CaptainS

Tell her to be careful around the border (on both sides and inbetween). As long as she reads and follows the wikitravel page she should be fine. Just ignore people talking to her and move on, and she should always watch her valuables, better not have people coming to close. Have been there twice and didnt feel so comfortable, even as an experienced traveller. I kept on looking around me 360 degrees all the time which seemed useful.

Thanks, I'll pass on the info. How much are the minibuses to the border?

Yeah, she wants to see Cambodia, spend a week or two there.

As far as I remember its about 400 baht, maybe 440.

Anyhow it makes only sense if she wants to see the country, otherwise Malaysia is much easier.

Depending on the budget its a long way to get there. Could take a night bus to Bangkok and continue to Cambodia the next morning. Minivans to Cambodia depart many times a day from Victory Monument, taking about 3 - 4 hours to the border.

The wikitravel article of Poipet gives lotsa useful information:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Poipet

Another option would be to fly from Suratthani to Bangkok and fly further to Cambodia, wherever she wants to go there. Since you are asking for cheap I guess flying Bangkok Airways from Samui is out of the question.

Not sure that Cambodia is ever cheap. When visiting, there is the 25 USD entry permit and the 20 USD exit permit (or is this only by air?). Sorry - never done an overland run from Samui.

No exit fee if travelling by land. Just need to pay for the visa to enter, maybe its too late to get an e-visa (advisable), but its usually also available at the border (at least in Poi Pet)

Woooo hoooo its party time!!

Yeah, some (not really many) people spent 500 baht entry fee last week. I got it free

Sorry Captain you seem to be on your own. With the wind direction as it is, all is quiet here in Plai Laem (At night anyway - loads of drilling/cement trucks/tile cutting during the day.)

We probably won't hear the boom boom noises until the wind comes from the west.

Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards all Men - Except the dipsticks at Dreamers!

Actually also many other people in the direct neighbourhood suffer, just not all of them post here Since wind will change to South-East in the next weeks, for a few months, I guess/hope you wont be affected of that.

It came back around 06:30pm, have heard it was quite a big area, also in Mae Naem and Bophut.

Happy New Year to everyone.

No electric in Bangrak since about half an hour.

for us a tropical sunset is one of nature's most stunning events, for locals nothing worth looking at all. Ever noticed, that locals on the coasts build their houses with entrances and terrasses on the opposite side from the sea? While we would never even give that a thought, to build a house on a beach not facing the sea. Bevor we came, the youngest son got that piece of land, which had the smallest value, the land next to a beach, just because beaches had no value at all, because there was nothing they could use and do there.

so, ...

Maybe slighty offtopic: Even nowaways I know of locals (who plan to rent their houses to foreigners) build houses without seaview which could be easily done by just making them a bit higher.

My GFs (local Samui) relatives also have been suprised that I use that little bit of extra concrete (for what?) to have seaview instead of neighbours wall view, which probably doubled the value of my property. I have also been asked why I have choosen to be as far as possible on my land from the (noisy!) road and not right at the roadside.

So the locals just have a different thinking about those things as us.

To make it less offtopic: My GF also hates littering, not all locals dont care.

I think it depends what he has booked, as far as I know the offer delivery to the hotel, if they sold it, they should also do it.

I looked up how to say post office in google translate, just to be sure how to say that. Haha ^ ^

Thanks for that! And now with a picture of the map I have, perhaps I'm good to go.

Dont expect a taxi driver to be able to read a map. From my experience it rather wont work out.

Anyhow they should all know the location of post offices.

Hi,

sorry I cant really give you any details about availability but in my opinion its not very busy here. Yes, its more then a week ago but it doesnt really feel as packed as the years before. Just have a look at the usual booking websites, I am sure there should be something for you.

Late and noisy night again at Dreamers ( anyhow else cannot sleep as well?

Just arrived on samui via the ferry yesterday, an employee (exactly who employee don't know) tried to say there were no buses or taxi waiting for them at lipa noi. I told everyone it was bs, but a few still bought tickets. This occurred just before the transfer bus left to donsak. I called air asia to inform them, they insisted this doesn't happen, I could tell she couldn't care less. Annoying to see people ripped off. Tom

Arriving in Nathon is usually no problem, there will always be taxis and songtaews there even late in the evening.

The ferry port in Lipa Noi is known for having a limited number of taxis and often none at all in the evening, something to think about if you arrive there.

1200 baht, if that is what he asked, is way over the top - its a scam.

I usually pick up my visitors if they arrive in Lipa Noi just because you can never be sure that there is an available taxi or minibus there.

So if having a choice better take the Seatran ferry and arrive in Nathon.

Walking and driving around I can still see almost all the restaurants and bars nearly empty, same for many months already. Even in hotspots like fisherman village most of the restaurants have very few tables busy.

I thought this would be high season already, really wonder if it will be different in one or two weeks. I think in Samui there are probably just too many restaurants and bars already.

As far as I know you can use all the True hotspots with Skype Wifi. Anyhow in Samui is plenty of free wifi around.

I would be suprised if anything gets fixed before its really broken.

Hey everyone, thanks for the help ! I did some research in the past few hours. I will do what you recommended, heading to Chewang and will check out Phangan on full moon period for 5 days.

I've been working hard in the last few years with no much parties since I couldn't afford the lifestyle. I mean a night out in Europe with a few drinks+Entrance Fee is no less than 20-30eur/quid..

Rent+Home cooked food+Transport in London (Zone 2) and a beer at evening cost me about 35Pounds / 1800Baht here. and i don't even enjoy, freeze and need to wear 4 layers in order to stay warm, lol.

Definitely will cook at home.

You dont have necessarily to cook at home, just find the right places. Cheap Thai food around 40-60 baht is hard to beat in your own kitchen if you have to buy lotsa ingridients first.

The wind has really picked up and there are some nice little lumpy bits out there in the channel between Samui and KPN.

Take care if you are going to the FMP. Pick a BIG boat.

I can see plenty of speed boats departing here in Bangrak, really worry about the people on their.

Good lightning would help as well along the road. There are stretches of road from Mermaid/Premier Bar towards Plai Laem that are dark for hundreds of meters. There are lights but they don't work. The lihgts between Mermaids/Premier and Tesco Express are a joke, about two bulbs work on that stretch, the rest is either broken or has vanished.

Many of the car owners also have extremly dark films. Sometimes I had to drive such cars, you hardly see anything at night.

I can tell you a bit about Samui, you wont have problem to live on your budget at all. You get by with even less, but I think even enough partying should be possible.

Get a hotel for a few days and then look around to find housing. At lot of it is not on the internet.

Taxis are too expensive here, you will need your own transport, if you dont want a motorbike you would have to rent a car for around 15000 baht a month.

Actually I am person who loves to walk in cities. Often more than 10 kilometre a day, but I would consider Samui not a good/safe place to walk, specially at night.I mean not so much in terms of being robbed just for having an accident. Anyhow traffic is quite dangerous here, too many accidents happen.

From my experience I would say for foreigners its cheaper to buy at Tesco as the locals at the markets often overcharger foreigners. I really wanted to support the locals on markets and in the small shops, but I learned, even I speak enough thai, they usually charge (me?) more than the chains like Tesco or 7/11 so I prefer those now. Do other Thaivisa members kind of agree here?

I think this calculator you mentioned is quite correct for most of the things, expect for the transportation part.

Captain, you have to be in business with Dreamers ! I'm just outside of Banrak but I can hear the loud music every night now from Dreamers and I just can't understand how the surrounding hotels can accept that noise.

I'm seriously afraid of my investment if it continues.

I am surely not into business with them, probably I am of the most bothered persons here

I was quite ok last week, the had one loud party on Saturday (30.11) and two more during the week which have been very quiet, so even nearby I had no problems sleeping those 2 quiet nights (with closed windwows). I thought it will maybe stay like that. Loud music once a week is annoying enough but still bearable for me.

This week unfortuantely is different again One noisy party on Saturday and another one yesterday. No chance to sleep until they stop

So many hotels and villas nearby will loose a lot of money, I know of some who are worried about their investments already. Also many residents, students whatever around here being disturbed. I cant understand how they can keep going without running into big trouble. I dont think/hope it will be much longer.

Most stuff here comes by sea rather than air anyway. I wouldn't worry too much about running out of stuff.

I know I actually ment this not in the case of airport problems, but in the case of the "world ending"

Just show up at Seatran ferry in Nathon, you can buy a combined ferry and bus ticket to Suratthani there, I think I paid 280 baht earlier this year.

I did that: I went to a bus station there in Nathon and they said it was 550 baht.

Yes, go direct to the ferry.

Their ticket booth is at the beginning of the pier. No need to book in advance, just show up and buy.

Just show up at Seatran ferry in Nathon, you can buy a combined ferry and bus ticket to Suratthani there, I think I paid 280 baht earlier this year.