Koh Samui Travel Guide: Beaches, Temples and the Gulf of Thailand

Koh Samui: The Gulf Coast Alternative

Koh Samui is Thailand’s second-largest island and the largest in the Samui Archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand. Where Phuket faces the Andaman Sea on Thailand’s western coast, Samui faces east into the warm, sheltered Gulf — a different sea entirely, calmer in different seasons, with different light and a different character. The island is larger than it looks on maps: 228 sq km of jungle-covered hills, with a coastal ring road that takes an hour to drive in full.

Samui developed as a tourist destination later than Phuket, and it has managed to retain a slightly lower-key atmosphere outside the main beach zones. The interior of the island — coconut plantations, rubber forests, Buddhist temples — is largely untouched. The beaches on the north and east coasts are excellent. The famous Full Moon Party is not on Samui itself but on the smaller neighbouring island of Koh Phangan, 20 minutes by ferry.

Chaweng Beach

Chaweng is the main beach on the east coast — 7 km of white sand, turquoise water, and a packed seafront of restaurants, bars, massage shops, and hotels. It is also where most of the nightlife concentrates, on Chaweng Lake Road running parallel to the beach. The beach is beautiful; the strip behind it is functional. This is where you come if you want the full resort experience with everything within walking distance.

Lamai Beach

South of Chaweng, Lamai is slightly smaller and slightly less developed — the same quality of sand and water, with a less hectic street scene behind it. Lamai is a good balance: enough infrastructure to be comfortable, not so much that it loses its beach character. The rocky southern headland has a notable formation called Hin Ta and Hin Yai (Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks), two stone formations of unmistakable anatomical resemblance that appear on every Samui postcard.

Quiet Beaches: Maenam and Bophut

The north coast has a different character entirely. Maenam is long, shaded, and quiet — local fishing boats still moor here. Bophut, at the northeast corner, has the most appealing village on the island: Fisherman’s Village, a row of wooden shophouses along the beach that have been converted into boutique hotels, restaurants, and galleries. The Friday night walking street market here is one of the best on the island.

Big Buddha Temple and Nathon

Wat Phra Yai — the Big Buddha Temple — stands on a small island at the northeast corner connected to Samui by a causeway. The seated gold Buddha image, 12 metres tall, looks out over the Gulf. The surrounding temple complex is active and worth more than a quick photo stop. Nathon, the island’s administrative capital on the west coast, is where the car ferries arrive from the mainland — it has local restaurants and markets, used almost entirely by residents.

Ang Thong National Marine Park

Forty kilometres northwest of Koh Samui, the Ang Thong Archipelago is a national marine park of 42 limestone islands — the inspiration for the fictional island in the novel The Beach. Day trips from Samui run daily in season: snorkelling, kayaking through sea caves, hiking to the viewpoint above the emerald lake at Ko Mae Ko. This is one of the most dramatic sea kayaking environments in Southeast Asia. Boats leave from Nathon pier and Maenam at around 8:00.

Practical Information

Koh Samui has its own airport (USM) with multiple daily flights from Bangkok (1h15) via Bangkok Airways (which owns the airport — fares are higher than standard budget airlines). Cheaper access is via the train or bus to Surat Thani on the mainland, then a ferry to Samui: total journey 10–14 hours from Bangkok but considerably cheaper. Night trains from Bangkok to Surat Thani are comfortable in sleeper class.

The best seasons are December to April (dry, calm sea) and July to August (a relatively dry window in the otherwise wet Gulf season). October and November can have significant rainfall and occasional tropical storms; the Gulf coast gets weather systems that the Andaman side (Phuket, Krabi) does not. The Andaman coast is better in October–November; the Gulf coast is better in January–February.

Within the island, motorbike rental (250–300 baht/day) is the most practical transport for independent travellers. The ring road is straightforward and well-signed. Songthaews run fixed routes around the ring road. Taxis exist but do not use meters — negotiate the price before getting in or use Grab.