Travel Info

See the latest Travel Requirements to Thailand, updated September 2024.

Starting December 1, 2024, travelers from 93 countries that previously enjoyed visa-free entry into Thailand will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before embarking on their trip.

Best time to Visit

Samahita Retreat is yoga and wellness retreat open all year round, and as we are located on a stunning tropical island there are no cold and snowy days to avoid! Koh Samui has become a year round holiday destination for visitors from around the globe choosing to enjoy the quieter and cooler seasons outside the classic peak seasons.

January – February. Highs of around 30C
March – April. Things start to heat up and can reach a steamy 40C – perfect for sun worshippers.
May – June. The temp starts to dip again, with a few tropical rainstorms thrown in to clear the air.
July – September. Highs of around 35C , with some bouts of rain, usually only lasting a few hours.
October – November. The favourite time of the year for many Samui expats , when the temperatures drop to a balmy 25C with some stunning thunderstorms thrown in for good measure.
December Highs of around 30C with occasional rain to keep the island lush, green and tropical.

Travel Tips to Koh Samui

Thailand is a spiritual, colorful, and peaceful land. Koh Samui, in particular, is lush and beautiful, with tropical jungles and white-sand beaches surrounded by a sapphire-blue sea. An island in the Gulf of Thailand, Samui is situated in a high-energy zone, which directly affects practices like yoga and meditation, and makes it an ideal place for positive transformation and growth.

International Flights to Koh Samui, Thailand
International flights to Koh Samui are direct through Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Kuala Lumpar and Hong Kong, presenting travelers with many choices in getting here. We find that shopping around about three months in advance will usually produce the best option.

If you are flying from the US there are good choices through Korea, Japan, Taipei and Singapore.

If you are in Europe, there are also many choices. Some airlines, like British Airways, fly directly to Bangkok and Singapore, with a daily service. For those based in Australia/New Zealand or Asia, flying over is no more than a hop, skip, and a jump. Check prices online before working with your travel agent for promotional fares.

Checking on www.skyscanner.com, www.orbitz.com or www.expedia.com will give you a good idea of costs.
Visa Requirements
Passport holders of the United States, Australia, South Africa and most European countries do not require a visa if staying less than 30 days. If you are planning on staying longer, you should get a tourist visa from the Thai embassy in your resident country, which will allow you to remain in the Kingdom for a longer period. You can also extend your visa while in Thailand. Visa extensions now cost THB B1,900 for 15 to 30 days on either a 30-day or 60-day visa. Overstaying your visa costs THB B500 per day, with a maximum fine of THB B20,000. This can be settled at the airport on departure.

For visa information, please go here for the United States and here for other countries.

The information we provide on our website is subject to change. For up to date information we advise checking with the Thai embassy of your resident country.
Money
You can check to see the latest exchange rate at www.xe.com. There are many ATMs and currency exchange places on Samui.
Health
Thailand is a clean, healthy place to visit. No immunization shots are required. With the latest SARs scare in Asia (2003), Avian Bird Flu (2004, 2005) and Covid19 in 2020, Thailand has been even more cautious about tourist safety. You can always check the World Health Organization (WHO) for updates.

Having said that, we recommend you take precautions to keep your immune system strong. Drink bottled water, wash your hands regularly, eat clean, healthy foods (do not eat street food), and take vitamin supplements if necessary.

Getting to Samahita

By Air

Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways fly directly to Koh Samui from Bangkok. They operate flights every hour daily, and you can book your flights directly online. The first flight out is around 6 am and last flight is around 10 pm daily. One-way is around 4500 THB. Travel time is approximately one hour from Bangkok.

There are direct also flights from Phuket, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Hong Kong.

Bangkok – 20+ daily flights http://www.bangkokair.com and http://www.thaiairways.com
Phuket – 2 daily flights http://www.bangkokair.com
Singapore – daily flights http://www.bangkokair.com, http://www.singaporeair.com
Hong Kong – daily flights http://www.bangkokair.com
Kuala Lumpur – daily flights http://www.bangkokair.com

For a more affordable route to Koh Samui fly from Don Muang Airport in Bangkok to Suratthani on the mainland and take the ferry.

Lion Air Flights from as low as 500 baht!
Air Asia Asia’s low cost airline.
Nok Air A small carrier with daily flights.

From Suratthani Airport there are plenty of transfers (approx 1 hour) to bring you by coach to the Ferry (1.5 hours). You arrive in Nathon, Koh Samui.

By Train and Ferry

Bangkok to Samui: Trains for Surathani (which actually stop in Phun Phin, 14 kilometers west of Surathani) leave from Bangkok’s Hualamphong station. The 6:20 pm (rapid) and the 7:15 pm (express) trains are most convenient, as they arrive at 5:28 am and 7 am, allowing you plenty of time to catch an 8 am boat to Koh Samui. The bus/ferry journey will be an additional three hours once you’ve arrived in Surathani. Songserm offers a joint ticket (train + bus + boat) for around THB B1,300, which lands you in Koh Samui by 11 am.

The ferry journey from Donsak pier is 1 1/2 hours. Donsak is 30 minutes from Surathani.

Tickets for the train can be booked at Bangkok Airport, Bangkok Railway Station, and many travel agencies in Bangkok. To purchase your train tickets in advance, Asia Discover Thailand can arrange for the tickets to be mailed or to be picked up at your Bangkok hotel. Allow at least one month before your departure date to arrange for train tickets.

Samui to Bangkok: Take the 2 pm boat from Nathon to the mainland, and a connecting bus will take you from the pier to the train station in Surathani. Tickets purchased from agents in Samui normally include the boat, bus, and train fares. The ticket is cheaper if you go to the station yourself, but there is a good chance the train will be fully booked as much as a week in advance.

Extending Your Stay

Without a visa in advance, foreigners are allowed to stay 30 days in Thailand. If you have a tourist visa, generally you can stay for 60 days, with the opportunity to extend to 90 days. Visa extensions cost about THB B1900. Overstaying your visa costs THB B500 per day, with a maximum fine of THB B20,000. You can extend your visa at the immigration office in Koh Samui. They are open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to noon and 1 pm to 4:30 pm. Bring one passport photo with you.

Things to Do in Koh Samui

For those who want to venture out from Samahita, we’ve highlighted some of the many Koh Samui attractions, restaurants and places of beauty, which our guests have enjoyed over the years.

What to See?

As well as being a tropical haven of beaches, five star hotels and spas, Samui has a rich Buddhist heritage and is home to many active temples. Only a five minute walk from Samahita Retreat is the Laem Sor Pagoda. With its shining golden tiles and peaceful atmosphere next to the mangroves and the ocean you can also visit the remains of Leung Poo Daeng, a realized monk and climb up to the Khao Chedi, high on the mountain with breathtaking views. Wat Kunaram is home to the preserved body of the revered Lung Padaeng, known as the Mummified Monk as he is still sitting in the meditation position over 20 years after his death. The most iconic Buddha statue on Samui is Wat Phra Yai, or Big Buddha temple not far from the Airport, where you can climb the steps up to see the large majestic Buddha. Only a short drive from here is Wat Ban Plai Leam where you will find is a large selection of intricately designed temples.

Where to Shop?

For holiday trinkets and gifts, visit the peaceful and traditional port town of Nathon, or the busier bustle of Lamai. The island’s largest tourist hub is Chaweng which is home to miles of stalls and stands selling everything from carved elephants to buckets and spades. Feel free to barter and be aware that many of the clothes and handbags are counterfeit – hence the low prices.

From 5pm until late on certain days the towns close off one street to traffic creating ‘Walking Street’.
These colorful market events combine delicious hawker food, fun shopping, live music and performance.

Tuesday – Nathon
Thursday – Chaweng
Friday – Bophut Fisherman’s Village
Saturday – Bang Kao

For beautiful high quality hand crafted Buddha statues from Thailand and Burma visit Double Dutch next to Big Buddha Temple.

On Land and On Sea…

Join an organized tour from Samahita and the long tail boats (with shade) will collect you right in front of the shala and whisk you off to the peaceful tropical islands of Koh Matsum and Koh Tan for snorkeling and relaxing. Enjoy the stunning islands of the Anthong Marine National Park on a fun packed day trip, made famous by Alex Garland as the setting for his novel, ‘The Beach’. Visitors can swim, snorkel and visit the park headquarters on a beautiful white beach and climb to the view point for a breath-taking panorama, before lunch and a visit to the emerald lake.

Discover the best dive sites in the region with Joe and the Life Aquatic Team leaving Samui on board their dive speed boat https://www.thelifeaquatic.asia.

For those interested in learning more about Thailand’s martial art Muay Thai visit the Muay Thai Camps in Lamai.

There are also great hikes through the center of the island and waterfall hikes, Hin Lad Waterfall in Nathon is worth the trip.

Beaches and Towns

For deep swimming beaches the North and East of Samui have less reef protection, with Chaweng’s powdery sands drawing in vast crowds of tourists from around the globe. A hub of shopping, nightlife and entertainment, this bustling metropolis feels like a million miles from the tranquility of Samahita Retreat’s quiet beach. Silver Beach near Lamai is still reminiscent of old Samui with a few family run resorts and restaurants and is a favorite for swimming beach with the locals.

Restaurants

To discover authentic Thai food not far from Samahita take a taxi or wander down the beach to Sweet Sisters where Khun Noi and her team will take good care of you. They also have a good selection of snacks, clothing and crafts if you are looking for gifts to take home. For the best coffee on Samui look no further than Boy’s Organic Coffee in the fishing village of Tong Krut, you can also stock up on some delicious organic coffee from Chiang Mai. Although many of our guests prefer to stay in the peaceful tranquility of our bay in the South of Samui if you feel like venturing further afield there are many great restaurants on the island.

Taxi Rates from Samahita Retreat

Pangka	350 baht +
Kamalaya	350 baht +
Na Muang	400 baht +
Nathon	600 baht +
Lamai	600 baht +
Taling Ngam	550 baht +
Chaweng	770 baht +
Bang Por	770 baht +
Fisherman’s Village	880 baht +
Maenam	880 baht +
Bophut	880 baht +
Choeng Mon	950 baht +
Plai Leam	950 baht +
Around Island Trip (4-5 hours)	2,700 baht +
Motorcycle Rental	350 baht +

+Price is subject to 7% government tax(VAT).

Recommendations of What to Bring

Be Eco-Conscious

To help soften our impact on Mother Nature, please use refillable water bottles, biodegradable products, and cloth shopping bags and conserve electricity and water.

Sticky yoga mat
Yoga / fitness clothes
Yoga / fitness towel
Sunscreen and hat
Insect repellent
Open sandals
Trainers / running shoes (especially for cycle classes)
Socks
Light rain jacket
Swimwear
Refillable water bottle
Journal for writing

Feminine sanitary products
Mosquito repellant
Travel documentation: passport with more than 6 months before expiry and visa if needed
Recycled Mats are available to rent from our reception team on arrival.
Our Eco-Life Boutique stocks t-shirts, yoga mats, water bottles and notebooks.
There is a Government Value Added Tax (VAT) on all items purchased of 7%. This is added on your bill at the end of your stay.
Your own personal purchases and services used such as massage and juice bar snacks are an extra charge and added to your bill. There is a full Thai staff team here to help you.
It is common practice for guests to leave a tip upon departure though it is a personal choice. 200-300 Thai Baht is typical over a week and it is divided up amongst all the staff. They truly appreciate this kind gesture.