Local Knowledge

Taxis

Cabs cruise around the more populous areas of the island. Meters are installed but their purpose seems to be primarily decorative, so agree on a fare beforehand.

Tipping culture

A 10 per cent service charge is usually added to hotel and restaurant bills, but staff seldom see this. Leave a cash tip for especially impressive service.

Siesta and fiesta

As on most tropical islands, regard for timekeeping is scant. Most hotels and large restaurants will operate regular hours, but you’ll find the more local establishments open late in the afternoons.

Packing tips

Bermudas, singlets, bikinis and sundresses are de rigueur. Flip-flopping is acceptable everywhere. Make sure you’re armed with insect repellent: Samui has some very single-minded mosquitoes.

Recommended reads

You’ll have heard of Alex Garland’s paradise-lost tale, The Beach, much of which is based on nearby Koh Phan Ngan. Try sci-fi escapism with The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson, or track down a copy of Carol Hollinger’s Mai Pen Rai Means Never Mind for an engaging insight into Thailand through the eyes of an expat.

Cuisine

As you’d expect from any fishing community, flipping-fresh seafood is noteworthy; look out for sour and spicy fish soup, prawns with tamarind, and oysters from mainland Surat Thani. There’s also an abundance of coconuts thanks to the prolific palms – delicious when paired with chilli, chicken, coriander and lemongrass in tom kha gai soup.

Currency

Thai baht. £1 is approximately THB50.

Time zone

GMT +7

Dialling codes

Country code for Thailand: 66; local code for Samui is (0)77.

Do go/don't go

Koh Samui has two high seasons – from May to November and from January to March – both producing a high number of sunburnt bodies and motorbike mishaps. It’s still pleasantly sunny during the off-peak periods, but be prepared for rain.