Lamai Beach and the Sunday walking street

A relaxed beach town with a wide bay, a weekly street market and some of the island's best people-watching.

Area

East coast

Start from

Lamai

Distance

–

Time needed

A day and an evening

Best season

January – September

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Scooter, taxi or songthaew

Tickets & rules

None

Why go

Lamai is Samui's second beach town, smaller and slower than Chaweng. The bay is wide and gently curved, with granite boulders at both ends and shallow, swimmable water through most of the dry months. Mornings belong to joggers, dog walkers and Thai families taking a dip before work; afternoons to sunbathers under the casuarina trees.

On Sunday evenings the centre of town closes to traffic and becomes a walking street market. Stalls sell grilled seafood, southern Thai curries, roti, fresh juices, hand-made jewellery and the odd plastic toy nobody needs. Local teenagers busk, grandmothers sell sweets wrapped in banana leaf, and the whole town seems to be out at once.

Lamai is also a practical base. It sits halfway between the lively east coast and the quieter south, so waterfalls, temples and fishing villages are all within a twenty-minute ride.

The story

Before the road around the island was finished, Lamai was a village of rice paddies, coconut groves and fishing boats. People travelled to Nathon, the main town, by boat or on foot along forest paths that took most of a day.

Wat Sila Ngu, a short ride south, is known for its tall red-brown pagoda, which looks especially striking in the late afternoon. Its name refers to a rock that resembled a snake, and like many temples on Samui it has its own small legend about how the site was chosen.

The Sunday market is part of a wider Thai tradition. Towns across the country close a street once a week and turn it into a place to eat, shop and catch up with neighbours. Tourists are welcome, but the real audience is local.

Getting there

Lamai is about fifteen to twenty minutes south of Chaweng on the ring road. Songthaews run between the two during the day; in the evening you'll need a taxi or your own scooter.

The walking street is in the centre of town, close to the main crossroads; just follow the crowds and the smell of grilled pork.

A suggested plan

1. MorningSwim early, when the sea is flat and the sand is still cool.
2. MiddayLunch in a small Thai restaurant set back from the beach, where prices drop and portions grow.
3. AfternoonWalk to the rocks at the southern end, then visit the red pagoda of Wat Sila Ngu nearby.
4. Sunday eveningGraze your way through the walking street: one stall at a time, small portions, many tastes.

Where to stay

Guesthouses, bungalows and mid-range resorts line the bay. The northern and southern ends are quieter than the centre.

Good to know

• Try khanom krok, the little coconut pancakes cooked in a dimpled pan, and kua kling, a fiery dry southern curry.
• Carry small banknotes; stall holders appreciate not having to break big notes.
• If Sunday doesn't fit your plans, smaller night markets pop up in Lamai on other evenings too.