Koh Samui Thailand

Koh Samui Thailand.

Koh Samui, Thailand's third largest island, is 496 km south of Bangkok Part of the province of Surathani, it has developed in recent years into one of the most sought after holiday destinations in South East Asia. This is not surprising since it has maintained its own charm despite construction and increasing numbers of holiday makers.

Deserted beaches and a glamorous nightlife co-exist next to each other same as local glass noodle soup and lobster "Thermion". Even though most activities are geared toward the younger audience, nevertheless there are many options for couples and families. All facilities are available for water sports fanatics and sun seekers. Canoeing, sailing, diving, para-sailing and much more.

There are more than the well known beaches of Chaweng , Lamai .Bophut and Maenam there are many other bays accessible from the ring-road which stretches approximately 50 km around the island. The interior of the island consists of accessible tropical rain forest and offers the possibilities for trekking tours, jeep safaris, elephant safaris or a refreshing bath under one of the many waterfalls.

How to getting there.

The major access to the island is still by sea, with a large car ferry running continuously from Don Sak to the west coast and passenger craft running between Surat Thani and Na Thon. Buses carry passengers over the ferry, allowing uninterrupted travel between Samui and Bangkok, or Samui and Hat Yai.

By Ferry.

Two ferry companies operating from three ferry piers along the Surat Thani coast on the main land and two on Koh Samui.

Ratcha Ferry.
Operates the vehicle and passenger ferries from the Don Sak pier to the Thong Yang pier on Koh Samui. The ferry departs Don Sak daily at 8.00 am, 10 am,12 noon, 2 pm and 5 pm. and the crossing takes one and a half hour and cost about 25 baht. From Samui's Thong Yang pier, there are seven daily departures at 7 am, 8 am ,10 am, 12 noon, 2 pm, 4 pm and 5 pm.

Express Passenger Ferry.
Songerm Travel operates the express passenger ferries from the Tha Thong pier with 3 daily departures at 7.30 am, 11.30 am, and 2 pm. Songserm Travel also operators a slow night boat from Ban Don pier in downtown Surat Thani to Koh Samui, departing at 11 pm nightly and reaching the Nathorn pier around 5 am.

Sights, Scenes & Sport.
Against the backdrop of hills, the beaches of Ko Samui stands out as one of palm-fringed beaches, with strands of fine sand. The best spots are Chaweng and Lamai. Both are on the east coast where each day greets you with a spectacular sunrise.

In such an idyllic setting the temptation is simply to laze peacefully on the beach and soak up a tropical sun tan. But if you want more there are amenities for watersports, such as windsurfing and snorkeling. The coastal waters are exciting to explore and are especially rich in shoals of brightly coloured fish and exotic coral formations.

Principal among Samui's natural sights are two picturesque waterfalls, Hin Lat and Na Muang, while on neighboring Ko Fan, connected to Samui by a causeway, in Wat Hin Ngu temple and meditation center.

Island hopping is another attraction and boats can be easily hired for trips to Ko Pha Ngan (the nearest and largest island next to Samui), and to the smaller islands of Ko Tao and Ko Nang Yuan where beautiful bays with colorful coral formations offer excellent conditions for snorkeling.

A more adventurous full day excursion can be made to Ang Thong Marine Park, a group of 40 islands northwest of Samui. Here you will see spectacular limestone formations, caves, blue lagoons and amazingly beautiful beaches.

Beyond Samui.
The mainland is well worth exploring either on your way to or from Samui. Surat Thani, the ferry terminal, is a bustling fishing and shipbuilding centre of considerable interest. A casual stroll around town or a canal tour on the Tapi river are rewarding for the glimpses they give of southern culture. Surat Thani is also famous for its oyster farms where a giant species of the mollusc is harvested.

More specifically for the serious sightseer, Chaiya, about a 45-minute drive north of the town, is a major historical site. Its importance stems from the fact that scholars contend that it was a possible capital of the ancient Srivijaya kingdom.

Other rewarding destinations are Khao Sok National Park, about 100 kilometres west of Surat Thani, and Chumphon which lies some 195 kilometres north of Surat Thani on a picturesque stretch of coastline with fine beaches and offshore islands.

Getting Around.

A 50-kilometre ring road skirts Samui's coastline, giving ready access to all beaches and the little administrative centre of Na Ton, a compact beachside huddle of houses, shops, restaurants and small hotels. The best form of transport is a motorbike which can be readily hired. This gives the freedom to explore at your leisure, although mini buses do ply the main routes. Organized tours to Ang Thong Marine Park are available from local travel agents.

It takes about an hour to drive completely around the island, if you don't stop along the many beaches or take to some of the side tracks. A couple of rough trails cross the mountainous interior, but this is strictly 4WD or motorcycle territory. The only real town on the island is Na Thon, the administrative and communications centre.

Dinning & Entertainment.
Most beach bungalows have their own restaurants, while other small establishments are common. Fresh seafood and tropical fruits are the natural specialities of Samui, though you will find menus sufficiently varied to cater to all tastes. International favorites as well as spicy Thai dishes are available.


Beaches.

Maenam Beaches :

Meanam is about 2 Kms to the west of Boput, and still very much a traditional Thai village in the true sense of the word. Some of the wooden houses and shops are over 70 years old and it's well worth taking a stroll down to the waterfront to take-in the character and charm of the place. The beach is calm, clean and runs for approx. 4 Kms.

The area is home to some of the more expensive resorts together with countless small bungalows dotting the coastline. Most establishments offer excellent value for money. The laid back "FEEL" here attracts many couples and honeymooners, whose priority is not the busy nightlife.

Chaweng Beaches :

Chaweng is the islands most established. It attracts many young travelers and families alike and remains good value for money. The beach extends approx. 7 Kms where you can find a wide selection of accommodation to suit every budget.

The beach itself is very relaxing and peaceful but noticeably more touristy during the high season. The water is clean and usually between 25 - 28 degrees Celsius.

Clustered in the middle of the 7 Km strip are the greatest concentration of restaurants, bars souvenir shops and of course fast food convenience stores. A good choice of music venues range from traditional Thai to jazz, rock to reggae, and many of them keep pumping until the early hours.

For a quieter evening, there are plenty of bars and restaurants right on the beach, offering a dreamy view of the Gulf. Food lovers can find just about anything, whether it be Thai or western, and there are some very good seafood restaurants. In spite of all the activity Chaweng attracts, it still retains the classic image of a palm-fringed tropical beach.

Lamai Beaches :

Lamai offers a good selection of hotels, nightlife and picturesque village scenes. Bungalow accommodation here is generally cheaper than Chaweng. You can also find a number of good, comfortable and value for money resorts.

Lamai's attractions are its open market and the old monastery, which includes a local museum. If you want to get back to nature, explore the paths just to the back of beach road. Here, you'll find peaceful coconut and fruit plantations not to mention paths and trails leading into the interior.

On beach road, your attractions include health and meditation centres, dive shops and a Thai boxing school. Down the road are the famous Grandfather and Grandmother rocks, favorite amongst Thai and foreign tourist.

Big Buddha Beaches :

Big Buddha Beach is East of Boput, and as the name suggests - is home to the Big Buddha. Like Boput, it remains a peaceful and relaxing interlude from the bustle of Chaweng. But as relaxing as the beach is, don't get too close to the airport for obvious reasons.

Boput Beaches :

This is undoubtedly one of the most charming beach spots. Bophut itself is perhaps one of the oldest villages and remains a quaint little fishing village. There are several seafront shop houses which have been converted into trendy restaurant establishments. The beach itself encompasses some two kilometers of white sandy shoreline fringed by coconut palms, and the calm waters of the bay make this a popular spot for relaxing. At night, the area is charming, even romantic and is the perfect for a little quiet and privacy. Highly recommended !!

Choerng Mon Beaches :

Further eastwards, past the airport turnoff is Choeng Mon beach. The area is only about 15 minutes from Chaweng but because it is in a protected cove the beach remains calm and reasonably clean. There are a few small coves and bays to be found some of which have been developed into self contained resorts.

Attractions Koh Samui.

Hin Ta - Hin Yai

These rock formations are known as the Grandfather and Grandmother rocks. The site is a popular attraction for locals and tourist alike for their close resemblance to male and female genitals.

Their formation and shape has been personified by a local tale describing their existence on the island. The story goes that old couple whose ship was wrecked in the bay sank and their body's were washed ashore to create these remarkable rock formations.

The Big Buddha :

The Big Buddha statue is one of Samui's most popular attractions. Known in Thai as Wat "Phra Yai", it is located on the Northeast part of the island on route 4171 close to the international airport.

Sitting 15 meters high, the statue was constructed in 1972 by locals to give visitors a place to pay respect to The Lord Buddha.

Within the temple grounds you can find a number of shops selling souvenirs, T-shirts, protective amulets and refreshments.

Hin Lad Falls :

"Hin Lad" Falls are located 2 km south of Nathon Town on the eastern side on route 4172. From the main road it is about 2-3 kilometers walk down a jungle path to get to the falls.

Its recommended that you have tough shoes and leg protection for the walk.

The falls are situated in a lush tropical rainforest setting. There are several cascades which tumbling down into a large pool below. At the bottom the water is cold and indeed very refreshing. If you feel adventurous enough carry along your swimming togs and cool off after a balmy trek.

Secret Buddha Garden :

The secret Buddha garden is hidden in the hills of Samui. You can see several statues, temples and waterfalls which were built by one man in the last 20 years.

The only access road to the temple is on a military road and getting there can be difficult if the access road is closed.

The only other way to get to the site is by four-wheel-drive where you traverse through jungle, rivers and mountains. Beginning in Lamai at the back of the main temple, the journey takes around 2 hours. If you are intent on exploring the temple, make sure you are experienced in cross country and off road driving otherwise carry a mobile phone if you get stuck.

Another and perhaps less stressful way of getting to the site, is by joining one of the many jungle tours offered by travel agencies and resorts.

Butterfly Garden.

Perched on a hillside on the south eastern corner of the Island, is "Na Tian" Butterfly Garden.

Here you can see some of the most spectacular butter fly species on earth.

There are also other interesting features in the garden including a bee house which allows the visitor to observe the activities of bees and an insect museum, where colorful and weird shaped insects from Thailand and other countries are on display.

Naga Pearl Farm.

Discover how pearls are cultured. A 30 minute boat ride from "Ban Thong Krut" landing will bring you to Koh Matsum and the Naga Pearl Farm.

After you learn about pearl culture, you will enjoy eating Thai food and spend the afternoon on the white sandy beach. Don't miss the Naga Pearl Shop, located at 81/1 Ban Thong Krut, where all varieties of pearl and pearl products are offered. Pearl shells and special handicrafts are very nice souvenirs to bring back home.

Snake Farm.

A definite must see for all those visiting the island. Follow the road signs for show times commencing at 11.00 and 14.00 everyday in "Talingngam" south of Nathon.

Shows feature snakes indigenous to Samui as well as some of the more poisonous scary species found throughout Asia. Included are displays of Centipedes and Scorpion and of course the famous Thai Cock Fighting show.

The programs are both informative and entertaining in typical Thai fashion - Great for the entire family! Just follow the signs to get there, as displayed throughout the island.

Ancient House.

A house made of teakwood without any nails at "Ban Thale". This is the oldest house on the island, built approximately 150 years ago. It is constructed of teak planks and shows off many beautiful woodcarvings.

Namuang Falls :

Situated off the islands main circular road are the "Na Muang" Falls, which are located 10 km south from Nathon. The falls are accessible from the village of Ban Thurian on an unsealed portion of road.

There are 2 waterfalls - Na Muang which is 18 meters high and can be reached by vehicle; and Na Muang two, which is about 80 meters high and can only be reached by a 5 minute walk. The waterfalls are the most scenic on the island, and are at their best during the raining season.

Finance & Banking.

Thai Money.

The currency of Thailand is the Baht, which consists of 100 satangs. Coins include the 25 satang, 50 satang, 1 Baht, 5 Baht and 10 Baht pieces. Paper money is used for larger denominations and is colour coded as well as being in different sizes for different denominations - the larger the denomination the larger the size. 10’s are brown, 20’s green, 50’s blue, 100’s red and 500 Baht notes are purple, and the 1000 Baht notes are grey.

Exchange.

The exchange rate of the Baht against other currencies floats and may change daily. At the moment the Baht has an exchange rate of between 35 and 40 Baht to the Dollar (2000) but the general feeling is that currency exchange rates are no longer as sure as previous years

Money can be exchanged at commercial banks, at currency exchange services of these banks and at authorized moneychangers. Rates vary slightly from bank to bank. On Sukhumvit Road, in Bangkok a number of currency exchange services are accommodated in transformed caravan trailers.

Many hotels double as authorized moneychangers though their rates are usually not as advantageous as those of banks or independent authorized moneychangers. A small number of independent authorized moneychangers offer better rates than banks.

Banks.

Banks are normally open from 9:30-15:30 Monday to Friday except holidays. Currency exchange services of banks have varying office hours but most are open between 8:30-22:00 every day. The authorized money exchange counters of hotels often change 24 hours a day.

Bank staff often speaks English so communication in main branches is seldom a problem. Many but not all bank forms are in English as well as in Thai.

Traveller Cheques.

The rate is higher for traveller cheques but there is an 8 Baht commission and duty on each cheque cashed so larger denominations save money.

Exchange Control.

Foreign visitors may freely bring in foreign banknotes or other types of foreign money. Upon leaving Thailand, a foreign tourist may take out foreign means of payment, which he brought in with him. However, there is a limit on foreign notes or coins to a maximum equivalent of 10,000 US Dollars unless the visitor has declared a higher amount upon arrival. Attempts to take amounts higher than 10,000 US Dollars out of the country without having them declared upon arrival can lead to arrest, confiscation of the excess amount involved and/or prosecution.

No ! restriction on the amount of Thai currency that may be brought into the country. A person travelling to Thailand’s bordering countries and to other countries may take out local currency up to Baht 100,000 and Baht 50,000 respectively without authorization... Foreign tourists are freely allowed to take out gold ornaments."

Credit Cards.

We recommend that card holders pay cash while shopping in small shops or keep close watch as it has been known for shop owners to make out extra slips, thus getting more money out of you, than your original payment.

Credit cards are widely accepted in Thailand and most businesses display stickers for the cards they accept. Shops will sometimes add an additional charge of 3 to 5 percent when a client pays with his card.

Cash advances of up to 200 US Dollars a day can be obtained from some branches of the Thai Farmers Bank on Visa cards.

Some credit cards will get advances but only as traveller cheques. It’s more convenient to go to a credit card representative office if you need an advance.

Remittances.

Money remittances from abroad are normally no problem in Thailand.

Remittances are most conveniently directed to saving accounts. Theoretically, they can be made in one of three forms: either as normal postal remittance, as telegraphic remittance or as SWIFT remittance. In practice, however, they are either telegraphic or most commonly SWIFT - not because Thai banks do not accept postal remittances but because many banks in the West do not offer normal postal remittances anymore.

SWIFT is the abbreviation for Society of Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication and charges are supposed to be lower than other telegraphic transfer charges.

There are in any case only minimal charges for the recipients of telegraphic or SWIFT money transfers in Thailand. However, charges can be considerable for the sender.

Thai banks process the telegraphic or Swift money transfer within one or two days. This differs considerably from experiences in other countries, where money remitted through the SWIFT system or telegraphically has often been available only after around two weeks.

To avoid that such things happening, one may choose a few safeguards. One is, to have remittances sent only to the head offices of banks or only to larger banks, as these are likely to be more familiar with the procedures than smaller ones.

A further very effective measure which, however, entails additional costs is to have the sender not only make the telegraphic remittance but to send a fax of the remittance order to the recipient of the money (not his or her bank). If a fax of the accepted remittance order can be shown, the receiving bank cannot claim that the money maybe hasn’t been sent yet. Another reliable means is to telex the information.

The exchange rate applied is considerably better than the one available for cash. It is the same rate used for letters of credit and other forms of international payment.

Remittances can also be directed to Dollar accounts where they are then credited in Dollars.

Bank Accounts.

Foreign visitors can open savings accounts without any problem. Cheque accounts are only available to residents. However, cheques drawn on Thai banks and issued to a certain person can be deposited in that person’s savings account without any problem. They are generally cleared within a day. Cheques drawn on foreign banks can take up to three months for clearing.

Foreigners can open a foreign currency account with any commercial bank in Thailand. The government, on the maintenance of, and withdrawal from the account, imposes no restrictions, as long as the funds originate from abroad. However, banks apply their own varying rules for accounts in foreign currencies (in most cases US Dollars).

Automatic Teller Machines (ATM).

Though not yet widespread, Automatic Teller Machines are also gaining ground in Thailand. As foreign tourists cannot open cheque accounts, access to the Automatic Teller Machines system is limited to Thais and foreign residents. However they can be used with your credit card for cash advances (look for the appropriate logo), & most work on the Delta or Cirrus systems as well.

Safe Deposit Boxes.

Safe deposit boxes are in long demand and short supply and rates are often higher than in other countries. Nearly all banks and bank branches grant safe deposit boxes only to clients who also maintain accounts. Some banks even demand that initially, a client who gets a safe deposit box also keeps a considerable positive balance on his account for a specified time period. This varies from bank to bank. Safe deposit boxes can be rented for short or long periods of time.