Situated in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui is renowned for its wonderful climate, white sandy beaches, clear warm water and rich tropical jungles. Once known as 'the backpacker's secret,' this sun-lover's paradise has seen its image change dramatically in recent years, with five-star resorts, exquisite restaurants, first-class shopping facilities, luxurious spas and bustling pubs and nightclubs springing up everywhere.

The appeal of the island is easy to understand. Surrounded by the bluest waters and longest beaches in the region and dotted with some of the most beautiful plant and wildlife species found anywhere, Koh Samui is an island that everyone seems to discover, sooner or later.

Indeed, passenger arrivals to Koh Samui have been on the rapid increase in recent years, with the number of arrivals by air nearly doubling from 2000 to 2006 and expected to continue increasing with the recent opening of the new Samui International Airport. Likewise, the number of foreign residents choosing Koh Samui as a place to live has been rising dramatically, and experts in the housing industry are now saying that the island's property market is moving "into a more sophisticated and sustainable phase of development." (Property Report Thailand, September 2007)

Would-be residents seeking an active lifestyle will find no shortage of things to do on Koh Samui. The island boasts world-class boating, shopping, dining, golfing, swimming and diving, fishing, trekking, site-seeing, boat and cruise line touring and a full range of other pleasurable activities and sites. Indeed, visitors are often surprised to find that there is more to do on Koh Samui than they actually have time for.

Yet, in spite of its growing popularity, Koh Samui has managed to retain most of its laidback feel and rustic charm. The 'distinctly island feel' is still very much present, with the local people as friendly and welcoming as ever, and peace and quiet never all that hard to find.

This combination of tranquility and prosperity has earned the island a reputation as a world-class travel and living destination. Indeed, American media giant MSNBC recently ranked Koh Samui #2 on its list of the world's five best islands on which to live, praising the island's "golden sand, softness of the Southeast Asian sky and water in shades of teal, tiger-beetle green and peacock blue." (MSNBC, "The 5 Best Islands to Live On," Summer 2007).

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