The Boatyard beach is part of Ao Thong, half an hour north of Khao Lak and Bang Niang - the blue building (below left) was where Tsunami Volunteers built 116 longtail boats to replace those lost from along the coast from Phuket to Ranong opposite Burma. The project was run by an American, Scott Carter, who raised the cash through donations, 60% from Ireland (you will see boats with Irish motifs on them along the Andaman coast). Now, during the tourist season, it is used as a restaurant but you can still see how it looked and some of the tools are on display.

A short walk along the beach to the north brings you to Laem Pakarang where a raised stretch of sand and coral goes hundreds of metres into the sea and you can walk on it at low tide or just enjoy the spectacle at high tide. Our photo shows someone who knows about the conditions there ... probably best if you do not try it.