Koh Samui · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
Samui costs more than the mainland but Lamai, the ring road and the ferry combos keep it doable.
Lamai and Maenam
The cheap dorms sit behind Lamai beach and along quiet Maenam in the north; Chaweng is louder, busier and dearer for the same bed.
What a day costs
Dorm 300–600 THB, food 200–350 THB at markets, songthaew or scooter 150–250 THB. Around 700–1,200 THB, roughly 21–36 USD.
Getting around cheap
Songthaews circle the ring road by day on negotiated fares of 50–100 THB; scooters go for 200–300 THB, and Lomprayah ferry-and-bus tickets reach Phangan, Tao and the mainland.
Free by day
Na Muang's two waterfalls, the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rock formations at Lamai, and the Friday walking street in Fisherman's Village.
Fisherman's Village, Bophut
The old teak shopfront street turns into a night market on Fridays and keeps a slower bar scene than Chaweng, good for arriving alone.