Four Reasons to Visit Koh Samui Today

It's hard to imagine that it was only in 1971 when two backpackers on coconut boats arrived in Koh Samui -- a 228-square-kilometer island off the Eastern coast of Thailand.

Just like similar undiscovered resort islands that dot the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui benefited from its natural beauty populated by swaying palms, virgin beaches and a tropical climate that is mostly dry throughout the year. Forty years later, Koh Samui may not be as tranquil as it once was. The 45-minute flight from Bangkok has made the island into one of Asia's hot spots for tourism, rivaling neighboring Phuket and Chiang Mai as Thailand's top destination.

1. World Class Resorts

The ShaSa is one of the most luxurious resorts in Koh Samui

Koh Samui is home to some world-class accommodations, such as the ShaSa Resort that sits on the side of a hill with majestic sunset views of the water below. With its choice of luxury beach front bungalows, plus amenities like outdoor living spaces and a refreshing pool, its luxurious style and comforts are on a par with some of the best resorts in the world. Meanwhike, dinner by the beach at the Beyond The Sea restaurant offers a refreshing take on Thai and Western-inspired dishes.

2. Chic hangouts

Koh Samui's beachside atmosphere is sophisticated with an aura of serenity while only being steps from the chaos of the lady-boys and beer girls at Chaweng beach. If you're looking for somewhere where its possible to both escape from the crowds and head out for a night of partying, Koh Samui has it all.

3. The Land of Buddha and humongous sculptures

The monks, Buddhists temples and giant Buddhas in Thailand are the equivalent of Christian pastors, churches and the huge ArtPrize collage of Jesus Christ in Grand Rapids. Wat Plai Laem, a giant 18-arm Guanyin (the goddess of mercy and compassion) is the most famous temple for tourists, in the northern part of the island. The giant laughing Buddha is the most memorable among the many Buddha statues that call Wat Plai Laem home. Also of interest, down on Lamai beach, there are two giant natural rock formations called Grandpa and Grandma rocks that resemble sexual organs.

4. Markets and festivals galore

Food markets in Asia are similar to those back at home, except for the fact that you can find every part of any animal for sale (some are alive), food carts outside of the market may outnumber the actual stalls inside, and there is an organized chaos to the screaming dialogue between the eager vendors and determined buyers. The Fisherman's Village Five-day Festival every August may be your best bet for a complete culinary and cultural excursion.

Best restaurants will be hosting 3rd Fine Dining Festival

Make sure to visit the delectable Beyond the Sea restaurant

For the 3rd time, Koh Samui will be hosting the Samui Fine Dining Festival, starting on March 1. This festival will save place for 2 months, the last day of the event will be on April 30. This festival displays food from the islands best restaurants which include hotel restaurants, boutiques and various independent eateries.

The Cool Genie Group organizes this event, they are able to bring together a huge group of hotels and restaurants and treat the local residents with some of the funds food in Thailand. Eighteen restaurants will be participating this year.

If you are staying or planning on visiting Koh Samui between March 1 and April 30 we should definitely check out this festival. Who knows after trying some of the local food prepared especially for the festival you might end up going to that establishment later to eat a full course meal.

The organizer of the event Horst Honung stated that “Diners get value, exclusivity and originality, as every evening the restaurants and an elite of international chefs present the best they have to offer,” added Hornung. “A menu consists of a cold starter, hot starter, fish course, sorbet, meat course and dessert. The menus are priced at B2,800 to B3,500. No extra costs for service charge and government tax. For wine lovers, the menus are offered with matching wines for each course. But you can also order just menu only and order any beverage from the restaurant’s wine or drink list.”

Another top restaurant that unfortunately won't be present at this year’s event is Beyond the Sea. It features Tapas (hand food) and delectable Thai cuisine and has a panoramic view of the beautiful Koh Samui beaches. 

Getting Married in Paradise

Koh Samui is a great place to have wedding

Every woman's dream is to get married in paradise. The ShaSa Resort & Residencesin Koh Samui is able to make that dream come true. This five-star hotel has become well known for its unforgettable weddings. They offer 3 types of wedding packages each of them with distinct features.

Thai Wedding Package

Their 1st wedding package is the Thai traditional wedding. This package includes a Buddhist monk ceremony, long drum parade and water Blessing ceremony. The wedding is full of tropical flowers and comes with snacks and beverages for guests. Other notable things included in this package is a 2 night stay at the ShaSa hotel, winning spa package and bottled wine in the honeymoon room of the hotel.

Traditional Wedding Package

This package comes with a master of ceremony, beautiful tropical flower decorations throughout the venue in house music and DJ plus siliceous ceremonial wedding cake or cupcakes. The newlyweds will also receive 2 night stay at the hotel and romantic dinner for 2, and leading spa package

Private Wedding Package

The last option available is the private wedding package. This package includes a master of ceremony, tropical flower decorations inside or outside the venue and hand crafted flower tray for the wedding ring. Newlyweds will also receive a wedding cake, bride bouquet and corsage for the groom.

Please note that the Thai wedding package can be combined with one of the other 2 wedding packages. If you would like more details about the wedding packages at the ShaSa hotel then leave a comment. The hotel can also arrange for after wedding events such as the release of flying lanterns along the beach. In addition, professional photographers can also be booked through the hotel to make your beach or traditional wedding last for a lifetime.

Koh Samui Wake-up Call

Beautiful of Koh Samui in the morning

After Koh Samui experienced its worst-ever blackout in late 2012, local officials have drawn up plans to address the power supply problem in the island and launch development projects to better serve the 1 million tourists expected to visit the island in 2013. Issues that need to be resolved, in addition to power shortage, include water supply, garbage collection, and flooding.

Funding on projects to further improve Koh Samui’s prospect as a travel destination appears as one major hurdle. From over 500 million baht in annual taxes that have been collected from local business enterprises, only about 50 million baht remain for municipal use in public works projects that will support Koh Samui attractions to tourists, according to former mayor Ramnet Jaikwang. 

This surplus, which comes after deducting regular expenses, is meager, the ex-mayor said, adding that a government subsidy is needed in order to provide the necessary solutions to the problems experienced in the island recently.

Ramnet estimated that the 50-million baht surplus from business tax collections can only cover the repairs and maintenance of existing infrastructures. Additional funds are required for improvements on the 54-kilometer circumferential road of the island, out of which only 17 kilometers have been paved, he said. The 150 tons of garbage that has to be collected daily is another urgent item in the list of Koh Samui things to do for the local government.

The supply of fresh water is an added pressing concern, which Ramnet raised. He said the municipality would be served well if five dams for water supply are constructed instead of having small mires to conform to the green policy in Koh Samui. The ex-mayor decried the regular flooding in the island, blaming the refusal of beachfront property owners and coastal hotels to build drains or sewers because these are potential eyesores or would adversely affect their businesses. Infrastructure guidelines must be developed along these lines so that road drainage can be constructed, thereby allowing rainwater to flow more rapidly into the sea, he proposed.

The power supply should likewise be improved, the ex-mayor said, to cope with the rapid rise in the number of tourists that the island hosts.  Ramnet also called attention to the issue of foreigners acquiring land in Koh Samui through Thai nominees. He said this situation needs urgent government action, which may require a policy change. Moreover, he called for long-term zoning to designate land use for tourist-related, residential, and financial for easier management and property valuation.