Koh Samui is the Gulf island with an airport, and everything about it follows from that. It is the most developed of the eastern islands, with a ring road, hospitals, supermarkets, resorts at every price level and a beach for whichever holiday you had in mind. It is not the place to come for a bamboo hut and a beach with nobody on it, and it is an extremely comfortable place to spend a week if what you want is warm water, a good room and the option of doing nothing at all.
The coasts
The east coast holds the long busy main beach with the widest choice of hotels, restaurants and nightlife, and the most visitors.
Just south of it, a quieter bay with calmer water and a family-oriented strip.
The north coast has a walkable old fishing village turned restaurant quarter, sunsets, and a more relaxed feel.
The south and west are the quiet ends, with fewer restaurants, some excellent resorts and considerably less around them.
The ring road connects all of it, which means your choice sets the mood rather than the logistics.
What to do
The beaches, which is why most people come, and they are genuinely good.
The big Buddha and the temples on the northeast corner, which take an hour and are worth it.
Waterfalls and the interior, reachable on a half day, greener and cooler than the coast.
The fishing village on the north coast for an evening, which is the most pleasant walk on the island.
Boat trips to the marine park to the west, a cluster of uninhabited limestone islands with a lagoon, which is the standout day out.
Diving and a certification course on the neighbouring island a couple of hours away by boat.
Getting there and around
Direct flights to the island’s own airport from Bangkok and several regional hubs, which is fast and priced accordingly.
The cheaper route is a flight or overnight train to the mainland followed by a ferry, which also connects onward to the smaller Gulf islands.
Songthaew shared trucks run the ring road and are the low-cost way around.
Taxis have a long-standing reputation for high fixed fares here, so agree the price first.
Scooters are widely rented and the road is busier and faster than on the smaller islands, with the injury statistics to match.
Practical notes
Book ahead for the dry months and for the year-end holiday period, when the island fills.
Hospitals and pharmacies are good here, which is part of why families choose it.
The full moon party happens on the neighbouring island, and boats run for it, so expect the ferries to be busy around those dates.
Jellyfish appear seasonally, and beaches post warnings when they do.
Sunscreen, shade and water, since the Gulf sun is direct and the beaches are long and unshaded.
Where this fits
For which bay to book, one by one, our guide to where to stay in Koh Samui covers the coasts in detail.
For the small neighbouring island that is one of the cheapest places in the world to learn to dive, our guide to diving at Koh Tao covers the courses and the sites.
And for the underlying decision of which Thai coast to choose in your month, our comparison of the Andaman and Gulf islands is where to start.
The short version
Samui is the comfortable Gulf island: fly straight in, choose your bay, and let the ring road handle the rest. Take the east coast for choice and nightlife, the bay south of it for families, the north for a village evening and sunsets, and the south or west for quiet. Do the boat day to the marine park, see the big Buddha, and eat in the fishing village one evening. Use shared trucks rather than a scooter if you are unsure, agree taxi fares first, and above all pick this coast for a month when the Andaman is wet, not the same month.
Samui also works as the first stop rather than the only one, since the other two Gulf islands are a short boat away. Our five days in Koh Samui and the Gulf islands links all three without wasting a day on transfers.
