While the crystal-clear waters and dramatic cliffs of Thailand’s Phi Phi Islands draw international travelers, Monkey Beach is known for a particular reason: its namesake residents. However, their reputation is less than stellar. They are snatching food, grabbing cameras and mobile phones, and even biting unsuspecting tourists. "The monkeys are not particularly friendly," says Yonna Xhixho, a finance professional from New York City who visited the island while studying abroad in Hong...

Koh Samui has nearly four times the tourist density per square foot of the Île-de-France region, which includes Paris, one of the world’s most well-known overtourism hotspots. In 2023, Koh Samui welcomed 3.54 million tourists, packing an island of just 88.3 square miles with an astonishing 40,111 visitors per square mile. This equates to almost 10,000 visitors per day. Compare that to Île-de-France, including Paris, which saw 47.6 million tourist arrivals across 4,638 square miles, a density...

Koh Samui is back in the spotlight again since season 3 of HBO’s The White Lotus began airing on February 16, 2025. After season 2 premiered, searches for San Domenico Palace in Sicily, its primary filming location, spiked 300% on Hotels.com. A similar surge is widely expected for Thailand following Season 3, and it’s not just Hotels.com predicting the trend. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is also banking on The White Lotus effect, aiming to attract high-spending international visitors in...