History of Ko Samui
According to the evidence found on Samui Island, historians believe that it
was first inhabited by man at most 1,200 years ago. In 1940s, the island was
still isolated from the outside world. Those wishing to travel to Samui had to
travel from Surat Thani for approximately 6 hours. As in-land transportation was
not well established, it took several hours for people to walk through the lush
jungles to the beach. It was only in the early 1970’s that Ko Samui became a
dream destination discovered by backpackers.
With the development of infrastructure, an increasing number of travelers were
attracted to the island. Samui’s concrete ring road was finished in 1973 by the
order of the government. Passing beautiful beaches around the island and
connecting sub-district areas, the road facilitated tourism. The Tourism
Authority of Thailand explored the island in 1980 and realizing the high tourism
potential of Samui, a plan to develop and promote tourism on the island was
implemented. As a result, it has become and will continue to be a popular
tourist destination in Thailand.
Today’s Ko Samui
Ko Samui is located in the Gulf of Thailand, approximately 84 kilometers east of
Surat Thani Province, or approximately 700 kilometers south of Bangkok. Known as
the Coconut Island, Ko Samui is one of the most famous and popular attractions
of Thailand. With an area of 247 square kilometers, Ko Samui is the third
largest island of Thailand after Phuket and Ko Chang (of Trat Province). The
topography of the island is that of a plain with a mountain range in the middle
and 7 important streams. In addition, there is a 50-kilometer paved road that
encircles the island. Moreover, the area of the island stretches to a group of
48 surrounding islets.
Despite the fast pace of development, Ko Samui has been able to maintain its
charm its classical image of a tropical beach resort fringed by coconut trees.
Travelers to the island can enjoy a mixed blessing of vibrant day and nightlife
along side with tranquility which can easily be found across different parts of
Ko Samui as the archipelago is a peaceful home for fishermen and a natural den
for seagulls and other rare birds.
Hat Chaweng and Hat Lamai are Ko Samuis most beautiful and most popular
beaches. Both have a huge selection of accommodations suitable for every budget.
Please note that room rates increase during the high season, from December to
July, when Samui sparkles. The nightlife of each beach is different: Hat Chaweng
is better for couples, women and families, while single men are drawn to the
beer bar culture of Hat Lamai. These resorts, as well as Na Thon (Samui’s main
town), have communications, exchange and car/motorcycle hire facilities. Other
beaches include Hat Choeng Mon, Hat Mae Nam in the north and Hat Na Thon, the
island’s major seafront settlement where shops, restaurants and tour agencies
are concentrated.
Apart from its many lovely beaches and tranquil bays, Ko Samui is also noted
for its high quality coconuts that grow densely everywhere. The best time to
visit Ko Samui is from February to April when the sea is calm. The Southern
dialect and the standard Thai language are spoken while English is widely
understood in tourist areas.
Getting to Ko Samui
By air
Bangkok Airways flies from Bangkok to Ko Samui 13 times daily. The
flight takes about one hour and 10 minutes. It also offers daily flights between
Phuket and Samui. For more information, call its Bangkok office, 0 2229 3456, 0
2229 3434, Samui office, 0 7742 2512 - 9 or Samui Airport Office 0 7724 5601-8.
By bus
Air-conditioned and non air-conditioned buses leave Bangkok’s Southern Bus
Terminal for Surat Thani several times daily. The trip takes about 11 hours. For
further information, call 0 2435 1199, 0 2435 1200 (air-con), 0 2434 5557 - 8
(non-air-con).
By car
From Bangkok, take Highway 4 (Buddha Monthon Road) through Phetchaburi and
Chumphon Provinces and then drive on to Highways 41 and 401 to Surat Thani
Province. From Surat Thani, visitors can take their cars to Ko Samui through a
vehicle ferry at Donsak Pier. The trip takes 1.30 hours.
By rail
Several trains leave Bangkok’s Hualamphong Station for Surat Thani daily. The
trip takes about 12 hours. Train / bus / ferry combination tickets are also
available. For more information, call Hualamphong Railway Station, 0 2223 7010,
0 2223 7020.
From Surat Thani to Ko Samui
1.Express boat
1.1 An express ferry boat of Songserm Travel departs from Tha Thong Pier in
Surat Thani at 8.00 a.m. and arrives at Na Thon Pier in Samui at 10.30 a.m.
every day. For the return trip, the boat leaves Na Thon Pier at 2.00 p.m. and
reaches Tha Thong at 4.30 p.m.
1.2 Express boats of Seatran Express operate three times a day between Ban
Don and Ko Samui. Departure times are 7.00 a.m., 12.30 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. The
trip takes two hours.
2. Ferry Boats of Seatran
Seatran Ferry, which can accommodate 60 cars and 400 passengers, operates
several trips per day between Don Sak (Surat Thani) and Ko Samui, from 5.00 a.m.
to 5.00 p.m. The trip takes about 1.30 hours.
3. Night ferry
A slow night ferry leaves Ban Don Pier nightly at 11 p.m. and reaches Na Thon
Pier at Samui around 5 a.m. (6 hours). For the return trip, the boat leaves Na
Thon Pier at 9.00 p.m. and arrives at Ban Don Pier at 4.00 a.m. (7 hours).
Getting around Ko Samui
Samui is an explorer’s dream to discover something new. Offering a wealth of
diversity of landscape, vistas, flora and fauna, and yet small enough to seek
adventure in its many out-of-the-way places, Samui is best seen by taking
songthaews (red local bus) which operate around the island. The fare starts at
20 baht, depending on the distance of the destination.
By Taxi
For many reasons, the least suitable for exploring, but the safest and
easiest way to get to the destination is to go by taxi. The official taxi
service time is until 9.00 p.m. Visitors are recommended to negotiate strongly
for the fare and keep in mind that negotiation should always be dome before
boarding. Note that the fare at night will be escalated.
By a rented Jeep
Rented Jeep, 4WD, is available from many family-owned agencies and some well
known large companies. The vehicle will serve as the basic means of
transportation taking visitors around many hillside natural and man-made
attractions which are easily accessible from the ring road. Some of these
vehicles come with insurance, but the coverage is limited. Always ask for
details first. The minimum price is from 800 baht.
By Motorcycle
A more flexible way to get around the island, rented motorcycle costs
approximately 200 baht / day. Beware, as roads other than the main roads on Ko
Samui are quite rough in some parts.
The
largest province of the South located 685 kilometers from Bangkok is
Surat Thani the province with a name that literally means "City of
the Good People". A former capital of the Srivijaya Empire, the
province covers an area of approximately 12,891 square kilometers.
Surat Thani Province borders the Gulf of Thailand to the north and
east, Chumphon Province to the north, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Krabi
Provinces to the south, Phang-Nga and Ranong Provinces to the west
and Nakhon Si Thammarat Province to the east.
High
plateaus and forested mountains are located to the west of the
province, while there are low basins in the center and along the
eastern coast. This topography has created 14 river basins including
Tapee, Pum Duang, Tha Thong, Tha Krajai, Chaiya, Tha Chang which are
the most important basins. All rivers in Surat Thani flow east of
the province to the Gulf of Thailand.
The
numerous islands along the coast makes Surat Thani (often known as
Surat in short) a perfect hideaway for vacationers from around the
world. The ideal destination for many is the Penang-sized Ko Samui,
Thailand's third largest island, and its neighbour Ko Pha-ngan a
celebrated island that hosts the biggest beach full moon party.
North of Ko Pha-ngan is Ko Tao, renowned for its excellent coral
reefs. To top it all is the dazzling 250-square-kilometer Ang Thong
Marine National Park, where a stunning archipelago awaits to greet
visitors with their charming palm-fringed beaches, crystal clear
water and colorful coral reefs. The best time to enjoy one of these
islands to the fullest is from April to November.
Surat
Thani is a city with a long history. Archeologists believe that it
was once a community of prehistoric tribes of indigenous people
including the Saemang and original Malays who built their
communities on the Tapee River Basin and Ao Ban Don. Later on, the
Indians migrated into the area and gradually spread out their
culture, as evidenced in the discovery of ruins of ancient
communities in Tha Chana and Chaiya Sub-districts.
In
the 13th century, the city became a part of and, as some historians
might claim, a center of the glorious Srivijaya Empire the kingdom
that dominated the whole Malay Peninsula and much of Java. It was
during this period that Mahayana Buddhist reached its height of
influence. The empires grandeur can still be admired in many areas
of Chaiya District. 
When
the empire hit the bottom, it was divided into 3 main cities namely
Chaiya, Tha Thong and Khiri Rat. They were all under the
jurisdiction of Nakhon Si Thammarat until King Rama IV decided to
move Tha Thong City to Ban Don and required that it report directly
to Bangkoks administration. The name Ban Don was, at the time,
changed to Kanchanadit. It was with the establishment of the Monthon,
a former administrative unit, that all three cities were merged into
one under the name Chaiya. In 1915, King Rama VI changed the name
Chaiya to Surat Thani.
The
seal of Surat Thani says a lot about its history. Featuring the
pagoda of Phra Boromathat Chaiya, the seal is proof of the influence
of Mahayana Buddhist on Surat Thani. Phra Boromathat Chaiya is the
most revered and important historical place in the province. It is
believed that the pagoda contains Buddha relics.
Today,
Surat Thani is an important commercial and shipping hub for rubber
and coconut trading. 
