Each island in the Gulf of Thailand has its unique vibe and different things to offer. If you have the time, I suggest you visit all three of these islands. But if you need to choose, or you prefer to stay in one place rather than travel around, here is a detailed comparison of Koh Samui vs Koh Phangan vs Koh Tao to find out which island is the best fit for you.
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Table of Contents - Koh Samui vs Koh Phangan vs Koh Tao: Which island in the Gulf of Thailand is the best
What is the Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand is an inlet in the South China Sea, on the Eastern coast of Thailand. The three biggest and most famous islands in the Gulf of Thailand are Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao.
When to visit the Gulf of Thailand Islands
The rainy season in the Gulf of Thailand is from October to December. This is later in the year compared to the rest of Thailand and most other countries in Southeast Asia. The reason behind this is that the monsoons affect the Gulf of Thailand differently than the rest of Thailand.
How to get to the Gulf of Thailand Islands
It’s easy to get to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao from the Thai mainland. Many agencies in Bangkok will offer combined bus and ferry tickets with guaranteed connections. This means there will always be a boat to bring you to the island of your choice when the bus gets there, even if the bus is delayed. We traveled with Lompraya and were happy with them, but there are many more if you want to shop around. You can also buy combined tickets from other destinations, like Phuket, or even Hat Yai if you’re coming from Malaysia.
How to get around Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Ko Tao
Like most places in Thailand, the easiest way to get around these islands is by renting a scooter. There are plenty of scooter rental places around and most of them are very laid back. Only in Koh Phangan, we noticed rental places to be a bit more strict and ask for a passport or a very large sum of cash as a deposit. Koh Tao is relatively small, so you can even reach a lot of places on foot if you’re not comfortable driving.
Comparing Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao
When choosing the best island, it boils down to personal preferences. In essence, each island has its unique charm. Koh Samui is the biggest island and feels more like a city. Koh Phangan offers a blend of party and natural beauty, and Koh Tao is a haven for underwater adventure. Your choice depends on what kind of experience you are seeking.
Koh Samui: The biggest one
Koh Samui is the biggest island in the Gulf of Thailand, and the second-largest island in Thailand after Phuket. It has more of a city feel to it than that of a paradisic island. So if you’re looking for a combination of city attractions, landmarks to visit, and beaches, Koh Samui is the best island for you.
Note that Koh Samui has several ports and that taxis here are quite expensive, so pick the port closest to your accommodation and buy a combined ticket with transfer to your accommodation or rent a scooter.
Beaches
The best beaches of Koh Samui are in the northern half of the island, but this is also the busiest part of Koh Samui.
Our favorite beach was W beach, which offered a nice combination of a nice beach to relax on, good for swimming, and not too busy. This beach is part of a resort, but the biggest part of the beach is open to the public. Silver Beach is also really nice, but it’s quite small and gets really busy. If you’re looking for more virgin beaches, head to the south. I didn’t think they were as nice though, so I recommend heading to W if you’re looking for a less busy beach. If you’re not a fan of W, Maenam Beach is a big beach where you won’t find as many crowds either.
Looking for a more buzzing atmosphere instead? Chaweng Beach is the most happening and Lamai Beach comes in second.
Landmarks
The most famous landmark of Koh Samui is the Big Buddha. I didn’t find it so special though, and think Wat Plain Laem is much nicer. It’s a colorful temple complex with statues and one of the temples is built on a platform that represents a lotus flower. Both temples are close to each other, so you can easily visit them together. Another cool temple to visit if it’s on your way is Wat Ratchathammaram, which stands out because of its red color.
Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks (grandfather and grandmother rocks) are another popular landmark. These rocks are said to represent male and female genitals. If you’re around, you might as well stop by, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit them.
Prefer a viewpoint? There are several on the island and Pra Buddha Dīpankara is the best free viewpoint in my opinion. The Jungle club and Heart Shape mountain seaview are other options, where you can have a drink or eat something while enjoying the view over the coast. Note that you have to pay 100 THB entrance for the Heart Shape viewpoint.
Diving Koh Samui: Looking to do some diving while staying in Koh Samui? Samui Diving Resort is an excellent place to base yourself. The bungalows are beautiful, the owner is great and the location is very nice too! In a more quiet area of Koh Samui, but close to the beach and Fisherman’s village.
Koh Phangan: The most diverse island
Famous for its Full Moon Parties, Koh Phangan is often misjudged as just a party destination. However, this island has much more to offer. We nearly didn’t visit because we also believed it to be just a party destination, but as we didn’t love Koh Samui, we decided we might as well spend our last days in Thailand here, and we loved it! Koh Phangan is my favorite island in the Gulf of Thailand and I would have gladly spent more time here.
Beaches
Koh Phangan is home to some gorgeous beaches. Koh Ma is a popular beach with a sandbar leading to a small island. There is a restaurant available here too. If you’re looking for something more virgin, Bottle Beach is your place. You can only reach this beach by hiking or by boat. There are a few resorts nestled in the vegetation behind this beach, but it still has a very natural feel to it and there was nearly nobody there when we visted! The viewpoint is nice too. If you’re up for a sweaty climb, the view is definitely worth it. There are more hikes you can do on the island, but since it was incredibly hot and humid when we were here (September) we stuck to the beaches and this one viewpoint instead.
Parties
So, even though Koh Phangan is more than just a party destination, it is still also a party destination. The Full Moon Party is of course the most famous one, but there are many more regular parties and events held, like the half moon Festival and the Waterfall Festival.
If you don’t want to party, I recommend avoiding the dates of the Full Moon Parties. Even though the full moon party is held at one of Koh Phangan’s beaches, Haad Rin, the whole island gets super crowded and prices soar. Many people who do want to attend the Full Moon Party even opt to stay in Koh Samui and take the ferry to Koh Phangan and back to attend the party because of this.
Koh Tao: The Diver’s Paradise
Koh Tao is the smallest of the three islands and is globally renowned for its diving spots. So if diving and/or snorkeling is what you’re after, Koh Tao is the best island in the Gulf of Thailand for you. It’s generally a very chill island, especially if you don’t stay right on the main street, where it can get very crowded and loud. Do stay within walking distance though, as this is the best place to grab food and drinks.
Diving
With open water courses starting from around 9000 baht for 3 days, it’s a cheap spot to get your diving certificate. Another reason why Koh Tao is so popular to get your diving license is because there are some really good diving spots that are suitable for beginners.
There are plenty of diving schools in the center. They offer dives for experienced people, try dives for those who don’t have a certificate (yet), and diving courses. They all charge around about the same price and go to similar places, so have a look around and go with the diving school you feel most comfortable with.
Snorkeling
Many agencies also offer snorkeling tours, but it’s not necessary to join a tour if you want to snorkel. You can just rent some snorkeling gear and head into the water from the beach yourself. The rocks next to Koh Tao Cabana Resort are a great spot to go. The chairs and kayaks belong to the resort, but the beach is public so you’re free to come here, put your towel on the sand, and hop into the water. There are many fish around the rocks and there is some coral as well. Another popular snorkeling spot is Shark Bay, where you can see turtles and sharks. We didn’t see anything when we went though, the visibility was really bad. So it’s best to enquire at your accommodation what the best time of the day is to snorkel at Shark Bay, also considering the tides.
Nang Yuan Island
Nang Yuan While diving and snorkeling are definitely the star activities of Koh Tao, you can also go hiking and visit some viewpoints if you want to do something else. The most popular viewpoint of Koh Tao is the one on Nang Yuang Island. This is the viewpoint from where the most iconic pictures of Koh Tao are taken. If you’re not tired of snorkeling yet, I recommend bringing your snorkeling gear. The bays are nice for snorkeling as well and we saw a few baby reef sharks here.
This was Koh Samui vs Koh Phangan vs Koh Tao: Which island in the Gulf of Thailand is the best
With such a wide variety of things to see and do and different atmosphere’s, even on each individual island, there’s the perfect island for every traveler. The island that most surprised me was Koh Phangan, and this is my overall favorite island. It offers so much natural beauty and is not so crowded (when no big parties are going on at least). Although for underwater adventures, Koh Tao is the winner and if I were to get my scuba diving certificate, this is the island I would return to.
