Back to the beach

Koh Samui, a popular island on Thailand's east coast, is ringed by sandy beaches with clear water and beautiful views. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Golden sands, aqua-park fun and a floating bar beckon on Thailand's Koh Samui Island.

It has been a tumultuous year for Thailand after much political unrest in early 2014. Protests rocked Bangkok, then martial law followed after the military seized control of the country in May.

These events disrupted tourism nationwide. For instance, Koh Samui island, off Thailand's east coast, is unlikely to beat the 1.5 million tourist arrivals it achieved last year.

But in recent months, stability has been restored. Tourism is recovering, including on the tropical island, one of the kingdom's top tourist destinations.

"The impact on Koh Samui was not as significant as in other parts of Thailand," says Ingo Domaschke, general manager of the Ozo Chaweng Samui resort on the island's Chaweng Beach Road.

Resort cancellations did not suffer so badly, he explains, although bookings slowed down in May, June and the start of July. "Now the booking is picking up and getting back to normal," Domaschke says, adding he is "very optimistic" that business will bounce back to pre-coup levels.

Peter Snelson, the owner of a floating bar called Mojito Island, echoes these views. His venue suffered as a result of the booking cancellations that occurred at the height of the country's political crisis. He recalls that several people living abroad had asked him if it was safe to walk down the street, unaware that it was business as usual on the island.

"Now, the type of people that come here say 'What coup?'" remarks Snelson. "It's a whole different kind of tourist that is visiting Koh Samui who is unaware of these problems."

The beaches are relatively crowd-free, while Buddhist temples and other attractions have minimal queues. The aftermath of the political storm has led to a pervading quiet throughout Koh Samui - a quality that many claim had been eroded over years of rampant development on the island.

The downturn in visitor numbers means this is an ideal opportunity to experience a different side of this territory.