Why is Koh Samui so quiet compared with what people expected of it?

Enough visitors report this that it is worth asking rather than dismissing. Possible explanations pull in different directions: season, which beach somebody stayed on, the island's shift towards resorts over backpackers, or simply comparing it to Phuket and finding it calmer. We can tell you when the sea and the weather cooperate, which explains part of it: https://meetlocale.com/guides/andaman-vs-gulf If Samui felt quiet to you, which month were you there and which part of the island were you staying on?