The BAANLYY Area Score rates all 4 Surat Thani areas on a transparent 100-point scale, built from eight gateway-city lived-experience factors. One number to compare at a glance — then dig into the detail that matters for a mainland base or a Samui-islands commute.
How it's scored: each area is rated 1–10 on eight gateway-city factors — value, walkability, dining & shopping, transport links, ferry & island access, quiet, rental depth and family practicality — and the BAANLYY Area Score is their average on a 0–100 scale. Ferry & island access stands in for the beach factor used on resort-town guides, since Surat Thani is the mainland transit gateway to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao rather than a beach destination itself (see the getting-around guide). It's a transparent comparison starting point, not investment advice — weight the factors that matter to you.
| # | Area | Score | Value | Walkability | Dining & shopping | Transport links | Ferry & island access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ban Don & the Riverside Historic core, walkable, the old pier district | 61 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| 2 | Central Plaza & Talat Kaset Malls, markets & the newest condos | 60 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 4 |
| 3 | Don Sak & the Ferry Corridor For commuters to the Koh Samui, Koh Phangan & Koh Tao piers | 55 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 4 | Near Phun Phin Railway junction, airport road, the budget side of town | 54 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 3 |
The BAANLYY Area Score itself is BAANLYY's proprietary editorial dataset; the official sources above provide the underlying tourism and demographic context. Ratings are editorial estimates that change as areas evolve — not investment, legal or financial advice.
The BAANLYY Area Score is a proprietary, transparent composite of BAANLYY's own area ratings, provided for general comparison only — not investment, legal or financial advice. Ratings are editorial estimates that change as areas evolve. Hero photo by Valeria Drozdova on Pexels.