KOH SAMUI'S HISTORY
          
Until 1940, there were no roads no vehicles on Koh Samui.

Its inhabitants lived there simply and almost without contact with the outside world.

People moved on the island on foot or by boat by following coasts. For example, to go from Maenam to Lamai, it took several hours of walking through the mountainous jungle, and going there and back in the same day was impossible.

Tourism was there unknown, because there was simply no convenient means to go to the island.
The only way of reaching it from mainland was with the daily connection by night boat, what took more than 6 hours of crossing from Suratthani to Nathon. And by arriving here, it was necessary even to count several hours to reach final destination.

The firsts construction plans of a road were abandoned because of the numerous mountainous regions of the island and the impossibility to bring on it construction machines. But in 1967, Khun Dilok Suthiklom, the "leader" of the island of that time decided that something must be made for the development and asked the country government for help.
Two main obstacles were the high hill between Nathon and Maenam and the rocky and mountainous side between Lamai and Chaweng which had to be blown up to allow the road to rise in an acceptable angle.

Trees and rocks were removed to clear the way which as final result was a narrow track which made the round of the island. The beginning of the construction of the road began with a long and enormous manual labor of several hundred persons "to clean" a way around the island. The first years before the concrete laying, it was not rare that everybody came out from car (excepted the driver obviously) to push and to help it go up hillsides.

The sector between Lamai and Chaweng had to be cut in the mountain on a 3 km length, a task which would have been impossible without dynamite and heavy construction machines. So, machines were brought from mainland and due to the lack of a deep quay of stopover, had to be landed on the ground by deep enough coasts to allow the big transport boat to get closer to the bank and to cast anchor on the ground. During this period, delays were taken on the construction project due to the rainy season and to the monsoon, making practically impossible the progress of the works.

And finally in 1973, order had come from Bangkok to finish this project up and the concrete began to pour to finish 52 kilometers of road which make the round of the island. For a long time, this road was only 2 meters in width until when it was widen about 2 years ago to face the traffic increase.
The first tourists that appear in the Samui history books were the European backpackers who discovered this beautiful and tropical Thai island in the 70’s. Obviously the infrastructure was not in place yet for mass tourism in those days and most visitors slept in basic beach huts along one of the beautiful sandy beaches of Koh Samui.
Tourism has changed a great deal since those early days in the history of Samui tourism as since then tourism has become the main source of income for the island. The quality of the Samui hotels and other tourists infrastructure has also improved dramatically as many beautiful 4 and 5 star Samui resorts and hotels can be found all over the island.

The immigrants however quickly discovered the richness of the soil on Koh Samui and soon agriculture popped up throughout Samui and an important chapter in Samui history started as Koh Samui still benefits to this very day of the actions of the original inhabitants. Coconut tree plantations were started as well as plantations with numerous other tropical and delicious fruits. For those of you that have visited Thailand you will certainly have tasted the lovely and sweet lynchee which can be found in many Koh Samui farms.
Nowadays, we can hardly imagine the time when the only way to go from a place to another one on Koh Samui was on foot or by boat...

HOW TO GET KOH SAMUI

You hesitate between the train, the bus, the plane and the ferry? No need to go farther, you are at the right place!
The organization let you be leaded!

Know that Thailand is extremely well organized when it comes to the purpose of transport, you only have to get yourselves the ticket for the destination of your dreams and let you be leaded!

By plane

THE MOST EXPENSIVE BUT THE FASTEST!
It is by far the most expensive means to be taken to come here, but obviously the fastest, ideal for the persons who have only a little time.

Two companies connect Koh Samui from Bangkok are Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways.

If you wish to come here rather quickly and still not too much expensive, you can fly to Suratthani (Thai Airways), from the airport there are minibuses which shuttle (about 1 driving hour) up to Donsak's port, ferry boats place of departure. On the other hand, do not go by evening flights because, on your arrival, there won't be anymore available ferry boats for Samui and you should spend a night in Suratthani.

By Train

THE TRAIN, A NICE MEANS!
On trains, service is impeccable and timetables are generally respected in the minute! Well, it is true trains are not fast (for example 600 km in 12 hours), set apart it, trains remain a very pleasant and sure means of locomotion. There are several categories of coaches, the regional (non air-conditioning, wide opened windows), the air-conditioning and the VIP.
 
Car-sleepers
Car-sleepers, departure on early evening and about 2 hours after your departure, the personnel comes to make your bed (clean sheets). There is a berth at the top and one below, if you are tall, we advise you the bottom couchette (a little more expensive though) because more spacious and airier.

To have something to eat on your journey
You can have a snack in some trains, but generally it is terrible and rather expensive. We suggest you to stock up with food in stations or in the surroundings, because in any Thai city, there is always a market or itinerant stands near by to eat. When you will cross stations, there are almost always people who get on the train (with the exception of night trains) or by the window who will sell to you a wide range of delicious food, cheap and good.

Coaches are non-smoking!!!

An advice: book your ticket!
At least 2-3 days in advance if you want to be sure to be able to travel in the foreseen date. Air-conditioning car-sleepers are real "refrigerators", if you are "sensitive to the cold" prefer carriages 2nd class with fan.

By bus

There are bus services to most destinations in Thailand. Bangkok to Samui buses leave from the Southern Bus Terminal. There are V.I.P, first and second-class buses available. These are all air-conditioned. For an easier and cheaper journey, buy a bus/boat combination ticket from Khao San Road.

The economic bus - The coach, local way

Here is the most economic means of transport (except for the VIP), rather fast, and it is necessary all the same to say it, relatively practical.

It stops almost every time a person holds out the hand by the roadside, no air-conditioning, wide opened windows but you could have very pleasant encounters in it with the local people, and you travel really for an absurdly low fare.

The air-conditioning

For the second, we could even separate it in 2 categories:
1) For "Farangs" (= occidental white man)
2) For Thais
For "Farangs", ticket bought on Khao San Road (Bangkok) or in an agency, a bus which you take from a tourist place, to another tourist place, generally well enough, organized with boat connections.
For the Thai one, air-conditioning, the one the one that we advise you, nice coach, ticket to be bought on the departure (come at least 1 hour earlier) at the bus stations. They (almost) all travel by night. You leave Bangkok between 5.30 and 8 pm and journey lasts generally 10-12 hours until Suratthani, about 650 kilometers south of Bangkok.

On all the coaches, they put on a movie (in Thai language or sometimes in English) or the Thai TV during 2 hours after your departure.
All stop one or several times during the route at local kinds of truck stop restaurants, in the middle of the night, all lights on, and everybody up to go eat and to go to toilet. VIP buses mainly have their own bathrooms.

The VIP ("very important person")
Very comfortable, 24 seats, folding seats bed way (or almost), place enough for legs, briefly it is good, but as expensive as a car-sleepers ticket, it is up to you.

By boat

"FERRY-EXPRESS BOAT OR SPEED BOAT?"

The ferry boat
About one hour and a half of sea crossing for Samui, can contain vehicles, small snack bar inside, full of seats, wide pontoon for the sunbathing and even for the most hard to please, an "air-conditioning" cabin for a little surcharge.
Several ferry companies operate from Surat Thani to Ko Samui, including the Seatran ferry (hourly sailings, 1.5 hour crossing), the Songserm express catamaran (1 hour crossing, 2 daily sailings), and the Songserm overnight boat.
Timetable

Surat Thani  KohSamui  (Seatran ferry)
Surat Thani (Don Sak pier) depart:	06:00	And hourly until...	19:00
Ko Samui arrive:	07:30		20:30

“The express boat"

Long rather narrow boat, lots of backpackers but which has its charm and all the transfers are easy. When the sea is choppy, "pitches" a little...

The night boat

First sea crossing runs to go on islands, very local but very nice, "beds" available for travelers.
The sea crossing lasts nearly from 5 to 5.30 hours (but you can sleep...).Departure at the end of the day.

Seatran Express

New "express" connection (since January, 2002) from Suratthani city, only 2 hours and you will arrive directly at Nathon's pier, a little more expensive than the other boats, but air-conditioning and practical.

Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran

The speed boat, the fastest one
Use a lot from Koh Tao's connections to the various islands in the surroundings or by various daytrips tours and some diving schools. Very fast (Koh Tao-Koh Phan-Ngan = 45 minutes, normal boat = 2 hours), rather expensive, but the "feeling" is there!

Koh Samui Beach

MAP OF KOH SAMUI