Where is Ao Tang Khen?

It's on the east coast of Phuket Island, in Ko Kaeo sub-district, about 20 minutes by car from Phuket Town.

Why visit the seagrass meadow?

It is one of the few remaining systems that can still support dugongs, and it serves as a working research and youth-learning site.

When is the best time to visit?

Early-morning low tides between January and April.

How can I contribute?

Join a seagrass walk, log observations on iNaturalist, or sponsor a school cohort's field day.

Don't step on the seagrass, don't leave waste, and don't collect marine life.

Ao Tang Khen Bay

Overview

A shallow bay holding one of the Andaman's largest seagrass meadows and a working small-boat fishing community.

A shallow bay where seagrass meadows feed dugongs, turtles and the local fishing economy.

Quick Facts

Category: Nature
Location: East Phuket
Accessibility: —
Opening Hours: —
Best Season: Early-morning low tide between January and April reveals the seagrass and its inhabitants most clearly.
Recommended Visit Time: —
Family Friendly: —
Wheelchair Accessible: —

Why This Place Matters

Seagrass meadows lock carbon, shelter endangered species and nurse the fish that feed the island — losing them means losing the system.

Biodiversity

Seagrass
Halophila ovalis, Enhalus acoroides — 7 recorded species
Marine Life
Dugong, green turtle, pipefish

Recorded species

Dugong (Dugong dugon)Marine Life
Green turtleMarine Life
Halophila ovalisSeagrass
Enhalus acoroidesSeagrass
PipefishMarine Life

Community

Who lives & works here

Uncle Som
Small-boat fisher, 50 yrs on the bay
Dr. Anchana W.
Marine ecologist, PMBC
Ploy K., age 16
Youth Explorer, seagrass cohort

Traditions & livelihoods · Community voices

"Low-tide reading by the bay's small-boat fishers"
"Lunar calendar fishing windows"
"Traditional names for each seagrass patch"

Every community tour booking and every citizen-science record funds school cohorts and goes back to small-boat fishing families.

Living Timeline

Timeline coming as we gather records.

Current Status

No live status report yet.

Marine LifeVerified

Dugong (Dugong dugon)

Ploy K. · 2026-06-12

SeagrassVerified

Halophila ovalis (seagrass)

Krit T. · 2026-06-10

Living Lab

Research & projects

BiodiverCity

Ao Tang Khen Seagrass Program

Community-led monitoring of one of Phuket's most important seagrass meadows.

Open data

Phuket Citizen Science

An island-wide network of residents, students and visitors recording species and pressures.

Education

School Learning Programs

Hands-on field learning that turns students into Phuket's next generation of stewards.

School & youth activity

QSI International School
Place-based learning that turns students into citizen scientists of Phuket.

How You Can Help

Volunteer

Monthly seagrass walk

3 hrs / month

Volunteer

Data entry buddy

1 hr / week

Volunteer

School cohort mentor

1 day / term

School Visit

Seagrass survey field day

Half-day field

School Visit

Reading a tide table

Workshop

School Visit

iNaturalist for beginners

Online + field

Responsible visitor tips

Walk on sand or trails, never on the seagrass.
Footsteps shear seagrass rhizomes.
Photograph and submit to iNaturalist.
Your record becomes part of the permanent dataset.
Book with community guides rather than speedboat operators.
Money stays in the village.
Pack out waste; refuse single-use plastic.

Missions you can join

Biodiversity

Seagrass Guardian

Map a meadow that feeds dugongs, turtles and the fishery.

Open mission

10.5

Related Knowledge

Partner-verifiedThis place plugs into species, ecosystems and projects across Phuket.

Ecosystems2

Coral reef
Seagrass

Living Lab projects3

Stories2

Citizen observations2

Dugong (Dugong dugon)
Halophila ovalis (seagrass)

Schools1

QSI International School

Partners1

Andaman Discoveries

Experts2

Phuket Marine Biological Center
Dr. Anchana W.

Related places4

Species5

Dugong (Dugong dugon)
Green turtle
Halophila ovalis
Enhalus acoroides
Pipefish

Missions1

Seagrass Guardian

AI Summary

Built from verified PLC content. No AI-generated facts.

Ao Tang Khen Bay — A shallow bay holding one of the Andaman's largest seagrass meadows and a working small-boat fishing community. Seagrass meadows lock carbon, shelter endangered species and nurse the fish that feed the island — losing them means losing the system. Seagrass: Halophila ovalis, Enhalus acoroides — 7 recorded species. Marine Life: Dugong, green turtle, pipefish. Every community tour booking and every citizen-science record funds school cohorts and goes back to small-boat fishing families. East coast of Phuket Island, Ko Kaeo sub-district, accessed via Route 4031.. Best time: Early-morning low tide between January and April reveals the seagrass and its inhabitants most clearly.. Responsible practice: Walk on sand or trails, never on the seagrass.; Photograph and submit to iNaturalist.; Book with community guides rather than speedboat operators.. Related: Nature, Seagrass, Marine Life.

1. What this is: Ao Tang Khen Bay — A shallow bay holding one of the Andaman's largest seagrass meadows and a working small-boat fishing community.
2. Why it matters: Seagrass meadows lock carbon, shelter endangered species and nurse the fish that feed the island — losing them means losing the system.
3. Biodiversity / culture: Seagrass: Halophila ovalis, Enhalus acoroides — 7 recorded species. Marine Life: Dugong, green turtle, pipefish.
4. Community: Every community tour booking and every citizen-science record funds school cohorts and goes back to small-boat fishing families.
5. Visitor info: East coast of Phuket Island, Ko Kaeo sub-district, accessed via Route 4031.. Best time: Early-morning low tide between January and April reveals the seagrass and its inhabitants most clearly..
6. Sustainability: Responsible practice: Walk on sand or trails, never on the seagrass.; Photograph and submit to iNaturalist.; Book with community guides rather than speedboat operators..
7. Related topics: Nature · Seagrass · Marine Life