Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards 2026, the proposed Samui sea bridge, and the quiet coastline of Khanom, Sichon and Thasala — three signals pointing the same direction.
In Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards 2026, more than 207,000 readers cast their votes. Koh Samui came out on top — dethroning Páros, Greece, and narrowly beating the Maldives.
Two Thai islands in the world's top five is a signal in itself — not just for Samui, but for the country's appeal as a whole. For buyers, recognition at this scale tends to bring rising visitor numbers, more international attention, and — eventually — more interest in what sits just beyond the headline.
While Koh Samui becomes the international headline, the coastline across the Gulf remains remarkably untouched. Four places, one emerging story.
Thailand's second-largest island, and now, officially, the world's best. Private pool villas, wellness resorts, and a growing international profile — with land and inventory increasingly harder to come by.
The nearest mainland point to Samui, and the proposed landing site for the Khanom–Samui bridge. Dramatic mountain-meets-sea landscapes, pink dolphins offshore, and a fishing-village pace that hasn't caught up to the news yet.
Further south, and slower still. Sichon pairs a rugged, mountain-backed coastline with some of the region's most pristine beaches — a genuine alternative for buyers seeking privacy over proximity to nightlife.
Just south of Sichon, Thasala pairs easygoing beaches like Hat Sai Kaeo and Bo Non Beach with real local life — a home to Walailak University and the revered Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan temple. A relaxed café-and-seafood coast road is emerging here, still well ahead of any international pricing.
Longtail boats, quiet coves, and one of the only places in Thailand where wild pink dolphins surface just offshore.
The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) is progressing a bridge and expressway that would link Koh Samui to the mainland via Khanom. It is a serious, well-advanced proposal — and, as of today, still a proposal. Here is where it actually stands.
Route alignment finalised between the Don Sak / Khanom area and Taling Ngam on Samui's western coast. Detailed design and EIA work underway.
A third and final round of public consultation, plus EIA approval, remain outstanding before the project can advance further.
EXAT intends to bring the project to cabinet for endorsement, with bidding to follow if approved.
Land acquisition affecting several hundred private plots would precede groundbreaking.
Officials caution that large-scale Thai infrastructure projects frequently face delays — this date is a target, not a guarantee.
A coastline that still looks like Samui did twenty years ago.
Slower, quieter, and genuinely lived-in — not built for tourists.
Land that hasn't yet been priced for international demand.
A government proposal pointed at exactly this stretch of coast.
The kind of position that compounds over a decade, not a season.
Nee moved from Thailand to Canberra in 2000, built a career in bookkeeping and financial management, and later founded her own bookkeeping business — an experience that led her into property investment and, eventually, into launching Thong Real Estate.
She now specialises in beachfront villas, boutique resorts, and off-market luxury developments across Thailand, working with investors and international buyers who want a strategic, financially literate approach to Thai property — not just a listings tour.
▶ Watch our story at thongrealestate.comWhether you're considering a beachfront villa in Samui, ocean-view land in Khanom, a quiet mountain-coast plot in Sichon, or an emerging spot along Thasala — we can walk you through what's actually available, and what's actually true about the road ahead.