Despite being only 230 km2 Koh Samui is one of the world’s top holiday destinations, pulling in tourists from across the globe… so popular in fact that people often don’ t want to leave.The beautiful beaches, laidback lifestyle and plentiful amenities are just a few of the attractions that inspire people to pick up house and relocate to his idyllic island.
Attracting 1 million+ visitors annually, Koh Samui is unique in that it appeals to a large variety of tourists including young back-packers, families, coupies and high-end luxury travellers – as such the island takes on multiple personalities providing a considarable offering of accomodation, entertainment, shopping and dining. This can prove advantageous to those wishing to move.
Koh Samui bridges island life and comfortable western living perfectly, allowing residents to benifit from the relaxed ‘barefoot’ atmosphere whilst also indulging in their expected home comforts.
The island has developed considerably over the years and now boasts a full range of service amenities and facilities.
When it comes to ease of living the island boasts a good range of shopping facilities with Tesco, Makro, Big C and Tops supermarkets. Frequent 7-Elevens, family Marts and Tesco express make day to day shopping easy as well as the numerous fresh markets in each area offering reasonable priced local cuisine alongside fresh fruit, vegetables, meats and fish. The ratail market in Koh Samui has shown considerable expansion over the last few years – most notably in the form of the recently opened Cetral Festival Shopping mall showcasing a delightful mix of local crafts and entertainment beside high end shopping and dining experiences. The mall caters to all budgets from designer fashion brands like Jim Thompson and Jaeger to high street brands such as uniqlo and AiiZ.
The Central World department store stocks international brands in clothes, accessories, toiletries and electronics. Chaweng, Bophut and Lamai also have shopping high-streets; Bophut in particular boasts an eclectic mix of boutique and luxury stores, most prominentely in the newly built and stylish “The Warf” shopping area.
Known internationally for its comprehensive list of fine dining experiences and involvement of top class chefs. Koh Samui is the first stop for many foodies exploring Thailand. The island hosts a plethora of 5 star dining
establishments boasting top class wine selections, artfully created dishes and opulent surroundings. Fortunately, not all eating experiences need pull so heavily on the purse strings. Koh Samui offers a range tos uit all budgets from boutique bistro’s, casual dining and, not forgetting, the impressive selection of local Thai restaurants offering a more affordable eating experience.
Koh Samui is also a forerunner in the health food market, with many businesses successfully promoting specialised dining including raw, vegan and gluten free options.
As with dining, the nightlife in Koh Samui is diverse and works hard to cover all bases and preferences. Long standing sophisticated beach clubs like Beach Republic and Nikki Beach serve top class food and beverages in chic poolside surroundings. For a livelier scene the bustling Chaweng high street, with it’s all night bars and clubs attracts flocks of young travelers every night and regulary hosts international DJs and performers. Bophut’s small cobbled streets brimming with boutique bars and beachside restaurants is the perfect retreat for lead back, upmarket cocktail sipping. Lamai lies somewhere in between the two, appealing to both families and young people in search of a slightly less intense night out. Lipa Noi is favoured for romantic getaways, offering a secluded yet still well catered option. Finally, displaying a delightful ramshackle charm, Nathon is a glimpse into a more authentic Thai residential experience away from the tourist route.
For families moving to Koh Samui there is a wide choice of well-established nurseries and shools.
There are growing range of clubs and weekend activities available around the island to keep everyone in the family busy, including sporting clubs such as football, dance, ju jitsu and horse riding and also more relaxed family days out at coco splash or pink elephant amusement park.
Koh Samui is now easily very accessible both from within and outside Thailand, flights arrive and depart direct to Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur and there are also 2 ferry piers serving the mainland. With this ease of access and so much on offer, Koh Samui has now become as much a placet to live as it is a place to visit.
It is a multi-faceted residential island with an enviable range of services and facilities to choose from, all of which combine to provide ‘Samuians’ with the perfect long-stay or permanent residence.