Koh Samui Thailand has often been called the best place in Asia to, “Retire and Live Like a King on a Budget.”  It’s perfect for anyone seeking the “Kings of Thailand” lifestyle.

Koh Samui is Thailand’s third largest island and is called home by many foreigners.  This island is small enough so you don’t feel like you live in a city, yet large enough that you don’t feel trapped by “island sickness.”

If you want to see a movie, go to the cinema.  If you want to go swimming, go to one of the many beautiful beaches.  If you want to go bowling, you’ve got a bowling alley.  And if you want a break from Thailand, Koh Samui has an international airport.

Samui is one of the best places in Asia to have an extended mini retirement. Whether you’re staying one month or 5 years, you’ll have no regrets choosing Samui.

Why Koh Samui Thailand?  Here’s a Short List:

Relaxation:

Never underestimate the power of relaxation.  So many of us today are over worked and over stressed.  Sometimes all it takes is a simple relaxing vacation to clear the head.

We have heard countless times, Koh Samui Thailand is one of the best getaways for this.  You’ll have to travel far and wide to find anything that can match its sheer beauty.

Koh Samui Nightlife:

Chaweng in Samui is one great place to experience Thailand’s incredible nightlife scene.  Here you will find activities such as: beer bars, discos, live bands, traditional Thai dancing and lady boxing.

Koh Samui rests next to Thailand’s world famous Full Moon Party.  Simply hop on a speedboat and you are only 20 minutes away from the world’s most popular beach party.
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Koh Samui is a large and small island at the same time.  In regards to size, it is Thailand’s third largest island after Phuket and Ko Chang.

When it comes to the nightlife of Samui, you might find this island to be a little small.

Although there are many bars, clubs, and discos throughout the island, the nightlife really revolves around two areas: Chaweng and Lamai.

Both places have their pros and cons.

Lamai:

Lamai is often described in two ways:

1- It’s great if you are an older man who loves prostitutes.

-OR-

2- It’s like Pattaya but the girls don’t look as good.

Throughout the last couple of years, Lamai has attempted to compete against Chaweng for the nightlife crowd, but has failed miserably.  On Friday and Saturday nights you’ll find Fusion, Lamai’s dance club to be full of older men and not so good looking prostitutes.

From 10pm – 2:30am you won’t need us to guide you.  Just walk around Lamai and you’ll find bar after bar full of Thai girls.

After 2:30am the bars will close.  The bar girls that didn’t get any action during their shift will head to Fusion Club.  Fusion Club is known to stay open we’ll past 5am.

Thailand has something for everyone and Lamai’s nightlife is good for one thing, bar girls.  But if you’re coming to Samui for more than mediocre looking whores, then Lamai’s nightlife is probably not the place for you.

This is where we introduce, Chaweng…
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So you only have one night in Koh Samui Thailand and don’t want to waste it.  What do you do?

Never fear, the Kings of Thailand are here for you.  Follow all or some of our advice to create a memorable night.  (Unless you blackout, then it will truly be an unmemorable night.)

8:00pm

Time for some food so you can make it through the night.  In Samui you have your choice of restaurants, however if you are not looking for cheap food but quality food, visit one of these 3 restaurants:

1- The Cliff
Located right on the beach between Chaweng and Lamai which gives you an incredible view of the ocean.  The food is very good.  Try Scalps or an Australian steak.

2- The Shack
Hands down the best steak place in Koh Samui.  Managed by an American who makes sure each steak is of the finest quality.  Located in Fishermans Village.

3- Oceans 11
Known as the best restaurant in Koh Samui.  Oceans 11 has limited seating and only works with reservations.  Try the lamb.   Located in Bo Phut.

10:00pm

Time to start drinking.  Here are a few recommendations:

1- Ark Bar
Lie on a cushioned lounged chair, grab a drink, and enjoy the fireworks.  After spending a couple hours here, many tourists leave Ark Bar with some of the best memories.
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In Samui you have many choices of locations on where to stay.  Below is a list of the areas we recommend to stay and the areas we do not.

Do Not Stay Near:

- Nathon
- Mae Nam
- Bo Phut

These places are far away from all the action.  The only foreigners that stay in these areas are tourists that don’t know any better or cheap travelers who want to stay in the cheapest / boring places in Samui.  Note:  All these places tend to have bad beaches.

Areas to Stay in Samui:

1- Chaweng
2- Lamai
3- Fisherman’s Village
4- Chong Mon

These are in order for fun.  More details on each location is below:
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In our last article, Where to Stay in Koh Samui Thailand – Part 1, we talked about the pros and cons of each major city in Samui.  Now that you have an idea of what area you would like to stay in, here are some recommendations of actual places to stay:

Short Term Stays (1 – 2 weeks):

If you are only going to be in Samui for a short time, stay at a hotel.  There is no shortage of hotels on the island ranging from one star to 5 stars.  Some websites to check out for booking:

http://www.Sawasdee.com
http://www.Agoda.com
http://www.AsiaRooms.com

Long Term Stays (2 weeks – 1 month or more):

If you are staying in Samui for longer than two weeks, you will be better off renting a monthly apartment then paying hotel rates every day.  I never stay in an apartment which is not up to western standards.  These recommendations features the everyday comforts we know and love.  If you are looking for hostel with a fan where you can sleep on the floor, it’s best you skip this. Click here to read more…

“We did one of those paid tours of Samui and it absolutely sucked.  You were right.”

“I know I was right.  But did you at least hike up the waterfalls or see the Big Budda?”

“No, we didn’t even get that far.  It sucked so bad we just took a taxi back after two hours.”

“Next time this is what you should see…”

Above is a conversation I recently had with a friend who was running a tour from North America.  After two days in Samui he wanted to take his group on one of those paid excursions throughout the island.  I told him not to waste his money on the tour. Just rent a private car and stop at a few places.

He didn’t listen and after two hours of the paid tour, his group took a taxi back to their hotel.  Two days later they did what I originally recommended and his group was able to see the island in an enjoyable way.

(Also, there is also a very popular Martial Arts camp that is based on Samui.  Before every 2 month training phase, all the new students take a very similar tour to get familiar with the island.)

If you’ve never been to Samui before and want to explore, stop by a few of these places or follow the tour.  Rent a car, or use a moped.  You’re on vacation, why not treat yourself to a little adventure and sight seeing.
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