A landmark of the last ten years

5th Samui Open Beach Volleyball Tournament 2023

The 5th Samui Open Beach Volleyball Tournament was held from 10 to 12 March 2023 at Royal Muang Samui Villas on Choeng Mon Beach.

When
10 - 12 March 2023
Where
Royal Muang Samui Villas, Choeng Mon, Koh Samui
Two fighters engage in a dynamic Muay Thai training session inside a gym.
A general photo of this kind of event, not a photo of this event. Photo: Gleb Krasnoborov, Pexels License

About this event

The Samui Open Beach Volleyball Tournament was started by the organiser Biggs Island Productions, which says it began the event in 2016 to meet growing interest in beach volleyball. The first tournament took place in 2017 with 22 amateur and professional players from 10 countries, and a second followed in February 2018. By the 5th edition in 2023 it was supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand under its Amazing Thailand campaign.

The tournament has mixed amateur and professional players from the start. Venues have changed over the years: the 2023 edition was held at Royal Muang Samui Villas on Choeng Mon Beach, while later editions moved to Chaweng. Sources describe a steady increase in teams and countries. TTR Weekly announced the 2023 event in February, and the Phuket News carried earlier announcements.

The facts

  1. 1 The tournament drew 120 athletes in 80 teams from 28 countries.
  2. 2 About 80 per cent of the athletes came from overseas.

Why it matters

The first post-pandemic edition of Samui's international beach volleyball open.

Muay Thai and sport on Koh Samui

Sport on Samui means three things. Muay Thai fights run most nights in Chaweng: Samui International Stadium on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, Phetchbuncha on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, with six bouts from about 21:00. The Samui Regatta, the island's longest-running sporting event, brings sailing fleets to Chaweng in late May. Running events add a half marathon starting in Chaweng, which has been held in June, and the Samui Trail in November, with distances from 7 to 55 km starting in Na Mueang. Start times are early, to beat the heat.

Around Choeng Mon

Choeng Mon is a series of bays on Samui's north-east tip, between Chaweng and Bang Rak, the Big Buddha area. A source places it about 15 minutes north of Chaweng, and Big Buddha is about 5 minutes away. The crescent beach is calm and shallow, and a small island offshore can be reached by paddling. Evenings are quiet, with a handful of cafes and restaurants on the beach, while Fisherman's Village and Chaweng's clubs are a short drive away.

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