On the North coast of the island, Mae Nam offers spectacular views of Koh Phangan to the North, and the Ang Thong National Marine Park to the East. The waters are calm and clean, being protected from the North Easterly currents by Koh Phangan. Mae Nam's restaurants and bars still retain much of the local Thai flavor as well as more reasonably priced, even inexpensive, food.
Bo Phut, adjacent to Mae Nam, is relaxed and more traditional than the larger beaches. Known as Fisherman's Village, it is popular with French tourists and has a number of expensive, but good French-owned restaurants.
Choeng Mon, one of the smallest beaches, lies in a secluded bay on the north eastern tip of the island, making it perfect for those who want peace and quiet, and warm sea all day. It does not have a town, but there are a number of small restaurants and shops, and it is only five minutes from the bright lights of Chaweng,
Ao Tong Takian is another small beach North of Lamai. Known as Silver Beach, it is popular among tourists for its white inviting sand. Be a little careful if you are walking in the water, as Tong Takian has a lot of corals. Bang Rak is often known by the name Big Buddha Beach, after the 19-metre statue of that spiritual leader which overlooks the area. Bang Rak is very close to the airport, and is one of the calmest beaches.
Isolated until the late 20th century, Samui was a self-sufficient community, having little connection with the mainland of Thailand and being without roads until the early 1970s. Historically the island's economy has been based around subsistence agriculture and fishing, with coconuts as the main cash crop. From the 1980s onwards however, tourism has become an economic factor and is now the dominant industry.
Today it has its own international airport, with daily flights to Bangkok and other major airports in Southeast Asia. The availability of a high-speed internet connection has also made the island a practicable location for IT-based enterprises, which provide a degree of economic diversity. The island's climate and accessibility make it particularly attractive for international investors.
