Plai Laem Beach is nestled on the northeastern tip of Koh Samui, where the island reaches out towards Koh Phangan. This charming spot, despite its compact size, is part of an area that boasts seven beautiful beaches along its shores.
Thanks to the unique geography of this part of Samui, these beaches offer a variety of vistas, facing west, north, and east. Plai Laem Beach itself enjoys a picturesque westward view, making it a perfect spot to catch stunning sunsets.
Plai Laem Beach stretches for 1.6 miles (2.6 km). It begins across from the water sculptures on Ko Fan Island, home to Samui’s famous Big Buddha statue, and ends with rocks on the northern part of Samui.
Near the Big Buddha, the beach is about 33 feet (10 meters) wide and maintains this width up to an artificial canal dug near the middle of the beach for fishermen. Here, you’ll find Sunset Pier and numerous boats. Beyond the pier, the beach gradually widens to about 66 feet (20 meters).
The sand along the entire stretch is coarse and brown, mixed with coral fragments. The beach is kept clean in front of the many resorts, while the rest of Plai Laem retains a wild, untouched look with marine debris, seaweed, and old coconuts.
The sea at Plai Laem is swimmable but is more suited for contemplation rather than swimming. It’s less crowded than neighboring beaches like Bang Rak, Tong Sai, and Chong Mon. Overall, Plai Laem gives the impression of an untamed paradise for fishermen and nature lovers.
From a single point, you can see four Samui beaches: Plai Laem, Bang Rak, Bo Phut, and Mae Nam.
Swimming
Entering the water at Plai Laem can be challenging due to rocks, shallow water, and coral debris. From the Big Buddha to the pier, the seabed is muddy with small stones, making it unpleasant to walk barefoot.
During low tide, the seabed becomes visible as the sea recedes 330-660 feet (100-200 meters) from the shore. There is also a stream that drains water from the Wat Plai Laem temple, which stands on a pond. The cleanest part of the beach starts after the pier.
Waves occur during storms and strong winds. Most of the time, the sea is very calm, but it’s better to swim with children at nearby Tongson or Tong Sai beaches.
Sunbeds and Shade
There is plenty of natural shade on the beach, with many palm trees leaning towards the water, perfect for taking photos with an island vibe. Sunbeds are scarce since there are only a dozen resorts along the shore, and they do not rent out loungers. Restaurants and cafes are almost nonexistent.
Beach Photos
Plai Laem Beach, Samui
Amenities
Entertainment at Plai Laem is modest: renting a boat with a driver for sea trips, fishing, and kayaking. There are a few Thai grocery stores in the area, but most of the activity is on the Ring Road. Here, you’ll find mini-markets like 7-Eleven, laundromats, water dispensers, and Thai cafes.
Major supermarkets are about 3-4 miles (5-7 km) away, roughly a ten-minute drive if traffic is light. There’s also a store with latex products nearby. Local attractions for those staying in the Plai Laem area include:
Plai Laem Sor Temple
Big Buddha
Hongsa Alley
Samui Airport is two kilometers from the beach, offering great views of planes heading towards Bang Rak, where the runway is located. The planes are a bit noisy but not overly disturbing.
Taxi fares to the airport are among the lowest on Samui. There’s also a mermaid sculpture in the sea opposite the stream mouth from the Plai Laem Sor Temple, featuring a prominent bust, typical of female figures on Samui.
Accommodation
The entire shoreline of Plai Laem Beach is lined with a dozen resorts of varying comfort levels and rental costs. About half a kilometer from the beach is the newly built condominium Tse Residence by Samui Emerald Condominiums.
There are a few major hotels and many empty lots. You’ll also find industrial sites like a water pumping station, a port, fishing houses, and warehouses. For those not looking for beachfront property, houses for rent are available.
Further inland, there are several rental options at different price points, which can be found in the relevant section of the website. At the northern edge of the beach, a major construction project is underway on the cliffs and coastal area. The island is gradually being developed.
In addition to hotels, you can rent various villas, from more standard options like Shower of Sunshine, which uses natural materials and Thai motifs in decor, to ultra-modern ones like the bright and stylish Shades of Blue 5.
To reach the beach, simply turn towards the sea at any point after passing the Big Buddha. There are many access points, both individual and through the adjacent resorts.
For this article, we chose a central location with parking near the pumping station and free access to the beach right after the artificial canal.
For me it's one of the most beautiful hotels, the rooms are really nice with a pool and a view. It was my wife's birthday and they got me balloons and a cake.You can rent a scooter on site, which is a bit expensive but the service makes up for it.Beach is also very nice, was there in two rooms and both were greatWill definitely come back!
The accommodation here is great. The room is large and has a kitchen. There is an outdoor swimming pool outside. The whole environment is very relaxing. The service staff has a good attitude and is very helpful. Highly recommended.
The breakfast was very good, the staff incredibly pleasant, helpful and nothing was too much trouble. Food from the comprehensive catalog can be ordered to the room. Upon departure, the lady at the reception arranged for us to take our suitcases to Chaweng Beach, where we spent our last day. Thank you for heaven on earth!!!Michal and Petra
The rooms were fabulous. The beds incredibly comfortable. The bidets had water pressure that could strip paint (if you so choose). The room service food (from a near by restaurant because the hotel doesn’t have a restaurant at the moment) was delicious and reasonably priced. The staff went out of their way to be courteous and kind. Lee from reception was especially helpful. But honestly everyone from the front desk to housekeeping was wonderful. The best part was the private patio with a pool. There really is nothing like getting back from a hot and sweaty day in humid Thailand, rinsing off and then watching the sunset over the ocean from your own private pool. The location is a little far away from things but there is a 7-11 within a 5 minute walk and town is about a 20 minute cab ride away.
Great hotel with large spacious rooms. Room facilities are TOP, there is a large bed, a kitchen with 2 hobs, refrigerator, dishes, cutlery, and several small cupboards. There is also a dining area and a living room.The service is great, staff very friendly and accommodating.Unfortunately the beach isn't nice at all, it's too flat and there are sharp-edged stones and corals everywhere.All in all a great hotel, gladly again 🙂
Great hotel in a very quiet location.This is more of an apartment hotel.Unfortunately, the beach section is very shallow, making swimming impossible here. Furthermore, the beach is unfortunately very dirty. I definitely recommend bathing shoes when going into the water, as there are a lot of sharp-edged stones and corals in the water.The hotel staff is very friendly, helpful and accommodating. Keep it up.We'd love to come back.
Apartment hotel along the entire coastline, quiet and isolated from the hustle and bustle.The rooms are large and very comfortable, good air conditioning, a beautiful infinity pool with an amazing view of the bay.We enjoyed being in the pool and looking at the view.The beach is shallow and not swimmable.Breakfast is served to the room according to choiceHighly recommended especially for those who are planning a trip to Kopenhagen and a visit to the nearby fishing village night market
Just one word: PERFECT!I was staying for four days here.I have had a 100qm suite with my own pool.Everything was new, a lot of little details.Perfectly clean, always doing/repairing something.The staff is amazing, thinks about everything (more than me) and super friendly.The breakfast is delicious (especially the coffee!) and always right on time, I ate just 1 of 6 possibilities!The location is not completely central, but for me it was perfect, I need quietness.I REALLY would like to come again!!!
We stayed here for 11 days. At the outset we had a third party issue which meant we needed to visit reception. The team there quickly came up with a solution which saw us stay in a number of the rooms at the property which were all first class. What made our stay great is the team who are all superb, friendly and efficient with the focus being on you the customer. Its not possible to thank everyone by name but special thanks to Oui and Kan. This hotel does not have restaurant or drinks lounge on site so if you need this then this is not for you. If you want a peaceful part of the coast with still good access to everything the island has to offer then sure you will find this a gem. Would return without question.
We stayed at Skye Beach for our honeymoon. This is a boutique resort with direct access to the Bo Phut beach, a bit on the outskirts far away from the hustle and bustle, perfect for a calm and peaceful stay. Our experience was amazing, the rooms are very large with all amenities in place along with attached swimming pool. I must mention that Oui, Kan and View from the reception staff were extremely courteous and helpful all the time during our stay. Will definitely recommend Skye Beach!
Absolutely beautiful hotel with fantastic facilities, ideal for your relaxing isolated beach getaway with 5star service!Staff are amazing and the private beach is to die for!
Skye Beach is not just a hotel. Do not let the name fool you.The staff is amazing. The standard all future places are held.The food is good, not great, but the room SERVICE makes up for it.We had a pool attached to out room, but only used it once. A good relaxer after a day adventuring.All hard surfaces so be ready for that. But we hardly heard neighbors except the people directly above us.
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