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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Mae Nam
Spend 1–2 days in Mae Nam for a quiet beach stay; skip if you need nightlife or clear water diving.
Mae Nam is a low‑key beach district on Ko Samui’s north shore with a 7 km white‑sand stretch, cheap fan bungalows and easy songthaew links to Chaweng and Bophut. One full day covers beach time and a short trip to nearby towns; a second night adds relaxed sunrise and optional karting.
- Country
- Thailand
- Best months
- Feb–Apr
- Avoid
- May–Oct (monsoon, reduced water clarity)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget 800–1,200 baht excl. bed · Mid 1,200–1,800 baht excl. bed · High 1,800+ baht excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance 1669 · Tourist police 1155
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bungalow (fan) | 350–400 baht |
| Meal at Angela's Bakery | 120–200 baht |
| Eddy's Modern Food & Drinks plate | 80–150 baht |
| Mister Pu all‑you‑can‑eat BBQ | 89 baht |
| Songthaew ride | 50–100 baht |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- USM · Samui Airport
- Taxi or songthaew to Mae Nam about 30 min
Typical fares
- Songthaew Chaweng → Mae Nam
- ≈80 baht, 15–20 min (check)
- Motorbike hire per day
- ≈200 baht, includes fuel
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Songthaew from Chaweng (50–100 baht) or Nathon (50 baht) runs the ring road; motorbike hire common (≈200 baht/day).
See and do
Known for
- 7 km white‑sand beach
- sunset at east end
- karting on main road
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bophut | Songthaew along ring road, about 15 min | ≈30 min round trip |
| Chaweng | Songthaew or motorbike, 20 min | ≈40 min round trip |
| Nathon | Songthaew, 10 min | ≈20 min round trip |
Sleep
- Maenam Village Bungalows
- Fan bungalows 350–400 baht, 10 m from sea; motorbike hire 200 baht/day
- Rainbow Bungalows
- Fan or air‑con rooms 300–700 baht
- Shangrilah Beach Bungalows
- Fan huts 300 baht, beachfront
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | ขอโทษkho thot |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkhob khun |
| How much is it? | ราคาเท่าไหร่rákhaa thâo rai |
| Can I have the bill? | เช็คบิลได้ไหมchék bin dâi mâi |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Sea is usually calm but has moderate drift; water often not clear
- Last songthaew runs around midnight; plan return early
Mae Nam is generally safe; watch for occasional strong currents and keep valuables secure on the beach.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Mae Nam yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- 7 km white‑sand beach
- sunset at east end
- karting on main road
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Mae Nam: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123456
- Wikivoyage: Mae Nam, revision 5325137 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5325137
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/mae-nam). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.