History of Koh Samui

Koh Samui was originally settled about 1,500 years ago by fishermen, and its existence was first recorded by the Chinese only 500 years ago. Chinese ceramics found in old shipwrecks near the coast of Samui show that China was trading with Samui as far back as 1500. Probably the most dramatic episode in the history of the island was the short Japanese occupation during WWII.

Modest beginnings

For many years, Koh Samui survived solely on its coconut production and fishing. It was only through trade of these items that other products from the mainland made their way to Samui and her neighbours. Every month, boats from Bangkok would call to collect the coconuts. There were no jetties or a central community, so the Bangkok boats would circle the islands while local fishing boats ferried their goods out to them.

Monkeys played an important role in coconut harvesting and continue to do so today. Trained monkeys climb the coconut trees and toss down nuts under the command of their owner. This has become a popular tourist attraction and shows are performed around the island as well as occurring naturally. Monkeys riding on the back of motorbikes or trucks on their way to find coconuts are a common and delightful sight.

Buffaloes formed an integral part of the community as well. Being used as both a beast of burden and a source of meat, these animals were very much part of traditional Thai life on the island, and whenever a celebration occurred, they were included. Slowly over the years, buffalo fighting became a traditional sport and today it remains unique to Koh Samui and is now a tourist attraction. It is not as gory as it may sound - buffaloes fight only until one retreats, and the winner remains.

Before roads were built, travel from one part of the island to the other was an arduous journey, thus travel between villages tended to be done by boat. In turn, this led to most of the villages being constructed along the coast. Over the years, as the villages increased in size, the gaps between them closed. Families began to marry into other villages, and the island began to grow.

Development

Around 1950, major development began. Each village had its own temple, and with the encouragement of neighbouring monks, dirt roads began to be made to connect parts of the island. This process was slow. Nathon had grown to become the most important village and it was from here that the only boat to the mainland was operated. The growing demand for road links led to a passable track between Nathon, Lamai and later, Chaweng being developed. It wasnt until the early 1990s however that the road that circumnavigates the island was created.

Foreign invasion

The first foreigner to visit Koh Samui was a Peace Corp volunteer in 1972, arriving by way of a coconut-trading boat.

From an insignificant, barely noticed island, Koh Samui has grown to be one of the more popular holiday destinations in the country - its only real competition being the island of Phuket on the west coast, but as the two islands have opposing seasons, the rivalry is hardly worth a mention.