tornado40

Forgetting the increasing costs of airfares. Which are marginally up due to fuel duties.

Exchange rate - now around 50baht to £1 sterling

room rate - 1200baht for the same room (50% increase in 3 years), not taking into consideration that I now get less baht to the pound sterling.

Drinks - A Bacardi Breezer was reported by my friend as now being 150baht at one of my old haunts.

So lets do the maths here with the exchange rate

A room that cost me £11.50 sterling now costs £24.00

A drink that cost me £1.27 sterling now costs £3.00

So in the good old days coming on holiday with £2000 to spend got me a wonderful time, now I would need to bring £4000 or even £5000 to have the equivelant enjoyment. You can cut out ringing the bell and you can eat at cheaper restaurants, but where is the fun in that when I'm on vacation.

LV

I don't think that you can discout the airline cost - as Feb 09 LHR-BKK £401 (Etihad) - cheaper than I've paid in a long time

Like you I like to visit Samui often - agreed re the cost of hotels - now happy that bought a house for £1.75m in 2003 having spend 15 holidays there over the last 5 years, and I'm 49 so many more to go!

I don't know how long your holidays are - but I spend 3 weeks at a time - so the cost is air fare and - well I've got to eat/drink in the UK so no extra then (apart from accountant fee each year and house cleaning when I'm not there)

OK - maybe some for a bike and girlfriend rent (still cheaper here than the UK)

If it's cheap beer you want than you simply cannot beat the UK pub Chain JD Weatherspoon. They are now selling selected beers at 99p a pint along with selected bottled beers also at 99p.

I was amazed to hear this - so a few of us are going to Worthing Wednesday to check out these prices/and beer quality.

The UK govt. as usual said that it is irresponsible!

The promotion I believe is to sell beer at 1980's prices!

Went to Benidorm for Christmas (to see parents) Lager (yuk) for £4 per pint - can't understand people living in Spain!

dsfbrit - You mention that you would rather leave the money in the bank that you bought the house with - and use the interest to pay the rent

I also purchased a house in Samui for 1.75m baht 5 years ago and although I do not live in it at the moment (only holidays), with interest rates at now 3% that would only give me about 52k baht per year. As the rents are around 20k baht per mth I cannot see how this could work

Maybe more true if you buy at today's prices (next door recently sold for 3.8m baht) at 3% would give 114k baht still only about 9.5k baht per mth though

As I have not invested more than I can walk away from - the company route does ok for now - however, when I retire to the place and if lucky enough to meet a long term girlfriend/wife - would consider a transfer to her name and lease back for 30 years

I'm 50 so could be kicked out at 80 - well, just need to save some money for rent for the last few years

I'm happy with my 3 trips a year to Samui - however when you hear stories such as the one my Auntie told me earlier I wish I was on the Island all the time:

She is 70 and of the 'church going' variety. Caught on camera doing 35mph in a 30. Now has to go to Bognor from Worthing, for a 5 hour session on 'speed awareness'

Not only that, she has to pay £105 for the course!

You couldn't make it up

To put a more positive spin on things, although after the day of the strike - flight from Heathrow to BKK arrived on Monday and all passport desk open, no que, public taxi would not put on meter, asked how much I would pay, and agreed on 200 thb to the convenient hotel in latkrabang.

Thought that compared to Heathrow, excellent service all round IMO!

One of the reasons that you are seeing less people is all the construction going on. On TNP last year you could barely get away from all the noise on Yai. Had Rin same thing and no type of compansation for the poor suckers who pre-pay for their holiday on the beach to arrive and find a construction zone next to their room.

People are going home and telling all their friends and travel agents. We had people all last year coming to our area complaining about it.

I agree with this - since I bought my house in 2003 and visit 3 times a year - not one time have I not been subjected to building activities

Still - at least have the Big C near by for those essentials!

I'm sure this has had an impact on tourists visiting - I know that at sometime there will be nothing left to build on so until then I'll just have to go the bars and get pxxxxx during my stays!

I used my SCB cash card at a branch of Lloyds TSB in the UK to see what would happen - to my suprise it worked however was only for £10

I live near Bandon hospital Bophut,and am looking for a dentist to do a scrape,clean and polish.Have checked out one place near fisherman village who say they have a special offer on for 1200baht,but i have no idea if this is a reasonable price or not....................any advice,information would be appreciated.

SBC - my place is also near Bandon - and last year on one of my regular visits to the island from the UK I had treatment you describe in the dentist next to Tesco Lotus - cost 2,000 baht (which I thought was a lot - although very nice lady dentist and two very nice assistants!)

Not nearly as painful as in the UK - (and that includes the cost!)

How good is the new ghost road?I know not part of topic but i went down there the other night quick fast(without helmet!)far cry from a year ago when it looked like a WW1 battle field.

My Brother who lives down by the GR said that its great - he can now use the chopper again and leave the trials bike at home

Also - carrying all those carrier bags on the bike after a supermarket shop!

It is not an enjoyable position to be in, an overseas owner.

I was wondering why you consider this to be the case - I own a place in Thailand - Samui (as do many I suspect), and live in the UK most of the time and am a very happy 'overseas owner'

And - of those who own land through companies, who read this forum - have you done anything? Personal lease from your own company is often advised. Has anybody done it? What are the costs? Do you actually have to pay the lease money by a bank transfer etc to your own company to justify the lease for authorities?

Having purchased my house in 2003 in Samui for 1.75m THB - via the company route on recommendation, I considered that it would be a good idea to lease from the company

This was easily achieved and now hold a 30 lease and a rent is shown in the accounts resulting in a profit and subsequently I pay tax twice a year at around 6,000 THB for the year

Back then I considered that my detached bunglelow was cheap by western standards and therefore worth paying the tax

Thanks Jingthing and Yorkman - I can see the merits in both comments

Perhaps wait a bit - unless 'push' comes to 'shove' then press the escape button!

Cheers

Interesting topic - as this is on my mind also

I am 49 and considering retiring to Thailand at 50. My TGF and I have a house paid for in Samui and Sakon Nakhon - no children yet on either side but maybe (hopefully) in the future

I should have £200,000 after the sale of my UK house and 'toys' - and a bank pension worth about £12,000 per year at present, inflation linked which will start when I'm 60

Have been coming to Thailand for 10 years - 3 times a year and have stuck it out in the UK with 50 in mind

Decision day is now looming - as returning to the UK could be very difficult. Should I wait till 55 or 60?

every year the same...nothing has changed.

every year the monsoon comes. every year it floods.

every year the new residents are shocked by the floding.

every year the same arguments from TV members who know better how to solve the problem...

every year the same complaints about land erosion, over development, construction controll...

every year the same "surprise" when the airport closes down.

it will be the same in future years...because.... when 200mm of rain downpour in leass then 24 hours and it goes on for 2 weeks. it floods. ans it does not matter how many drains you put in it will still flood.

Los Angeles has a huge drain system to drain the floods in the LA river but when it rains so heavily they too have floods.

when you live in the route of a monsoon it will happen. some years less some years more but it will allways happen.

you can allways take comfort that the garden looks great

have a look at posts from 2004

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=21130

and posts drom 2005

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=51361

Last year was very mild.

I am sure if we had a drainage system as good as LA it would not here flood here with the rains we have experienced over the last two weeks.

Based on your arguement there is not actually any point updating the public infrastructure as it will flood anyway whatever you do.

Not sure you arguement will hold much water with Samui residents!

I am a samui resident for the past 9 years.

and the public infrastructure has come a long way since then.

unfortunately when it rains as it did this year and in previous years it will flood. even if they upgrade the drain it will still flood.

even if they add pumps as they did this year it will still flood. its just to much water at one time.

you can see how the public infrastructure has improved by the amount of time it clears up when it stops raining.

few years ago it would have taken days for the flood to clear now it a matter of hours.

I think you are in a minority of one if you think the samui roads and drains have greatly improved over the last nine years most people are of the opinion the roads are as about as bad as they have ever been and I first came here nearly 20 years ago.

It does not help though that development has been allowed on flood plains with no thought about where all that water will go.

Incidently it has not rained all afternoon why don't you pop down the lake road or Laem din and have a look it still lokks flooded to me.

Then I'm in the minority - have just come back from Samui after 1 month (out of my 3 monthly trips per year) and can say that compared to 2005 the water is draining away much quicker than in 2005.

I know this time of year is bad - but it's the tropics - what ever they do it won't get any better

Best to just sit it out - and wait for the UK winter (Samui at it's best)

If you have your own gear I could take you on my boat. We could negotiate a price. Keep in mind that right now the waves are very big and the price of fuel has gone up. With those 2 factors gasoline alone is more than most people are willing to pay (on Koh Phangan anyway... with all the tight ass backpackers).

Just out of interest - I am a regular visitor to Samui - and not into diving, but love boating - what sort of boat do you have?

Jstumbo - you are correct - I do mean 7 years

My job is a 'good one' in so much that I am allowed to holiday in Samui for 3 months of the year. It was my boss who introduced me to Thailand in 1997 - so I just say that it is 'his fault' lol. He is even buying me a new mobile phone so that he can contact me when I visit next week

I have a contractor clean the house every week, and the garden every month and painted every four years

I gain a lot of confidence in my job, knowing that if I get the sack, then well I'll just move straight in and forget the UK. This confidence has allowed me to work better in the UK - so not a problem at the moment

It is good to have a finger on the exit button on the keyboard of life!

I do have to say that I was looking a couple of years ago of buying another more expensive house - and due to 'everything' going on - I'm glad that I didn't

I considered that in the greater scheme of things £25k is not a lot to have a gamble with - better than shares as I can actually use the place

I bought my house in Samui by the new Big C about 4 years ago for 1.75m

Use it as a holiday home 3 times a year - so at £50 per night (hotel rate) means that it will 'pay for itself' in about 3 years time

Should I wish to sell as I don't - maybe get 4m on a very good day!

Mainly, this is a holiday home till I retire at 60 in 12years time - so should be well and truely in 'profit' by then

I guess only good if you don't go anywhere else - and I don't except for long weekends in Europe on my K1200 LT

I think you can look as an investment in a number of ways

The international rate appears to still be 64 thb to UK £ ?

If you wait till 27th - then Thai Visa.com may be able to take care of that - see latest news headlines

After leaving Heathrow airport - arriving at Suvarnabhumi is a joy by comparison

LHR has been compared to the stress levels of being mugged!

No sign on any improvement soon

Only aiport to get Thai airways direct so no choice

Still looking forward to my trip in October though

My Brother has just had his town house finished in Ban Rak Samui - and has transferred the money. During this month he is to fly out and transfer the house to his company

Every time during my three visits to LOS each year - I forget to tell Barclaycard that I'm going - and they are the only credit card that gets blocked - usually in some shop where phoning the card company proves difficult

Made a diary note this time!

Agree with the OP about change of mindset - I love Samui cause when I'm there I do not think of Worthing UK - but in the UK I DO think of Samui

Mainly for the reasons already quoted

Having got used to the new airport and lack of warnings - as on the moving walk ways - at Gatwick the words 'you are coming to the end of the walk way beware' or something like that

I thought - I don't need to be told - I can see that I'm coming to the end

One of Thailand's charm is the lack of PC

Well just recently on my way back from Udon to Samui - I thought that I would stop off at Pattaya for a few days - like you do!

At the arrivals hall - offered a trip by car for 2,400 baht to Pattaya

I can at least speak numbers in Thai - which does help, and got this down to 1,200 baht

Then I thought, I would get the free bus to the bus station - where I had a great trip for 106 baht, including water and a sort of sandwich

I'm sure that if I was a tired from travelling newbie - the original offer might sound attractive.

As always - it's up to you!