Tubtim Resort — Wooden Bungalows on Tubtim Beach, Koh Samet, Where the Sea Is at Your Door
Koh Samet has plenty of bays to choose from, but Tubtim Beach (Ao Thapthim) is a small, quieter cove than busy Sai Kaew or Ao Wong Duan. Tubtim Resort takes up close to half of it — you walk straight from your room onto the sand, and round the rocks to Ao Phai in a few minutes. What guests keep coming back to is the Thai-style wooden bungalows spread through a shaded garden and a beachfront restaurant that stays open until around midnight — the kind of old-Koh-Samet feeling that is getting harder to find on the island.
Tubtim Resort is a bungalow property that has sat on Tubtim Beach for years. The accommodation is built as dark-wood Thai-style bungalows with gabled roofs, scattered through a tropical garden under mature shade trees, with stone paths linking them together. There are around 109 rooms in total — from air-conditioned garden-view rooms, to sea-view rooms, to beachfront balcony rooms that open directly onto the water. There are also cheaper fan bungalows for travellers on a tighter budget. The detail guests mention most is simply opening the door and hearing the waves straight away.
The heart of the place is the open-air beachfront restaurant set right along the sand. By day it's a spot to eat with the sea in front of you; at night they put tables down on the beach to dine under string lights. The menu runs to Thai food and fresh seafood, and the kitchen stays open from early morning until around midnight. Breakfast is served as a buffet between 7 and 10 am. Next to it sits a beach bar pouring drinks and cocktails by the water, with the occasional fire show on busier nights — groups of friends say this stretch is the reason they book a return stay.
"You open the door in the morning, a few steps and you're on the sand, eating breakfast looking at the sea. This side of the island is far quieter than Sai Kaew — just the right amount of calm."
The location works well for anyone who wants a quiet beach without going too remote. Tubtim Beach sits just below Ao Phai, and you can walk along the sand and over the rocks to Ao Phai in a few minutes. For Sai Kaew, the island's main beach, it's a 15–20 minute walk or a short hop on one of the island's shared songthaew trucks. Further south you can carry on to Ao Phutsa, Ao Cho and Ao Wong Duan. That balance lets you sleep on a quiet beach but still reach the livelier spots on foot when you want a change of scene.
Getting to Koh Samet means a boat from Ban Phe pier on the mainland. You can take a cheap passenger ferry to the Na Dan or Ao Wong Duan piers and pick up a songthaew to Tubtim Beach, or charter a speedboat straight to the front of the beach if you're travelling as a group. The Khao Laem Ya–Mu Ko Samet National Park entrance fee is collected separately when you land on the island. Check the timetable for the last passenger ferry of the day, as evening sailings are limited.
The overall score sits at 9.2/10 from 43 Trip.com reviews, and the resort ranks #7 of 24 places to stay on Koh Samet on Tripadvisor. It carries the SHA Extra Plus health-and-safety certification. The honest complaints are consistent: some of the older bungalows feel worn and tired, shower water pressure can drop at times, and the fan rooms run hot for anyone not used to island weather. A few reviews note slow service when the resort is full. Worth knowing up front so your expectations match reality — this is a beachfront bungalow resort, not a full-blown luxury property.
On price, rooms start around ฿1,400/night for a garden-view bungalow, with sea-view and beachfront rooms running roughly ฿2,000–3,500 depending on the season and position. Over long weekends and high season (November–February) rates climb and rooms sell out fast, because beachfront rooms on Koh Samet are limited everywhere. If you're set on a sea view, book several weeks ahead and compare Agoda, Booking and Trip.com before you commit.
The bottom line: Tubtim Resort works best for travellers who want a beachfront bungalow on Koh Samet at an accessible price and are comfortable with a simple, island-resort style. The real draw is the spot right on quiet Tubtim Beach and the long-hours beachfront restaurant. If you want the best room in the place, pick a sea-view or beachfront balcony and ask for a renovated unit when you book, so the room condition is one less thing to worry about.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Right on Tubtim Beach — walk from your room onto the sand
- ✓ Quieter beach than Sai Kaew, genuinely restful
- ✓ Beachfront restaurant with a good atmosphere, open late
- ✓ Accessible price for a beachfront stay on the island
- ! Some older bungalows feel worn
- ! Shower water pressure drops at times
- ! Fan rooms run hot for those not used to island weather
- ✓ Wooden bungalows in a shaded, private garden
- ✓ Beachfront position with sea views from balcony rooms
- ✓ Beach bar by the water, fire shows on some nights
- ✓ Holds SHA Extra Plus certification
- ! Service slows down when the resort is busy
- ! Breakfast selection is not especially varied
- ! High-season rates rise and rooms fill quickly
- 💡If you want the best room condition — ask for a renovated unit when booking, or choose a sea-view / beachfront room which tends to be better kept → the older fan bungalows feel more tired
- 💡If you're travelling with kids or older relatives — pick an air-conditioned bungalow near the restaurant and beach → some units sit deeper in the garden with a bit of a walk and slight slopes
- 💡If you come over a long weekend — beachfront and sea-view rooms are limited and sell out fast, so book several weeks ahead → walking in during high season risks no seafront room being left