Infinity Residences and Resort Koh Samui

Koh Samui island of Surat Thani Province or often, simply Samui as it is referred to by locals, is an island off the east coast of Thailand, close to the mainland Surat Thani town. It is Thailand's third largest island after Phuket and Koh Chang, with an area of 250 km2. Koh Samui is rich with natural resources, white sandy beaches, coral reefs and coconut trees. Koh Samui is also known as ?Coconut Island? as it gives harvest to over 2 million coconuts per month. Koh Samui is a beautiful tropical destination with picture-perfect white sandy beaches surrounding the island and lush tropical forests that cover the mountainous interior.
History
The idyllic island was probably first inhabited about 15 centuries ago, settled by fishermen from the Malay Peninsula and Southern China. The name Samui is mysterious in itself. Perhaps it is an extension of the name of one of the native trees, MUI, or from the Malay word SABOEY, meaning "safe haven?. Koh is the Thai word for "island". Until the late 20th century, Koh Samui was an isolated self-sufficient community, having little connection with the mainland of Thailand. The island had no roads until the early 1970?s, and the 15 km journey from one side of the island to the other involved a whole-day trek through the mountainous central jungles.
Today Koh Samui drives on a successful tourist industry, as well as exports of coconut and rubber. It has its own international airport with daily direct flights to Bangkok and other major airports in Southeast Asia like Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Koh Samui is located in the Gulf of Thailand, about 35 km east of Surat Thani town. The island measures some 25 km at its widest point. It is surrounded by about sixty other islands, which compose the Ang Thong National Marine Park and include other tourist destinations like Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. The central part of the island is a jungle mountain with Khao Pom peaking at 635 m. The various lowland areas are connected together by a single 51 km ring road, running mostly along the coast to encircle the bulk of the island.
The old capital is Na thon, on the southwest coast of the island. It remains the major port for fishing and inter-island transportation. Na thon is the seat of the regional government, and the true commercial hub of the Samui locals. It has a charming pace, and is almost small enough to walk everywhere. The old Chinese shop houses along the middle street whisper of an exotic history. Na Thon is a ten minutes drive from Infinity Residences and resort Koh Samui.
Each of Koh Samui's primary beaches is now also nominally considered as a small town, due to the number of hotels, restaurants and nightlife that have sprung up in recent years. Take a dip into the inviting waters and delve even deeper with snorkeling and SCUBA equipment or sail away on a catamaran outfitted with everything you need for a day of deep sea fishing.
Administration
Koh Samui is an Amphoe (district) of Surat Thani Province, subdivided into 7 subdistricts. The complete island is one municipality. The district covers the island, as well as the Ang Thong archipelago and some other small islands nearby. Na thon is considered to be the capital of Amphoe Koh Samui.


Climate
Koh Samui, being in Surat Thani Province, has essentially two seasons: warm and tropical most of the year, with a very short rainy season. Unlike Phuket and most of the rest of Southern Thailand which has a 6-month rainy season between May and November, Koh Samui's weather is relatively dry for the vast majority of the year, with the rainy season being primarily confined to November. For the rest of the year, since the weather is tropical, when it does rain, it usually doesn?t last long. Rain showers of 20?60 minutes are typical.
When you think Koh Samui, think of blue skies and golden sunshine.
Economy
Historically the island's economy has been based around agriculture and fishing, with coconuts as the main cash crop. From 1980 onwards, tourism has become an economic factor and is now the dominant industry. The construction of a stable, high-speed internet connection in recent years has also made the island a feasible location for IT-based enterprises, which are beginning to provide a certain degree of economic diversity. The island's climate and accessibility make it particularly attractive for international investors.
Transportation
Koh Samui Airport (USM) is a private airport originally built by Bangkok Airways, which is the main operator and was for a long time the only airline with services to Koh Samui from mainland Thailand. Now other carriers like Thai Airways and Firefly also supply Koh Samui with international visitors.
Several ferries connect the island with the mainland, including the car ferry from Don Sak to a pier in the west of the island. Public buses operate from a small bus station located in the south of Na thon to all parts of Koh Samui..
Songthaews (=tuk-tuk style buses) circle the ring road, and private taxis are available throughout the island although these are often criticised for failure to use meters and flagrant overcharging. Therefore we recommend to rent a car during the period of your stay. They can be rented at diverse rental agencies and are an easy way of going around. Infinity Residences and Resort Koh Samui highly recommends a Toyota Fortuner for the whole period of your stay which is the best available and safest option for your holidays.
Driving round the island will bring you face to face with some of the region?s most important Buddhist landmarks like a 36-foot tall Big Buddha statue, an iconic Koh Samui symbol, to a relic of Buddha?s footprint and temples featuring mummified monks. A set of salaciously shaped stones, Hin Ta and Hin Yai, are strong fertility symbols and as you cruise by villages, stop and browse shops: they fashion locally cultivated pearls into beautiful craftworks. If all that isn?t off the beaten track enough, answer the call of nature with quad-biking, jungle coaster cable rides, mountain biking and waterfall hikes for your fill of thrills.

Local culture
Lifestyle
Koh Samui is in southern Thailand where the inhabitants of the island, known as 'Chao Samui', are Buddhist. In the past, most of the locals made their living in the coconut farming business. Nowadays, however, most work in jobs related to tourism. Many locals have become wealthy from selling off land. As a result of the extensive development of the island, many Thai-Chinese have come to Koh Samui from the capital of Bangkok.
Most of the manual labor needed to keep up with the island?s growth has been provided by people native to the country?s poorer north-eastern region. As a result, there is a wide cross section of economic classes on the island. The south of Thailand is a melting pot of Buddhists, Thai Chinese, Muslims and traditional sea-faring gypsies. Koh Samui does not suffer from the religious tensions in communities along the southern border of Thailand or from the political tensions in the capital Bangkok. The locals live in harmony with each other and with the foreigners so with this broad mixture of cultures, Koh Samui is always celebrating some tradition or another, including the western ones.
Resorts & bungalows
After the exploding tourism in Koh Samui there has been a growth in new resorts on the island. Infinity residences and resort Koh Samui is the latest and most innovative of them all. The economic growth of Koh Samui has lead many businessmen from all over the world to invest in Koh Samui and future only looks prosper. With over 260 resorts and bungalows in Koh Samui, counting from the end of year 2009, it has become Thailand's largest resort business behind Bangkok.
Events and festivals
? Buffalo Fighting Festival: One of the best-known festivals on Koh Samui is its Buffalo Fighting Festival, which is held on special occasions such as New Years Day and Song Kran. Unlike Spanish bull-fighting, the fighting on Koh Samui is fairly harmless. The fighting season varies according to some ancient customs and ceremonies. The buffalo are beautifully decorated with ribbons and gold-painted leaves. Before the contest which lasts just two rounds, monks spray them with holy water. The winning owner typically takes home millions of baht in prize money.
? Ten Stars Samui Art Party: A recurring cultural event bringing together art lovers, local Thai and international artists exhibiting their new, original artworks. These events, hosted at various high-end resorts and other 5-star venues on the island, focus on building the art community on Koh Samui.
? Bowling Championship: This is an annual bowling event held in May every year.
? Avis Samui Tennis Open: The annual amateur tennis tournament held in July.
? The Fisherman's Village Festival: This five-day festival is celebrated with fun, music and food. The music is usually played by well-known artists and food tents sell inexpensive cuisine provided by local hotels. The rest of the year Fisherman?s village is a must do during your Koh Samui holiday.
? Samui Regatta: The Samui Regatta is a sailing tournament, held every year. The tournament is internationally known and competitors come from as far away as Australia, Singapore, Japan and China. This event, for boats of all sizes and shapes, began in 2002.
? In recent years there is now also the Samui Triathlon!
Local food
In general, Southern Thai food is renowned for its spiciness. Much of the local cuisine is very diverse and has many origins and options. Koh Samui is also spoiled with the presence of many international top restaurants.
Nightlife
Nightlife begins with Koh Samui?s most breathtaking sunset in your Infinity Residence and ends on the Chaweng strip where Thai kickboxing, buffalo fights and cabarets jostle for attention among clubs, bars and many restaurants. Alternatively, settle into one of the idyllic coves at Fisherman?s Village with a charming collection of restaurants and beachfront bars.
Medical care
There are four international private hospitals on Samui: Samui International Hospital on the Beach Road in North Chaweng, Thai International off the Lake Road in Chaweng, Bandon Hospital on the ring road and Bangkok Samui Hospital in Chaweng Noi.
Infinity Residences and Resort Koh Samui recommends only the facilities of Bangkok Samui Hospital as it is our point of view they comply with the highest norms of international medical treatment.
The Government Hospital is in Na thon but only used by local Thai. There are also numerous clinics and pharmacies, especially at Chaweng Beach.
Retirement
There are many retirees living on Koh Samui, making it a popular destination for retirement in Thailand. This is probably due to the climate, natural surroundings, and ease of living on the island.
Infinity residences and Resort Koh Samui is perfect and offers long stay rentals for retirees who do not want to go ahead with the purchase of an apartment, penthouse or villa for sale: do not hesitate to contact us for diverse retirement options.
For further information also visit: www.mfa.go.th