Phuket or Koh Samui for families. Which is best?

Can I start this post with a bit of a caveat. I love both Koh Samui and Phuket. Having visited both island several times I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad stay. Of course both islands are very different but both have plenty to offer families of all ages. But if you only have time to visit one hopefully this comparison of Phuket or Koh Samui for families will help you decide.

How to compare Koh Samui to Phuket for families

I’ve split out this post into various sections, activities, accommodation, food etc so you can really focus on what is important to your family. Either read through it all or click on the section you are interested in in the table of contents above.

Is there more to do in Koh Samui or Phuket?

Koh Samui

Koh Samui is home to some really unique and interesting attractions such as the Grandmother and Grandfather rocks, the mummified mummy, the Lamai funicular and cultural highlights such as the Big Buddha. There are more opportunities to take short hikes to waterfalls and up to viewpoints. Koh Samui is half the size of Phuket making it easier to get around all the attractions on offer.

Read Next: Things to do in Koh Samui with kids.

Phuket

Phuket definitely has more organised activities aimed specifically at kids. It has loads of waterparks, active attractions such as mini golf, zip wires, rock climbing and family friendly shows. There are several museums and cinemas and even an aquarium. You could easily pack a week just ticking off these activities. That said, there’s not as much in terms of natural or cultural wonders but these may not appeal to kids anyway.

Read next: Things to do on Phuket with kids.

Winner – Phuket although a fair few kids would love visiting the mummified monk on Samui

Are the beaches better on Phuket or Koh Samui

Koh Samui

Pretty much all of Samui’s beaches are stunning with white sand and tropical clear water. If you want activities and facilities then Chaweng, Bophut or Lamai are pretty good for families but many of the others are home to just a few bars and restaurants and very little else. It’s heavenly but perhaps not exciting enough for little kids.

Phuket

Being the largest of the Thai islands Phuket has more beaches than Koh Samui and I think more variety. You can find almost deserted stretches of sand in the far North or South and super busy beaches with heaps of activities and watersports available right of the sand. The sea can be rougher than on Koh Samui and the sand isn’t quiet as soft and white but they are generally more family friendly with more facilities than on Samui.

Read Next: Best beaches on Phuket for families.

Winner – Phuket for family friendliness, Koh Samui for beauty

Is family friendly accommodation better in Phuket or Koh Samui

Koh Samui

Many of Koh Samui’s hotels are located right on the beach making them great choices for families. We also found some extremely well priced luxurious rooms all over the island. Koh Samui again offers excellent hotels with kids club, family sized rooms and baby sitting services.

Read Next: Family friendly resorts in Koh Samui.

Phuket

Phuket has heaps of accommodation options ranging from super luxurious to basic hostels. Having so many means that you can often get a fantastic room rate. Some of the hotels feel a bit old and in need of renovation so make sure you do your research before you book. Many of the hotels have play areas and kids clubs and are very welcoming to little ones.

Read Next: The best family resorts in Phuket.

Winner – Koh Samui for it’s beachfront properties.

Family Friendly Tours from Koh Samui vs Phuket

Koh Samui

Koh Samui offers some of the best tours we’ve been on in Thailand. My daughter’s absolute favourite was the boat trip to Koh Mudsun otherwise known as Pig Island, home to around 50 native pigs, a gorgeous restaurant and some of the softest, whitest sand I’ve ever seen. She also loved the trip to the full moon party on Koh Phangan but that’s probably best for when they’re a bit older. Tours from Koh Samui tend to be the picture perfect type you’ve seen in all the guidebooks. They’re phenomenal.

Phuket

Some of the most famous tours in Thailand leave from Phuket. It’s the starting point from where to visit Maya Bay and James Bond Island, both of which are hugely popular and can feel a bit busy at times. Stunning Phang Nga Bay is a little quieter and offers the same amazing scenery. Kids will probably love the tour to Cat Island which again is slightly quieter than the big hitters.

Winner – Koh Samui. Although Phuket offers the most famous tours, those from Koh Samui are quieter and prettier.

Which destination has better food

Koh Samui

We had some amazing meals on Koh Samui, the food is excellent and decor and views are gorgeous. My top tips would be The Jungle Club, set on top of the hill overlooking stunning Lamai Bay. We also loved the vibe at Coco Tams at the Fishermans village which has beanbags on the sand and nightly fire shows. Or the Cliff Italian restaurant for excellent steaks and seafood (and pasta for the kids).

But it’s not all fine dining and funky beach clubs, you can get excellent street food at the various night markets or simple Thai meals right on the beach.

Kids will be relieved to know that there are several western fast food restaurants on Koh Samui. You’ll find a few MacDonalds, KFCs and Burger Kings dotted around.

Phuket

Again there are plenty of fine dining options on Phuket. We loved Sams Steaks at the Holiday Inn and also the Sea Salt Bar and Grill in Patong. For beach clubs, Fuga was an excellent place to spend an afternoon and Catch Beach club in fabulous Bang Tao.

I thing the best food to be found on Phuket is at the night markets, it’s quick, delicious and there’s always something to suit every taste – even the fussiest of kids.

As with Koh Samui there are western fast food restaurants everywhere. I don’t necessarily recommend them but they can be useful to keep the kids happy.

Winner – This one has got to be a tie.

Ease of getting to Phuket vs Koh Samui

Koh Samui

There are two options for getting to Phuket. You can either fly into the international airport or arrive by ferry. The airport is owned by Bangkok Airways meaning they have a monopoly on flights making them fairly expensive. It is a very pretty airport though! You can also fly to Surat Thani then take a short bus and ferry across to Koh Samui. It’s a lot cheaper but does involve a fair amount of faff. Not ideal when you’re traveling with kids.

Phuket

Phuket is home to a large international airport meaning you can often fly in direct from all over Asia and parts of Europe. Flights in to Phuket tend to be cheaper than flights to Koh Samui. It can also be accessed via the Sarasin bridge from the mainland. This is great if you have a hire car and want to also explore Khao Lak and Krabi during your stay. We all know that to long spent in airports with kids can ruin a good holiday.

Winner – Phuket for it’s low cost flights and mainland bridge

Weather on Koh Samui and Phuket

Koh Samui

Koh Samui is located in the Gulf of Thailand and wet season is between September and December. This is a little later than on Phuket and even during wet season it seems to receive less rain than Phuket. This makes in a good island to visit during the European summer holidays.

Phuket

Phuket is located in the Andaman Sea, rainy season can be between August and October. When it rains it’s heavy but for the rest of the year the weather is great.

It’s not just Phuket and Koh Samui, Thailand has heaps of other islands. Have a look at my post on the best Thailand islands for families.

Is Koh Samui nicer than Phuket?

Koh Samui

Parts of Koh Samui are still relatively undeveloped. You can still find authentic Thai villages and rub shoulders with locals. This also mean those picture perfect deserted beaches are easier to find. It’s home to some very upmarket beach clubs and restaurants. The vibe is very laid back but somehow modern and well maintained.

There is no red light district on Koh Samui, although it’s not that hard to avoid in Phuket. High rise hotels are also not allowed on Koh Samui, No building is allowed to be taller than a coconut tree.

Phuket

Because tourism started earlier in Phuket than in Koh Samui it’s a bit more developed offering all the benefits (and some of the downsides) of modern city living. Many of the tourist towns seem to merge seamlessly into each other. Most hotels are set into the coastal hills offering great views.

There seems to be more scams going on in Phuket, it’s busier and has more of an adult party vibe than Samui so I guess that’s to be expected. Phuket is way busier than Koh Samui making it feel harder to find somewhere peaceful.

Winner – Koh Samui, it’s just a bit more authentic!

The bottom line

As you can see, it’s a very close call between Koh Samui or Phuket with kids. If you’re visiting Thailand with toddlers or little kids then Phuket probably inches ahead. There’s a bit more to do for the smalls and a lot of the beaches are well set up with facilities and life guards. For older kids and teenagers then I would saw Koh Samui, it’s more outdoorsy and dare I say it, a bit more instagrammable. It will also depend on when you can visit, if your tied to European school holidays the opt for Phuket over Easter, Koh Samui over the summer break. Both are fabulous at Christmas.

Personally for me Koh Samui wins out, I like that is a bit quieter, I love the beach clubs and bougie hotels. But honestly, a visit to either island will keep the whole family happy. Better yet, try to include both in your Thailand itinerary.