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Major city · Thailand

Ko Sametเกาะเสม็ด

Go for 2–3 nights if you want a beach 3.5 h from Bangkok; skip if you need quiet, cheap beds or a party scene — Ko Samet is neither.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
THB
Best months
Nov–Feb (dry, cooler, busiest weekends)
avoid May–Sep (rainy season, though lighter here than other Thai islands); Thai long weekends year-round
Airports
UTP · BKK · DMK
Nights
2–3
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.

Ko Samet is the closest real beach island to Bangkok: a bus to Ban Phe, a 30–45 min ferry, then a 7 km island with one road and a dozen small bays. It is a national park, so you pay an entry fee on arrival, beds cost more than the mainland, and the island runs dry of cash fast — one ATM. Two or three nights covers it; more only if you are happy doing nothing.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Ko Samet, 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 noodle soup or rice dish฿60–150 (≈ US$2–5)
  • Beercan at a shop / large bottle at a bar฿40–60 (≈ US$2)฿90–150 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Budget bedFan bungalow or hostel bed, a night, per person฿400 (≈ US$13)
  • Mid-range bedAir-con bungalow or hotel double, a night, per room฿1,800 (≈ US$60)
  • High-end bedAir-con bungalow or hotel double, a night, per room฿4,000 (≈ US$130)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ฿900 (≈ US$30) · Mid ฿1,800 (≈ US$60) · High ฿3,500 (≈ US$110)

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.

Hat Sai Kaew (Diamond Beach)Fire-twirling shows on the east-coast beachesKhao Laem Ya–Mu Ko Samet National ParkShort hop from Bangkok and Pattaya
Airports
UTP U-Tapao (Pattaya) (Closest airport, about 60 km / 1 h by taxi to Ban Phe pier; domestic and some international flights) · BKK Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) (Bus to Rayong/Ban Phe, or taxi about 2.5–3 h; the usual arrival for most travellers) · DMK Don Mueang (Bangkok) (Reach Ekamai or Victory Monument first, then bus or minivan to Ban Phe)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Ko Samet: 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

31°C

22°C

2 rd

Feb

31°C

24°C

3 rd

Mar

32°C

25°C

4 rd

Apr

33°C

26°C

6 rd

May

32°C

26°C

12 rd

Jun

31°C

26°C

13 rd

Jul

31°C

26°C

13 rd

Aug

31°C

26°C

14 rd

Sep

31°C

25°C

15 rd

Oct

31°C

24°C

12 rd

Nov

31°C

23°C

4 rd

Dec

31°C

22°C

2 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

One main road, partly concrete and partly dirt. Songthaew (pickup with benches) is the standard: 20–60 baht per person when shared, about 200 baht for a private run. Motorbikes rent for 300–400 baht/day; the road inside the national park is rough, so only ride it if you have experience. Walking works between the northern beaches.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Ko Kudi (Ko Ku Dee)

caution

Door to door: Half day

Charter boat from Ban Phe; national park island with beach and reef

No rooms; the park office rents tents at 200 baht per person per night. Arrange the boat in Ban Phe.

Ban Phe and Rayong

skip

Door to door: 1–1.5 h

Ferry to Ban Phe, then songthaew or taxi to Rayong

Mainland town for the bus and seafood; not a reason to leave the island.

Pattaya

overnight

Door to door: 2.5–3 h

Ferry to Ban Phe, then bus or taxi north

Too far for a return day; go if Pattaya is your next stop.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Hat Sai Kaew / Nadan Pier

Main beach and ferry pier; most restaurants, the busiest sand, easiest arrival with bags.

Ao Hin Khok and Ao Pai

One headland south of Hat Sai Kaew; quieter, walkable to the nightlife, mid-range bungalows.

Ao Wong Deuan

Second-largest beach, own ferry link and a mini-mart; good for families, some ferry noise.

Ao Thian / Ao Wai / Ao Karang

Southern bays, quietest and priciest; Ao Wai and Ao Karang sit behind resorts, so access is limited.

Ao Prao (west coast)

Only west-coast beach, sunset side, three upmarket resorts; currents bring litter from Rayong.

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
฿900–1,600 (≈ US$30–50) excl. bed
Mid
฿1,600–3,000 (≈ US$50–95) excl. bed
High
฿3,000 (≈ US$95)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Air-con bungalow or hotel double1 × 2 nights × ฿1,800฿3,600
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × ฿1,800฿7,200
National park entry, foreign adult2 × ฿200฿400
Ferry Ban Phe ↔ Ko Samet, one way2 × ฿50฿100
Motorbike rental, one day2 × ฿350฿700
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ฿300฿600
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge฿1,260
Trip total≈ ฿3,465 per person per day, bed included฿13,860≈ US$450

2026 estimate in baht; transport to Ban Phe excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Thai noodle soup or rice dish฿60–150 (≈ US$2–5)
Beer: can at a shop / large bottle at a bar฿40–60 (≈ US$2) / ฿90–150 (≈ US$3–5)
Songthaew between beaches (shared)฿20–60 (≈ US$1–2)
Songthaew private runabout ฿200 (≈ US$7)
Motorbike rental, one day฿300–400 (≈ US$10–13)
Windsurfing / catamaran sailing per hour฿700 (≈ US$25) / ฿1,000 (≈ US$35)
Speedboat Ban Phe → Nadan Pierfrom ฿600 (≈ US$19)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

The island is calm and low-crime; the real risks are motorbike crashes on the dirt road, sea urchins, and running out of cash. Keep valuables in a room safe, not on the beach.
  • National park entry fee is two-tier: foreign adults 200 baht, Thai adults 40 baht (Nov 2024 rates; check current).
  • One ATM on the island, opposite the Hat Sai Kaew Tourist Service Centre; bring cash from the mainland.
  • ATMs at Ban Phe pier charge high withdrawal fees — take out money in Bangkok or Rayong instead.
  • Ferries leave when full, so the printed timetable is a guide, not a promise.
  • Buy a one-way ferry ticket (50 baht); a round trip costs the same and locks you to one pier.
  • Sea urchins and sea lice on the north-coast beaches; watch where you swim.
  • Weekends and Thai holidays fill the island and double some room rates.

Emergency numbers

Police (general)
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.

Ko Sametเกาะเสม็ด

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

ไปที่ที่อยู่นี้To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police191
  • Ambulance1669
  • Tourist Police1155

Embassy

No embassies on the island; the nearest consular help is in Bangkok, with honorary consulates in Pattaya and Rayong (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Ferry Ban Phe → Ko Samet: 50 baht one way, 30–45 min; boats leave when full
  • Bus Ekamai (Bangkok) → Ban Phe: about 173 baht, 3.5 h
  • Minivan Victory Monument → Ban Phe: about 250 baht per person
  • Taxi Rayong → Ban Phe pier: metered about 1,600 (≈ US$50) baht; off-meter 2,000–2,500 (≈ US$65–80) baht

Say or show

  • สวัสดี — Hello (sawatdee)
  • ขอบคุณ — Thank you (khop khun)
  • เท่าไหร่ — How much is it? (tao rai)
  • ห้องน้ำอยู่ไหน — Where is the toilet? (hong nam yu nai)
  • ไม่เผ็ด — Not spicy, please (mai phet)
  • จ่ายบัตรได้ไหม — Can I pay by card? (jai bat dai mai)

Cash is king: one ATM on the island and high fees at Ban Phe pier.

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 Ko Samet. 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: Nov–Feb (dry, cooler, busiest weekends) · avoid May–Sep (rainy season, though lighter here than other Thai islands); Thai long weekends year-round · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 5 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 3 day-trips, door to door
  6. 7 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to Thailand

Sources