Tongsai Bay beach, Koh Samui — getting there by scooter (2026)

Getting there by scooter

From Chaweng take the 4169 north toward the airport, then turn off toward Choeng Mon. Tongsai Bay sits about half a kilometre in a straight line north of Choeng Mon beach, so in practice you ride to Choeng Mon first and continue up the headland. The whole ride is short and on asphalt.

From Choeng Mon it is a few minutes. The side roads on this headland have short climbs and drops between the bays. Take them in a low, steady throttle and brake before the bend, not in it.

Any 110–125cc automatic is enough. If you are new to hills, read the beginner page before you go.

What you get there and how long to stay

Tongsai Bay is a sheltered cove rather than a long beach. The appeal is the quiet: compared with Chaweng, there is little traffic noise and few people on the sand. It is a place for a swim, an hour in the shade and a look at the water, not for a full day of beach bars and activities.

• Time: 1–2 hours is usually enough. If access turns out to be awkward, Choeng Mon next door is the easy fallback.
• Bring: water and whatever you need for the beach. I would not count on buying things right at the bay; check on site what is open.
• Swimming: calm in the dry months. Look at the water before you go in, and skip it when there is a swell from the northeast.

If you want a similar quiet bay without the resort feel, Samrong Bay is the next one along the northern tip.

When to go

Morning is my pick. The bay faces roughly east, so the light is good early, the sand is still cool and the headland roads are empty. By midday the heat is strong and there is little to do but sit in the shade.

Late afternoon also works for a swim, but the sun drops behind the hill and the bay goes into shadow earlier than the west coast does. Ride back before dark.

From January to around September the sea here is usually calmer, which is when the bay is at its best.

Combine with

No route on this site passes through Tongsai Bay, but it fits easily into a short northeast loop because everything around it is close:

1. Choeng Mon beach — next door, the easier beach with more space and simpler access. Good for lunch or a longer swim.
2. Samrong Bay — about 1.5 km in a straight line to the northwest, another quiet bay. Samrong Bay page.
3. Wat Plai Laem — roughly 1.5 km to the southwest, the lakeside temple with the 18-armed Guanyin. Shoulders and knees covered. Wat Plai Laem page.

All of this is a detour off the 4169 ring road, so you can also add the bay to a day around the island: leave the loop near the airport, do the bays and the temple, and rejoin.

Questions