What's up in Koh Samui

14 Super-Sexy Ladies found on Samui Beaches

Sexy ladies...

Samui is no longer just a laid back, hippy haven on the way to the full moon parties of Koh Phangan. The island’s sophistication has grown by leaps and bounds, attracting people from all walks of life from all around the world.

One group that arrived recently were the 14 finalists in the Miss Maxim Search 2008 – promoted as Singapore’s Ultimate Babe Hunt. The beauty competition, which is organized by Maxim magazine, is in its third year, but this is the first time it has come to Samui for a photo shoot.

The latest information from TAT shows that tourists from the UK formed the biggest group of visitors to Samui in 2007, following by Germans, Thais, Australians, Swedes, Swiss, French, Russians, Italians and US citizens.

Samui Ferry Fares Go Up

Approaching the Suratthani coast

Ferry Fares from the Surat Thani mainland to Koh Samui increased in the middle of 2008. The government-approved fare for adults is now Bt130, up from Bt110; the student fare rose from Bt55 to Bt60; while motorized vehicles including three-wheeled motorcycle, cars, pickup trucks and vans are now charged at Bt345, up from Bt325.

Meanwhile, Bangkok Airways, which owns and operates Samui Airport, has introduced direct flights to Samui from Hong Kong and Singapore, and there are plans to open daily direct flights from Bali, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur.

Bangkok Airways currently has more than 40 flights a day to Samui, with around 3,600 seats, originating from places overseas and within Thailand, including Phuket and Krabi. Thai Airways, the country’s national airline, has also has twice-daily flights between Bangkok and Samui since February 2008.

2nd Phangan Film Festival

Open for submissions following the success of the première event earlier this year, the second annual Phangan Film Festival will be held February 21 and 22, 2009. The organizers are committed to providing the local community as well as travelers to the beautiful tropical island with a variety of high-quality independent films from around the world.

The festival themes are nature and spirituality, “two widely cherished subjects which bear increasing relevance for both our island and our planet at large,” as the organisers put it. Submissions may be made through the festival website at www.phanganfilmfestival.com/filmmakers.html