Beaches · Next to Railay West, no road
Tonsai Beach
The rockier, more rustic bay beside Railay West: a base for climbers and backpackers, reached over the rocks at low tide or by a jungle path.
Access
By boat only
Time to allow
A few hours, or a stay if you climb
Best time
Around low tide, if you walk over from Railay West
Why go
Tonsai is where many climbers and backpackers stay when they come for the limestone. It is simpler and less polished than Railay West, and that is the point: if you want resorts and a sandy swim, stay on the other side of the headland.
What you will find
A bay under the cliffs on the north side of Railay West, with a rockier shore than its neighbour and a more rustic feel. The walls around it are part of the climbing area of the peninsula.
Getting there
There is no road. From the northern end of Railay West, at low tide, you can scramble over the rocks: they are slippery and there is one boulder to climb, so it is not a route for luggage.
Otherwise, a small jungle path links the two bays. It is steep, with rocks at the start, and best avoided in the rain or after dark.
To reach the peninsula at all, take a boat to Railay first.
Before you go
Watch the tide if you go over the rocks: what is a walk at low tide is not one when the water comes back.
Do not confuse it with Ton Sai on Phi Phi Don, the village where the Phi Phi ferries land.
Where this place leads
Common questions
How do I get from Railay West to Tonsai?
Over the rocks at the northern end of Railay West at low tide, or by the jungle path between the two bays. Both are slippery and neither suits luggage.
Is Tonsai the same as Ton Sai on Phi Phi?
No. This Tonsai is next to Railay, on the mainland coast. Ton Sai on Phi Phi Don is the village where the ferries land.