Festivals

• Buffalo Fighting Festival One of the most famed festivals on Ko Samui is its Buffalo Fighting Festival which is held on special occasions such as New Years Day and Songkran. Unlike Spanish Bullfighting, where the bulls get killed while fighting sword-wielding men, Buffalo Fighting Festival, Ko Samui is fairly harmless. The fighting season varies according to some ancient customs and ceremonies. The buffalo are beautifully decorated with ribbons and gold-painted leaves. Before the contest which lasts just two rounds, monks spray them with holy water. The winning owner typically takes home millions of baht in prize money.

• Ten Stars Samui Art Party A recurring cultural event bringing together art lovers, local Thai and international artists and their new, original artworks. These bi-monthly events, hosted at various high-end resorts and other 5-star venues on the island, focus on building the art community on Ko Samui in upscale, yet relaxed, social atmosphere. Presentations by each of the featured artists are followed by casual discussions and viewing. Often a portion of the artwork sales go to benefit local charities.

• Bowling Championship This is an annual bowling event held in May every year.

• Avis Samui Tennis Open The annual amateur tennis tournament held in July.

• The Fisherman's Village Festival This five-day long festival is celebrated with great fun, lots of music and food. The music is usually played by well-known artists, along with plenty of good food. A number of food tents sell a wide range of inexpensive and tasty cuisine provided by many local hotels.

• Triathlon Event The International Triathlon Union organizes this event every year. This event in Ko Samui draws a more than five hundred participants from all round the globe. The event attracts not only competitors but visitors at the same time. Local people participate enthusiastically and at same time cheer up the participants. This Triathlon Event is a lot of fun.

• Samui Regatta The Samui Regatta, Ko Samui is a sailing tournament, which is a grand attraction on this island every year. The tournament is internationally acclaimed around the world and has become one of the major sailing events on Samui. The organizers put in a lot of preparation for the successful completion of this event. Locals as well as tourists take part; racers come from as far away as Australia, Singapore, Japan and China. This event began in 2002. The yacht racing association of Thailand organized this popular yachting festival and the event is recognized by the prestigious international sailing federation. Boats of all sizes and shapes are used in this event. The “Radical Bay 8000” is one such boat that is used in this event.

• Full Moon Party (Ko Phangan) Once upon a time Had Rin Beach on nearby Ko Phang-ngan was a secret haven for a few ‘hippy’ backpackers who could only get to the beach by boat. Currently, however, Had Rin is packed with bungalows, bars, pizza joints and even a 7-11. Every month on full-moon a huge party is held; one that has become internationally renowned. All through the night party-goers can drink and dance to the latest rave sounds played by well-known DJs from around the world. Literally ten of thousands appear solely for the point of joining in the action.