Chinese cruise ships bringing big business to Koh Samui

[webfact]

Chinese cruise ships bringing big business to Koh Samui

 

Video screenshot

 

Channel 7 reported on the voyage of a large luxury cruise liner from China visiting Koh Samui for the first time.

 

Tourism officials welcomed the Cost Victoria Cruise that had traveled to the southern Thai island from Zhuhai via Laem Chabang.

 

It was anchored off the port of Nathon and 2,000 visitors came ashore and were expected to spend millions of baht in their day on the island.

 

Cruise ships are increasingly visiting Koh Samui with the current figure of Chinese ships and those from countries like Singapore visiting the gulf of Thailand topping 50 per year.
 

Source: CH7

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-10-23

 

 

[islandguy]

Any reports from those in Nathon as to whether the cruise ship passengers who came ashore but chose to walk around Nathon instead of taking an excursion by minibus shopped or bought anything at a level comparable to previous cruise ship passengers? Usually cruise ships do seem to benefit Nathon that way. Did they cause congestion in the streets with their  behavior as pedestrians? Selfies taken from the middle of the streets by Chinese tourists are pretty common in Chiang Mai ?

[impulse]

44 minutes ago, islandguy said:

Any reports from those in Nathon as to whether the cruise ship passengers who came ashore but chose to walk around Nathon instead of taking an excursion by minibus shopped or bought anything at a level comparable to previous cruise ship passengers? Usually cruise ships do seem to benefit Nathon that way. Did they cause congestion in the streets with their  behavior as pedestrians? Selfies taken from the middle of the streets by Chinese tourists are pretty common in Chiang Mai 

 

I often wait in airport check in lines with Chinese tourists and am gobsmacked by how much they have purchased to bring home with them.  They spend a lot of time juggling goodies between their checked bag(s), their one allowed carry on and the 3-4 luxury store bags they can often get away with.   I also have Chinese friends who fund their travels by buying selected luxury goods and smuggling them back into China to sell off the radar. 

 

If the cruise lines don't limit their free luggage to 20kg like the airlines do, I can assure you they'll be feeding the local economy like very few western tourists do- or ever did.  In fact, I can envision quite a boom for people who know how to cater to them.

 

[robsamui]

7 hours ago, impulse said:

 

I often wait in airport check in lines with Chinese tourists and am gobsmacked by how much they have purchased to bring home with them.  They spend a lot of time juggling goodies between their checked bag(s), their one allowed carry on and the 3-4 luxury store bags they can often get away with.   I also have Chinese friends who fund their travels by buying selected luxury goods and smuggling them back into China to sell off the radar. 

 

If the cruise lines don't limit their free luggage to 20kg like the airlines do, I can assure you they'll be feeding the local economy like very few western tourists do- or ever did.  In fact, I can envision quite a boom for people who know how to cater to them.

 

Then hopefully they might go some way to offsetting the falling incomes of Samui' hotels. They might be full of Chinese visitors but breakfast is included with the package, the Chinese get picked up every day and go out on tours, then return in the evening having eaten already and go straight to their rooms.

The F&B income is vital to any hotel or resort and Samui's resorts are in a real mess because of this.

 

Edited October 23, 2017 by robsamui

[impulse]

22 minutes ago, robsamui said:

Then hopefully they might go some way to offsetting the falling incomes of Samui' hotels. They might be full of Chinese but breakfast is included with the package, the Chinese get picked up every day and go out on tours, then return in the evening having eaten already and go strait to their rooms.

 

 I'll be the first to admit I don't see 'em spending money.  I just see the end result when we're checking in to fly out.  They generally come with a list of crap their friends have asked them for, and they leave with most everything on the list.  If hotels are willing to get creative, speak to their guests, and stock some of the more sought after items, they can participate in the bonanza.  If they treat the Chinese as if their spending patterns are the same as western tourists, they'll suffer.  Make no mistake, the Chinese on tour spend money.  But not on the same things as the western tourists (who come from countries with very low luxury and import taxes).

 

Seems like they could set up one of their idle rooms (or a corner of the lobby) with a selection of the crap that's on a lot of their guests' shopping lists and skin the cat slightly differently...  Or they can lament the loss of the western tourists who they learned how to deal with 20 years ago.

 

Edit:  And here's a freebie for anyone who has Chinese guests.  10 years ago, they all rode bicycles.  Nobody owned a car.  So having a dozen (or more) bicycles for rent to Chinese guests who want to get around the neighborhood could be a cash cow- for the hotel renting the bicycles and the local community where they'll be shopping.  (Cheap $50 utility bicycles, not the $500 mountain bikes the westerners want to rent)   I'm sure they'd love to scrounge around the local area for the goodies on their lists, but not on foot...  And the tour bus only serves them as a group.

 

Full disclosure:  I'm typing this from my apartment in China where I lived for a decade before I took a job in BKK.

 

Edited October 23, 2017 by impulse

[yellowboat]

The Chinese do not go to bars and drink much anywhere in the world, but they buy jewelry, clothing, crafts, and consumables.  Gave a co-worker in Beijing a bottle of Thai whiskey.  He loved it.  

[eddie61]

27 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

 I'll be the first to admit I don't see 'em spending money.  I just see the end result when we're checking in to fly out.  They generally come with a list of crap their friends have asked them for, and they leave with most everything on the list.  If hotels are willing to get creative, speak to their guests, and stock some of the more sought after items, they can participate in the bonanza.  If they treat the Chinese as if their spending patterns are the same as western tourists, they'll suffer.  Make no mistake, the Chinese on tour spend money.  But not on the same things as the western tourists (who come from countries with very low luxury and import taxes).

 

Seems like they could set up one of their idle rooms (or a corner of the lobby) with a selection of the crap that's on a lot of their guests' shopping lists and skin the cat slightly differently...  Or they can lament the loss of the western tourists who they learned how to deal with 20 years ago.

 

Edit:  And here's a freebie for anyone who has Chinese guests.  10 years ago, they all rode bicycles.  Nobody owned a car.  So having a dozen (or more) bicycles for rent to Chinese guests who want to get around the neighborhood could be a cash cow- for the hotel renting the bicycles and the local community where they'll be shopping.  I'm sure they'd love to scrounge around the local area for the goodies on their lists, but not on foot...  And the tour bus only serves them as a group.

 

Full disclosure:  I'm typing this from my apartment in China where I lived for a decade before I took a job in BKK.

 

Please, please, please do not allow Chinese on bicycles in Pattaya. Selfie sticks do not help in navigation and traffic safety. Riding 5 abreast while having a loud conversation would not ease traffic flow.

 

I prefer a blue flag as a warning signal that a gaggle of Chinese are behind on foot.

 

Why not combat zero dollar tours by mandating a compulsory purchase of a 10,000 baht bag of crappy souvenirs at correct prices handed out under government supervision (!) as a visa requirement? These could be handed out on arrival, and nicely packaged in red and gold. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2017 by eddie61

[Deli]

And from now on I support the purchase of (Chinese )subs... can launch torpedoes at heir own vessels, hopefully.

Doesn't Samui have a huge trash problem already with 'em coming ?

Edited October 23, 2017 by Deli

[AhFarangJa]

[AhFarangJa]

 

Chaweng next weekend........

[impulse]

2 hours ago, eddie61 said:

Please, please, please do not allow Chinese on bicycles in Pattaya. Selfie sticks do not help in navigation and traffic safety. Riding 5 abreast while having a loud conversation would not ease traffic flow.

 

I prefer a blue flag as a warning signal that a gaggle of Chinese are behind on foot.

 

Why not combat zero dollar tours by mandating a compulsory purchase of a 10,000 baht bag of crappy souvenirs at correct prices handed out under government supervision (!) as a visa requirement? These could be handed out on arrival, and nicely packaged in red and gold. 

 

You moved into an internationally renowned tourist town.   Doesn't that kind of put your disdain on your own decision?  Kind of like the guys who hate Russkies, Middle Easterners, Chinese, Japanese, Africans and the Irish, and then come up with the brilliant idea to live in a town where they all come on holiday- when we all know people are on their very best behavior.

 

Imagine the whining that would go on if TVF posters had to purchase a 10,000 baht bag of crap as a visa requirement.  There's 20 pages of tirades when the price of beer and smokes goes up by a couple of baht and who can forget the vitriol that erupted when the government proposed a 500 baht tax on tourists to offset the cost of critical care for those who get sick or hurt without insurance.

 

[ChrisY1]

4 hours ago, robsamui said:

Then hopefully they might go some way to offsetting the falling incomes of Samui' hotels. They might be full of Chinese visitors but breakfast is included with the package, the Chinese get picked up every day and go out on tours, then return in the evening having eaten already and go straight to their rooms.

The F&B income is vital to any hotel or resort and Samui's resorts are in a real mess because of this.

 

Tourists have been visiting places in cruise ships for decades....however, it's new to Thailand and often people/businesses struggle when change is needed....the smart do it effortlessly, others usually fail.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 hours ago, robsamui said:

Then hopefully they might go some way to offsetting the falling incomes of Samui' hotels. They might be full of Chinese visitors but breakfast is included with the package, the Chinese get picked up every day and go out on tours, then return in the evening having eaten already and go straight to their rooms.

The F&B income is vital to any hotel or resort and Samui's resorts are in a real mess because of this.

 

Samui's resorts are in a real mess because of this.

 

Oh Lordy, have my predictions come true at last? I've been saying for over 15 years that the lemming rush to build resorts ( with resort prices ) would drive away a significant part of the western tourist demographic that used to flock to Samui when it was possible to stay in the centre of Chaweng beach for a reasonable price. When I saw the reinforcing steel coming over by the truckload, I said to myself that the Samui paradise days were over, and not long after that I stopped going to Samui as the beaches were over run by huge concrete monstrosities that are totally in our face, unlike when they were low key and behind the trees.

Then I saw that Charlie's Hut was gone, and I knew it was over as a destination for anyone that actually loves a beach, as opposed to getting pissed in the hotel bar.

 

Self inflicted injury.

 

Fortunately, I see that it is still possible to have a real, as opposed to a Samui faux, beach experience on so much more pleasant Phangan.

[thaibeachlovers]

12 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

Tourists have been visiting places in cruise ships for decades....however, it's new to Thailand and often people/businesses struggle when change is needed....the smart do it effortlessly, others usually fail.

Beach resort owners on the gulf Islands, in my long experience, have no clue as to how to actually run a business. They worked for decades on the principle that all they had to do to make money was to put up some sort of hut or room as long as it looked romantic, and sometimes it just looked like rubbish, but it made no matter as the western beach goers came by the thousands regardless. As long as the western youths had a bed, a balcony on which to hang a hammock, and something that sufficed as a restaurant, the money came rolling in, for little effort or investment.

The owners had no need to actually make an effort to provide any sort of "experience" to go with the hovel, as the beaches sold themselves. Unfortunately, they never made any effort to improve the experience- filthy beaches, not their problem, as they slept away the daylight hours, broken hut- who cares if the farang doesn't like it? Plenty more will come.

 

Then, the money men saw that lots and lots of tourists were coming and bought up beaches to erect concrete places for which they could demand much higher prices, even though they did little to provide a service to go with the prices. Still the crowds came.

 

But, eventually, the golden goose of natural, beautiful beaches that sold themselves was destroyed and the prices went too high. There are only so many rich people that are prepared to pay large to have a massage by a ruined beach, when other, far more exotic places compete.

 

So, with a completely different demographic of customer, it doesn't look like they are capable of adapting their palaces built for wealthy farangs to a zero baht tourist clientele.

 

If the owner of Charlie's Hut is still alive, I'd say he's .

[khunPer]

6 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

 

Chaweng next weekend........

Next weekend I doubt, it's still cremation ceremony, it merely looks like the following week-end's Chaweng-guest's line-up for Full Moon Party shuttle speedboats – and there might be a few Chinese in between...

[khunPer]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

But, eventually, the golden goose of natural, beautiful beaches that sold themselves was destroyed and the prices went too high. There are only so many rich people that are prepared to pay large to have a massage by a ruined beach, when other, far more exotic places compete.

 

So, with a completely different demographic of customer, it doesn't look like they are capable of adapting their palaces built for wealthy farangs to a zero baht tourist clientele.

 

If the owner of Charlie's Hut is still alive, I'd say he's .

Odd enough, when walking one of the popular Samui beaches, the affordable idyllic bungalows seems to have little to almost none business this year, whilst the – for us more normal folks, unaffordable – 5-star places seem to be quite crowded, so apparently there must still be "many rich people that are prepared to pay large to have a massage by a ruined beach"...

And by the way, the nice couple who had Charlie's Hut in Chaweng was still alive a few years ago, and still having a "Charlie's Hut", but new, and happy to meet some of their old guests. They seem to by spending part of the day playing the stock market with some of the money they got from their land at Chaweng's beach; if I remember right, the selling price was 300 million baht...

[PoorSucker]

Every month there are some commenting on Samui as Paradise lost. 

The thing about them is that they only stayed in Chaweng, Lamai, Maenam and wants the same now rather than going to bang por, Leam sor, so they prefer to complain. 

I can assure you there are plenty virgin beaches on Samui, it's you that got old, not Samui. 

[Johnnyngai]

I wonder if the mainland Chinese that arrives by cruise ship are the better mannered type ?  ? 

[Tropicalevo]

20 hours ago, islandguy said:

Any reports from those in Nathon as to whether the cruise ship passengers who came ashore but chose to walk around Nathon instead of taking an excursion by minibus shopped or bought anything at a level comparable to previous cruise ship passengers? Usually cruise ships do seem to benefit Nathon that way. Did they cause congestion in the streets with their  behavior as pedestrians? Selfies taken from the middle of the streets by Chinese tourists are pretty common in Chiang Mai ?

Not Nathon, but last night (8-ish) there was a plethora of minivans parked all around the Gem Store near the entrance to Big Buddha here in Bang Rak. If that 'tourist only' shop did not make any money then it deserves to be closed down.

 

Of course, there was no one in Brothers Restaurany where a lot of the vans were parked up.

[robsamui]

On 10/23/2017 at 11:26 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Samui's resorts are in a real mess because of this.

 

Oh Lordy, have my predictions come true at last? I've been saying for over 15 years that the lemming rush to build resorts ( with resort prices ) would drive away a significant part of the western tourist demographic that used to flock to Samui when it was possible to stay in the centre of Chaweng beach for a reasonable price. When I saw the reinforcing steel coming over by the truckload, I said to myself that the Samui paradise days were over, and not long after that I stopped going to Samui as the beaches were over run by huge concrete monstrosities that are totally in our face, unlike when they were low key and behind the trees.

Then I saw that Charlie's Hut was gone, and I knew it was over as a destination for anyone that actually loves a beach, as opposed to getting pissed in the hotel bar.

 

Self inflicted injury.

 

Fortunately, I see that it is still possible to have a real, as opposed to a Samui faux, beach experience on so much more pleasant Phangan.

Actually what's been happening in the last four or five years is that those places where there are still little family beach bungalow resorts (Mae Nam, Ban Tai, Bang Po,  Lipa Noi, Hua Thanon, parts of Lamai etc) are doing a thriving trade with the Europeans - there's been a huge shift out and away from the Chaweng area which is now 80% full of Chinese and Korean visitors. And taxis.

People have been exploring and discovering off-the-track beaches and hunting down (the old-fashioned way, with a motorbike and not an online booking form) the dozens of little resorts that are still too rustic to have a web-presence.

There' still a lot of charm left in Samui, but, sadly, I really cant see it will still have these unspoiled little nooks and crannies in another decade or so - witness all the major 5-star international hotel chains which are steadily increasing their presence here - not to mention all the eyesore blocks of condos that are springing up everywhere.

 

And that's not even taking into account the fact that Samui has now become probably the most expensive place to stay and/or live in all of Thailand!

 

Edited October 26, 2017 by robsamui

[USPatriot]

I'm sure the cruise ship was out of food like the buffet ant any hotel after the Chinese get done.

 

I wonder if it is a zero baht cruise 

[SamuiRes]

Would have been slightly more impressive if they had shown a photo of the correct ship. The ship they showed was  the " Silver Shadow" which was in at the same time. Photo here of them both with "Costa Victoria" on the left

[wakeupplease]

On 10/23/2017 at 7:45 AM, yellowboat said:

The Chinese do not go to bars and drink much anywhere in the world, but they buy jewelry, clothing, crafts, and consumables.  Gave a co-worker in Beijing a bottle of Thai whiskey.  He loved it.  

They also gamble like there is no tomorrow and love casino's.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎10‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 10:49 PM, khunPer said:

Odd enough, when walking one of the popular Samui beaches, the affordable idyllic bungalows seems to have little to almost none business this year, whilst the – for us more normal folks, unaffordable – 5-star places seem to be quite crowded, so apparently there must still be "many rich people that are prepared to pay large to have a massage by a ruined beach"...

And by the way, the nice couple who had Charlie's Hut in Chaweng was still alive a few years ago, and still having a "Charlie's Hut", but new, and happy to meet some of their old guests. They seem to by spending part of the day playing the stock market with some of the money they got from their land at Chaweng's beach; if I remember right, the selling price was 300 million baht...

I was under the impression from other threads that customers are down this year, so I stand corrected.

 

I'm just assuming, but could they be busy because their customers are on package tours chosen by looking in the brochure at their local travel agent? Package tours are, IMO, usually cheaper than walk in because the travel companies negotiate special rates for their customers.

 

the affordable idyllic bungalows seems to have little to almost none business this year,

Perhaps because the people like me that would stay there are not going anymore because the prices of everything got too high, and are now going to Phangan where it is still possible to find reasonably priced places on a non ruined beach.

I used to stay on Samui all the time in the 90s, but the prices became ridiculous, so no longer.

 

I'm happy to hear that the owners of Charlie's Hut are still with us and enjoying their lives.

They apparently did better than the owners of the beaches on the Andaman coast after the tsunami, when apparently the money men moved in and took the land without paying for it. Tell me if I'm wrong.

 

 

[PoorSucker]

35 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

I used to stay on Samui all the time in the 90s, but the prices became ridiculous,

Still possible to get a 500 baht room. 

Fixed a room for my friend for 15000 baht per month, with pool and gym in south Chaweng. 

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I was under the impression from other threads that customers are down this year, so I stand corrected.

 

I'm just assuming, but could they be busy because their customers are on package tours chosen by looking in the brochure at their local travel agent? Package tours are, IMO, usually cheaper than walk in because the travel companies negotiate special rates for their customers.

 

the affordable idyllic bungalows seems to have little to almost none business this year,

Perhaps because the people like me that would stay there are not going anymore because the prices of everything got too high, and are now going to Phangan where it is still possible to find reasonably priced places on a non ruined beach.

I used to stay on Samui all the time in the 90s, but the prices became ridiculous, so no longer.

 

I'm happy to hear that the owners of Charlie's Hut are still with us and enjoying their lives.

They apparently did better than the owners of the beaches on the Andaman coast after the tsunami, when apparently the money men moved in and took the land without paying for it. Tell me if I'm wrong.

 

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

I only said what my eyes sees, when I almost daily walking the beach. Of course some of the many guests staying at 5-star Santibury can be part of a package, but I also know of, and had friends, staying there as individuals – and paying the full list-price   (I could stay one year in my rented bungalow, 80 m. from beach, instead of one night beachfront there) – however last time was a few years ago: and at that time it was difficult to get space when my friends wanted it, in end of February, as Santibury was fully booked, so the first few days they had to spend at another, also higher-end, resort up the hills. The didn't mind the price (too much), as "they wanted to pamper themselves".

 

Before the more affordable 1500 to 1900 baht bungalows used to be full during high season, but this year they seemed almost empty – counting on what looked inhabited at first beach row, some days down to one occupied out of some 20 bungalows. I had friends staying a few days in one of that price-level resorts in this year's first high season (before the drop in May-June), but after three days they moved to another place at little more than double the price – but not beachfront, which was 9,000 baht a night – because they wanted better quality; didn't mind to pay either, just the bungalow-quality and service were Okay.

 

I see the previous backpacker style huts disappear and being rebuild to higher level, where the space of two-three bungalows become one; and some of those backpacker level resort still in business had special discount offers at 450-750 baht baht, even some times down to 400-600 baht. At the same time bungalows in level around 2500 baht and up – and we talk about same beach, same sand, and same sea to swim in, just a few hundred meters apart – seemed heavily inhabited (cannot say if the guest however stays on a cheap discount package).

 

Therefore my conclusion, from what I see, and from my friends coming to island – including some 30+ years regulars, previous always travelling on backpacker-budget, but now need both aircon and pool, and fly in instead of express-sleeper and boat – is that today's tourists and regular visitors wants better quality, and they don't mind paying for it either.

 

The real young backpacker party-kids seem now-on-days to stay in the eye of the hurricane, for example at Ark Bar in nice newer aircon rooms for some 1200 baht a night, where they get both pool and party included, and the place usually appear like well (if not heavy) occupied. And the, often little up-priced, trendy cafés at Beach Road also seem to be quite full. 

 

If I compare prices from past, with prices now, using an average inflation model calculator, the 350 baht level bungalow I stayed in during my first visit at Samui in 2001, shall be 450 baht now – which is still possible to find (but presumably not beachfront) – whilst the stories we hear about a few hundred baht (or less) in the late 1980'ies and beginning 1990'ies, then should be around 350 baht now, if it was 200 baht in 1990; taking quality into consideration, that might fit with the 290 baht a night places in Bang Por (I don't know them, only seen signs, and heard about them).

 

That's why I quoted that: apparently there must still be "many rich people that are prepared to pay large to have a massage by a ruined beach"...
–which may look like that in summer of 2017, the beach I walk, and talk about:

 

And you can still find, if not cheap, then affordable accommodation at Samui, if you so wish, and cheaper than 450 baht. Just about little less than 100 meters from the (same as above mentioned) beach, you can long-term rent a bungalow in level of 8,000 baht a month – i.e. less than 300 baht a night for 1-bed, plus living room, covered terrasse, bath w/hot water, and a little kitchen – and another option is Bang Por's 290 baht a night list price...

Edited October 29, 2017 by khunPer

[islandguy]

New ship in today, is it also Chinese? Big one....

[geriatrickid]

On 10/23/2017 at 2:15 AM, robsamui said:

Then hopefully they might go some way to offsetting the falling incomes of Samui' hotels. They might be full of Chinese visitors but breakfast is included with the package, the Chinese get picked up every day and go out on tours, then return in the evening having eaten already and go straight to their rooms.

The F&B income is vital to any hotel or resort and Samui's resorts are in a real mess because of this.

 

And yet the hotels book these "bad" guests as you call them.

Yes F&B income is vital and good hotels have  decent restaurants and bars. Unfortunately, the majority of the hotels who may have a problem have  terrible facilities that over charge and provide  poor service.   When I fly, I usually stay at the Novotel at BKK or the Amari at DMK. Breakfast is included at the Novotel  because I book 30 days in advance and am a club member, otherwise its 500 baht. It's not worth 500 baht. It's the least  the  Novotel can do for 6200 baht a night.  The Amari includes breakfast with  my suite for 3800 baht, but it's just slightly better than the Novotel and would be 300 baht otherwise.  I wouldn't buy my breakfast at the hotel if it wasn't included because it just isn't very good.

 

 

[impulse]

6 hours ago, khunPer said:

And you can still find, if not cheap, then affordable accommodation at Samui, if you so wish, and cheaper than 450 baht. Just about little less than 100 meters from the (same as above mentioned) beach, you can long-term rent a bungalow in level of 8,000 baht a month – i.e. less than 300 baht a night for 1-bed, plus living room, covered terrasse, bath w/hot water, and a little kitchen – and another option is Bang Por's 290 baht a night list price..

 

Shhhh.  You're going to spoil it.  Once word gets out, they'll be just like the already spoiled ones.

 

On an aside, I'm always amazed at how little effort it takes to get away from the crowds.  In Yellowstone Park, I can walk 200 meters off the jam packed roads and parking lots and see nobody for hours.  On Koh Chang and in Kanchanaburi, it just takes 5 minutes on a kayak.  Never been to Samui, but I'd bet it's the same- most tourists nowadays just don't want to work for it...  And thank goodness for that.

 

[khunPer]

4 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Shhhh.  You're going to spoil it.  Once word gets out, they'll be just like the already spoiled ones.

 

On an aside, I'm always amazed at how little effort it takes to get away from the crowds.  In Yellowstone Park, I can walk 200 meters off the jam packed roads and parking lots and see nobody for hours.  On Koh Chang and in Kanchanaburi, it just takes 5 minutes on a kayak.  Never been to Samui, but I'd bet it's the same- most tourists nowadays just don't want to work for it...  And thank goodness for that.

 

If not exactly, then pretty close to the same here...
(PS: Thanks for the advice, in the future I'll only mention, that Samui is spoiled and unaffordable for us plain folks...)