Ban Krut beach is now a full-on tourist destination with a string of resorts, restaurants and inner-tube rental shops – there's even a 7-Eleven – sitting across the road from the sea. Families park their cars and spend the day eating, drinking and watching their kids splash around. That said, it's still much more subdued than a typical tourist beach as you don't need to go very far south to score a private patch of sand, even on holiday weekends.
Ban Krut is better than Bang Saphan Yai for getting out to explore. The coconut-tree-shaded road to the south, home to scattered farmers and fisherfolk, makes a great bike or motorcycle ride, and to the north Phra Mahathat Chedi Phakdi Praka is a gorgeous modern stupa.
