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THE
NORTH I CENTRAL
&
EAST
COAST I THE
NORTHEAST I THE
SOUTH |
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History
of
Ko
Samui |
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 According
to
the
evidence
found
on
Samui
Island,
historians
believe
that
it
was
first
inhabited
by
man
at
most
1,200
years
ago.
In
1940s,
the
island
was
still
isolated
from
the
outside
world.
Those
wishing
to
travel
to
Samui
had
to
travel
from
Surat
Thani
for
approximately
6
hours.
As
in-land
transportation
was
not
well
established,
it
took
several
hours
for
people
to
walk
through
the
lush
jungles
to
the
beach.
It
was
only
in
the
early
1970’s
that
Ko
Samui
became
a
dream
destination
discovered
by
backpackers. |
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With
the
development
of
infrastructure,
an
increasing
number
of
travelers
were
attracted
to
the
island.
Samui’s
concrete
ring
road
was
finished
in
1973
by
the
order
of
the
government.
Passing
beautiful
beaches
around
the
island
and
connecting
sub-district
areas,
the
road
facilitated
tourism.
The
Tourism
Authority
of
Thailand
explored
the
island
in
1980
and
realizing
the
high
tourism
potential
of
Samui,
a
plan
to
develop
and
promote
tourism
on
the
island
was
implemented.
As a
result,
it
has
become
and
will
continue
to
be a
popular
tourist
destination
in
Thailand. |
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Today’s
Ko
Samui
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Ko
Samui
is
located
in
the
Gulf
of
Thailand,
approximately
84
kilometers
east
of
Surat
Thani
Province,
or
approximately
700
kilometers
south
of
Bangkok.
Known
as
the
Coconut
Island,
Ko
Samui
is
one
of
the
most
famous
and
popular
attractions
of
Thailand.
With
an
area
of
247
square
kilometers,
Ko
Samui
is
the
third
largest
island
of
Thailand
after
Phuket
and
Ko
Chang
(of
Trat
Province).
The
topography
of
the
island
is
that
of a
plain
with
a
mountain
range
in
the
middle
and
7
important
streams.
In
addition,
there
is a
50-kilometer
paved
road
that
encircles
the
island.
Moreover,
the
area
of
the
island
stretches
to a
group
of
48
surrounding
islets. |
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Despite
the
fast
pace
of
development,
Ko
Samui
has
been
able
to
maintain
its
charm
its
classical
image
of a
tropical
beach
resort
fringed
by
coconut
trees.
Travelers
to
the
island
can
enjoy
a
mixed
blessing
of
vibrant
day
and
nightlife
along
side
with
tranquility
which
can
easily
be
found
across
different
parts
of
Ko
Samui
as
the
archipelago
is a
peaceful
home
for
fishermen
and
a
natural
den
for
seagulls
and
other
rare
birds. |
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Hat
Chaweng
and
Hat
Lamai
are
Ko
Samuis
most
beautiful
and
most
popular
beaches.
Both
have
a
huge
selection
of
accommodations
suitable
for
every
budget.
Please
note
that
room
rates
increase
during
the
high
season,
from
December
to
July,
when
Samui
sparkles.
The
nightlife
of
each
beach
is
different:
Hat
Chaweng
is
better
for
couples,
women
and
families,
while
single
men
are
drawn
to
the
beer
bar
culture
of
Hat
Lamai.
These
resorts,
as
well
as
Na
Thon
(Samui’s
main
town),
have
communications,
exchange
and
car/motorcycle
hire
facilities.
Other
beaches
include
Hat
Choeng
Mon,
Hat
Mae
Nam
in
the
north
and
Hat
Na
Thon,
the
island’s
major
seafront
settlement
where
shops,
restaurants
and
tour
agencies
are
concentrated. |
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Apart
from
its
many
lovely
beaches
and
tranquil
bays,
Ko
Samui
is
also
noted
for
its
high
quality
coconuts
that
grow
densely
everywhere.
The
best
time
to
visit
Ko
Samui
is
from
February
to
April
when
the
sea
is
calm.
The
Southern
dialect
and
the
standard
Thai
language
are
spoken
while
English
is
widely
understood
in
tourist
areas. |
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Getting
to
Ko
Samui
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By
air
Bangkok
Airways
flies
from
Bangkok
to
Ko
Samui
13
times
daily.
The
flight
takes
about
one
hour
and
10
minutes.
It
also
offers
daily
flights
between
Phuket
and
Samui.
For
more
information,
call
its
Bangkok
office,
0
2229
3456,
0
2229
3434,
Samui
office,
0
7742
2512
- 9
or
Samui
Airport
Office
0
7724
5601-8. |
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By
bus
Air-conditioned
and
non
air-conditioned
buses
leave
Bangkok’s
Southern
Bus
Terminal
for
Surat
Thani
several
times
daily.
The
trip
takes
about
11
hours.
For
further
information,
call
0
2435
1199,
0
2435
1200
(air-con),
0
2434
5557
- 8
(non-air-con). |
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By
car
From
Bangkok,
take
Highway
4
(Buddha
Monthon
Road)
through
Phetchaburi
and
Chumphon
Provinces
and
then
drive
on
to
Highways
41
and
401
to
Surat
Thani
Province.
From
Surat
Thani,
visitors
can
take
their
cars
to
Ko
Samui
through
a
vehicle
ferry
at
Donsak
Pier.
The
trip
takes
1.30
hours. |
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By
rail
Several
trains
leave
Bangkok’s
Hualamphong
Station
for
Surat
Thani
daily.
The
trip
takes
about
12
hours.
Train
/
bus
/
ferry
combination
tickets
are
also
available.
For
more
information,
call
Hualamphong
Railway
Station,
0
2223
7010,
0
2223
7020. |
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Getting
around
Ko
Samui |
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Samui
is
an
explorer’s
dream
to
discover
something
new.
Offering
a
wealth
of
diversity
of
landscape,
vistas,
flora
and
fauna,
and
yet
small
enough
to
seek
adventure
in
its
many
out-of-the-way
places,
Samui
is
best
seen
by
taking
songthaews
(red
local
bus)
which
operate
around
the
island.
The
fare
starts
at
20
baht,
depending
on
the
distance
of
the
destination. |
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By
Taxi
For
many
reasons,
the
least
suitable
for
exploring,
but
the
safest
and
easiest
way
to
get
to
the
destination
is
to
go
by
taxi.
The
official
taxi
service
time
is
until
9.00
p.m.
Visitors
are
recommended
to
negotiate
strongly
for
the
fare
and
keep
in
mind
that
negotiation
should
always
be
dome
before
boarding.
Note
that
the
fare
at
night
will
be
escalated. |
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By a
rented
Jeep
Rented
Jeep,
4WD,
is
available
from
many
family-owned
agencies
and
some
well
known
large
companies.
The
vehicle
will
serve
as
the
basic
means
of
transportation
taking
visitors
around
many
hillside
natural
and
man-made
attractions
which
are
easily
accessible
from
the
ring
road.
Some
of
these
vehicles
come
with
insurance,
but
the
coverage
is
limited.
Always
ask
for
details
first.
The
minimum
price
is
from
800
baht. |
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By
Motorcycle
A
more
flexible
way
to
get
around
the
island,
rented
motorcycle
costs
approximately
200
baht
/
day.
Beware,
as
roads
other
than
the
main
roads
on
Ko
Samui
are
quite
rough
in
some
parts. |
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