Sirinat

Sirinat Marine National Park covers about 90 km² (56,250 rai) on the northwest coast of Phuket island, of which 68 km² is sea and 22 km² is land^[1]. It is known for white sand beaches, mangroves and offshore coral reefs, and lies about 30 km north of Phuket town around the airport.

About 130 bird species have been recorded, including mangrove pitta, Nicobar pigeon and black-and-red broadbill^[2]. Mangrove wildlife includes monitor lizards, mudskippers and grouper, and reef species include plate coral, soft coral, sea fans and sea anemones^[1]. Mai Khao and Nai Yang beaches are sea turtle nesting sites, with egg-laying typically from November to February.

The park has about 1 km² of mangrove forest where fresh and sea water mix, with red, white, black and cannonball mangroves, and about 2 km² of beach forest that acts as a windbreak and holds the sand, with common ironwood, tulip tree, tropical almond and screwpine^[1].

The park's coast is a series of sandy beaches, including Nai Thon, Nai Yang, Mai Khao and Sai Kaeo. Mai Khao is Phuket's longest beach, about 9 to 10 km long^[2]. Coral reefs lie 700 to 1,000 m offshore^[1].

The rainy season runs from May to October, with the heaviest rain in May, September and October; the rest of the year is fairly dry^[2].

The park lies around Phuket International Airport, and aircraft land low over Mai Khao Beach^[2]. A 2014 editorial criticised the Royal Thai Navy's presence inside the park^[1].

The park was established in July 1981 as Thailand's 32nd national park under the name Nai Yang National Park, and was renamed Sirinat in 1992^[1].

The main draws are the beaches at Nai Thon, Nai Yang, Mai Khao and Sai Kaeo, the mangrove area and the offshore reefs^[1]. Activities include kayaking, snorkelling and birdwatching^[2].

The park is open daily from 08:00 to 16:30 and has no public transport; its northern edge is a short walk from the airport. The headquarters has 12 two-person accommodation units, a campsite beside the visitor centre and a park restaurant^[2]. It received 51,200 visitors in 2019^[1].

Leatherback turtles once nested on a stretch of the park's beach, with 166 eggs laid between 1999 and 2013; none have been seen since 2013, and survival was low because of beach development^[1]. In January 2016 reports said about 1,200 rai of park land had been illegally detached and sold to developers^[1].