Koh Samui travel guide

Background

Koh Samui is the largest in an archipelago of 80 islands, only six of which are inhabited. Many of Koh Samui’s inhabitants were not Thai, but Chinese from Hainan who settled on the island between 150 and 200 years ago. Although the Chinese across Thailand have assimilated to such a degree that they are almost invisible, a number of traditional homes can still be seen.

About 60,000 people live on Koh Samui, many of whom are fishermen-turned-hoteliers. As one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations, the number of annual visitors is many times this figure. The first foreign tourists began stepping ashore on Samui in the mid-1960s. At that time there were no hotels, electricity (except generator-supplied), telephones or surfaced roads, just an over-abundance of coconuts. This is still evident because, apart from tourism, the mainstay of the economy is coconuts; two million are exported to Bangkok each month. Monkeys are taught to scale the trees and pluck down the ripe nuts; even this traditional industry has cashed in on tourism – visitors can watch the monkeys at work. A monkey training centre has been established outside Surat Thani .

For the moment at least, Koh Samui – in toto – has managed to absorb a massive increase in tourist numbers without eroding the qualities that brought people to the island in the first place (although some long-term visitors would dispute that). Currently much of the island looks like a construction site as every available piece of land is built on.

Best time to visit

March to June is hot and fine with a good breeze and only the occasional thunderstorm. At this time of year good discounts are available on accommodation. June to October is also sunny and hot, with short showers. The ‘worst’ time of year is October to February, when the monsoon breaks and rain is more frequent. However, even during this period daily hours of sunshine average five to seven hours.

Getting around

Koh Samui is a large island – well over 20 km both long and wide. Beaches, hotels and guesthouses can be found on most of the coastline, although the two most popular and developed beaches are both on the east coast, Chaweng and Lamai. The main town of Nathon, where most of the ferries dock, is on the west side of the island. A ring road follows the coast along the north and east sides of the island, but runs inland cutting off the southwestern corner. Many resorts are on small tracks off this main circuit road running down to the beach. The most common form of transport, songthaews circulate between the island’s northern and eastern beaches during daylight hours. Their final destination is usually written on the front of the vehicle and they stop anywhere when flagged down (prices start at ฿50 per person but are often inflated and some haggling may be required). Occasional nighttime songthaews run from 1830 and charge double. From Nathon, songthaews travel in a clockwise direction to Chaweng and anti-clockwise to Lamai. There are scores of places renting out motorbikes and jeeps but note that the accident rate on Koh Samui is horrendously high .

Ins and outs

Getting there

Take a ferry from one of Surat Thani’s piers, which takes about two hours. The slow overnight boat to Samui leaves from Surat Thani (Don Sak) at 2300, arriving in Nathon at around 0500, ideal for those who arrive late in town and don’t want to stay in Surat Thani. Expect to pay around ฿฿250. Or catch a boat from Chumphon to Koh Tao and from there to Koh Samui via Koh Phangan. But this is a much longer sea journey and only really makes sense if intending to stop off on Koh Tao. The State Railway runs a rail/bus/ferry service from Bangkok to Koh Samui (18 hours), this needs to be booked two-three days in advance. It is not necessary to buy a ‘combination’ ticket (available from any travel agent in Bangkok); buses from all the ferry companies meet the trains at Phun Phin to transfer passengers to the ferry terminals.

Koh Samui

Air

Bangkok Airways is a private airline, which accounts for the inflated airport international departure tax (฿700 from Koh Samui, ฿฿300 for domestic departure tax, although this should now be included in the ticket price). There are multiple daily connections with Bangkok and regular flights to Phuket, U-Tapao (Pattaya), Krabi, Chiang Mai, Hong Kong and Singapore. Berjaya Air, T077-414302, flies twice a week to Kuala Lumpur; Thai Airways fly to Bangkok.

Airline offices

Bangkok Airways, at southern end of Chaweng, T077-422513.

Boat

There are numerous daily boat options. Schedules, journey times and prices change according to the season. Tickets from travel agents will cost more but include scheduling advice and transfers. See also Bophut and Big Buddha, below, for services from the north coast to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.

Songserm Travel, seafront road, Nathon, T077-420157, office hours 0800-1800, runs express passenger boats daily. These boats leave from the southern pier in Nathon. To Surat Thani, 1330, 2½ hrs, ฿฿180; to Koh Phangan and on to Koh Tao, 1100, 40 mins and 2½ hrs, ฿฿200 and 350 respectively.

Seatran, office on pier, daily 0500-1700, T077-4260012, operates boats to Surat Thani from the main northerly pier in Nathon hourly from 0500-1800 with the bus arriving in Surat Thani 2½ hrs later, ฿฿180, including bus. Also has 2 daily departures, 0800 and 1330 to Koh Phangan (฿฿250), Koh Tao (฿฿550), Chumphon (฿฿900), Hua Hin (฿฿900) and Bangkok (฿฿1000). Price includes transfer from hotel to Bang Ruk pier.

Boats leave Nathon at 2100, arriving in Don Sak at around 0300/0400, ฿฿250.

The Raja ferry leaves from the Tong Yang pier, south of Nathon, to Don Sak. To get to Tong Yang, take a songthaew from Nathon or the beaches.

Cattcorp, from Coral Grand Pier to Koh Phangan, 0750, 30 mins, ฿฿250; to Koh Tao, 0750, 1½ hrs, ฿฿550.

Haad Rin Queen, T077-375113, from Big Buddha Pier to Hat Rin on Koh Phangan, 1030, 1300, 1600, 1830, 50 mins, ฿฿150.

Speed Boat Line from Bophut to Thong Sala on Koh Phangan, 0430, 0900, 1200, 1430, 20 mins, ฿฿400.

Bus

There are several buses that leave Surat Thani for the overnight trip to Bangkok. Ask the tour operators or an agency on the island.

Car and motorbike hire

This is cheaper from the town of Nathon than on the beaches. Motorbikes cost ฿150-200 per day, and around ฿฿250 for an automatic, not including insurance although the price is negotiable if you rent for several days. Helmets must be provided. The fine for not wearing one is ฿฿200-500.

Jeep/car hire is ฿800-1000 per day, including insurance or ฿฿1000-1800 if you hire from an international company such as Budget .

Motorbike taxi

Available all over the island. They wait in clusters wearing coloured cloth jackets. Nathon–Chaweng, ฿฿150-180. Bophut– Chaweng, ฿฿100. Nathon–Maenam, ฿฿100.

Taxi

Expensive yellow meter taxis cruise the island all day. They are scarce after 0100 but any bar or hotel owner will know one. The taxis do not use their meters and even if requested they may be fixed. The minimum fare is ฿฿50. Fares do vary according to the time of day. On average a fare from Nathon–Chaweng and from Bophut–Chaweng is ฿฿500. The majority of taxis are to be found in Chaweng. A taxi can be chartered for ฿฿400 per hr.

Train

Travel agencies in town can provide details and tickets that combine the boat from Samui, bus from Don Sak to the railway station and then the train ticket, or some of these combinations.

Banks

Until recently Nathon was the only place with a bank, now there are countless exchanges and ATMs scattered all over the island. In Nathon, exchange booths and banks along the seafront and main roads. Bophut has several bank booths as well as tour agencies change money. In Chaweng, money changing and ATMs are along Chaweng Beach Rd. In Lamai, currency exchanges are along the main parallel to the beach and there are ATMs in town.

Immigration

on main road next to the police station, Nathon, T077-421069, Mon-Fri 0830-1200 and 1300-1630. Visas can be extended here.

Internet

There are internet cafés in all the beach resorts, ฿฿1 per min, and most travel agencies.

Medical services

24-hr emergency clinic and the Samui International Hospital, Chaweng, T077- 422272, http://www.sih.co.th (also has a dental clinic). It is best to take injured people to the hospital; the ambulance service can be slow. A reasonable level of English is spoken. In Bophut, there is Bandon International Hospital, T077-245236, www.bandon hospital.com. In Big Buddha, Hyperbaric Services, 34/8 Moo 4, at Big Buddha, T077-427427, T08-1084 8485 (mob), http://www.ssnsnetwork.com.

Police

Tourist police, 3 km south of Nathon, T077-4212815, open 24 hrs, past turning to Hin Lad Waterfall. T1169 emergency, T191 police.

Post office

Nathon Post Office, to the north of the pier, international telephone and poste restante service and CAT internet, Mon-Fri 0830-1630, Sat-Sun 0830-1200. Lamai Post Office, south end of the main road.

Telephone

Calls are much cheaper if made at the post office. High street ‘booths’ are 3-4 times more expensive. International calls can also be made from many hotels and travel agents.