Fisherman's Village, Bophut
A strip of old wooden shophouses on Bophut beach, now restaurants and bars, with a Friday walking street.
Fisherman's Village is the old Chinese-Thai quarter of Bophut on Samui's north coast, a single street of wooden shophouses along the beach. It is free, takes two to three hours, and the Friday Walking Street market is the best night on the island.
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A strip of old wooden shophouses on Bophut beach, now restaurants and bars, with a Friday walking street.
Bophut was a fishing community of Chinese descent long before Samui had an airport, and the shophouses along the seafront are the original buildings — teak, with covered walkways and interior courtyards. In the 1990s the fishermen moved on and the street became restaurants and boutiques, but the fabric of the village survived because the buildings were worth restoring.
It is the prettiest built environment on Samui and the only place with a sense of history. The Friday night market is the best on the island.
What you’ll actually see
- The teak shophouses along the seafront walkway, many over 100 years old
- The Friday Walking Street market, 5pm to 11pm, from the wharf to the temple
- Bophut Beach at the north end, with views to Koh Phangan
- The small Chinese shrine at the temple end of the street
How to visit it well
- Come on Friday for the walking street, otherwise at sunset.
- Eat at the beachfront restaurants on the sand.
- The pier at the east end still runs fishing boats.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Coming on a Tuesday and finding it half-closed
- Expecting cheap food — the seafront restaurants charge resort prices
- Parking on the main road; use the lot behind the temple
Is it worth it?
Worth an evening, especially on a Friday. It is the most attractive built environment on Samui and the only place on the island with a sense of history. Come for the market, eat at the inland stalls rather than the seafront.
Common questions
Every Friday from 5pm to 11pm. There is also a smaller Wednesday market in the low season.
Yes for an evening. Two or three hours covers the street, the beach and dinner. It is not a full day.
The inland stalls and small restaurants on the side streets are half the price of the seafront and often better. Look for the places with Thai menus and plastic chairs.
Yes at high tide, though the water is shallow and not as clear as Chaweng or Choeng Mon.
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Last updated: October 2026 · Prices and hours checked by Nattapong Srisuwan