Where Kamala is and what the area covers
Kamala (กมลา) is a subdistrict on Phuket’s west coast, in Kathu district. According to the subdistrict administration (Kamala SAO), it covers 18.9 km² and borders Choeng Thale (Surin and Bang Tao) to the north, Patong municipality to the south and Kathu municipality to the east. The SAO was established on 2 March 1995, and its website is now surveying residents about becoming a subdistrict municipality.
There are six villages: Bang Wan, Nuea, Nok Le, Khok Yang, Hua Khuan and Naka. DOPA counted 7,136 registered residents in December 2025, but more registered houses (addresses): 8,075. That pattern is typical where many homes belong to people registered elsewhere. The largest villages are Hua Khuan (1,876 residents) and Khok Yang with Ban Naka Khe (1,722).
Who Kamala suits
- People who want a quiet life with a hospital 11 minutes away. Patong Hospital is 8.9 km from Kamala Beach, and the Smart Bus runs there too.
- Buyers of completed homes with issued titles. Our registry lists 44 Kamala projects, 27 completed and 21 in the Treasury register, which means unit titles have been issued. Only Patong has more projects in our registry.
- People who prefer several small beaches to one big one. Kamala SAO lists Laem Sing (no parking, access via a private road), Ngua, Pho Ma and Layi, Bang Wan waterfall in village 1, and Kamala Tunnel with murals about Phuket culture.
- People who go to town more often than to the airport. Phuket Old Town is 20.7 km, about 24 minutes away, closer than from Bang Tao or Surin. The airport is 27.1 km away.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who needs to be at the sea half an hour after landing. The airport is 27.1 km away, about 31 minutes without traffic and more at rush hour. Of the northwest areas, Kamala is the farthest from the airport.
- Buyers who need a price below the island median. The median condo valuation is THB 59,250 per m², 23% above the island median and the highest among subdistricts with 10 or more buildings in the register. Rawai (51,500) and Kathu (37,250) are cheaper, and valuations within Kamala range from THB 31,000 (Kamala Regent) to 219,000 per m² (The Residences at MontAzure).
- Families who need an international school nearby. The OPEC register (2026-10-17) has no international school in Kamala; the nearest are in Kathu subdistrict (QSI, Kajonkiet) and Choeng Thale (HeadStart Cherngtalay, Phuket Pinnacle, Bamboo Valley).
- Anyone expecting calm water from May to October. In those months the coast takes onshore westerly winds, and TMD normals for the airport show 260-399 mm of rain a month. The sea is calm from December to March.
Kamala’s beaches and the wave season
Kamala SAO does not currently publish a description of the main beach, but its website covers the smaller beaches and sights.
| Place | What Kamala SAO says |
|---|---|
| Laem Sing Beach | small beach between Surin and Kamala, no parking, access via a private road |
| Ngua Beach | small, quiet, clear water |
| Pho Ma and Layi beaches | village 6 |
| Bang Wan Waterfall | fed from the Kamala hills, village 1, Ban Bang Wan |
| Kamala Tunnel | underpass with murals of Phuket culture |
Wave season: TMD normals show westerly onshore winds on the west coast from May to October, and DNP describes the southwest monsoon from May to September. Always watch the lifeguard flags: see our red flag guide and calm beaches for the rainy season.
Condos and prices in Kamala
The Treasury appraisal is used for taxes and fees at registration; it is not a market price. Here the subdistrict almost matches the area.
| Metric | Value | Source, date |
|---|---|---|
| Residential condo buildings in the Treasury register | 21 | Treasury, snapshot 2024-08-05 |
| Median valuation | THB 59,250/m² (Phuket: 48,250) | same, our calculation |
| Middle half of buildings | THB 43,750-89,150/m² | same |
| Lowest and highest building | Kamala Regent 31,000; The Residences at MontAzure 219,000 THB/m² | same, building median |
| Rent | not yet published | we are collecting dated rental samples |
Method: all residential units, with or without a balcony; median per floor, then per building, then across buildings. Same calculation as on the Rawai page.
Notable projects in the Thaipedia registry. L1 means the project is in a government register (Treasury or ONEP); L2 means it is confirmed only by the developer’s website.
| Project | Stage in registry | Level | What is confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citygate de Phuket | under construction | L1 | EIA 2025-11-14, construction under way per report |
| Coralina Kamala | stage unconfirmed | L2 | 564 units, 8 buildings of 7 storeys (The Title site) |
| MGallery Residences MontAzure | stage unconfirmed | L1 | EIA 2020-03-09, 24 blocks up to 6 storeys, from THB 9.8 million per developer |
| Twinpalms Residences MontAzure | completed | L2 | 73 units (developer site) |
| The Residences at MontAzure | completed | L1 | Treasury, 11 buildings, THB 216,200-222,800/m² |
| The Kirinara | under construction | L1 | EIA 2023-05-19, company active in DBD |
| Kamala Residence | planned | L1 | EIA 2025-05-26 |
| Royal Kamala Hideaway (D) | planned | L1 | EIA 2026-02-23 |
| Phuket Oceana Condo 1 | completed | L1 | EIA 2015-04-17; Treasury, up to floor 8, THB 83,300-96,500/m² |
| Kamala Falls | completed | L1 | Treasury, 6 buildings, THB 58,000-60,500/m² |
The valuation range on a project card is the minimum and maximum across units. The stage comes from the EIA report at filing. Freehold within the 49% foreign quota or leasehold has to be confirmed for each project: see freehold and leasehold.
On sale now. Catalogue cards with dated developer prices: Coralina Kamala by The Title (presale, from THB 3.4 million on 2026-10-17), The Title Vivana, Citygate de Phuket, The Residences at InterContinental Phuket Resort, Naturale Kamala. Collections: Kamala new builds, condos under THB 5 million, within 500 m of the beach, The Title.
Living in Kamala: schools, hospitals, shops, transport
Schools. There is no licensed international school in Kamala. According to the OPEC private school register on 2026-10-17, both international schools in Kathu district are in Kathu subdistrict (QSI International School Phuket and Kajonkiet International School Phuket), and the nearest ones to the north, HeadStart Cherngtalay, Phuket Pinnacle and Bamboo Valley, are in Choeng Thale. Kamala has one state school, Rajaprajanugroh 36 (โรงเรียนราชประชานุเคราะห์ 36): the OBEC list for the 2020 school year shows kindergarten to grade 12 and 788 pupils. Kamala SAO runs its own child development centres.
Hospitals. The nearest public hospital is Patong Hospital, 8.9 km and about 11 minutes from Kamala Beach. Bangkok Hospital Phuket in town is 17.8 km, about 21 minutes. OSRM, 2026-10-17. There is no licensed private inpatient hospital in Kamala; all five private hospitals on the island are in and around town (HSS list, 2026-07-31).
Shops. OpenStreetMap (2026-10-17) shows 3 supermarkets, 9 convenience stores and the Kamala Beach Plaza mall in the subdistrict. The largest supermarket is Big C, which also has a Smart Bus stop.
Transport. The Smart Bus (airport to Rawai) stops three times in Kamala: Kubur Kamala, Phuket Fantasea and Big C Kamala. Under the timetable valid from 2026-01-16, the first bus from the airport passes Kubur Kamala at 09:05 and Big C Kamala at 09:13, with buses every 30 minutes during the day. Any ride costs THB 100, paid by card, PromptPay QR or cash. We found no official songthaew route.
Drive times to the airport and Old Town
| Route | Distance | Time without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| HKT airport → Kamala Beach | 27.1 km | 31 min |
| Kamala Beach → Phuket Old Town | 20.7 km | 24 min |
| Kamala Beach → Patong Hospital | 8.9 km | 11 min |
OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data, 2026-10-17: airport → Kamala, Kamala → Old Town. Allow more at rush hour and in high season.
Weather and seasons
TMD has two stations on the island, in town and at the airport. Kamala sits between them on the open west coast, like the airport area.
| Period | Rainfall, airport | Rainfall, town | Wind at the airport |
|---|---|---|---|
| January-February | 66 and 32 mm | 50 and 24 mm | easterly, offshore |
| March-April | 117 and 144 mm | 81 and 135 mm | transitional |
| May-October | 260-399 mm a month | 237-350 mm a month | westerly, onshore |
| November-December | 219 and 86 mm | 178 and 82 mm | easterly |
1991-2020 normals, Phuket Airport and Phuket stations. Month by month in Phuket climate data.
Kamala compared with nearby areas
| Area | Median condo valuation, subdistrict | To the airport | Beach | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamala | 59,250 (21 buildings) | 27.1 km, 31 min | bay with small beaches nearby | calm living near Patong |
| Surin | 59,750 for Surin-named buildings | 22.5 km, 26 min | about 2 km, park | a compact beach base |
| Bang Tao | 56,000 (Choeng Thale) | 16.4 km, 23 min | about 8 km, Laguna | families, new builds |
| Patong | 53,750 (44 buildings) | 37.3 km, 43 min | nightlife hub | bars and buzz |
| Layan | 56,000 (Choeng Thale) | 14.2 km, 18 min | national park, quiet | peace and nature |
Valuations in THB/m² from the Treasury register (snapshot 2024-08-05), OSRM drive times, 2026-10-17. All areas on the Phuket page.
Homes in Kamala
Coralina Kamala by The Title
Kamala, PhuketCondo
1 bedroom, 1 bedroom plus, 2 bedrooms, 2 bedrooms plus, Penthouse 2 bedrooms, Penthouse 3 bedrooms · 26-128 sqm
The Element by Anocha
Kamala, PhuketCondo
1 bedroom (type A), 2 bedrooms (type B) · 29.87-168.61 sqm
The Residences at InterContinental Phuket Resort
Kamala, PhuketCondo
- 360 m to the beach
1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms, 2 bedrooms with private pool, 3 bedrooms, Penthouse, 4 bedrooms, Penthouse, 5 bedrooms · 58-425 sqm
Botanica MontAzure
Kamala, PhuketVillas
372-1,625 sqm
Kamala and nearby areas
Computed from our project registry and catalogue at build time.
| Area | Projects | L1 | Under construction | Completed | On sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamala | 47 | 41 | 5 | 27 | 7, from ฿3.4M |
| Surin | 20 | 19 | 5 | 11 | 3, from ฿6.5M |
| Bang Tao | 27 | 21 | 16 | 5 | 18, from ฿2.8M |
| Layan | 14 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 12, from ฿5M |
| Mai Khao | 12 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
- Nai Harn77,3003bldg, 1on sale
- Kata60,40010bldg, 8on sale
- Surin60,00010bldg, 3on sale
- Kamala59,30021bldg, 7on sale
- Karon54,3007bldg, 7on sale
- Patong53,60044bldg, 4on sale
- Chalong51,8007bldg, 5on sale
- Mai Khao45,8005bldg, 1on sale
- Bang Tao44,3003bldg, 18on sale
- Nai Thon42,4005bldg, 2on sale
Source: Thai Treasury Department, condominium valuation registry, snapshot 5 August 2024. Level L1, areas with three or more buildings
FAQ
Where is Kamala in Phuket?
On the west coast, in Kathu district. According to Kamala SAO, the subdistrict borders Choeng Thale (Surin and Bang Tao) to the north, Patong municipality to the south and Kathu municipality to the east. The small Laem Sing beach lies between Kamala and Surin.
Is Kamala part of Patong?
No. It is a separate subdistrict with its own administration, Kamala SAO, established on 2 March 1995; it only shares Kathu district with Patong. The SAO website is currently running a survey on upgrading Kamala to a subdistrict municipality.
How far is Kamala from Phuket Airport?
27.1 km, about 31 minutes without traffic, by OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data. The Smart Bus reaches the Kubur Kamala stop in about 50 minutes for THB 100. Patong is about 9 km south.
How much does a condo cost in Kamala?
Developer prices are in our catalogue with a date: Coralina Kamala, for example, starts at THB 3.4 million per the developer's site on 2026-10-17. For comparison, the Treasury valuation median across 21 residential condo buildings in Kamala is THB 59,250 per m², against THB 48,250 for Phuket. This is a tax valuation, not a sale price.
Can foreigners buy a condo in Kamala freehold?
Yes, within each building's 49% foreign quota; beyond it units are typically leasehold. Branded resort residences may be offered under a rental programme, so read what you actually own and what the operator controls. Confirm tenure and quota with the developer before paying.
Is Kamala good for families?
On the plus side: a calm village, Patong public hospital 11 minutes away, a Big C supermarket and a bus to the airport and Patong. On the minus side: over half an hour to the airport, waves from May to October, and no international school with a verified address inside the subdistrict.
Sources
- Kamala SAO. Subdistrict profile (Thai)
- Kamala SAO. Attractions (Thai)
- Kamala SAO. Laem Sing Beach (Thai)
- Kamala SAO. Ngua Beach (Thai)
- Kamala SAO. Bang Wan Waterfall (Thai)
- DOPA, Ministry of Interior. Population by subdistrict, December 2025
- DOPA, Ministry of Interior. Population by village, December 2025
- Treasury Department. Condominium appraisal values (condo_all, snapshot 2024-08-05)
- ONEP. Smart EIA Plus database
- TMD. Climatological Data of Thailand for 30 Year Period (1991-2020), pp. 82-83
- Phuket Smart Bus. Timetable and routes
- Phuket Smart Bus. Fares and payment
- Patong Hospital
- Bangkok Hospital Phuket
- British International School, Phuket. Enquiries
- OpenStreetMap, Overpass API: shops within Kamala subdistrict (relation 14 031 380), extract 2026-10-17
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: HKT airport to Kamala Beach
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Kamala Beach to Phuket Old Town
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Kamala Beach to Patong Hospital
- OPEC. Private school register of the Ministry of Education (search: Phuket, Kathu and Thalang districts, international)
- OBEC. State school list (obec-school-007, 2020 school-year data)
- Thai Ministry of Public Health, HSS. Licensed private inpatient facilities as of 2026-07-31 (PDF)
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