Hong Kong's favourite Thai getaway island - three-and-a-half-hours away once Bangkok Airways' direct flights restart on July 1 - has taken advantage of the tourism hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to up its game, revamping infrastructure and reimagining its holiday attractions.
Samui, in the Gulf of Thailand 80 kilometres (50 miles) off the east coast of the Malay Peninsula, is also taking a determined step into the global spotlight. Michelin inspectors are reviewing the island's top restaurants for inclusion in its annual guide to Thailand in 2024, while Samui is a likely location for the next series of White Lotus, HBO's much watched black-comedy drama that follows the lives of guests and employees of a fictional resort chain.
