Island near Bangkok

While not exactly as spectacular of a destinations as the islands of Koh Kood or Koh Maak further down on the eastern Gulf coast of Thailand. Koh Samed offers something you simply can’t beat, easy accessibility.

For all the modern delights big urban cities like Bangkok or Pattaya in Central Thailand have to offer, there always comes that time when you feel you suddenly need to hit the road for a radical change of scenery.

This is where places like Koh Samed comes in handy, especially for spontaneous people that don’t like to plan too much in advance. Nothing beats waking up in morning, looking outside the window on a beautiful day knowing you can just check out of your hotel, hop on a cab, negotiate a 2000 to 2500 Baht flat fee with the driver and 3 to 4-hour later be dipping your toes in the soft white sand of a beautiful palm tree-lined tropical island.

Foreign tourist skinny dipping on Ao Phai beach, one of the popular beaches of the Eastern Coast of Koh Samed

Below are a few pictures of my last trip to Koh Samed when I managed to squeeze in a few chill days in between the Thai New Year in Bangkok and Pattaya’s Wan Lai festival:

clear waters lapping up the beach on high tide

Tourist having a rest on the beach

Most of the nightlife is found along the Sai Kaew beach

Friendly bar awaiting customers

Seafood is plentiful and relatively cheap on Samed

Nightly fire show along the beach

Setting up your own private little spot on the beach

Some of the bars along the beach

Hat Sai-kaew, the main beach seen here can get a little busy during weekends and holidays as you can see here but sure beats BKK’s heat and pollution

American breakfast along the beach at Koh Samed Sai Kaew beach before departure

Statue of the Phra Aphai Mani ogress at Na Dan Pier

Statue of the Phra Aphai Mani ogress welcoming visitors the main port

Strategically located only half a day by bus from Bangkok, the little 6 by3 KM dagger shaped island of Ko Samet is known as the perfect Week-end escape route for Bangkokians, expats and tourists alike looking to chill out with friends and family for a few days. Pattaya? Definitely out of the question if you want some relaxation… Ko Chang? Too much distance to travel on such a short trip, so Ko Samet is just right. The island is mostly famous for its coastline made up of fourteen beautiful powdery white sandy beaches lapped by crystal clear waters. Not to forget the perfect all year long weather since statistically wise, it offers more days of sunshine than any other island of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Ko Samet’s east coast is by far the most popular among visitors since it has the vast majority of the island’s beaches, all the nightlife, and most of the bars, restaurants, and accommodations. The west coast features only a minuscule tucked-away beach surrounded by a few expensive resorts. The north is the calmest of all with just a few guesthouses built along the rocky shoreline that you can notice as you approach the island by ferry.

Be aware that as things get packed and while the nightlife is without any doubt fun on weekends and public holidays, the rates can accordingly skyrocket by 60%. If you are lucky you might still be able to find some basic bungalows in high season at 500-600 baht, but since this is on a 1st-come, 1st-served basis, those are the ones that tend to go the fastest.

While Ko Samet probably can’t compare with places in the south such as Ko Phi Phi in pure beauty, I found the overall experience to be more pleasant and authentic. The balance was just perfect and I didn’t feel like I was in some tourist ghetto surrounded by 85%+ of other Caucasians. I know some people have absolutely no problem with this, but in my case, you definitely need to be around Thais to feel like you’re on vacation in Thailand and not like some beach in Spain back in Europe. Since Ko Samet is part of the Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park, you will have to fork out an entry fee of 200 baht per person for foreigners and 40 baht for Thais. One wonders where the money really is invested since, like so many other parks in the rest of Thailand, the typical ban on buildings has been brushed off and you’ll find over 30 resorts operating here. Anyhow, the good news is the Royal Forest Department actually very recently cut the price of entry in half from the outrageous 400 baht they used to charge. Who knows, maybe they had a bad conscience…

Revisiting Koh Samed: The easy island destination from Bangkok

Week-end in Ko Samet

More Pictures of Koh Samet