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Atlas/asia/Deep field file

Signal verified · updated 2026-09-03

Koh Samui

Thailand's second-largest island — coconut groves, the Big Buddha temple and lively Chaweng Beach in the Gulf of Thailand.

9.510° N100.000° E
site access marine
Samui Airport (USM)
Big Buddha (Wat Phra Yai)
Wat Plai Laem
Fisherman's Village, Bophut
Formation
granitic continental island with jungle-clad central highlands ringed by beaches and coconut groves
Population
70,059
Water
Pacific Ocean
Access
easy

Every required movement

The passage
to Koh Samui.

Fly direct to Samui Airport (USM) with Bangkok Airways; or bus/train to Surat Thani plus Seatran/Raja car ferry from Don Sak.

  1. 01
    Samui Airport (USM)

    Nearest recorded air access

    Schedule or condition may change · verify
  2. 02
    Water crossing

    Seatran Ferry and Raja Ferry from Don Sak piers; Lomprayah catamarans to Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Tao.

    Schedule or condition may change · verify
  3. 03
    Entry check

    Thailand visa-exemption for many nationalities (up to 60 days).

    Schedule or condition may change · verify

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What the chart cannot hold

What becomes visible when you follow chaweng beach beyond the familiar map?

Ko Samui (228.7 km2) off the Kra Isthmus is Thailand's second-largest island after Phuket. Settled by fishermen and coconut farmers, it opened to backpackers in the 1970s and is now a major resort island with its own international airport, the 12-m Big Buddha on Fan Island, Fisherman's Village at Bophut, and boat access to Ko Pha-ngan, Ko Tao and the Ang Thong Marine National Park.

Long a self-sufficient fishing and coconut island; first tourists arrived in the 1970s; airport opened 1989; granted city municipality status in 2012.

Field ledger

The useful
details.

Coordinates
9.51° N · 100.00° E
Sovereignty
Thailand · part of country
Nearest mainland
~35 km off Surat Thani town (Don Sak pier); Ang Thong Marine National Park to the west
Best recorded window
January–April (driest); east-coast seas calmest May–October.
Permits / entry
Thailand visa-exemption for many nationalities (up to 60 days).
Languages
Thai, Southern Thai, English (tourism)

Community intelligence

Notes from
the crossing.

Share firsthand conditions, access changes, respectful observations, or a question for someone who has been.

No traveler has left a public note here yet.

The empty ledger is part of the mystery—and an invitation to be useful.

Travel information changes quickly. This field file was last revised 2026-09-03. Confirm all transport and permit details before booking.

Official source