Peak season:
Trying to figure out the peak season is a little difficult as it isn’t based on the weather. April to October is the best time to fly in regards to the weather, but you’ll find accommodation varies dramatically from one week to the next and cheap flights to Koh Samui will either be easily available, or impossible to find. Koh Samui instead focus their peak seasons on events and school holidays, hotels rates around Easter for example are incredibly expensive, but then a few days later will be extremely cheap again. Your best bet is to decide on a couple of dates you’d be comfortable travelling and then doing any research to see if there are any events, school holidays or bank holidays which would affect the cost of things. Try to avoid Christmas and New Years’ unless you have your flight tickets and hotel room secured well in advance.
Off season:
October and November are the quieter months of the year as the weather isn’t great and can get very wet. You’ll find the cheapest flights to Koh Samui then though so if you’re not a fan of the sunny weather then this would be the perfect time to visit.
May is generally the most pleasant time to visit. Temperatures aren’t too humid and hot but the rain is also a much rarer occurrence. You might struggle to find the cheapest flights to Koh Samui in May however as a lot of tourists do visit the island then. Anywhere from May to late September is great if you’re hoping to take part in diving or other sea activities (although the visibility from Koh Samui isn’t ideal for diving). If you are flexible then you’ll find the cheapest flights to Koh Samui a lot easier. If you have no choice but to travel during a school holiday then make sure you’ve got your flight tickets and hotel rooms booked four, five or even six months in advance to avoid paying hefty prices. Make sure you try to get a window seat for amazing views as you approach. Depending on the direction of the plane the right-hand side could offer slightly better views although nothing worth worrying too much about.
Flights from London to Koh Samui: 13 hours 35 minutes
Flights from Manchester to Koh Samui: 16 hours 25 minutes
Flights from Birmingham to Koh Samui: 16 hours 50 minutes
Flights from Glasgow to Koh Samui: 16 hours 40 minutes
There are a few different airlines that operate cheap flights to Koh Samui with Malaysia, Aeroflot, Emirates, KLM and Bangkok Airways the major players. Bangkok Airways are virtually the only airline to finish the journey and actually land in Koh Samui as they own the rights to the route, however you can still fly in luxury with Emirates until then if you’re budget allows for it. Finding a direct flight from the UK isn’t going to happen so once you have a rough idea when you want to travel you can compare a few different airlines to see who will provide the cheapest flights to Koh Samui. The duration of the journey can make trying to find a higher-end airline more appealing, so if you can afford to pay a little extra, Emirates would be a great choice to consider for a much more satisfying journey.
Once your flights to Koh Samui have landed on the idyllic island, you’ll find yourself a little limited as to how to get to where ever it is you are staying (which you should try and arrange at the same time as you book your flight tickets if you can.) The only real option you have is to get a seat on a mini-van. These are relatively inexpensive although there are higher-end ones too. Official taxis are also limited, and any you do find won’t want to use their metres so you’ll be paying the same or more than the mini-buses. There’s a chance you will get offered a free taxi journey by agreeing to stay at a certain hotel and listen to their time-share presentation, such offers should be avoided politely.