Kata & Kata Noi

Kata is a kilometre and a half of wide, soft sand, with the uninhabited islet of Koh Pu offshore and the sun setting behind it. It is one of the liveliest places on the island: restaurants, a night market, surf schools.

Kata Noi lies beyond the headland, five hundred metres to the south. The sand is paler and softer, the sea floor slopes gently, and only a few hotels stand by the water. In the dry season people swim here; in the green season, they catch waves.

Above the rocks of Kata Noi stands Mom Tri’s Villa Royale, once the private home of the architect Mom Luang Tridhosyuth Devakul. Its restaurant, Mom Tri’s Kitchen, steps down to the sea in terraces, and the cellar holds more than 750 wines.

The King’s Cup has been sailed off Kata since 1987; the regatta was founded to mark the 60th birthday of King Bhumibol. Around a hundred yachts race for a week, and the evening programme takes place in the hotels on the beach.

In 2026 the regatta runs from 5 to 12 December. During those days the beachfront hotels of Kata and Karon are almost full, and Ao Po Grand Marina and Boat Lagoon take in the visiting yachts. If your dates coincide, it is best to hold a villa and tables early.

Kata Noi: quiet in the evening

There are only a few hotels by the water here, so the villas stand higher up, on the slopes above the bay. Evenings are quiet, and Kata’s restaurants are a few minutes away.

Above Kata: restaurants below

The slopes above the main beach hold villas and residences with sea views. Kata Rocks, for example: 34 villas on the hill, each with its own pool. Restaurants, the market and the surf schools are down below.

Estates for a large family

There are estates for 12⁠–⁠14 guests, with a gym and a tennis court⁠—for a three-generation trip.

• A quiet corner. Morning at the northern end of Kata, by the mouth of the stream, where there are noticeably fewer people than at the southern end of the beach.
• The regatta. A villa, a driver and tables for the evening programme, arranged in advance. A boat on the water to watch the racing, on request.
• The waves. In the green season, a surf instructor for children and adults, with timing set by the swell.
• Dinner above Kata Noi. A table on the terraces of Mom Tri’s Kitchen at sunset.
• The south of the island in a day. A driver for the day: Promthep, the Big Buddha, Wat Chalong and lunch by the sea in Rawai.

We shape Signature Experiences⁠—the regatta, days at sea, dinners⁠—around your dates.