I am currently living in phangan and thinking of relocating to samui soon, wondering what is an area on Samui that is more quiet/chill /less touristy/ more residential ( I am talking pre covid situation - assuming things will get more normal in a few months), I know the all island is very touristy, but still looking for the least one, less than chaweng etc.

 

 is there some place like that?

thanks in advance 

Maenam is a good residential area.  I'm sure KhunPer will be here shortly to provide some additional insights.

Taling Ngam is chill/quiet and [almost] without any tourists at all, because it's mostly jungle and the sea in that area sucks. Almost - because there is an Intercontinental hotel (with its own beach (which is not much better than all nearby ones)).

Lipa Noi is a bit more inhabited but still OK. At least the beach is not rocky as in Taling Ngam area.

For the best beaches head north-east.

Taling Ngam area, i.e. the south western part of the island has rather few tourists and is still very attractive. However, you might need to consider transportation when living there, as there are less shopping facilities, simple due to the reason that there are less people and fewer tourists.

 

 

But there are many chill residential areas - i.e. "more quiet/chill /less touristy/ more residential" - as soon as you get away from Chaweng, and Lamai's beach road, and not too close to the Ring Road.

 

It's really a matter of taste, where shopping facilities and availability of local restaurants also might matter, and how big an area that need to be "more quiet, chill, and less touristy". There are actually many possibilities, if you get away from the Ring Road and up some of the smaller sois.

 

User @Maha Sarakhammentioned Maenam, and yes, there is for example a nice quiet road parallel with the Ring Road and the beach from just after Santibury Resort and over to Lomprayah Pier, and there are also stretches on that beach where there literally are almost no people, even in high season...

 

 

Also up north by Plai Laem is chill and very residential, especially in the areas around Tongson Bay and Thongsai Bay, and I probably shouldn't mention it in a public forum, but if you head to "Naturism Beach" there is nothing much, but nature; Google Satellite link HERE.

 

Google Maps is actually quite good to browse areas of interest, and many of the beaches you can even walk with Street View or find numerous 360 degree images.

 

But as usual, come over and check some possibilities out, and eventual try to test-live a while in places of interest...????

I would suggest drawing a line from Lipa Noi (West Coast) to Wat Thanon (East Coast), many chill spots south of that line, including most of Taling Ngam and Na Mueang. Also the Northwest coast (Maenam Moo 5 area).

On 6/23/2021 at 1:24 AM, fdsa said:

sea in that area sucks.

Really ? Not in the parts of Taling Nam i go to. The sea there is awesome and a magnificent view of the 5 Islands

On 7/1/2021 at 8:13 PM, Swimfan said:

Really ? Not in the parts of Taling Nam i go to. The sea there is awesome and a magnificent view of the 5 Islands

wondering, what did you end up doing ? I'm asking cos im considering same thing myself. Thanks

1 hour ago, XtraFly said:

wondering, what did you end up doing ? I'm asking cos im considering same thing myself. Thanks

Considering What ?

18 minutes ago, Swimfan said:

Considering What ?

Relocating to samui. Isn’t that what you are looking for as well ? I wanted to learn from your experience to see what area you found to fit your needs, I’m looking for the same thing quite and away from tourists but not too remote.

Lipa noi, taling ngam and tong krut areas are about the quietest. I live in taling ngam about 10 min drive from beach and it’s very peaceful yet two mins can be in saket market on main rd for food etc and makro is 10 mins away . The back roads around lipa noi area are great to drive around as so quiet and fairly undeveloped so far in that area .

16 years ago I moved from the U.K. to KP lived there for 4 years and moved to Samui Maenam soi 5 I lived 4ks from the main road it was superb listening to the birds and the sound of the waterfall in the rainy season however there were many times I had to leave my piece of paradise in order to shop for groceries or pay bills and that is where every week the nightmare started I lost count as to how many dead bodies I witnessed on the main roads or being stuck in a line of traffic for 45 minutes after 7 years I returned back to Koh Phangan and boy that is the best thing I ever did . Now days I only go to Samui when and if I have to goi was there 3 months ago for a visit to immigration and had time Togo to some of my old haunts all I saw was shops boarded up ,for rent signs the place is decimated there is more life on Phangan and boy it’s a 100% safer . 

On 7/21/2021 at 10:26 AM, XtraFly said:

Relocating to samui. Isn’t that what you are looking for as well ? I wanted to learn from your experience to see what area you found to fit your needs, I’m looking for the same thing quite and away from tourists but not too remote.

I don’t live there but go as often as I can. Will make it permanent one day 

4 hours ago, crazykopite said:

where every week the nightmare started I lost count as to how many dead bodies I witnessed on the main roads or being stuck in a line of traffic for 45 minutes

Well, that has convinced me to stay away from Maenam.

I have lived in Plai Laem for 21 years and I have only seen two dead bodies (accidents on the ring road) and I have never sat in a traffic jam for 45 minutes. Especially back in 2009.

 

4 hours ago, crazykopite said:

there is more life on Phangan

I could not find any life on KPN back in February this year. I was on the NW and W side of the island.

Travelling around, Haad Rinn was more dead than Chaweng when I went there to show my friends where the FMP's used to be. (Yes - Chaweng on Samui is a bomb-site but other places are doing okish.)

Please do not misunderstand me - I loved where I was as, it was so peaceful and quiet, or even dead. Even the hotel where I stayed did not serve food. Not enough guests to open the restaurant.

Where is the life on KPN please? Let me know and I will go back and try it.