March 15, 2025, 10:36 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Koh Samui is a popular vacation island in Thailand. Now, there are plans to turn it into a new cruise hub in the region. Millions are being invested, land expropriated, and an already popular and problem-ridden island made more accessible to the masses.
Koh Samui is an island jewel, a place of enchanting beaches and nature — and one that attracts many travelers. Luxury travelers flock to Koh Samui for its high-end spas and resorts, yogis flock to perform their sun salutations, downward facing dogs, and the like, and backpackers can be found in the various stores to buy cheap clothes and sample the various food and drink stalls. Koh Samui is a favorite island for many Thailand travelers. And not least, since the filming locations for the HBO series White Lotus became known, it has attracted many tourists every year. Now, Koh Samui hopes to become the leading international cruise destination.
Koh Samui has already made the list of destinations to potentially avoid in 2025 as it grapples with an increasing number of tourists, waste management issues, and other challenges, as reported by TRAVELBOOK. And soon, there are likely to be a few more — garbage, people, and problems.
New Cruise Terminal Planned for Koh Samui
Thailand is planning to open a new cruise terminal on the second or third largest Thai island (depending on the source) — Koh Samui — in 2032. Work is due to begin in 2029. This development was reported by the Bangkok Post, which referenced a statement from the Thai government. The aims of the construction project are to boost tourism and, thus, the economy and “support the growing international cruise traffic.” The government is also determined to “improve infrastructure in the southern region (…) and ensure sustainable resource management”, the newspaper quotes government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub as saying. Ultimately, Koh Samui is to be established as a leading international cruise destination, according to the report. Although cruises can currently be taken to Koh Samui, the cruise ships are anchored just off the island.
In connection with the new cruise terminal on Koh Samui, no further explanation of sustainability and climate protection has been given. However, it should be clear that the new project is more detrimental than beneficial to both. In the future, it is planned to handle two large cruise ships at the same time. This means up to 2,500 and 4,000 passengers per ship on an expected 120 cruise routes per year. That sounds like a lot for the 228.7 square kilometer island to absorb. In addition, there is a likely impact on the environment of Koh Samui and the entire region from those cruise travelers, but above all from the ships themselves.
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A Leading Cruise Destination with the Help of Land Expropriation
Another topic outlined by the Bangkok Post in its report is the expropriation of land from Thai people living in the region where the new terminal is to be built. They live in the Laem Hin Khom area of Taling Ngam municipality. “According to reports, most of the locals were in favor of resettlement. The affected residents will receive compensation for the expropriated land,” the report states. How much this compensation will be is left open — as is the question of what will happen to those who do not want to be resettled.
The entire construction project is expected to cost the government 12.172 billion baht (equivalent to more than 333 million euros) and is scheduled to run for 30 years. The government wants to generate at least 8 billion baht in revenue per year (the equivalent of around 219 million euros).