How do you get around Koh Samui with young children?

Getting around Koh Samui is straightforward once you know how it works. The island has no public transport in the conventional sense, distances are longer than they look on a map, and a little planning around car seats goes a long way. Here is what families actually need to know.

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Getting from the airport

Koh Samui Airport is small and privately run. When you land, your options are a pre-booked transfer, a taxi from the rank outside arrivals, or Grab.

Pre-booked transfer is the most straightforward option for families. You arrange it before you travel, confirm the car seat if you need one, and someone is waiting when you land. Most hotels offer transfers, though these tend to come at a premium. Independent transfer companies are available at lower prices - confirm the car seat situation explicitly before you arrive, and confirm it again closer to the date. There have been occasions where car seats have been booked but were not available on arrival.

Grab works at Koh Samui Airport, but not from inside the terminal. You need to walk outside the airport grounds to a pickup point before the app will connect you with a driver. After a long flight with children and luggage, that walk is not nothing. Grab is a cheaper option than airport taxis, and the price is agreed in the app before you confirm - no negotiating, no cash handling. But if you need a car seat, Grab does not offer one. Factor that in before you decide.

Airport taxis are available from the rank and do not require the walk. Agree the price before you get in.

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Getting around day to day

Once you are settled, the island is easy to navigate. The main ring road connects all the key areas and most places families want to reach are on or just off it.

Grab is the most reliable day-to-day option for families who are not hiring a car. The app works well across the island, prices are pre-agreed, and you pay through the app - no need for cash or negotiation. The limitation is the same as at the airport: no car seat option. For families with children who no longer need a car seat, Grab is genuinely convenient.

Car hire gives you the most flexibility and is easy to arrange, with the main international rental companies available at the airport. If you need a car seat, this is your most reliable route - confirm availability when you book. Before you drive, two things: you are legally required to hold an International Driving Permit to drive in Thailand, and you will want either Google Maps downloaded offline or an eSIM active before you land. Navigating an unfamiliar road network without data is unnecessarily stressful.

Songthaews are the shared trucks that run along the main ring road. Hop on, pay cash, hop off - low cost and, for the right family, genuinely fun. They will not take you to your hotel door unless you happen to be on the ring road. They are better suited to older children than toddlers, and you see fewer of them now than you used to. Worth knowing about for a spontaneous afternoon, less practical as a daily strategy with young kids.

Scooters are everywhere on Koh Samui, and you will see families using them - including with young children, and often without helmets. Scooter accidents on the island are a daily occurrence. This is not fear-mongering; it is the reality of the roads here. Most families visiting with young children will be better served by one of the options above.

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Car seats - plan this before you travel

This deserves its own section because it catches people out. Neither Grab nor standard taxis offer car seats. If your child needs one, your options are:

• Hire a car that includes a car seat - confirm when booking, and confirm again before arrival
• Book a private transfer with a car seat - same caveat: confirm explicitly and follow up
• Bring your own - not as impractical as it sounds for families already travelling with one

Whatever you arrange, do not assume the car seat will simply be there. Confirm it.

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Pram or pushchair

A lightweight stroller is worth bringing if your child still uses one, but manage your expectations about where it will work. Resort grounds are generally fine. Fisherman's Village in Bo Phut and Central Samui shopping centre have flat, walkable surfaces that work well with a stroller. Beyond that, pavements on Koh Samui are inconsistent - uneven, narrow, or absent. Outside specific areas, a pram can become more of a hindrance than a help.

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Before you land

Two things that will make getting around significantly easier:

Download Google Maps offline before your flight. Select the Koh Samui area and save it. This works without data and covers the whole island.

Get an eSIM active before you land. Mobile data from the moment you arrive makes Grab, navigation, and general logistics considerably less stressful. You can pick up a physical SIM from 7-Eleven when you arrive, which is cheaper - but you won't have data until you do. For a short holiday, the convenience of an eSIM from the moment you land is worth the small extra cost. Saily

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Frequently asked questions

Does Grab work on Koh Samui? Yes, Grab works reliably across the island day to day. The exception is the airport, where you need to walk outside the terminal grounds before the app will connect you with a driver. Grab does not offer car seats.

Do I need an International Driving Permit to hire a car in Koh Samui? Yes. An International Driving Permit is a legal requirement for driving in Thailand. Arrange one before you travel - they are available from the Post Office in the UK.

Can I get a taxi with a car seat in Koh Samui? Standard taxis and Grab do not offer car seats. For a car seat, you need either a pre-booked private transfer (confirm explicitly before arrival) or a hire car with a car seat included.

Are scooters safe for families in Koh Samui? Scooter accidents on Koh Samui are a daily occurrence. Most families travelling with young children will find car hire or Grab a more practical and safer option.

Is a pram worth bringing to Koh Samui? A lightweight stroller is useful within resorts and in areas like Fisherman's Village and Central Samui. Pavements across the island are inconsistent, so outside specific areas a pram can be more hindrance than help.