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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Chaweng
เฉวง
Stay 3–4 nights if you want beach plus nightlife; pick north Chaweng for quiet, central for bars, Chaweng Noi for resorts.
Chaweng is the longest and busiest beach on Ko Samui's east coast, about 7 km of white sand with a reef offshore and Samui's densest strip of restaurants, bars and hotels behind it. It splits into three parts: North Chaweng (quieter, upmarket resorts), Central Chaweng (shops, nightlife, fast food) and Chaweng Noi, a calmer headland beach to the south. It is a few minutes from Samui airport, so most arrivals land here first.
- Country
- Thailand
- Local name
- เฉวง
- Best months
- Feb–Sep (Gulf coast dry season); Dec–Jan can bring rain and rough water
- Avoid
- Oct–Dec (northeast monsoon, wettest on the Gulf side)
- Stay
- 3–4 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ฿1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid ฿2,500–4,500 excl. bed · High ฿6,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance 1669 · Tourist police 1155
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Beach vendor food (fruit, satay, corn, coconut) | ฿50 per item |
| Thai dish at a local restaurant | ฿100–200 |
| Western main (pizza, pasta, burger) | ฿200–350 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | ฿80–150 / ฿40–60 |
| Motorbike taxi, short hop | ฿30–150 |
| Scooter rental, per day | ฿100–200 |
| Car or jeep rental, per day | ฿800–1,500+ |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- USM · Samui International Airport
- A few minutes' drive south of Chaweng; taxi from the airport transport desk about ฿400, shared van about ฿120 per person (check)
Typical fares
- Samui airport → Chaweng, taxi desk
- about ฿400 (check)
- Samui airport → Chaweng, shared van
- about ฿120 per person (check)
- Chaweng → Lamai, songthaew
- about ฿100–150 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Chaweng is walkable along Beach Road, but the strip is long: use a songthaew or motorbike taxi for hops of more than 1 km (0.6 mi). Motorbike taxis run about ฿30–150 depending on distance; rented 100–125 cc scooters about ฿100–200 per day. Taxis rarely use meters, so agree the fare first. Cars and jeeps rent from about ฿800–1,500 per day.Chaweng is walkable along Beach Road, but the strip is long: use a songthaew or motorbike taxi for hops of more than 0.6 mi (1 km). Motorbike taxis run about ฿30–150 depending on distance; rented 100–125 cc scooters about ฿100–200 per day. Taxis rarely use meters, so agree the fare first. Cars and jeeps rent from about ฿800–1,500 per day.
See and do
Known for
- Chaweng Beach
- Soi Green Mango nightlife
- Dive shops and island trips
- Beach vendors and seafood
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ang Thong National Marine Park | Day boat from Chaweng or Nathon piers; most dive shops and agencies book it | Full day, roughly 07:00–17:00Full day, roughly 7:00 AM–5:00 PM |
| Koh Tao | High-speed catamaran or ferry from Samui; several Chaweng dive shops run day trips | 2–2.5 h each way |
| Lamai | Songthaew or taxi south along the coast road | About 20–30 min |
| Bophut and Fisherman's Village | Songthaew or taxi north along the ring road | About 20–30 min |
Sleep
- North Chaweng
- Quieter end near the airport; larger resorts, fewer bars, best for families and couples.
- Central Chaweng
- Beach Road strip with shops, restaurants and the Soi Green Mango club area; loud until late.
- Chaweng Noi
- Smaller beach over the headland to the south; resort-led, needs a taxi or scooter to reach the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | สวัสดีsawasdee |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkhop khun |
| How much is it? | เท่าไหร่tao rai |
| Too expensive | แพงไปphaeng pai |
| Not spicy, please | ไม่เผ็ดmai phet |
| Where is the toilet? | ห้องน้ำอยู่ไหนhong nam yu nai |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Motorbike accidents are common on Samui; wear a helmet and check your travel insurance covers scooters.
- Agree taxi and songthaew fares before you get in; meters are rarely used.
- Souvenir stalls in central Chaweng often start at several times the fair price; compare a few stalls before bargaining.
- Beach vendors are persistent but leave you alone if you say no.
- The club area around Soi Green Mango is loud until the early hours; check your room's distance before booking.
Chaweng is busy and generally safe for tourists; the real risks are scooter crashes, unlit roads at night and bar bills with no posted prices — ask the total before you order.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Chaweng yet. Suggested stay: 3–4 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Chaweng Beach
- Soi Green Mango nightlife
- Dive shops and island trips
- Beach vendors and seafood
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tourism Authority of Thailand: www.tourismthailand.org/
- OpenStreetMap — Chaweng: www.openstreetmap.org/#map=14/9.5234/100.0598
- Wikivoyage: Chaweng, revision 5242093 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5242093
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Chawengเฉวง
ไปที่ที่อยู่นี้
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on Samui; most countries' embassies are in Bangkok, with consulates in Phuket for some. Check your own country's list before you travel.
Tourist police 1155 answers in English; keep your hotel's address card for taxi drivers.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/chaweng). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.