All beaches in Thailand are government property, so anyone is allowed to sit on Pan Sea beach. It is only accessible from the sea, though, or through one of the two resorts behind it. The Chedi allows people to cross its land to get to the beach, but charges THB 800 per person, a fee which puts all would-be day-trippers off and assures that the beach remains exclusively the preserve of the guests of The Chedi and Amannpuri resorts.

This is a major benefit and is the reason that we have selected The Chedi bungalows as the best beach bungalows on Phuket – there are never any hawkers or jet-skis close to Pan Sea beach, and guests can thoroughly relax and unwind on one of the resorts’ numerous loungers, each pair of which is beautifully parked under its own umbrella of thatched palm fronds.  In this private enclave of the fortunate few, everybody minds their own business as assiduously as they attempt to forget all about it.

Facilities

Kid’s Corner
In many Thai resorts the children’s play room is a noisy and dinghy place which adults loathe as much as their children love. The Chedi hasn’t been able to do anything about the volume problem, but has at least decorated its children’s room in jolly-looking clowns holding balloons.

Pool
The unusual and tastefully tiled octagonal  pool is, as is de rigeur in Thai resorts, brilliantly lit from beneath at night. The palms swaying above the pool (their coconuts safely removed) are also lit at night, creating an archetypically tropical Thai beach scene that soothes the nerves and rests the eyes.

Restaurants
According to contributors on www.tripadvisor.com, the food in this resort is as tasty as is to be expected from a resort of this caliber.

Library
This is well-stocked and beautifully located above the beach, with swaying palms forming a fringed curtain between the reader and the white-topped rollers coming in from the deep blue of the Andaman Sea.

2 Bedroom Bungalow

These are close to the beach, but not on the front row. Varnished woodwork and white walls predominate, with vividly-hued silk cushions providing a flash of colour. Bigger than the ‘Beach Deluxe Suites’, these bungalows are big enough to accommodate 2 adults, 3 children and an infant. They don’t occupy the best locations in the resort, but few guests will be disappointed.