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As one of Thailand’s most popular resort islands you’d expect there to be quite a few hostels in Koh Samui, but you’d be wrong. There are actually no traditional Koh Samui hostels in the sense of having cheap beds in dorm rooms and shared kitchens, but the main reason for that is that hotels and guesthouses tend to be quite cheap already so the demand for Koh Samui hostels is low. Who would want to sleep with 7 strangers just to save $5 per night after you spend a few hundred dollars or more getting there? Me either.

But again, the main reason for the lack of Koh Samui hostels is the other places are very affordable already. And instead of having to cook your own meals to save money you can just go to the street stalls or corner restaurants and eat a filling meal for a dollar or two.

This island is larger than you might imagine if you just look at it on a map. There are many different beach areas spread in every direction, and each is a bit different. The Chaweng area is the largest and most popular, but it isn’t the nicest beach. In fact, the main town behind the beach has some run down aspects so even though there are some nice resorts in this area it’s not ideal for everyone.

In fact, Chaweng is so large that many booking sites list it as its own place. If you are thinking about staying in the Chaweng area you’ll find several more hotels listed on a Chaweng page.

This area is known for resorts, but those come in all shapes and sizes on this island. There are posh 4 and 5-star resorts that cost many hundreds of dollars per night, and also basic bungalows that start around $US6 per night per person, such as the Sukasem Bungalows. It’s a family-run place that isn’t in the center of the nightlife action, but that sort of thing is ideal for many people, especially the Koh Samui hostel crowd. Their cheapest rooms come with a fan instead of air conditioning, but most of the year that’s enough to be comfortable anyway.

If you are interested in some of Thailand’s infamous nightlife you probably want to stay in the Chaweng area. There are bars and discos all over the village behind the beach, but one particular area is dense with the special kind of bars where generous Westerners can get luckier than they might otherwise get back home.

And speaking of location, it’s very important for the Koh Samui hostel crowd to look closely at the area of their hotel or bungalow. Many of the cheapest places on Koh Samui are quite nice and professionally run, but they are several kilometers from the beach cities themselves. So if you are looking just to relax and get away from things and maybe read a book or two a place like that can be ideal, but if you want to go on a pub crawl on Koh Samui make sure you are booking into a place that advertises a close proximity to nightlife and such.

Hostels in Koh Samui