Where the beach actually is

Silver Beach, Crystal Bay and Thong Takhian are three names for the same 250-metre cove on Koh Samui's east coast, sitting between Chaweng and Lamai. (If those three names are the reason you're here, we untangled them in a separate post.)

The address is 205 Moo 4, Maret, Koh Samui 84310, just off the main ring road, Route 4169. It's roughly 12 kilometres south of Samui airport — about 25 minutes in normal traffic. A short access lane runs from the highway down to the sand, where Crystal Bay Beach Resort, Crystal Bay Yacht Club and the Crystal Bay Beach Club share the beachfront.

One thing to know before anything else: the cove is set back and below the road. You won't spot the water from the highway. Look for the Crystal Bay signs at the turn-off instead.

From Samui airport

Koh Samui Airport (USM) is the open-air terminal in the northeast of the island. Once you're through arrivals you have four workable options.

Our driver — 600 baht per way

The simplest version. Send us your flight number when you book, and our driver will be at the last meeting point outside arrivals holding a sign with your name. It's 600 baht per way, about 25 minutes, and you pay the driver directly. After a long flight it's one fewer negotiation.

Taxi from the airport rank

There's a taxi counter in the arrivals hall for a metered or fixed-price car. Expect 600 to 800 THB and about 25 minutes. Air-conditioned and comfortable.

Grab or Bolt

If you have the app and a working connection, request a ride from just outside the terminal. Fares typically run 400 to 600 THB — the cheapest private car from the airport. Drivers usually arrive within 5 to 10 minutes.

Airport minibus

The shared airport minibuses are the budget route and cost less per head, but they run a fixed loop of drop-offs and you may sit through several before yours. Fine if you're travelling light and unhurried.

From Chaweng

Chaweng is the closest major tourist area — about 15 minutes south along the coast road.

Grab or Bolt

Drop a pin at Silver Beach or Crystal Bay: 200 to 350 THB, about 15 minutes. The most common route travellers take.

Songthaew

The converted pickups with two benches in the back and a roof for shade. They run the main ring road between Chaweng and Lamai through the day. Fare is usually 100 to 150 THB per person. Stand on the main road, flag one heading south, and say "Silver Beach" or "Thong Takhian." They stop on the highway, so you'll walk the access lane down to the sand.

Scooter

About 15 minutes on Route 4169. The road is well surfaced and the route is simple. There's a small parking area near the beach entrance.

From Lamai

Lamai is the nearest town, just to the south.

Grab or Bolt

150 to 250 THB from central Lamai, about 10 minutes.

Songthaew

Catch one heading north on the main road. 80 to 100 THB per person, roughly 10 minutes to the Silver Beach turn-off.

On foot

From the northern end of Lamai it's walkable — around 2.5 kilometres along the coast road, about 30 minutes. Pleasant in the morning or late afternoon. Less pleasant at midday, and there's no continuous pavement, so stay alert.

From Bophut, Maenam and Nathon

Bophut and Fisherman's Village

About 30 to 35 minutes, east then south along the coast. A Grab runs 400 to 550 THB.

Maenam

North coast, so 35 to 40 minutes. Grab fares 450 to 600 THB.

Nathon

The ferry port on the west coast. If you're arriving from Surat Thani or Don Sak, the drive across the island takes 40 to 45 minutes. Grab is the most reliable option at 500 to 700 THB.

Renting a scooter

A scooter is the standard way to get around Koh Samui, and it's the difference between seeing the bay and seeing the island.

Cost: 250 to 350 THB a day for a 125cc automatic. Weekly rates come down if you ask.

Licence: you need an International Driving Permit with a motorcycle endorsement to ride legally in Thailand. Police checkpoints do happen, and riders without one are fined — usually 500 THB on the spot. Worth knowing that most travel insurance is void without the correct licence.

Fuel: a full tank is about 80 to 120 THB and lasts several days of casual riding.

Parking: there's a small public area near the beach entrance at the bottom of the access lane. Guests at the Beach Resort or Yacht Club park at the property.

Safety: helmet always, it's the law. Avoid riding at night where you can, and watch for sand blown across the road near the beaches.

The access lane — the bit that catches people out

The cove sits below the ring road, reached by a short access lane. It is narrow, and guests mention it:

"The entrance road was a bit rough and narrow."

— Google review of the Beach Resort, July 2021

"Access to the hotel is through an narrow mud road is only thing we could think as negative. Everything else was great."

— Agoda review of the Yacht Club, August 2025

Both are accurate. In a car it's a non-event. On a scooter, take it slowly — more so after rain. On foot from the main road it's about five to seven minutes downhill, which is fine arriving and warmer on the way back up.

Tips worth having

  • Google Maps is reliable here. Search "Crystal Bay Beach Resort" or "Silver Beach Koh Samui." GPS coordinates: 9.4784, 100.0468.
  • Say "Silver Beach" or "Thong Takhian" to drivers. Most know the beach by one or the other.
  • Carry cash for songthaews. No cards, no apps.
  • Agree the price before you get in a tuk-tuk — or use Grab or Bolt so the fare is set by the app.
  • Download Grab and Bolt before you land. Easier than doing it on airport wifi with luggage.
  • Ask us to send the driver. 600 baht per way, name sign at arrivals. Message us your flight number when you book your stay.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Silver Beach from Samui airport?
About 12 kilometres, roughly 25 minutes by car. We can send our driver for 600 baht per way — send us your flight number when you book.

Can I walk to Silver Beach from Chaweng or Lamai?
Not sensibly from central Chaweng — it's over an hour along busy road. From northern Lamai it's about 30 minutes along the coast road and perfectly doable in the cooler hours.

Is there parking at Silver Beach?
Yes, a small area near the beach entrance at the bottom of the access lane, for cars and scooters. Resort guests park at the property.

Do Grab and Bolt work on Koh Samui?
Both operate island-wide and are usually the cheapest reliable private car. Download them before you arrive.

What is a songthaew and how do I use one?
A converted pickup with two bench seats in the back, running the main roads as a shared taxi. Flag one from the roadside, tell the driver where you're going, pay cash when you get off.

Can Crystal Bay arrange an airport transfer?
Yes. Send your flight number when you book a stay at the Beach Resort or the Yacht Club, and our driver will meet you at the last meeting point outside arrivals with your name on a sign. 600 baht per way, about 25 minutes, paid to the driver directly.

Once you're here

The hard part is over. What's waiting is a 250-metre cove that guests keep calling the best beach on the island, a beach club that serves anyone who walks in — sun-loungers 500 baht a day with a towel, fire show Tuesday and Friday at 7:30 pm — and, on the resort side, breakfast cooked to order rather than laid out on a tray.

If you'd like the full picture of the cove before you commit, the complete guide covers snorkelling, prices and the best months, and the honest look covers the rocks, the crowds and everything else we'd rather you heard from us.

Book direct and you pay the same rate as Booking.com and Agoda — plus an extra hour's late check-out, a welcome drink at our beach club, free cancellation up to 24 hours, and a WhatsApp line to a real person. Check dates.