Ko Samui
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📷 Manfred Werner· CC BY-SA 3.0สวรรค์บนพื้นดิน | Heaven on Earth
About
Ko Samui or Koh Samui, often locally shortened to Samui, is an island off the east coast of Thailand. Geographically in the Chumphon Archipelago, it is part of Surat Thani Province, though as of 2012, Ko Samui was granted municipal status and thus is now locally self-governing. Ko Samui, with an area of 228.7 square kilometres (88.3 sq mi), is Thailand's second largest island after Phuket. In 2018, it was visited by 2.7 million tourists.
Wikipedia →Summary excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ko Samui, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text may be clipped or paraphrased to fit this page.
Why visit
Visit Ko Samui when the trip needs coast, rest, and a practical base rather than a dense museum itinerary. The cultural value is usually in museums, galleries, and collections, religious and civic architecture, literature, bookshops, and universities, plus the everyday details around beaches, ports, markets, food, religious sites, and nearby towns. Use the destination honestly. If the main reason to be there is water, light, landscape, or easy logistics, let that be the plan. Then add one or two cultural stops that explain the place beyond the hotel zone, such as a local church, harbor, nature reserve, craft area, market, or older settlement nearby.
When to avoid
Ko Samui, an island located in the Gulf of Thailand, experiences a monsoon season typically lasting from September to December. During this time, heavy rainfall and strong winds can disrupt travel plans and outdoor activities, making it the least favorable time to visit the island. Tourist amenities may also be limited, as some businesses close down temporarily during the monsoon season. Travelers seeking to avoid inclement weather and read the island's offerings are advised to plan their visit during the dry season, which generally spans from January to August.
Hot Season (February-April)
The hotter or wetter months are the period when heat, daylight, crowds, or humidity most affect a visit to Ko Samui. Use Ko Samui in hotter months only with shade, water, and weather flexibility built in. Put exposed walks, beaches, viewpoints, boat routes, ruins, and nature reserves early or late, then keep the middle of the day for shade, meals, visitor centers, or a rest. This season can be worth choosing when water, long evenings, wildlife, festivals, or nearby landscapes are central to the trip. Check access, tickets, and return transport before building the day around one distant site.
Monsoon Season (October-December)
The cooler, drier, or less humid months change the practical rhythm in Ko Samui. For a visitor, the main question is whether rain, humidity, rough seas, wind, or reduced services will limit walks, boats, beaches, and day trips. In Ko Samui, this can still be a good time for quieter viewpoints, birdwatching, local museums, churches, cafes, and nearby towns. A weather-sensitive day in Ko Samui should keep outdoor plans modest and transport clear.
The next week in Ko Samui
7-day forecast from Open-Meteo. UV badges flag days when sun protection matters (3 and above is moderate; 8 and above is risk territory for unprotected fair skin within 30 minutes).
Today
Showers
32° / 25°
2.9 mm
UV Very high
Sat
Thunderstorm
29° / 23°
7.9 mm
UV High
Sun
Thunderstorm
29° / 24°
4.1 mm
UV Moderate
Mon
Showers
29° / 23°
6.2 mm
UV Moderate
Tue
Drizzle
28° / 23°
9.2 mm
UV Moderate
Wed
Showers
27°
In May 16
JFMAMJJASOND
Air quality
No monitoring station within 25 km.
Weather
33° / 27°
Typical high / low
5 mm rainfall this month
Daylight
12.6h
05:59 – 18:32local
Year-round climate
Monthly highs, lows, and rainfall (long-term averages, NASA POWER).
Airports near Ko Samui
1 commercial airport within 100 km. Closest is Samui International Airport (USM) at 7 km.
Getting around Ko Samui
Public-transit operators within 8 km of the city center. Click through to each operator’s site for routes, fares, and tickets.
Local transit operators
บริษัท ขนส่ง จำกัด (บขส.);The Transport Company Limitedบริษัท ส่งเสริม ทรานเซอร์วิช จำกัด;Songserm Transerviceสำนักงานขนส่งจังหวัดกระบี่;Provincial Land Transport Offeice Of KrabiB Metroสมบัติทัวร์;Sombat Tourนครศรีร่มเย็น;Nakhon Si Romyenนครศรีราชาทัวร์;Nakhon Si Racha Tourปิยะรุ่งเรืองทัวร์;Piya Rungrueng Tourสยามเดินรถ;Siam Lane Tour
Operators and modes aggregated by TransitLand from individual transit-agency GTFS feeds. Route classifications (subway / tram / rail / bus / etc) come from each feed’s GTFS route_type codes.
Sources
This page blends public reference data, climate/elevation services, and personal notes. Travel requirements can change, so visa and entry details should be checked again before booking.
- Wikipedia →
Summary, canonical article, and some image fallbacks.
- Wikidata →
Population, area, image, coordinates, and linked identifiers where available.
- NASA POWER →
Monthly temperature and rainfall climatology.
- Open-Meteo historical weather →
1991-2020 temperature and precipitation cross-check for compact climate fields.
- Open-Elevation →
Coordinate-based elevation backfill.
- tz database →
Coordinate-based IANA timezone lookup.
- Site credits →
Global source notes, map tiles, flags, licenses, and attribution policy.