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Koh Samui gay travel advice to help you find the best hotels, things to do, gay bars and amazing day trips.
Koh Samui is perfect for gay travelers seeking a less-crowded island adventure. Life is calm here, away from busy destinations like Phuket. This big Thai island is one of the most popular for relaxation without total seclusion.
Koh Samui is undoubtedly accepting to the gay community. There are plenty of gay-friendly hotels and hostels in Koh Samui with wonderful and accepting Thai hosts. I visited Koh Samui while traveling through Thailand with several gay friends and I had a blast!
Hotels and Airbnbs in Koh Samui are plentiful and come in all sorts of price ranges.
Bophut Beach and Chaweng at the northeastern tip of the island are popular places for booking hotels in Koh Samui. They are close to the airport and have lots of nightlife nearby. This is definitely the busiest part of the island.
I stayed in an Airbnb in Fisherman’s Village at the west end of Bophut. I absolutely loved this area. Everything we needed was nearby and the neighborhood vibe was quaint and cozy.
Just west of Fisherman’s Village. I’d consider the noteworthy W Hotel Koh Samui in Maenam. It’s jaw-droopingly beautiful and definitely one of the favorite gay accommodations in Koh Samui.
Continuing southward, accommodations in Koh Samui become more secluded. You’ll also find many timeshares and luxury boutique hotels along the southern shores.
A rather big island, there is definitely no shortage of fun things to do in Koh Samui. Here are my top recommendations.
Firstly, you have to check out the beautiful Fisherman’s Village shorefront. I always found myself headed to Coco Tams for drinks, which has an adorable beachfront bar.
Coco Tams also has a fun beer pong table in a grassy area under adorable string lights. It seemed like an adult playground!
I loved the French restaurant inside the Enjoy Beach Hotel & Restaurant. They have tables directly on the beach, perfect for a romantic dinner. Both the service and food were amazing.
Additionally, I enjoyed two other restaurants in Fisherman’s Village called Happy Elephant and Zazen Restaurant.
What’s a trip to Thailand without a Thai massage? Walk along Bophut beach until you find massage huts. They do a great job and it is definitely an authentic Thai experience.
Koh Samui is actually the only place in Thailand where I was able to get a massage right on the beach in a shaded hut!
Visiting Thailand is the perfect opportunity to get custom clothes and suits made. There is a suit shop in the Fisherman’s village where I got three button-down dress shirts custom measured and fitted for around $100 USD.
The first day you’ll get measured and choose the fabric. On the second day you will get adjusted and then pick up soon after. Even better, this shop keeps a book of your measurements so you can have more shirts mailed back to your home country anytime you want more.
I headed to The Jungle Club for a resort day with friends since our accommodations did not have a pool. The resort sits on a giant cliff that overlooks the entire northern part of Koh Samui.
The Jungle Club has an infinity pool you can pay to use, although I don’t think they normally do this! Even more luxurious was their precious treehouse dining table room. You actually have to climb a ladder to get to the table!
That evening, a heavy thunderstorm rolled through as we were having dinner in that treehouse. They let down the plastic rain guards and kept the food coming. We had an absolute blast weathering the storm.
Absolutely book a boat tour to Koh Mudsum. This small island is often also spelled “Koh Mat Sum.” Your eyes will light up when you see this little paradise island.
First, check schedules and arrange a ride at one of the travel stands in Fisherman’s Village. A tuk-tuk will drive you to the south end of the island, probably with a couple other passengers, where you catch a boat.
Koh Mudsum is only inhabited by day and has spectacular shorelines. Shallow azure waters stretch for what seems like forever. Wading through the seashore was rather dream-like. I’ll never forget the tiny ripples breaking over my legs as I sat in the sand.
Grab a drink at the hut when you arrive and soak in the sun. Additionally, you will likely have a chance to jump off the boat to snorkel during the ride to the island. Being amongst the schools of fish in the crystal waters was a beautiful experience.
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Starting out my trip, I spent a couple nights having drinks in the vibrant Bophut Fisherman’s Village.
Catch some incredible firework/fire dancing shows on the beach in front of Coco Tams after the sun sets. Ask the bartenders which night they are planned for since I believe it changes.
Chaweng is where you will find the Koh Samui gay bars and the most gay nightlife activity. One night I made a trip to Chaweng to visit Bar Solo, which I was super excited to check out.
Bar Solo is a modern hangout spot is a hangout for gay locals, although it is not specifically a gay bar. I had a fantastic time.
K-Club Koh Samui. is one of the best bars for drag shows and a fun, flashy time.
They have a lot of seating, which is always a plus for solo travelers to feel comfortable. Drag queens strut bath and forth along the runway that cuts through the middle of the room.
I totally wish I visited Pride Bar Samui, but didn’t get the chance. They have the perfect environment for meeting other travelers, including pool tables, small-table seating, food and more. Check out their drag and cabaret shows.
Want even cheaper drinks? Alcohol prices can easily reach western standards, especially if you find yourself hanging out in a tourist area.
Avoid paying these prices by looking for small alcohol carts in alleyways between bars and restaurants. These are usually half the price. And since you can walk freely with your drink, why not take one to go?
Always have a poncho handy if you will be out exploring for the latter part of the afternoon. Pop-up storms can bring torrential rain and flood local streets. Don’t let anything valuable get wet!
Ridesharing is widely available in Koh Samui. When I was there, we used NaviGo app. However, more apps are probably now available. We used taxis quite a bit, especially during rainy afternoons.
Some Koh Samui Airbnb rentals are actually in buildings that were initially intended to be hotels. With this in mind, there is a chance that you will need to pay your own electricity bill at the end of your stay if you are staying in an Airbnb like this.
Another way to save money on alcohol, it’s definitely worth it to stop in a convenience store to buy a bottle. In some tourist areas, drinks seem to be pretty expensive.
Taking out one large sum of cash at an ATM will keep you from needing to use local ATM’s for more Baht. Some bank’s fees can be quite high to keep taking out cash. Just be on the safe side and keep smaller amounts in separate areas of your backpack or luggage.
Even though Koh Samui is a Thai island, it’s large enough to have its own International Airport. Flights to Samui USM Airport from Bangkok are frequent, although they come at a higher price than most other domestic Thailand flights.
The Samui Airport was built by and is privately owned by Bangkok Airways. Since this airline has a monopoly, they don’t have competition pushing flight costs down. If you are coming from Bangkok, there is really no other convenient route choice to get to Samui.
There are large ferries available that depart from mainland Surat Thani you can book if you’re coming from somewhere farther south in Thailand. They make stops at Koh Samui Island, Koh Phangan and lastly, Koh Tao. This option is definitely cheaper than flying!
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