Koh Samui has been voted the best island in the world.
In the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2026, decided by the magazine’s readers, Samui scored 95.64 to take first place. Travel + Leisure is one of the best known travel magazines in the United States, and its yearly reader vote is one of the most followed rankings in travel.
Ahead of the Maldives
The Maldives came second with 95.38, just 0.26 points behind. The Galápagos Islands in Ecuador placed third and Bali fourth. Phuket came fifth, which puts two Thai islands in the world’s top 5.
The rest of the top 10 were the Seychelles, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Dominica in the Caribbean and Zanzibar in Tanzania.
The second win of the year
In June, Samui was also named the best island in Asia Pacific in the magazine’s 2026 Luxury Awards, ahead of Phu Quoc in Vietnam and Bali.
The same awards placed Samui’s airport second in Asia Pacific, behind only Singapore Changi. Samui Airport is known for its open air terminal, with thatched pavilions set in tropical gardens. Five Samui resorts also made the list of Thailand’s top 10 beach and island resorts.
Why readers chose Samui
Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports credited the island’s natural scenery, cultural heritage, local character and food. The government plans more work on visitor safety, public infrastructure and action against illegal businesses.
Samui sits in the Gulf of Thailand, in Surat Thani province. It is about an hour’s flight from Bangkok. Its landmarks include the Big Buddha, a 12m golden statue on the islet of Koh Faan, and Ang Thong National Marine Park, a group of 42 islands off the west coast.
When to go
Samui’s weather runs on a different pattern from Phuket and the Andaman coast. The driest months are usually from January to August. The heaviest rain tends to fall from October to December.
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