Hat Lamai is Koh Samui's second beach town and has a much more laid back and chilled vibe that it's large brother Chaweng further up the coast. At Hat Lamai it is still possible to get bargain beach shacks that open up onto the golden sandy beaches which during the day are almost deserted. Evenings either revolve around relaxed beach bars, typical owned by the independent hotels or at the late night bars which have a good jovial atmosphere, but do tend to attract old western men with beautiful Thai “girl friends”. Of all of the beach towns on Koh Samui Hat Lamai is a happy compromise between the exotic paradise destination away from the tourist crowds but with amenities not too distant.

Hat Lamai is on the south east of Koh Samui and is separated from the larger bay of Chaweng by a large rock land mass which by road is approximately 10km to the north. Hat Lamai has traditional been the budget traveler resort with many decent budget options but as with constant development the much pricier boutique hotels are appearing along the beach front.

The main town is to the south end of the bay where the sand is more fine and unsurprisingly the budget accommodation is found stretching to the north of the bay where more stones are found in the sea and beach. The benefit having accommodation to the north is that the beaches are completely deserted save for for fellow hotel guests.

Hat Lamai does have an undeserved reputation for attracting western men look for a Thai wife or the associated go-go bars, they both sadly do exist in Hat Lamai but both are easier enough to ignore and certainly do not ruin the area.

Hat Lamai most famous but dubious tourists attractions are the grand father and grand mother rock formations which have been carved by the sea into representations of sexual organs, a bit over rated unless you are a dirty westerner trying to impress you new Thai bride.

There are few other actual tourist attractions of Hat Lamai but the beach is always empty and the sea is very clean and warm what more could be wanted for a beach resort? The sea bed, which though having no living coral, does support a large number of very sociable fish and makes for good snorkeling. The town centre has a range of venues to both eat and drink at from over priced western food through to mobile Pad Thai stands. As with much of Thailand the best food is served where the Thai’s eat so explore before selecting a place to eat.

A minibus from the ferry terminal cost approximately 100 baht, while transfer from Koh Samui airport cost 150 baht. Often hotels will tout for business by providing a free transfer to the selected hotel.

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