Ko Samet

Ko Samet
	Panorama of Ko Samet
Waters	Gulf of Thailand
Geographical location	12 ° 34 '4 " N , 101 ° 27' 17" E Coordinates: 12 ° 34 '4 " N , 101 ° 27' 17" E
length	6.5 km
width	2.3 km

Ko Samet ( Thai : เกาะ เสม็ด , also Koh Samed and similar spellings) is an island (Ko, Thai เกาะ = island ) in the Gulf of Thailand , about 6.5 kilometers off the coastline of Rayong Province ( Thailand ).

Location and characteristics

The island has very beautiful sandy beaches and excellent diving spots where corals can be seen. Today more and more tourists and weekend vacationers from the nearby capital Bangkok come here to relax. Accommodation on the island consists mainly of simple huts, but you can also camp if you have the necessary equipment.

beaches

The main beaches are:

Hat Sai Kaeo (glass sand)
Ao Cho
Ao Wongduan
Ao Wai

transport

The usual way to get there is via Bangkok, for tourists from the Ekkamai bus station on Thanon Sukhumvit ( Sukhumvit Street ), the bus takes about three and a half hours to Ban Phe . From there there is a ferry that takes about 30 minutes to the island, you can also rent speedboats. Most of the roads on the island are new and concreted. However, the few existing dirt roads can become impassable in heavy rain. It is possible to rent a quad or motorcycle and use it to move around the island. There is also a taxi company for transport.

National park

With the exception of the Na Dan area, the island has been part of the Khao Laem Ya - Mu Ko Samet National Park since October 1, 1981 , together with the islands of Ko Kuthi (also: Ko Kudi - เกาะ กุ ฎิ ), Ko Kruai ( เกาะ กรวย ), Ko Kham ( เกาะ ขาม ) and Ko Plai Tin ( เกาะ ปลา ติ น ).