10 Reasons Why I Choose to Live in Koh Samui Thailand

Mar 24

I’ve been living and working remotely from Thailand for over 2 years during the pandemic. The majority of this time was spent in beautiful Koh Samui, the second largest island in Thailand. In this article I’m elaborating on the reasons why I choose to live in Koh Samui vs. anywhere else in Thailand.

Here’s the Top 10 Reasons Why I Choose to Live in Koh Samui. For more information watch the full video on my YouTube channel at the bottom of this article.

Big picture: Phuket is too big - it's essentially Bangkok on an island - Koh Phangan is too small with poor infrastructure, and Koh Samui is just the right size ideal for working remotely on a paradise island.

1. Koh Samui is about an hour and a half by boat from the mainland of Surat Thani. You can either take Raja Ferry, SeaTran, or Lomprayah, with a fourth ferry company coming soon.

2. It has an international airport making it easy for tourists and Thai nationals to arrive from the major cities without a hassle. Bangkok Airways has a monopoly and flight costs are not too expensive.

3. The road system and infrastructure is already good & constantly improving with a decent drainage system during heavy rains unlike the smaller Koh Phangan, which incurs significant flooding on small poorly-paved roads.

4. Samui has very convenient access to both Koh Phangan popular with digital nomads and the the world famous diving destination Koh Tao. This is a great place to get your diving certification with very affordable rates.

5. This beautiful Thai island also has a plethora of housing options available for all types of budgets. For example, you can rent a house for less than $300 or purchase a beautiful 3-bedroom beachfront villa for less than 10-15 million Baht or in excess of $3 million if you're super rich.

6. This makes Koh Samui very appealing for real estate projects in the future since there are so many luxury villas for any budget to choose from on the island.

7. There's lots of luxury hotels and resorts on the island; including many of the large hospitality chains like Anantara, Centara, Four Seasons, Intercontinental, Hyatt, the list goes on.

8. Koh Samui by land size is significantly smaller with less traffic than Phuket, which is technically not an island since it's connected to the mainland by a bridge.

9. The majority of people fly into Phuket for quarantine via the Sandbox Program during this ongoing pandemic. The largest island is getting busier as more tourists are incentivized to flock to this popular destination. Koh Samui on the other hand is less popular, more relaxed, and peaceful.

10. Last but not least, I love the friendly people, vibrant culture, delicious food, and beaches / weather. There is no winter in Thailand. It's sunny and beautiful year-round. Koh Samui also never gets ravaged by tsunamis unlike islands (i.e. Phuket) in the Andaman sea.

Don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you're interested in scheduling a photoshoot, need advice about best places to go, cost of living, what to eat, where to stay, and any other Thailand-related questions.