Koh Samui Beaches – The 12 Most Beautiful Bays on the Island

Koh Samui and beaches surely belong together. The southern tropical island is a popular destination with many travelers in Thailand, whether it’s on a holiday package or individual travels. The crowd is really mixed because the stunning beaches of Koh Samui attract many different kind of people.

The most beautiful beaches of Koh Samui

Since the island has so many beaches, I will introduce you to 12 beaches that you shouldn’t miss during your holiday on Koh Samui. You can either discover them on your own with a scooter or e.g. a private driver.

How to get to Koh Samui

The easiest and fastest way to Koh Samui is with a direct flight from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. The international airport of Koh Samui was built by Bangkok Airways and therefore the price for a flight ticket is kind of more expensive, because they preserve a monopoly – with a few exceptions.

It’s cheaper when you go to Surat Thani or Nakhon Si Thammarat on the mainland of Thailand. Airlines like AirAsia, Thai Lion Air and Nok Air fly to those cities from the Don Mueang airport in Bangkok. At the destination airport you can take a bus to the Donsak Pier or Tapee Pier and from there a ferry to Koh Samui.

You can find the cheapest flights to Koh Samui on Skyscanner. I absolutely can recommend Thai Lion Air by the way.

Note: Bus and train connections are also available if you want to arrive even cheaper. However, the travel time increases a lot. Tickets and information on times can be found at our partner 12go.asia.

Accommodation in Koh Samui – our hotel tip

One hotel where we felt comfortable from the very beginning was the Amari Koh Samui. If you want to stay at the beautiful Chaweng Beach, but not directly in the relatively busy center, the Amari is just right. Despite the central location you will have your peace – we liked it very much!

The hotel offers 2 swimming pools and beautiful, modern furnished rooms of different categories – depending on your budget. We definitely recommend this hotel and would stay there again anytime. Find more hotels on Koh Samui here.

1. Chaweng Beach

The Chaweng Beach is located at the east coast of Koh Samui and is the most popular one of the island. Despite the many visitors, the beach is really clean, which is mostly because of all the hotels that are situated directly at the beach.

You can find some cheaper bungalows at the northern end, as well as the famous Ark Bar. There is a beach party every night with nice cocktails, a fire show and some live DJs.

In the south of Chaweng Beach there is a public beach access near the Chaweng Walking Street. Otherwise you will have to get to the beach through one of the resorts at the Chaweng Beach Road.

As soon as the sun starts to set you will also see many Thai people at the southern end of the beach. There are also a few opportunities where you can buy a spicy Papaya Salad, meat on a stick or some fish. Very delicious. Most of the locals aren’t really going to swim, but rather coming to the beach to eat cheaply. You should definitely try it!

Obviously the water over here is very good for swimming. There are no stones whatsoever, just the way I love it. There’s just fine white sand at the beach and in the water, too.

2. Coral Cove Beach

The Coral Cove Beach is located on the way from Chaweng to Lamai. You can have a short glimpse at the beach on the left side of the road. There are a few accommodations like the Coral Cove Chalet or Hi Coral Cove Bungalow on the beach area, but the quite small beach isn’t visited much.

Beside the nice view, you can also visit this bay if you want to try some snorkeling on Koh Samui. Otherwise you can just relax on the fine sand, which is always a nice thing to do.

3. Silver Beach

A little bit further you can find the Silver Beach, which is actually called the Thongtakian Beach. There are some signs pointing you to the beach. If you follow the signs to the Rock Salt Restaurant, you can park your scooter over there (if you are going on your own). Between the restaurant and a couple of bungalows you will eventually see the beach.

It has fine and white sand and is just really beautiful. If you go into the water, there are a few stones at the beginning, but after some meters there is only sand and the water is suitable for swimming. Also, the beach is always quite empty and peaceful, not like Chaweng Beach or Lamai Beach. However, there are more and more visitors who come to the Silver Beach.

4. Lamai Beach

The Lamai Beach is also situated at the east coast of Koh Samui and is the second largest beach of the island after Chaweng Beach. The sand is not quite as fine as at the Chaweng Beach, but still very nice. Furthermore, it’s a great beach to take a swim.

Despite its popularity, the atmosphere at the Lamai Beach is really natural and calm. There are also a few resorts and hotels as well as restaurants and bars, where you can buy some food or drinks directly at the beach.

5. Lipa Noi Beach

The beach of Lipa Noi is situated on the west coast of Koh Samui and is less visited. Only the luxury Nikki Beach Resort attracts many people who like to party, if there are some live DJs on site. However, you will probably need some more cash for a party like that.

Nevertheless, the fine white sand is worth a visit and you can still find a lonely spot away from the famous resort.

6. Bang Por Beach

The Bang Por Beach is located in the northwest of Koh Samui. It lies in a small secluded bay with fine white sand and a terrific view at Koh Phangan. I’ve been to the beach a couple of times and every time I was the only visitor. It still seems to be a secret tip.

If you get hungry you can go to the Relax@Samui, a small restaurant directly at the beach. Unfortunately, there was low tide during my last visit so I could not test the swimming. There are a few stones at the beginning but apart from that, it looks pretty clear and inviting to take a swim.

7. Baan Tai Beach

The village of Baan Tai with the same-named beach is located just west of Maenam. The beach is really peaceful and tranquil since there is nothing else going on. Only a few resorts are situated at the beach or nearby.

The Baan Tai Beach offers, just like the Bang Por Beach, a nice view at Koh Phangan. The sand is fine and the beach pretty clean. Unfortunately, there are some stones in the water which makes it a bit difficult to swim at some spots but there is always a better spot a few meters away. Some visitors are even coming to snorkel as off the coast there is a coral reef.

8. Maenam Beach

The palm-lined Maenam Beach is located in the north of Samui and is a very quiet beach with a length of about 5 kilometers. At most spots the water falls shallowly into the ocean, so it’s suitable for families with children, too.

The beach area around the village of Maenam is very popular with tourists, on the other hand it’s the wrong place if you are looking for a beach party. But you can still find a beach bar and some of the resorts, which are situated directly at the beach, offer cocktails and a nice dinner. A very calm beach and a great place to swim.

9. Bophut Beach

There are almost only upper and middle class hotels everywhere along the beach of Bophut. In the east it ends at the shopping complex The Wharf, where you can also find the large Walking Street every Friday.

The wide beach is largely clean because the beachfront hotels make sure that their guests have a beautiful beach on site. Nevertheless, you can still access the beach if you are not a guest of those hotels. The sand is fine but has a few stones now and then. Anyway, the Bophut Beach is a nice place to relax and take a swim in the Gulf of Thailand.

10. Big Buddha Beach

The Big Buddha Beach is situated in the village of Bangrak and therefore often also called Bangrak Beach. By the way, the name comes from Koh Samui’s Big Buddha, which you can see from the beach or discover on your own by scooter as well as with a Koh Samui Jungle Safari Tour. Furthermore, you can take the boats of the Haad Rin Queen from this beach to get to Haad Rin on Koh Phangan.

There are as well a couple of resorts directly at the beach. The Big Buddha Beach is mostly pretty empty and you won’t find many people swimming over here because the Chaweng Beach or Choeng Mon Beach are not far away and better for swimming. The sand at the beach is very fine and you can enjoy some nice sunsets over here. Just buy a cold drink at one of the convenience stores nearby and enjoy it.

11. Thongson Bay

The beach of the Thongson Bay is somewhat hidden and not visited very much. It’s one of Koh Samui’s little secret tips. On the way between Bangrak and Choeng Mon you will pass a small road with a sign, that leads you to the Thongson Bay Resort. Take that road for a few minutes until you arrive at the small restaurant of the Thongson Bay Bungalows.

Welcome to the Thongson Bay. It is absolutely calm and peaceful, has a amazing white sand beach with a view and a quiet atmosphere away from the island’s hustle and bustle. The beach is only a 400 meters stretch of sand, but it won’t get crowded here at all. The northern part of the bay is good to take a swim, while the southern part is better for snorkeling because of the rocks.

12. Choeng Mon Beach

The Choeng Mon Beach is located at the northeast coast of Samui. There are a few resorts at the beach, but it’s still very quiet and not too crowded. A nice and cozy beach, a great spot to relax and swim. The water is very shallow at the beginning, which makes the beach also perfect for children.

You can find the inconspicuous entrance right next to a Family Mart in Choeng Mon. There is also a sign to the Choeng Mon Beach Hotel. You can park your scooter over there and walk the last couple of meters, in case you are going around Samui by scooter.

If you are a real beach lover, you can discover way more than those 12 beaches on Koh Samui. Some of them are quite hidden or private beaches from hotels, which are not easy to access if you aren’t staying at those hotels. Not all beaches are suitable for swimming, but we still want to give you a short overview.

With this list the beaches of Koh Samui are almost complete and we want to mention them at least here, so you can find your own piece of paradise.

Bang Kao Beach – Bang Kao is located in the south of the island with a quite lonely beach, which is ideal for a long walk. You can also find some shady spots under the coconut trees at the beach and the water is really shallow at the beginning.

Chaweng Noi – Chaweng Noi begins where the Chaweng Beach ends. The beach with fine sand is nestled in a small bay which is about a kilometer long. The water is also very clear and suitable for swimming, apart from the southern end of the Chaweng Noi Beach, which is pretty rocky.

Laem Sor Pagoda Beach – There is also a small beach at the Laem Sor Pagoda that is situated in the south of Koh Samui. The beach has to offer a nice view at Koh Madsum. But apart from that, it is not really suitable for enjoyable swimming since there are many rocks at the beach.

Laem Yai Beach – In the northwestern part of Samui you can find the Laem Yai Beach. A small and beautiful beach which is surrounded by luxury resorts like the Mövenpick or Four Seasons.

Nathon Beach – The town of Nathon also offers a beach and it is pretty nice to spend some time at the southern end. However, due to the fact that Nathon is the islands’ seaport, the water isn’t really nice and clear. Furthermore, it is mostly too shallow and not a good place to swim.

Natien Beach – In the southeast of the island there is the secluded Natien Beach. It is calm, peaceful and an ideal place to take a walk along the beach. The view at the islands of Koh Madsum and Koh Taen off the coast is also very nice and perfect to take some pictures. If you are looking for a swim, this is unfortunately the wrong spot. The shallow water has lots of stones which makes it almost impossible to have a nice swim.

Pang Ka Beach – The small beach of Pang Ka is located in the north of the Taling Ngam Beach. It’s a very tiny bay that is excellent for a nice sunset.

Samrong Bay – The Samrong Bay beach is the twin beach of the Thongson Bay. It is surrounded by rocks and has about the same size. The water is pretty clear and the sand fine, good to take a swim. The private beach is located at the Arayaburi Boutique Resort in the north of Koh Samui.

Taling Ngam Beach – About 20 kilometers south of Nathon you can find the Taling Ngam Beach at the west coast of the island. It is far away from the mass tourism of Samui. If you are looking for a quiet and peaceful beach, then this is the place to be.

Thong Krut Bay – In the south of the island you can find the Thong Krut Bay. Although it has a beach, it’s not really suitable for swimming because there are many fishing boats laying at anchor. But you can find some taxi boats here to go on a trip to Koh Madsum and Koh Taen.

Tongsai Bay – The small private beach of the Tongsai Bay is situated in the northeast of Koh Samui at the same-named The Tongsai Bay Hotel. Unfortunately, the beach is not accessible without being a guest of the hotel.

Yai Noi Beach – This is another small beach which you can find between Chaweng and Choeng Mon. However, you can also only reach this beach through the hotels on site like the Anantara Lawana or Nora Beach Resort.

Wondering what else you can do on the island? Check out our Koh Samui Things to Do guide. If your travel budget is extremely limited, we have another article with free sightseeing tips on Koh Samui.

Koh Samui: Tours and tickets

Do you prefer to travel with a guide who knows the area very well? Then we recommend a guided tour with a local. This way you can get to know Koh Samui in a completely different way. GetYourGuide offers a wide selection of exciting tours for Koh Samui.

Have you ever been to Koh Samui? Which is you favorite beach or the most beautiful in your opinion? Leave us a comment below!