About Koh Samui
Thursday, 12th November 2009
“Koh” is the Thai word for Island. No-one is quite sure of the origin of the name “ Samui”. Koh Samui is a Tropical Island in the Gulf of Thailand, off the coast of the South Eastern part of the country, in the province of Changwat, Suratthani. The population is around 50,000. Koh Samui is the third largest of Thailand’s islands, and is surrounded by over 60 smaller islands, many of them still uninhabited. The principal town is Nathon, on the western side of the island. The nearest mainland town is Suratthani. Koh Samui is about 700 kilometres from Bangkok
The Island is quite small, almost circular and no more than 15 kilometres across.
Only 20 years ago, Koh Samui was a virtually unknown island, visited only by a small number of Thai people and foreign backpackers. The main income was from coconuts, rubber and fruit. There were no roads until the late 1970’s.
As with the rest of the Thailand, the religion of the Island is Bhuddist. To its credit, Thailand is very tolerant of other religions. There is a catholic church on the Island, who will happily arrange wedding ceremonies. There is no better place than Koh Samui to get married, and enjoy a perfect honeymoon. Koh Samui is not just a tourist resort, it is also a sacred Bhuddist centre, with many temples.
Koh Samui has joined the technological world and Internet Cafes abound. Pretty well every hotel has Internet facilities.
Thai people are by nature easy going, and do everything to make visitors feel welcome to their “boutique island”.
