Koh Samui (Samui Island), Surat Thani

An ever-widening cross-section of visitors, from globetrotting backpackers to suitcase-toting fortnighters, come to southern Thailand just for the beautiful beaches of Koh Samui. 80km from Surat Thani, Samui is large enough to cope, except during the rush at Christmas and New Year. The paradisal sands and clear blue seas have kept their good looks, which are enhanced by a thick fringe of palm trees that gives a harvest of three million coconuts each month. However, development behind the beaches – which has brought the islanders far greater prosperity than the crop could ever provide – speeds along in a messy, haphazard fashion with little concern for the environment. A local bye-law limits new construction to the height of a coconut palm (usually about three storeys), but the island’s latest hotel complexes bask in the shade of some suspiciously lofty trees, rumoured to have been brought in from northern Thailand.

For most visitors, the days are spent indulging in watersports or just lying on the beach waiting for the next drink seller, hair braider or masseur to come along. For a day off the sand, you should not miss the almost supernatural beauty of the Ang Thong National Marine Park, which comprises many of the eighty islands in the Samui archipelago. A motorbike day-trip on the fifty-kilometre round-island road throws up plenty more gorgeous beaches, and night time entertainment is provided by a huge number of beach bars, tawdry bar beers and clubs. Buffalo fighting, once a common sport on the island, is now generally restricted to special festivals such as Thai New Year; the practices and rituals are much the same as those of bullfighting in Hat Yai.

The Island’s Most Appealing Beaches

Chaweng Beach

For sheer natural beauty, none of the other beaches can match Chaweng, with its broad, gently sloping strip of white sand sandwiched between the limpid blue sea and a line of palm trees. Such beauty has not escaped attention, which means, on the plus side, that Chaweng can provide just about anything the active beach bum demands, from thumping nightlife to ubiquitous and surprisingly diverse watersports. The negative angle is that the new developments are ever more expensive, building work behind the palm trees and repairs to the over-commercialized main drag are always in progress – and there’s no certainty that it will look lovely when the bulldozers retreat.

The six-kilometre bay is framed between the small island of Koh Matlang at the north end and the 300-metre-high headland above Coral Cove in the south. From Koh Matlang, where the waters provide some colorful snorkeling, an often exposed coral reef slices southwest across to the mainland, marking out a shallow lagoon and North Chaweng.

South of Chaweng, the road climbs and dips into coral Cove, a tiny isolated beach of coarse sand hemmed in by high rocks, with some good coral for snorkeling. It’s well worth making the trip to the Beverly Hills Café, towards the tip of the headland dividing Chaweng from Lamai, for a jaw-dropping view over Chaweng and Choeng Mon to the peaks of Ko Pha Ngan (and for some good, moderately priced food).

In the summer months the waters in Chaweng can occasionally have some wind swell and surf, so be prepared for strong rip tides or side shore currents. The waters are shallow, but inexperienced swimmers should either stay close to shore or swim with other people.

Lamai Beach

Lamai's beaches are clean and occasionally less crowded than Chaweng. Lamai was the original destination for travelers to Samui, and compared to Chaweng the town is a bit more tawdry and low budget, but it has its own distinct charms.

Greater Lamai is actually a large and beautiful valley, and as one travels inland away from the beach village the landscape is striking. Lamai has some pretty outrageous 'social' bars in the middle of town, and the once a week all girl Muay Thai boxing matches always seem to draw an eclectic crowd. Lamai has a lovely old Wat (temple), and is also the location of two of the most endearing original spas on the island, one on the beach, a hipster paradise called 'The Spa', and the other called 'Tamarind Spa', which has long been the class act on the island.

Grand Father - Mother Rock
Most visitors get more of a buzz from Hinta (Grandfather Rock) and Hinyai (Grandmother Rock), small rock formations on the bay’s southern promontory, which never fail to raise a giggle with their resemblance to the male and female sexual organs.

Maenam Beach

In the center of the North coast of the island, Maenam offers spectacular views of Ko Phangan to the North, and the Ang Thong National Marine Park to the East. The waters are calm and clean, being protected from the North Easterly currents by Ko Phangan. Because the sans are golden rather than white Meanam is usually much less crowded than Lamai or Chaweng, and Maenam's restaurants and bars still retain much of the local Thai flavor as well as being more reasonably priced, or even inexpensive. Overall Maenam is quieter, more relaxed, with local Thai community still pretty much intact. Meanam is also home to the Santiburi Resort, still considered by many to be the premier hotel on the island. The major golf course on the island is also in Maenam.

Bophut Beach

Bophut is the beach/bay just to the east of Maenam. Its lifestyle is relaxed and more traditional than the larger communities, referring to itself as Fisherman's Village. Bhophut's laid back vibe is popular with the more chic sort of travelers, and has a number of pricey but very good French-owned cafes and restaurants.

Baan Bophut at the east end of the bay, is well geared to meet their needs with a bank currency-exchange booth, several scuba-diving outlets, a small bookstore, travel agents and supermarkets crammed into its two narrow streets.

Bang Rak Beach

Bang Rak, just two kilometers east of Bhophut, and part of Bhophut 'province' is also known by the name Big Buddha Beach, after the 19-metre gold tinted statue of the ancient spiritual master which overlooks the entire bay (Big Buddha). Bang Rak is quite close to the airport, and is one of the calmest beaches, though the huge sweep of its jade colored waters are often a bit murky. Bang Rak is the jump off point to sister island Ko Phan Ngan, and the ferry goes every day.

Choeng Mon Beach


Choeng Mon is one of the smallest of Samui's tourist beaches, but lies in a secluded bay on the northeastern tip of the island, making it perfect for those who want peace and quiet. It doesn't have much of a town but there are a number of small restaurants and a couple of shops, in addition to some very luxurious (and expensive) hotels that surround the bay...and it is only five minutes north from the bright lights of Chaweng.

Ao Thong Takian (Thong Takian Bay)
Ao Thong Takian is a small cove north of Lamai beach. It's long been popular among stoners and hip tourists for its inviting white sand, and is also known as Silver Beach. Here you will find five resorts: La Mer Samui Resort, the Samui Yacht Club (with no yachts or sailors at all), Thong Ta Kian Villa, Silver beach, and Crystal Bay. This used to be a relatively unknown spot. There is great swimming here if the local fishing boats are not around. Be a careful if you are walking in the water, as Thong Takian has a lot of sharp rocks.

Nathon Beach


Nathon on the Southwestern coast is the island's main port and the beaches here lack the beauty or deep water found on the east coast of the island. The city of Nathon offers great shopping with some of the best prices to be found anywhere on the island, as well as some truly good local restaurants, including a fantastic place on a side street where you can get a low priced Chinese Duck lunch. The open-air food market is piled high with inexpensive and fresh local produce. Some of the shops in Nathon are really offbeat, selling umbrellas, computer parts, stationary, and cheese in a single shop. Post offices, clinics, banks and travel agencies here make it happen for travelers, and the ferry to the mainland and point beyond departs from this port.

Lipa Noi Beach


Lipa Noi is really the only useful swimming beach on the west coast, and its wide sweep of sand is the last quiet place on the island. Lipa Noi faces due west and looks directly into the stunning Thai sunsets. It won't last long, but this is the part of the island where you can still feel like you are free from the tourist circus. It's really romantic, and there is not much to do.

Thong Krut Bay
Thong Krut on the South West corner of the island is currently one of the quieter areas of Koh Samui and is being proposed as the site for the islands future mega-yacht harbor.