Southern Thailand · island
Koh Samui
Stay near Chaweng for lively evenings, or choose a quieter beach base and plan rides for island exploring.
The feel of the place
A varied beach holiday with lively evenings, quieter coasts and Gulf-island trips.
Koh Samui offers a choice of lively and quieter beach bases, including Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut and Mae Nam. Beach days can be combined with island exploring and separate boat excursions to Ang Thong, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao. Its wetter late-year Gulf season differs from Phuket and Krabi.
Keep in mind
Exploring different beaches usually means arranging rides, which can add to your budget. Chaweng’s lively scene and the quieter coasts offer very different stays.
Get to know Koh Samui
What is Koh Samui like?
Our editorial assessments · Select a factor to see how we scored this place.
Why we rate Koh Samui 9/10
A broad choice of beaches reachable by road lets you pick lively resort strips or quieter sands. Different coasts and bays suit different beach days.
What we assess
Beach appeal, convenient access and variety during a beach-focused stay, within the destination itself.
Why we rate Koh Samui 8/10
Palm-lined coasts, a green interior and waterfalls give you scenery beyond the beach. Viewpoints and inland outings add variety.
What we assess
The visual impact of natural surroundings and how central those landscapes are to a typical stay.
Why we rate Koh Samui 5/10
Temples and the old shophouses of Fisherman’s Village add cultural interest. The island offers fewer extensive historic quarters than Thailand’s cultural cities.
What we assess
The variety, depth and practical access to historic places, temples, architecture, traditions and cultural experiences during a typical stay.
Why we rate Koh Samui 8/10
Southern Thai food, seafood, markets and international restaurants give you a varied dining scene. Good meals are available well beyond luxury resorts.
What we assess
Food quality, variety, distinctive local cooking and how readily visitors can find good places to eat, regardless of price.
Why we rate Koh Samui 8/10
Chaweng’s lively venues, beach clubs and cocktail spots offer a substantial evening scene. Other bases suit more relaxed nights.
What we assess
The choice, variety and liveliness of evening venues, their opening hours and how easily you can enjoy a typical night out.
Why we rate Koh Samui 6/10
Quieter coasts and relaxed beach bases are available, but traffic and lively resort strips mean choosing an area carefully.
What we assess
How easily you can enjoy a peaceful stay, considering traffic, nightlife noise, crowds and practical quieter bases.
Why we rate Koh Samui 8/10
Ang Thong excursions and connections to nearby Gulf islands offer varied boat days and multi-island trips. Departure points and journey lengths differ.
What we assess
The variety of worthwhile sea-island trips, convenient departures, journey times and flexibility under normal operating conditions.
Why we rate Koh Samui 7/10
Taxis, arranged transfers and tours make a scooter optional, especially from a well-chosen base. Cross-island outings usually need a ride and some advance arrangement.
What we assess
Freedom to explore without renting a scooter, using walking, public transport, taxis, tuk-tuks, ride-hailing or boats; transport price is assessed separately.
Why we rate Koh Samui 6/10
Local meals and simple stays keep a modest budget possible. Ground transport and boat outings can make the full holiday costlier than the room price suggests.
What we assess
How easily you can enjoy a typical stay on a modest budget, including simple accommodation, food, realistic transport and characteristic activities.
Scores out of 10 · Higher means more of that characteristicAbout these scores
How to read the scale
Scores describe how strongly a destination offers each characteristic. They are editorial assessments, not visitor ratings.
Higher does not always mean better
A higher nightlife score means a livelier scene. A higher quietness score means a calmer atmosphere. The right balance depends on your trip.
Plan your trip
When to go
See how temperature, rainfall and travel conditions change through the year. Select a month to focus on your travel dates.
| Factor | Koh Samui |
|---|---|
| Average daytime high | 29°C |
| Monthly Rainfall | 127 mm |
| Rainy days | 11.1 |
| Crowds | High |
| Stay prices | High |
| Sea conditions | Variable |
| Average daytime high | 29°C |
| Monthly Rainfall | 64 mm |
| Rainy days | 5.6 |
| Crowds | High |
| Stay prices | High |
| Sea conditions | Calm |
| Average daytime high | 30°C |
| Monthly Rainfall | 116 mm |
| Rainy days | 5.9 |
| Crowds | High |
| Stay prices | High |
| Sea conditions | Calm |
| Average daytime high | 32°C |
| Monthly Rainfall | 83 mm |
| Rainy days | 8.1 |
| Crowds | High |
| Stay prices | High |
| Sea conditions | Calm |
| Average daytime high | 33°C |
| Monthly Rainfall | 132 mm |
| Rainy days | 14 |
| Crowds | Moderate |
| Stay prices | Typical |
| Sea conditions | Variable |
| Average daytime high | 33°C |
| Monthly Rainfall | 134 mm |
| Rainy days | 13.1 |
| Crowds | Moderate |
| Stay prices | Typical |
| Sea conditions | Variable |
| Average daytime high | 32°C |
| Monthly Rainfall | 117 mm |
| Rainy days | 14.3 |
| Crowds | High |
| Stay prices | High |
| Sea conditions | Variable |
| Average daytime high | 32°C |
| Monthly Rainfall | 102 mm |
| Rainy days | 14.5 |
| Crowds | Moderate |
| Stay prices | Typical |
| Sea conditions | Variable |
| Average daytime high | 32°C |
| Monthly Rainfall | 118 mm |
| Rainy days | 15 |
| Crowds | Low |
| Stay prices | Low |
| Sea conditions | Variable |
| Average daytime high | 31°C |
| Monthly Rainfall | 295 mm |
| Rainy days | 19.3 |
| Crowds | Low |
| Stay prices | Low |
| Sea conditions | Rough |
| Average daytime high | 30°C |
| Monthly Rainfall | 445 mm |
| Rainy days | 18.7 |
| Crowds | Low |
| Stay prices | Low |
| Sea conditions | Rough |
| Average daytime high | 29°C |
| Monthly Rainfall | 263 mm |
| Rainy days | 14.2 |
| Crowds | High |
| Stay prices | High |
| Sea conditions | Variable |
| Destination | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average daytime high | ||||||||||||
| Koh Samui |
29°C
|
29°C
|
30°C
|
32°C
|
33°C
|
33°C
|
32°C
|
32°C
|
32°C
|
31°C
|
30°C
|
29°C
|
| Monthly Rainfall | ||||||||||||
| Koh Samui |
127 mm
|
64 mm
|
116 mm
|
83 mm
|
132 mm
|
134 mm
|
117 mm
|
102 mm
|
118 mm
|
295 mm
|
445 mm
|
263 mm
|
| Rainy days | ||||||||||||
| Koh Samui | 11.1 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 8.1 | 14 | 13.1 | 14.3 | 14.5 | 15 | 19.3 | 18.7 | 14.2 |
| Crowds | ||||||||||||
| Koh Samui | High | High | High | High | Moderate | Moderate | High | Moderate | Low | Low | Low | High |
| Stay prices | ||||||||||||
| Koh Samui | High | High | High | High | Typical | Typical | High | Typical | Low | Low | Low | High |
| Sea conditions | ||||||||||||
| Koh Samui | Variable | Calm | Calm | Calm | Variable | Variable | Variable | Variable | Variable | Rough | Rough | Variable |
Temperatures are historical average daytime highs, not the highest temperatures you might experience. Rainfall and rainy days are monthly averages, not a forecast. A rainy day need not mean rain all day.
Stay prices are relative to each destination’s usual rates. Holidays can bring extra crowds and higher prices. Sea conditions vary by beach and day; check local conditions before boat trips.
Koh Samui: Thai Meteorological Department — KO SAMUI (48550), 1991–2020.
The practical side
Getting to and around Koh Samui
Arriving
Koh Samui has its own airport. If you arrive by air, arrange the onward road transfer to your beach base; a boat crossing is not required for an airport arrival on the island.
Without a scooter
Taxis, arranged transfers and tours make a scooter optional, especially from a well-chosen base. Cross-island outings usually need a ride and some advance arrangement.
Before you decide
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