Our Samui Magazine Jul-Sep 2026

JUL - SEP 2026

1

Publisher’s Note A Season

of Escape

T

here are certain moments of the year when Koh Samui feels especially irresistible. As the July– September season unfolds, Samui and its sister islands reveal themselves in ways both familiar and unexpected. This is the season when the islands feel especially alive, welcoming travellers from around the world who come seeking beauty, connection, and unforgettable experiences.

From beachside breakfasts and long afternoons on the water to evenings filled with music, dining, and golden sunsets, each day unfolds with its own sense of discovery.

Beyond the shoreline, forest trails, hidden waterfalls, wellness sanctuaries, and local communities reveal another side of island life — one rooted in authenticity, warmth, and timeless charm.

High season also brings renewed energy to the people and businesses that shape the Samui experience. We are deeply grateful to our hospitality partners, local entrepreneurs and readers whose continued support allows OurSamui to grow with each issue. Together, we remain committed to celebrating these islands in a way that is meaningful, elegant, and true to their spirit.

What makes Samui so compelling is not simply its natural beauty, but its ability to offer many experiences within a single journey — vibrant yet peaceful, sophisticated

Glory panel HOTLINES ADVERTISING Guitar +66 (0) 87 929 6611 donlaporn@mpmith.com guitar@mpmith.com valentino@mpmith.com

EDITORIAL

editorial@oursamui.com

PUBLISHED BY MPMI Group Co., Ltd. 1 Soi Lasalle 23 Yaek 2, Bangna Tai, Bangna, Bangkok 10260, Thailand Tel. +66 (0) 2744 4975 Fax. +66 (0) 2744 5271

PUBLISHER/CEO Steven Fong Chookiat Pangviphas

yet grounded, cosmopolitan yet deeply connected to local culture. It is this harmony that continues to captivate travellers year after year.

Whether you are returning to a favourite retreat or discovering these islands for the first time, we hope the pages ahead inspire your journey and encourage you to look beyond the obvious. The most memorable travel experiences are often found not on an itinerary, but in the unexpected moments along the way.

Warm regards, STEVEN FONG Chookiat Pangviphas Publisher, OurSamui

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mimi Grachangnetara CREATIVE DIRECTOR JyeShen Koo ART DIRECTOR Pongtorn Khaoplag GRAPHIC DESIGNER Paranat Leksing PHOTOGRAPHERS & VIDEOGRAPHERS Jiraphol Rikshasuta Pangchanak Pangviphas PRINTER Cyberprint Group Co., Ltd.

GENERAL MANAGER Daruni Klaprapchon ACCOUNTS & ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Supavadee Salyajivin DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Nichapat Noraphaiphipaksa

OUR SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES oursamuii

oursamuii

oursamuii MEDIA SPECIALIST Donlaporn Luangtraoolrung Pangchalong Pangviphas

oursamuii

Read Online

OurSamui.com

OurSamui is edited and published by MPMI Group Co., Ltd. All articles and photographs published herein are produced at the discretion of their respective authors and photographers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. MPMI Group Co., Ltd. assumes no responsibility or liability arising from the publication of such content. All information is correct at the time of press. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from MPMI Group Co., Ltd.

MULTI PLATFORM MEDIA INTERNATIONAL

3

Contents

8

SamuiWays

8 THAILAND AT A GLANCE A tidy primer on “The Land of Smiles”, offering essential intel for the curious traveller—from cultural cues to climatic quirks—so you can navigate Thailand with poise during your Samui sojourn.

10 SAMUI AT A GLANCE

36 SAMUI HERBS

Your breezy briefing on Koh Samui: where to linger, what to expect and how to make each day feel well-considered. A compact guide for turning a simple stay into a standout one.

Meet the plants that flavour local kitchens and stock traditional medicine cabinets.

12 EVENTS

COVER: BEACHGOERS TAKING IN THE SUN, SEA AND THE SPIRIT OF SAMUI ON LAMAI BEACH. PHOTO: JIRAPHOL RIKSHASUTA

40 MADE IN SAMUI The artisans and producers creating goods with a distinctly local identity.

A curated calendar of Thailand’s most spirited festivals and Samui’s liveliest gatherings. From walking streets to nature tours, this is your shortcut to staying in the loop.

16 BEACH BLISS A tour of Samui's finest stretches of sand, a chance for visitors to enjoy sun-kissed mornings and lingering sunsets.

28 TRENDING The makers, entrepreneurs and fresh ideas bringing new energy to island life.

24 SHORE THINGS Beyond Samui lie sister isles with gentler rhythms. A considered selection of excursions that reveal the archipelago at its most unhurried.

4

42 SAMUI'S BIG 10

Ten essential dishes that capture the spirit of Thailand's favourite island.

44 KHAO HOR

A southern Thai culinary tradition where layers of ingredients tell a story of heritage and hospitality.

Contents

48

Features

46 CRAB BANK How local communities are restoring marine ecosystems through crab conservation.

50 HOUSE OF LUCIE Inside the gallery championing visual storytelling, contemporary arts and photography in the tropics.

58 DIARY OF A FISHERMAN A glimpse into daily life at sea through the eyes of those who know Samui's waters best.

64 HIKING TRAILS ON SAMUI Leave the beaches behind and discover jungle paths, viewpoints and unexpected tranquillity.

70 EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY The individuals and initiatives working to preserve the island's natural assets for future generations.

76 CAROUSEL A look at the tree that has long provided the bedrock of daily life on Koh Samui.

82 THE LAST WORD Reflections and observations from a voice closely connected to the island.

84 TRADITIONAL COCONUT SHAVER An enduring craft and the skilled hands keeping one of Samui's oldest traditions alive.

6

Samui Ways

Chiang Mai

Thailand

THAILAND AT A GLANCE

Bangkok

Gulf of Thailand

Phuket

Koh Tao Mu Koh Ang Thong National Marine Park

Koh Phangan Koh Samui

THE LAND OF SMILES Few destinations balance beauty and ease quite like Thailand — a country defined by warmth, colour, and quiet confidence.

With Buddhism as its steady pulse, life unfolds at a measured pace: monks move through the morning light and temples glint beneath tropical skies. From Bangkok’s creative bustle to Chiang Mai’s misty hills and Samui’s softedged horizons, Thailand offers both energy and stillness. Its cuisine, a deft harmony of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty, reflects a culture attuned to balance. Whether it’s adventure in Khao Sok or a Samui sunset melting into the sea, Thailand’s quiet grace and effortless hospitality make every traveller feel at home.

8

Essential Facts Capital: Bangkok

From June to October, light tropical rains

Population: Approx. 70 million

refresh the air and drape the countryside in

Language: Thai (English widely understood in

lush green; temperatures average 26–33°C, and

major destinations)

humidity ranges 80–90%, creating a serene,

Dialects: Central Thai, Northern (Lanna),

rejuvenating atmosphere.

Northeastern (Isaan), and Southern Thai (Pak Tai)

No matter the month, Thailand’s warmth — in

Religion: About 94% Buddhism, 5% Islam,

both climate and hospitality — ensures every visit

1 % Christianity, Hinduism and others — Thailand

is memorable.

warmly embraces all faiths in a spirit of harmony and respect.

Currency: Thai Baht (THB) Time Zone: GMT +7 Electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz, two-pin plugs International Dial Code: +66

Climate & Seasons

Thailand by Numbers 513,120 sq km – total land area 77 provinces, including Bangkok, grouped into five main regions — with approximate population figures:

Thailand’s tropical climate makes it a wonderful

• Bangkok Metropolitan Region: ≈ 11 million

destination year-round, with each season

• Central Region (excluding Bangkok): ≈ 9 million

offering its own charm.

• Northern Region: ≈ 11 million

From November to February, cooler breezes and clear skies prevail, with average daytime temperatures around 25 – 30 °C and humidity near 70–75% — ideal for sightseeing and outdoor adventures.

Between March and May, bright sunshine

• Northeastern (Isaan) Region: ≈ 22 million • Southern Region: ≈ 9 million • Eastern & Western Regions: ≈ 8 million 2,600 km + – coastline along the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea

and blue skies dominate; temperatures

40,000 + – Buddhist temples nationwide

often reach 30 – 36 °C, with humidity around

1,400 + – tropical islands

80 %, giving this season its vibrant, lively energy.

1,300 + – species of native orchids

Paul’s Fashion

Ladies & Gents Custom Tailor

Tripadvisor: Paul’s Fashion Samui

Suits

Google Map: Paul’s Fashion Samui

Shirts

Mobile: +66 (0) 84 627 3812

Paul’s Fashion Samui is Koh Samui’s trusted name in premium custom tailoring, known for timeless craftsmanship, precision, and personal service refined over many years. Specialising in bespoke suits for ladies and gents, along with shirts, dresses, blazers and coats, each garment is cut from carefully selected premium fabrics and tailored to last.

Clients enjoy a seamless experience with free hotel pickup, fittings and delivery, fast turnaround with suits ready in as little as 48 hours, and measurements securely stored for future orders. Trusted by clients worldwide and highly rated on Google and TripAdvisor, Paul's Fashion Samui also offers effortless re-ordering from anywhere via WhatsApp or email, with global delivery through DHL Express. Authentic craftsmanship, personalised luxury, and a perfect fit — exclusively from Paul's Fashion Samui.

Website: www.paulfashionsamui.com

Dresses

Blazers

WhatsApp: Paul’s Fashion Samui

Coats

Opposite McDonald’s in Chaweng Beach Road

No Branch

Samui Ways SAMUI AT A GLANCE

THE ISLAND OF DREAMS Samui, a municipality in Surat Thani and Thailand’s second-largest island, sits gracefully in the Gulf of Thailand. Once a quiet fishing community, it has grown into one of the country’s most sought-after island escapes, loved for its coconut groves, jade peaks, and powder-soft beaches fading into turquoise seas. Home to about 67,000 residents, the island is ringed with coral reefs and dotted with waterfalls and sacred temples.

Compact enough to explore in a day, Samui still offers endless experiences, from sunrise yoga to lively night markets. Despite its global fame, Samui has kept its soul. Fishermen cast nets at dawn, coconut farmers climb towering palms, and locals welcome visitors with genuine warmth. Beyond the beaches lie jungle trails, healing spas, and a rich food culture shaped by southern flavours and coconut sweetness.

10

Essential Facts Location: Gulf of Thailand, Surat Thani Province

26 – 33 °C, with humidity around 70 – 75 %, perfect

Population: Approx. 67,000 permanent residents

for beach days, sailing and island-hopping.

(not including temporary workers and visitors)

Between May and September, light showers

Language: Thai (Southern dialect widely spoken;

cool the air and nourish the island’s greenery;

English commonly understood)

average temperatures are 27 – 32 °C, and humidity

Religion: Predominantly Buddhism, with Muslim

rises to 80 – 85 %, keeping the landscape lush.

and Christian minorities living in harmony.

From October to mid-December, gentle tropical rains bring a slower pace and tranquil

Climate & Seasons

beauty — temperatures average 26 – 31 °C,

Samui’s weather pattern differs from much of

humidity around 85 – 90 %, ideal for wellness

Thailand, making it an appealing destination at

retreats and rejuvenation.

any time of year.

From December to April, bright skies and calm seas prevail — temperatures range from

With its unique microclimate, Samui promises sunshine, serenity and natural beauty across all seasons.

Samui by Numbers 228 sq km – total land area

1847 – year of Samui’s first recorded settlement

Over 2 million visitors each year,

80 + – nearby islands including Koh Phangan,

drawn by Samui’s natural beauty and

Koh Tao and the Ang Thong archipelago

refined hospitality

88 – Buddhist temples and shrines on

50 km – length of the main ring road encircling

the island

the island

1 – international airport (Samui Airport)

DISCOVER OUR ORGANIC FUSION CUISINE, BLENDING THAI AND MEDITERRANEAN FLAVORS, IN THE HEART OF OUR ELEPHANT SANCTUARY. ENJOY A SWIM IN THE INFINITY POOL WITH BREATHTAKING VIEWS, SAVOR FRESH DISHES CRAFTED WITH LOVE, AND SHARE A MAGICAL MOMENT FEEDING OUR ELEPHANTS

Samui Ways WHAT'S ON

July - Sept

2026

July and August mark Samui’s quiet advantage: while much of Thailand watches the skies, the Gulf remains comparatively calm, making it a natural refuge for those in the know.

28 July

HM KING MAHA VAJIRALONGKORN’S BIRTHDAY The island glows after dark. Streets and beachfronts are lit in gold and yellow, as ceremonies unfold with quiet dignity—an occasion that blends national pride with a gentle, celebratory mood.

29 / July ASALAHA BUCHA DAY As evening falls, temples flicker with candlelight. Locals move in slow procession, creating a moment of stillness that feels worlds away from the shoreline’s usual rhythm.

30 / July KHAO PANSA (START OF BUDDHIST LENT) The tempo shifts. With monks entering their annual retreat, the island settles into a more introspective pace—one that rewards early mornings and unhurried days.

12

July (all month) GREEN SEASON ON SAMUI This is a time when the island exhales. Coconut palms gleam, the air feels freshly washed, and the crowds thin. For those in search of space—be it in a spa pavilion or a private villa—this is Samui at its most restorative.

12 / August HM QUEEN SIRIKIT, THE QUEEN MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY / MOTHER'S DAY Soft blue hues ripple across the island in tribute. Floral arrangements, candlelight ceremonies, and a palpable sense of affection lend the day an elegance that feels both personal and national.

August (full month) MARINE & WELLNESS SEASON ON SAMUI While other coasts turn unpredictable, Samui finds its balance. The sea steadies, mornings open wide, and the island becomes a natural stage for sailing, diving, and slow, deliberate living.

19 / August

30 / August

WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY DAY

INTERNATIONAL WHALE SHARK DAY

For shutterbugs, Samui is one of the best places to be to mark this day. Here, the light does most of the work, from the first light over the Gulf to the long shadows of late afternoon, Samui offers endless compositions—best captured without hurry.

A quiet reminder of the life beneath the surface. For those willing to venture further out, encounters in nearby waters offer a rare, humbling perspective on the region’s marine richness.

13

Samui Ways WHAT'S ON

23 / September SEPTEMBER EQUINOX Balance, in its purest sense. Days and nights align, and the island leans into a slower cadence—ideal for travellers drawn to stillness rather than spectacle.

25

MOON FESTIVAL (MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL)

Lanterns glow softly in Thai-Chinese communities, September and mooncakes appear in careful arrangements. It’s a celebration that feels intimate—best experienced away from the obvious.

27 / September WORLD TOURISM DAY A moment of reflection for a destination shaped by visitors.

Increasingly, the conversation turns to sustainability, with Samui positioning itself as a place where luxury and responsibility can coexist.

14

September (late) SHOULDER SEASON TRANSITION The island holds its breath before the high season returns. It’s a fleeting window—quiet beaches, attentive service, and the sense that, for a moment, Samui belongs almost entirely to you beneath the surface.

Bangrak Beach

The restaurant that serves the taste of Samui

The Finest Island Cuisine and Fresh Seafood Our Lamai branch — Sabienglae’s original home — remains deeply connected to old Samui’s charm. Looking out over the famous Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks, this branch carries the warmth and authenticity that has made Sabienglae a beloved island haven for decades. เสบียงเล ละไม Sabienglae Restaurant Lamai

+66 93-650-5936

Bangrak Beach

Our Bangrak Beach branch unveils the restaurant’s next chapter — stylish, contemporary, and beautifully designed for today’s travellers. Conveniently located near Samui Airport, it has quickly become a must-visit destination for visitors looking for authentic Southern Thai seafood in a vibrant beachside atmosphere. เสบียงเล หาดบางรักษ์ Sabienglae Bang Rak Beach

+66 61-239-5195

RECOMMENDATIONS

OCTOPUS RICE (SIGNATURE)

STIR-FRIED BLUE CRAB WITH CURRY POWDER (LIVE SEAFOOD)

SAMUI’S CARAMELISED PORK BELLY (TRADITIONAL DISH)

Lamai Beach

LOBSTER SASHIMI (LIVE SEAFOOD)

Lamai Beach

Samui Ways BEACH BLISS

Koh Samui doesn’t give up all its secrets at once.

With some 40 beaches strung like pearls around its 50-kilometre coastline, the island rewards curiosity.

Each stretch of sand carries its own mood— glamorous, bohemian, or blissfully bare. The joy lies in drifting between them, discovering one quiet cove after another until you find the spot that feels entirely yours.

 Azure waters of Chaweng Beach.

16

Chaweng Beach

Samui’s most famous strand—and its longest—is also its most energetic. Chaweng’s six kilometres of powdersoft sand form the island’s beating heart. Mornings bring paddleboarders and parasails; by night, the tempo rises with beach bars and DJs. Yet it’s not all hedonism—wander to the Heart-Shaped Mountain Viewpoint to see the bay’s luscious curves from above, and you’ll agree that Samui’s wild beauty still wins out over its buzz.

17

Samui Ways

1

BEACH BLISS

Lamai Beach

Just south of Chaweng, Lamai has the same good looks with a gentler pace. The water deepens faster here, making it a draw for swimmers and surfers, while yoga studios and coconut-oil spas hide behind the palms. At the beach’s southern end, Hin

Bo Phut Beach

If you prefer your beaches with a side of good taste, Bo Phut delivers. Once a sleepy fishing village, it’s now a haven for breezy bistros and barefoot dining.

Fisherman’s Village still retains its wooden charm, now reimagined as a stylish promenade of concept stores and cafés.

2

18

Ta and Hin Yai—the cheekily named “Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks”—draw visitors for both the views and the folklore. Stop at Lad Koh Viewpoint en route, a quiet perch where sunrise feels like a secret.

3

Laem Set & Taling Ngam

On Samui’s southern and western fringes, the crowds melt away.

Laem Set is cinematic—boulders, leaning palms, and glass-clear shallows that catch the morning light. Further west, Taling Ngam feels like a secret whispered between travellers: an endless, often empty sweep with views of the Five Islands. It’s the side of Samui that reminds you isolation can be a luxury.

 The sun-washed shores of Lamai Beach.  Fisherman’s Village turns golden — a seaside promenade of charm, craft, and candlelit indulgence.  Powdery white sand on Laem Set Beach.  Green meets blue at Taling Ngam Beach.

SCAN ME

For a bird's-eye drone flight over Taling Ngam beach with OurSamui.

4

19

Samui Ways BEACH BLISS

1 Maenam & Bangrak Beaches

 Clear skies melt into the horizon at Maenam Beach.

Two northern favourites for those who like their escapes unhurried. Maenam, framed by palms and longtail boats, has an old-island grace—perfect for quiet swims and hammock afternoons. A short drive east, Bangrak, or Big Buddha Beach, faces the island’s most iconic statue—a golden 12-metretall figure glowing at dusk. Both offer understated charm, where time slows with each turning tide.

2

20

 Sundown on Bangrak Beach.  A glorious day in Bangrak Bay.

3

Samui Ways BEACH BLISS

 A lazy day on Lipa Noi Beach.  Sunset at Nathon Beach.

Lipa Noi & Nathon

Lipa Noi is where families and romantics exhale. Its shallow, ripple-free waters invite lazy swims, and the sunsets, while luxury resorts and simple beach cafés coexist in perfect calm. A few kilometres north, Nathon marks a shift from postcard to real life. The island’s working port and commercial centre offers an authentic Thai vibe: market chatter, pier views, and a frontrow seat for the evening ferry framed against the sinking sun.

2

22

1

Samui Ways SHORE THINGS

Whether you're here solo, with a partner, or among family and friends, Samui and its sister islands offer paradise all within an easy reach.

Full Moon, Light Touch

Confirmed dates 31 July (Friday) 28 August (Friday) 26 September (Saturday)

Friday Evening Rituals

Green season lends Samui’s night markets a slower, more local rhythm. The best of them arrive just before sunset, when the island trades beach clubs for grilled seafood, cocktail carts and wandering jazz musicians.

The Friday market at Fisherman's Village Night Market remains the island’s classic evening promenade: lantern-lit lanes lined with street food, handmade crafts

24

The Gulf’s most notorious beach party still draws thousands to Haad Rin on neighbouring Koh Phangan — though seasoned Samui regulars know better than to stay overnight. Ferries and speedboats shuttle across from Koh Samui until dawn, making a villa return far preferable to sleeping beside the speakers.

August remains the busiest. September, meanwhile, offers a softer version of the same spectacle, with fewer crowds and greener seas — though late-season weather occasionally disrupts crossings.

and tables set almost directly on the sand.

Further south, Lamai Night Market offers a more relaxed local mood with live music and excellent seafood, while Nathon Night Food Market feels refreshingly unvarnished — ideal for food photography and glimpses of everyday island life.

For rainy evenings, Chaweng Night Market provides a more casual, food-first alternative.

Definition of Anodas Spa

Experience at Anodas Spa

Experience a refined level of relaxation where spa, wellness, and healthcare come together seamlessly. Our expert therapies nurture beauty, health, and inner balance—bringing harmony to body and mind.

Enjoy a private sea-view treatment suite designed for ultimate tranquility. With a modern jacuzzi perfect for couples and honeymooners, relax and rejuvenate as you take in the soothing ocean scenery.

www.noraburiresort.com

Nora Buri Resort & Spa

111 Moo 5, Chaweng Beach Bophut, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84320, Thailand

Tel. +66 (0) 77 913 555 Email: reservation@noraburiresort.com

Experience the Charm of Thailand at Rice Barge Rice Barge at Nora Buri Resort & Spa brings together the timeless charm of Thai culture and the distinctive spirit of Koh Samui in an elegant and memorable way.

Discover the essence of Nora Buri through a warm and inviting atmosphere, authentic flavors reimagined with a contemporary touch, and unique décor unlike anywhere else on the island — all complemented by breathtaking ocean views that elevate every dining experience into something truly special.

Samui Ways SHORE THINGS

Jungle Ruins on Koh Tao

For travellers craving something wilder than another beach club, Koh Tao offers one of the Gulf’s more curious walks. Beginning near Sairee Beach, a rugged trail climbs through thick jungle towards Laem Thian on the island’s eastern edge — an hour-long ascent punctuated by cicadas and sea views.

At the summit sits the abandoned shell of a once-ambitious resort: vine-covered bungalows, collapsing verandas and empty terraces facing the horizon. Equal parts tropical ruin and forgotten utopia, it remains one of the region’s most atmospheric detours.

Koh Nang Yuan

A short longtail ride from Koh Tao lies Koh Nang Yuan — three tiny islands connected by bright white sandbars and water so clear it scarcely looks real.

Divers head for Red Rock and Green Rock, while snorkellers drift through the coral gardens beside butterflyfish and electricblue tangs. Later, a short shaded climb leads to the island’s celebrated viewpoint, where ivory sand curls into turquoise sea in one of southern Thailand’s most recognisable panoramas.

Arrive early. Stay lightly. Leave before the day-trippers do.

26

Samui Ways TRENDING From multiple-sensory immersive experiences to calming spa treatments, Koh Samui has it all in spades to provide visitors with a much-needed sense of escapism.

SPORTS RESORT

Maraleina makes a bold claim — Thailand’s most comprehensive sports resort — and the facilities go some way to supporting it.

The high-performance fitness centre sits alongside squash courts, football pitches, a PSG Academy affiliate programme, youth gymnastics and a HYROX training hub, making this the rare island address where the serious athlete need not compromise.

Health, wellness and rehabilitation services run alongside the sporting offer, and dedicated fitness retreats are available for those seeking structure over spontaneity.

The ‘Train, Stay, Play’ model packages accommodation with unlimited facility access, which, for guests who measure a holiday by the quality of their morning session, is a persuasive proposition. maraleina.com

Koh Samui ART PARK, IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

Billed, with characteristic understatement, as the eighth wonder of the world, theXperience is an open-air art and technology park that occupies its own category entirely. Across a series of themed zones — The Playa, Luna, AfrikaBurn, The Woods and Mystic Village among them — the park deploys projection mapping, hyper-realistic sculpture, multisensory installations and a sky bar to create something that resists easy description. The site’s founding conceit is that art should respond to the person experiencing it; advanced technology allows each installation to react in real time to presence, movement and mood. Families, couples and solo visitors all find their footing here, which is harder to achieve than it sounds, and the dining offer is thoughtful enough to merit its own visit. thexperienceworld.com

Koh Samui ARCADE EVENINGS

This large format arcade trade sticky carpets for polish. A full-length bowling alley anchors the space, flat by a small edit of classic and next-gen games that keep the tempo high without tipping into chaos. Neon washes the room in colour, a type playlist comes in the background and the bar turns out confident cocktails rather than sugary novelty indoor outdoor seating and courageous lingering; friendly rivalries uninvolved over a second round. It's less teenage hangout, more after hours clubhouse. pixelthailand.com

28

Lamai Beach FOREST CALM AT TAMARIND SPRINGS

Hidden among lush greenery near Lamai Beach, Tamarind Springs Forest Spa is where nature and nurture meet. The setting feels far removed from the island’s bustle—a sanctuary woven into granite boulders, forest canopies and winding trails. Treatments draw from Thai healing traditions and modern techniques: think yoga-inspired massage, hot- and cold-stone therapy, and lymphatic renewal sessions. The signature herbal steam, set inside a natural cave, feels both ancient and elemental. For those who seek more than an afternoon’s respite, Tamarind Springs also offers serene forest lodgings—spaces designed for slow mornings, gentle routines, and quiet reconnection. tamarindsprings.com/en

Koh Samui SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB Koh Samui’s first padel venue arrived with a conviction that the sport deserved a proper home rather than an afterthought — and the result is four courts built to LTA and PTA international standards, two of them sheltered beneath an eleven-metre roof, set within a coconut plantation with the kind of sunset views that make losing a match considerably more bearable. padelsamui.com

Chaweng Beach MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING Founded in 2013 and set on a hillside above Chaweng with open-air views to the sea, Tom Muay Thai Camp makes a compelling case for training where the air is cleaner and the distractions are fewer. Sessions run for all levels — from the curious visitor seeking a single morning of instruction to the dedicated athlete chasing competition fitness — and the trainers, masters of their craft, conduct classes in both English and Russian, reflecting the camp’s international following. tommuaythai.com

29

Samui Ways TRENDING

30

Koh Samui HAVEN SAMUI COMMUNITY MALL Haven Samui Community Mall has quietly become one of the island's most agreeable places to spend an afternoon. Independent shops, thoughtful food options and a relaxed atmosphere set it apart from the usual commercial strip. It feels local in the best possible sense — shaped by the community around it rather than imported wholesale from somewhere else. Come for one thing, stay for several. That tends to be how Haven works. havensamui.com

Koh Samui ERANDA SPA Perched quietly above the island’s curve, Eranda spa offers the sort of understated, five-star calm that Koh Samui does best. Guests arrive emptyhanded by design–everything from crisp spa attire to premium products is thoughtfully laid out, removing any hint of hassle. A discreet, well-trained team shepherds visitors through each treatment with a mix of precision and warmth, keeping the experience beautifully frictionless. The setting is serene, the service measured and meticulous, and the pace blissfully unhurried. erandaspa.com

Bangrak Beach BEACH CLUB · NIGHTLIFE

Choeng Mon Beach PRIVATE CHARTER · SAILING

The 36-foot catamaran moored at Choeng Mon Beach is available exclusively — no shared decks, no strangers — and that singularity is precisely the point. Vickey accommodates up to ten guests across a wide sun deck, cosy cabins and a fully-equipped galley kitchen, making her equally suited to a sunset cruise of two-and-ahalf hours or a full-day island-hopping circuit with lunch prepared aboard. vickeysamui.com

On the northern arc of Bangrak Beach, nine minutes from the airport, 79 Beach Club has quietly become the island’s most credible proposition for guests who insist on doing both things well — sleeping and celebrating. The pool, the largest of any beach club on Samui, faces the Gulf at golden hour, while the programme of resident DJs and visiting names keeps the calendar serious without becoming self-important.

Breakfast runs until two in the afternoon here, which tells you everything you need to know about the pace.

Seventy-nine suites and pool villas, each dressed for the tropics without trying too hard.

79samui.com

31

Choeng Mon Beach WELLNESS · DETOX

Samui Ways TRENDING

Member Diving

Beneath the surface of Koh Samui's waters lies a world that rewards the curious. Member Diving offers guided dives for all levels, from first-timers nervous about the deep to seasoned underwater explorers chasing the next reef. Their instructors know these waters intimately — the best spots, the right conditions, the hidden corners where marine life gathers undisturbed. Whether you descend for the first time or the hundredth, the ocean here has something new to show you. member-diving.com/en

In collaboration with Meliá Resort on the tranquil northern bay of Choeng Mon, Orion Retreat occupies the intersection of five-star comfort and genuine therapeutic intent. The founders — a Reiki Master and an energy healer who arrived in Thailand in 2000 and never quite left — have been curating holistic detox programmes since 2006, drawing guests from across the world. The programmes combine fasting and detoxification with yoga, breathwork, Reiki sessions and craniosacral therapy; the food, served at the beachfront restaurant, is nutritious, inventive and plant-based. orionhealing.com

Koh Samui JUN MUAY THAI A refined introduction to Thailand’s national sport, Jun Muay Thai offers visitors the chance to train with experienced instructors in an intimate setting. Whether you're stepping into the ring for the first time or sharpening your technique, sessions balance discipline, fitness and cultural immersion, making for a memorable addition to any stay on Samui. junmuaythai.com

Lamai Beach YOGA STUDIO Creative spaces with genuine character are rare anywhere in the world. Black Cat & White Cat Studio is one of them — a Koh Samui original where artistry, atmosphere and craft come together under one roof. Whether you're browsing original works, commissioning something personal, or simply wandering in to see what's on the walls, the studio rewards time spent inside it. The kind of place you mention when people ask what made the trip feel different.

Black Cat White Cat : Yoga Studio

32

Lamai Beach MAGIC JET SKI There is a particular kind of freedom that only comes at speed on open water. Magic Jet Ski puts that freedom within reach, offering well-maintained machines and a stretch of sea that invites you to make the most of both. Ideal for those who want their island experience to come with a little adrenaline, this is Koh Samui at its most exhilarating — salt in the air, throttle in hand, horizon wide open ahead. magic-jetski-lamai-kohsamui.com

Samui Ways TRENDING

Koh Samui BOUTIQUE YACHTING Some of the best moments on Koh Samui happen far from the shore. Boutique Yachting takes guests out onto the Gulf of Thailand in style, with curated sailing experiences that balance adventure with ease. Whether you're after a sunset cruise, a day trip to a neighbouring island, or simply the pleasure of the sea with good company, their team handles everything from navigation to provisions. All you need to bring is a willingness to let the wind decide the pace. boutiqueyachting.com

Koh Samui EVOLUTION SAMUI MUAY THAI RETREAT Part training camp, part wellness escape, Evolution Samui combines authentic Muay Thai instruction with island living. Guests can expect focused coaching, restorative recovery sessions and a supportive atmosphere that appeals as much to curious beginners as to dedicated practitioners seeking a reset by the sea. evolutionsamuiretreat.com

Lamai Beach PADEL PARADISE For guests seeking activity beyond the shoreline, Padel Paradise has become one of Samui's most vibrant sporting destinations.

With state-of-the-art courts, professional instruction and a convivial atmosphere, it offers an elegant blend of fitness, friendly competition and social connection in the heart of the island. padellamai.com

Chaweng Beach ARKBAR BEACH CLUB Set on the sands of Chaweng Beach, ARKbar remains one of Samui's most enduring social addresses. By day, guests drift between the pool and the shoreline; by night, the venue transforms into a lively gathering spot with DJs, cocktails and front-row views of the island's celebrated sunsets. ark-bar.com

34

AMAZING SPORT HUB

(Calm, Refresh Tired Muscles)

This highly energetic, yet relaxing treatment has been created specifically for the more muscular body. It’s a wonderful way to spend the day escaping from all of lifes pressures and it will help to energize and instil a sense of well-being.

5,700 Baht

• Herbal Steam & Jacuzzi 30 mins • Tamarind Salt or Coffee Scrub 35 mins • Thai Massage or Oil Massage 60 mins • Eranda Signature Facial 60 mins • Refreshing spa drink

Eranda Spa Villa

9/37 Moo 2 Chaweng North Road Koh Samui Suratthani 84320 Thailand

Opening Hour

Open everyday from 9:00 am. to 9:00 pm.

Last booking at 7:00 pm.

Tel:

+66 (0) 98 329 1445 +66 (0) 62 293 2329

Samui Ways GREEN SAMUI

Roots of Remedy For generations, Thais have turned to herbs, roots and leaves from forests and gardens for healing — a living tradition that continues to thrive on Koh Samui today.

Words: Sky Fitzgerald Photos: Jiraphol Rikshasuta

36

Walk deep enough into any village on Koh Samui and you will find them — the aunties who know the land by heart. They crouch beside low hedges, break a stem, press a leaf between their fingers and inhale. Diagnosis and pharmacy in a single breath. For centuries, the people of this island have maintained an intimate, unwritten contract with its botanical world: the forest feeds, the garden heals, and the knowledge passes mouth to ear across every generation. Samui's warm, humid microclimate and fertile soil have made it a cradle for an extraordinary range of medicinal flora. What follows is a tour of thirteen plants at the heart of this island's living pharmacy.

LIPSTICK SEED — KHAM THAI/KHAM SAED The brilliant red seeds of Bixa orellana have coloured both food and bodies for millennia. In folk medicine, a leaf infusion is taken for fever reduction and as an expectorant for coughs.

The seeds contain bixin, a carotenoid with documented antioxidant properties.

CAMPHOR — GARABOON Extracted from the wood and bark of Cinnamomum camphora, camphor is among the oldest medicines in Southeast Asia.

Locals press small crystals into warm coconut oil to create a liniment rubbed onto aching joints, temples during headaches, and chests during respiratory illness. Its sharp, clarifying vapour opens the airways and is used in steam inhalations for bronchitis. Applied externally, it calms inflammation and repels insects — a dual-purpose salve that never leaves a traditional household.

DAMASK ROSE – KOOLARB MON Though originally from the Middle East, the Damask rose has long found a home in Thai temple gardens and apothecaries. Dried petals are steeped into teas to calm anxiety, aid digestion, and regulate menstruation.

Healers regard it as a flower that soothes grief, nervous tension, and despair.

TORCH GINGER — DAALA Etlingera elatior is impossible to miss on Samui — its towering crimson, white and pink flower spikes rise from dense jungle undergrowth like lit torches. But this plant earns its place in the medicine chest as much as in the kitchen. The flower bud is chewed raw to alleviate mouth ulcers, and a decoction of the rhizome addresses ear infections. Rich in antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds, the flowers are also added to traditional postpartum herbal baths, helping new mothers recover strength and resist infection in the vulnerable weeks after birth.

37

BAI MEE — LITSEA GLUTINOSA Known in cosmetics as Litsea Glutinosa Leaf Extract, Bai Mee is a medium-sized evergreen tree from the Lauraceae family that grows readily across Thailand and tropical Asia. For generations, Thais have treated it as a kitchen-cabinet remedy for the hair — and modern cosmetic science is beginning to explain why it works so well.

The secret lies in the leaf's mucilage, a slippery polysaccharide that, when boiled in water, releases a gellike liquid.

Samui Ways GREEN SAMUI

LEMONGRASS — TAKRAI No herb is more omnipresent on Samui than lemongrass, which grows in dense clumps beside almost every kitchen.

Its inner stalk, bruised and steeped in hot water, makes a tea that is the island's first response to fever, colds, and digestive discomfort. The essential oil is a natural antifungal and is applied in diluted form to minor skin infections. In larger quantities, crushed stalks are added to bathwater as an antiseptic soak — a practice common among farmers who work the land barefoot and are prone to cuts and abrasions.

HERBAL COMPRESS BLEND — PONG FAI The luk pra kob — the herbal compress ball — is perhaps the most theatrical expression of Thai botanical medicine. Pong fai is the powdered blend at its heart: a mixture of plai ginger, kaffir lime peel, tamarind leaf, turmeric, and aromatic salts, packed into a muslin cloth and steamed. Pressed rhythmically against the body's muscles and joints, the compress releases heat and volatile oils simultaneously.

SIAM TULIP — PATOOMA Curcuma alismatifolia, the Siam tulip, blooms in pink and purple clusters across the island's highland areas.

A cousin of turmeric, its rhizome carries a similar anti-inflammatory payload. Village healers brew the root into a medicinal tea to ease stomach aches and reduce bloating. Applied as a poultice, the mashed rhizome draws heat from inflamed skin and is said to speed the healing of minor wounds. Monks occasionally use it in ritual cleansing preparations — the medicinal and the spiritual, never fully separated.

38

TURMERIC - KAMIN CHAN Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, is one of the most trusted natural remedies for supporting long-term health. Often called a "wonder spice," turmeric has been widely used to help manage digestive issues, acid reflux, and joint discomfort. One of its greatest benefits is its powerful antiinflammatory effect. Curcumin is also a potent antioxidant that helps fight harmful free radicals.

SAPPANWOOD — FAANG Caesalpinia sappan has coloured Thai textiles red for a thousand years, but its heartwood is also one of traditional medicine's most valued blood tonics. Shaved into water and simmered, the wood produces a deep crimson tea that healers prescribe for irregular menstruation, blood disorders, and post-illness fatigue. Modern analysis confirms the presence of brazilin and sappanin — compounds with genuine anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant activity.

WAN SAO LONG Its name translates loosely as "the herb that makes a maiden lose her way" — a nod to its reputation as a beautifying and rejuvenating tonic. Curcuma aeruginosa is a wild ginger whose dark-fleshed rhizome contains sesquiterpenes with documented antimicrobial action, and it features in several traditional formulas addressing skin clarity and hormonal balance.

RED VINE — YA NAANG DAENG Ventilago harmandiana, the red-stemmed vine that climbs through Samui's secondary forest, is used principally for diabetes and chronic inflammation. Village practitioners regard it as one of the most trustworthy detoxifying herbs available locally, and it features in many of the traditional multi-herb tonic formulas passed down through island families.

KHLU Pluchea indica grows wild across the island's coastal wetlands. All parts of the plant are used as a diuretic and antidiabetic, and a decoction of the roots or leaves is recommended for treating fever, headache, rheumatism, and sprains. Overconsumption of the leaves for long periods of time may cause health problems, especially for individuals suffering from cardiovascular disease and hypertension.

These thirteen plants represent only a fraction of the botanical intelligence accumulated on this island. They share something beyond their healing properties: they are relational. Each one is known not through a manual but through a person — a grandmother, a monk, an old fisherman who knows which leaf to crush when the sea gives you a wound. Samui is changing fast. But walk those village paths and you will still find the aunties crouching at the hedgerow. The pharmacy is still open.

Important: The plants described here are used in traditional folk medicine and are presented for cultural and educational purposes only. Always consult a qualified medical doctor before using any herbal remedy. Allergic reactions and adverse interactions with medications can occur.

39

Samui Ways MADE IN SAMUI

Samui’s handcrafted gifts for all seasons If you're in search of the ideal gift for loved ones, why not swap the standard souvenirs for island-born treasures made

by Samui's local artisans?

 MATCHA CUP

 ALL-PURPOSE POUCHES

Embrace the island's calm with a handcrafted matcha cup. Sleek, tactile and designed to elevate your daily ritual, it's a reminder that the simplest pleasures often travel best.

Designed for modern multitaskers, these contemporary pouches and bags bring order to the everyday. Use them to store toiletries, chargers or small essentials – proof that good design can be both useful and understated.

 BANANA ROPE BAG Woven from durable banana fibre, this bag is a nod to conscious craftsmanship. Lightweight yet sturdy, it's ideal for keeping your phone, glasses or travel essentials close at hand.

 COCONUT BOWLS WITH ENAMEL These coconut-shell bowls lined with enamel add a tropical touch to your table.

Perfect for serving or simply admiring, they capture Samui's spirit in every curve.

 LUXURY LIFESTYLE A good suit should speak quietly. This three-piece design, cut from 100 per cent cashmere wool, combines a soft drape with sharp structure and a clean, contemporary line.

At Paul’s Fashion Samui on Chaweng Beach Road, bespoke tailoring is approached with restraint and precision — timeless craftsmanship and understated elegance.

40

 WOODEN ELEPHANTS Handcrafted from recycled scrap wood by local artisans, this wooden elephant from Samui Elephant Home celebrates Thailand's national symbol. Each piece supports community livelihoods, reduces waste and contributes to elephant care – transforming local creativity into meaningful conservation.

 HOMEMADE SPA PRODUCTS Bring the island's serenity home with this line of organic balms, massage oils and skincare crafted in small batches. Naturally scented and soothing, they make thoughtful gifts – or welldeserved indulgences.

 COCONUT KITCHEN SET Handcrafted from local wood, this kitchen set offers a sustainable spin on mealtimes. Lightweight, practical and plastic-free.

STOCKISTS  FB: Samui Health Shop by Lamphu

 FB: Samui Health Shop by Lamphu

 THAI FLORAL SHAMPOO

 NAMWA Painting Samui

Infused with coconut, jasmine, frangipani, lemongrass and Thai herbs, this gentle shampoo features 99.5% aloe vera to soothe sun-stressed hair. Enriched with vitamins B5 and E and wheat protein for lasting moisture and protection. Free from SLS, parabens and benzophenones.

Tel: 088 608 6463 FB: Namwa painting Samui

 Inta coconut

enamel bowls Tel: 086 272 0908

 Paul’s Fashion Samui Tel: 084 627 3812 paulfashionsamui.com

 Honey Rose Herb

Garden & Art Tel: 081 649 6061 FB Honey Rose Herb Garden & Art

 Samui Elephant Home

samuielephanthome.com

 KALAMAIR Smooth, rich and faintly smoky, Kalamair is Koh Samui's signature sweet – a glossy toffee-like confection crafted from sticky rice and palm sugar, gently simmered to perfection.

 Samui Handicraft

FB: Handicraft coconut wood & coconut shell

 Floral shampoo

Secretofsamui.com

 Kalamair Mae Yin Dee Tel: 086 277 9234

41

Samui Ways FL AVOURS Seafood Hor Mok in Young Coconut (Hor Mok Talay Maprao On)

Samui’s

Big 10

From Samui’s celebrated dining rooms to family-run local kitchens, the island’s culinary identity is shaped by a rich variety of flavours and traditions.

Fresh seafood, treasured recipes and time-honoured techniques come together in dishes that reflect Samui’s deep connection to the sea and its way of life.

These are ten island favourites — authentic, memorable and utterly worth discovering.

Words: Sua Pon Nam

Grilled Prawns with Seafood Dipping Sauce (Goong Pao)

River or sea prawns kissed over hot charcoal until the shells blister and the head butter inside turns rich and custard-like. The real game here is the naam jim seafood (seafood sauce) — a dipping sauce of lime, fish sauce, garlic and bird's-eye chilli. Enjoy them at a beachfront restaurant, a refined dining setting or a cherished local favourite — preferably with your hands. Napkins may help, but some experiences are best enjoyed without too much ceremony.

A southern Thai steamed curry custard — fish, squid and prawns folded into a thick paste of coconut cream, kaffir lime and red curry — served inside a young coconut that lends a faint, grassy sweetness to every spoonful.

The texture is somewhere between a soufflé and a flan. You will not regret ordering two. The version worth seeking out is custardy and quivering, not rubbery. If it bounces when you prod it, send it back.

Poh Taek — “Broken Pot” Seafood Soup

The name means "the pot explodes," and the soup earns it. A thunderstorm of clams, mussels, prawns and fish in a clear broth rampant with galangal, lemongrass, chilli and holy basil. It is fiercer than tom yum and considerably less polite. A bowl of steamed rice on the side is not optional — it is a survival mechanism. Order it at lunch when you still have the afternoon to recover.

Seafood Tom Yum

This is Thailand's most famous soup, done properly. A clear or slightly creamy broth that is simultaneously sour (lime), hot (chilli), savoury (fish sauce) and aromatic (lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf). On Samui, the seafood version brims with the freshest catch of the morning. The quality of the lime — whether it arrived this morning or last week — will tell you everything you need to know about the kitchen.

Do not add anything to it. It does not need your help.

42

Deep-Fried Sea Bass with Fish Sauce (Pla Kapong Tod Naampla)

A whole pla kapong (sea bass) fried to crackling bronze, flooded with a hot glaze of fish sauce, palm sugar and fried garlic, then scattered with shredded green mango or chilli. The skin shatters.

The flesh stays impossibly moist. This is what "simple" cooking looks like when the ingredient is impeccable and the wok temperature is not negotiable. One of the most quietly satisfying dishes in the Thai canon.

Steamed Sea Bass with Lime and Chilli (Pla Kapong Neung Manao) A whole pla kapong (sea bass) fish steamed until just barely set, then drenched in a broth of lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, chilli and a suggestion of coriander. It is bright and violent and utterly addictive. The version worth seeking out is the one where the lime arrived this morning and the chilli was chosen with intent.

Crab Fried Rice (Khao Pad Poo)

This is the test of any Thai kitchen: cold rice, furious heat, a cracked egg and enough crab meat to make the whole thing feel quietly luxurious. On Samui you are getting Gulf crab, and the sweetness of it running through every grain of rice is the reason this dish defeats all attempts at eating healthily while on holiday. Squeeze lime over the top. Add a slick of fish sauce from the condiment caddy on your table.

Baked Prawns with Glass Noodles (Goong Ob Woonsen)

Fried Squid Eggs (Kai Muek Tod)

The dish that separates the curious from the cautious. Squid egg sacs, battered and fried until crisp on the outside and creamy — almost briny — within. The flavour is intensely oceanic; the texture, once you commit, is extraordinary. Not every restaurant has them.

Large prawns baked on a bed of glass noodles that have soaked up a rich, slightly sticky sauce of oyster sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger — often finished tableside in a clay pot still hissing from the oven. The noodles at the bottom, caramelised and slightly stuck, are the prize. Fight your dining companions for them without shame. This dish belongs to the slower, more generous end of Thai seafood — sit down for it.

Salt and Pepper Prawns (Goong Kua Prik Glua)

Whole prawns — shell on — tossed in the wok with sea salt, cracked white pepper, garlic and a handful of chilli until the shells are dry and fragrant and the tails curl with heat. You eat them whole: the shell is the seasoning. It should arrive at the table immediately and be eaten in the same spirit. One of the simplest dishes on this list and one of the best. Do not sleep on it because it sounds unambitious.

43

Samui Ways FL AVOURS

Khao Hor: Samui’s Wrapped Tradition Khao hor, Samui’s banana leaf–wrapped meal, reflects a tradition of simplicity, sharing, and island life.

Byline: Bella Luna Photos: Jiraphol Rikshasuta In the past, the people of Samui mainly worked in agriculture—farming rice, orchards, and plantations near their homes. They would bring food with them to eat at midday. Likewise, when travelling for business or visiting relatives in distant villages—often crossing mountains, streams, or even travelling by rowboat or sailboat from one bay to another—it was necessary to prepare food for the journey. This “packed lunch” was known as khao hor, or rice wrapped in fragrant banana leaves, a tradition that began as a practical solution for daily life—yet it endures today as something far more meaningful.



  One of the joys of the khao hor tradition is the pleasure of sharing food.  On Samui, fresh seafood runs like tap water.  Ingredients being prepped to prepare khao hor.



44

Inside, one would find perfectly cooked rice accompanied by humble dishes—perhaps a dry naam prik (chilli paste), tamarind relish, or grilled salted fish. Occasionally, there might be a salted egg or a simple kai jiew Thai omelette, each chosen for its ability to travel well.

The banana leaf, both practical and elegant, imparted a delicate aroma to the food. It also reflected a way of life rooted in sustainability—used as both wrapping and serving vessel, then returned to the earth once the meal was finished. Meals were often shared and eaten by hand.

Over time, this modest custom evolved into a more social affair.

What began as a solitary or family meal became an occasion for gathering. Relatives and visitors would come together, bringing with them pinto (tiered containers) filled with a wider variety of dishes— curries, fresh fruits, and sweet treats. Meals were enjoyed outdoors, perhaps by the sea or beneath the



shade of trees, with woven mats laid out to welcome all who joined.

As Samui developed—particularly following the construction of the island road in the late 1960s—the tradition of khao hor gained new recognition. During the road’s construction, local workers were nourished each day with these carefully prepared meals.

Today, while tables, utensils, and modern conveniences may accompany the meal, the spirit of khao hor remains unchanged. It is not only about the food itself, but about generosity, connection, and the pleasure of sharing something thoughtfully prepared.

It is often said that while restaurant dining satisfies the palate, a meal of khao hor offers a taste of home and of heartfelt hospitality, a feeling food enjoyed at a restaurant can never match.

Preserving this tradition ensures that its quiet beauty continues to enrich life on Samui, just as it has for generations.

 Khao hor – a traditional packed lunch of rice wrapped in banana leaves.  Sharing food is a form of connection.  A taste of home.

 

Sukanya Boonchuchuay, a local familiar with the art of organising khao hor meals.

45

Features | Crab Keepers

The Crab Keepers of Koh Samui Words: Bella Luna Photography: Jiraphol Rikshasuta

A quiet conservation effort on Koh Samui is helping replenish Thailand’s coastal waters.

I

f you want to understand a coastal island, skip the beach clubs and follow the fishing boats home. A fisherman's village is the true heart of any island province; the place where the tides are read as livelihood, where the sea is not scenery but obligation. Koh Samui’s heart beats loudest in the communities along its quieter shores, where men like Narongsak Wilailak have spent their lives watching the water, and where they noticed, long before any government report confirmed it, that something was going quietly wrong. The crabs were disappearing.

Six years ago, Narongsak helped found the Samui Crab Bank — a collaborative initiative between local fishing groups and government agencies, born out of a single, pressing observation that the sea was running out. "All marine life is in shortage," he says simply. He lists the casualties with the fluency of someone who has watched them disappear: pla tu, the short mackerel that has fed coastal families for

46

generations; squid — both pla muek wai and pla muek sai; and above all, poo maa, the flower crab, whose numbers had fallen so sharply that fishermen were returning with little to show for long days at sea.

The crab bank is not a commercial enterprise. That point matters to Narongsak, and he makes it clearly.

The operation runs on community commitment, not profit — a distinction that shapes everything about how it functions.

Here, female crabs — their eggs fertilised and visibly swollen in bright orange masses beneath their abdomens — are brought to the bank by fishermen rather than taken to market. Supervised tanks, they release their eggs in a controlled environment. A single mother crab carries up to one million eggs, though reality is more modest: roughly 50 to 60 per cent will be viable. The rest become food for other marine creatures, swallowed quietly back into the chain of life.

 Sittiporn Tempokha, event organiser at the Crab Bank.  Narongsak Wilailak, Chairman of the Crab Bank.





47

Features | Crab Keepers

  Tourists take part in the release of crabs.  Young crab ready for a new life in the ocean.



48

“Eggs hatch within one to three days.

At 15 to 20 days old, the larvae become juvenile crabs, small enough to drift on the current, carried wherever the Gulf of Thailand chooses to take them,” Narongsak explains. “By day 20, they have transformed into recognisable crabs. Three months on, they reach harvestable size.” At six months, a female is mature enough to become a mother herself — potentially returning, one imagines, to produce the next generation of bank deposits.

Each month, at peak capacity, the bank releases between 30 and 40 batches of juvenile crabs into the open sea. On a good day, there is a new mother crab ready every 24 hours. "We can release one each day," Narongsak says. The monsoon season,

counterintuitively, brings the best conditions: abundant food in the water column means higher survival rates, and the crabs breed with particular vigour.

The evidence of impact is not found in government reports or environmental audits — at least not yet. It lives in the conversations Narongsak has with fishermen. "They say they have more," he says. "The fishermen have more of a living." After six years, that testimony carries weight. These are people with no ideological stake in conservation, no reason to report improvement unless they feel it in their nets and in their incomes.

The bank's work is also shaped by awareness of the legal frameworks that govern fishing in Thailand. There are regulations stipulating minimum net mesh





 Eggs hatch within one to three days. By day 20, they have transformed into recognisable crabs. Three months on, they reach harvestable size.

sizes — trawlers must allow openings of at least four inches, giving juvenile crabs the chance to slip through and survive to maturity. But laws only work when the sea has enough adult crabs to protect in the first place. The bank, in this sense, is doing the upstream work that legislation alone cannot achieve.

Koh Samui is better known for its beach clubs and wellness retreats than its marine ecosystems. That contrast — the island's polished tourist surface against the fragile, working sea beneath it — is precisely what makes projects like the crab bank so important to amplify. The fishermen who bring their female crabs to the facility instead of selling them are making an economic sacrifice in the short term, an act of collective trust in a

future they may not fully see.

Narongsak is not a man given to grand rhetoric. But there is something quietly radical in what he and his community have built: a local answer to a global problem, assembled without fanfare on a shoreline most visitors never think to visit.

What the sea gives, it can just as quietly take back, and Narongsak knows this. So does every fisherman who has watched a full net become an empty one, season by season, with no explanation beyond the obvious. The crab bank is not a solution so much as a reckoning — a community deciding, together, that the bargain with the ocean is worth honouring.

That the debt is real, and that someone has to pay it forward.

 The people behind the crab bank.  Crab being released by a visitor.  Kids get first-hand experience about crab conservation.

The Samui Crab Bank is a community-led conservation initiative supported by local fishing groups and Thai government agencies. It does not operate commercially.

49

Features | House of Lucie

A House Built on Light Words: Bella Luna

In the south of Koh Samui, the House of Lucie and the Samui Art Centre are redefining what a cultural stop on a tropical holiday can be—inviting visitors to pause, look closer, and perhaps see the island, and themselves, a little differently.

50

51

Features | House of Lucie

T

he name “Lucie” comes from the Latin lux, meaning light—a fitting foundation for a space devoted to photography. Behind the project is Hossein Farmani, founder of the Lucie Foundation, and his partner Apple Farmani, a former lawyer now shaping the gallery’s direction.

The idea grew from the couple’s belief that great photography should be accessible. For years, world-class work was largely confined to exclusive events like the Lucie Awards in cities such as New York. The House of Lucie set out to change that. Entry is free, emerging artists exhibit alongside



52

established names, and the space removes barriers between creator and audience—offering an open invitation to experience visual storytelling.

At first glance, Samui might seem an unlikely home for an international photography hub. Yet that was precisely the intention. After establishing galleries in major cultural centres, the focus shifted to places where art is less accessible but potentially more impactful. Samui already had a quiet creative pulse—local initiatives, art camps, growing cultural interest— but lacked a central, internationalstandard venue.

 An evening where contemporary art, conversation, and culture naturally converged.  The gallery became a meeting point for collectors, creatives, and curious travellers alike.  The House of Lucie, Koh Samui at sundown.  The evening unfolded with effortless sophistication.  Some curated works at the gallery. The event drew an eclectic mix of artists, tastemakers, and international visitors.

Guests gathered for a night shaped by art and connection.









53

Features | House of Lucie  The House of Lucie is a space designed for reflection and conversation.



 The gallery offers a created a sense of place, mood, and community.  World-renowned photographer, James Nachtwey.  From quiet appreciation to animated discussion, the gathering reflected the gallery’s evolving cultural energy.







54







, , &  Art, atmosphere, and a well-travelled crowd came together for an afternoon of refined creative exchange.

What began as a modest village house has since evolved into one of the largest House of Lucie locations worldwide: a three-floor centre hosting exhibitions, workshops, and community events amid lush tropical surroundings.

A defining feature of the space is its approach to curation. Without a traditional art background, Apple selects work based on emotional resonance rather than reputation. The goal is connection, not intimidation. Visitors can expect to see exhibitions that blend photography with ceramics, printmaking, performance, and sound, while workshops—from

Japanese wabi-sabi ceramics to hands-on printmaking—emphasise experience as much as observation.

While the House of Lucie has done exhibitions for globally renowned photographers such as James Nachtwey and Steve McCurry, Southeast Asian photographers are also gaining global recognition, and by placing regional artists alongside international names, the House of Lucie creates a dialogue between perspectives. Projects like “Faces of Samui” capture the island through its people—fishermen, vendors, and their families.

55

Features | House of Lucie





56



 Guests showing off their art work.  Activities for participants of all age groups.

For travellers, this space offers a chance to experience the island beyond the surface of a tropical escape.

 A workshop to make soft toys.  Southern Thai Manohra dancers brought ancient rhythms and ritual movement into a striking contemporary setting.  A pottery workshop.  Guests enjoying a painting workshop.

Behind the scenes, the balance between structure and creativity shapes the gallery’s vibe. Apple’s legal background brings discipline to timelines and planning, while artists bring fluidity. The combination has helped build a space that feels both professional and personal.

In an increasingly digital world, the value of physical galleries cannot be denied. Scale, texture, and presence cannot be replicated on a screen, and the space enables shared experiences— workshops, conversations, spontaneous encounters—that make art something lived rather than simply viewed.



Looking ahead, the gallery’s founders see Samui as an emerging cultural hub for Southeast Asia, with plans to expand community initiatives, establish permanent collections, and develop projects that reflect the island’s evolving identity.

For travellers, this space offers a chance to experience the island beyond the surface of a tropical escape. With world-class art now part of Samui’s landscape, The House of Lucie feels as though it has always belonged on this island, quietly redefining what the island can be and continuing to inspire what it can become.





57

Features | Diary of a Fisherman

What the sea gives Words: Mimi Grachangnetara Photography: Jiraphol Rikshasuta

58

On the eastern shore of Koh Samui, a community of fishermen quietly holds together a way of life that tourists rarely see — and that the world is slowly pulling apart.

59

Features | Diary of a Fisherman

 Fishing boats in Hua Tanon.  Piyawit “Dum” Hae-yong and the shores he calls “home”.



60

P

ull back any map of coastal Thailand far enough and a pattern emerges that no resort brochure will ever show you. Before the hotels, before the beach clubs, before anyone thought to put an airport on an island, there were fishing villages. They dotted every shore — the Gulf coast, the Andaman side, the river mouths and the mangrove edges — each one a small, self-sufficient world organised entirely around the sea. The fishermen who built them did not think of themselves as custodians of a tradition. They were simply people who knew the water, who ate what they caught, and who taught their children the same. The village was the economy, the pier was their town square and the tide was their clock.

Koh Samui, now one of Thailand's most visited islands, was shaped by exactly this kind of community long before it was shaped by tourism. And on its eastern coast, in a settlement called Hua Tanon, that original version of the island still



exists as a living, working place where men go out before dawn and come home smelling of the sea.

The pier at Hua Tanon is already busy at four in the morning. Piyawit Hae-yong — also known by his nickname “Dum” to anyone who knows him, which is everyone — moves through the pre-dawn dark with the unhurried efficiency of someone who stopped needing to think about this routine a long time ago. Rope coiled, nets checked, engine turned over. He has been doing this since he was twenty. He is fiftyfive now, and the motion is in his body the way a language gets in, below the level of conscious thought.

He has five children, and they have given him grandchildren. He was born in Hua Tanon and has built his entire life within a few kilometres of this pier. When you ask him how things are, he considers the question with the seriousness it deserves. "Enough," he says. Then: "But it could be better."



On a good morning, Dum takes his boat out toward Koh Si or Koh Ha — two small islands that sit in the Gulf a short distance from shore. He runs a triplelayer gill net across fifty metres of water, then waits. There is a particular quality to the waiting that experienced fishermen have — alert but still, reading small changes in the surface, the current, the light. By sunrise the net is working. The richest hours come late in the morning, between eleven and noon, when the catch is at its densest. Shrimp, reef fish, whatever the sea is offering that day.

Then back to the pier, to the markets, to the business of turning a morning's work into a day's income.

In the afternoon, he goes to the workshop. It is a tin-roofed space beside the pier, and it smells of fibreglass resin and old engine oil and salt that has worked its way into everything. A half-finished trawler sits in the middle of it, hull open, waiting. Dum repairs boats here — fixes engines, patches hulls, re-stitches nets. He also builds them. This second profession arrived by necessity, learned piece by piece as



the economics of fishing alone became harder to sustain.

The Hua Tanon that Dum grew up in was a different proposition entirely.

Fifteen, twenty fishermen worked these waters when he was a boy — perhaps thirty at most. The sea was, in his telling, almost recklessly generous. Pla juad (croakers) and pla tu, the mackerel species that moved through the Gulf in vast schools, came in such numbers that the problem was not finding them but handling the volume. "Too much," he says, and there is something almost wistful in his smile.

"We couldn't get enough boats out to take them all."

Those fish are gone now. Not scarce — gone. Dum is honest that he cannot fully explain it. What he can tell you is that where there were thirty fishermen, there are now hundreds. The pier that once had room to breathe is crowded every morning.

The sea that once gave freely has grown careful, or perhaps simply tired.

What does not exist yet, and what Dum comes back to more than once in conversation, is an association — some formal structure through which the

Koh Samui, now one of Thailand's most visited islands, was shaped by exactly this kind of community long before it was shaped by tourism.

& Piyawit also makes a living repairing boats and fishing nets.

61

Features | Diary of a Fisherman



 Locals come together to sort out the catch of the day.  Boats ready to go out to sea.

62



fishermen of Hua Tanon could pool their leverage, advocate for regulation, pursue the kind of fishery management that might actually reverse some of this. A crab bank, for instance: a nursery system where female crabs are set aside to breed, restoring populations within months rather than decades. It is not a radical idea. It operates successfully elsewhere in Thailand. Here, it remains a conversation that nobody with the right authority has sat down to finish. "We need someone capable," Dum says — someone who could actually make it run. The knowledge of what's needed is present. The institutional will is not.

Then the war arrived in the price of diesel. It would be easy, sitting on a sunlounger on the other side of this island, to assume that the conflict grinding through the Middle East is someone else's problem in someone else's geography. At Hua Tanon pier, that assumption does

not hold. Fuel costs — already the largest variable expense for any small fishing operation — climbed to levels that turned some trips from marginal to impossible.

The arithmetic of a day at sea changed: the distance you could afford to travel, the hours you could afford to spend, the viability of going out at all. Some mornings, Dum stays ashore. Not because the sea is rough or the season is wrong, but because the numbers simply will not work.

"All fishermen are affected," he says.

Extremely, is the word he uses. It is not a word he reaches for casually.

On those days, there is the workshop.

There is always something in the workshop that needs doing — a net with a torn section, an engine that is running rough, a hull that someone has let go too long. Dum moves between the two vocations with the pragmatism of a man who understood early that the sea alone was never going to be a complete answer.





The Hua Tanon market, on a morning when the catch has been good, is one of the most honest places on Samui. Chalamet (pomfret) — a white-fleshed fish of real quality — commands the best price and sells fast. Pla insee (King mackerel), squid, crab when there is crab: the stalls hold whatever the night produced, priced without theatre, handled without ceremony. Visitors who find their way to this side of the island — and not many do — tend to go quiet when they arrive, the way people go quiet when they stumble into something that is clearly not meant for them but that they are glad to have found.

Dum will be somewhere nearby. At the market, or in the workshop, or down at the waterline with his hands on something that needs fixing. He is not a figure from a vanishing world, though it would be convenient to frame him that way. He is a man adapting — as Thai coastal communities have always adapted — to conditions he did not choose and cannot

fully control, holding his family and his trade together through a combination of stubbornness, skill, and the kind of practical intelligence that does not show up in any measure of economic development but that keeps things running regardless.

What Hua Tanon actually needs is not visitors who find it charming. It needs an association with the standing to negotiate, the structure to implement a crab bank, the voice to push back when policy ignores the people most directly connected to the sea.

Thailand's fishing villages were never just picturesque. They were the infrastructure of an entire coastal civilisation — the places that fed the country, that read the weather, that understood the water in ways no government agency has fully replaced. Hua Tanon is not a remnant of that. It is its continuation, fraying slightly at the edges, still holding.

The boat goes out at four. The net goes in at fifty metres. The sea gives what it gives.

For now, that has to be enough.

 Piyawit prepares his fishing gear.  Seafood for sale fresh off the boat.

Hua Tanon pier is located on the eastern coast of Koh Samui.

The fish market operates from early morning. Visitors are welcome.

63

Features | Hiking Trails

Spiritual hike Words: Bella Luna Photography: Jiraphol Rikshasuta

Most people come to Koh Samui for the beaches. They leave without ever knowing the island has a heartbeat — and it pounds quietly, steadily, from somewhere up in the green.

Rising above the noise of beach clubs and longtail boats, Khao Pom is a modest mountain in the island's interior, offering something Samui rarely advertises: stillness. Not the manufactured stillness of a spa or a resort pool, but the kind that belongs to old trees, cool shadow, and trails that have been walked by monks and farmers long before the first tourist ever set foot on the island.

64

65

Features | Hiking Trails

The Climb The trail doesn't punish you, but it asks something of you. A steady gradient through dense tropical canopy means you earn the views rather than arrive at them. Rubber trees give way to wilder growth — ferns and wild flowers crowding the path edges, vines looping overhead, the occasional rustle of something unseen moving through the understory. The air is different here. Thicker with oxygen, cooler by several degrees, and carrying that particular green scent that reminds you what the word forest actually means.

Go early because this is the time you’ll get to experience the morning light filtering through the canopy in long, slow columns, and the birdsong hasn't yet been swallowed by the heat of the day. By mid-morning, mist still clings to the upper slopes. It gives Khao Pom a quality that is hard to name precisely — something between ancient and alive.

66

The Cultural Thread This is where Khao Pom separates itself from a simple nature walk. Woven into the trail are the island's spiritual bones. Statues of gods, dancers and animals carved by a retired durian farmer serve as living expressions of devotion, tended by local residents for whom this hill is not a viewpoint but a sacred place.

Near the summit, the sense of elevation carries a dual meaning. You are higher above sea level, yes, but you are also stepping closer to something quieter in yourself. The Thais understand this instinctively — that mountains and forests are not simply landscapes but teachers. Khao Pom teaches patience, attentiveness, and the particular freedom that comes from leaving your phone in your pocket.

67

Features | Hiking Trails

The View When the trees open up, the reward is generous. The Gulf of Thailand stretches in every direction, impossibly blue against the horizon. The coastline curves below — bays and headlands laid out like a map you never needed because you already knew the shape of this island in your chest.

From up here, the resorts look small. The traffic on the ring road is silent. You can see fishing boats sitting still on water that looks like hammered tin in the morning light. You remember, standing here, that Koh Samui is still an island — still ringed by sea, still rooted in something older than the hotels that crowd its edges.

68

Why It Matters In a world that keeps accelerating, places like Khao Pom perform a quiet resistance. They do not offer spectacle but offer presence.

The chance to be genuinely inside nature rather than photographing it from a distance. The chance to feel, briefly, what the island was before it became a destination.

69

Features | Earth Day An aerial view of downtown Samui.

70

Every Day is Earth Day Words: Sky Fitzgerald

This World Environment Day, Samui offers a reminder of the importance of preserving the natural beauty, marine life and tropical landscapes that continue to inspire travellers from around the world.

71

Features | Earth Day

W

orld Environment Day arrives on June 5th with urgency and ceremony.

It’s a reminder written into the global calendar, even though it’s hard to forget that Earth doesn’t live in dates.

It doesn’t mark time in years or observances. It exists in cycles—of tides, migrations, growth, decay, renewal.

And if we are to truly understand the scale of what is at stake, we must learn to think the same way. Not in days of recognition, but in habits of care.

On Samui island, this truth is impossible to ignore. For here, the environment is not an abstract concept but something more concrete.

It is the reef just metres offshore, where parrotfish graze coral and keep ecosystems in balance. It is the rainforest canopy inland, where hornbills glide between ancient trees

that have stood longer than any human memory. It is the delicate seam where land and sea meet—where mangroves filter water, protect coastlines, and nurture young marine life.

To walk along Samui’s beaches is to step into a system that has taken millennia to build and only moments to disrupt.

And disruption is no longer a distant threat. Across the globe, the signs are unmistakable. Oceans are warming, absorbing heat that alters currents and bleaches coral reefs. Forests are shrinking, their loss echoing not only in the disappearance of species but in the destabilisation of climate systems that sustain human life. Plastic—once a symbol of convenience—now drifts through even the most remote waters, breaking down into particles that enter food chains and, eventually, our own.

 A view of Koh Samui from the mountains.



72





 A local walking through a lush mangrove forest on the quieter side of Samui island.  One of the many coral restoration projects on the island.  Staghorn coral being grown in PVC tubes.



To walk along Samui’s beaches is to step into a system that has taken millennia to build and only moments to disrupt. bodies. These are not isolated crises but interconnected threads in a single, intricate web.

Yet there is another truth, equally powerful: the same interconnectedness that makes the planet fragile also makes it resilient—if given the chance.

In Samui, signs of this resilience can still be found. Coral restoration projects are slowly rebuilding damaged reefs.

Local communities are rediscovering traditional practices—fishing methods that respect breeding seasons, farming techniques that protect soil and water.

Around the island, small shifts are taking place: hotels reducing single-use plastics, travellers choosing reef-safe sunscreens, restaurants sourcing ingredients locally.

Individually, these actions may seem small, but ecosystems are built on these small things. In much the same way, the future of the planet will be shaped not by a single sweeping solution, but by millions of decisions made every day. The question, then, is not whether one person can make a difference, but whether enough people can make better choices, consistently, over time.

Travel, especially, offers a unique opportunity. To step into a place like Samui is to witness firsthand the beauty we stand to lose—and the responsibility we share in protecting it. The choices made here ripple outward. A plastic bottle avoided is one less fragment in the ocean. A coral reef respected is one more chance for marine life to thrive.

73

Features | Earth Day







A forest preserved is one more reservoir of biodiversity and climate stability.

But beyond individual actions lies something deeper: a shift in perspective.

For too long, humanity has viewed nature as something separate—something to visit, to use, to admire from a distance. But the reality is far more intimate. The oxygen in every breath, the water in every glass, the food on every plate—all are products of the Earth’s systems working in delicate balance.

World Environment Day, then, is not merely a call to action, but an invitation to reconnect with the living world in a way that feels immediate and personal. It is a reminder that protecting the planet is not about grand gestures alone, but about the

quiet accumulation of mindful choices.

On Samui, that might mean walking instead of driving along the shore at sunset, or choosing experiences that support conservation rather than exploitation. It might mean pausing, even briefly, to notice the intricate patterns of a seashell, the movement of fish beneath the surface, the sound of wind moving through palm leaves.

These moments matter. Not because they solve environmental challenges outright, but because they change how we see, and how we see shapes how we act.

There is a tendency, in conversations about the environment, to focus on loss— on what is disappearing, what is at risk, what may soon be gone. These realities are

Did You Know?

• Every year 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers and seas.

 Local fishermen unloading equipment and supplies on a clear day.  A young woman walks barefoot along a sandy beach.  Friends kayaking in Ang Thong Marine National Park.

74







 Volunteers planting forest saplings to help restore the forest.



 Youngsters take part in an activity to raise awareness on environmental conservation.  A volunteer team collecting plastic waste in a public area.  A beach-cleaning activity to mark World Environment Day. important. They demand attention. But they are not the whole story, because there is also wonder.

The same oceans that are under threat still pulse with life, supporting ecosystems more diverse than any on land. Forests, even when fragmented, continue to shelter species yet to be discovered. Nature, even in its most fragile state, retains an extraordinary capacity for renewal. So the task before us is not simply to prevent destruction, but to protect and nurture this capacity, and to give the planet real space to heal.

So let World Environment Day be a starting point that extends into every day that follows. Let it be reflected in the way we travel, the way we consume, the way we move through the world, because the Earth does not need our admiration alone. It needs our participation.

And perhaps, if we listen closely to the tide, to the forest, to the quiet rhythms of places like Samui—we will remember something essential: This planet is not just where we live. It is what we are part of, and it is worth protecting—every single day.

75

Features | Carousel

Byline: Sua Pon Nam Photos: Jiraphol Rikshasuta

The Tree that Built an Island

On an island shaped by the sea, it is the coconut palm — not the ocean — that has long provided the bedrock of daily life on Koh Samui. From root to frond, nothing goes to waste.

A

sk any old-timer on Samui what kept families fed, housed, and solvent through the lean decades before tourism arrived, and they will not hesitate.

The coconut. Not the beaches, not the fishing boats, not the rubber trees on the hillsides — the coconut. For generations, the island's interior was one vast, rustling plantation, its palms standing in loose, wind-combed rows across every slope and lowland. Families measured their wealth not in baht but in trees. The copra trade — dried coconut flesh pressed into oil — connected Samui to Bangkok, to Singapore, to markets that most islanders would never see.

The palm was landlord, bank, and larder all at once.

76

77

Features | Carousel

The husk and the flesh divided up the labour of living. Rough coir fibre, stripped from the outer shell, was twisted into rope and mat, patched into fishing nets, or packed beneath roofing. The hard inner shell made charcoal, ladles, and bowls. Nothing was discarded out of abundance; everything was discarded only when it had given everything it could.

Coconut oil lit lamps and softened skin. The water inside young green nuts brought down fevers and steadied the stomach after illness.

Even the broad, arching fronds were folded and pinned into baskets, platters, and the temporary shelters that appeared at every temple fair and merit-making.

78

79

Features | Carousel

80

It is in the kitchen, though, that the coconut truly came into its own — and where it remains, stubbornly irreplaceable. Khanom krok, the small molten-centred pancakes cooked in dimpled iron pans over charcoal, are made from nothing more than rice flour, palm sugar, and rich coconut cream, yet they disappear from the vendor's cart faster than she can pour them. Khao mao tod — chewy rice-flour balls stuffed with shaved coconut— appear at snack stalls and late-night market stalls alike, eaten by grandmothers and schoolchildren with equal enthusiasm. These are the island eating as it always has — generously, without fuss, and with the coconut, as ever, at the centre of everything.

81

Last Word

Thai Quick Language Guide Don’t speak Thai? Here’s your personal phrasebook featuring essential Thai words and expressions to help you explore Thailand with ease.

THAI

MEANING / NOTES

Where is...?

อยูท ่ ี่ไหน (... yuu tee nai?)

Go to...

ไป... (pai...)

Used when asking for directions.

Tell the driver your destination.

Stop here

จอดที่นี่ (jod tee nee)

Ask the driver to stop.

How much?

เท่าไหร่ (tao rai?)

Ask for fare or price.

Turn left / right

เลี้ยวซ้าย / ขวา (liao sai / kwaa)

Directional instruction.

Go straight

ตรงไป (trong pai)

Go forward.

Airport

สนามบิน (sanaam bin)

Useful for taxis.

Bus station

สถานีรถเมล์ (sataani rot mae)

Bus terminal.

Train station

สถานีรถไฟ (sataani rot fai)

Train terminal.

Boat pier

ท่าเรือ (taa rua)

For ferries or river transport.

Near / Far

ใกล้ / ไกล (glai / klai)

Distance words.

Left / Right side

ฝั ่ งซ้าย / ฝั่ งขวา (fang sai / fang kwaa)

Helpful for directions.

ENGLISH

Getting Around

Thailand offers many ways to travel — from tuk-tuks and trains to ferries and long-tail boats. Knowing a few key Thai phrases helps when drivers don’t speak English or rely on maps.

Use these words to ask for directions, confirm fares, or tell drivers where to stop. They’re especially handy in smaller towns, where English signs are limited.

Food & Ordering

Thai dining is lively, social, and full of flavour. Learning a few local expressions helps you order with confidence, adjust spice levels, and thank cooks for their food. Try these phrases at street stalls, cafés, or restaurants to order politely, ask what’s in a dish, and share your compliments — a simple way to make every meal more enjoyable.

ENGLISH

Whether you’re staying in a hostel or a boutique hotel, a few Thai words can make check-ins smoother. These phrases help you book rooms, ask for amenities, or sort out minor issues politely. While larger hotels often use English, smaller guesthouses may not — so knowing how to say “room,” “key,” or “hot water” keeps things easy and respectful.

82

THAI

(SCRIPT + TRANSLITERATION)

MEANING / NOTES

I’m hungry

หิวข้าว (hiu khao)

Say when you’re hungry.

Water

น�ำ้ (naam)

Basic drink word.

Rice / Noodles

๋ (khao / guay tiew) ข้าว / ก๋วยเตียว

Common meal bases.

Spicy / Not spicy

เผ็ด / ไม่เผ็ด (pet / mai pet)

Spice control.

A little spicy

เผ็ดนิดหน่อย (pet nit noi)

Mildly spicy.

Delicious

อร่อย (aroy)

Compliment for good food.

Bill please

เช็คบิล (check bin)

Ask for the bill.

No sugar

ไม่ใส่น�ำ้ ตาล (mai sai namtaan)

Useful for drinks.

No peanuts

ไม่ใส่ถวั ่ (mai sai tua)

Allergy note.

Takeaway

เอากลับบ้าน (ao glub baan)

For takeout.

Eat here

่ ่ (gin tee nee) กินทีนี

Dine-in option.

Tastes good!

อร่อยมาก! (aroy mak!)

Very tasty!

ENGLISH

Accommodation

(SCRIPT + TRANSLITERATION)

THAI

(SCRIPT + TRANSLITERATION)

MEANING / NOTES

Do you have a room?

มีหอ ้ งว่างไหม (mee hong wang mai?)

Ask for vacancy.

I have a reservation

จองห้องไว้แล้ว (jorng hong wai laew)

At check-in.

One night / Two nights

่ น / สองคืน (neung kuen / song kuen) หนึงคื

Length of stay.

How much per night?

คืนละเท่าไหร่ (kuen la tao rai?)

Room rate inquiry.

Air conditioning

่ เครืองปรั บอากาศ (kruang prup akaat)

Ask if available.

Wi-Fi password

รหัสไวไฟ (rahat wi-fi)

Wi-Fi access.

Bathroom

ห้องน�ำ้ (hong naam)

Common facility.

Hot water

น�ำ้ ร้อน (naam ron)

Ask for hot shower.

Clean / Dirty

สะอาด / สกปรก (sa-aat / sokaprok)

Describe cleanliness.

Change room

่ ขอเปลียนห้ อง (kor plian hong)

Request room change.

Shopping & Bargaining

Markets are a big part of Thai life, and bargaining is part of the fun — always done with a smile. Use these phrases to ask for prices, negotiate politely, and praise vendors. Showing a little effort in Thai often leads to warmer exchanges and sometimes even better deals.

Emergencies & Health

Serious situations are uncommon, but it’s wise to know a few Thai words for emergencies. These phrases help you ask for a doctor, describe symptoms, or contact the police. A little language knowledge can save time and bring calm when you need help quickly.

Everyday Polite Expressions

Courtesy matters deeply in Thailand.

Simple greetings, thank-you’s, and gentle tones go a long way. End your sentences with krub (for men) or ka (for women) to sound respectful and kind. These small gestures create goodwill and make every encounter a bit warmer.

ENGLISH

THAI

(SCRIPT + TRANSLITERATION)

MEANING / NOTES

How much is this?

้ าไหร่ (an nee tao rai?) อันนีเท่

Ask price.

Too expensive

แพงไป (paeng pai)

Politely say too costly.

Can you give a discount?

ลดได้ไหม (lode dai mai?)

Ask for lower price.

I’ll take it

เอา (ao)

Confirm purchase.

I’m just looking

ดูเฉยๆ (duu choey choey)

Browsing only.

Small / medium / large

เล็ก / กลาง / ใหญ่ (lek / klaang / yai)

Clothing sizes.

Other colours?

มีสอ ี ่ นไหม ื (mee see eun mai?)

Ask colour options.

Can I try it on?

ลองได้ไหม (long dai mai?)

Request fitting.

Bag please

ขอถุงด้วย (kor toong duay)

Ask for bag.

Beautiful

สวย (suay)

Compliment item.

Cheap

ถูก (tuke)

Say when affordable.

ENGLISH

THAI

(SCRIPT + TRANSLITERATION)

MEANING / NOTES

Help!

ช่วยด้วย (chuay duay!)

Call for help.

Call the police

เรียกตำ�รวจ (riak tamruat)

In emergencies.

I’m sick

ไม่สบาย (mai sabai)

Feeling unwell.

I have a fever

มีไข้ (mee kai)

Health issue.

Stomachache

ปวดท้อง (puat tong)

Common complaint.

Need a doctor

ต้องการหมอ (tong gaan maw)

Medical help.

Hospital

โรงพยาบาล (rong payabaan)

For emergencies.

Pharmacy

ร้านขายยา (raan kai yaa)

Medicine shop.

I’m lost

หลงทาง (long taang)

When disoriented.

I’ve been robbed

ถูกปล้น (tuke plon)

Report theft.

THAI

MEANING / NOTES

Hello / Goodbye

สวัสดี (sawadee)

Common greeting.

Thank you

ขอบคุณครับ (kop khun)

To express thanks.

You’re welcome

ยินดีครับ/ค่ะ (yin dee)

Reply to thanks.

Yes / No

ใช่ / ไม่ใช่ (chai / mai chai)

Affirmation.

Excuse me / Sorry

ขอโทษ (kor tode)

Polite apology.

How are you?

สบายดีไหม (sabai dee mai?)

Casual greeting.

I’m fine.

สบายดี (sabai dee)

Common reply.

No problem.

ไม่เป็ นไร (mai pen rai)

Reassuring phrase.

I don’t understand.

ไม่เข้าใจ (mai kao jai)

When confused.

Can you speak English?

พู ดภาษาอังกฤษได้ไหม (pood pasa ungkrit dai mai?)

Ask language ability.

ENGLISH

(SCRIPT + TRANSLITERATION)

83

Current mood

Rabbit Run Once a staple of Thai kitchens, the coconutshaving rabbit is quietly hopping out of daily life and into the realm of heirloom—where memory matters as much as function.

Words & photos: Mimi Grachangnetara

84

Coconut is as essential as rice for Thais, since it is the source of one of the main ingredients in Thai cooking – coconut cream and coconut milk. It is no wonder why the humble kratai kood maprao—literally “coconut-shaving rabbit”—once occupied a quiet but central role in the Thai kitchen. Before stainless steel gadgets and plug-in graters found their way onto countertops, this carved wooden implement did the hard work of turning firm white flesh into fine, fragrant shavings. It was a tool, certainly, but also a small sculpture—part utility, part folklore.

The form was unmistakable. A low wooden bench extended into the stylised body of a rabbit, its head often gently raised, ears alert. At the front protruded a serrated metal blade, glinting like teeth. The user would sit astride the wooden body, steadying themselves as they pressed half a coconut against the blade, scraping in steady arcs. The motion required patience and a practiced hand. Applying too much pressure and the flesh would clump, too little and the process would drag. Over time, this skill became second nature—scrape, turn, scrape—until a soft mound of coconut shavings gathered below, ready to be pressed into milk for Thai curries, desserts or ceremonial dishes.

What distinguished the traditional kratai kood maprao was not merely its function, but its character. Each piece bore the mark of its maker. Some rabbits were playful, with exaggerated features and painted details; others were pared back, almost abstract, their beauty found in proportion and grain. In coastal provinces and inland villages alike, artisans carved these forms from hardwood, embedding local identity into an everyday object.

NEW - Koh Samui The Xperience, Samui

The Largest swimming pool on Koh Samui!

10+ Zones, Bars, Restaurant, Tropical Gardens, Nature walks

Max Arden

Elena Cross

2026 - 05 - 09

2026 - 06 - 14

Come for lunch and spend the whole day at The Xperience - There is so much more to see than you can ever imagine!

Age: 16+ Wed to Sun: 11am - 10pm Limited Tickets

During the day it’s already beautiful, but once the sun goes down the park transforms into something magical. It genuinely feels like stepping into another world.

thexperience.samui thexperience.samui www.TheXperienceWorld.com

The Xperience 11/45 M.4 T, Lipanoi, Ko Samui, Surat Thani 84140