Tawaen Beach, locally known as 'Hat Tawaen,' derives its name from the Thai word for 'welcoming,' reflecting its reputation as the most popular beach on Koh Larn island, located 7.5 kilometers offshore from Pattaya in Chonburi Province, Thailand. This 700-meter crescent of golden sand was developed for tourism in the 1970s when Pattaya emerged as a major beach resort destination. The beach's accessibility via a 45-minute ferry ride from Pattaya's Bali Hai Pier has made it the island's busiest and most commercialized shoreline, attracting both international tourists and Thai day-trippers seeking a tropical escape from Bangkok.
The beach is renowned for its comprehensive water sports facilities, offering banana boat rides, jet skiing, parasailing, sea walking, and snuba diving among the coral reefs that fringe the bay. The clear turquoise waters, typically 3-5 meters deep within 50 meters of shore, provide excellent conditions for snorkeling, with visibility often exceeding 10 of meters during the dry season from November to April. Beach volleyball courts, paddleboard rentals, and floating platforms for cliff jumping cater to active beachgoers, while the northern end of the beach features a quieter zone with beach chairs and umbrellas for those preferring relaxation. The beach is supervised by lifeguards during daylight hours, and the gentle slope of the seabed makes it suitable for families with children.
Lung Sawai Seafood, positioned at the beach's southern end, serves exceptional grilled tiger prawns with tamarind sauce and whole steamed sea bass with lime and garlic. The Glass House, an upscale beachfront restaurant, offers fusion dishes including Thai-style spaghetti with blue crab and mango sticky rice with coconut ice cream. Suttangrak Pattaya, a local favorite on the main beach road, specializes in massaman curry with tender beef and crispy pork belly with Chinese kale. Moom Aroi, a family-run eatery near the pier, is famous for its pad krapow gai (basil chicken) and tom yum goong with fresh Gulf of Thailand prawns.
