Detail: Koh Samui Hospital is the only public hospital on the island of Koh Samui. It is located just outside the seaside town of Nathon, on the west coast of the island. Plans were made for the building of the hospital in 1969, by Marshal Dilok. At that time the population of Samui was about 31,000 but there was no hospital on the island to deal with medical emergencies.
Patients would be transferred to the mainland a 90 km trip involving a boat ride which was particulary hazardous during the monsoon season. The marshal and the people of Koh Samui established a committee for land and money donations. They were finally able to accumulate 27 rai of land and Governor Khlay Jhitphithak approached the Department of Medical Services, who approved the proposed budget of 4,200,000 THB to build the hospital. The construction contract was signed on September 17th 1972 and the hospital was completed and open to patients on April 5th 1978. The first director of the hospital was Doctor Montri Setthabut.