Koh Samui

Island Details  

Koh means: island
Size: About 247 km2
Location: Gulf of Thailand
Province: Changwat Suratthani
From Bangkok; About 700 km
Tambons or sub districts: 7
Population: About 48,000
Main town: Nathon

Important numbers

Police emergency: 191
Tourist Police: 0 7742 1281
Tourist Police - Emergency: 1155
Fire Department: 106
Bangkok Hospital: 0 7742 9500
Samui Hospital : 0 7742 1232
Immigration: 0 7742 1069

Short history

Koh Samui has been settled for about 1500 years. The first arrivals here were fishermen. The island can be found on 500 years old maps from the Chinese Ming dynasty. Fishing and later coconut farming have been the major source of income on Koh Samui.

Samui island

Koh Samui is located in the Gulf of Thailand in the South China Sea in the Pacific Ocean. The island is an Amphoe or district in the Surat Thani, Changwat or province. Samui is divided into seven Tambons or sub districts (administrative regions): Maenam, Bophut, Maret, Taling Ngam, Namuang, Lipa Noi and Angthong. Koh Samui has been a backpacker’s destination since the late 70's. Today, tourists from all over the world come to this easygoing, island, paradise. It is located in the Gulf of Siam and surrounded by more than sixty other islands, some small and inhabited, some bigger as Koh Phangan, Koh Tao (divers island) Koh Nang Yuan and the Angthong Marine Park.

Coming from Bangkok

There are a couple of good options:

Flight You can catch a plane from Bangkok airport, Don Muang. Bangkok Air flies direct to KohSamuiAirport. Thai Airways flies to Suratthani. From there, just take a bus or taxi to the ferry. (A new airport in Bangkok, SuvarnabhumiAirport has just been built, but there are no flights to Samui or Suratthani from there yet)

Bus If you want a more economical way to travel, take the VIP bus from the well-known Khao San Road or from the Southern bus terminal at Boromrat Chonnani Road. The VIP buses are more comfortable than the so called A/C bus. You can buy a ticket in almost every travel agency in Bangkok. Ferry is often included in the price.

Train Another great way to travel is the night train from Hualamphong, the Bangkok railway station, to Suratthani. The sleeping cars are comfortable. It is a little more expensive than the bus, but you will get a good sleep. Upper beds are less expensive than the lower ones. A private "first class" cabin for two people is also available.

Ferry The fastest ferry leaves from the two main piers in Donsak on the main land with operators like Seatran, and Raja Ferry. You will see many of the small surrounding islands if you don't fall asleep. You might also take the Lomprayah ferry from Chumpon.

Money and ATM's

There are nowadays many exchange offices (mini banks) and ATM machines, accepting Mastercard, VISA etc. credit, electron or debit cards, around the island. There are also different Thai banks available at several locations.

To do on Samui

Thaiboxing stadiums Found at Lamai Stadium and in a bar area in the middle of the beach road. (So called lady boxing and free to watch) The Chaweng Stadium is located rather close to Reggae Pub. There are several fights a week. Sometimes "farangs" vs. Thai guys in the ring. We also recommend Ratchadamnoern and Lumpini stadiums in Bangkok if you want to see "the real thing."

Samui shooting range Pistols and machineguns! Location: Main road. Close to the Tesco Lotus supermarket.

Go Kart Three types of go karts to choose from. Found at Bo Phut main road. Lots of fun!

Bungy Jump This adrenaline pumping activity is found at Chaweng close to Reggae pub. A bungee catapult is found near Lamai beach.

Buffalo fighting There are many arenas around the island.

Butterfly garden Butterflies and other tropical insects. It is located in the southeast at Leam Set.

Magic garden It is located in the center of Samui. Many interesting sculptures made of cement.

Nathon

The main town on Samui is named Nathon. You will find banks, post offices, restaurants, stores and shops here, but it's is not a place where so many people choose to stay. Nathon is also the main ferry port of the island with a second pier recently completed.

Samui attractions

Koh Samui is perfect if you want a place without high rise hotels, resorts and discotheques, but it is somewhere you can find great beaches, restaurants, bars and some nightclubs. Most people who visit Koh Samui want to come back again and again.

Waterfalls

There are many fine waterfalls around the island follow the local guide maps to find them.

Na Muang waterfall is located about 10 km south of Nathon. It is about 80 m high.

Hin Lad waterfall is located 2 km south of NathonTown. Take a walk in the forest and enjoy a soft drink or why not a refreshing Thai beer afterwards.

Big Buddha

Wat Phra Yai is a more than 12 meter tall Buddha statue, first built in 1972. It is located on a small island but today connected with the main land via a bridge. Please show respect and wear proper clothes and shoes while visiting. This is not just a tourist attraction, but also an important Buddhist symbol for the local Thai people here. In 2005 and 2006, Big Buddha has been extended with a Dharma wheel and a traditional Suphannahong boat.

Hin Ta Hin Yai

The grandfather and grandmother rocks are located on South Lamai beach.

Nightlife and bars

On Samui you'll find a few nightclubs and discotheques if you like that kind of entertainment. The Green Mango, Reggae Pub (on Chaweng beach) and Bauhaus, Super Sub (on Lamai beach) There are also smaller pubs and bars all over the island. Enjoy!

Around the island

Walk - Nice, but use a lot of sun screen. Bicycle - Just rent it. It's cheap. Motorbike - Most common here. From 100 cc to Harley Davidson. Prices from 150 baht per day. Pickup taxi (Songtaew) - From early morning to 7 pm. Price: 20-50 Baht, but it's more expensive at night after 6 PM. Car - You can rent a jeep or a car. Prices starts from about 800 Baht. Taxi - Convenient! But most of them do not use the taximeter. Ask for the price in advance. The prices usually start from about 100 baht and up.

Beaches

Most beaches have white sand and are fringed with coconut palms. Many resorts and hotels are located just a couple of meters from the beach. The most popular are:

Chaweng A 7 km long beach in the North-East of Samui. The most well-known and developed, but also one of the best. You can rent anything from a simple bungalow to a five star hotel room here. There are plenty of high standard resorts here. The sand is invitingly white, but there can be a lot of people here, especially during high season.

Lamai Not as long as Chaweng but more peaceful, some people would say charming. The Southern part of the beach is somehow more inviting than the Northern, because there are not so many stones and coral there. Lamai is located in South-East of Samui, about 10 kilometers South of Chaweng. A little North of Lamai you will find Ao Tong Takian beach. It has became rather popular, and a few resorts are located there.

Mae Nam, Big Buddha, Bo Phut In the North of Samui you will find these fine beaches. You will also find the small but very beautiful Choengmon beach in the North-East and Bang Por beach in the North-West. They are not as crowded as Chaweng and Lamai. A large range of hotels and bungalows are found here and it is close to the Airport, Pier and Big Buddha too. On Samui you can stay in a simple bungalow or in a luxury hotel.

Diving

Koh Samui, Koh Tan and Koh Tao have many excellent diving sites. There are many schools that provide professional education. Snorkeling and wave diving is also fun. You can buy equipment in many diving shops on Koh Samui and Koh Tao.

Maps and guidebooks

There is much more to do on Samui. You can get a free map and guide in every travel agency there.

Respect

Thai people are normally very friendly and have high tolerance. Just remember that if you come from another country; Thai people are very proud of the monarchy and the King and also of course their religion (More than 94% are Buddhists). Also remember that Buddha images, temples etc are considered as holy. Enter a temple with respect and wear appropriate clothes. (No shorts) Don't point your feet to someone while sitting and don't touch people's head. At Koh Samui and other "tourist places" the inhabitants are normally used to "western lifestyle", so there are no problems as long as you just show the same "respect" as people show you.

Keep Samui clean

Please throw finished bottles and other waste in a garbage can. Let coming generations be able to explore Koh Samui as well. It is also important to respect the local citizens. If everyone respects the nature and wild life on Samui it will remain a small paradise on earth for a long time!

Dogs and cats

Most of the dogs and cats are "friendly and harmless" in Thailand, but of course there are always a few exceptions. There are still some stray dogs and cats on Samui’s beaches and in the villages. Do you want to help to make their life better? Please visit and/or support the DogRescueCenter.

Where to stay?

There are many hundreds of different types of accommodation available on Koh Samui. Prices start from a few hundred baht. Koh Samui today, has many resorts with international high class standards. Many of those "boutique resorts" have facilities such as restaurants, spa, fitness room, Jacuzzis, pools and conference centres.

Extend a visa on Samui

To extend a visa on Koh Samui, just go to the Koh Samui Immigration Office. It is located 2 km South of Nathon town on Thaweeratphakdee Road. If you need to go for a visa run, there are buses and minibuses to Malaysia and Myanmar (Burma) via Ranong. Most of the travel agencies on the island, will offer these different alternatives for you.