Koh Samui

Currency

Rates on the island are worse than the mainland — change what you need in Bangkok if you pass through. The exchange booths in Chaweng beat the hotels.

ATMs & cards

The 220 THB foreign card fee applies at every machine on the island. Withdraw large amounts infrequently and always decline the machine’s own currency conversion.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Safe for visitors, with one real danger that is not crime: the ring road. Scooter accidents put tourists in hospital here every week, and many travel policies will not pay out without a motorcycle licence. Check yours before you rent one.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date
• Rabies if you will be near animals or staying a while
• Japanese encephalitis for long rural stays

Getting treated

One of the best places in the world to have an accident. Private hospitals in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai are excellent, fast, English-speaking and cheap by Western standards — a consultation runs a few tens of euros. They expect payment or an insurance guarantee up front.

Dengue is present year-round and worse in the rainy season; there is no prophylaxis, so repellent is the defence. Rabies is present in street dogs and monkeys — any bite or scratch means a clinic the same day.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

The night markets are where the island eats — Fisherman’s Village on Friday, Lamai on Sunday. Ask for som tam Thai unless you want it at local heat.

Getting around

• Songthaew — shared trucks circling the ring road, 50-100 THB a hop
• Grab — works on the island, cheaper than the taxi cartel
• Taxi — insist on the meter or agree the fare first; drivers here often refuse both
• Scooter — how most people get around, licence and helmet required
• Airport: Samui airport is 15 min from Chaweng, but landing fees make flights dear — the Surat Thani ferry is far cheaper

Must-see

Things to do

• Take a boat to Ang Thong Marine Park
• Ride the ring road to Na Muang waterfalls
• Eat through Fisherman’s Village night market
• Learn to cook Thai on a half-day course
• Swim at Silver Beach
• Watch sunset from the Big Buddha steps

Nearby day trips

Religion

Theravada Buddhist

About 93% Buddhist, and it governs a lot of daily etiquette. Monks may not be touched by women. Never point your feet at a Buddha image or climb on one — people have been prosecuted for it.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Return the wai greeting — palms together, a slight bow — when someone offers it first
• Remove shoes before entering temples and homes
• Cover shoulders and knees at temples, including for men
• Keep your cool; visible anger loses you the argument and the respect

Don't

• Do not touch anyone’s head, including children — it is the most sacred part of the body
• Do not point your feet at people or at Buddha images, and never step over someone
• Do not say anything critical of the royal family; lèse-majesté carries prison sentences and is enforced
• Do not climb on Buddha statues for photographs