Samui, the island of coconut trees, is the third largest island in Thailand. (Only Phuket and Koh Chang are larger by size). It is located 700 km South of Bangkok in the Surat Thani province. Well known beaches are Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut and Choeng Mon. Samui also has many sister islands; Koh Tao, (top diving destination in Asia) Koh Phangan (known for it’s Full Moon Party), Angthong National Marine Park, Koh Tan and beautiful Koh Nang Yuan.
Samui’s most popular attraction, The Big Buddha sitting 15 meters tall was built in 1972 by the local society to give visitors a place to pay respect to The Lord Buddha. This monumental landmark is placed on the island’s Northern shore.
Beautiful white sand beaches, clean, clear warm water; lush tropical gardens and gentle ocean breezes await you at this ideal holiday destination.
Location and the maps
Thailand
Koh Samui Interesting Place
Events and festivals
- Buffalo Fighting Festival One of the best-known festivals on Ko Samui is its Buffalo Fighting Festival, which is held on special occasions such as New Years Day and Songkran. Unlike Spanish bull-fighting, the fighting on Ko Samui is fairly harmless. The fighting season varies according to some ancient customs and ceremonies. The buffalo are beautifully decorated with ribbons and gold-painted leaves. Before the contest which lasts just two rounds, monks spray them with holy water. The winning owner typically takes home millions of baht in prize money.
- Ten Stars Samui Art Party A recurring cultural event bringing together art lovers, local Thai and international artists and their new, original artworks. These bi-monthly events, hosted at various high-end resorts and other 5-star venues on the island, focus on building the art community on Ko Samui with presentations by featured artists.
- Bowling Championship This is an annual bowling event held in May every year.
- Avis Samui Tennis Open The annual amateur tennis tournament held in July.
- The Fisherman’s Village Festival This five-day festival is celebrated with fun, music and food. The music is usually played by well-known artists and food tents sell inexpensive cuisine provided by local hotels.
- Triathlon Event The International Triathlon Union organizes this event every year. This event in Ko Samui draws more than five hundred participants from around the world. The event attracts competitors and visitors as well as locals. This event actually has never taken place and was promoted via a website only.
- Samui Regatta The Samui Regatta is a sailing tournament, held every year. The tournament is internationally known and competitors come from as far away as Australia, Singapore, Japan and China. This event, for boats of all sizes and shapes, began in 2002.
- Full Moon Party (Ko Phangan) Had Rin Beach on nearby Ko Phang-ngan was once a secret haven for a few backpackers who could only get to the beach by boat. Now, it is packed with bungalows, bars, pizza joints and even a 7-11 and every month on full-moon, a huge all-night event is held with rave music played by international DJs to thousands of party-goers.
