Koh Samui Street Food: Chinese Noodles

Chai-see Ba-mee Gee-ow is a franchise of Chinese-style noodle stalls which are to be found outside 7-11 and Family Mart convenience stores, on street corners and in just about every populated area in the whole of Thailand. The noodle stalls are instantly recognisable with their distinctive yellow light boxes with bright red Thai script.  

Chai-see Ba-mee Gee-ow, Chinese noodle and soup stall, Bangrak, Koh Samui

The most popular dish is 'ba-mee gee-ow', which translates as 'yellow noodle dumplings', which can be served in hot soup ('sai naam') or served with a hot bowl of soup on the side ('heng'). The dish contains yellow, Chinese noodles, rice-noodle dumplings stuffed with pork with sliced ham and green vegetables. The dish is very tasty, as is the soup, with no strong flavours to put off fussy eaters and cheap at only 40 Thai Baht per bowl.

You can order to take your food away or eat-in on provided plastic table and you are provided with dried chilli, sugar, vinegar, crushed peanuts and fish sauce which can be added to the dish to suit your own tastes.







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Big Buddha Statue & Temple, Bangrak, Koh Samui

Koh Samui's Big Buddha statue is one of the island's top tourist attractions and is located within Big Buddha temple ('wat pra-yai'), on a tiny island, on the far eastern side of Bangrak Bay.  Built in 1972, the impressive 12 meter high golden statue glistens in the tropical Samui sun and it is one of Koh Samui's best known landmarks as it can be seen from several kilometers away.

Koh Samui's Big Buddha statue, located in Bangrak, is one of the island's top tourist attractions

The access road to the Big Buddha Temple is located just after the fish market, next to the long established BBC restaurant and there are usually adequate spaces for parking in front of the entrance to the temple just after the first shops that you pass.

Next to the car park are several cheap Thai restaurants, several souvenir shops, ice-cream and refreshment stalls alongside a small selecton of chic boutiques and art shops which are worth a quick browse.

As you pass through the temple gates, a staircase leads up to the Big Buddha statue and at the base of the stairs are two pogodas where monks give blessing to the locals in exchange for offerings which include flowers, candles, food and water.

On the left, is a covered area where you can sign the underside of a temple roof tile (to be added to temple roofs in future building projects) in exchange for a small donation of Thai baht.

To the right are fortune telling machines. To tell your fortune, you first need to work out the day of the week that you were born on. Place a ten baht coin in the machine of the day of your birth (there are 7 in total, one for each day), read the number that is shown when the lights stop spinning and then read the fortune that corresponds to this number which are displayed on the wall in both Thai and English.

At the base of the Big Buddha statue is where locals to pay their respect to the Buddha

Up the staircase brings you to the base of the Big Buddha statue itself. In front of the statue is a small shrine where locals give offering for Buddha, and around the statue are a number of bells which can be rung for good luck using the pices of wood provided at the top of the staircase. This is also a very good spot to take some snaps of the stunning sea and island views which surround the temple.

Big Buddha is well worth a visit to soak up some local culture, take some nice photos and enjpy the views. Please note that visitors are requested to dress politely (i.e. no bikini or thongs). 


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Koh Samui Hospital (Government Hospital)

Koh Samui has one government hospital named Koh Samui Hospital which is located in Nathon, on the island’s western coast. The hospital has undergone a huge face lift recently with a clean, modern waiting area and well-organised staff.

Koh Samui Hospital is clean and well-organised

The waiting room usually has ample seating for all visitors and is well-organised with numbered counters each serving a different purpose. Register at the registration counter and you are given a counter number where you should wait until your name is called. You may then be directed to different counter to pay for treatment, and another which issues pharmaceuticals.

Though not many of the staff are fluent in English, some have enough English skills to allow understanding. Costs for treatment and drugs are extremely reasonable, especially when compared to Koh Samui's International hospitals. 

The main hospital building, car park and landscaped gardens are very clean and well-maintained with ample parking, outside eating areas and a children's play park. A shop sells refreshments, snacks and boxed rice dishes and there is a coffee shop just inside the side entrance to the main building. There is still a lot of re-building going on within the other parts of the hospital as they continue to pour resources into upgrading the interior of the buildings.

I would recommend Koh Samui's Government run hospital for all major and minor emergencies as it is always fully-staffed and the only hospital on the island with the resources to deal with life-threatening injuries and life-saving surgery. I have visited the hospital many times and have always been happy with the service and costs. When my son was delivered at the Koh Samui Hospital (on our paediatrician's advice) I just couldn't believe how well everything went and how friendly and well-organised the staff were. The only thing that could be improved on are the wards which are clean and comfortable, but lacking privacy. There are basic private rooms available at very low rates but they are given on a first come, first served basis.

To reach Koh Samui Hospital, follow the ring road through Nathon from north to south and then take a right turn at the large set of traffic lights just after the town. The hospital is located at the bottom of this road.

Outside eating area, nest to children's play park with stunning views towards Thailand's mainland

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Koh Samui Sea View Villas - A Guide to Hilltop Villas With Views on Thailand's Most Beautiful Island

Koh Samui, a tropical island holiday destination in Thailand's Gulf, offers some of the best beaches in Asia and truly stunning sea and island views, making it one of the best South East Asian destinations to enjoy a luxury villa rental holiday with exceptional tropical views. Samui sea view villas are dotted around the island with the largest density in the busy northeast of the island, specifically the Bophut and Maenam hills, Plai Laem, and the hills above Chaweng and Chaweng Noi. Typical sea view villas have two to six bedrooms with views ranging from partial views to complete 360 degree panoramas and rental rates ranging from approximately $150 to $1,500 USD per night. But just what level of luxury can you expect in return for your hard-earned cash?

At the top end, you can expect to pay between $600 and $1,500 USD per night for a top-class, luxury, three to five bedroom hilltop villa with panoramic views. For this price you would expect the villa to have uniquely designed, stunning interiors with only the most opulent in furnishings, artwork and fittings. These villas can be fully staffed with the latest in electronic lighting and top-end entertainment systems with a villa manager to take care of your every wish. At the other end, you can expect a smaller, two to four bedroom villa with swimming pool and good to excellent sea views, though not panoramic, for around $300 to $600 USD per night which would include daily cleaning.
Rental rates for villas on Koh Samui are highly seasonal. Most of the smaller, medium-budget villas have a high season from December to April and July to September, mid-season from May to June and October to December and peak season during Christmas and New Year. The more luxurious, hilltop panoramic view villas generally have four different rental rates which take into account Asian festivals such as Chinese New Year or Songkran (Thai New Year) when rental rates can sky-rocket.

The best times to look for a bargain are September to mid-December and the months of May and June. The annual monsoon arrives towards the end of the year, usually in November, so booking during the middle of the year should offer more favorable weather. At these times, the majority of luxury sea view villas offers low-season rates and often has free night promotions such as stay four nights and pay for only three.This is also a good time to pick up a good deal on a reduced occupancy rate as you can often save about 20%, for example, on booking a five bedroom villa with only six guests who require the use of three bedrooms only.

Bob Johnston is a leading content writer on Koh Samui hilltop villas and Koh Samui seaview villas.

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Tesco-Lotus Supermarket and Cinema, Chaweng Town, Koh Samui

The largest supermarket on Koh Samui island, Tesco-Lotus (Chaweng) is located on the island ring-road, just between the junctions which take you from Chaweng Town to Chaweng Beach. Please see location on our Koh Samui Map and Interactive Villa Guide. The supermarket has a large stock of food, clothing and electrical products and is one of the first stops for most holidaymakers on arrival to Koh Samui.

Tesco-Lotus as seen from the main island ring-road

Tesco-Lotus also offers a large food court with a good choice of both Thai and international menus, a cinema,  ten-pin bowling, restaurants, cafes, clothing stores, a pharmacy, children's play area and arcade and countless mobile phone shops offering cheap, local SIM cards.

Tesco-Lotus offers a major cineplex cinema

The food court has a cash-card system and you can purchase a card from the booth, adjacent to the children's play area. The court offers almost every Thai dish you could think of and a few European menus. The food is reasonably priced and reasonably tasty but not up to the same standards as other local Thai restaurants in the area.
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Tesco-Lotus food court

The cinema and ten-pin bowling are located towards the back of the compex, behind the food court. The cinema is modern with three screens and a snack-bar and plays both Thai movies (with Thai soundtracks) and Hollywood flicks with English soundtrack and Thai subtitles. For movie screening information please see the major cineplex listings for Tesco-Lotus, Koh Samui.

Restauarants and cafes on offer include favourite Thai franchise restaurants such as Fuji Japanese restaurant, MK (Korean) restaurant, Canyon Coffee, KFC and S&P Bakery.


Behind the cinema, the Homepro store offers all you could possibly need for those on a long vacation planning any DIY home improvement projects. Homepro also offers a large range of all electrical products including TVs, washing machines and kitchen appliances.

Tesco-Lotus is the perfect place to stock up your fridge and grab a bite to eat and is a good option to pass time and keep the kids busy on rainy afternoons.

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Koh Samui Aquarium and Tiger Show

The Samui Aquarium and Tiger Show is located on the southeastern coast of Koh Samui and offers an aquarium, tiger zoo and show, bird zoo and show, sea lion show and otter show.

Samui Aquarium and Tiger Show, Koh Samui Island, Thailand

The aquarium is open every day from 9am with bird and tiger shows starting each afternoon from 1.30pm, so make sure you arrive at least an hour before that to allow yourself time to get through the aquarium and take a look around the bird zoo. The aquarium itself has a reasonable selection of sea life to admire including some species of sharks and large sea turtles which you can feed. Though it is not a modern aquarium and certainly not up to the standards set by large, modern aquariums around the world, it is quite nice to see Thailand's indiginous sea-life up close and personal.

After lunch, the show is kicked off with a Bengal Tiger show. This involves the tigers jumping through burning hoops, walking across various obstacles and sitting nicely in formation. I have to admit that I thought the show was a little uncomfortable to watch as the tigers seem quite aggressive towards the trainers, the trainers looked extremely nervous and I just don't really like to see large, wild animals outside their natural environment. In saying that, my son, who was about 4 years old when he first saw the show enjoyed it tremendously.

Next the bird show, which I enjoyed a lot more than the tiger show. Parrots show off their intellect by riding bicycles and playing games, large eagles grab objects from the trainers' hands in mid-flight (or from volunteers' hands!). Both myself and the family really enjoyed the bird show, especially the kids. After the show is over, kids can go to the stage and have the birds sit on their heads or shoulders (take care as obviously the big bird's claws are large and sharp).


Once you have taken in the aquarium, tiger show and bird show you can have a look at the sea lion and otter shows or just take a stroll and admire the bird species which are kept in large cages in the gardens of the aquarium. You can also pay a fee to have your photo taken with a Bengal Tiger, though I would have to argue that both this and the Tiger Show step a bit over the line and I don't really agree with this practice.

All in all the show is reasonably entertaining for adults and very entertaining for children. If you don't like seeing big animals locked up or people taking pictures of themselves with baby tigers then this is definitely not the place for you. A visit to the Samui Aquarium and Tiger Show will take up about 3 hours of your day and is a good family day out.

Samui Aquarium and Tiger Show is situated next to the Samui Orchid Resort and ticket costs are 450 THB for children and 750THB for adults which gives you access to the aquarium and all shows.

Samui Holiday Villa Rental is your online portal to Luxury Samui villas and Koh Samui Holiday Rentals. Offering Koh Samui beach villas, seaview villas, garden villas, villa resorts and apartments. View our villa and holiday rentals on our new Koh Samui Map and Interactive Villa Guide. Owners and managers of Peerapat Villa, a 4 bedroom, sea view, Samui luxury villa for rent in Bangrak on Koh Samui island's busy North-East coast.

Coco Splash Waterpark, Koh Samui, Thailand

Coco Splash is a petite waterpark with several waterslides, a bar and a restaurant with child-friendly, shallow pools. Located in Lamai, on the eastern coast of Koh Samui, the waterpark has been opened since the start of 2011 and is already making a big splash with island locals and tourists alike.

Coco Splash Waterpark and Restaurant Grill

The largest, yellow slide and the kid's slide

There are three different slides in the park; the largest yellow slide, a small blue kid's slide and an intermediate slide towards the rear of the park. The largest slide might not look like much in the photo but it definitely gets your heart pounding as you pick up speed and slam into the shallow pool at the bottom! The kid's slide is very slow and good for young kids and the curving intermediate slide is good fun for older children.

Sun-beds and covered bamboo salahs with table and chairs

Coco Splash Waterpark, Koh Samui Island, Thailand

The restaurant offers snacks and meals at reasonable prices and free wifi is available. Coco Splash has an entrance fee of 200 THB per person. Entry is free if you don't want to use the pools and slides.

I would highly recommend Coco Splash. My son (7 year old) loved it and didn't stop for the whole afternoon we were there The park has life guards on the larger pools but please remember to supervise your children at all times, especially young children.

To get to Coco Splash, turn from the island ring road at Lamai onto the McDonald's road (see McD sign at junction). Follow the road for about 300 meters and then take the sharp right at the small bridge. The waterpark is 100 meters along this road.





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Loy Kratong Festival, November (annual Thai Festival)

The Loy Kratong Festival occurs during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month and falls in November each year (but on a different calender date each year). The festival is thought to be Brahmin (which forms part of Hinduism) in origin and the purpose of the festival if to thank the water Gods and to float away any problems or bad luck you may have and start afresh  'Loy' is the Thai word for float and 'kratong' is the name for the float itself which is constructed from banana plant stalk and leaves.

Kratongs are made from banana stalk and leaves with flowers, candles and joss sticks

The kratongs are decorated with flowers, delicately folded banana leaves, candles and joss sticks with some coins for good luck. In the south of Thailand people also often add tufts of their hair or pieces of fingernails to the kratong though this practice is unheard of in the rest of Thailand.

When the moon is full, hundreds of thousands of people all over the country float their kratongs on ponds, rivers, canals and beaches (but check the tides as they may cause the kratong to come back which is not good luck!). Loy Kratong is traditionally a time of quiet contemplation and reflection for Thai people to think about the past year and look to the future.

Popular places on Koh Samui to float your kratong are Plai Laem temple and Chaweng lakeside.



Samui Holiday Villa Rental is your portal to Samui luxury villas, Offering Koh Samui beach villas, seaview villas, garden villas, villa resorts and apartments. Owners and managers of Peerapat Villa, a 4 bedroom, sea view, Samui luxury villa for rent in Bangrak on Koh Samui island's busy North-East coast.