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I had never heard of Samui Airport until I visited it last month during a trip to Samui, an island off the eastern coast of Thailand. It instantly became my favorite airport in the world. Here's why:
• At the departure gates, free pies and fruit juices (blueberry, orange, or pineapple) are offered at a counter. And they were delicious!
• The lounge is full of wicker chairs and couches with plush upholstery.
• A children's playground lets kids unwind, but at a quiet remove from the other waiting passengers.
• The airport takes advantage of the tropical weather by having an open-air design. Fresh-cut flowers decorate all sections.
• Airy, modern, and superclean bathrooms.
• An airline representative circulates through the departure lounge, pre-clearing passengers for departure and thus circumventing the need for lengthy waiting boarding lines.
• Free Wi-Fi.
• The TVs are silent, with closed-captioning. And they're tuned to sports news, not financial or political news.
To quote another passenger I overheard, "This airport is so pretty, I'd spend the night here."
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Couldn't agree more! Bangkok Airway's planes are so colourful many visitors have to be reminded to board the plane - they're so busy taking photos of the exterior. This is definitely a location where your holiday starts from the moment you land.
Posted By Koh Samui Sunset on March 5, 2009, 3:03 AM
Cool stuff almost worth the trip just to see the airport.
Todd Charske
Posted By Todd Charske on March 5, 2009, 9:16 AM
Having the TV tuned to sports news would not be a plus for me. But silent is good.
Posted By Jack on March 9, 2009, 3:18 PM
We loved the Samui airport! We were just there two weeks ago and it served as a prelude to our awesome Koh Samui vacation. Very easy, short lines, and friendly staff. I wish I'd known about the playground as my 22 month old would've loved to hang out there!
Posted By Paolo on March 9, 2009, 4:09 PM
We were there 2 years ago in July and took many pictures of just the airport alone, It's all most like having a mall inside the airport. we took Thai Airways, cost a little more but was worth it.
Posted By Bob Miller on March 9, 2009, 10:25 PM
Maui airport is quite eco-friendly as well,from the balcony of the thatched hut airport you can view a stunning sun set while sipping a cool ade.
Posted By cam on March 16, 2009, 5:13 PM
Absoutely wonderful, I have flown for over 40 years and without doubt Koh Samui Airport took my breath away, a lot of clever minds got together and created a stunning work of art.
Everything was lovely and yes will be flying back there next April,2010.
Well done, I have heard that Sukothai also has a nice airport would like to hear about that.
Posted By Gerry on May 5, 2009, 6:07 AM
It is a lovely airport. It's nice to see a terminal building look so natural and so sympathetic to its environment. It must be a pleasure to wait for a plane here.
Posted By Susan on October 5, 2009, 11:33 AM