Ko Samui

Not everyone's dream holiday includes sorting through near neverending lists of places to stay, so we put together this collection of great budget places to stay on Ko Samui for you. These are spread around the island, from popular beaches like Chaweng and Lamai to lesser-known, laidback spots in the south. All of the following have some kind of offering for under 1,000 baht a night, with many... Read our full review of The best budget accommodation on Ko Samui.

Ko Samui is a small enough island that there is really little reason to stay in the island’s capital of Nathon, but if, for whatever reason, you do need to stay here, the Grand View Beach Resortel is a reasonable flashpacker option. Staff told us the hotel is the biggest in Nathon, and the location is great, at the southern extent of the Nathon loop road facing over a moderately sized... Read our full review of Grand Sea View Beach Resortel.

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One of the better north-coast options for families and couples in the midrange price bracket, Mimosa Resort is set towards the sleepy east end of Bang Po Beach and offers a free shuttle for when you tire of the solitude. Though quite large, the resort blends into the coconut trees by way of broad thatch roofs that top whitewashed walls. The least expensive rooms come in a two-storey building... Read our full review of Mimosa Resort.

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Family-run since the 1980s, Mae Nam Resort embodies the genuine friendliness that Samui was known for before it got a reputation for the scams and aggressive attitudes that follow mass tourism – from receptionist to restaurant servers and cleaning staff, every face that we passed here stopped to offer a smile. Photos of Thai kings and a Chinese shrine are placed above reception and close to... Read our full review of Mae Nam Resort.

The tried-and-true Paradise Beach Resort got its start in the 1990s when a Swiss traveller decided to stick around and build comfortable rooms aimed at German and other European tourists on the site of an old bungalow joint. After numerous expansions, the large resort is still a fabulous midrange choice on the quiet east end of Mae Nam Beach, with a notably good-natured staff. The resort... Read our full review of Paradise Beach Resort.

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In 2015, the old Silent Beach Bungalows emerged after a major redesign under the new persona, the Treehouse Silent Beach. It offers excellent value as one of the few beachfront resorts on Samui that caters specifically to backpackers. Colourful banners and Northern Thai lanterns join Tibetan prayer flags and bits of Buddhist-inspired wisdom in the beachfront restaurant, where you can chill... Read our full review of Treehouse Silent Beach.

After coming this way to check out a trio of better-known midrange resorts, we bumped into Mae Nam Village and found that it offers equal or better accommodation for considerably less cash within steps of the beach and a good strip of restaurants. The gentle owner, Mickey, hails from Nan province in North Thailand and spent years living in France and the US. He’s a real pleasure to chat... Read our full review of Mae Nam Village Bungalows.

Baan Bophut is a classy three-storey hotel with sea-view rooms, a swimming pool and beach bar located at the quieter east end of the seafront lane through Fisherman’s Village. A polite and patient receptionist showed us a couple of rooms, one on the ground floor and another on an upper floor reached by stairs. Both are spacious and spotless, with a modern design incorporating tile floors,... Read our full review of Baan Bophut Beach Hotel.

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Eden Beach Bungalows hits with the beats of downtempo in a swirl of blue and white around the centre of Bophut Beach and within a 10-minute walk of Fisherman’s Village. The flashpacker-style resort, which we’re pretty sure is French-managed, has two rows of white concrete bungalows with high thatch roofs and wood chairs on private terraces set beneath the trees. Cheaper bungalows are... Read our full review of Eden Beach Bungalows.

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Don’t judge Smile House by a name that makes it sound like a cosy guesthouse. The large resort offers dozens and dozens of comfortable rooms, including a bunch of family options, along with two swimming pools and a good location off the seaside lane through Fisherman’s Village. Smile House has direct beach access via the large restaurant specialising in seafood barbecue, with all of the... Read our full review of Smile House.

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Chalee Villa harks back to the days when accommodation on Samui usually came in basic bungalows made of natural materials and rented out to backpackers by local families. This frozen-in-time setting exists at the far west corner of Bophut beach, next to a narrow canal where boats bob in tangles of nets and ropes. We arrived in the morning and couldn’t stop taking photos of fishers carrying... Read our full review of Chalee Villa.

Situated right below the big “Fisherman’s Village” signs as you enter the village from the ring road, The Pier Hostel is a reliable choice particularly for backpackers travelling with a buddy. A line of several dark but cool rooms with cinderblock walls painted white run along the side of the small building. Thick mattresses are placed on bunks, with the upper bunks accessed by wood... Read our full review of The Pier Hostel.

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Formerly Punnpreeda Hip Resort, this has been a wise rebranding as there is nothing hip about the Punnpreeda; that’s not to say however that it isn’t a well priced and comfortable place to stay, overlooking a good bit of beach in the middle of Bang Rak. Lodgings here come in two main flavours: freestanding villas down towards the water and hotel-style rooms at the rear of the resort backing... Read our full review of Punnpreeda Beach Resort.

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Secret Garden has for decades been a mainstay of Bang Rak's accommodation and entertainment scene. Following a change in ownership and a complete redevelopment, they now offer excellent beachside accommodation at a midrange pricepoint. Very smart modern rooms come in two primary flavours, freestanding cottages towards the beach and by the small swimming pool, and more hotel-style rooms at the... Read our full review of Secret Garden Beach Resort.

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Bangrak Beach Club is the best of a clutch of more traditional beach bungalow set-ups, intermingled with private villa rentals, towards the western reaches of Bang Rak and will appeal to those looking for a beachside chalet that doesn’t cost the earth. Managed by a friendly and very chatty Thai man, who seemed to be one of the few on site with English skills, Bangrak Beach Club has a clutch... Read our full review of Bangrak Beach Club.

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Samui Pier Resort is located in the heart of Bang Rak beside the Petcherat Pier, and offers a variety of rooms from budgetish to more comfortable in a beachside lawn setting. They have a lot of things going on here: travel agent, hotel, restaurant and motorcycle hire business. They make an effort to attract passing foot traffic in to spend some time relaxing in their well-appointed... Read our full review of Samui Pier Beach Resort.

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If you're looking for pampered luxury but your budget doesn't quite stretch to the salubrious digs hidden away on Laem Samrong, Sala Samui smack bang in the centre of Choeng Mon beach may be the antidote to your woes. A sprawling five-star resort, the gracious staff were very accommodating when it came to walking us through, despite them being run off their feet. They were just as we remember... Read our full review of Sala Samui.

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Sirin Samui had only been open a few months when we breezed through in mid-2016 and while the whole shebang felt like it has been dropped into its location by an alien spacecraft, at least the aliens did a good job. Despite having a heap of dorms and three private rooms, there wasn't a single guest staying at Sirin Samui when we visited, which is a shame, as despite the off-the-beach location... Read our full review of Sirin Samui.

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Samui’s cramped spaces and aggressive touts are quickly forgotten at Banyan House Bed & Breakfast, located off the beach between Choeng Mon and the north end of Chaweng. It’s a reasonably priced option for travellers who plan to rent a vehicle to explore before returning to a relaxing estate that’s like no other place to stay on the island. The B&B takes its name from a huge, century-old... Read our full review of Banyan House Bed & Breakfast.

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A few little dogs scampered up to meet us at Lucky Mother, where a cat lounged on the reception desk and repeat customers chatted with the family staffers. Two rows of white concrete rooms with metal roofs face one another across a narrow lane shrouded in flowering bushes, each with a couple of chairs on the tile porches. The room that we checked was clean and comfortable, even it’s nothing... Read our full review of Lucky Mother Bungalow.

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Looking sharp among a cluster of mostly cheaper guesthouses and hostels on an inland lane in Chaweng’s southern reaches, Ploen has a cool flashpacker style to go with cushy rooms featuring a few extras that we wouldn’t expect for the price. A professional receptionist explained the room options in excellent English before tapping a keycard to lead us upstairs in the small lift to check out... Read our full review of Ploen Chaweng.

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A great choice for a beachfront stay that won’t break the bank, Sans Souci is one of the last resorts that you pass in the far southern corner of Chaweng before the beach road curves inland on the way down to Chaweng Noi and Lamai. It’s quiet down here and the beach is lovely. Brushing up against palms and flowers, most rooms are set in attached white concrete buildings with the front of... Read our full review of Sans Souci Samui.

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Chalala’s melodic name fits the small and quirky resort with a swimming pool, beach access and rooms that look like they were created in Candyland. Set in light-green concrete bungalows on either side of a walkway with plenty of palms, the clean and spacious rooms are designed with firm beds on lofts and red-cushion day beds set in living areas a few steps below. Stone walls and log... Read our full review of Chalala Samui Resort.

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Samui Hostel draws mostly young Western travellers who look past the uninspired name to find good-value mixed dorms and a large common room in a large four-storey building just off the main drag. Dorms come in a few different rooms, all of them mixed, starting with a dim six-bed room in which bunks are set on black frames over grey floors. The slightly pricier dorms come with the same... Read our full review of Samui Hostel.

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Built over the headland that towers above the south end of Chaweng Noi Beach, The Kala features great views and an interesting network of common decks and walkways placed over rocks beside the sea. The cheapest rooms are set in a three-story polished concrete building over a steep incline -- construction must have been no small feet of engineering -- while the higher-end rooms come in... Read our full review of The Kala Samui.

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Crystal Bay Beach Resort sits at the northern end of Thong Ta Kien, perched up on the rocky headland, wedged between the quite busy road and the beautiful waters of the bay. This location has definite pros and cons. The views from some of the rooms are among the best on the bay, as you’re elevated above the sand and so can enjoy a terrific outlook, however the location also backs right onto... Read our full review of Crystal Bay Beach Resort.

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The Samui Jasmine is a classic case of a place not looking like much from the outside but turning out to be a real class act on the inside; we liked it here a lot. This is a small hotel which we'd say has actually earned its boutique label, with excellent and very comfortable chalet-style rooms organised in a rambling and lush garden running down to the ocean. ###4861 We were shown a... Read our full review of Samui Jasmine.

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While Amarina Residence is set just off Lamai beach, the sand is just a minute away on foot, which makes the smart and very well kept rooms here great value for money for those who want some creature comforts without spending the earth. Blink and you’ll miss it walking by the street frontage on Lamai Beach Road, but inside Amarina reveals three floors of rooms, with the higher floors offering... Read our full review of Amarina Residence.

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Yes i-Samui Lamai is in the middle of nowhere and off the beach, but the rooms are really smart, spotless and there's even a small pool to cool off in, so if you've got your own wheels and don't mind being off the beach, this is well worth a look. Rooms are a good size and are housed in a modern two-storey building. Facilities include hot-water bathrooms, flatscreen TVs, minibar, good WiFi, a... Read our full review of i-Samui Lamai.

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Overlooking an excellent stretch of beach, long-running Lamai Wanta remains one of our favourites for central Lamai, with smart hotel-style rooms towards the rear of the resort and excellent value family chalets scattered through the garden. The resort has a rectangular infinity pool right at the beachfront that looks out over the sand and the ocean – it's a bit small for a property with... Read our full review of Lamai Wanta.

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Lamai Coconut sits at the centre of Lamai Beach, with the option of traditional Thai bungalows or rooms in a modern hotel-style building – we recommend the latter. The traditional bungalows are in a walled-in enclosure towards the beach and are typical Ko Samui fare, but are quite dated and the room we were shown was noticeably stuffy. Bungalows are dark wood throughout but you’ll see signs... Read our full review of Lamai Coconut Beach Resort.

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Cute little i-Talay shares the same owner as container hotel Think Retro Cafe over on Lipa Noi and walking into the restaurant here you'll be greeted by the same fun and welcoming vibe as over in Think. The cute little (we'll emphasise the word little here) white with blue details bungalows here were so new when we had a look in mid-2016 that the grass turf was still being laid around their... Read our full review of i-Talay.

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Staff at Lipa Lodge told us they were the first resort to be built on Lipa Noi and you know what, they're still arguably the best place to stay – we liked it here a lot. Set at the end of a trail at the northern end of Lipa Noi village, this large, absolute beachfront property boasts a lawn garden strung with lanterns and dotted with palm trees, plus a couple of right-by-the-sand salas,... Read our full review of Lipa Lodge.

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If you're after a small friendly resort, Lipa Bay Resort, roughly at the centre of Lipa Noi beach, with a small though tempting beachfront horizon pool backing onto some spacious wooden chalets and a two-storey hotel building, is worth a look. Two types of accommodation are available here. Down towards the water are two rows of tightly packed wooden chalets, then at the rear of the resort,... Read our full review of Lipa Bay Resort.

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