Surat Thani Travel and Things to Do Guide

White soft sands and sparkling waters are signatures of the tropical island of Koh Samui, often referred to as the Hawaii of Asia. Just off the east coast of mainland Thailand and the second-largest island in the country, Samui's blue waters, coral reefs, tropical forests and waterfalls make it a much-loved beach destination. Koh Samui event venues benefit from the draw of the island's natural beauty.

Samui International Airport, around 2 kilometers away from the center of town, connects the island to such major Asian destinations as Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Many domestic flights connect it daily to the domestic destinations of Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Krabi. A flight to Bangkok takes approximately an hour.

With no stand-alone convention venues, Koh Samui offers instead the well-developed conference facilities at the island's star resorts. Hotel venues in Koh Samui that are popular with small corporate and mid-sized conferences include the Six Senses Hideaway Resort, which offers a large conference facility to accommodate 1,200 persons; it is ideal for a conference or a corporate off-site. The Anantara Bophut Resort & Spa's meeting rooms are 174 square meters; a ballroom seats up to 200, with a 36-square-meter boardroom (seating of 12) as its the smallest facility. The Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & Spa has 3 meetings rooms and 120 square meters of meeting space. Its largest room seats up to 100. The Centara Grand Beach Resort's 240-square-meter hall seats 200.

Samui has several Buddhist temples (or wats), including the Wat Khunaram and the Wat Phra Yai. Day tours can be made to Ang Thong National Marine Park - an archipelago of around 40 small islands that is best known as the backdrop of the movie, The Beach. Day tours can include a visit to the Aquarium, along with a dolphin-watching trip.