public Services & Government
Phuket Immigration Cherngtalay (Blue Tree Branch Office)
Immigration Satellite Office
A convenient satellite office of Phuket Immigration located inside the Blue Tree lifestyle village, offering visa extensions, re-entry permits, and 90-day address notifications. Far quieter than…
Transportation
Phuket International Airport
Airport
Phuket's main international gateway (IATA: HKT), located in Mai Khao in the island's north. Serves direct international and domestic flights and is the arrival point for…
Local Services
Phuket Laundry Company Limited
Laundry Service
An established commercial laundry service that has served hotels and residents across Phuket for over three decades, offering pickup and delivery laundry/dry-cleaning for households and properties…
Arts & Entertainment
Phuket Old Town
Historic District / Cultural Landmark
A UNESCO-hopeful historic quarter of Sino-Portuguese shophouses, vibrant street murals, shrines, and heritage museums that make up Phuket's cultural soul. Expats and visitors can spend three…
Food
Rawai Seafood Market
Fresh Seafood Market
A legendary open-air seafood market on Rawai Beach where you pick your own live fish, prawns, lobster, and crabs straight from vendor stalls, then hand them…
Mass Media
The Phuket News
Local Newspaper
Phuket's leading English-language newspaper and news website, covering local news, events, jobs and classifieds for the island's expat and international community since 2007.
Event Planning & Services
The Wedding Bliss Thailand
Wedding & Event Planning
A Phuket-based destination wedding and event planning company operating since 2011, handling venue selection, design, logistics and full-service coordination for weddings and celebrations across the island.
Automotive
Toyota Pearl Phuket
Car Dealership & Service
A Toyota authorized dealer and service centre in Koh Kaew, offering new car sales, servicing and parts for residents and property owners across the island.
Religious Organizations
Wat Si Sunthon Temple
Buddhist Temple
Also known as Wat Lipon, this active Buddhist temple founded in 1792 is famous for its striking 29-metre golden Reclining Buddha mounted atop the main hall…
Nothing listed under that category here yet.
Rawai in detail
A short history
Rawai is home to one of Phuket’s sea gypsy communities, the Urak Lawoi, who have lived on this shore for generations and whose village still sits at the eastern end of the beach.
The area grew slowly as a fishing and boat-building shore, then rapidly from the 1990s as long-stay foreign residents settled here for the value and the community.
The shore and the sea
Rawai beach is shallow, tidal and full of boats — it is a working shoreline rather than a swimming one. For sand, Nai Harn is five minutes away, and the islands offshore are a short longtail ride.
Eating and drinking
The seafront seafood grills are the local institution: pick from the tanks and have it cooked in front of you. Beyond that, an unusually international spread — Thai, Italian, Scandinavian, Russian, Indian — reflecting who lives here.
Shopping and everyday errands
Supermarkets, markets, clinics, gyms, vets and workshops all within the area. Chalong adds more ten minutes north.
Schools, healthcare and getting around
International schools are twenty to thirty minutes towards Chalong and Phuket Town. Clinics are local; the major hospitals around thirty minutes. A car or scooter is essential.
Did you know?
A sea gypsy village on the beach
The Urak Lawoi community at the eastern end of the shore has been here far longer than anyone else.
Choose your dinner from the tank
The seafront grills are the local ritual — buy from the stalls, pay to have it cooked.
Five minutes to a better beach
Nai Harn is minutes away, which is why Rawai’s own shoreline being a working one matters less than it sounds.
Rawai questions we actually get asked
Is Rawai’s beach any good?
Not for swimming — it is shallow, tidal and busy with boats. It is excellent for eating, for boats and for sunsets. Nai Harn, five minutes away, is the swimming beach.
Why do so many expats live here?
Value, community and services. You get more house for the money than anywhere comparable in the south, with an established international population and everything you need close by.
Can a foreign buyer own here?
A good mix of condominium stock, where foreign freehold may be available where capacity remains, and houses on land via long lease or other lawful structures.
How far is the airport?
About fifty-five minutes. The single biggest practical drawback of the far south.
Is it good for renting out?
Better for long lets than holiday lets — the resident demand here is deeper than the tourist demand.
Do I need a car?
Yes, or at minimum a scooter. Distances are short but there is no public transport.
Property in Rawai
A sample of what we are currently marketing in the area.
For Rent
Available Now
฿150K per month
Modern 5-Bedroom Pool Villa: A Dual-Building Tropical Sanctuary in Raw...
Presented by Anan Property Group - Luxury Real Estate & Rental Speciali ...
For Sale
Freehold
Leasehold
Starting From ฿92M
Ultra-Luxury 4 to 5-Bedroom Beachfront Villas: A Coastal Masterpiece i...
Presented by Anan Property Group - Luxury Real Estate & Investment Spec ...
Featured
For Sale
Hot Offer
฿55M
For Sale | Architectural Sea View Masterpiece – Rawai, Phuket
Price: THB 55,000,000 Ownership: Freehold Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3.5 Built- ...