Life has been a bit hectic since the last newsletter, so apologies for not getting one out in March. This edition will be in a travel blog-esque style, with three short trips packed in, which I hope will make up for the long absence from posting in this section.

KOH SAMET ISLAND

‘Koh’ means ‘island’ in the Thai language. This little gem is the nearest and most convenient beach getaway from Bangkok - not including the mainland beaches in Pattaya or Huahin, as I do not recommend swimming in the water there.

It takes roughly 2.5 hours to drive 194km from Bangkok to Sri Ban Phe pier in Rayong on the eastern seaboard. The cheap buses from Mo Chit bus terminal and minivans departing from the bus depot and victory monument are often involved in fatal accidents; the drivers drive extremely recklessly. Without your own car or a rental, it is advisable to haggle with a taxi driver for the journey - aiming for a 1700-2000 baht price. Then at least you can apply more pressure to the driver to slow down and obey traffic laws, if you have your own private taxi.

Upon arriving at the pier in Rayong, a pedestrian ferry ticket is cheap at 100 baht per person - the journey to the island takes 45 minutes to an hour. There are speedboat options for a faster journey of 15-20minutes; sharing with random people will be cheaper, around 500 baht each. A private speedboat will cost up to 3,000 baht (includes return journey) - only worthwhile if you’re with a group of friends / family of six to split the cost.

There’s an entrance fee to pay at a kiosk at the island’s pier upon arrival, I think it was 200 baht for me as foreigner, and 20 baht for my Thai wife. There are ‘songtaew’ taxis available after walking off the pier, which cost 100 baht (I think, it’s been a while) - the driver stops off at all the beaches and / or resorts depending on the passengers’ destinations.

Personally, I prefer to rent a motorcycle for 300-400 baht per day - I walk to the nearest rental shop from the pier and try each shop until I find one with a bike to rent. It is best to arrive on the island as early as possible as the motorbikes are rented out quickly, especially on weekends or public holidays. I know all about the horror stories of foreigners getting screwed over by these bike rental shop owners - for example, them claiming that the person renting the motorbike scratched it up when the scratches were pre-existing…An argument ensues and a big fine is demanded from the tourist to pay up. For sure these stories do hold water, but I believe they are more common elsewhere, like Koh Samui.

I have never had any issues with renting motorbikes on Koh Samet. I do possess a valid Thailand motorcycle license. The shop owner always wants to keep another form of ID back, so it is handy to have a car drivers license to give them, rather than a passport or cash deposit.

There are lots of little beaches to be discovered riding around the island…

One of my favourites is Ao Nuan - the smallest beach with a resort called ‘Ao Nuan Huts’ where large wooden huts on stilts can be rented with sea views for 1500 baht per night.

My next favourite is Ao Wai - one of the farthest beaches to travel to from the pier. Beautiful white sands, clear water, and a decent restaurant. A tranquil place.

Ao Cho beach is also peaceful, but with a fun little reggae bar that gets livelier at night, serving decent grub: