Getting around the Island and other information

Background
Until the first backpackers started arriving in the 1970's, life on Koh Samui revolved around either the islands abundant coconut plantations or fishing. Since then it has grown into a popular holiday destination for families, couples and singles alike. A survey of 1018 tourists conducted by the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) in 1997 revealed that 81% of tourists who come to Samui say that they will come back and that they will certainly recommend the island to their friends. It is also worth noting that the dramatic devaluation of the local currency since July 1997 has made Thailand one of the least expensive exotic holiday destinations in the world.

Getting Around The Island
Private yellow taxis are quite numerous in Koh Samui and if you require your hotel / resort will be able to call one for you. The official yellow and red public taxi/bus (Songtaew in Thai) service runs around the island all day until 21:00 hrs (taxis are pick up trucks with a roof that can sit up to 10 people. Just wave your hand and they will stop to pick you up and press the buzzer inside the vehicle and they will let you out.) After 21:00 hrs there are still plenty of taxis around but prices will be higher depending on where you are going, how late it is, and how many people are travelling. You are advised to agree a price in advance. For example a journey from Chaweng to Lamai (approx 15 Km) at 03:00 hrs for a single person would cost c. Baht 250 while the same journey during the day would cost c. Baht 40.

Rent a Jeep or Motorbike. The majority of tourists rent their own transport. Jeeps cost c. Baht 1000/day and motorbikes cost c. Baht 150/day. Make sure your vehicle is insured and please drive carefully especially on motorbikes, there is often sand on the roads and Koh Samui has a high number of road accidents.

High Season / Low Season
An increasing number of tourists are coming to Koh Samui during the low season months when the heat from the sun is not so intense.
Low Season : May 1st through to July 15th and October 1st through to 15th December
High Season : December 15th through to April 30th and July 15th through to Sept 30th

Climate
December - April : The temperature gradually rises over this period from highs of about 30 C (86 F) from December to February to highs of about
40 C (104 F) from March to April. There are usually some short tropical downpours in December.
May - June : The temperature dips during these 2 months and usually there are occasionally some rainy periods lasting a few days.
July - September : The temperature rises again to highs of about 35 C (95 F). There are usually some tropical downpours but these rarely last more than a few hours.
October - November : The temperature dips to around 25 C (77 F) during these 2 months and there are usually some rain and wind storms that can last for around a week or two.

Attractions & Things to Experience in Koh Samui
Samui Island Coconuts are reputed to be the best in Thailand if not the world.
The Thai Massage. Massage has a long history of therapeutic healing in Thailand.

Medical Services on Koh Samui
Koh Samui Hospital. This is the largest and most popular hospital on the island. Located just beyond Nathon at the end of the Immigration Office road. This is the best hospital in Samui. It has VIP private rooms with TV and other furnishings. Service is first class and prices are normal.

Bandon International Private Hospital. Services include: 24 Hours Accident and Emergency & Ambulance Service, X-Rays, Operations, CT Brain Scan, Doctor On-Call. Make sure you have insurance, the prices at Bandon are high.

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