Railay Beach wins regional beach award on 17 October

Railay Beach in Thailand was voted Southeast Asia’s most beautiful beach in the Readers’ Choice Awards, a result reported on 17 October 2026. The beach, also called Railay Beach in local usage, lies in Krabi and is reached by boat rather than road.

Railay Beach takes Southeast Asian beach title

The result came from a poll of 800,000 readers of British travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller, according to VnExpress International’s report published on 17 October 2026. Railay Beach placed ahead of Nusa Dua Beach in Indonesia, Boracay in the Philippines and Coral Beach in Malaysia in the Southeast Asian list.

The same report says the beach ranked second in Asia behind Sri Lanka’s Arugam Bay. That distinction places the Krabi destination in two different geographic frames: first among the Southeast Asian beaches listed in the report, while remaining behind Arugam Bay in the wider Asian ranking.

The award gives travellers a fresh reason to identify the destination before planning a visit, but it does not create a new entrance, special opening or visitor facility. The practical change is informational: the recognised beach remains a boat-access destination divided by cliffs and shoreline into several named areas.

Krabi’s beach is shaped by cliffs and boat access

The official Thailand Tourism Directory entry places Railay Beach in Ao Nang Sub-district, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi Province. It describes fine sand beside gorges and identifies East Railay and West Railay as separate parts of the beach.

The government directory also names Ton Sai Bay and the mountains near Phra Nang Nai Cave among the area’s recognised climbing locations. West Railay is associated with clear sea water, sandy beach and a viewpoint, while the eastern side has different coastal conditions and is not presented as one continuous swimming beach.

Those physical features explain why the award and the place are closely linked. The landscape that attracts the ranking - pale sand, coastal water and limestone cliffs - also limits road access and makes the boat journey part of the geography visitors must understand.

Visiting Railay Beach: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Readers’ Choice Awards result concerning Railay Beach was reported on 17 October 2026, with the beach named in the Southeast Asian ranking.
• Access is by boat, because the limestone cliffs separate the beach from the road network; visitors should expect to continue on foot after landing.
• The destination is in Ao Nang Sub-district, Mueang Krabi District, in Krabi Province, Thailand.
• West Railay, East Railay, Ton Sai Bay and Phra Nang Nai Cave are named areas or landmarks associated with the beach and its surrounding cliffs.
• The official language of Thailand is Thai and the national currency is the baht.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Railay Beach

When was the Railay Beach award reported?

VnExpress International reported the Southeast Asian Readers’ Choice Awards result on 17 October 2026.

Where is Railay Beach and how do you get there?

It is in Ao Nang Sub-district, Mueang Krabi District, Thailand, and access is by boat because the cliffs block road access.

What is Railay Beach?

It is a fine-sand coastal attraction divided into East Railay and West Railay, with limestone cliffs and named climbing areas including Ton Sai Bay.