Samui Coconut

I will be driving through the north soon and would need some place to stay in Phrao. I can only find Doi Farrang Bungalow (which hasn't answered my emails as yet) and Khum Lanna (which only sells packages).

I just need a place to crash for the night, something clean with hot water. Surely there must be more or not ?

Thanks

i would go to Phuket, samui is dirty smelly over priced dump. lived here 5 years had enough going to Phuket to civilisation. if you come to samui Central Samui is as good as it gets.

do yourself a favour go tho Phuket

Central Samui ? - As good as it gets ???? When did you live here ? 20 years ago ?

Hi Firebladejr,

i would prefer you definetly to go to Samui on your Honeymoon but book a hotel outside of the touristic area like Ban Talingnam or Laem Set & there are really nice Hotels for Honeymooners as well. I am a travel operator, i would not send my honeymoon Couples to Chaweng, or maybe to "the Briza" in Chaweng. Not to forget, the architecture and the nature on Samui are very different to phuket or pattaya. On Samui you have the tropic atmosphare and not the feeling, you where in a big City...

good luck

SamuiRep

Sure, as a travel operator you would recommend Samui, but weather wise they will have a very wet (no pun intended) honeymoon. There are many hotels in Chaweng who cater to the honeymooners and the reason you would send them to Briza is coz the commission is higher due to their very high room rates. Actually its a cramped place for the bucks you pay and the beach is far from perfect. Meridien is old and isolated......just read the travel reviews......

Both destinations have their good and bad points. I am a Samui fan, but considering the time of your visit (November), I would probably opt for Phuket, purely due to weather reasons. (Samui is usually rainy season, however, last year November was fine).

As for hotels, I would go for Burirasa, Muang Samui, and may be Amari. The others are not really honeymoon hotels or their beach is not as good as the Banana section. Art Palace is a nice place, but not what I would choose for my honeymoon. Banana Fan Sea is a typical tourist hotel full of Germans.

Thanks for your reply.

I'm really looking for an alternative to Phuket for our Honeymoon, as we have already been there twice and the last visit to Phuket we had a crash on two jet-skis ( I crashed into my father) and we had to pay to fix both of them... it cost us a fortune. Kind of a bad memory for Phuket really. I know what you mean about the German tourists though.. they can be quite arrogant. I'm an Aussie, and we try to be as respectful to the locals as we can be, but I have seen some Aussies giving the rest of us a bad name.

Is November really bad weather in Koh Samui? Does it rain mainly in the afternoons, or does it rain all day? The first visit we had to Phuket was in the monsoon season and although we couldn't really use the beach, it was still nice.

The jet ski thing could have happened anywhere and sure you have to pay for it. A majority of any nationality could be nuisance, thats why I proposed smaller resorts with a better mix. November 2006 was great for weather, only occasional rain showers. November 2005 was a disaster, continuous rain for days, flooding and more flooding.

Hi,

We're looking at coming to Thailand for our honeymoon in November 2007. We've been to Bangkok & Phuket twice before (last visit was in March 2006). We generally stay at the Peninsula or the Pathumwan in Bangkok, or the Novotel Coralia at Patong in Phuket.

For our honeymoon we thought that we would try some place different, but we're hoping it has everything that Phuket has to offer. Is Koh Samui (Chaweng beach) comparible to Patong in Phuket?

We like to be close to shops and restaurants, as we do get bored staying in the hotel all day. We'd also like it to be near a nice beach, etc. I've heard that the Banana Fan hotel is in a nice section of Chaweng beach, about 5 mins from the shops and close to restaurants, etc. We're looking at a Beachfront Bungalow with a Jacuzzi on the deck... is the Ban Fan any good?

Also, for those of you that have been to Phuket, what are the restaurants and shopping areas like in Chaweng? Are they similar to the Bangla Rd area in Patong? My Fiance` likes to buy all the copy handbags, etc. and I don't mind going for a walk around the shops… I'm just wondering if there is enough to do there without getting bored in a 2 week stay.

As most of you guys live there, or have been to Chaweng before, can you recommend any of these hotels for beautiful accommodation and a good location to the beach and shops?

• Banana Fan Sea Resort
  
• Buri Rasa Village
  
• Kandaburi Resort and Spa
  
• Muang Samui Spa Resort
  
• Art Palace
  
• Amari Palm Reef Resort
  
• Baan Haad Ngam Boutique Resort
  
• Muang Kulaypan Hotel
  

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this. It's quite a lot of money for us to spend on a honeymoon so we just want to make sure that we pick the best place we can.

I hope you all had a great new years.

Peter.

Both destinations have their good and bad points. I am a Samui fan, but considering the time of your visit (November), I would probably opt for Phuket, purely due to weather reasons. (Samui is usually rainy season, however, last year November was fine).

As for hotels, I would go for Burirasa, Muang Samui, and may be Amari. The others are not really honeymoon hotels or their beach is not as good as the Banana section. Art Palace is a nice place, but not what I would choose for my honeymoon. Banana Fan Sea is a typical tourist hotel full of Germans.

Come to mention it, i remember seeing her looking spruced up a couple years back. Then again, the last time i seen her was near fammly bungalows, crashed on a deck chair with a bikini top on, but no knickers. I'll get slated for saying this - but that was the hairiest beaver i have ever seen in my life. Sorry, but there you go.

So who says there is no more wild life on Samui then ?

Cheap, VERY CHEAP SHOT at Hillary.

Sorry didnt know she had a Son In law living in Thailand...

May be the lesbian lover....

Bangkok Airways has reiterated its plan to increase airfare for the Bangkok-Samui route next year

.http://www.samuiexpress.net/?q=node/315

Source Samuiexpress

They have never cancelled their plan to increase fares, only postponed.

Samui Express is not the most reliable source for news and information Samui.

The runway is 1800m (5906ft) long,

way too short for the B737 or A320.

Where did you find that Gem? The Crown Prince regularly flies his 737-400 into Samui.

In any case the physical runway length of Samui is long enough for a B737-400 and -800 both of which are planned by TG. The main restrictions are in the bearing strength of the runway and any obstacles in the Take off and landing funnel.

All 737 variants have the performance to operate into Samui but they will have to reduce either payload or fuel. Since the sector planned is short a reduced fuel load should not affect passenger capacity.

I beg to differ on your conclusions.

And while reading this post could not avoid differing on many others as well.

Here are some facts for you to consider.

1. the crown prince has never flowen a boing 737-400 in Samui. if you read on you understand why

2. according to the "runways analysis manual" and the TO- 01(pilot manual) by Boing industries for all 737 models. the runway at all payloads minimum requirements are: 8000-8900 feet (way above the existing airport in Samui.)

3. the runway in Samui is not only short it is not wide enough. and not thick enough. a full 737 at a 162 passenge configuration will damage the runway. even on full blown weels.

the runway is in fact 6000 feet (2100meters)

4. the data of samui airport is:

Name: Samui Airport - VTSM

Coordinates: 09*32.3' N x 100*04' E

Frequency: 127.75 approach // 118.9 tower // 121.9 ground // 128.6 ATIS

Runway Heading: 17/35

Length: 2,100 meters

acft: A, B, C1

As the 737 and the Airbus 320 are C3 class jets, the current Samui runway configuration is not set for those planes.

5. the considerations for take of and landing on a runway, as any pilot knows,will be made by a table according to the planes configuration and will consider as well as weight the ground tempreture and tail or head wind.

Flying is a very precise science specialy with all the safety restrictions on comercial airlines. at the present state Samui can only host the planes operated by bangkok airlines.

6. As Samui is a private airport and as Thai airways have no desire to buy a new fleet of planes just to be able to fly to samui hence the code share agreement.

At this time any aircraft that wants to land in samui can do so as long as its configuration is suitable to the runway. it will also need to pay landing fees and fuling fees to Bangkok Air.

Thank you for the information but you really should check with the BKK Air movements at Samui.

You will find HRH came in here in his 737-400 over a dozen time last year. He also carried out many circuits and landings. There are plenty of readers on this post who will be able to verify this as there was considerable discussion on here at the time.

Whatever 737-400 figures you have obtained...they are wrong!!!!

As a B737-400 qualified pilot I can assure you that at the right reduced weight the aircraft can operate into/out of here. It is both long enough and wide enough. althought I think that there would be quite a crosswind restriction.

Suggest you try and get hold of a performance manual.

Gatorade

How could he know all that anyway ? He is not a pilot but a 'High' DIVER

The runway is 1800m (5906ft) long,

way too short for the B737 or A320.

Where did you find that Gem? The Crown Prince regularly flies his 737-400 into Samui.

In any case the physical runway length of Samui is long enough for a B737-400 and -800 both of which are planned by TG. The main restrictions are in the bearing strength of the runway and any obstacles in the Take off and landing funnel.

All 737 variants have the performance to operate into Samui but they will have to reduce either payload or fuel. Since the sector planned is short a reduced fuel load should not affect passenger capacity.

I beg to differ on your conclusions.

And while reading this post could not avoid differing on many others as well.

Here are some facts for you to consider.

1. the crown prince has never flowen a boing 737-400 in Samui. if you read on you understand why

2. according to the "runways analysis manual" and the TO- 01(pilot manual) by Boing industries for all 737 models. the runway at all payloads minimum requirements are: 8000-8900 feet (way above the existing airport in Samui.)

3. the runway in Samui is not only short it is not wide enough. and not thick enough. a full 737 at a 162 passenge configuration will damage the runway. even on full blown weels.

the runway is in fact 6000 feet (2100meters)

4. the data of samui airport is:

Name: Samui Airport - VTSM

Coordinates: 09*32.3' N x 100*04' E

Frequency: 127.75 approach // 118.9 tower // 121.9 ground // 128.6 ATIS

Runway Heading: 17/35

Length: 2,100 meters

acft: A, B, C1

As the 737 and the Airbus 320 are C3 class jets, the current Samui runway configuration is not set for those planes.

5. the considerations for take of and landing on a runway, as any pilot knows,will be made by a table according to the planes configuration and will consider as well as weight the ground tempreture and tail or head wind.

Flying is a very precise science specialy with all the safety restrictions on comercial airlines. at the present state Samui can only host the planes operated by bangkok airlines.

6. As Samui is a private airport and as Thai airways have no desire to buy a new fleet of planes just to be able to fly to samui hence the code share agreement.

At this time any aircraft that wants to land in samui can do so as long as its configuration is suitable to the runway. it will also need to pay landing fees and fuling fees to Bangkok Air.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/04Jan2007_biz45.php

AVIATION BANGKOK AIRWAYS

Fleet expanding to tap regional and premium markets

Highdiver, according to this article in today's Bangkok Post , they are phasing out the 4 ---717's.Does that mean the A319 can land here? Otherwise we will only be left with the ATR"S.

So what aircraft does HRH fly when coming to Samui ? I have seen him several times, but can not accurately pinpoint the aircraft type. Please enlighten us.......

737's yes, however with reduced payload i.e. not fully occupied. The length of the runway is okay, but the weight of the craft could be a problem for the runway.

Hello People,

Hope, you all had a great New-yearnight....

here is just something different,

i've read in a Samui newspaper, that the Airport of Samui would be open from march to other airlines as well.

I've read, thai airways will have to flights daily and airasia will come also.

1 week ago, i have heard, this will not happen & Bangkokair will still keep the Airport just for them.

The capacity of USM shall be able to handle 70 flights a day, but now only 34 flights a day departure & arrival.

Does know anybody about this Project ?

happy new Year to all,

Samui Rep

Code share with TG yes, however, that does not bring in any more flights and AirAsia is highly unlikely as a budget airline. They would not be able to pay for landing rights with their present fares on other sectors.

Samui, certainly Chaweng seem quieter this year compared to last.

Phuket is in a rebound (pleased for them.

Pattaya seems to be slammed.

Check out the flight costs BKK samui compared to BKK phuket.

That looks like a part of the problem.

Check out the hotel price hikes last year and again this year in Samui.

Weather has been pretty naff during the run up to the season.

Guess there could be lots of contributing factors.

Still think Samui has a great future.

Excite

Agree, Chaweng seems very slow at present. However, I remember last year wasn't much better, only got hammered again after 2.Jan. Flight costs are not a problem for most tourists here and many hotels are 90-100 % booked. Hotel prices are high compared to Phuket, however, weather is much better than last year.

With Phuket on the rebound, the future might still be bright for Samui, yet may be not as orange....

With undoubtably the worst low season for many years for both resort and bar owners, will the high season save samui? Will it be a bumper year........

I doubt it personally, ofcourse it will be busy, but I have my doubts as to whether it will match the last 2-3 years.

Secondly the land and house market is in serious trouble, perhaps this could be the end of samui's property developers, and mayeb the time when the people of samui finally look at the island and realise that greed has ruined the place and unless they change the way the island is run things will not get better.

We are still waiting for our roads to be fixed..............

We are still waiting for an end to taxi mafia..............

We are still waiting for many things............

Will we get them, that is the big question.............

Worst low season ? Hmm, might have to disagree, it all depends where you sit, what business you have and the clientele you try to capture. Personally I had a very good year.....but fierce competition is growing, so 2007 might not be a great as 2006.

I feel like I've created a monster. Poor old Libya. Come on lads. At least someone vote for the nicest catagory. Shocking.

I just did !

Something to do with the pier (price?), so apparently the Sea Trans Express will still run from Samui-Phangan-Tao but the SeaTrans Ferry to Don Sak has stopped until the New Year.

One down, we are left with the very slow Raja Ferry (we had to pick up some customers last night and it didn't arrive until 11pm!!).

Not good news indeed !

doe anyone know what the outcome was at the koh samui bangkok air meeting,?there was supposed uproar by local and travel businesses about the bangkok to samui air fares price hike,,,did they reduce the fares back to normal?highly unlikely eh! i thought the meeting was on the 16th nov.......

The fare increase has been temporarily put on ice, but will take effect in the not too distant future.

G.W. Bush is visiting a primary school to talk with the kids about politics in the Middle East.

After his speech he invites the class for any questions they might have.

"Who's got a question" Bush asks.

A little boy raises his hand.

So what's your name ?

"My name is Billy" the boy answered

"And what is your question ?", Bush asks.

"Actually, the boy says, I have 3 questions:"

1. Why did the USA invade Irak without approval of the UN ?

2. Why did you become president, even though Al Gore received more votes than you ?

3. Where is Osama Bin Laden ?

Just after finishing his questions the bell rings. Bush promises to carrry on where they have left after the break.

After the break Bush asks, "So, where were we? Who has got a question?"

Another pupil raises his hand.

Bush asks: "Okay, whats your name what is your question?"

My name is Steve Mr. Pesident and I actually have 5 questions:

1. Why did the USA invade Irak without approval of the UN ?

2. Why did you become president, even though Al Gore received more votes than you ?

3. Where is Osama Bin Laden ?

4. Why did the bell ring 30 minutes early today?

5. Where is Billy ?

Sunshine at present, hot, and nearly blue sky with a few clouds......

Is he the real McCoy ? Where can we meet him ? Where is is office ? Never heard about him. Thanks

I dont know where his office is , but he has helped me with embassy related matters in the past.

He is a very pleasent man.

Good luck

MM

Thanks a lot

Depending on your resort, they may be able to arrange in room legitmate massage with oils, candles etc for you & your wife. The chances of getting a european massuese for your wife though is nil. I can't see it being on the list of jobs for foreigners in Thailand & the pay is crap. You never know though.

Two threads, two times taking the mickey.....I suggest Mauritius, really ! Good place, sunshine, good food, drinks, anything you need......or try Maldives....even nicer....sunshine, blue sea, .....endless beaches....Samui doesn't have all that...do us all a favour please....I am sure we can handle the revenue part ! Thanxxxx !

Hi Worzel,

The Honorary British Consul on Koh Samui is:

Mr David Covey

Tel 086941 0649

[email protected]

www.help4brits.org

Cheers

MM

Is he the real McCoy ? Where can we meet him ? Where is is office ? Never heard about him. Thanks

We are looking forward to a sensual massage in our hotel room. Myself from a lady masseur and wife from a male masseur (not ladyboy), preferably a european. If anyone is willing, kindly email us with your photo and also advise us your charges.

ps - massage only, no sex.

thank you.

hi,

I would like to offer my services to do your wife - I am a european non-ladyboy.

here's my photo:

I offer a free trial then cost is negotiable.

only problem is

ps - massage only, no sex.

my sevices are stictly sex only, no massage.

look forward to hearing from you.

Oooops More revenue lost...unless you wanna fly to Mauritius.... ...first thing in the morning !

Bangkokair is going to finish the Tourism on Samui. to Phuket cost the Ticket nearly 30 % cheaper than to Samui & Phuket is more far from Bangkok than Samui...

if this is a joke, than it's really a bad Joke.

Everybody on the island will be affected of this action of Bangkok air. The Best way would be, not fly anymore with Bangkokair.

at 16. of november have a big meeting and arround 10.000 People will come and protest this impudently increase the Rates to Samui.

Come on, Let's walk all...

Great that you signed up to Thaivisa Samuirep,

did you actually read some of the other comments on this thread or are you so narrowminded that you only want to walk against BKK Airways since it possibly, maybe you may lose money due to the increase.

What do you have to say to this comment;

That's just the top of the iceberg, but would be a good start. IMHO more people have bad memories from their Samui stay from being overcharged or being rudely treated by those taxi drivers than from high fares at BKK airways.

Maybe they can be taught to not hunk the horn at you and wait for you to approach them when you need a taxi, rather than them shouting at you if you need a taxi.

For all of you who cannot read my last post, here it comes again.

There will be NO fare increase by Bangkok Airways !!!

RT USM-BKK Baht 7,100 Y Class

RT USM-BKK Baht 6,700 M Class

effective as of today !!!

Look at their website !!!

And now, let's move on to the taxi drivers.....

Whilst i'm against the rise in price by bkk air, there are many other things that I think are for more damaging to the island than this.

Unfortuantley as foriegners in Thailand there is little we can do, the Thai's have to take the initiative.

Most of them do not realise the effect the miriad of problems has on samui. Most probobally due to lack of eductation they can only link obvious financial things as something that will have a negative effect on their rice bowl.

There will be NO fare increase by Bangkok Airways, so all of you who have worried, just relax and take it easy.......