Thailand is a spiritual, colorful and peaceful land. Ko Samui in particular has a special concentration of energy and is graced with beauty. Ko Samui is a tropical island located in the Gulf of Thailand. It is a beautiful and natural place possessing both tropical lush jungles and white sand beaches, surrounded by sapphire blue sea. It is situated in a high energy zone which has a direct positive effect on the yoga and meditation. Transformation definitely happens. It is an ideal environment to focus, practice and grow.
Flights to Bangkok, Thailand
There are quite a few options to fly with to Bangkok. Many European, Asian, U.S. national airlines fly there. Shopping around about three months in advance will usually produce the best option. From the U.S., we have flown on Korean Airlines, China Airlines, Cathay Pacific from LA/ New York who have had the best rates and good service. It involves a stop over in Hong Kong, Seoul or Taipei. If you are in Europe there are many international airline choices, usually flying eastbound. Some airlines like British Airways fly direct with daily service. Anyone based in Australia/ New Zealand or Asia will find it a hop, skip, and a jump. Best to check prices on-line first and then work with your travel agent for promotional fares. For U.S. check www.orbitz.com, www.expedia.com Expect to pay between US $700 and US $1000, depending on your location.
Visa requirements
Australia, USA and most European countries do not need a visa if staying less than 30 days. If you are planing on staying longer, you should get a tourist visa from the Thai embassy in your resident country for 60 days. You can also extend your visa while in Thailand. Visa extensions now cost 1900 baht for 15 -30 days on either 30-day or 60-day visa. Over staying your visa costs 200 baht per day, with a maximum fine of 20,000 baht.
For visa info, go to www.thaiembdc.org/index.htm for USA; www.thaivisa.com for all other countries
There is also a departure tax of 500 baht when leaving the country from the Bangkok international airport. If you leave overland, there is no fee.
Money
You can check to see the latest exhange rate www.xe.com Traveler's cheques are always a safe option, byou get a better exchange rate through your bank by using the ATM machine. There are many ATMs and currency exchange places on Samui.
Health
Thailand is a very clean healthy place to visit. No immunization shots are required. With the latest SARs scare in Asia in March 2003, Avian Bird Flu 2004-05. Thailand has been even more cautious with tourist safety. You can always check the World Health Organization (WHO) for updates. We recommend you take precautions to keep your immune system strong. Drink bottled water, wash your hands regularly, eat clean healthy foods (do not eat street food), take vitamin supplements if necessary.
Weather (from www.kohsamui.org)
Thailand's climate is tropical. High in both temperature and humidity. Most people find it pleasant. The average temperature is about 30 degrees Celsius, or 86 degrees Fahrenheit. When it is getting too hot, just enter a air conditioned room or shop for a while and you will "refill your batteries". Remember to drink a lot of water. Even if it is more or less "summer" here year round, you could say that Thailand and Koh Samui has three seasons:
Dry Season, December - February: The dry season on Samui. Not much raining, but it can be a some refreshing wind or breeze on these islands then. Great for bodysurfing. The sun is shining a lot on us at this period of the year!
Hot Season, March - August: The weather is still dry in this time, and rather hot. In May the raining may increase a little. This is a great period to visit Samui if you can stand 30-35 degrees Celsius daytime. The sunshine is still dominating the day time, almost as much as in the Dry Season.
Rain Season, September - November: Also known as the monsoon season. It's still hot and normally, there are many sunny days anyway. Sometimes you might find yourself in a refreshing monsoon shower for a moment. The rain showers often last just for a short while though and as these island's water supplies are finite, the water is needed.
Note! The climate seasons are not exactly the same as in Krabi and Phuket, as these destinations are located in/at the Andaman Sea and Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao are located in the Thailand Gulf.
Travel Tips from Bangkok to Ko Samui
By Air
Bangkok Airways is the only airline that flies direct to Ko Samui from Bangkok. They operate approximately 17 flights per day during high season. First flight out is around 7 am and last flight is around 9 pm daily. Contact www.bangkokair.com You can book your tickets on-line directly. One-way is around 3500 baht or look for special web fares for 2000 baht one way. The flight is approximately one hour from Bangkok. There are also international direct flight from Singapore, KL, and soon starting April 05 to Hong Kong. When flying out of the Samui airport, there is a 300 baht departure tax, paid on the return journey out of Samui.
By Train
Bangkok to Samui: Trains for Surat Thani, which actually stop in Phun Phin, 14kms. west of Surat Thani, leave from Bangkok's Hualamphong station. The 6.20pm (rapid) and the 7:15pm (express) trains are most convenient as it arrives at 5.28am and 7 am allowing you plenty of time to catch a 8 am boat to Ko Samui. The bus + ferry journey will be an extra three hours once you've arrived in Surat Thani. Songserm offers a joint ticket (train + bus + boat) for around 1300 baht which you can arrive in Ko Samui by 11am in the morning.
Tickets for the train can be booked at Bangkok Airport, Bangkok Railway Station and many travel agencies in Bangkok. To purchase your train tickets in advance, Asia Discover Thailand can arrange for the tickets to be mailed or to be picked up at your Bangkok hotel. Allow at least one month before your departure date to arrange for train tickets.
Samui to Bangkok: Take the 2.00pm boat from Nathon to the mainland, a connecting bus will take you from the pier to the train station in Surat Thani. Tickets purchased from agents in Samui normally include the boat, bus and train fares. The ticket is cheaper if you go to the station yourself but there is a good chance that the train will be fully booked as much as a week in advance.
Extending your stay
Without a visa in advance, foreigners are allowed to stay 30 days in Thailand. If you have a tourist visa, these are generally good for 60 days, with the opportunity to extend to 90 days. Visa extensions cost about 1900 baht. Overstaying your visa costs 500 baht per day, with a maximum fine of 20,000 baht. You can extend your visa at the Immigration office in Ko Samui. They are open Monday through Friday 8.30am to noon and 1pm to 4.30pm. Bring one passport photo with you to speed things up
Traveling around Thailand
