19 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Samui was not deserted during the time some of us are reminiscing about, there were services (Bauhaus was a kind of basic 'nightclub / disco / bar') but it was very quiet and not very developed (You sound like you are commenting on a place and time that you did not experience). So how do we get that back? Answer: you can't! 

 

I also visited Ko Chang pre-roads (arrive on a trawler boat, climb on to a platform on floating oildrums and get pulled in to the shore by rope), mains electric didn't exist (generator daytime / go to bed early evening with an oil lamp and rise at 6am covered in sweat), eat whatever the family running the bungalows had in their stores, not one beer bar, lounge around / swim / read / beachcomb all day. Can we get that back? Answer: no you can't! Would I want to get it back? For me? No (I like my comforts now but as a youngster it was a marvellous experience). For my teenagers? Definitely. We now go yearly to the developed Koh Chang and enjoy it but I fear for it especially with the locals wanting a bridge to connect to the mainland (yes I understand why they want the bridge but if it happens it will lose its charm as an island).

I didnt arrive until early 90s.. Lived here full time since the turn of the millennium.. In that time I have seen islands like Lippe go from nothing to something to something I dont like.. Phi Phi another example.. 

But you want deserted islands, with no one on and no electric.. They are out there, plenty of them.. Just start exploring the Trang / Andaman coastline and get a longtail to take you out.. Or with just a few beach bars places like Phayam have it (recently electric is being provided so its just changing).. Koh Jum, Koh Mok, etc etc etc... 

Its not hard to find empty undiscovered beaches and islands, its not hard to find partly developed or very developed.. Its just up to you to go find the balance you want. This is why I find the whole nostalgia thing false, its just as easy to get to undeveloped places today, as it was then (read needs effort) and the lack of services and facilities is just the same as it was then. Its like theres this constant 'if only it was still like...' but all you have to do is go look and it is still like.. But then the reality of no tourist services hits home, and people dont stay there. 

On 19/03/2018 at 1:43 PM, LivinLOS said:

Its not hard to find empty undiscovered beaches and islands, its not hard to find partly developed or very developed.. Its just up to you to go find the balance you want. This is why I find the whole nostalgia thing false, its just as easy to get to undeveloped places today, as it was then (read needs effort) and the lack of services and facilities is just the same as it was then. Its like theres this constant 'if only it was still like...' but all you have to do is go look and it is still like.. But then the reality of no tourist services hits home, and people dont stay there. 

Koh Som or the five islands off Tong Krut do just that.

Alas, even reminiscing isn't as good as it used to be!

 

Generator power on Chaweng.....would go to bed when it ran out of diesel.

Ganja cookies at Lucky Mother

No bloody airport 

Hello. The huts with towels in pictures is Phalarn one. I stayed there for 6 weeks. Mr and Mrs Moon were owners. I seen Mrs Moon 8 weeks ago