In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Nathon
Skip Nathon as a base unless you need the ferry port; 1–2 hours at sunset is enough. Stay in Chaweng or Lamai for beaches and nightlife.
Nathon is Ko Samui's main ferry port on the west coast, not a resort town. Most visitors pass through on arrival or departure. The Saturday Walking Street and sunset views from the pier are the main draws, but the island's better beaches, restaurants and accommodation are on the east and north coasts. A half-hour stop or one evening is enough.
- Country
- Thailand
- Best months
- Feb–Sep (dry season on the Gulf coast)
- Avoid
- Oct–Jan (monsoon, rough seas, some ferry cancellations)
- Stay
- 0 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 excl. bed · Mid ฿1,200–2,500 excl. bed · High ฿2,500+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Pad Thai from a Walking Street stall | ฿50–80 |
| Beer (local) at a restaurant | ฿60–100 |
| Coffee (iced) | ฿40–70 |
| Songthaew ride (5 km (3.1 mi))Songthaew ride (3.1 mi (5 km)) | ฿50 |
| Taxi from pier to Chaweng | ฿300–500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- USM · Samui Airport
- About 25 min by taxi or songthaew to Nathon pier
Typical fares
- Songthaew pier → Chaweng
- about ฿50, 20 min
- Taxi pier → Chaweng
- ฿300–500, 20 min (negotiate)
- Ferry Nathon → Surat Thani mainland
- about ฿200–400, 1.5 h (check)
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
Songthaews (shared pick-up trucks) run the ring road from the pier to Bophut and Chaweng for about 50 baht for a 5 km (3.1 mi) ride. Taxis are unmetered: negotiate the fare before getting in. Scooter rental is common on the island but requires caution on the ring road.Songthaews (shared pick-up trucks) run the ring road from the pier to Bophut and Chaweng for about 50 baht for a 3.1 mi (5 km) ride. Taxis are unmetered: negotiate the fare before getting in. Scooter rental is common on the island but requires caution on the ring road.
See and do
Known for
- Ferry port to mainland and Ko Tao
- Saturday Walking Street market
- Sunset views over the Gulf of Thailand
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chaweng | Songthaew from the pier, about 20 min | 30 min |
| Lamai | Songthaew from the pier, about 25 min | 35 min |
| Bophut | Songthaew from the pier, about 15 min | 25 min |
| Mae Nam | Songthaew from the pier, about 10 min | 20 min |
Sleep
- Nathon town centre
- Near the pier and Walking Street; limited budget options, mostly guesthouses.
- North or east coast
- Better beaches and more choices; 10–20 min drive to the pier.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | สวัสดีsawasdee |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkhob khun |
| How much? | เท่าไหร่thao rai |
| Too expensive | แพงเกินไปphaeng koen pai |
| Where is the toilet? | ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหนhong nam yu thi nai |
| I don't understand | ไม่เข้าใจmai khao jai |
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
- Ferry schedules change with weather: check the operator's page before heading to the pier.
- Taxis from the pier may quote inflated fares; agree on the price first.
- The ring road has no footpath in many sections; walking between villages is not recommended after dark.
Nathon is safe during the day and during the Walking Street market. At night the pier area is quiet; use a taxi or songthaew to return to your accommodation. Petty theft is rare but keep valuables out of sight.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Nathon yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ferry port to mainland and Ko Tao
- Saturday Walking Street market
- Sunset views over the Gulf of Thailand
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Nathon, revision 5289942 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5289942
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/nathon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.