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.
- 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.
- 01Samui Airport (USM)
Nearest recorded air access
Schedule or condition may change · verify - 02Water 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 - 03Entry check
Thailand visa-exemption for many nationalities (up to 60 days).
Schedule or condition may change · verify
Research, then reserve
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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