Koh Samui is one of Thailand's largest islands, covering about 228 sq km. Today it receives several million tourists annually, hosts hundreds of hotels and villas, and has its own international airport. Yet just half a century ago, it was an almost untouched tropical island known mainly to fishermen and coconut traders.

Early History: Fishermen and Coconut Plantations

Samui has been inhabited for over a thousand years. The earliest residents — likely people from mainland Thailand and the Malay archipelago — lived in small self-sufficient communities, fishing and farming. From the 19th century onward, the island became a major coconut producer, exporting up to two million coconuts per month to Singapore and Malaya at peak times. The coconut palms that still line every road on Samui are a living legacy of that era.

The First Tourists: 1970s

The first foreign travellers arrived in the early 1970s — mostly young European backpackers who reached the island by cargo boat from the mainland. There were no hotels; visitors slept in local homes or in wooden huts on the beach. Samui gradually earned a reputation on the so-called "hippie trail." Chaweng and Lamai were places to spend weeks in near-total isolation on pristine white-sand beaches. The island didn't get electricity until the 1980s.

Tourism Boom: 1980s–1990s

From the 1980s, development accelerated sharply. The first guesthouses, restaurants, and shops appeared. Improved ferry services made Samui accessible to families as well as backpackers. In 1989, Samui Airport opened — the first privately owned international airport in Thailand, built by Bangkok Airways. This was a turning point: direct air links to Bangkok and beyond transformed the island from a budget destination into a mainstream international resort. By the 1990s, the first five-star properties had arrived.

Samui Today

Today Samui is one of Southeast Asia's most recognisable island destinations. Infrastructure is well-developed: the international airport handles flights from Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong and other cities. The island has several international-standard hospitals, international schools, and shopping centres.

At the same time, Samui retains much of its original character. Old fishing villages — Bophut, Hua Thanon, Nathon — still exist. Coconut palms line the roads. Small Buddhist temples are scattered across the island. This combination of modern resort and living Thai tradition is what makes Samui distinctive.

Administrative Status

Samui is part of Surat Thani Province. The main administrative centre is Nathon on the west coast, where the ferry terminal and provincial offices are located. The island operates as a special administrative territory with expanded local government powers, reflecting its importance as a tourism hub.