Koh Samui: the world's best island according to Travel + Leisure. Phuket takes 5th place.

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Magazine Travel + Leisure has named Koh Samui the best island in the world for 2026. In the annual reader survey, the island received a score of 95.64 out of 100, taking the top spot in the rankings for the first time. Phuket also made it into the global top five, scoring 93.18 points.

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As a result, two Thai islands have landed among the world's top five. For Koh Samui, this is its first victory in the history of the rankings, while for Phuket, the result is particularly notable given its rapid ascent in international tourism rankings over recent years.

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In this article

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• What the Travel + Leisure rankings are
• Why Koh Samui became the best island in the world
• How The White Lotus brought new attention to Samui
• Why Phuket took 5th place in the world
• Koh Samui and Phuket: two different vacation styles
• What the rankings say about the development of tourism in Thailand

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What the Travel + Leisure rankings are

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The Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards have been around for over 30 years and are based on votes from the magazine's readers. In 2026, more than 207,000 people participated in the survey, casting approximately 661,000 votes across various travel destination categories.

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Islands are evaluated on more than just the beauty of their beaches. Readers take into account natural attractions, activities, points of interest, gastronomy, the friendliness of the locals, and value for money.

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This is precisely why making it onto such a list speaks to more than just a destination's natural appeal. It reflects the overall travel experience that a visitor receives. 

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In 2026, the global rankings look like this:

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Why Koh Samui became the best island in the world

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Travel + Leisure highlights several key features of Koh Samui: its tropical forests, waterfalls, lagoons, beaches, wide range of accommodation options, and a growing wellness scene. Readers specifically praised the variety of restaurants and activities, as well as the island's tranquil atmosphere and the friendliness of the local people.

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What makes Koh Samui interesting is that its tourism experience has long moved beyond the classic beach vacation. You can spend several days here without ever leaving your resort, go on a wellness retreat, explore the island's interior, visit temples, take a boat trip to neighboring islands, or spend a day at the Ang Thong National Marine Park.

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The island itself is quite compact, yet the landscape changes dramatically from the coast to the interior. The central part features dense tropical forests and mountainous terrain, while the perimeter is lined with beaches and resort areas.

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This combination of nature and developed hotel infrastructure aligns particularly well with shifting traveler preferences. Today, people increasingly value more than just the ability to lie on a beach; they seek a holistic experience: excellent hotels, high-quality gastronomy, wellness, nature, and a true sense of place.

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How The White Lotus brought new attention to Samui

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There is another factor that influenced the ranking, and it is hard to ignore.

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In 2025, HBO released the third season of The White Lotus, which transported viewers to Thailand. Filming took place in several locations across the country, including Bangkok, Phuket, and Samui. Key hotel locations included Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Anantara Bophut Koh Samui and Anantara Lawana Koh Samui, while on Phuket, the series was filmed, in particular, at Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas.

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This is particularly interesting in the context of Samui. In the 2025 Travel + Leisure rankings, the island held only 14th place globally and 5th in Asia. Just a year later, it reached number one in the world. In a 2025 article, Travel + Leisure itself noted that the increased attention on Samui was linked to its appearance in The White Lotus.

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Of course, one cannot claim that the series alone secured the top spot for the island. The ranking is based on a multitude of factors, with participants evaluating their own travel experiences. However, a global series with a multi-million audience can significantly boost a destination's visibility.

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Moreover, Thailand leveraged this effect quite skillfully. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) created a dedicated international campaign around the third season, promoting not just the filming locations, but also the country's gastronomy, culture, and natural attractions. In 2026, TAT also explicitly identified film tourism and the "White Lotus effect" as part of its strategy to attract international travelers.

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Why Phuket took 5th place in the world

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Against the backdrop of Samui's victory, we shouldn't overlook another important result: Phuket was named the fifth-best island in the world by Travel + Leisure, with a score of 93.18.

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Travel + Leisure specifically highlights what makes Phuket different from many other island destinations. It offers more than just beaches; it provides a wide variety of activities and quick access to other iconic spots along the Andaman coast. The Phi Phi Islands, the Similan Islands, and Phang Nga Bay turn Phuket into a kind of base for exploring the region.

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While Samui feels more intimate and natural, Phuket is on a much larger scale. It offers more districts, restaurants, international schools, and opportunities for long-term living. On the island, you can choose between completely different areas, ranging from historic Phuket Town to the beaches of the west coast.

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And there is another advantage here that is especially important for those living on the island: you can fly from Phuket to Samui in about 55 minutes. There are regular direct flights between the islands, making them part of a single travel geography and allowing visitors to easily combine two completely different islands into one trip.

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Therefore, the high rankings of both islands suggest not so much competition between them, but rather how diverse the Thai tourism experience is becoming.

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What the rankings say about the development of tourism in Thailand

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The Travel + Leisure result fits well into the broader process of transforming Thai tourism.

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In recent years, Phuket has appeared more and more frequently in international rankings and lists. In 2025, Travel + Leisure ranked it 4th among the best islands in Asia, and in 2026, it was named the fifth-best island in the world. In March 2026, Phuket also took fourth place in the Best Islands category at the DestinAsian Readers’ Choice Awards. Even earlier, Lonely Planet included Phuket in its list of the 25 best travel destinations in the world for 2026.

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Of course, a single ranking does not automatically prove an increase in the quality of a destination. But when various international publications and awards regularly highlight Phuket, Samui, and other Thai destinations, a broader trend becomes apparent. Thailand is gradually changing its very model of tourism. It is no longer just about attracting more tourists, but about developing a higher-quality and more diverse experience: wellness, gastronomy, culture, nature, events, sustainable tourism, and hospitality services.

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This is also clearly visible in the actions of the TAT. In recent years, the organization has been increasingly promoting wellness and meaningful travel, developing film tourism, working with international airlines to expand routes, and focusing on travelers who stay longer and spend more.

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And in this context, the results for Samui and Phuket are particularly telling.