Samet Island - general information, weather, seasons, time

General information about O. Samet

Samet Island (Ko Samet, Koh Samet) is a popular resort island in the Gulf of Thailand in the eastern part Thailand in Rayong Province. The island is located 200 kilometers from Bangkok, 100 kilometers from Pattaya and just 7 kilometers from the east coast of mainland Thailand (the position of Samet island on the map of Thailand).

The name of the island is pronounced with emphasis on the letter "E", i.e. Ko SamEt. The island got its name from the name of a tree that is very common on the island, and the bark of which has some healing properties.

Samet Island is small in size and has an elongated shape. The maximum length of the island is only 7 kilometers. Most of the island is part of the Khao Laem Ya - Mu Ko Samet National Park, and therefore 80% of the island is covered with tropical forests. For the same reason, access to the island is paid and for foreigners is 200 baht for adults and 100 baht for children. There are several other small islands near the island.

Samet Island is popular primarily due to excellent beach holidays on snow-white cozy beaches. Over the past few decades, a developed tourist infrastructure has been created, many chic and not so chic hotels, restaurants and nightclubs have been built. Nevertheless, the nature of the holiday here remains calm, and in some places even very secluded. The island has organized water sports and entertainment on the beach, traditional for any beach resort. There is an opportunity to do tolerable snorkeling. Of course, there is also sea fishing. There are good opportunities to go diving both off the coast of Samet and on the neighboring small islands.

Among the entertainments on the island's land, ecotourism takes the first place. You can safely walk through the jungle of the island even without a guide and excursions, since the island is very small. You can also go for walks on bicycles, motorcycles and ATVs. In addition to these entertainments, the off-the-shelf entertainments of the island, in general, are exhausted.

Given the geographical proximity to Samet Island of another Thai island of Chang (Koh Chang), tourists often choose one of them for recreation. Which island should I prefer, Samet or Chang? The islands are certainly very similar. But there are differences.

Chang Island is further from Bangkok and Pattaya than Samet, and it is more expensive and longer to get there. Chang is much larger than Samet in size, and accordingly has more lush vegetation, much more diverse in landscapes and developed. In addition to the forests on Chang, there are also a couple of waterfalls. There are also more entertainment and attractions on Chang Island than on Samet, but at the same time it is more saturated with tourists, and there will be no time for loneliness on popular tourist beaches. Of course, there are also enough remote secluded beaches and hotels on Chang, but once on them, you will be almost completely cut off from the world, and to get to civilization, you will have to hire a taxi or a boat, which is not cheap. On Samet, you can walk and find a secluded place on the beach at any time. There are not even normal paved roads here, because the island can be bypassed on foot, or moved around it by motorcycle or bicycle. It is believed that hotels on Chang are somewhat cheaper with the same quality as on Samet.

Weather on Samet Island, seasons

Despite the proximity to the mainland, the weather and climate on the island is quite different from the mainland, and for the better. The island is considered the "driest" of all the islands of Thailand, i.e. the amount of precipitation on it is much less. You can go on vacation to Samet absolutely at any time of the year, but traditionally the dry season and the rainy season stand out, as well as the peaks of tourist seasons.

Rainy season on Samet Island takes place from May to September. However, in comparison with heavy rains on the mainland, there is much less precipitation here. Therefore, in the period from June to August, despite the rainy season, there is an influx of tourists on Samet, mainly from the local, Thai population.

Dry season on Samet lasts from October to April. The ideal time is November and December, when it is not too hot and there is almost no rain. Well, the maximum number of tourists visits the island in the months from November to February.

Seasons on Samet Island by month, when is the best time to go

Koh Samet weather and forecast

Time to Samet Island

The time difference on the island of Samet and in Moscow is +4 hours in winter and summer.

Useful information

Treasures. According to legend, the island of Samet was once a haven of pirates, and their treasures are still hidden somewhere on the island. You can try to search.

Shopping. Unfortunately, on the island you will not be able to fully have fun shopping. Here you can buy only the most necessary goods for life, as well as some common tourist souvenirs. All goods are more expensive than on the mainland.