Ko Samui

Ko Samui lies in the Gulf of Thailand, off the eastern side of the Malay Peninsula. Fishing and maritime travel linked its inhabitants with the mainland and neighbouring islands. The island appears on a Chinese map dated 1687 under the name Pulo Cornam, a reminder of its place on routes across the gulf.

The origin of the name Samui remains uncertain. The Thai Cultural Encyclopedia records several explanations, including a Hainanese expression associated with a first stopping place for ships and the name of a local tree. It also notes that the date when people first settled on the island is not established with certainty.