Lamai Beach, Koh Samui — The Relaxed Second Beach: Soft Sand, Hin Ta & Hin Yai Rocks, the Walking Street · 2026 Guide

Get to know it

What Lamai is — and why many people stay here instead of Chaweng

When people picture Koh Samui, most picture Chaweng Beach — the island's longest, busiest main strip. Drive 15 to 20 minutes south along the ring road, though, and you reach Lamai, the second-largest beach, which looks much the same — a long arc of sand, clear water, green hills behind — but feels distinctly different: fewer shops, fewer people, less noise, and mostly lower prices.

Lamai is not a deserted beach. Behind the sand is a town with everything you need — restaurants, bars, cafés, massage shops, markets and convenience stores, all within walking distance of each other. It is simply Chaweng with the volume turned down by about half. At the southern end of the beach stand Hin Ta & Hin Yai (หินตา หินยาย), the Grandfather and Grandmother rocks of local legend and one of the island's most photographed spots, and once a week the Lamai walking street fills an evening with cheap food.

Ever booked a beach with plenty of restaurants and bars, only to find the music pounding outside your room at 2 a.m.? Lamai is the fix for that, because it gives you nearly all of Chaweng's convenience at a far gentler pace. That is why couples, longer-stay travellers and second-time Samui visitors so often end up on this side — compare the whole coastline first in the guide to all of Koh Samui's beaches.

Lamai Beach, Koh Samui — a long curve of sand with palms and green hills behind, seen from the rocks at the southern end — Lamai Beach — several kilometres of curved sand against green hills, photographed from the rocks at the southern end near Hin Ta & Hin Yai

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Character

Second beach · relaxed

Restaurants, bars and markets — clearly quieter than Chaweng

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Location

Southeast coast

~10 km south of Chaweng · ~15–20 min by car

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Swimming

Proper swimming depth

Deepens faster than Chaweng in parts · mind red flags in monsoon

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Famous spot

Hin Ta & Hin Yai rocks

Legend-bound rocks at the southern end · mostly free to visit

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Food

Walking street + beachfront

Walking street usually Sunday night · check locally

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Getting around

Songthaew + negotiated taxis

No metro or train on the island · rented scooters demand care

How it feels when you arrive

The vibe of Lamai — sea by day, easy dinners by night

Swim or read under the palms by day, take a beach massage in the afternoon, walk to Hin Ta & Hin Yai before sunset, then close the day with a seaside dinner and a low-key bar — all without the commotion.

The appeal of Lamai is that it sits exactly halfway between a party beach and a silent one. By day the sand is wide enough to find your own patch without trying. The water is deep enough for a real swim. In the afternoon, beach massage shops charge around ฿300 to 400 an hour and there are plenty to choose from. As evening falls, the streets behind the beach come to life — restaurants light their grills, bars play music at a level where you can still hold a conversation, and if you hit walking-street night you can graze for hours on small change. If Chaweng feels like too much and Maenam feels like too little, Lamai is where many people land.

1

People who want a good beach + full amenities, minus the chaos

Balanced base · Full amenities · Calmer pace

This is who Lamai was made for — a beach nearly as good as Chaweng, with restaurants, bars, convenience stores, ATMs and clinics all in one area, yet you walk back to your room and sleep without club bass following you. Compare the personality of every beach first in the guide to all of Koh Samui's beaches.
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Couples and longer stays

Couples · Slow mornings · Beach massage

Lamai's rhythm suits unhurried trips — coffee by the sea in the morning, a swim before noon, a beach massage in the afternoon, photos at Hin Ta & Hin Yai before dinner by the water. People settling in for a week or more tend to pick this side because it never wears you out, and every major sight on the island is still a 20-to-30-minute drive away.
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Value travellers who still want to sleep near the sand

Value base · Beachfront for less

Room rates in Lamai generally run lower than Chaweng for a similar standard — from guesthouses and small beachfront resorts up to the top tier — and the local food around the area is well priced too. Work out which part of the island fits you in the where-to-stay guide for Koh Samui, and compare standout stays in the top 10 hotels on Koh Samui.
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People using Lamai as a base to tour the island

Ring-road base · Day trips

Lamai sits right on the ring road (Route 4169) on the southeast coast — Chaweng is 15 to 20 minutes north, the Na Muang waterfalls about 15 to 20 minutes inland, and the temples and old fishing villages of the south coast are close. With a rented car or scooter, everywhere feels easy from here. See the full list of sights in things to do on Koh Samui.

What to see

The key spots in Lamai — the sand, the rocks and the walking street

🌊 Lamai Beach — a long curve of sand you can really swim at

The beach itself is the main event — several kilometres of curved, soft sand with water that stays clear most of the year. What sets it apart from Chaweng is that in places the seabed drops away a little faster, so you can have a proper swim without wading out forever. Both ends of the beach have rocks (some underwater), so the middle stretch is the easiest place to get in. In the monsoon months (~October to December) the waves build and some days bring red flags or rip currents — never swim against a red flag, and judge the sea day by day. Read how the Gulf-coast seasons really work in the best time to visit Koh Samui.

🪨 Hin Ta & Hin Yai — the island's most famous legend-bound rocks

At the southern end of the beach stand Hin Ta & Hin Yai (หินตา หินยาย), the Grandfather and Grandmother rocks — granite formations naturally shaped like male and female genitalia, which has made them a photo stop nearly everyone on Samui makes. Local legend tells of an elderly couple who sailed off to ask for a bride for their son, drowned when a storm sank their boat, and turned to stone to prove their good intentions. Visiting is mostly free (there may be a donation box or a small parking fee — check on the day). The walkway in passes souvenir stalls whose speciality is kalamae (กะละแม), a local sticky coconut-caramel sweet you can usually taste before buying. Morning or late afternoon brings the best light and thinner crowds.

🌙 The Lamai walking street and night market

Land on the right evening and you get the Lamai walking street — stalls of local food, clothes, souvenirs and sweets running the length of the central street, with most snacks around ฿20 to 80 each, so you can graze your way full for under ฿200. It usually runs on Sunday night (nights can change — confirm with your hotel). On other evenings, central Lamai still has clusters of food stalls and small night-market areas to keep you fed. If you want the island's biggest market night, Friday belongs to the Fisherman's Village walking street in Bophut on the north coast.

🛕 Wat Lamai and the local side of town

A few hundred metres from the tourist strip is Lamai's local side — Wat Lamai, the neighbourhood temple, keeps a small hall of old island household tools and artefacts that you can wander quietly (opening times vary — treat it as a bonus if it is open). Around the temple are a morning market and southern-Thai rice-and-curry shops at genuinely local prices, where people from the neighbourhood actually eat. Dress modestly on this side — shoulders and knees covered — and you will see the Lamai most visitors drive straight past.

⛰️ Viewpoints behind the beach and the Na Muang waterfalls

The land rises straight behind Lamai, and the hills hold several viewpoints and hillside cafés looking down over the whole bay (most charge an entry fee or a minimum drink — check on the day). Drive another 15 to 20 minutes inland and you reach the Na Muang waterfalls, the island's best-known falls — an easy half-day pairing with an afternoon swim back at the beach. For routes and everything else around the island, see things to do on Koh Samui.

Hin Ta and Hin Yai — granite rock formations on the sea at the southern end of Lamai Beach, Koh Samui — Hin Ta & Hin Yai at the southern end of Lamai — the legend of the Grandfather and Grandmother turned these granite rocks into one of Samui's most photographed spots

Eat & drink

What to eat in Lamai — southern Thai food, beachfront seafood and quiet bars

Lamai feeds every budget — market stalls and local rice-and-curry shops on one side, beachfront seafood grills and bars where you can hear the waves on the other.

🍛 Southern Thai food and beachfront seafood

Samui belongs to Surat Thani province, so the local cooking is properly spicy southern Thai — sour orange curry with fish (gaeng som), dry-fried kua kling, and stir-fried liang leaves with egg, found at local rice-and-curry shops for about ฿60 to 120 a plate. Along the beach it is seafood: prawns, fish and crab grilled out front in the evening, with most beachfront mains around ฿150 to 400 and whole seafood priced by weight — always ask the price per kilo before you order. Tables on the sand pay extra for the view; move one row back to the road side and prices drop while the cooking does not.

☕ Cafés, coconuts and bars where you can still talk

Café people get both beachfront coffee shops and hillside cafés over the bay, with most coffees around ฿70 to 150 a cup; the beach staples are roasted coconuts and fruit shakes, available every hundred metres. After dark, Lamai runs to beach bars and live-music spots spread through the town — the overall mood is a drink and a conversation, not a full-scale party like central Chaweng. If you want that kind of night, ride 15 to 20 minutes to Chaweng and come back to sleep somewhere quiet.

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Lamai after dark — cheap grilled snacks, roasted coconuts and the walking street (usually Sunday night — double-check locally)

Where to stay in the area

Why stay in Lamai — and which stretch of the beach to pick

Every level is here, from guesthouses to beachfront resorts — generally for less than the equivalent in Chaweng.

The case for sleeping in Lamai is simple: a beach in Chaweng's class, usually for less money, with better sleep. Many beachfront places put you straight onto the sand, while the inland side of the ring road carries plenty of budget options. The central stretch is the most convenient — close to both the restaurants and the walking street. The beach gets quieter toward its northern and southern ends; the far south near Hin Ta & Hin Yai suits people who want real calm, at the cost of a longer walk or a short ride into the centre.

The trade-off to know: Lamai's late-night scene is clearly smaller than Chaweng's — if big nights out are the point of your trip, this town goes to bed earlier than you will. And in the monsoon months (~October to December) the sea picks up here just as it does island-wide, so choose your season before you book with the best time to visit Koh Samui. We will not guess hotel names and risk a bad booking — use the two pages below, which carry real picks with booking links.

Top 10 hotels on Koh Samui

Every beach, ranked by real review scores — compare price and location first

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Which beach to stay on Koh Samui?

Chaweng vs Lamai vs Bophut vs Maenam vs Choeng Mon — settled in one read

Getting to Lamai and around

Lamai sits on the ring road on the island's southeast coast, a moderate ride from both the airport and the main piers. There is no metro or train on Koh Samui — you move by songthaew (shared pick-up truck), negotiated taxis, hotel transfers, or a rented car or scooter. The figures below are estimates; confirm on the day.

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From Samui Airport (USM)

~30–45 min by car

Chartered taxi/van usually from ~฿500–800 · agree the fare first

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From Nathon / Lipa Noi piers

~40–50 min by car

Crossing from the island's west side · shared minivans cost less than charters

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From Chaweng

~15–20 min

Songthaew by day ~฿50–100/person · taxi ~฿300–500

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Songthaew around the island

Runs the ring road

Semi-fixed routes by day · becomes a private charter at night, prices jump

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Rented scooter

~฿200–350/day

The most freedom, but accident rates are high · helmet + licence, always

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Taxis / Grab

Unmetered — negotiate

Samui taxis are famously pricey · Grab works but cars are limited

The honest version: taxis on Koh Samui rarely use the meter and the island is known for steep fares — agree the price before you get in, every time. Daytime songthaews are the cheapest way along the ring road, but after dark they turn into private charters at a different price level. A scooter gives the most freedom, but parts of the road are steep and winding — ride only if you genuinely ride. The full picture is in the getting-around guide for Koh Samui · arriving by air, read Samui airport to the beaches · coming by sea, read the Koh Samui ferry guide.

Plan your visit

A route through Lamai — half a day or a full day

⏱️ Half-day (~4–5 hours · afternoon into evening)

14:30 — Swim or claim a shaded spot on central Lamai Beach as the sun softens
16:30 — Walk or ride to the southern end for Hin Ta & Hin Yai, tasting kalamae at the stalls by the entrance
17:30 — An hour's beach massage (~฿300–400) before dinner
19:00 — Seafood by the water — or if it is walking-street night (usually Sunday), graze the stalls instead
20:30 — Finish at a beach bar where the waves are still louder than the music

🌇 Full day (+ the waterfalls and the hills behind)

Add an inland morning before the beach:
09:00 — Drive inland to the Na Muang waterfalls while the water is cool and the crowds thin
11:30 — Stop at a hillside café or viewpoint behind Lamai for the full sweep of the bay
13:00 — Southern-Thai rice and curry on the local side of town, then a rest out of the midday sun
15:00 — Down to the beach and straight into the half-day plan above

To swap the full day for a sea day, Samui's classic day trip is a boat tour to Ang Thong National Marine Park (boats often stop running in the ~November–December monsoon). See the island-wide list in things to do on Koh Samui and the complete Koh Samui guide.

Lamai Beach in the afternoon, Koh Samui — the long sand with loungers and umbrellas of the beachfront resorts — An afternoon on Lamai — swim, walk the sand to Hin Ta & Hin Yai, then stay for dinner by the water, all in one stretch

Frequently asked questions

FAQ · Lamai Beach, Koh Samui

Where is Lamai Beach on Koh Samui, and how far is it from Chaweng?

Lamai sits on Koh Samui's southeast coast, about 10 km south of Chaweng — roughly a 15-to-20-minute drive along the island's ring road (Route 4169). It is the island's second-largest beach: a long curve of sand several kilometres long with green hills behind it, backed by a small town's worth of restaurants, bars, cafés, massage shops and convenience stores, all at a clearly slower pace than Chaweng. From Samui Airport (USM) the drive is about 30 to 45 minutes, and from Nathon pier about 40 to 50 minutes.

Lamai or Chaweng — which beach should I stay on?

If you want maximum buzz — the biggest strip, the densest nightlife, the most restaurants and clubs — pick Chaweng. If you want a beach that looks nearly as good but runs quieter, usually costs less, and still has plenty of restaurants, bars and a night market, pick Lamai. Many travellers sum it up as Chaweng with the volume turned down by half. It suits couples, longer stays, and anyone who wants comfort without commotion. If you want quieter still, look at Maenam or Choeng Mon — the full comparison is in the Koh Samui beaches guide.

What are the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rocks, and is there an entry fee?

Hin Ta & Hin Yai (Grandfather and Grandmother rocks) are granite rock formations at the southern end of Lamai Beach, naturally shaped like male and female genitalia — which has made them one of Samui's most famous photo stops. Local legend says an elderly couple sailed off to ask for a bride for their son, drowned in a storm, and turned into these rocks. Visiting is mostly free (there may be a donation box or a small parking fee — check on the day). The walkway in passes souvenir stalls known for kalamae (กะละแม), a local sticky coconut-caramel sweet you can usually taste before buying. From central Lamai it is a few minutes by car, or a walk south along the beach.

Can you swim at Lamai Beach, and when is the sea at its best?

Yes — Lamai is one of the better beaches on Samui for actual swimming, because in places the water gets deep a little faster than at Chaweng. The sand is soft and the water clear most of the year; both ends of the beach have rocks, so the middle stretch is the easiest place to swim. Koh Samui sits on the Gulf of Thailand, so its seasons are the reverse of Phuket and Krabi: the best, calmest sea runs roughly January to April, with a second drier window around June to August. October to December is the island's monsoon (November is the wettest month), when waves pick up and red flags appear on some days — never swim against a red flag, and judge the sea day by day. The honest month-by-month breakdown is in the best time to visit Koh Samui.

How do you get to Lamai, and how do you get around once there?

From Samui Airport (USM), a chartered taxi or van to Lamai takes about 30 to 45 minutes and usually starts around ฿500 to 800 depending on negotiation and drop-off point — always agree the fare before you get in, or book a transfer in advance. Arriving by ferry, you land at Nathon or Lipa Noi pier and drive another 40 to 50 minutes across the island. From Chaweng, a songthaew (shared pick-up truck) along the ring road costs about ฿50 to 100 per person by day, or a taxi about ฿300 to 500. Within Lamai itself you can walk almost everywhere. There is no metro or train on Koh Samui — you move by songthaew, unmetered taxis (negotiate first), limited Grab, or a rented scooter, which demands genuine care on these roads. Full details in the getting-around guide for Koh Samui.

The complete Koh Samui guide

Where to stay, what to see, how to get around — everything before you go

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All of Koh Samui's beaches

Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut, Maenam, Choeng Mon, Lipa Noi — which one suits you

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Things to do on Koh Samui

Beaches, temples, waterfalls, viewpoints and day trips — the trip in one page

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