Swimming as in unperturbed laps for exercise ? Or swimming as in frolicking in the surf ? Probably the former , but just want to be sure . Bang Rak , and even more so , Mae Nam both on the north side of the island , will have pretty calm water , and very few people . Chaweng , near Ark Bar , will have many people in the beach and water , as well as several barsrestaurantshotels right on the beach . The further south you go on Chaweng Beach , the quieter it gets . Pretty much all parts of Chaweng Beach , Bang Rak Beach , and Mae Nam beach as well as the other beaches have very nice sand , and clear and calm water . I don ' t have too much experience with Lamai , but I can tell you it ' s the second most populated beach area after Chaweng .