If you are planning on a trip to Thailand you may be trying to choose between Koh Samui vs Phuket . I’ve been to both recently and pretty much the choice comes down to two things: flight connections and weather.
Weather in Phuket and Koh Samui
Thailand has two monsoons – Phuket’s driest weather is from October to April, while that time is the wettest for Koh Samui. Both islands are primarily beach destinations, so although its not cold in the wet season – who wants to spend a holiday on the beach in the rain?
Flight Connections to Koh Samui and Phuket
Phuket is in the south of Thailand while Koh Samui is closer to Bangkok. If you are flying from Australia or New Zealand Phuket is a cheaper, quicker and more convenient location.
Flying to Koh Samui- will invariably require a change of flights, customs and probably a stop over in Bangkok. There are very limited airlines flying to Koh Samui, so the conenction is also quite a lot more expensive than most internal flights in Thailand.
Phuket is Thailand’s largest island, and has a long history- its wealth grew from tin mining and the spice trade long before the trade in vacationers took off. Koh Samui, on the other hand was a remote rural backwater before the first backpackers arrived in the 1970′s.
If history and local culture is your thing – than Phuket will have more to offer you than Koh Samui.
Either island though will offer you that genuine Thai smile, fantastic food, and warm clear waters.
That’s not to like about Thailand – whether you choose Phuket or Koh Samui – its a winning choice either way!