Phuket or Koh Samui: which Thai island is best?
Thailand's catalogue of more than 1,400 idyllic islands can make for tricky planning but fear not; we've pitted two of the country's most visited islands against each other: Phuket* and Koh Samui* to help you decide where to go first.
Both are often referred to as party islands but they also have identities of their own, from white-sandy beaches and prime snorkelling spots to authentic Thai cuisine and iconic historic sites. If you can't choose between the two, keep reading.
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Beautiful beaches
You won't have to go far on any Thai island to find pristine sands and gin-clear seas, but both Phuket and Koh Samui can lay claim to some of the best in the country.
Phuket is undeniably the island if you want the larger pick of the beaches; with a land mass of 543 sq-km compared with Koh Samui's 229 sq-km, there's way more coastline to choose from.
However, there's something to be said for the beaches of Koh Samui over those in Phuket. If you're after a quieter atmosphere with softer sands and calmer seas ideal for swimming and snorkelling, you'll be hard-pressed to find better beaches anywhere in Thailand.
Phuket, on the other hand, offers more of a lively atmosphere with its many stretches of sand often accompanied by bars and nightclubs; Patong* is home to one of Thailand's most popular tourist beaches. But on beach merit alone, Koh Samui shades this one.
Spectacular nightlife
Many revellers flock to Thailand for its revered nightlife and these two islands in particular feature high on travellers' wish lists.
Phuket offers an exceptional party scene, largely centred around Bangla Road in Patong Beach, with a 500 m-long strip of nightclubs and bars which comes alive at night with neon lights, pumping music and Thailand's famed ping pong shows. Sensory overload? Perhaps, but with good reason for many.
While Phuket is naturally popular with groups and a slightly older crowd, Koh Samui attracts couples and a younger audience in their twenty-somethings for its laid-back beach bars and slower pace.
Samui's main nightlife area is Soi Green Mango in Chawang, where it's open-air beach clubs in lieu of a thronging strip, while on the neighbouring island of Koh Phangan you'll find world-famous full moon parties. With differing nightlife scenes that attract partygoers from across the globe, we have Phuket and Koh Samui tied.
Authentic food & drink
Avoid tourist hotspots like Patong Beach if you wish to sample authentic Thai flavours. Instead, head to Phuket Town where you'll easily find that tangy Thai food (often with a bit of a kick) you've been craving.
From massaman beef curry to khao pad fried rice, you'll find everything easily here; you could even take it one step further with a Thai cooking class at Blue Elephant Cooking School & Restaurant.
Koh Samui's flavours are as zesty and spicy as those found across the rest of the country, but as it's an island you're best sampling its fresh fish.
Pad Thai fried noodles are of course popular here, but you'd do well to hunker down with a warming bowl of tom yum soup (you'll know it's authentic if it includes a whole fish) or tom yum goong with spicy shrimp for those who can handle the heat. This one's another tie.
Historic sites
As one of the world's old civilisations, you'd expect Thailand to throw up countless cultural sites and both Phuket and Koh Samui offer plenty in their own ways for history buffs.
Take Hin Ta and Hin Yai on Koh Samui, for example; translated to English as the grandfather and grandmother rocks, these natural phenomena of gigantic granite boulders eroded by the sea and the sun over time have long attracted blushes for their resemblance of male and female genitalia.
On the other hand, in Phuket you'll find significant cultural landmarks like the world-famous Big Buddha, a 148-ft tall Maravijaya Buddha statue atop Nakkerd Hill near Chalong where more than 1,000 people visit daily.
There's also the 19th-century Chaithararam Temple, Phuket's most sacred temple, nearby, and the Heroines Monument, which was built to honour Thao Thep Krasattri and Thai Si Sunthon, two brave women who rallied locals to repel the Burmese invaders in 1785. Phuket wins here.
Getting active
Much of Phuket's hilly innards are laced with tropical forest, meaning a nature-packed itinerary isn't too difficult to plan.
From jungle treks through national parks like Koh Sak, a historic lowland jungle thought to house one of the world's oldest rainforests, to invigorating dips in waterfalls like the lofty Kathu on Phuket's west coast, there's plenty here for the outdoor enthusiast.
Koh Samui is also mountainous, despite largely being lauded for its pristine beaches, and also offers plenty for the adventurer.
Samui is highly revered for Ang Thong National Marine Park, an archipelago of 42 islands whose dramatic caves, waterfalls, sinkholes and limestone hills are perfect for the curious traveller. This makes it arguably one of the best places in Thailand for snorkelling and diving too, putting Koh Samui top of the class.
Shopping
What Koh Samui lacks in shopping malls (although there are a few) it more than makes up for in markets, like at Fisherman's Village Walking Street where locals set up shop each Friday to sell everything from handmade trinkets to designer wares.
As Phuket is much larger than Samui, there's an abundance of large shopping malls like Jungceylon Shopping Mall and Central Festival, both home to designer outlets, restaurants and more, as well as an array of authentic local markets like the one at Walking Street on Sundays. For choice alone, Phuket wins this one.
Compare weather
Use the graphs below to compare the weather in both destinations. Find out more about the climate in Phuket and the climate in Koh Samui as well as conditions across the country in our complete guide to the climate in Thailand.
Phuket vs Koh Samui
- Maximum daytime temperature
- Hours of sunshine
- Days with some rainfall
- Monthly rainfall
- Sea temperature
Maximum daytime temperature (°C)
Hours of sunshine per day
Days with some rainfall
Monthly rainfall (mm)
Sea temperature (°C)
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