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Major city · Thailand

Lamaiละไม

Give Lamai 3 nights: beach mornings, Hin Ta Hin Yai and Wat Khunaram by scooter, Sunday walking street. Skip it if you want quiet.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
THB
Best months
Feb-Sep (Gulf coast dry season); Dec-Feb is the coolest stretch
avoid Oct-Dec (northeast monsoon, rough sea and rain on the Gulf side)
Airport
USM
Nights
3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…
  • Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
  • Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
  • Thailand ↗Check entry rules and any arrival card on the official Thai government sites for your passport; visa-exempt stays and pre-arrival forms change.
  • Thailand ↗Do not criticise or mock the monarchy: insulting the royal family is a criminal offence.
  • Thailand ↗Temples and palaces: shoulders and knees covered, shoes off before entering halls.
  • Thailand ↗E-cigarettes and vapes are illegal to import or use; do not pack them.

Lamai is Ko Samui's second beach strip, on the southeast coast about 20-30 min by road from the airport and Chaweng. It is cheaper and slower than Chaweng, with a walkable core of restaurants, bars and a night market, and the island's best-known rock formations and mummified monks a short ride south. The beach is good, the sea is not always calm, and the town is busier and more commercial than it was. Most travellers use it as a base for 3 nights, or split a Samui week between Lamai and the north coast.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Lamai, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Street or quick mealThai rice or noodle dish at a market stall฿50-120 (≈ US$2–4)
  • BeerBeer: draught in a bar / can at a shop฿90-150 (≈ US$3–5) / ฿40-70 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Budget bedFan bungalow or guesthouse room, a night, per room฿500 (≈ US$16)
  • Mid-range bedFan bungalow or guesthouse room, a night, per room฿900 (≈ US$30)
  • High-end bedFan bungalow or guesthouse room, a night, per room฿1,500 (≈ US$50)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ฿1,500 (≈ US$50) · Mid ฿3,200 (≈ US$100) · High ฿8,000 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocksWat Khunaram mummified monkSunday walking streetCheaper beach strip than Chaweng
Airports
USM Samui Airport (Ko Samui) (Shared minibus to Lamai about 150 baht per person; private taxi charter about 300-400 baht)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Lamai: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

29°C

24°C

6 rd

Feb

30°C

25°C

4 rd

Mar

31°C

25°C

5 rd

Apr

32°C

26°C

7 rd

May

32°C

26°C

14 rd

Jun

32°C

26°C

14 rd

Jul

31°C

25°C

15 rd

Aug

31°C

25°C

15 rd

Sep

31°C

25°C

16 rd

Oct

30°C

24°C

18 rd

Nov

29°C

24°C

18 rd

Dec

29°C

24°C

11 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Lamai's core is walkable, but the ring road sights (Hin Ta Hin Yai, Wat Khunaram, Hua Thanon) are 3-8 km south: use a rented scooter, a songthaew or a taxi. Songthaews run along the ring road between Lamai and Chaweng; agree the fare before you get in. Scooter rental is the usual choice; check the bike and wear a helmet, and an IDP plus your home licence is the legal position in Thailand.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Hin Ta and Hin Yai

go

Door to door: 15-25 min from central Lamai

Scooter or songthaew south along the ring road past Hua Thanon

Free to view; go early before the tour vans. Small beach nearby is for paddling, not swimming.

Wat Khunaram

go

Door to door: 20-30 min

Scooter south on the ring road past Hua Thanon towards Na Mueang

Houses the mummified monk Loung Pordaeng, in a glass case since 1973. Dress covered; it is an active temple.

Wat Lamai

go

Door to door: 5-15 min

Walk or short ride to the temple corner near the market

Cultural hall holds local artefacts including a ceremonial drum dug up in a Lamai village; usually quiet.

Ko Tao diving day

caution

Door to door: Full day, early start

Dive shop speedboat from Lamai; several shops run near-daily trips

There is no diving off Samui itself, so every shop goes to Ko Tao. Two fun dives with lunch, kit and instructor around ฿4,500.

Chaweng

go

Door to door: 20-30 min

Songthaew or taxi north along the ring road

Bigger beach, more nightlife and shopping; use it for an evening, not a base swap.

Nathon

caution

Door to door: 40-50 min

Songthaew or taxi west along the ring road

Ferry pier and island admin town; useful only if you are leaving by boat.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Lamai Beach Road (central strip)

Walk to restaurants, bars and the night market; the busiest and noisiest part.

South end of Lamai

Quieter, near Hin Ta and Hin Yai; mix of beach bungalows and mid-range resorts.

Ring Road / hillside

Cheaper rooms set back from the beach; you need a scooter or songthaew for every trip.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
฿1,200-2,000 (≈ US$40–65) excl. bed
Mid
฿2,500-4,500 (≈ US$80–140) excl. bed
High
฿6,000 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Air-con double room1 × 3 nights × ฿2,500฿7,500
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × ฿3,200฿19,200
Samui Airport to Lamai, shared minibus, both ways2 × ฿300฿600
Scooter rental, one day2 × ฿250 · fuel extra฿500
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ฿400฿800
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge฿2,860
Trip total≈ ฿5,240 per person per day, bed included฿31,460≈ US$1,000

2026 estimate in baht; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Thai rice or noodle dish at a market stall฿50-120 (≈ US$2–4)
Fresh seafood plate at a beach restaurant฿200-500 (≈ US$7–16)
Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop฿90-150 (≈ US$3–5) / ฿40-70 (≈ US$2–3)
Scooter rental, one daypassport deposit is common, avoid leaving your passport฿200-350 (≈ US$7–11)
Songthaew, Lamai to Chawengagree first฿100-200 (≈ US$4–7)
Internet cafe, one hourabout ฿60 (≈ US$2)
Thai massage, one hour฿300-500 (≈ US$10–16)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Lamai is a normal tourist beach town: the real risks are scooter crashes, rip currents in the monsoon months and unpriced bar bills. Lock valuables, use a hotel safe, and treat the sea with respect in Oct-Dec.
  • Rip currents and rough water in the monsoon months; red flags mean no swimming.
  • Scooter rental disputes over existing damage: photograph the bike before you ride off.
  • Bar and restaurant bills with no posted prices: ask the total before you order.
  • Jet-ski and motorbike deposit claims are a known island issue; use operators with clear paperwork.

Emergency numbers

Police
191
Ambulance and rescue
1669
Tourist police (English)
1155

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Lamaiละไม

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

ไปที่ที่อยู่นี้To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police191
  • Ambulance and rescue1669
  • Tourist police (English)1155

Embassy

No embassies on Samui; most countries are represented in Bangkok, with consulates in Phuket and Chiang Mai for some. Check your own embassy's list before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Samui Airport to Lamai, shared minibus: about ฿150 (≈ US$5) per person
  • Samui Airport to Lamai, private taxi charter: about ฿300-400 (≈ US$10–13)
  • Ferry terminal to Lamai, minibus: about ฿60-100 (≈ US$2–4) per person

Say or show

  • สวัสดี — Hello (sawatdee)
  • ขอบคุณ — Thank you (khop khun)
  • เท่าไหร่ — How much is it? (tao rai)
  • แพงไป — Too expensive (phaeng pai)
  • ไม่เผ็ด — Not spicy, please (mai phet)
  • ห้องน้ำอยู่ไหน — Where is the toilet? (hong nam yu nai)

Emergency numbers are national. Tourist police 1155 answers in English.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Lamai. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Feb-Sep (Gulf coast dry season); Dec-Feb is the coolest stretch · avoid Oct-Dec (northeast monsoon, rough sea and rain on the Gulf side) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for USM: minibus and taxi charter bands field-checked, late-arrival fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: central Lamai strip, the market and boxing-ring corner, south-end beach, Wat Lamai and the ring road.
  3. Place pages with verified entry rules (Hin Ta Hin Yai, Wat Khunaram, Wat Lamai) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Monsoon and red-flag fixtures so beach days can go green or be swapped for inland plans.

Meanwhile

Back to Thailand

Sources