Head to head

Koh Samui or Okinawa?

Okinawa, narrowly — 59 vs 57 across the year.

Barely a point in it — Koh Samui 57, Okinawa 59 on the Atlas Ranger Score — and the lead changes hands as the year turns. Koh Samui is the better pick in 6 of 12 months (Jan–Feb and Jun–Sep), Okinawa in 6 (Mar–May and Oct–Dec). So the question isn't which is better, it's which month you're travelling.

Month by month

When to go

Pick a month. The line shows each place's score across the year; the figures below are that month's averages.

Koh Samui Okinawa

In October, Okinawa is the better bet — 66 vs 45.

Score

High / low

31° / 24°

28° / 23°

Rain

295 mm

155 mm

Sunshine

8.9 h

6 h

Koh Samui: Wet season starts — rainfall more than doubles, beach days unreliable

Okinawa: Typhoons fading — warm sea, ideal beach window

At a glance

Side by side

Koh Samui Okinawa

Timing & weather

Year-round score57/10059/100

Best monthFebruary (73)May (59)

Months it leadsJan–Feb and Jun–SepMar–May and Oct–Dec

Cheapest monthsOct–NovJan–Feb and Sep

Driest monthFebruary (64mm)December (105mm)

Wettest monthNovember (445mm)June (250mm)

Hottest monthMay (33°C)July (32°C)

Best for

BeachesBoth are beach destinations — compare the months above for when each is warmest and driestEvenEven

Off-peak monthsKoh Samui has more shoulder and low-season months (9 vs 8), when rates and crowds easeStronger—

Practical

Main airportSamui International Airport (USM)Naha Airport (OKA)

CurrencyTHB (Thai Baht)JPY (Japanese Yen)

LanguageThaiJapanese (Okinawan + Uchinaaguchi heritage languages)

Time zoneICT (UTC+7)JST (UTC+9, no DST)

ClimateTropical monsoon (Köppen Am)Subtropical (Köppen Cfa) — closer to Taiwan than to Tokyo

Visa60-day visa exemption for most Western nationalities (extended Jul 2024)Visa-free 90-day entry for ~70 nationalities (US, UK, EU, Australia, etc.)

SafetyLow risk — standard tropical precautions, scooter accidents are the main injury sourceVery low risk — same as mainland Japan

Named storms nearby nowNASA EONET, checked hourly. Not a forecast.None tracked within 1,000kmNone tracked within 1,000km

Your trip

Which should you pick?

PickKoh Samui

Pick Koh Samui if you want steamy tropical days and a defined wet season — it leads in Jan–Feb and Jun–Sep and peaks in February (73).

Koh Samui full guide

PickOkinawa

Pick Okinawa if you want warm, easy tropical weather — it leads in Mar–May and Oct–Dec and peaks in May (59).

Okinawa full guide

Plan your trip

Hotels, flights and more

Switch between the two. Hotel prices are for a week in each destination's best month.

Book Koh Samui

$$ · First-time visitors, dining variety, the busiest beach

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Questions

Good to know

Is Koh Samui or Okinawa better to visit?

It's almost a dead heat — Koh Samui 57, Okinawa 59 on the Atlas Ranger Score, our 0–100 measure of weather, crowds, value, and timing across the year. The lead flips month to month, so the right pick is essentially whenever you're travelling — compare any month with the tool above.

Which has better weather, Koh Samui or Okinawa?

Okinawa averages a higher weather score (54 vs 53). Weather is the biggest input to the score, but both have strong months and weak months; the month-by-month chart shows exactly when.

When is it cheapest to visit Koh Samui or Okinawa?

Koh Samui is cheapest in Oct–Nov; Okinawa is cheapest in Jan–Feb and Sep. Those are the low and shoulder months, when hotel rates and crowds ease — usually because the weather is less reliable, so check the month-by-month scores above before you book.

Can I visit both Koh Samui and Okinawa in one trip?

Often yes — many travellers pair them. The smart move is to time each leg to its own best months. Check each destination's full guide (linked below) for the month-by-month detail, then sequence your trip so each stop lands in its strong window.