Samui Vs Phuket?

[RickNew]

Hi Friends,

I've now lived in Phuket for 2 years and ready for a change of scenery. I've been to Koh Samui several times and I like the beauty and tropical feeling of the island.

I'd like to hear from a few folks that have lived on both islands, which do you prefer and why?

[smokie36]

Samui....for the trees and shade on the beaches.

[sketcher]

A lot will depend on your situation and lifestyle, personally I find Samui is generally slightly more expensive, far less choice of shops and products but less traffic and a more chilled and relaxed feel to it.

[VBF]

A lot will depend on your situation and lifestyle, personally I find Samui is generally slightly more expensive, far less choice of shops and products but less traffic and a more chilled and relaxed feel to it.

You mean there's somewhere in Thailand that's more expensive than Phuket has become?

Thanks for the warning!

[Birdman]

Samui is a comfortable, tropical Island, Phuket is a city by the sea. Have lived on Phuket end of the Eighties, it was a tropical island than.

[VBF]

Samui is a comfortable, tropical Island, Phuket is a city by the sea. Have lived on Phuket end of the Eighties, it was a tropical island than.

Yes - I remember Phuket from 1988 when, as you say it was a tropical island. I was a regular visitor there until about 2001 but have only made quick trips to see mates since.

Every time I visit, i dislike it more...Paradise Lost indeed.

I've never stayed on Samui - does it in any way resemble the Phuket of the eighties?

Edited June 1, 2015 by VBF

[Birdman]

no, not at all. But it still has wonderful places and beaches where time stands still. Nice villages with walking streets. Never this ugly public beach chairs and umbrellas like in Pattaya or on Phuket before. Almost all resorts are right on the beach without a street in between. And most forget, that the whole huge interior of the island are beautiful rainforests, tense palm forests, fruit plantations with over smaller and bigger waterfalls, where almost no one lives.....I still like it here a lot

[VBF]

no, not at all. But it still has wonderful places and beaches where time stands still. Nice villages with walking streets. Never this ugly public beach chairs and umbrellas like in Pattaya or on Phuket before. Almost all resorts are right on the beach without a street in between. And most forget, that the whole huge interior of the island are beautiful rainforests, tense palm forests, fruit plantations with over smaller and bigger waterfalls, where almost no one lives.....I still like it here a lot

Thanks Birdman...... I'll bear it in mind next time I'm in Thailand. Hopefully your description will help the OP too

Edited June 1, 2015 by VBF

[Tchooptip]

Phuket Area total: 576 KM² 223 sqmi Population: 378.364 Density: 1042 KM² 2700 sqmi

Samui 228 KM² 88.3 62.500 270 710

IMHO those figures speak a lot too, to compare both places.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Tchooptip

[VBF]

Phuket Area total: 576 KM² 223 sqmi Population: 378.364 Density: 1042 KM² 2700 sqmi

Samui 228 KM² 88.3 62.500 270 710

IMHO those figures speak a lot too, to compare both places.

Well if as Birdman said above " .......the whole huge interior of the island are beautiful rainforests, tense palm forests, fruit plantations with over smaller and bigger waterfalls, where almost no one lives......." then those figures make good sense.

Looks as if I will have to give Samui a try next time

Edited June 2, 2015 by VBF

[flyingdoc]

Samui without a doubt! Far better all round ! Except for the monopoly of Bangkok Airways, but there are lots of other ways of getting there without having to take out a mortgage !!

[Tidybeard]

Hi

Good and bad about most places, but Samui is smaller and more convenient for living. You can eat out at the Four Seasons for 5000Bht or on the street for 100Bht and everything in between. Beers can still be found for 60Bht and drank on beautiful beaches or under a tree. I personally like the mountains in the centre and ride my 250 dirt bike on the many tracks regularly ... also go walking up there for hours sometimes - pure tranquillity with great views.

Traffic on Samui can be problematical, with the main ring road seeing it's fair share of accidents, but mostly alcohol filled farangs with no helmets. Use you common sense and you will be fine.

All in all - Samui is a good balanced place to live and still has a Thai feeling about it.

[coulson]

Phuket anytime, you have the diversity and culture in Phuket town (the vegetarian festival etc.....) and the coastal bike rides past all the beaches.

I rode the whole of Samui (the roads, not the ladies) in less than an hour. There's always a different route, niche or turn you never took before.

I much prefer the Andaman sea too......

[wowfactor10]

Neither one of them...

Too hot and too rainy...

Especially Samui always rain so what u going to do if the only thing u can do is going to the beach?

[PoorSucker]

Rainfall Phuket.

Rainfall Samui.

[Basil B]

Maybe one should take into cost of transport...

We have all heard of the outrageous prices charged on Phuket... but of my experience of Samui unless you have a truck, car or Motorbike expect to get ripped off big time.

Maybe a survey of the mosquito population per m² would be in order too.

Otherwise Samui is really a wonderful place.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Basil B

[PoorSucker]

Especially Samui always rain so what u going to do if the only thing u can do is going to the beach?

Guess you went in November.

This year It did not fall a drop between Christmas - Songran

[ronaldo0]

Give it time!! Samui is slowly turning into Phuket !!

I own villas in the north and south of samui. I detest anytime during the day i have to go north due to the traffic.

In the last 5 years the traffic has tripled ,in the south the roads are better and still fairly quiet at all times.

Most of the hillsides are now becoming covered with development as the locals sell up to pay for their new mercs, spoilt kids education and sports cars. Only downside about the south i find is i tend to go to north for a night out.

The figures above are people who are registered living here.

High season there are around 500,000 people on samui or more as far as i remember and permanently living here i think its around 130,000.

[Rooo]

Neither one of them...

Too hot and too rainy...

Especially Samui always rain so what u going to do if the only thing u can do is going to the beach?

Where do you get your facts? If you do not know , better keep mouth shut.

[Mole]

Especially Samui always rain so what u going to do if the only thing u can do is going to the beach?

Guess you went in November.

This year It did not fall a drop between Christmas - Songran

You sure about that? It rained pretty much the whole January 2015.

[samuijimmy]

I think we should have a good hearted photo fight between Samui and Phuket? Maybe on another thread though. Samuijimmy and other Samui photographers, are you a game?

25 pages of photos dating back to 2007.... already ..... Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Toa and Marine Park .....wins hands down!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/125263-images-of-samui-phangan-and-tao/page-25

Phuket contributors only have 7 pages.... guess there is not much worth taking photos of in Phuket and area !!!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/40586-images-of-phuket-and-the-andaman/

[samuijimmy]

Especially Samui always rain so what u going to do if the only thing u can do is going to the beach?

Guess you went in November.

This year It did not fall a drop between Christmas - Songran

You sure about that? It rained pretty much the whole January 2015.

That must have only been in Chawang.....

[Deli]

If I wold have the same job with the same amount of $ which I have in Phuket in Samui, I would move tomorrow. And Samui isn't more expensiv than Phuket, quality of life is higher, traffic much less.

And if yu wanna have it more expensive than in Phuket and less quality, just take a look at Khao Lak and you will be shocked. Even taxis are cheaper in Phuket than there

[williet98248]

If I wold have the same job with the same amount of $ which I have in Phuket in Samui, I would move tomorrow. And Samui isn't more expensiv than Phuket, quality of life is higher, traffic much less. And if yu wanna have it more expensive than in Phuket and less quality, just take a look at Khao Lak and you will be shocked. Even taxis are cheaper in Phuket than there

Spent a little time in Khao Lak before and after the tsunami. last time in 2005, I think. Now I try to drive through as quickly as possible. Nothing there unless you are staying at one of the huge and expensive resorts. My favorite weekend getaway from Phuket is Krabi Town and area. Not Ao Nang. But for a several day trip Chao Mai on the coast west of Trang is becoming a favorite.

[Rooo]

Correct me, Ao Leuk? Sleepy little back water.Just liked it.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Rooo

[superdome]

I have been a Samui [lamai] man for 30yrs...when i 1st got here..paradise...now s......hole...very expensive ..taxi mafia...songtow expensive for farang...you wont get a beer for less than 80bht...most want 90bht+....when the locals see a farang the price TREBLES....petrol/diesel is 3bht a ltr more than mainland...Bangkok airways monopoly + ferries getting expensive...if you can get on.

Last "high season" was the the worst i have seen in many yrs...visitors 50% down on yr before due to expense.....Xmas & new yr is normally packed for abt 2 wks...this yr [2014]...lasted abt 6 days.

I would recommend a rekky before making your mind up.

As for me...i am off to the mainland soon as its about 30/40% cheaper all round.

Sorry to put a downer on this....but its the truth.....good hunting......

[marstons]

Phuket. less traffic better roads, better health care, Very cheap to travel off the Island, check out various rant threads. When it does rain in Samui floods with stinking water easily and power outages come quickly again read the threads about it. Samui is the only place I have been to in Thailand where the beach side of the road is developed the heck out of and in Chaweng its difficult to get access to the beach.

Phuket is expensive but no more than Samui less than a 1000 at times to fly to BKK, Patong not to good but the beach has been cleaned up. I visited both for 5 years 20 years ago regularly, settled in Samui 15 years ago for 9 years. Been back once never again. Just my opinion of living on both islands. Bear in mind you are posting on the Samui thread and people love living here. Just my opinion as asked by the OP.

On the mainland now beats them both IMHO

[carmine]

no, not at all. But it still has wonderful places and beaches where time stands still. Nice villages with walking streets. Never this ugly public beach chairs and umbrellas like in Pattaya or on Phuket before. Almost all resorts are right on the beach without a street in between. And most forget, that the whole huge interior of the island are beautiful rainforests, tense palm forests, fruit plantations with over smaller and bigger waterfalls, where almost no one lives.....I still like it here a lot

For the benefit of the Op i feel obliged to correct a point made with regards to "ugly beach chairs". Its appears that the ugly ones here strewn across chewing, lamai and cheong mon beach you find aesthetically pleasing in some way?

You will be delighted however to know that the ones you find so distasteful in Pattaya and on Phuket have long been removed but our ones remain.

As for the term "time stands still" What on earth are you talking about?

[crazykopite]

Have never been to Phuket so cannot comment , have lived on Samui for 6 years high in the jungle where it is pure tranquility but hate it when we have to go down the hill to do the shopping ! No longer the paradise I once new but a concrete jungle with crazy drivers of all nationalities. God knows what it will be like in another 5 years time the one thing we do not have to put up with yet is skyscraper apartments but I am sure it will happen sooner rather than later !

[carmine]

Have never been to Phuket so cannot comment , have lived on Samui for 6 years high in the jungle where it is pure tranquility but hate it when we have to go down the hill to do the shopping ! No longer the paradise I once new but a concrete jungle with crazy drivers of all nationalities. God knows what it will be like in another 5 years time the one thing we do not have to put up with yet is skyscraper apartments but I am sure it will happen sooner rather than later !

In another five years time those with the rose tinted specs will still be delusional as they are now, and the rest will seek whats left of the remoter parts of the island and leave Joe tourists to wallow in chaweng, the oriental Magaluf. Basically still lovely places but the daily construction coupled with inadequate infrastructure doesn't bode well.