Samet island in Thailand. Koh Samet, Thailand

It is located just a few kilometers from the mainland of Thailand in the eastern part of the country and is part of the Khao Laem Ya National Park. It is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

Koh Samet is a popular holiday destination not only among Thais (especially on weekends), but also among tourists from all over the world. People come here for white sand beaches, tranquility and relaxation.

The nearest major city to the island is Rayong, and boats and ferries leave from Ban Phe Pier (sail only 6.5 km to the island).

The distance to Ban Phe Pier from Bangkok is 200 km, Pattaya is 90 km, Rayong is 38 km. As you can see, there is not much to go, which is why Samet is popular as a day trip from Pattaya.

Koh Samet on the map of Thailand

If you go from Bangkok to the border with Cambodia, then the island will be just halfway, in the Gulf of Thailand.

I made a Google map of Koh Samet and plotted on it all the interesting points that you might need.

Samet map with beaches

You can download a picture in good quality by .

best travel sites

Koh Samet in Thailand is so good that the Thais have brought all its nature and beaches into the national heritage of the country! Is it really heaven for the price of 500 baht a day?

From Pattaya you need to get to the city of Ban Phe, the easiest way to do this:

1. With the help of 35 Pattaya Group (this is a company in Pattaya with cheap minibuses (not excursions). Google it, This is really the most convenient way if you don’t have your own transport. But we went everywhere ourselves and I can’t leave an objective review)
2. On our own transport (the two of us rode a PCX-150, the road took two hours with a stop for food)
3. If you are afraid to go by yourself, you can order an organized trip from our partners

Ships depart from the small town of Ban Phe, most of its inhabitants live off the tourist flow to the island of Samet. At every corner they will try to sell you anything, every taxi driver will catch up with you and tell you that he can buy a ticket, or he has a boat and only he will take you. How does it really work:

There are about 5 different piers in Ban Phe. Each of them has its own ticket office, but some sell tickets only for speed boats, and some only for regular ferries. Tickets cost the same at different ticket offices: ferry - 50 baht one way, speedboat - 150 baht one way. All berths are 100 meters apart, so if I try to charge you double the price somewhere, you can easily walk to the next one. Ferries run once an hour (approximately from 8.00 to 17.00), on weekends speedboats run every 10 minutes, on weekdays much less often.

Samet is a national park, so at the main pier you will be charged 200 baht per person just for entering the island.

And our Tolya is a fool. As usual, I distinguished myself: I went to look for a mooring for speedboats. I look - there is a group of Thais, so I approached and asked:

Are you waiting for a boat to the island?
-Yes
- Well, we'll wait.
- Ok, wait.

And only when I boarded the boat, I found out that these were the majors from Bangkok, who ordered an individual yacht for themselves, and we brazenly climbed into them. They took us straight to the beach, so we didn’t have to pay this national park fee and flatly refused to take it for the road. I love Thais.

There is a normal pier only in the city, if you take an individual transfer to some beach, then you will be dropped off in waist-deep water. Keep this in mind if you travel with children and suitcases

Choosing the best beach on Koh Samet. I read a lot of reviews about the island before the trip, I found many stories about a secret beach in a rubber grove, or about a millionaires' beach with huge palm trees. And I'll tell you honestly: it's all nonsense! Don't worry about choosing a place! All beaches are excellent, with magnificent azure sea and perfectly white sand.

Sai Kaew Beach

In general, I liked the largest city beach the most and I will recommend it.

Now a little more detail. Not far from the port is the main city beach Sai Kaeo. This is the largest beach on the island, lined with small bungalows, cafes and macaques. It is on this beach that tourists from Pattaya are brought, who book excursions. The beach is long, and tourists are herd creatures, so they cluster in one place, next to their boats. Therefore, most of the beach is empty and you can safely lie down in silence.

What about other beaches? Yes, everything is the same! But there are beaches at hotels, so there are pluses: there are no boats, there are many times fewer people and much calmer. And of the minuses: there is no nightlife, food is only in the restaurant and expensive.

These are all photos of the main beach of Sai Kaew Beach:

Video of Sai Kaew Beach:

Ao Wong

the beach is located in the bay and at the hotel. It turns out that the beach is equipped and very calm, with a good green area. I liked it so much that we decided to stay here for a few hours. There is also nightlife, and equipped swings, and you can take a boat for a ride. In general, we recommend.

2) Ao Thian- one of the secret bays and this is its charm! Finding this place from the road is very difficult. it looks like a small path into the jungle. But it was here that we found inexpensive bungalows for 400 baht. The beach is very small, but there are almost no people. Bartenders generally sleep at the counters. no visitors.

Nothing interesting has been seen on the rest of the beaches, so I will just post a few photos and videos so that you understand what to expect.

Ao Cho

Boats for diving, only here I saw such open boats with harnesses

The cost of hotels and guesthouses

If you arrive on Koh Samet from Pattaya to the central port, then you will pass through the city. If you are looking for cheap guesthouses, then they are right there. Moreover, from the Pier you can go both to the left (to the main beaches) and to the right.

Prices in the city are very different, but you can easily find a guest house with a fan for 500 baht. The average price is 800 baht per night. The city is small, literally one street, but it lives off tourists, so every house is a shop, cafe or guest house. To the sea from anywhere in the city 10-15 minutes on foot.

Housing near the sea. The average price is 1200 baht per night. These are ordinary 3-star houses: located near the sea, air-conditioned (but usually noisy), hot showers. On the spot you can bargain cheaper (1000 baht). There are also more expensive hotels.

The most expensive accommodation is in hotels with their own territory and which occupy the entire bay. There cost from 2000 baht per night.

If you are traveling during the high season for the weekend, then be sure to book a hotel in advance, and if it is also a Thai holiday, then book a week in advance, because. the island is very popular with Thais and tourists.

Cafe prices.

Prices in cafes are about 40% more expensive than in Pattaya. You also need to be prepared for the fact that the waiters on the island are very slow. Those. the situation that you are waiting for breakfast or coffee for 15-20 minutes is absolutely normal. This is especially frustrating in small coves, where you are tied to 1-2 restaurants and you have no choice, be prepared that you will have to spend 1-1.5 hours for lunch, and leaving the beach for another fruit shake, you will have to wait 20 minutes for it.

The big store of everything was only seen on Sai Kaew Beach and Ao Cho. There are also small family cafes with traditional Thai food. Food prices, as already mentioned, are about 40% higher than on the mainland. Soup Tom Yum - 140 baht.

On the rest of the beaches there are only local restaurants. Prices are relevant for most restaurants that are located on the beach:

• Breakfast (fried eggs + fruit + coffee) - 170 baht.
• Pork skewers - 250 baht
• Lamb skewers - 400 baht
• Shake - 85 baht.

Makashnitsy (seen only on Sai Kaew Beach) - the famous Thai pancakes - 50 baht.

You need to understand that only Sai Kaew Beach has a large selection of food, and only on this beach you can eat relatively inexpensively due to the large selection of various cafes in the city itself.

Only on weekends in the evening cafes set tables to the sea

Transport on Koh Samet

Let's say right away: You are unlikely to get pleasure from driving around the island on any type of transport, because there are no beautiful views, the road is terrible, the handling of transport is below any criticism. But if you want to see different bays, or take a ride in the evening to watch different shows, then take the transport safely, but ride very carefully.

taxi drivers are located absolutely at All bays, i.e. getting from one to the other is not a problem at all. Taxis look like pickup trucks with seats in the back and carry groups of people at once, you can rent a separate one for yourself.

At any taxi stand there is a sign with prices to each bay (the first price if you wait until the car is full, the second if you start right now).

Motorbike rental.

Cost: 100 baht per hour or 300 baht per day. Payment of gasoline in different ways, but usually included in the rent. Ordinary motorbikes (Cliques and Fino).

The roads on the island are very bad - it's either just dusty ground with sand, or concrete slabs + a large number of slides + a large number of one-lane turns without a view. But nevertheless, for a person with driving experience in Thailand, moving around the island will not be a big problem, it will not be possible to drive, but it is easy to ride.

On a motorbike on the island of Samet, you can move quite comfortably only to the Ao Wai bay, then there are 2 very steep hills that are covered with sand, 90% of accidents occur there. Those. when you read that someone is skinning and falling - it is most likely there, the motorbike will go skidding anyway and the only question is whether you can slow it down with your heels. The ATV on these slides also goes skidding, but the task is only to prevent it from being turned sideways.

There is an observation platform at the southernmost point, but it is completely of no interest (there is on the video), so there is no point in climbing these slides.

ATV rental.

An ATV, or ATV as everyone here calls it, can also be taken at any bay.
The cost of renting an ATV on Samet:

Small ATV:(2 thin people more or less comfortably drove the whole island)
250 baht per hour
1200 baht per day

Large ATV (family)
400 baht per hour
1600 baht per day.

As for gasoline: everything in the tank is yours, everything that needs to be refueled from above is yours. It will also not work to drive on it, because. the roads are still bad, and the ATVs are very worn out, but the chance to fall on them is many times less than on a motorbike. But it will be difficult to park it in the city, because. There are very few free parking spaces.

Excursions and entertainment.

On all beaches and in all hotels you will be offered the same excursions, but the prices for them will differ by 100-200 baht. Somewhere they are fixed, and somewhere street vendors set the price themselves. One of these agents with us erased the price of 1200 baht and wrote 1300. Just because he decided so.

Where to get a kayak: in a hotel on Wai Beach - - 250/300 baht per hour, or 1500/1800 per day. You can also rent kayaks on the very last beach of AO Pakarang (prices for a hotel on this beach are higher, the name is Nimmanoradee resort, the hotel is chic, but the restaurant is one of the longest, 20 minutes waited 2 shakes.)

Prices are shown in the photos below. and the main excursions that are sold on the island.

Two years ago, at the same time, I already wrote in the format “one day -, but I never had a chance to post it.
I'm correcting the omission. Today is about the beloved island of Samet, which we haven’t been to for a long time, but it turns out to be just as beautiful.
So, February 15, 2015.

I wanted to leave at 8 in the morning, but going to bed at 3, it’s stupid to expect that you can easily get up at 7.
It's hard to get up in the morning, the alarm clock has been ringing several times.

Samet Island is only 85 km from Pattaya. The road towards the city of Rayong, along the Sukhumvit highway to Bangkok.
It makes no sense to talk about how to get from Pattaya by car, because if you are driving yourself, it’s easier to turn on the navigator, since
turns are not so obvious that I'm afraid to simply confuse you.

We leave the house, on the clock 9:43

On the way we stop at the gas station, which I wrote about. There is a good one, but today we only need coffee + gas station.

I had to make one more stop, Dasha vomited. Shouldn't have eaten ice cream. I already forgot that she can get sick in the car, this happens extremely rarely.

We drove up to Banpe Pier, from which ferries go to. There are several of them in Rayong, but everyone needs Banpe, because ferries run regularly from it, and from the rest -
just a couple of times a day.
The ferry runs every hour, according to the schedule. But in reality - how it will turn out. Arriving at 11:17, we left immediately, in splendid isolation, because at this time people are gathering on the way back.
Extract from hotels, etc.

Here is the pier from which ferries go to Samet and back on the map:

A ferry ticket to Samet Island costs 50 baht one way, they sell it both ways, it's easier. Car parking right there. Also 50 baht, only per day.

We moored. We are met by such a terrible aunt-monster:

I decided for a long time which beach to go to, this time we got to Samet for the day, without spending the night.
As a result, at the last moment I decided to go to Ao Prao, the same beach we usually visit. It also has a hotel about which I wrote.
The beach is wonderful, the bay, crystal water and almost zero people, but I still regretted it a little, because it was probably worth walking along other beaches that I had been on for a long time or had not been at all.
By the way, the beaches on Koh Samet are ALL good.

To the right of the exit from the pier, there is a parking lot for regular tuk tuks that will take you to any beach.
Here are the prices:

from 10 to 70 baht per person, depending on the distance. Prices are nearby - this is if you rent a tuk tuk as a whole. Do not forget that you will most likely have to pay the whole tuk tuk back, because such a flow of people
as, for example, on Koh Lan - no, the people simply will not gather.

excursions on Koh Samet and tour bureau - vizarans from Koh Samet and buses to Bangkok photo

Another sad story is the entrance fee to the island of Samet. Since this is a national reserve, you need to pay for entry. The prices are here:

If not for the Thai rights, it would have come out quite weighty, 200 baht per person. And so, they took us like Thais, and the children are generally free.
According to Thai rights, the entrance to Samet is 40 baht per adult and 20 per child.

It makes no sense to shove like me into the very distance, you can easily plop down on the nearest one.
There are obvious advantages in the form of developed infrastructure, lower prices and transport accessibility. The bay of Ao Prao Beach is, of course, a dead end. Walk from there
it will not be possible to reach other beaches with a stroller and children - sharp stones hug the bay from both sides.

What to do on the beach? Swimming and sunbathing of course!

Masha lay in the shade and still burned out, such was her skin. Well, Dashon and my husband and I sculpted castles and wandered along the beach.
We stumbled upon such a huge starfish:

Rolling down the slide on the playground:

Of course, we rode on a swing, how could we do without them ???

The cafe at the hotel has the same prices as 2 years ago. But there have been changes for the better in the hotel itself: a swimming pool appeared, the buildings were updated, they painted there, they decorated it here,
in general - good!
Deal of the Day - Cocktail of the Day for 109 baht plus 3 for free. Cocktails are not God knows what, but it will do in the heat!

Samet Island (Ko Samet, Koh Samed) is located in Thailand on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, 200 km from Bangkok, 80 km from Pattaya and 6 km from the mainland (Rayong province). Total area - 13 square meters. km. The length is 7 km, the width is from 4 km to 200 meters (it varies in different areas).

Koh Samet is a great place for those who want to combine lying on the sand, among almost untouched nature, with a tour of the main attractions of the capital of Thailand - Bangkok, which is only 2.5 hours drive from the island.

There are about a dozen beaches, and they are all similar - sandy, rather small, there are several hotels and restaurants on the coast, and nothing else. The exceptions are the beaches closest to the pier - and where there are many bars, restaurants and are generally quite lively.

Samet Island is located on the territory of the National Park, so the water in the sea is very clean. In addition to sparsely populated beaches, there are practically no sights, except that the temple is not far from the pier, several viewing platforms, and a couple of sculptures.

It is worth bearing in mind that there are no banks on the island, but there are several ATMs near the pier and at the entrance to the National Park. You can also exchange currency, although there are few places.

Just like anywhere else, holidays on the island have advantages and disadvantages.

Samet Island on the map of Thailand

Island National Park

Often on the Internet you can read that the entrance to the island of Samet is paid. This is not entirely true. When you land on a ferry from the mainland, no one will take money from you. You can safely visit several beaches located to the right of Na Dan Pier for free, and also walk 5 minutes to the left and end up on Luk Yon Beach. From it you can get to Sai Kaew. All these beaches are free.

In principle, mooring at the Na Dan pier and walking around the surroundings, you can rent a house by the sea and live in it all your vacation. In fact, this is a very good option, because. the entire infrastructure is concentrated between the pier and Sai Kaew: bars, restaurants, hotels. The cheapest guest houses can also be rented in this area (these are 1-2-storey buildings 500-1000 meters from the sea). It is quite possible to find decent housing for 600 baht per day. Here is the only temple on the island of Samet.

The fee (200 baht) for visiting Koh Samet will be charged only at the entrance to the National Park. It is located at the very end of the road leading from the pier to Sai Kaew. But there is one subtlety here - the money is taken mainly from tourists who come to the entrance to the songteo.

If you come on foot, then no one will ask you to pay - they will just think that you have been here for a long time. By the way, next to the entrance there is a path along which you can also get to the park on foot or on a motorbike (about 50 meters to the left of the entrance). And one more observation - often they don’t take money from tourists on a motorbike, thinking that they have already been here for a long time and paid earlier.

Who should go

A trip to the island of Samet will be very popular with lovers of leisurely relaxation, who prefer to sunbathe and swim in the morning and afternoon, and in the evening to dine in a restaurant on the seashore or sip beer in a bar and watch the water surface. But if you are a fan of vibrant nightlife, clubs and bar girls, then this place is not for you, since all this is simply not on Koh Samet.

Of course, you can take a girl with you from Pattaya, but you can’t take the whole party from there. However, such people can visit the island for 2-3 days to relax a bit, swim in the clear sea and recharge their batteries for new exploits in discos and clubs in Pattaya and Bangkok.

The lack of entertainment on the island is explained very simply - it is part of the Khao Laem Ya - Mu Ko Samet National Park, and therefore the main priority here is ecology, the preservation of natural wealth, flora and fauna. Some places look really wild. There are bungalows and villas on the coast, usually on each beach there are several restaurants and bars, which are also located 50-100 meters from the sea. And behind them begins the forest.

Our advice to you: if you want complete privacy, then go to Koh Samet on Monday. All week you will enjoy loneliness on uncrowded beaches. The end of this will come only on Friday, when the Thais from Bangkok arrive. Weekends are not the best time to visit Samet. However, there are few people on the beaches remote from the pier even on Saturday and Sunday.

You can buy tickets to Thailand as profitably as possible with the help of special search engines that collect data from all airlines.

From Bangkok, you can take a bus from the Eastern Bus Station (Ekkamai Bus Station) and Khaosan Road. If you're flying into Thailand's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, take the Airport Express Bus AE3 to Ekamai Bus Station or a metered taxi. In general, you can take a taxi from the airport to the pier in Ban Phe, the fare will be about 2500-3000 baht. In addition to Bangkok, you can get to Samet from different places in Thailand, including Pattaya and Phuket. The best solution would be to buy a ticket to the pier at any travel agency or.

Ferries depart from the pier at Ban Phe on the mainland to Samet every hour from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. They moor on Koh Samet either on Nadan or on Wong Duan beach.

Transport

The only road that runs along the island of Samet, from which there are branches to the beaches. Since 2015, asphalt has been laid across the entire island - from the northernmost beach to the southernmost point.

You can move around the island on motorbikes and songteos (tuk-tuks).

In the past, quad bike rentals were popular, but after the asphalt has been laid, this vehicle is now almost unheard of.

The cost for songthaews is fixed and is shown on posters at many beaches. The price ranges from 10 to 70 baht and depends on the distance.

Songteos can be rented as a taxi, that is, you will go immediately and all alone and will not feel the shoulder of a neighbor on the right and left (route songthaews do not depart until they have a full passenger compartment). In this case, the price will vary from 100 to 700 baht.

Some nightlife is present near Sai Kaew and other beaches closest to the pier. On all the rest, with the sunset, life stops, and the southern beaches are generally almost “wild”, where there are no shops or ATMs.

Koh Samet (Thailand) is a small but very comfortable island with wonderful hotels and beaches.

How to get to the island

Samet Island is located a short distance from the mainland. And its size is quite small. From here you can immediately say that you can get to it only by sea, that is, by ferry or boat. From the shore, on which the pier of departure of boats and ferries is located, carrying passengers every 20-40 minutes, travelers in half an hour set foot on the land of Samet. But you can get to the pier from Bangkok by bus of different comfort and spend 3.5 hours on the road. In addition to the bus, you can use the services of a minibus. You can also get from Pattaya. Minivans depart in the morning at 7 and 9 o'clock. They can pick up their passengers right at the hotel and deliver them to the island of Samet, unless, of course, the passengers pay for the ferry. But from Phuket you can only get by plane. The bus ride is too long - more than half a day.

Hotels in Koh Samet

Since the island of Samet is not very large, there are not very many hotels here either, but what comfort they have!

Club Koh Samet

This is a whole 3-star estate, consisting of 3 dozen rooms with an outdoor pool. Each room has air conditioning, refrigerator, minibar, bathroom with shower and toiletries. Served in rooms and bottled water. It offers water skiing, babysitting, if available, luggage storage. Or you can go canoeing or boating and look at the island from the sea.

Sunrise Villas Resort

This hotel has a private beach, free parking for rental cars, bike rentals and water activities. All hotel rooms are equipped with the most advanced furniture and appliances. Bathroom, shower, refrigerator, and gourmet breakfast in the morning. In the restaurant, chefs will offer you not only Thai, but also European and Mediterranean cuisine. Directly from the hotel, you can contact family and friends via the Internet and express your delight about how you are spending your vacation.

Silver Sand Resort

There is a garden next to the hotel, where you can spend an evening with your family and children if you are not here alone. Rooms at the hotel are family-run with air conditioning and a sun deck. You can order additional room service at the discretion of the residents. The rooms are equipped with tea, coffee and water facilities.

There is also satellite TV with internet. The proximity of the hotel to Sai Kaew Beach allows customers to easily reach the main cultural and recreational sites on foot and attracts many tourists here. In the restaurant and cafe you can enjoy dishes of any cuisine you wish.

Island beaches

Ao Prao

This is the most beloved and most beautiful beach on Koh Samet. Only near this beach are the most expensive hotels and hotels. It seems that it was created only for visiting its white sand by rich respectable vacationers. It has perfect cleanliness with lawns and tropical gardens. It is, as it were, isolated from all other places by coral reefs. And what beauty can be enjoyed by going to the observation deck or directly from the shore. And you can also swim on a yacht or catamaran and see marine life.

Wong Duan

In the form of a crescent, it curved along the sandy spit for 500 meters. Along it are also expensive hotels with their sophistication and desire to invite you to rest. Lush tropical vegetation is spread along the entire beach, which provides its shade to vacationers in hot weather. It is protected from wind and waves. Surprisingly fine white sand is a beach attraction. Amateur fishermen can go out to sea with the locals for a walk and try their luck at their hobby. The beach is very quiet and calm. And there are so many corals in the water!

Ao Noina

The cleanest and quietest beach on the island. Conducive to silence and solitude. The absence of stones in the coastal water and the shallow depth allow both children and adults to swim without fear of drowning. There are no discos or bars on it, but if you want to get away from the silence, you can get to entertainment venues very quickly.

Ao Phai beach

This beach is intended for lovers of nightlife, but within reason. The beach during the day is quite calm and quiet, although many bars, restaurants and cafes are concentrated on it. White sand and the complete absence of stones on it is its main advantage.

Ao Klang beach

This beach can compete with any beautiful area, because many coconut palms and other lush tropical vegetation grow on its territory. He seems to be hidden from prying eyes and gazes. The extraordinary beauty of coral sand is able to bribe vacationers with its color. There are very few tourists on the beach.

Sights in Koh Samet

The island is a nature reserve and its main attraction is the beaches and nature itself, which can only be found directly here. There are no historical sites here. Is it only possible to single out the statue of the Big White Buddha, located in a small temple. Around the temple is a pond with fish. On the territory of Ao Putsa beach, you can see a whole set of stones of various shapes, which stand in an incomprehensible way, lie on top of each other and somehow keep their balance. This is a very interesting sight. The underwater world of the island is unusually beautiful. This is where the breath is taken away from the color, type and shape of corals. Anyone who has not seen this has lost a lot in life. From the observation decks of the island you can see such beauty that you will dream for a long time on frosty winter nights and call to you.

Holiday prices

The price of a holiday on Samet closely depends on the date of the trip, the length of stay, the comfort of the hotel where the tourist is going to stay. If your stay on the island is short, then you can get by with 30 thousand rubles. And again, it is almost impossible to give the exact amount that you need to reserve in your budget for this purpose. And if you buy a last-minute tour, then the above amount should be enough for a good rest.

Excursions

• Due to the small area of ​​the island, which you can get around on foot, there are practically no excursions. It is worth highlighting a visit to fish farms, boating around the island, an excursion to neighboring islets, also included in the national reserve.
• Visiting floating restaurants, where they will offer to taste freshly prepared dishes from the inhabitants of the deep sea.
• Journeys to the “bottom of the sea”, where the palette of colors of corals and fish will be presented to your attention. Here expanse for lovers of recreation on the water.

Weather on Koh Samet

Although the island is close to the mainland, the weather on the island can be said to be much better than on the mainland. There are a lot of sunny days here, the temperature is from +30 to +40. Dry and sunny on Samet from October to February. Heat - from March to May. Showers come here mainly in September. Tourists are especially comfortable here from November to February and from June to early September.