Bophut Beach
Bophut is a beach village located on the northern coast of Ko Samui, Thailand. Confusingly, Bophut is also a large administrative and postal district (Amphong), even encompassing Chaweng. A Bophut address therefore, is no guarantee that it is located in or around the village.
One of the few places on Samui that retains some of the island's original Thai-Chinese atmosphere, Bophut has recently experiencing a boom with new hotels and guesthouses sprouting up at a frantic pace. The traditional core of Bophut, known as the Fisherman's Village, is on the east side of the beach while the new developments are to the west. However, unlike in Chaweng to the south, there has been a conscious effort to dissuade the more commercial elements of Thai nightlife from setting up shop and instead aiming for couples and young families.
Although there is some new construction, the beach road, which runs through the village retains much of its charm. Old Chinese shop-houses crowd the narrow street, many with sympathetic conversions to modern use as restaurants and cafés. The beach itself encompasses some 2km of white sandy shoreline fringed by coconut palms and the calm waters of the bay make this a popular spot for playing or relaxing.
