How big is Koh Samui?

You know Koh Samui is a tiny island paradise – and yet you're spoilt for choice in terms of beaches, restaurants and things to do. You might be weighing up the pros and cons of Koh Samui versus Phuket, or just have a general interest in a science we'll call 'Nerd's Google Mapping'. So! How big is Koh Samui?

Long ago, teachers told us to show, not tell. As such, we'll leave it to the magic powers of Google Maps and our new favourite site MAPfrappe to divulge every inch of Koh Samui's comparative size.

Koh Samui compared to Bermuda

Koh Samui is 429.89% bigger than Bermuda

Bigger than Bermuda: As you can see above, Koh Samui is bigger than Bermuda – and far less triangular. It's also bigger than the Pitcairn Islands.

Koh Samui compared to Koh Phangan

Koh Samui is 182.96% bigger than Koh Phangan

‍Bigger than Koh Phangan: For a variety of reasons, Koh Samui is considered Koh Phangan’s bigger sister.

Koh Samui compared to Koh Chang

Koh Samui is 147.74% bigger than Koh Chang

Koh Samui compared to the Maldives

Koh Samui is 76.74% the size of the Maldives

Koh Samui compared to Koh Lanta

Koh Samui is 67.30% the size of Koh Lanta

Koh Samui compared to Seychelles

Koh Samui is half (49.83%) the size of Seychelles

Samui is roughly approximate to Seychelles' two largest islands.

Koh Samui compared to Phuket

Koh Samui is less than half (39.70%) the size of Phuket

As for Phuket? Commit our bias to memory: bigger doesn't mean better. True, though, that Phuket is more than twice as big as Koh Samui.

Read more pros/cons of Samui vs Phuket. (After a few rounds of edits it’s no longer a straight list of Samui propaganda – we’re learning restraint).

Koh Samui compared to Oahu … and London

Who knew Oahu and London were the same sizes!? Koh Samui is just 14.80% the size of Oahu, and 14.55% the size of London

Koh Samui compared to Bali … and Prince Edward Island

Again – who knew these spots were similarly sized? Koh Samui just about 4% the size of Bali and PEI

Koh Samui is most definitely not bigger than other well-known islands like Fiji, Phuket, Oahu, PEI and Tasmania. In fact, dropped elsewhere, you might have to squint to find it. Yep, Koh Samui is dwarfed in size by pretty much any island you'd care to name – its ring road is 51 kilometres long, meaning you can easily drive around it in an afternoon.

Koh Samui compared to Fiji

Koh Samui is 2.2 tiny percent the size of Fiji’s largest island, Viti Levu

Koh Samui compared to Sydney … and Tasmania

Heading Down Under, Koh Samui is 1.85% the size of Sydney and a spec in Tasmania (0.33%)

Koh Samui compared to Greenland

Koh Samui compared to cold places? See that tiny purple dot? That’s Koh Samui under ice. Koh Samui is 0.1% the size of Greenland

But size isn't everything, is it boys?

Though Koh Samui's svelte proportions measure just 10 or 15 kilometres wide – a total of 228.7 sq km – don't assume this means it's a desert island with nothing to do. Not so. There's tons to do here – look no further than The Koh Samui Guide to fill your days (and your stomach). All the more reason to leave a cold country and try out this very big small island, ASAP!

More Koh Samui questions?

Whether you're wondering where to stay or how to tell Koh Samui and Phuket apart, you'll find helpful answers to all your Thailand questions below:

• Hotels: Where to stay in Thailand?
• My favourites: Shoes and clothes for Thailand
• Your FAQs: All your Koh Samui questions – answered!

P.S. You can find every Thailand travel FAQ answered in the archive, or subscribe by email and get all the details straight to your inbox. Enjoy!

Sources: Maps via Google Maps. Overlay feature c/o MAPfrappe - a fantastic, very addictive mapping site.