Every beach on Koh Samui, in the order you meet them
Thirty-four beaches around one coastline, from ferry piers to hidden coves. Start with the shape of the island, then find yours by coast, tide or what you want to do when you get there.
- 34 beaches
- 4 coasts
- 56 km of sand
- 9 swim year-round
- 13 face the sunset
| # | Length |
|---|---|
| 1. Nathon Beach, Koh Samui | - |
| 2. Bang Makham Beach | 2 km |
| 3. Laem Yai Beach | 0.2 km |
| 4. Thong Plu Beach | - |
| 5. Bang Po Beach | 3 km |
| 6. Na Phra Lan Beach | - |
| 7. Ban Tai Beach, Koh Samui | 2 km |
| 8. Maenam Beach | 5 km |
| 9. W Koh Samui Beach (W Beach) | - |
| 10. Bophut Beach | 2.5 km |
| 11. Bang Rak Beach | 3 km |
| 12. Plai Laem Beach | 2 km |
| 13. Thongson Bay | 0.5 km |
| 14. Samrong Bay Beach | 0.2 km |
| 15. Choeng Mon Beach, Koh Samui | 1 km |
| 16. Tong Sai Bay Beach | 0.1 km |
| 17. Chaweng Beach | 7 km |
| 18. Chaweng Noi Beach | 1 km |
| 19. Coral Cove Beach | 0.18 km |
| 20. Silver Beach | 0.25 km |
| 21. Laem Nan Beach | 0.7 km |
| 22. Lamai Beach | 4 km |
| 23. Hua Thanon Beach | 1.5 km |
| 24. Na Khai Beach | 2 km |
| 25. Na Thian Beach | 0.5 km |
| 26. Laem Set Beach | 1.5 km |
| 27. Bang Kao Beach | 3.5 km |
| 28. Laem Sor Beach | - |
| 29. Thong Tanote Beach | 1.75 km |
| 30. Thong Krut Beach | 1.5 km |
| 31. Phang Ka Beach | 0.55 km |
| 32. Taling Ngam Beach | 1.5 km |
| 33. Lipa Noi Beach | 3.5 km |
| 34. Tong Yang Beach | 4 km |
One photo per beach
Sized by sand
Every beach's own photo, sized by how long it actually is - a four-column tile for a seven-kilometre stretch like Chaweng, a single small square for a cove barely wider than a boat.
-
1 Nathon Beach, Koh Samui -
2. West coast Bang Makham Beach 2 km -
3 Laem Yai Beach -
4 Thong Plu Beach -
5. North coast Bang Po Beach 3 km -
6 Na Phra Lan Beach -
7. North coast Ban Tai Beach, Koh Samui 2 km -
8. North coast Maenam Beach 5 km -
9 W Koh Samui Beach (W Beach) -
10. North coast Bophut Beach 2.5 km -
11. North coast Bang Rak Beach 3 km -
12. North coast Plai Laem Beach 2 km -
13. North coast Thongson Bay 0.5 km -
14 Samrong Bay Beach -
15. North coast Choeng Mon Beach, Koh Samui 1 km -
16 Tong Sai Bay Beach -
17. East coast Chaweng Beach 7 km -
18. East coast Chaweng Noi Beach 1 km -
19 Coral Cove Beach -
20 Silver Beach -
21. East coast Laem Nan Beach 0.7 km -
22. East coast Lamai Beach 4 km -
23. South coast Hua Thanon Beach 1.5 km -
24. South coast Na Khai Beach 2 km -
25. South coast Na Thian Beach 0.5 km -
26. South coast Laem Set Beach 1.5 km -
27. South coast Bang Kao Beach 3.5 km -
28 Laem Sor Beach -
29. South coast Thong Tanote Beach 1.75 km -
30. South coast Thong Krut Beach 1.5 km -
31. West coast Phang Ka Beach 0.55 km -
32. West coast Taling Ngam Beach 1.5 km -
33. West coast Lipa Noi Beach 3.5 km -
34. West coast Tong Yang Beach 4 km
Four ways round the island
Four coasts
- North coast 12 beaches
Shallow water facing Koh Phangan across the channel, tidal flats that need a rising tide, and the walking streets at Maenam and Bophut's Fisherman's Village.
- East coast 7 beaches
Sunrise over the water, the island's longest swimming beaches, the busiest nightlife at Chaweng and Lamai, and the shortest drive from the airport.
- South coast 8 beaches
Fishing villages and working piers, wide tidal flats that empty out at low tide, and the steadiest cross-shore wind on the island for kitesurfing.
- West coast 7 beaches
Sunsets straight into the Gulf of Thailand, calmer water most of the year, quieter resorts, and the ferry piers that connect Samui to the mainland.
The question every October
The sea by month
Each row is a coast, each column a month. The bar behind the row is rainfall in millimetres and the line above it tracks sea temperature. Cell colour marks the water calm, choppy or rough. No wave-height buoy exists for Koh Samui, so this comes from our own beach-by-beach seasonal notes, not an instrument reading - grey cells mean we found no reliable source for that month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain, mm | 125 mm | 65 mm | 115 mm | 85 mm | 130 mm | 135 mm | 115 mm | 100 mm | 120 mm | 295 mm | 445 mm | 265 mm |
| Sea, °C | 28 °C | 28.5 °C | 29 °C | 30 °C | 30 °C | 30 °C | 29.5 °C | 29.5 °C | 29 °C | 29 °C | 29 °C | 28.5 °C |
| North coast | Calm | Calm | Calm | Calm | Calm | Calm | Calm | Calm | Calm | Choppy | Choppy | Choppy |
| East coast | Choppy | Calm | Calm | Calm | Calm | Calm | Calm | Calm | Choppy | Rough | Rough | Choppy |
| South coast | Calm | Calm | Calm | Calm | Choppy | Choppy | Choppy | Choppy | Choppy | Choppy | Choppy | Calm |
| West coast | Calm | Calm | Calm | Calm | Choppy | Choppy | Choppy | Choppy | Choppy | Rough | Rough | Calm |
Eight ways to choose
Pick by what you want
Eight short lists sorted for one thing each: a strong swim, a snorkel from the sand, safe shallows for kids, nightlife, sunset, quiet, local life or a private cove. Every beach on a list is tagged for exactly that.
Swim any month
Calm to moderate water rated safe year-round, spread across every coast, so a rough month on one side never rules out a swim.
- 01 Laem Yai Beach Calm
- 02 Maenam Beach Moderate
- 03 Bophut Beach Calm
- 04 Thongson Bay Calm
- 05
Snorkel from the sand
Reef or rock within wading distance, no boat needed - the beaches where a mask and fins are worth packing.
- 01 Bang Po Beach 2/3 Snorkel
- 02 Ban Tai Beach, Koh Samui 3/3 Snorkel
- 03 Thongson Bay 3/3 Snorkel
- 04 Samrong Bay Beach 2/3 Snorkel
Shallow and safe for kids
Gentle slopes, calm water and enough shade that small children can wade without a fight to keep them out.
- 01 Thong Plu Beach High tide only
- 02 Bang Po Beach High tide only
- 03 Ban Tai Beach, Koh Samui High tide only
- 04 Maenam Beach Year-round
- 05 Bophut Beach Year-round
Clubs and nightlife
Beach clubs, bars and a late crowd - the stretches where the evening keeps going after the sun goes down.
- 01 Bophut Beach Coco Tam's
- 02 Chaweng Beach Green Mango Club
- 03 Lamai Beach Swing Bar
- 04 Lipa Noi Beach Nikki Beach Club
Facing the sunset
West-facing sand where the sun drops straight into the Gulf of Thailand, no headland in the way.
- 01 Nathon Beach, Koh Samui Sunset
- 02 Bang Makham Beach Sunset
- 03 Laem Yai Beach Sunset
- 04 Bang Po Beach Faces Phangan
- 05 Plai Laem Beach Sunset
Almost no one there
Small coves and short stretches that stay empty even in high season, mostly because the road in is easy to miss.
- 01 Bang Makham Beach 2 km
- 02 Laem Yai Beach 0.2 km
- 03 Thong Plu Beach North coast
- 04 Bang Po Beach 3 km
- 05 Na Phra Lan Beach North coast
Local life and fishing villages
Working piers, market days and family-run cafes rather than sunbeds - the beaches that are still someone's harbour.
- 01
- 02 Bang Makham Beach West coast
- 03 Thong Plu Beach North coast
- 04 Na Phra Lan Beach John's Garden Restaurant
Private coves
Resort-backed bays with one or two hotels and no beach road, the closest thing Samui has to a private beach.
- 01 Laem Yai Beach Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui
- 02 Bang Po Beach Sassy Beach
- 03 W Koh Samui Beach (W Beach) Namu (W Koh Samui)
- 04 Bophut Beach Coco Tam's
Market days and walking streets
The week on the sand
Market days move around the island through the week: Maenam on Thursday, Bophut's Fisherman's Village on Friday, Nathon and Bang Kao on Saturday, Lamai three nights a week, Chaweng and Hua Thanon every day.
- Mon
- Tue
- Wed
- Thu
- Fri
- Sat
- Sun Today
In their own words
In our own words
Unlike the long, hotel-lined stretches of Chaweng or Maenam, Laem Yai is a small, sheltered bay carved between two low, jungle-covered headlands, and it stays that way because almost nothing has been built on it.
What makes Bang Po worth the drive is what it lacks: no jet skis, no beach vendors hawking sarongs every few meters, no wall-to-wall sun loungers.
It's the island's longest, busiest, and most developed beach, with everything from beach clubs and jet skis to a shopping mall and the most concentrated nightlife in the Gulf of Thailand.
Bang Kao is a long, gently curving bay of pale gold sand, backed by coconut palms and a strip of low-key fishing village houses rather than resort towers.
All 34, compared
Every beach, by coast
All 34 beaches in coastal order, one row each, every measurement drawn from our own articles: length, sand, swim rating, waves, snorkel and kids scores, nightlife, minutes from the airport and which way the beach faces.
North coast
12 beaches
- 4 Thong Plu Beach
- Sand
- Mixed, Pale
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 25 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
- 5 Bang Po Beach 3 km
- Sand
- Mixed, Golden
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 2/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 25 min from airport
- Facing
- Faces Phangan
- 6 Na Phra Lan Beach
- Sand
- Coarse, Pale
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 15 min from airport
- Facing
- Faces Phangan
- 7 Ban Tai Beach, Koh Samui 2 km
- Sand
- Fine, Pale
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 3/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 20 min from airport
- Facing
- Faces Phangan
- 8 Maenam Beach 5 km
- Sand
- Coarse, Golden
- Swim
- Year-round
- Waves
- Moderate
- Snorkel
- 1/3
- Kids
- 3/3
- Nightlife
- 1/3
- Airport
- 15 min from airport
- Facing
- Faces Phangan
- 9 W Koh Samui Beach (W Beach)
- Sand
- Coarse, Pale
- Swim
- Seasonal
- Waves
- Moderate
- Snorkel
- 1/3
- Kids
- 1/3
- Nightlife
- 1/3
- Airport
- 15 min from airport
- Facing
- Faces Phangan
- 10 Bophut Beach 2.5 km
- Sand
- Coarse, Amber
- Swim
- Year-round
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 1/3
- Kids
- 3/3
- Nightlife
- 1/3
- Airport
- 8 min from airport
- Facing
- Faces Phangan
- 11 Bang Rak Beach 3 km
- Sand
- Fine, Pale
- Swim
- Not for swimming
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 1/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 5 min from airport
- Facing
- Faces Phangan
- 12 Plai Laem Beach 2 km
- Sand
- Coarse, Golden
- Swim
- Not for swimming
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 1/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 10 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
- 13 Thongson Bay 0.5 km
- Sand
- Fine, Pale
- Swim
- Year-round
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 3/3
- Kids
- 3/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 15 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunrise
- 14 Samrong Bay Beach 0.2 km
- Sand
- Fine, Pale
- Swim
- Seasonal
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 2/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 15 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunrise
- 15 Choeng Mon Beach, Koh Samui 1 km
- Sand
- Fine, Pale
- Swim
- Year-round
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 2/3
- Kids
- 3/3
- Nightlife
- 1/3
- Airport
- 10 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunrise
East coast
7 beaches
- 16 Tong Sai Bay Beach 0.1 km
- Sand
- Coarse, Golden
- Swim
- Year-round
- Waves
- Moderate
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 1/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 10 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunrise
- 17 Chaweng Beach 7 km
- Sand
- Fine, White
- Swim
- Year-round
- Waves
- Moderate
- Snorkel
- 1/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 3/3
- Airport
- 15 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunrise
- 18 Chaweng Noi Beach 1 km
- Sand
- Fine, White
- Swim
- Year-round
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 2/3
- Kids
- 3/3
- Nightlife
- 1/3
- Airport
- 15 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunrise
- 19 Coral Cove Beach 0.18 km
- Sand
- Mixed, Amber
- Swim
- Seasonal
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 3/3
- Kids
- 1/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 20 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunrise
- 20 Silver Beach 0.25 km
- Sand
- Fine, White
- Swim
- Year-round
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 3/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 20 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunrise
- 21 Laem Nan Beach 0.7 km
- Sand
- Fine, Pale
- Swim
- Not for swimming
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 1/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 20 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
- 22 Lamai Beach 4 km
- Sand
- Medium, Golden
- Swim
- Seasonal
- Waves
- Moderate
- Snorkel
- 2/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 2/3
- Airport
- 25 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunrise
South coast
8 beaches
- 23 Hua Thanon Beach 1.5 km
- Sand
- Mixed, Grey
- Swim
- Not for swimming
- Waves
- Moderate
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 1/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 20 min from airport
- Facing
- No clear facing
- 24 Na Khai Beach 2 km
- Sand
- Fine, White
- Swim
- Not for swimming
- Waves
- Moderate
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 30 min from airport
- Facing
- No clear facing
- 25 Na Thian Beach 0.5 km
- Sand
- Fine, Grey
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 1/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 35 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunrise
- 26 Laem Set Beach 1.5 km
- Sand
- Mixed, White
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 1/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 40 min from airport
- Facing
- No clear facing
- 27 Bang Kao Beach 3.5 km
- Sand
- Fine, Pale
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 1/3
- Kids
- 3/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 40 min from airport
- Facing
- No clear facing
- 28 Laem Sor Beach
- Sand
- Fine, Pale
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 1/3
- Kids
- 3/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 45 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
- 29 Thong Tanote Beach 1.75 km
- Sand
- Coarse, Brown
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 2/3
- Kids
- 1/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 40 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
- 30 Thong Krut Beach 1.5 km
- Sand
- Coarse, Pale
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 45 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
West coast
7 beaches
- 1 Nathon Beach, Koh Samui
- Sand
- Medium, Pale
- Swim
- Not for swimming
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 0/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 35 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
- 2 Bang Makham Beach 2 km
- Sand
- Mixed, Pale
- Swim
- Not for swimming
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 30 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
- 3 Laem Yai Beach 0.2 km
- Sand
- Medium, Pale
- Swim
- Year-round
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 1/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 30 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
- 31 Phang Ka Beach 0.55 km
- Sand
- Coarse, Brown
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 2/3
- Kids
- 1/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 45 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
- 32 Taling Ngam Beach 1.5 km
- Sand
- Coarse, Golden
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Moderate
- Snorkel
- 1/3
- Kids
- 1/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 45 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
- 33 Lipa Noi Beach 3.5 km
- Sand
- Fine, Pale
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 0/3
- Kids
- 3/3
- Nightlife
- 1/3
- Airport
- 30 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
- 34 Tong Yang Beach 4 km
- Sand
- Fine, Pale
- Swim
- High tide only
- Waves
- Calm
- Snorkel
- 3/3
- Kids
- 2/3
- Nightlife
- 0/3
- Airport
- 40 min from airport
- Facing
- Sunset
Before you spread the towel
What lives on the beach
Nothing here should keep you out of the water, but seven things are worth knowing before you spread a towel.
-
Sandflies
Biting midges bite hardest at dawn, dusk and after rain on quiet, shaded beaches with seaweed lines, not on wide, wind-exposed sand. Repellent on ankles and lower legs prevents most bites.
Read more -
Box jellyfish
Sightings cluster on the east coast, roughly October to December, and call for vinegar on the sting for at least 30 seconds, never fresh water. Any serious sting needs a hospital.
Read more -
Sea urchins
They live on rock and reef, not open sand - Coral Cove, Silver Beach, Thongson Bay, Laem Set and Na Khai are the ones to watch. Water shoes solve most of the risk.
Read more -
Reef fish
Clownfish, parrotfish and Moorish idols show up on several north and east coast reef patches, and small blacktip reef sharks are occasionally seen off Ban Tai and Silver Beach - shy juveniles that keep away from people.
Read more -
Monitor lizards
Asian water monitors turn up near rivers, canals and forest edges, and occasionally on the sand itself. They are protected and not aggressive - give one space and it moves on.
Read more -
Beach dogs
Strays are common island-wide and mostly food-motivated rather than aggressive, but keep children from petting them and wash any bite immediately, since rabies is present in Thailand.
Read more -
Red flags
Most Koh Samui beaches have no lifeguard, so a posted flag or sign is often the only warning you get. Treat a red flag or a no-swimming sign as absolute, not advisory.
Read more
Beyond the sand
Off the sand
Ninety percent of this page is beach. The rest is what sits closest to it: the nearest temple, waterfall and hike from every stretch of coast, by real distance, not guesswork.
Temples
- Na Phra Lan Beach to Wat Na Phra Lan 0.2 km
- Laem Sor Beach to Wat Laem Sor 0.2 km
- Laem Set Beach to Kamalaya Monk Cave 0.2 km
- Maenam Beach to Chinese Temple of Maenam 0.2 km
- Laem Sor Beach to Wat Khao Chedi 0.3 km
Waterfalls
- Lamai Beach to Sivatara Waterfall 1.8 km
- Hua Thanon Beach to Wang Sao Thong Waterfall 2.8 km
- Tong Yang Beach to Lat Wanon Waterfall 2.8 km
- Nathon Beach, Koh Samui to Zong Raue Waterfall 3.1 km
- Hua Thanon Beach to Khao Yai Waterfall 3.5 km
Hikes
- Na Phra Lan Beach to Maenam to Magic Garden Traverse 0.4 km
- Chaweng Noi Beach to Lad Koh Viewpoint 1 km
- Lipa Noi Beach to Lardwanorn Waterfall Loop 1.1 km
- Bang Po Beach to Hog Trail 1.3 km
- Hua Thanon Beach to Overlap Stone Samui Viewpoint 1.4 km
Guides that go deeper
- All 34 beaches ranked
Every beach compared for swimming, families, snorkeling and sunsets, with in-depth picks for the top ten.
- Where to snorkel
Seven shore spots ranked from Silver Beach to Tong Yang, plus boat trips to Koh Tan, Koh Tao and Ang Thong.
- Beach clubs
The best beach clubs on the island, from Nikki Beach at Lipa Noi to Ark Bar at Chaweng, with prices and hours.
- East coast or west coast
A straight comparison: east wins for swimming, nightlife and airport minutes, west wins for sunsets and calm water.
- Sea conditions by month
Which coast runs calm, choppy or rough in any given month, plus tides, sea temperature and water clarity.
- Box jellyfish season
When jellyfish sightings cluster, which beaches have had nets, and the first-aid steps if a sting happens.
Common questions
Before you ask
Which beach is best for swimming?
Maenam and Chaweng swim year-round with calm to moderate water, and so do sheltered coves like Thongson Bay and Choeng Mon. The right pick depends on whether you want space, snorkeling nearby, or a busier stretch with facilities close by.
Does Koh Samui have jellyfish nets?
Not as a standard, island-wide feature. Chaweng and Lamai have had nets and vinegar stations installed at times, but coverage is inconsistent, so treat the roughly October to December window with normal caution and heed posted signs.
Which side is calm in November?
The north coast is the calmest option, turning choppy while the east and west coasts go rough under the tail of the monsoon. Base yourself near Maenam or Bophut if a calm swim matters more than anything else that month.
Can you swim at low tide on the north coast?
In places, but not everywhere. Beaches like Bang Po, Ban Tai and Thong Plu are rated for swimming at high tide only, since the water recedes over wide flats at low tide, while Maenam and Bophut stay swimmable regardless of the tide.
Which beaches have walking streets?
Bophut's Fisherman's Village runs its walking street every Friday, and Nathon and Bang Kao hold Saturday markets. Chaweng and Hua Thanon run food markets daily, and Lamai's runs Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.
Is Chaweng or Lamai better?
Neither is simply better, they suit different trips. Chaweng is the longer, busier beach at seven kilometres with the island's biggest nightlife, while Lamai is shorter at four kilometres, calmer at night, and still has its own market three nights a week.