Koh Samet, Thailand – The small Island close to Bangkok – Page 1

Maps – Orientation

Map 1 : Distance from Bangkok

Map 2 : Distance from the Mainland

Map 3 : Koh Samet

Map 4 : Koh Samet Center

Map 5 : Potential Zones to Stay

(See about it on the second page).

Map 5 : Interactive Map

  1. Points in Red : Transport
  2. Points in Blue : Tourist Attractions
  3. Points in Green :  Beaches

How is Samet island ?

A small island, relatively close to Bangkok (it is about 200 Km from Bangkok, by road, see Map 1 above). It Takes about 4 hours to arrive by bus from Bangkok (see later how to arrive). Because Koh Samet is close to Bangkok, the island receives a lot of visitors during the week-ends and the hotels tend to get full (see the second page for the potential zones to stay).

Koh Samet is especially popular within Thai people. The foreign tourists prefer to visit bigger islands on their first visit to Thailand, but in the recent years there are also many foreign tourists on Koh Samet (see the next section : Is it worth to visit Koh Samet).
The beaches of Koh Samet are beautiful and they are at the same level of attractiveness as the ones on the other islands of Thailand (see about the beaches on page 4).
Because Koh Samet is very small (7 Km long), the tourist attractions are limited and the food options are limited (see the next section : Is it worth to visit Koh Samet).

There are no private cars in Koh samet, only motorbikes and the Taxis (Tuk Tuk trucks). See how to move in Koh Samet.

Strangely, there are no ATMs on this island (at least at the time that I am writing), so bring with you cash. The restaurants and hotels accept credit cards, but for small businesses, you may need cash.

The “National Park” Tax of Koh Samet

There is an annoying issue when visiting Koh Samet and it is the “national park” tax.
All the island of Koh Samet or part of it is considered “national park” and because of that, a tax of 200 Baht (price at the time of writing) is collected from the foreign visitors at arrival moment (Thai citizens pay a very reduced sum).

The ticket (of tax) is valid for only 5 days, so if you stay longer on Koh Samet, you need to go to an office and buy a new ticket. There are several offices on the island.

In addition, if you participate in an organized boat trip, you will need to pay an extra 100 Baht, because the area of the trip is considered a different national park.
So if you are a typical tourist that stays in Koh Samet for less than 5 days and participate in a boat trip, you will pay a tax of 300 Baht. On the other touristic islands of Thailand, you don’t pay such a tax (unless you visit a cave or an attraction that is considered a national park).

Is it worth to visit Koh Samet ?

Yes, but…

The clear advantage of Koh Samet over the other touristic islands is that is it relatively close to Bangkok (about 4 hours by bus). If you don’t feel like traveling a lot on the road (or take a flight), then Koh Samet is an option. (Koh Samet is also relatively close to Pattaya City, if you plan to visit this special place).

The beaches are quite good in Koh Samet. Even the main beach is nice (Sai Kaew beach). There are remote beaches that are located in small bays with shades of the trees. These beaches are very attractive.

On the other hand, this island has some disadvantages :

  1. The Tourist Attractions are limited : Because the island is small, it is missing the typical attractions that you will find on bigger islands. There are no elephants, there are no monkeys, there are no beautiful mountains and there are no long roads to enjoy on a rented motorbike. There are some viewpoints, but not as impressive as in Phuket (for example). There are organized boat trips but not as impressive as in Koh Tao or Koh Phi Phi.
  2. The Food choice is limited : There is mainly Thai food on Koh Samet. Except 1 or 2 Englishmen who live on this island, there are no foreigners owners of restaurants. So no authentic Italian cuisine, no Mexican cuisine, no Middle East cuisine and even not Indian cuisine. If you are vegetarian like me, then you will not enjoy the food here, the vegetarian options in the Thai restaurants are very limited (bring almonds and nuts from the Gourmet Supermarket in Siam Paragon mall of Bangkok before you arrive to Koh Samet because the choice available on the 7 Eleven convenience store is limited). If you are not vegetarian, then you can eat a lot of seafood in Koh Samet. See later the section : What to eat in Koh Samet (restaurants).
  3. Prices are a little bit higher than on other islands :  As I mentioned on the previous section, there is “national park” tax to pay when you visit Koh Samet.
    Also, during week-ends, there are a lot of visitors and the hotels tend to be more occupied and more expensive. The rent of a motorbike is also more expensive. On the other hand, the travel to Koh Samet is cheap. There are small islands that are more expensive than Koh Samet : Koh Tao and Koh Phi Phi are more expensive.
  4. The nightlife is fine, but not as wild as in Koh Phi Phi or Koh Phangan. If you are a solo traveller, you may get bored on this little island, after a few days. See the section about the Nightlife on Koh Samet.
  5. The island is only 6 Km away from the mainland. You see some high buildings located on the mainland and you feel less the adventure of an isolated island.

So to conclude : Although Koh Samet has it’s own charm, I wouldn’t recommend this particular island for a first visit in Thailand. I would instead make an extra effort and arrive to the islands in the south of Thailand. Alternatively, you can continue to Koh Chang instead of Koh Samet. It is just 2 hours of extra drive on the road (direction of Cambodia). Koh Chang is a big island with many attractions.

I would say that a typical stay in Koh Samet is usually shorter than on other islands. Probably 3 days is OK. Maybe 5 if you really like a certain beach.

How to Arrive to Koh Samet ?

Option 1 for arriving to Koh Samet : By Bus or Minibus

Look at the Maps above.

This is the common way to arrive to Koh Samet from Bangkok. The bus travel takes 3.5 hours till the pier on the continent in front of Koh Samet (Banphe Pier – Nuanthip Pier).

Then, you typically wait half an hour for the ferry boat

and then a travel with the boat for less than half an hour (it is just 6 Km of sea).

You arrive to the main pier of the island (Nadan Pier)

From here you can walk to your hotel if it is located in the “center” (see the potential zones to stay) or use a shared taxi that is waiting for the travelers.
The usual location to take a bus from Bangkok to Koh Samet is from the central station Ekkamai (see location on the Bus page or on Google Maps) .
The price of the bus is cheap, about 200 Baht (price at the time of writing). The boat is about 70 Baht.
Buses (or minibuses) are also starting from other locations in Bangkok (private companies) and from other cities in Thailand. You can buy a bus ticket in the central bus station or online.

  • You can book Flights, Trains, Buses and Taxis inside Thailand with the site 12GoAsia. Choose the Origin city and Destination city and it will show you All the available Transports to destination.

Option 2 for arriving to Koh Samet : By Taxi

You can make a private ride till Koh Samet. If you share the Taxi with several people, the price may be reasonable. The Taxi will bring you only till the Ferry Boat. Private cars are not allowed on Koh Samet.

  • You can book Flights, Trains, Buses and Taxis inside Thailand with the site 12GoAsia. Choose the Origin city and Destination city and it will show you All the available Transports to destination.

Option 3 for arriving to Koh Samet : By Flight

The nearest airport is located far away, so you will still need to use a vehicle from the airport.
There is the main airport of Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi. From Suvarnabhumi, there may be buses to Koh Samet. There is the airport of Pattaya (U-Tapao) and there is the airport of Trat.

  • You can book Flights, Trains, Buses and Taxis inside Thailand with the site 12GoAsia. Choose the Origin city and Destination city and it will show you All the available Transports to destination.

Option 4 for arriving to Koh Samet : By Rented Car or Motorbike

You may arrive with a car from Bangkok, but you cannot cross with it to the island. So, you will need to park it on the mainland, in the area of the pier.

Option 5 for arriving to Koh Samet : By Train

Not a real option. Forget about it.

Where to Stay in Koh Samet ? – Hotels

See this on Page 2.

How to Move in Koh Samet ?

Option 1 : By Walking

If your hotel is in the center (see Map 4), you don’t need transport for every day. You can walk from the pier to your hotel. In the center, there is the central beach (Sai Kaew Beach) and on the main road many restaurants. When you want to visit another beach, you can use a Taxi.

Option 2 : Rent a Motorbike

If your hotel is not located in the center (see the potential zones to stay), than you better rent a motorbike (or use a Taxi).
Even if you live in the center, you may want to rent a motorbike in order to explore the island and in order to arrive to beautiful beaches (see What to Visit and Do in Koh Samet).

The ride with a motorbike is easy in Koh Samet, there are no mountains and no steep roads (maybe a short section). There are no private cars and people are driving slowly. The distances are very short. The island is only 7 Km long.

This sign says: “kill your speed”.

The motorbike rental price is higher in Koh Samet. 400 Baht per day (price at the time that I am writing). On other islands, the price is lower. The reason for the high price is probably because of more logistics (there are no regular boats that transport cars and motorbikes between Koh Samet and the mainland).
The fuel for the motorbike is usually given free by the shop. They don’t mind giving you fuel because the distances are very short on the island and you won’t use much fuel.

It is very easy to park a motorbike in Koh Samet, wherever you stop.

Option 3 : Use the Taxis (Tuk Tuk trucks)

These type of cars can function as a private ride or a shared ride (they call it a bus). For a private ride, you need to negotiate the price.

For a shared ride, there are fixed prices between popular beaches. The prices are usually stated on a sign.

It may be easier to catch a shared ride from the “center” than from a far away beach. You can not predict the availability of these vehicles, when you need them. That’s why I am renting a motorbike.

How is the Climate in Koh Samet ?

Temperatures

It is hot in Koh Samet. The temperatures don’t vary a lot during the year. During the day around 30 degrees Celsius and during the night 25 degrees Celsius.

Rain

Like in all Thailand, there is also in Koh Samet a rainy season. The rainy season here is from May to October. The rain in the rainy season is between 200 to 300 mm each month.

How is the Nightlife in Koh Samet ?

The nightlife is surprisingly good in Koh Samet. There are no huge beach parties like in Koh Phi Phi and Koh Phangan (even when the moon is full), but there is a lot of movement, especially during the week-ends.

The nightlife of Koh Samet takes place on the main beach (Sai Kaew) and the main street in the “center”. See Map 4 above.

You can walk along the beach, on the sand, and stop to drink a cocktail in one of the many restaurants. The restaurants have comfortable cushions to sit on the sand and nice illumination. The only problem are the mosquitos..When there are many people (on the week-ends) there are also fire shows.

On the main road of the “center” (see Map 4 above), the two 7Eleven convenience stores are “the stars” of the evening. They are located one in front of the other.

The restaurants on the main road are also occupied during the evening.
There are one or two places where you can sit and drink a fruit juice. There are several “girls-bars” in which Thai girls are making sure that the guys drink a lot of beers.

On the other beaches of Koh Samet it is quiet in the evening. The restaurants of the resorts in remote beaches are open but the area is not animated. If you live in a remote beach, you will want to arrive to the “center” during the evenings.

What to Eat In Koh Samet ?

As I mentioned before, there is almost exclusively Thai food in Koh Samet. There are no foreign owners of restaurants, so there is no authentic western cuisine (there are a few exceptions, so keep reading).

If you like Thai food and you are not vegetarian, you will be OK in Koh Samet. If you are vegetarian (like me) and you like western food, you will need to move a little bit for search for good food. Anyway after a few days, you will feel the urge to travel to Bangkok or Pattaya for more food options.

The main area for restaurants, is in the “center” of course (see Map 4 above). Among the restaurants on the main street, there is one food court with many stands selling typical Thai dishes.

A Thai restaurant that I can recommend is called Banana. They are great. All the dishes can be prepared also in a Vegetarian version. The vegetarian Massaman curry is good and the vegetarian spring rolls are good. The prices are cheap.

The only problem is that they have only 5 tables and it is difficult to sit in the restaurant in the evening (so one evening, I ordered spring rolls to” take away” and ate them on the beach).

Except the many Thai restaurants located on the main street, there are 2 Englishmen (real ones) owning 2 small restaurants. The first is called The sausage factory (not a very vegetarian name).

Here is a baked potato with beans that I ate here :

The other english restaurant is The Canteen. I chose to take here a Veg burger with French Fries. It was a mistake. The burger was made of potatoes and the French fries of potatoes. Too much potatoes (it’s not always easy to be vegetarian).

As I discovered by my search for vegetarian food, the best restaurants of the island are not located in the center but rather in Prao beach (see location on Map 3 above). It is a sophisticated area with a line of nice restaurants with expensive dishes. Among the restaurants is O Restaurant.

They serve good Pasta among other things. I ate here several times and it was good. Here is a Gnocchi plate.

And here is a Vegetarian Lasagna

Note that they bring you also good bread with the Pasta but it is covered with a napkin, so don’t forget to uncover the napkin.

This restaurant is more expensive than the restaurants available in the “center”, but if you want good Pasta, you need to arrive here. This beach is located about 3 Km from the center (see how to move on the island).

Regarding Croissants for the morning, there is on the main street in the “center” a modern café called Jump at Sea.

It is relatively expensive, but it is the only choice available for a good pastry. The place is pleasant. There are tables indoors and outdoors.

You can also buy a lot of fruits on Koh Samet, including the famous Mango Sticky Rice dish.

You can buy some foods in one of the three 7Eleven stores (all 3 of them are located on the main road in the “center”).

They have almonds but not as much as in a “Gourmet” supermarket in Bangkok (almonds are important for vegetarians visiting an island).

Continue to Page 2 – Where to Stay in Koh Samet

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