When to go to Koh Samui?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with real weather records
Best time: January to April and July to August
At a glance
Why go to Koh Samui?
Samui is the easiest Thai island to reach from Europe: a one-hour flight from Bangkok, some thirty rotations a day into a palm-thatched airport built by Bangkok Airways in 1989, and your hotel a 15-minute taxi ride away. It is also the country's third-largest island, 228 km² of coconut-covered hills that supported the islanders until the 1970s, before the first bungalows appeared at Lamai and Chaweng. The loop around the island is 51 km on route 4169, two hours by scooter with stops.
Each coast has its own character. Chaweng, in the east, lines up 7 km of white sand, the big hotels and the nightlife. Lamai, in the south-east, keeps a simpler feel and an open bay. The north, from Bophut to Maenam, faces Koh Phangan, with villages, quieter beaches and the boutique addresses. The west, around Nathon and Lipa Noi, gets the ferries and the sunsets, with hardly anyone around. The wooded interior climbs to 635 metres and hides waterfalls, durian plantations and a statue garden.
The Gulf of Thailand reverses the calendar of Phuket and the Andaman islands. Here the monsoon strikes from October to December, with weeks of rain in November, while July and August often stay dry. The safest season runs from January to April, with a flat sea at 29 °C. This switch lets you combine both of the country's coasts on one trip, or come in summer when Phuket is under rain. Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, 30 minutes and 1h45 away by boat, extend the stay.
Map of Koh Samui: what is where?
The map shows the 6 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- Chaweng
- Lamai
- Bophut
- Maenam
- Ang Thong (Koh Wua Talap)
- Koh Phangan (Thong Sala)
How much does a trip to Koh Samui cost?
Samui costs more than mainland Thailand, with the Bangkok Airways flight and taxis leading the way, but remains reasonable compared with Phuket. With guesthouses, a scooter and night markets you can get by on €40 a day; a resort with a pool and dinners on the beach take you to €120.
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €35-55/day | Dorm or simple bungalow, scooter, canteens and night markets, free beaches, ferry from Surat Thani |
| Comfort | €80-150/day | Resort with a pool, Bangkok Airways flight, Ang Thong by catamaran, fish dinners in Bophut, massages |
| Premium | €350+/day | Private villa or luxury resort, driver, private speedboat excursion, chef's tables and spa |
ATMs charge 220 baht per withdrawal, so take out large amounts or change euros at the bureaux in Chaweng, where the rate is fair. Resorts, agencies and restaurants take cards, often with a 3% fee; songthaews, markets, scooter rentals and canteens work in cash.
Is Koh Samui safe?
Samui is a safe island as far as crime goes, with bag snatching rare and confined to Chaweng at night. The first risk is the scooter: the ring road sees accidents every day, often involving tourists without a helmet, without a licence and sometimes with alcohol; an international driving permit and insurance that covers riding are essential, otherwise nothing is reimbursed. Next comes the sea: from October to December, currents at Chaweng and Lamai cause drownings, and the red flags are not for decoration; box jellyfish have caused serious accidents in the gulf, and nets and vinegar are in place on the main beaches. Dengue is present all year, more so in the wet season. Finally, drugs are illegal and severely punished, including around the Full Moon Party. Bangkok Hospital Samui, in Chaweng, gives good care but charges a lot; the public hospital in Nathon is fine for simple emergencies.
What to see and do in Koh Samui
- Big Buddha (Wat Phra Yai)
- Chaweng Beach
- Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks
- Na Muang Waterfalls
- Secret Buddha Garden (Tarnim Magic Garden)
- Ang Thong Marine Park
- Bophut Fisherman's Village
- Silver Beach (Crystal Bay)
Chaweng
The island's commercial and nightlife hub, with its 7 km beach, its strip of bars and restaurants, its Central Samui shopping centres and its clinics. The north of the bay, towards Koh Matlang, has a shallow lagoon and the best swimming, the centre is packed with clubs, and the south, Chaweng Noi, finds calm again with rocks and hillside resorts. Chaweng Lake, set back from the shore, is where locals go running in the evening. You will find everything here, including muay thai fights at Chaweng Stadium on Tuesdays and Fridays, and night markets along the road.
Lamai
The island's second beach, 4 km of more golden sand on the south-east coast, with slightly bigger waves and a humbler village than Chaweng. The Sunday night market on the main street lines up skewers, fruit and clothes from 17:00 to 23:00. To the south, the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks, then the coves of Silver Beach and Coral Cove, close off the bay. In the hills, a herbal steam bath house and yoga classes make Lamai the place for long stays. Hotels here cost 20 to 30% less than in Chaweng for the same standard.
Bophut and Fisherman's Village
The north coast, between the Big Buddha and Maenam, with the old fishing village of Bophut and its Friday market, Bangrak beach where boats leave for Koh Phangan, and the Choeng Mon headland, a bay of fine sand framed by large hotels and the quietest of the beaches near the airport. Bophut's restaurants, run by French and Italian chefs for twenty years, serve the best Western food on the island. In the evening, tables are set on the sand facing the lights of Koh Phangan, 15 km away.
Maenam and the north-west coast
Maenam, 4 km of sand shaded by coconut palms, with a calm sea and a gentle slope, is the beach for families and long stays, and old-style bungalows still survive here. The Thursday night market, on the Chinese temple street, is the most authentic on the island. Further west, Bang Po lines up seafood restaurants on stilts, then Nathon, the administrative port, keeps its wooden houses and noodle canteens. The beaches of Lipa Noi and Taling Ngam, in the west, face Ang Thong at sunset, with almost no hotels.
Ang Thong Marine Park
The excursion of the week: a day by catamaran or speedboat to the limestone archipelago to the west, with the emerald lagoon, the Koh Wua Talap viewpoint and kayaking between the cliffs. Agencies offer faster, pricier speedboat versions, or overnight stays in the park bungalows on Koh Wua Talap, booked through the national parks department, to see the islands at sunrise without the boats. The park closes for part of November and December depending on the swell. Bring closed shoes, a hat and a dry bag.
Koh Phangan and Koh Tao
A 30-minute ferry ride from Bangrak or Maenam, Koh Phangan built its reputation on the Full Moon Party at Haad Rin, but keeps hard-to-reach beaches in the north, Bottle Beach and Thong Nai Pan, yoga retreats at Sri Thanu and a jungle interior. Koh Tao, 1h45 further on, is one of the world's great dive training centres, with Open Water certifications at around €300 and snorkelling sites such as Tanote Bay and Koh Nang Yuan. The three islands combine easily in ten days, with Samui for comfort and the airport.
How many days, and which itinerary?
Four days are enough for two beaches, the Big Buddha and a day at Ang Thong. A week lets you switch coasts and add the interior. Ten days open up Koh Phangan and Koh Tao with short crossings.
🗺️ Day-by-day itinerary · 📓 Free printable Koh Samui guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of Thailand
Samui in 4 days
Day 1: arrival, Chaweng or Choeng Mon beach depending on your hotel, the Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem at sunset. Day 2: catamaran trip to Ang Thong, kayaking and the viewpoint, dinner in Bophut. Day 3: round-the-island tour by scooter or with a car and driver, Na Muang waterfalls, the secret garden, Hin Ta and Hin Yai, sunset on the west coast at Lipa Noi. Day 4: a morning of snorkelling at Silver Beach, a massage and an evening flight. Keep Friday evening for the Fisherman's Village market.
Two coasts in 1 week
Three nights in Chaweng or Lamai for the beach, the nightlife and the Sunday market in Lamai. A day at Ang Thong, a day in the interior with the waterfalls and the statue garden. Then three nights on the north coast, in Bophut, Maenam or Choeng Mon, for the sunsets, the restaurants of Fisherman's Village, the Thursday market in Maenam and a snorkelling trip to Koh Tan and Koh Madsum, to the south, from Thong Krut. Last day between a massage, seafood in Bang Po and a late-afternoon flight.
Three islands in 10 days
Four nights on Samui for a gentle arrival, Ang Thong and the interior. Three nights on Koh Phangan, at Thong Nai Pan or Sri Thanu rather than Haad Rin, with a detour to the Full Moon Party if the dates match, a hike to Bottle Beach and the Than Sadet waterfalls. Two nights on Koh Tao for diving or snorkelling at Koh Nang Yuan. Back on the Lomprayah catamaran to Maenam in 1h45 and a last night near the airport. Boats can be booked the day before, except around the full moon.
Getting there and getting around
Samui Airport (USM), in the north-east, 15 minutes from Chaweng. Bangkok Airways runs some thirty flights a day from Bangkok in 1h05, pricier than the low-cost airlines, at around €100-200 one way. No direct flights from Europe: allow 15 hours including the stopover.
The budget option: a low-cost flight from Bangkok to Surat Thani, then a bus and a Seatran or Raja ferry from Donsak, a 1h30 crossing to Nathon or Lipa Noi, around 6 hours and €20 in all. Lomprayah catamarans also come from Chumphon via Koh Tao and Koh Phangan.
On the island, scooters rent for 200 to 300 baht a day, with a helmet and international driving permit required. Songthaews, the red pick-ups, follow the ring road for 50 to 100 baht a ride during the day. Taxis charge high fixed prices, 500 baht between the airport and Chaweng; Grab and Bolt both operate.
To Koh Phangan: Seatran ferries from Bangrak and Lomprayah from Maenam in 20 to 30 minutes, 300 to 400 baht, around ten departures a day. To Koh Tao: 1h45 on the Lomprayah. Night boats and full-moon speedboats leave Bangrak until 3:00.
Where to stay in Koh Samui?
Hostels and guesthouses in Chaweng and Lamai: €12-25 for a bed in an air-conditioned dorm, €30-50 for a double room. The old-style wooden bungalows of Maenam and Lamai still cost €25-40 outside December and January.
Three-star resorts with a pool, on the beach or 5 minutes from it: €60-120 a night, breakfast included. Value for money is better in Lamai, Bophut and Maenam than in Chaweng, and prices drop by 30% in May-June and September-October.
Villas with a private pool on the hills of Bophut, Choeng Mon or Taling Ngam: €150-400 a night, often with a cook and a car, a common choice for families and groups of friends of six or more.
Large luxury resorts, the Four Seasons at Laem Yai, Six Senses at Samrong, Banyan Tree at Lamai: €450-900 a night, with a private beach and hillside villas. Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year double the rates and come with minimum stays.
Our places to stay, stop by stop, at three budgets →
What to eat in Koh Samui?
Fish and seafood from the gulf, barbecued on the beaches of Chaweng and Bophut or in the stilted restaurants of Bang Po: 300 to 600 baht for a whole fish, blue crab curry, garlic prawns, chilli squid.
Southern Thai cooking, spicier than in Bangkok: tamarind kaeng som, peanut massaman, khao yam, a rice salad with herbs, and kai kor, Malay-inspired grilled chicken. A dish costs 80 to 150 baht in a canteen, 200 to 400 in a beach restaurant.
Coconut in every form, the island exported two million a month until the 1980s: coconut ice cream served in the shell, caramelised kalamae, chicken curry in coconut milk and fresh coconut water sold for 40 baht at the roadside.
The night markets rotate through the week: Fisherman's Village on Friday, Lamai on Sunday, Maenam on Thursday, Chaweng on several evenings. Dinner costs 150 to 250 baht for skewers, pad thai, banana roti and mango sticky rice. Local beer costs 60 to 100 baht.
Entry requirements
30 days visa-free for tourism with a passport for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens, down from 60 days since 15 September 2026; an extension can be requested at an immigration office. Everyone must also fill in the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card online in the three days before arrival.
Rules change: check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Frequently asked questions about Koh Samui
When is the best time to visit Koh Samui?
From January to April, with a calm sea, sunshine and 30 to 34 °C, April being the hottest month. July and August are still good, with a few late-afternoon showers. Avoid October to December: the gulf monsoon brings days of continuous rain in November and a rough sea. The calendar is the reverse of Phuket's, which lets you combine the two coasts.
How do I get from Bangkok to Koh Samui?
By plane with Bangkok Airways, 1h05 from Suvarnabhumi, around €100-200 one way, some thirty flights a day. On a budget, a low-cost flight to Surat Thani then a bus and a ferry from Donsak, 6 hours and €20 in all. The night train from Bangkok to Surat Thani, followed by the bus and ferry, takes 14 hours.
How many days should I plan?
Four days for two beaches, the Big Buddha and Ang Thong. A week to switch coasts and see the interior. Ten days to add Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, 30 minutes and 1h45 away by boat. Many travellers continue to Bangkok or Chiang Mai, an hour's flight away.
Samui, Phangan or Tao: which should I choose?
Samui for comfort, the airport, families and couples who want a hotel with a pool and restaurants. Phangan for the full moon party, but also for its secluded beaches and yoga retreats. Tao for diving, with dozens of schools and low prices. All three combine in ten days thanks to frequent ferries.
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