Beachfront on Chaweng Beach with a kids' pool, tropical gardens and everything within walking distance - our recommendation for families on Koh Samui.
Check prices on ExpediaAffiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Getting from Bangkok to Koh Samui
Bangkok Airways owns Samui Airport, so this leg has one main carrier and prices stay steady.
- One-way: $65-$73; round-trip from about $136 per person (Trip.com, checked October 10, 2026)
- Family of four round-trip: about $550 (not counted in the totals below - treat it as your positioning cost, like the international flight)
The cheaper alternative is flying to Surat Thani plus the ferry (roughly half the price, plus 3-4 hours). With kids and luggage, we would take the direct flight every time.
Planning a family trip?
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Hotels: Bangkok (4 nights)
- Family rooms in central Bangkok (Siam/Pratunam area, near the BTS) run from about THB 4,800 per night (about $145) - example: Novotel Bangkok Platinum Pratunam family package, current offer valid through December 2026
- Four nights: roughly $580-$650
Hotels: Koh Samui (10 nights)
This is where the trip's budget swings the most.
- Banana Fan Sea Resort, our pick on Chaweng Beach: beachfront, kids' pool, walking distance to everything - rates from about $137 per night (momondo, 2026), and the resort's own site listed a 2-night low-season package at THB 9,300 (about $280), valid for stays April-June 2026 only - treat it as a low-season reference, not an October rate
- Ten nights beachfront mid-range: roughly $1,400-$1,600
Book the resort
Check dates, prices and cancellation terms for Banana Fan Sea Resort on Expedia. Booking through this link costs you nothing extra.
Food: the good news
- Street food and local restaurants: 40-80 THB per dish ($1.20-$2.40); a local restaurant meal of two dishes plus rice runs 150-250 THB ($4.50-$7.50)
- Beachfront seafood dinner on Samui: 300-600 THB per main ($9-$18); a whole fish for two is 600-1,200 THB
- Realistic family daily food spend, mid-range: 1,500-2,500 THB ($45-$75)
- Fourteen days: roughly $650-$1,050
Activities
- Grand Palace + Wat Phra Kaew: 500 THB ($15); Wat Pho: 300 THB ($9); Wat Arun: 200 THB ($6) - foreigner prices, 2026
- Safari World Bangkok: 750-950 THB per adult booked online (1,500-1,800 at the gate - book online)
- Ang Thong Marine Park day trip from Samui: 1,200-2,000 THB per person including lunch, snorkel gear and kayak
- Family activities total for two weeks: roughly $400-$700
Hands-on half day: the Koh Samui Thai cooking class with market tour (about 3 hours, hotel pickup, free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead). Booking through this link costs you nothing extra.
See the cooking class on GetYourGuideAffiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Getting around
- Bangkok: BTS Skytrain 17-65 THB per trip, MRT 17-45 THB, Chao Phraya express boat 18 THB, Grab car 80-200 THB per in-town ride
- Koh Samui: Grab 150-450 THB per ride, songthaew 50-100 THB per hop, airport taxi counter fixed price
- Two-week transport total: roughly $150-$250
The full picture (family of four, mid-range, 15 days / 14 nights, October 2026 prices)
| Bangkok hotel (4 nights) | $580 | $650 |
|---|---|---|
| Samui resort (10 nights) | $1,400 | $1,600 |
| Food (14 days) | $650 | $1,050 |
| Activities | $400 | $700 |
| Local transport | $150 | $250 |
| TOTAL (hotels, food, activities, local transport) | $3,180 | $4,250 |
Cross-check: current guides put a mid-range family of four at 8,000-18,000 THB per day ($240-$545) on the ground. Our table lands at $227-$304 per day - the lower middle of that range, which is what you get with a well-priced beachfront resort.
How to spend less without breaking the trip
- Book Safari World and tours online, never at the gate
- Eat local at lunch, beachfront at dinner
- Stay on one beach on Samui instead of hopping - transfers add up
- Use the BTS in Bangkok; Grab or songthaew on Samui, never a non-metered street taxi
- Set a shopping budget before you land - markets and malls are everywhere, and extras are the one category with no ceiling. The totals above do not include it
Questions
How much does a day in Thailand cost for a family?
A mid-range family of four spends roughly $227-$304 per day on the ground - hotel, food, activities and local transport. Tight travel lands near $170; luxury on Samui passes $460.
What is the biggest cost of a Thailand family trip?
The beachfront resort on Koh Samui: ten nights run $1,400-$1,600 mid-range, about 40% of the on-the-ground total.
Is Koh Samui expensive compared to Bangkok?
Yes for hotels and transport, similar for food. Bangkok mid-range family rooms run about $145 a night against $137-$160 on Samui beachfront, and Samui rides cost two to three times Bangkok's.
Sources
Trip.com: Bangkok-Koh Samui flights, checked 10 October 2026
Banana Fan Sea Resort: official packages and rates
momondo: Banana Fan Sea Resort nightly rates, 2026
Novotel Bangkok Platinum Pratunam: family package page; Bangkok and Samui 2026 travel guides (temple, Safari World, transport and restaurant prices). All prices checked 11 October 2026.