Bophut

Bophut sits on the north coast, and its distinguishing feature is Fisherman’s Village: a strip of old shophouses turned into restaurants and bars along the seafront. That matters because it solves the problem most of the quieter Samui beaches have, which is that there is nowhere to walk to after dark.

The location scores split neatly along that line. Riviera Beach Hotel and Hansar, both in the Village itself, score 9.7, the joint highest location figure we list on the island. Pico scores 9.1 and NH Collection 9.1 along the same coast. Jade cottages, a few minutes inland off Bophut Soi 1, scores 8.4.

Jade is around ฿2,250 a night for 15 to 18 November 2026 and Riviera around ฿5,750, for broadly similar guest scores on everything except position. Little Stay, a few minutes inland, is around ฿4,051 for 12 to 15 January 2027.

The other pattern is service. Five of our six Bophut listings score 9.5 or higher on staff, and Riviera hits 9.8. Individually those numbers are not unique on the island, Garrya scores 9.9 at Choeng Mon and Phannarai House a flat 10 at Lamai. What stands out here is how little the figure moves across the group: only Little Stay, at 9.3, sits below it.

No smoking on the beach. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources lists Bo Phut among 24 beaches where smoking is banned, and says it provides designated smoking areas on them. The penalty is up to a year in prison, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both. Our guide to Thai laws has the detail, including why the list may since have changed.