Samui Airport (USM) is the airport of Koh Samui, serving domestic and international destinations. Samui Airport is a privately owned airport, built and owned by Bangkok Airways.
[Ticket Office]
Bangkok Airways bills itself as a boutique airline and the airport feels more like a tropical hotel resort than an airport. Samui Airport was listed 4th Best Airport in the Smart Travel Asia 2006 online poll.
[Departure Lounge]
The airport has 2 terminals (Domestic and International) and is opened planned. There are no wall as such, so the tropical air circulates freely in the terminal and you can see the gardens and runway nearby.
The departure lounge features comforts that you would usually associate with alliance lounges at big airports. There is a Courtesy Corner with free coffee and snacks, and complimentary newspaper stand. There is also a free internet corner (but no wireless).
[Courtesy Corner]
[Newspaper Rack]
The toilets are resort like as well. You have to go even if you don’t have to go, just to see the tropical fish tanks. Loitering in the toilets though will make you look kind of weird.
[Tropical Fish Tank – Mens Toilet]
[Boutique Toilet]
When your flight is ready you are transferred to your plane via a tropical transfer bus.
[Transfer Bus]
Samui is a great airport if you have become too accustomed to the drudgery of low cost airline terminals, which are often not much more than a tin shed. It adds a touch of class to flying which was lost, well, decades ago. The high landing costs for other airlines though is why there aren’t as many airlines flying into Samui.
Here is my flight review of Bangkok Airways from Samui to Singapore.
Koh Samui Travel Resources
Koh Samui Hotels: Search for discount hotels in Samui.
Flights to Samui: Search for flights to Samui (USM) or Surat Thani (URT) with Skyscanner.
Samui Car Hire: Rentalcars compares the best prices of the major car rental companies.
World Nomads insurance for travel in Southeast Asia (here is why travel insurance is a good idea).
Lonely Planet Thailand (Travel Guide): Research Samui and Thailand before you go.
Dear James,
Do you know the old airport? When there was nothing much but a bamboo hut. For many visitors the old airport was due to its simplicity something very special and many miss it.
The new airport is amazing for such a small island.
Thank you for the informative article.
I would have loved to seen the old airport (and Samui in general) when it was just bamboo huts. Seems like it has changed so much!