Are there public beaches that cruise ship passengers can visit? After a tour, we'd love to swim for an hour or so before a 3 PM departure. Will there be taxis to transport us back to where the ship (Oceania Nautica) is located?

suggest that you ask the ship..... not sure where they will be docking.... the place where the ferry comes to is on the back side of the island and a bit remote

mostly it is songrans (pick-up trucks with seats in the back) that are used for public transportation

I think Bob means songtaews. Songkrans are a holiday.

There are taxis in Samui, but it costs 200 Baht just to get in one.

Your ship almost certainly won't dock in Samui. It will probably anchor offshore somewhere, so check with them on where it will be.

There are many standard taxis on Samui as well as the Songthaews. The taxis will use the meter if you insist but they will also add a surcharge. If there is a group of you, you may be better off negotiating with a songthaew driver for his services for your entire time on the Island.

ChoengMon is a lovely uncrowded beach that would be a good place for a swim if your ship puts down anchor near the northern part of the Island.

Thanks one and all. We have just arranged a "tour" that will include a stop at Chaweng Beach for a swim before returning to the ship. We are so looking forward to visiting this beautiful island.

Chaweng is by far the most heavily developed beach on the Island. It has, in most peoples opinion, got to the stage of being "over-done".

If you do go there, ensure that your tour takes you to the less developed, Southern part of the beach. This area is still quite pleasant. It is a very long stretch of beach and the southern end is wide enough to get away from the hordes of revellers that tend to congregate at the Northern end, where there is a higher density of bars and nightclubs.

Even better would be Chaweng Noi (Little Chaweng), a bit further south. If you get time for lunch, there are some fabulous restaraunts that have been built apon the cliffs that tower above the coast a few miles south of Chaweng Noi. Absolutely breathtaking scenery and generally better value than the beachfront restaraunts on Chaweng.

Thank you for this additional advice.

Koh Samui and other Thailand beaches are awesome ... watch this video in full screen as it is in HD http://vimeo.com/5626028

You can rent motorbikes on Samui for about $5 a day. Most have automatic transmissions and are very easy to ride.

You can go wherever you want at your own pace.