Koh Samui tops world 2026 island list

The top island* is amazing if you are from a country with absolutely zero nice beaches like the UK and Canada.

Samui is probably the best beach you've ever seen in your entire life if it's your first time to Thailand. ✅

*with brown pebble beaches

Edited 5 hours ago5 hr by SiSePuede419
Perspective

Maldives must be wondering how they lost to an island where the ocean doubles as a heated swimming pool 😂

Phuket and Samui in the top five wouldn’t have been my choice I have to say. There are other places even in Thailand that I would put higher than those.

I’ve been to the Maldives and have no issue with that being up there. Cant speak to Galapagos. I also struggle with Bali as a top five island, although I know of others who speak highly of it.

I lived there until recently and this is absolute nonsense entirely. If you came to judge for the best possible resorts or hotels, and beaches, Phuket would also beat Samui by far. If you just judge it for the luxury tourist, coming for a holiday only, budget no issue.

And TBH from that angle Thailand is today just a 'tick of the box destination', aka 1 summer holiday in a life time, while it used to be mostly repeat visitors for years or life. That's the same type you will see barely spending at any restaurant, bar or shops as they stay in full serviced resorts.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by sunrisecoconuts

One of the few places I've been to, that I'd never return to, and tell people not to bother going to. And I was there 20+ years ago, when I'm assuming it was a lot nicer.

Definitely not worth the hassle, if not flying, or the expense, if flying, to go there.

What about Lanta?

Phayam?

Kradan?

Maldives I can see.

Bali last time I was there was awash in plastic trash in the surf and too many Western druggies.

Phuket is beautiful topographically speaking.

Just now, Woke to Sounds said:

What about Lanta?

Phayam?

Kradan?

Maldives I can see.

Bali last time I was there was awash in plastic trash in the surf and too many Western druggies.

Phuket is beautiful topographically speaking.

Have you ever been to most of this places yourself, in recent times? Maldives is just as crappy, I can take maldives style pictures of Dutch islands too, if i wait for golden hour on the best summer day. Only thing missing will be a coconut tree.

It's the same issue everywhere, not developed properly, not paying wages properly (yes maldives too), then attracting mainstream clowns by masses, and then complain of bad behavior and declining arrivals as a result of all the prior. Bali too.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by sunrisecoconuts

Pretty sure this was voted for by Americans from what I read before.

It was a great place 10-20 years ago but year on year seems to get worse . Traffic , crazy construction for empty villas & condos , certain groups turning whole areas into their own country, criminals and con artists all over the place from outside of Thailand , beaches now ruined by beach clubs everywhere , crazy rental prices and prices of drinks and food in any decent restaurant.

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

One of the few places I've been to, that I'd never return to, and tell people not to bother going to. And I was there 20+ years ago, when I'm assuming it was a lot nicer.

Definitely not worth the hassle, if not flying, or the expense, if flying, to go there.

That says more about you than nature or Samui in that case for sure lol. If you did not like it 20 years ago, you never liked anything that is worth mentioning to anyone else. You gotta be a very uninspiring person to say that, as it literally was heaven at that time.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by sunrisecoconuts

3 minutes ago, sunrisecoconuts said:

That says more about you than nature or Samui in that case for sure lol. If you did not like it 20 years ago, you never liked anything that is worth mentioning to anyone else.

Just didn't do it for me. If all else fails, at least the landscape will be a redeeming feature ... it wasn't. I even went around the whole island. Don't think I was there at the wrong time, as the weather was just OK, and surf was calm. Not as nice as some vids I've seen, but wasn't rough. So I was there peak season, why not overly crowded.

Water was cloudy, and I won't swim in water that I can't see my feet in chest high water. Very tidal, low vs high tide, so ugly at low.

A bit more expensive than mainland, to be expected. Just had a run down, unappealing look to it. Wasn't overly crowded or congested. Just had no appeal to it.

Ferry ride was OK, didn't have to Q for, and was in the area anyway, so not an issue. Really no extreme negative about it, but also, no reason to go there. Just no reason to leave the mainland for it. Ban Krut or Thung Wua Laem would be a better choice, or even PKK.

Phuket has the advantage of multiple nice beaches, away from Patong, and landscape is stunning.

For the record, I like a lot of places in TH. I don't mentions specifics of my favorites, as I prefer to keep them the way they are. Just mention the provinces I like, and savvy people will figure where as I post enough about them.

Top island in the world ... that's just silly. Don't know why someone thinks it's Yank slanted survey, as Yanks are a small % of tourist that visit TH. Maybe high on the reader list of T&L, not sure and don't care. But everyone should know a better place than Samui, especially Yanks.

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Reader score puts Samui ahead

Thank you,

then the hordes will not come to my place

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