Authored by Robert Tellier

Situated in the Gulf of Thailand, the beautiful island of Koh Samui it is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, attracting travelers from all over the world seeking a tropical beach vacation.

Fine white sand beaches and crystal clear waters come together with nodding coconut trees to one side and the beautiful Gulf of Thailand to the other, and those wanting to dance barefoot under the soft light of the full moon can join one of Koh Samui’s wild nightly beach parties.

More than 1.5 million tourists visit the island each year to enjoy the kind of tropical coastline and beaches you find featured in ads.

Here are a few of the more popular, and some of my most favorite beaches to visit on the island. “Get a massage, have your hair braided, buy barbecued chicken or sarongs, get to know the locals or simply doze off and chill out.”

These are the Best Beaches in Koh Samui Thailand

Choeng Mon Beach

With a small number of accommodations available ranging from modest boutique hotels to higher 5 star properties, this is the perfect base for a relaxing beach vacation.

It offers isolation while being close to the busier hub of Chaweng (just a 20 minute ride in a taxi or songthaew … red pick-up trucks that haul passengers in the back).

The Big Buddha is also close-by, and the beautiful private Samui airport is just 5 minutes away!

Choeng Mon Beach. Photo CC Brian Fagan

Chaweng Beach

Chaweng beach is argued to be the best in Koh Samui, and with many luxury boutique hotels, this is without a doubt the most popular part of the island for tourists. Located in the north east, just south of Choeng Mon, this is where most of the islanders reside. Koh Samui’s busiest and biggest town has sprung up around one of the island’s best beaches.

The town offers more options for accommodation than anywhere else on the island, as well as restaurants and bars which cater to every taste. The town comes alive at night, and party goers will find the nightlife here to be ahead of anywhere else on Samui in terms of choice. Be sure to find the famous Soi Green Mango Strip which is the center of the nightlife scene. Chaweng’s single most popular bar is Tropical Murphy’s Irish pub.

During the day, enjoy the vast 7 kilometer stretch of beach to recover from the previous night’s activities in town.

The most popular beach in Koh Samui.

Lamai Beach

Heading further south of Chaweng by about half an hour, you will arrive at my favorite part of the island; the beach and village of Lamai.  While a quaint town, this is Samui’s second-largest resort area after Chaweng, so provides all the amenities one would expect from a tropical vacation. There is plenty of accommodation available to suit every budget as well as a variety of dining options, food carts, bars, shopping, convenience stores and more.

Though let’s not forget about the beach! A beautiful long stretch of beach absolutely perfect for kicking back and relaxing or simply enjoying a quiet swim, Lamai is out of the way, making it a perfect destination for those looking for a quieter, more peaceful vacation. Though everything you could possibly need is just steps from the beach.

Lamai is easily reached from the busier parts of the island – we were surprised by the ease and affordable choices of transportation always available to take you anywhere you wanted to go. Equally as surprising were how reliable your taxi or songthaew drivers were.  If you ask them to return and pick you up at a specific time, they’ll always be there as requested!

The perfect destination for those looking for a quieter, more peaceful vacation.

Thongtakian Beach

This is one of the most idyllic and beautiful small beaches on Samui.  Also commonly known as Silver Beach (easier translation) it is located between Chaweng and Lamai. It cannot be spotted from the road, though definitely worth a visit. The crystal clear waters are more secluded, and snorkeling is some of the best.

With soft white powdery sand and crystal-clear shallow waters, this beach is absolutely beautiful and unspoiled.  Lined with a couple of smaller boutique hotels and a modest beach bar restaurant, it really is a small hidden gem on the island and not one widely known by most visitors.

Soft white powdery sand and crystal-clear shallow waters.

Maenam Beach

Located in the other direction on the island’s north shore, the stunning Maenam Beach lies to the west of Choeng Mon, about a ½ hour drive until you reach the busy town of Maenam.  With predominantly low budget beach bungalows (though also offering higher end 5 star resorts), this is another popular part of the island for tourists, and is known as Samui’s last predominantly backpacker beach.

The beach runs for 7 kilometers, and is favored among windsurfers due to the currents and winds which pick up on the north side. Though for this reason too, the waters are not as clear here as other beaches along the coast.

A favorite among windsurfers. Photo CC by Iker Urteaga

Anthong Marine National Park

If you are visiting the island, do make a note to also visit Anthong Marine National Park. One of Samui’s most famous surrounding attractions, the park is also lined with spectacular and remote beaches, these more off the beaten path.

Dotted with 42 beautiful tiny islands, there are many day trip opportunities from the park. It offers spectacular scenery and beautiful swimming in the crystal clears waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

Enjoying the view of with 42 beautiful tiny islands. Photo CC Steve Jurvetson

Koh Samui Hotels

Having touched on only 5 of the islands beaches that we visited during our brief stay, that’s not to say that Samui isn’t bursting with more coastline to explore.

If you’d like to search for Koh Samui hotels at the lowest prices, enter your dates below and click search. Booking.com will find the best hotel deals, and you can book your stay directly with them.

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Where to go in Koh Samui

Where to go in Koh Samui

Having worked in the industry for over 35 years, Robert now channels his passion for travel into travel writing, and shares his experiences abroad via his blog, Gr8 Travel Tips.

Gr8 Travel Tips offers tips on travel, health & fitness, camping and much more! You can also connect with Robert on Twitter, Facebook and Google +.

Featured photo credit: Steve Jurvetson. Pinterest images by Sarah_Ackerman & Steve Jurvetson.