Rawai was one of Phuket's first tourist developments, but this was due more to its proximity to Phuket Town than its beauty. As better beaches were discovered, tourist travel to Rawai dwindled and today it's a quiet spot.
The palm-fringed beach is best known for ‘sea gypsies,’ a formerly nomadic fishing minority believed to be of Melanesian descent. Rawai holds the distinction of being the very first tourist beach on Phuket.
