On Koh Samui, Christmas Eve dinner is served with sand underfoot and carols drift across from a hotel terrace by the sea. By the next afternoon, the same beaches are hosting roast turkey, oyster bars and a foam party.
This list covers ten ways to spend Christmas on the island in 2026: three on Christmas Eve and seven on Christmas Day. They run in order through the two days, from the first dinners on the evening of 24 December to the last party on the night of the 25th, rather than being ranked. Between them they take in set menus, seafood buffets, family brunches, a Thai sharing feast and two very different nights at Club SEEN.
Festive dining on Samui books up early, and several venues offer a discount for booking before a set date. Check with the venue before planning the day around it.
Christmas Eve Dinner at Nikki Beach
Nikki Beach on Lipa Noi marks Christmas Eve with a festive set dinner and live entertainment through the evening. The menu opens with a Fine de Claire oyster with tom kha foam and caviar, then moves through hamachi crudo or pan-seared foie gras and a salad of butter-poached lobster and seared scallops. Mains are Black Angus Beef Wellington, Chilean sea bass or truffle ravioli, and the Festive Forest, a dark chocolate mousse with raspberry, closes the meal. Lipa Noi faces west, so guests arriving at six catch the last of the light over the water.
- Lipa Noi, on the west coast
- Festive set menu with live entertainment
- Thursday 24 December, 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.; tables can be booked online
Dining EventChristmas Eve Dinner
Nikki Beach on Lipa Noi marks Christmas Eve with a festive set dinner from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Thursday 24 December, with live entertainment through the evening. The menu opens with artisan bread and a Fine de Claire oyster with tom kha foam and caviar. Then comes a choice of hamachi crudo or pan-seared foie gras, a tropical salad of butter-poached lobster and seared scallops, and a champagne and raspberry sorbet. For the main course there's Black Angus Beef Wellington, pan-seared Chilean sea bass, or handmade truffle ravioli. Dessert is the Festive Forest, a dark chocolate mousse with raspberry and fresh berries. The dinner costs ฿4,500++ per person. Tables can be booked online, and packages are available through the beach club team.
A Very SALA Christmas
SALA Samui Choengmon sets out a candlelit buffet at its beachside restaurant for Christmas Eve. The spread centres on premium seafood on ice and gourmet carving stations, with international dishes around them and live music through the evening. Choeng Mon is a sheltered bay on the north-east tip of the island, and its calm water makes an easy backdrop for a long family dinner. Children are charged at reduced rates, and the youngest eat free.
- Choeng Mon, at SALA Samui Restaurant
- Candlelit buffet with seafood on ice, carving stations and live music
- Thursday 24 December, 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; an early booking discount runs until 30 November
Dining EventA Very SALA Christmas
SALA Samui Choengmon Beach Resort celebrates Christmas Eve with A Very SALA Christmas, a candlelit buffet dinner at SALA Samui Restaurant on Thursday 24 December, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Live music plays through the evening, beside the sea on Choeng Mon Beach. The buffet is built around premium seafood on ice, gourmet carving stations and a spread of international dishes. It costs ฿3,500++ per adult, ฿1,700++ for children aged 6 to 11 and ฿1,000++ for children aged 4 to 5, and under-4s eat free. Booking directly with the resort by 30 November takes 10% off. Diners can book through Line, Facebook, by phone on +66 77 245 888 or by email at fbsales@salachoengmon.com.
Christmas by the Sea at Amari
Amari Koh Samui builds its Christmas Eve around a festive gala buffet at the Amaya Food Gallery on Chaweng, with a full programme of entertainment alongside. A welcome drink starts the night, a live festive band plays, local school children sing carols, and a fire dance show follows after dark. Santa arrives with small gifts for younger guests, and lucky draws run through the evening. Of the three Christmas Eve options, it is the one most clearly built for families.
- Chaweng, at the Amaya Food Gallery
- Gala buffet, carols, a fire show and a visit from Santa
- Thursday 24 December, 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; early bird rate until 20 December
Holiday SpecialChristmas by the Sea
Amari Koh Samui hosts a Christmas Eve celebration at the Amaya Food Gallery, a festive evening of dining and entertainment beside the sea at Chaweng. The night centres on a festive gala buffet with a welcome drink on arrival. Entertainment runs through the evening with a live festive band, Christmas carols performed by local school children, and a fire dance show. Santa Claus makes an appearance with small gifts for younger guests, and there are lucky draws and prizes on the night. Dinner runs from 6:30pm to 10pm on Thursday 24 December 2026. Early bird tickets are ฿2,500++ per adult when booked and paid by 20 December; the regular rate is 2,800++ per adult, 999++ for children aged 10 to 12, and complimentary for children under 10. Optional three-hour free-flow beverage packages are available. Advance reservations are recommended.
Christmas Day Foam Party at Club SEEN
Christmas Day at Club SEEN starts with foam. The Chaweng beach club opens free to families from 11 a.m., with resident DJs, live saxophone, drummers and dancers keeping the beachfront busy until early evening. Groups who want a base for the day can reserve a table in advance. When the foam party ends, the adults-only Naughty List takes over indoors, so the same venue can carry the whole day.
- Chaweng, on the beachfront
- Foam party with resident DJs, saxophone, drummers and dancers
- Friday 25 December, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; free entry, tables bookable
Holiday SpecialChristmas Day Foam Party
Club SEEN marks Christmas Day with a foam party on the beachfront at Chaweng, open to families with free entry. The resident DJs play through the day, joined by live saxophone, drummers and dancers. The day session runs from 11am to 7pm. Entry is free, and tables can be reserved in advance through the venue's booking page. In the evening, the club's after-dark Christmas party takes over in UNSEEN CLUB from 7pm for guests aged 18 and over.
Christmas Brunch at Cabanas Beach Club
Cabanas Beach Club, a little further along Chaweng, runs its Christmas brunch around live cooking stations. There is a taco station, pasta tossed in a Parmesan wheel, a pizza bar and a cheese selection, with drinks and bubbles served throughout. A violinist and a bata drummer provide the festive soundtrack. It suits groups who want a relaxed start to the day rather than a formal sit-down meal.
- Chaweng, on the beachfront
- Live cooking stations, violin and bata drums
- Friday 25 December, from 11 a.m.; a discount applies when booked by 20 December
BrunchChristmas Brunch
Cabanas Beach Club hosts a Christmas Day brunch on the beachfront at Chaweng, built around live cooking stations. The spread includes a taco station, pasta tossed in a Parmesan wheel, a pizza bar and a cheese selection, with drinks and bubbles served through the brunch. Live festive music comes from a violinist and a bata drummer. Brunch starts at 11am on Friday 25 December 2026 and costs ฿2,490 per person. Booking by 20 December gets 15% off.
Christmas Day Feast at Foxtrot Bistro
Chef Beth's menu at Foxtrot Bistro, by the bay in Bangrak, is one of the most traditional Christmas lunches on the island. Festive bites arrive first, then a choice of pork, pistachio and cranberry terrine, prawn cocktail or celeriac soup. Roast turkey with all the trimmings leads the mains, alongside a beef medallion, a Tasmanian salmon Wellington and a roasted butternut squash, while sprouts, cauliflower cheese and cider-braised red cabbage come to the table to share. Christmas pudding with brandy custard or a mulled wine trifle finishes it. Spaces are limited.
- Bangrak, by the bay
- Multi-course festive menu with family-style sides
- Friday 25 December, sittings at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.; book by email or WhatsApp
Dining EventChristmas Day Feast
Foxtrot Bistro in Bangrak serves Christmas Day by the bay on Friday 25 December, with a multi-course festive menu from Chef Beth that pairs home comforts with premium ingredients. There are two sittings, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The meal opens with festive bites from the kitchen. Then comes a choice of starter: pork, pistachio and cranberry terrine, a prawn cocktail with Marie Rose sauce, or celeriac soup with hazelnut crumb. For the main course, guests choose traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings, a red wine and shallot beef medallion with confit garlic mash, a Tasmanian salmon Wellington with prosciutto and creamed spinach, or roasted butternut squash with whipped goat's cheese. Brussels sprouts, roasted root vegetables, cauliflower cheese, cider-braised red cabbage and roast potatoes come to the table to share. Dessert is a choice of Christmas pudding with brandy custard, a mulled wine trifle, or a cheese board, followed by petits fours. It costs ฿2,400++ per person for food only, or ฿3,900++ with free-flow drinks. Spaces are limited. Tables are booked by email to book@foxtrotsamui.com or through WhatsApp, giving the preferred sitting and number of guests.
Christmas Day Brunch at Nikki Beach
Nikki Beach returns on Christmas Day with a brunch built on scale. An oyster-shucking bar, seafood on ice with lobster and crab, a caviar corner and a sushi counter come first, followed by a carvery of Wagyu prime rib, Beef Wellington, roast turkey, honey-glazed ham and a whole roast pig. A Yule log and a chocolate fountain wait at the end, and a kids' corner keeps younger guests fed. The resident DJ and live entertainment run through the afternoon.
- Lipa Noi, on the west coast
- Live stations, a Christmas carvery and a kids' corner
- Friday 25 December, 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
BrunchFeaturedChristmas Day Brunch
Nikki Beach on Lipa Noi celebrates Christmas Day with a festive brunch from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday 25 December, with the resident DJ and live entertainment through the afternoon. The spread is built around live stations. There's an oyster-shucking bar, seafood on ice with lobster and crab, a caviar corner, and a sushi and sashimi counter. Fresh pasta and truffle risotto are finished in a Parmesan wheel, and a Thai station serves pad Thai and tom yum. The Christmas carvery has Australian Wagyu prime rib, Beef Wellington, roast turkey, honey-glazed ham and a whole roast pig, with all the festive sides. Desserts include Christmas pudding, a Yule log, gingerbread and a chocolate fountain. A kids' corner serves sliders, mac and cheese and nuggets. The brunch costs ฿5,000++ per adult and ฿1,500++ for children aged 5 to 12.
Christmas Day at Tembo Beach Club
Tembo Beach Club & Resort in Bangrak serves a three-course Christmas menu in two sittings, one at lunch and one in the early evening. Starters include prawn Marie Rose and duck and pistachio pâté, mains include free-range organic turkey or Angus beef tenderloin with all the trimmings, and Christmas pudding comes with ice cream or custard. Plant-based choices run through every course. DJ Dollar Bill plays festive music, and diners are welcome to stay on and use the pool afterwards.
- Bangrak, near Big Buddha
- Three-course menu with plant-based options and a DJ
- Friday 25 December, sittings at 12 p.m. and 5 p.m.; book by email with a deposit
Dining EventChristmas Day: Celebrate in Style
Tembo Beach Club & Resort in Bangrak serves a three-course Christmas Day menu in two sittings: lunch from 12pm to 3pm and dinner from 5pm to 8pm. Starters include prawn Marie Rose, duck and pistachio pâté, and a plant-based truffle mushroom soup. Mains include free-range organic turkey or Angus beef tenderloin with all the trimmings, poached halibut with crispy prosciutto, and a plant-based pumpkin risotto. Christmas pudding or a plant-based double Belgian chocolate dessert finishes the meal. DJ Dollar Bill plays festive music, and guests are welcome to stay on afterwards to use the pool and facilities. Bookings are made by email, with menu choices and a 50% deposit.
Christmas Dinner at Explorar
For anyone who has had enough turkey by the evening, Explorar on Maenam serves Christmas dinner the Thai way. The sharing set starts with chicken and prawn satay, fish cakes, fresh spring rolls and a sea bass ceviche with lime and green chilli. Tiger prawns in red coconut curry, crispy pork belly and stir-fried morning glory follow, with bua loy, warm tapioca balls in coconut cream, to finish. Maenam is one of the calmer beaches on the north coast, which suits a slow dinner at the end of a long day.
- Maenam, on the north coast
- Thai sharing set of snacks, mains and dessert
- Friday 25 December, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Dining EventChristmas Dinner
Explorar on Maenam Beach celebrates Christmas Day with a Thai sharing dinner on Friday 25 December, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The table starts with snacks to share: chicken and prawn satay, Thai fish cakes, fresh spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce, and a sea bass ceviche with lime and green chilli. For the mains there's a red coconut curry of tiger prawns, crispy pork belly and stir-fried morning glory, served with jasmine rice. Dessert is bua loy, warm tapioca balls in coconut cream with fruit. The dinner costs ฿3,000 net per person.
The Naughty List at Club SEEN
The last event of Christmas Day is the one for adults. Once the foam party is over, Club SEEN moves the celebration into UNSEEN CLUB for The Naughty List, an evening of music, live violin and after-dark festive entertainment. It is for guests aged 18 and over, and tables can be reserved in advance. Anyone who started the day at the foam party can make it a twelve-hour Christmas at one venue.
- Chaweng, inside UNSEEN CLUB at Club SEEN
- Adults-only night with music and live violin
- Friday 25 December, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.; 18 and over only
Themed NightThe Naughty List Christmas Night
As Christmas Day winds down at Club SEEN, the party moves into UNSEEN CLUB for The Naughty List, an adults-only Christmas night. The evening combines music with live violin and after-dark festive entertainment. The night session runs from 7pm to 11pm and is for guests aged 18 and over. It follows the club's family-friendly Christmas Day foam party, which runs from 11am. Tables can be reserved in advance through the venue's booking page.
Christmas on Samui rarely comes down to one meal. Dinner on the beach on the 24th, a long lunch on the 25th and a party to finish are all within reach, as long as the bookings go in early.