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| General Facts |
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Courtesy of www.kohsamui.org
The island has a natural population of around 40,000, swelled by more than 50,000 Thai’s from other parts of the country who also live on Koh Samui. Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable increase in the tourist trade: 2004 – 800,000 foreign and 100,000 Thai visitors who spent more than 10 billion baht (approx 33 million USD), 2005 – 1.2 million visitors, who spent more than 14 billion baht, this growth is set to continue.
Koh Samui is Thailand's second largest island covering an area of 247 square kilometers. It is located in the Gulf of Thailand, 35 kilometers east of the southern mainland. Samui belongs to the Samui island group consisting of more than 60 islands.
Most of the island's original rain forest has been replaced by coconut groves. The island interior away from the coast is hilly jungle. The highest mountain is Thai Kwai and is 635 meters high, Samui and is about 15km from west to east and north to south. This layout provides beautiful beaches around the island, the longest of which is at Chaweng, then Lamai, with other good beaches around the island at places like Choeng Mon, Bang Por, Maenam, Bophut, Lipa Noi, Laem Set, and Ban Taling-Ngam.
Koh Samui belongs to the province of Surat Thani. The island itself is divided into seven administrative districts called "tambons": Angthong, Bo Phut, Lipa Noi, Mae Nam, Maret, Namuang Taling Nam. The capital is Nathon. |
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Brief History
Koh Samui was first drawn on a Chinese sea map dated 1687. Probably the island was previously known to seamen. According to legend Samui was repeatedly visited by settlers 1500 to 2000 years ago. At the end of the 18th century the island was populated by Chinese settlers and - somewhat later - Thais from the mainland. At the beginning of the 20th century, Moslem fishermen from the southern Thai provinces settled on the island. This particular ethnical mix and Koh Samui's relative isolation led to a special culture, marked by a mixture of tolerance and pride. It is no coincidence that the inhabitants of Koh Samui refer to themselves as "Chao Samui", people of Samui. |
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Religion
The majority of the Thai population on Koh Samui is Buddhist, living in peaceful coexistence with Moslem and Christian communities. On Samui there are 31 Wat (Buddhist temples) some with, some without pagodas. The best known and most visible religious symbol on Koh Samui is the "Big Buddha", a golden Buddha twelve meters tall. |
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Economics
Until the 1970's, fishery and coconuts formed the economic basis for the population of Koh Samui. The last few decades, however, have seen a remarkable growth in the tourist industry, especially after completion of the Samui Airport in 1988. Originally a stopover for backpacker and dropouts, Koh Samui has now become an attractive destination for "normal" tourists. Over one million visitors come to Koh Samui each year.
Koh Samui is a tourist paradise. Its main attractions are the broad beaches on the eastern coast with the tourist towns Chaweng and Lamai. Koh Samui offers accommodation and restaurants for any budget, countless recreational facilities and a liberal and easy going lifestyle.
Koh Samui is also a good home base for trips to the neighboring islands, especially for those interested in diving. Transport connections via air and sea are excellent. There are ferry connections to the neighboring islands of Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao. Direct flights to Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Krabi, Singapore and Hong Kong are available. |
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