Lamai Beach is located 10 Km south of Chaweng on the east coast, Lamai is a little quieter, more relaxed and a little cheaper than Chaweng. Lamai Beach is Samui's Second largest resort area after Chaweng. In terms of popularity, the tourist facilities and the quality of the beach itself, Lamai comes a close second to Chaweng, but with a less frenetic ambience.

Lamai was the original destination for travelers to Koh Samui, and compared to Chaweng the town is a bit more tawdry and low budget, but it has its own distinct charms. The wide sandy beach has hundreds of coconut trees bending over the blue-green waters giving Lamai a tropical and natural atmosphere. Unprotected by a lagoon or reef, the sea is a little rougher, but if you prefer less people, but some action, Lamai should be your choice.

Have less Lamai hotels, the town is a smaller and slightly more sedate version of Chaweng. In recent years Lamai has upgraded its image and now is a much cleaner and fun town and much more family friendly. The beach itself is about 20 metres in width most of the way along and reaches about 2 kilometres. The sand is golden and warm and the entire beach is fringed with palm trees. The water at Lamai beach is a little deeper than the neighbouring Chaweng. It gets deep rather quickly and can have some stronger currents so you do need to be an able swimmer in choppy seas.

Greater Lamai is actually a large and beautiful valley, and as one travels inland away from the beach village the landscape is striking. Lamai has some pretty outrageous 'social' bars in the middle of town, and the once a week all girl Muay Thai boxing matches always seem to draw an eclectic crowd. Lamai has a lovely old Wat (temple), and is also the location of two of the most endearing original spas on the island, one on the beach, a hipster paradise called 'The Spa', and the other called 'Tamarind Springs', which has long been the class act on the island.

There is plenty of activities for you to partake in during your Lamai holiday, with bars and restaurants alongside the length of it so you can sip a cocktail while listening to the waves and music playing. There are also water sports such as jet skis available for the more adventurous. The accommodation in Lamai is wide and varied and you can find cheap Lamai beach resorts at twenty dollars a night to really high end five star Lamai villas and Lamai spa that run into the thousands of dollars a night!

The main entertainment, eating and shopping area, close to the beach, with its bars and shops crammed along the road and down dusty side lanes, comes alive at night. Lots of local outdoor eating places with Thai and western food, bars with live bands and videos, and some dance venues which start around midnight. The main party place Bauhaus, sets a different theme on certain days and also screens live sporting events.

Among Lamai's main attractions are its open-air market and the old monastery on the edge of town, which includes a local museum and picturesque village scenes. If you want to get back to nature, a good place to start is to explore the paths behind the beach road and into the hills. Here you'll find peaceful fruit and coconut plantations, as well as trails leading into the island's interior.

Down the coast are the famous Grandfather and Grandmother rocks, (see attractions) favourites among both Thai and foreign tourists. Further south on beach side of the main road, is Wat Silangu, one of two golden pagodas on the island, its shimmering exterior stands out against the deep blue tropical sky.

On the way from Lamai to Chaweng, are some nice viewpoints overlooking coastline of Chaweng Mon and Laem Nam. Parking is ample and there are a few small restaurants from which to to enjoy the ocean vistas.

Several hotels south of Lamai are hidden in coconut plantations or jungle overlooking secluded coves. These offer great places for perfect romantic hideaways, or for reading that book you wanted to finish. The resorts also have plenty of things for the kids to do making them great for family holidays.

The nightlife at Lamai beach is not quite on the same scale as that of Chaweng, yet for thrill seekers and revelers there is still a lot of action to be had here. Lamai has a wealth of bars, restaurants and clubs on its main strip, where you can find live music, great food and jumping discos if you want to party those nights away. Additionally, Lamai also offers numerous go go bars for revelers and drinkers seeking something special in evenings.

The best areas for action in Lamai are the row of establishments directly on the beach or those on the main drag that runs parallel to the beach.