What do the red flags by the water on Phuket’s beaches mean?
Insider's Response
It’s like a traffic light: if you see a red flag on the beach, swimming is prohibited. A double red flag means double danger — the sea is especially rough and can be life-threatening. A green flag means there’s no danger, and swimming is allowed and safe.
We wrote more about the system of signal flags in the article What do the different colored flags on Phuket’s beaches mean. Also check our material about rip currents.
Warning flags appear more often in low season from May to October, when the sea is rough due to high waves. But we know where you can swim even during this period — check our list of beaches without waves.
Don’t ignore the flags, and if you swim at “wild,” unpatrolled beaches, always check the weather forecast. You can use the Windy app for that.