Place comparison

Phuket compared with Koh Samui: area, population and density

Phuket Province has more than twice the land of Koh Samui main island and far more registered residents, but the geographic units differ.

Place A Grouped by country or region Place B Grouped by country or region

Equal-area outline comparison

Outlines are centered and scaled by official land area; position does not show geographic location.

Area

Population

Population density

Area data date

Population data date

The detailed guide below compares Phuket Province with Koh Samui. Use the selector above to explore any other pair.

Direct answer

How different are Phuket Province and Koh Samui?

Phuket Province covers 543 km²; Phuket Province's area is 2.39 times Koh Samui's. Its reported population is 429,583; Phuket Province's population is 6.16 times Koh Samui's. By average density, Phuket Province's population density is 2.58 times Koh Samui's.

Area difference

Phuket Province's area is 2.39 times Koh Samui's 543 km² · 227 km²

Population difference

Phuket Province's population is 6.16 times Koh Samui's 429,583 · 69,689

Density difference

Phuket Province's population density is 2.58 times Koh Samui's 791.1 /km² · 307 /km²

On a familiar scale

Phuket Province ≈ 51% of Changhua County 1,264 m² of land per resident
Koh Samui ≈ 84% of Taipei City 3,257 m² of land per resident

Reference scales come from Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior: Land area, households and population density by township and district (year-end 2025) , as of 2025-12-31.

How to read it

Phuket is measured as a complete province so its official area, population and outline align. Koh Samui uses a main-island area with a slightly wider municipal population.

Geography and shape

Phuket Province is centred on Phuket Island but also includes smaller islands and uses an administrative boundary. Koh Samui is shown as one physical main island. This answers the common destination-scale question without pretending both labels describe the same geographic object.

Population context

The Phuket figure is 2024 provincial registered population. The Koh Samui figure is the 2024 municipality total, which includes eighteen surrounding islands. Both are administrative registers, although only Phuket area uses the identical administration.

Boundaries and definitions

Read Phuket as Phuket Province, not only the coastline of Phuket Island. Read Koh Samui area as the 227 km² main island and its density as approximate. Land scale is useful for destination context; density needs the stated scope note.

Phuket Province: Area and registered population both cover Phuket Province, not only Phuket Island. The province includes the main island and smaller surrounding islands; the provincial outline is used so the displayed density remains internally aligned.

Koh Samui: Area is for Koh Samui main island. Population is the 2024 Ko Samui City Municipality total, whose 252 km² administration includes the 227 km² main island and 18 surrounding islands; density is therefore approximate for the main island.

In-depth guide

How should Phuket Province and Koh Samui be understood in context?

This comparison is most useful as a check on destination labels. Phuket is a province built around a famous island; Koh Samui is a main-island outline paired with a wider municipality.

One destination name can hide several geographic objects

Travel searches often use Phuket as if it meant only one island. Official area and population, however, are published for Phuket Province, so Atlas keeps the provincial outline and label together.

Koh Samui land is the recognisable main island. Its population comes from the municipality, which adds nearby islands and makes density approximate.

What the result can and cannot answer

The page answers which destination administration has more land and residents, and how the main Samui island compares visually. It does not compare beach length, usable resort land or travel time.

A stricter island-only Phuket comparison would require a current population confined to the main island boundary. Until that exists, the province label is the honest unit.

Questions people ask

About this geographic comparison

Is Phuket larger than Koh Samui?

Yes. Phuket Province has more than twice the reported land area of Koh Samui main island.

Does Phuket mean Phuket Island only?

No. The official statistics and outline cover Phuket Province, including smaller surrounding islands.

Can the two density figures be treated as equally exact?

No. Phuket is fully province-aligned, while Koh Samui population covers a municipality wider than the main-island area.

Sources

Outline data:

Natural Earth · Public domain