Kitesurfing in Thailand: An Asian Approach to Water Sports. Race to the Wind: All About Kitesurfing in Pattaya Kite in Thailand

Surfing in Thailand, a country washed by warm tropical seas and a very long coastline, is a very popular beach entertainment. And not only among tourists, but also among the indigenous population. The popularity of surfing is boosted by the fact that the best season for this sport is the period lasting from April to October... High waves, frequent, albeit short-term showers scare away all lovers of leisurely relaxation, so at this time of the year in Thailand there is a significant decline in tourists. Prices for accommodation, food and entertainment are almost halved.

The surfing season in Thailand is also interesting in that all the recognized gurus of this water sport come to the country, since it is a kind of changeover when in other parts of the world surfing on waves on boards stops due to weather conditions. Surf masters are actively sharing their experience with everyone who wants to master this sport. They open schools, give master classes to both tourists and local residents. Therefore, you can not take into account the fact that the surfing infrastructure in Thailand is in its infancy. All possible inconveniences are more than compensated by the quality of training. Moreover, they are actively solving the problems of equipping the coastline.

Surf school in Thailand is found in almost every resort town. There are three surfing zones in the country, in which the practice of this sport is regulated - an approximate uniformity of prices, safety and comfort are ensured. But the most widespread surfing on waves is on islands such as,. In the article, we tried to post a detailed review of surf spots for fans of this kind of extreme.

Phuket

received the greatest distribution and development. This is facilitated by the fact that in different parts of the island you can find optimal conditions suitable for the professional level of the athlete. The wave height reaches about three meters, and their length ranges from 50 to 150 meters. According to professional surfers, this is exactly what is required for safe training and extreme skiing.

The good news is that there can be several types of spots within one. Therefore, the most popular are the beaches and, where the coastline is the longest.

According to professionals, it is worth going here in early May. This is the time when the wind and rough seas are almost every day, so in just a week you can get an adrenaline rush for a year and addicted to surfing in Phuket for the rest of your life. In the rest of the months, a change in the weather and the onset of a calm with heavy torrential rains are possible.

Samui

will appeal to those who do not need the highest level of extreme, since the very nature of this place is conducive to this. It is one of the calmest, and its sunsets are mesmerizingly beautiful. Its shores are lined with villas and hotels; during the rainy season, there are quite a few tourists there. The western coast of Koh Samui is not very suitable for beginner surfers, as it has the most coral reefs. During the low tide in February, you can even see them.

The most restless sea is formed off the northern coast, but it is the most popular. It is sandy and the beach break is the best spot for beginners. The coastline is seven kilometers long, so even with relatively crowded people, you can find a free spot. Spot on belongs to the reef-break category, the bottom is rocky, and the high wave rises stably in the same place, so it is more popular with advanced surfers. The best surfing time in Koh Samui is early March or September.

Pattaya

The wave on the northern coast of the Gulf of Thailand is not at all as high and steep as on the Malacca Peninsula, but there are twenty surf schools in this city, and there are certainly boards in the assortment of sports shops. focused on. There is also an opportunity to join kitesurfing. There are schools and a windsurf station in the area of ​​the Ambassador Hotel. Free water activities in Pattaya are best done from November to May.

Rayong

This is a beginner's paradise. The waves are calm and low, the fall is not scary or painful. In addition to this, it is surrounded by a crystal clear sea. It is quiet and calm here, you can retire from the sea and ride a board without interfering with passing boats and swimming tourists (as there are simply practically none of them here).

The abundance of soft waves generated by the free wind, as well as beautiful beaches and the prospect of learning - these are the factors thanks to which surfing in Thailand is liked by people of completely different levels of fitness. This is where, in addition to the typical Thai holiday, you can become a professional of this sport!

The snow-white sandy beaches of Phuket, known to many Russians, are not only an ideal place to relax, but also good conditions for kiteboarding. The island offers a fairly large windy area for kiting, with different directions depending on the season.

Thailand Phuket - one of the most holiday destinations in this country, it is no coincidence. The nightlife here is very varied, with a myriad of restaurants and bars on the island offering exciting events throughout the year. There is something to do there for water sports enthusiasts.

Kitesurfing in Phuket is ideal for kitesurfing with friends or family who are not keen on kitesurfing, as there is just a huge range of activities besides kitesurfing and a wide range of all kinds of luxury hotels. In addition, a trip to Phuket is easily combined with travel to other places in Thailand, for example, to the same Hua Hin - a local kite mecca, or to the islands of Koh Samui. A visit to the capital Bangkok can be no less interesting. All these conditions will allow you to have a great vacation in Thailand and practice kiting.

Kitesurfing in Phuket

Wind: different range of directions

Level: excellent for beginner kitesurfers

Water: smooth surface

Bottom and beaches: sand, shallow water without stones.

The very long beach offers different wind directions for kitesurfing in Phuket. Shallow lagoons with flat water without stones make this island a great spot for beginner kitesurfers.

Fun in Phuket

Phuket offers the widest range of activities besides kitesurfing. You can spend your nights relaxing on Patong and Karon Beaches, as they are known as some of the liveliest centers of nightlife in Asia. Phuket also offers a variety of water sports for everyone: wakeboarding, surfing, sailing, jet skiing, diving, deep sea fishing, canoeing and elephant trekking. On land, you can ride a mountain bike, try karting, bungee jumping, Muay Thai, golf, target shooting or just sunbathe on the beach. This place is just a paradise for an extreme tourist who respects beach holidays.

In Phuket, in addition to outdoor activities, you will find many adventures. You can visit the largest aquarium in Thailand, a butterfly farm, a museum of rare seashells and stones, a large zoo with tigers, birds, snakes, elephants and a huge number of crocodiles. There is a national park, mangroves, temples, and Ton Sai and Bang Pe waterfalls. In addition, the island offers various entertainment events throughout the year, for example, the most famous - the Vegetarian Festival and the King's Cup regatta.

Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of a holiday in this country is the cuisine. Phuket, with its huge number of restaurants, is one of the best places in Thailand in this regard. There you will be offered both international cuisine and incredibly colorful Thai food.

On the island, unlike kitesurfing spots, there are many lively bars where you can find both the most inexpensive and very sophisticated expensive drinks and cocktails. In the evenings, they always organize colorful shows, performances and live music.

Kitesurfing in Thailand:
Kitesurfing in Thailand is quite developed, contrary to popular belief that in this country you can only sunbathe on the beaches and indulge in entertainment. In the period from May to October in Thailand, there is either a lot of precipitation in the form of frequent rains or short-term heavy rains. The season of excellent wind is considered to be the period from November to April. The main part of the infrastructure for kiting and windsurfing in Thailand is located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. To practice these types of outdoor activities, you need to overcome about 500 kilometers in any direction from Bangkok.

Cha Am and Hua Hin

A place on the shores of the Gulf of Thailand, located three hours from the capital of Thailand in the direction of Phuket. You can get to the area using taxis or public transport. Taxis can be rented directly at the airport by saying Hua Hin to the taxi driver. The cost of renting a taxi is about 2,000 baht.

The spot is suitable for almost everyone, both beginners and experienced kitesurfing and windsurfing.

Hua Hin is mainly a kite town. There are very few skiers among the local residents, which cannot be said about the visitors. Hua Hin Beach is sandy with fairly uniform sand, there are no stones on the beach. In this area, rainy and windy weather occurs from May to November, and between March and May is the best time to travel.

In appearance, Hua Hin looks more like a port with a huge cluster of restaurants, all kinds of bars and shops. Unlike Hua Hin, Cha Am is a calm place that is suitable for those who like a quiet rest and silence. Cha Am has 5 kilometers of beautiful beach with a small number of people. From mid-February until almost the end of April, the wind is strong enough, making this location on the coast ideal for training. Between November and January, the wind dies down a bit, but becomes more stable, which is especially noticeable in the morning hours. This season is characterized by the appearance of rather high waves on the surface of a relatively calm bay.

Skiing and training takes place on the main city beach of Cha Am, north of the beach itself there is a station and a ski school. The conditions for learning on the beach are amazing: the nature is very beautiful and the depth is up to the waist. These conditions are ideal for training as they prevent serious injury while training.

This place is very convenient for windsurfers and kiters of all skill levels. The seabed is sandy and the winds are not particularly strong in the area, which is conducive to learning to windsurf. Winds in the area are from January to March. This coastal area is not crowded. Along the coast, south of Ha Ama and close to Hua Hin, within the city of Pran Buri, there is a convenient location for active recreation. The wind in this area appears, as a rule, in the afternoon and in the evening, and closer to midnight the time of parties begins, of which there are a huge number. A well-developed infrastructure will not allow a tourist who loves to have an active rest to get bored either during the day or at night in the absence of wind.

Ko Samui is an island in the Gulf of Thailand where Thailand is trying to keep its wilderness untouched. There are several ways to get to the island. This can be done by plane from Bangkok airport or by water transport. The island is connected by air with the islands of Singapore and Krabi, as well as with the cities of Pattaya and the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, with flights to and from Bangkok several times a day.

When traveling to the island, you can also save money by spending only about 800 baht. To do this, you need to take a train from Bangkok to Surat Thani station, and then take a ferry in a neighboring town called DonSak. From the port of this city, ferry services are established with all the nearby islands.

If you choose a bus as a means of transportation, you should take it either on Khao San Road, which is one of the most famous in Bangkok, or from the southern bus station. Buses run daily at six o'clock in the evening. When purchasing a bus ticket through local travel agencies, it is worth buying a ticket for the ferry to Koh Samui right away. The fact is that by buying tickets for both transport at once, you can save a little, since purchasing tickets separately will be more expensive. When choosing a bus as a means of transportation, you should take into account that, having departed from Bangkok at six o'clock in the evening, you will arrive at the port only in the morning.

On the island, the southeast coast is best suited for swimming; here on the coast it is quite deserted and there are no resorts. Here, on the shore, there is a local kiter training school and the tourism infrastructure is quite well established. The sea on this coast forms a lagoon, which, in the presence of wind, becomes an ideal place for skiing, both for beginners and experienced lovers of this type of recreation. The wind wave rises at a distance of 700 meters from the coast, behind the reef, which is the insurance for the lagoon from strong winds. The water surface of the lagoon almost always has a mirror surface. The bottom of the lagoon is mostly sand.
This place is very popular among kiters, and almost nobody does windsurfing here. This place is located within the boundaries of Samui Orchid Resort. There are usually few people here, and there are practically no tourists. There are still places for kiters in the area, but they have large reefs, which is dangerous for beginner kiters. It is best to ski in this area in the month of January, as November and December are characterized by rainy weather, despite the fact that 200 kilometers from this place, in Chumphon during this period it is dry and sunny.

Chumphon is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Thailand. The area is great for kitesurfing and windsurfing. This area is located between Cha Am and Hua Hin in the north and Surat Thani in the south. The opening of a local airport in this area is on the way, but the distances are not particularly long, which allows getting rid of unnecessary flights.
Travel to the area can be accelerated by using the plane to reach Surat Thani. The flight takes only about 30 minutes. Fixed-route taxis move from the city to Chumphon almost every hour, and the road takes about 2-3 hours to the final destination.

It should be especially noted the excellent transport links between the resort areas of the country. You can get to Chumphon using any of the modes of transport, while it does not really matter which area of ​​Thailand you will be in, for example, from the capital of the state, the road takes about seven and a half hours.

In case you start driving from Bangkok, you will have to buy a ticket and take a bus at Southern Bus Station. The bus departure times are as follows: 9-00, 11-00, 14-00 and 21.30. A large number of carriers start their routes on one of Bangkok's famous streets called Khao San Road. Any of the carriers will take you to Chumphon. The port of this city is an ideal departure point for those tourists planning to continue their journey. Here you can buy tickets for both ferries that run to the islands, and speedboats in the same directions.

Chumphon is a sandy spot designed for self-confident riders. The winds in this area are of moderate strength. This area is most suitable for skiing between November and December. It rains in the south of this area at this time, and in this area it is dry, sunny and cool. Usually the wind appears in the morning and in the afternoon, and in the evening you can enjoy the resort life of the city.

The residence of Thai monarchs, a magnificent park and a complex of buildings in traditional Thai style. They will remember the huge number of temples, each of which is notable for a kind of Buddha sculpture. In this country, they sing of their god with such zeal that you can take a separate tour, looking at the golden, emerald, sitting, reclining Buddhas. And amazing Thai shows are another side of the original state. We, of course, also watched it all. How could it be otherwise, after all, for the first time in Thailand. And only after that they indulged in fun on the water. As it turned out, there are only two kite stations in Thailand - one is located in the most popular resort, Pattaya, and the other on the island of Koh Phangan, just north of Koh Samui. Since we were in Pattaya, we decided to start from here. It is a big busy resort, but we found the kite station quickly. If you are driving along Sukhumvit road from Bangkok, then you need to turn right, towards the coast, to Soi Najomten (the street between Shell gas station and the Ambassador Hotel). On it, right by the sea, in house 14, there is the Blue Lagoon water sports center, part of which is occupied by a kite station. So, here we are. My friends already have a certificate that allows them to cut the waves without any problems, but I - a novice kite rider - had to take lessons at a local school.

Kitesurfing (from the English kite - a kite and surfing - surfing, "riding on the wave") or kiting is a sport, the basis of which is movement under the action of the traction force developed by a kite (kite) held and controlled by an athlete.

If you are the same "teapot" as I am, then my experience will help you. The first step is to deal with your equipment and gear. There are many different kites, but a simple paper kite will work for you, and the board should provide a good grip on the water. Learning is most productive not in a group, but one-on-one with a coach. Especially at the initial stage, kitesurfing is associated with great risk, so you should not practice "by self-instruction". You can get entangled in the slings, and then seriously cut yourself with them, or even earn fractures. That is why you need to go out to sea in a life jacket, in a helmet and with a safety leash.

After exercising on land, you need to choose a place to train on the water. I didn’t have to worry about that, because the Blue Lagoon has the best location on the East Coast of Thailand. The weather in Pattaya was excellent: the sea was calm, and the wind was blowing parallel to the coast at a speed of no more than 7 m / s. The start was the most difficult test until I somehow got up on the water, I had to flounder pretty much. But when I managed to catch the wind and I was sliding along the water surface, my delight knew no bounds. I was so carried away that I did not want to interrupt the wonderful flight. Not hearing the warning shouts of the coach, after a few minutes I was at a decent distance from the start, and I still could not turn around and rush through the water against the wind, I had to stomp back on foot, carrying all the ammunition. Subsequently, I was already smarter and did not aim at marathon distances.

There are many different kites, but a simple paper kite will work for you, and the board should provide a good grip on the water.
I rode left and right tack, learned how to turn the kite, did the first few jumps with a kite and fell in love with this sport.
I spent a lot of time and money learning how to ride. Went ok only after the second gurney ride to the sea. And some sikukha here writes that she is already turning and jumping, and in general she is talking nonsense about a paper kite. It would be better if I wrote about the season when it blows when not
01.12.14 Borisss

we are going to Pottaya for a month and a half in July, we have our own equipment, there is no experience in the water. I ride on the snow. How is the weather at this time of the year and is it possible to get to you
12.11.13 Larion

Good yen. we are going to Pattaya through nelelya, we want to ride with a kite (we have our own equipment), where are you? what the cost of studying? how professional are the instructors? how to contact you locally
18.08.13 Ekaterina

Kitesurfing in Thailand is quite developed. Although there is an opinion that on the beaches of this country they only sunbathe and have fun. May-October is the rainy season with heavy or short-term precipitation. The optimal time with excellent wind is in November-April.

The best spots for kiters and windsurfers on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. The place is 500 km from Bangkok.

Kitesurfing in Thailand - the best spots

It is worth noting a few good places that are suitable for beginners and fans of kitesurfing. The main spots for kitesurfing in Thailand:

1. Cha Am and Hua Hin are located on the shores of the Gulf of Thailand. It is just a three hour drive from Bangkok. To get there, it is worth taking a taxi or using public transport. You can hire a car at the airport, telling you where to go. The place is better suited for beginners and professional kitesurfing and windsurfing professionals. There are a lot of tourists and vacationers on the beach, compared to the skiers. Sandy beach without stones. It is best to visit this place between March and May. (Photo)
2. Cha Am is the best option for connoisseurs of peace. The 5 km long sandy beach is usually not crowded. February-April is wind time for 10-16 domes, so this period is great for training. In addition, the shallow depth allows for safe training. November-January is a quieter period, there is no strong wind, but despite this, there are quite large waves. There is a school and a station near the beach. (Photo)
3. Pranburi is suitable for windsurfing and kitesurfing regardless of skill level. As a rule, there are not many people on a sandy beach. Strong winds in the period January-March, the blowing begins more from noon and closer to the night. In the evenings, a huge number of parties are held in this place, so you will not have to be bored when there is no wind. (Photo)
4. Ko Samui is a wilder island located in the Gulf of Thailand. You can get here by plane or save money and take the bus. The southeast coast is mostly quiet with few tourists. But there is a local school. Great desert place for kiters. Local spots are more suitable for experienced athletes due to the large and rather dangerous reef for beginners. The best period to visit this place is from January, as November and December are rainy times. (Photo)
5. Chumphon is a popular kitesurfing destination in Thailand. You can get to the place without any problems from almost any city. The sandy spot is suitable for experienced riders. Here the winds are not very strong on kites of 10-14 m, sometimes even less - 10 m. It is better to come here in November and December. You can ride in the morning and at noon. By evening, the winds subside, and you should enjoy the quiet life of the town of Chumphon.

Kitesurfing in Phuket for beginners and professionals

Many athletes have heard of Phuket's white sand beaches. There are great kitesurfing spots with extensive winds in a wide variety of directions (depending on the season).

The island will delight with its rich life not only amateurs of fun and intense rest, but also lovers of kiting. Kitesurfing in Phuket is suitable for families and children who are not keen on kiting. They will definitely find something to do with themselves during their vacation. A trip to the island can be combined with a visit to other interesting places - Hua Hin (a large kite mecca) or Koh Samui.

Kitesurfing in Phuket has the following characteristics:

• the wind is directed in different directions;
• the spot is suitable even for novice riders;
• sandy shallow beach without large cobblestones or reefs;
• the long length of the beach suggests skiing in different directions.

There are many other entertainments here. Patong and Karon Beaches are known for their vibrant Asian nightlife. In addition to kitesurfing, you can go surfing, sailing, canoeing and even elephant trekking. Also worth trying is mountain biking, karting, bungee, Thai boxing. Phuket is the perfect combination of an extreme and relaxing getaway.

You cannot leave the country without appreciating the national cuisine. Phuket boasts a large number of restaurants, in this regard, it is the best in the whole of Thailand.

During the day, tourists will have a great time skating, and in the evening you can visit a colorful show, a performance or an interesting institution with live music.