Koh Samui: For sale and gathering dust - island that catered to foreigners is completely deserted

[thaibeachlovers]

On 7/17/2020 at 3:53 PM, Awinkl said:

Yes Beachlover, I am fully aware that Farangs cannot own Land, but they flocked to it - and theyeby encouraged overdevelopment.

And that 2nd point? I understand that it is a customary practice in LOS to "increase" prices - whenever Business is slow .... in the hope to make-up for the shortfall?? .... and to attract more Customers ..... ? ...LOL

Agreed, but countries that care about the environment don't allow unrestricted development in areas of natural beauty. In LOS the environment comes a loooooooong way below money.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 7/18/2020 at 3:19 AM, khunPer said:

Well, if farangs didn't overpopulate Samui from the beginning – and even wrote about the "paradise" island in a German travel magazine – Samui would not have been spoiled; no development would have been necessary, not even basic beachfront huts for backpackers. 

 

And all us arriving to paradise later – because so many talked so positive about it, and even wrote articles in magazines – would not have added more development by building our own houses, at leased or company-owned land, on an already over-developed island.

 

So to sum up how I understand what you are saying: Samui was spoiled by it's first generation of travellers!

 

Could even be that some of those are now among those complaining about over-development... 

????

The first farangs arrived on a coconut boat. Had the locals had a clue they'd have banded together then and decided not to let the Bkk greedies buy up land and build big hotels, airport etc. Of course the promise of big money usually wins everytime.

My point is that development didn't have to be at the expense of the environment, had the authorities cared, but of course we know that they don't.

The existing infrastructure in 1993 could have been improved, without destroying the very reason the island became popular. They didn't have to build an airport or cover the hillsides with houses.

[Anythingleft?]

On 7/17/2020 at 4:19 PM, khunPer said:

Well, if farangs didn't overpopulate Samui from the beginning – and even wrote about the "paradise" island in a German travel magazine – Samui would not have been spoiled; no development would have been necessary, not even basic beachfront huts for backpackers. 

 

And all us arriving to paradise later – because so many talked so positive about it, and even wrote articles in magazines – would not have added more development by building our own houses, at leased or company-owned land, on an already over-developed island.

 

So to sum up how I understand what you are saying: Samui was spoiled by it's first generation of travellers!

 

Could even be that some of those are now among those complaining about over-development... 

????

They are the regulations which everybody knows were flouted and ignored in the scheme to get rich

 

You can't really twist that back on the people that were allowed to buy, visit and develop, it lies entirely on the lack of governance and greed............

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, Anythingleft? said:

They are the regulations which everybody knows were flouted and ignored in the scheme to get rich

 

You can't really twist that back on the people that were allowed to buy, visit and develop, it lies entirely on the lack of governance and greed............

Kindly disagree, it's a question of market demand.

 

The regulations on the island was that no building construction could be higher than the coconut palms, today it's changed to 12 meters. That seemed to be kept. The island was also later divided into zones with different regulations – some says six meters high, one floor only, and not over x square meters (think it's 70 square meters without checking) – depending of the distance from the beachfront/seafront; if long enough back inland larger constructions are allowed.

 

If there is a demand then things moves faster, and even a brown envelope might be a part of it. It also happens other places than Samui, and Thailand, over-development happens all over the World. The more tourists coming, the higher a demand. We have experienced years where everything was fully booked; not only available accommodation, but also airplanes, catamaran ferries, bus tickets, and train tickets. People that needed to fly home from Bangkok, and haven't booked the ticket up there in advance, realized that they needed to leave the island two-three days before, and change between numerous local busses with night stop en route to get up to Bangkok. By that time that was a problem to complain about. The result was bigger catamaran ferries, and bigger airplanes and more departures; and of course building more high-end resorts.

 

If no demand, no "greed". Who would invest millions of baht, and billions of baht into something with no demand, no customers; for example building an airport?

 

If Samui had been kept little more secret by the first backpackers, the island might still be an underdeveloped coconut plantagen, and some fishing boats; and with no interest at all from the mass tourism, as the island was underdeveloped...

 

Some of us don't complain, we still find Samui attractive, and a much better placed now when developed beyond muddy dirt roads, generator electric power; and no supply of anything, but the most essential daily needs.

 

It's impossible to live in the past, unless you find an isolate time-pocket in a secret place. There are however a few more inhabited islands in the archipelago around Samui, so perhaps another new "paradise" is available – perhaps check Koh Phaluai – but then please keep it little more secret...????

 

[khunPer]

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The first farangs arrived on a coconut boat. Had the locals had a clue they'd have banded together then and decided not to let the Bkk greedies buy up land and build big hotels, airport etc. Of course the promise of big money usually wins everytime.

My point is that development didn't have to be at the expense of the environment, had the authorities cared, but of course we know that they don't.

The existing infrastructure in 1993 could have been improved, without destroying the very reason the island became popular. They didn't have to build an airport or cover the hillsides with houses.

I think nobody had any clue by that times – and during the years that followed – what the young German backpackers on the coconut boat meant for the future of the island.

 

What happened other places in Thailand, Pattaya and Phuket for example?

 

If you look at the tourist arrival statistics then it kind of exploded from the beginning of the 1980ies and beoynd. In 2003 the tourist arrivals in Thailand was 10 million a year, last year – 16 years after – it was almost four times as many, more than 39 million. The official calculated predictions (before Covid-19 pandemic) is a double up, 80 millions tourists are expected in 2030...????

 

There was a demand for an airport, therefore it was build – for private funds, not because some politicians wanted to increase infrastructure – and there was a demand for private villas with sea-view. Same things happens almost everywhere in the World, where there is a beautiful place the masses wish to be part of; the memories from the time before the mass arrivals are great, but don't expect it's the same when revisiting...????

[Anythingleft?]

50 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Kindly disagree, it's a question of market demand.

 

The regulations on the island was that no building construction could be higher than the coconut palms, today it's changed to 12 meters. That seemed to be kept. The island was also later divided into zones with different regulations – some says six meters high, one floor only, and not over x square meters (think it's 70 square meters without checking) – depending of the distance from the beachfront/seafront; if long enough back inland larger constructions are allowed.

 

If there is a demand then things moves faster, and even a brown envelope might be a part of it. It also happens other places than Samui, and Thailand, over-development happens all over the World. The more tourists coming, the higher a demand. We have experienced years where everything was fully booked; not only available accommodation, but also airplanes, catamaran ferries, bus tickets, and train tickets. People that needed to fly home from Bangkok, and haven't booked the ticket up there in advance, realized that they needed to leave the island two-three days before, and change between numerous local busses with night stop en route to get up to Bangkok. By that time that was a problem to complain about. The result was bigger catamaran ferries, and bigger airplanes and more departures; and of course building more high-end resorts.

 

If no demand, no "greed". Who would invest millions of baht, and billions of baht into something with no demand, no customers; for example building an airport?

 

If Samui had been kept little more secret by the first backpackers, the island might still be an underdeveloped coconut plantagen, and some fishing boats; and with no interest at all from the mass tourism, as the island was underdeveloped...

 

Some of us don't complain, we still find Samui attractive, and a much better placed now when developed beyond muddy dirt roads, generator electric power; and no supply of anything, but the most essential daily needs.

 

It's impossible to live in the past, unless you find an isolate time-pocket in a secret place. There are however a few more inhabited islands in the archipelago around Samui, so perhaps another new "paradise" is available – perhaps check Koh Phaluai – but then please keep it little more secret...????

 

The first line of the original sentence "if farangs didn't overpopulate" how could they manage to overpopulate any area if the planning restrictions in place had been upheld from the outset? 

This suggests to me, as the restrictions were apparently not flouted, that all construction is within the correct scope for the area. So how is it overpopulated?? or is it that the regulations have kept changing and adapting to allow the greed and business to flourish?

 

One sentence contradicts the other.........

[Awinkl]

Well, there are many valid Comments made in most of the Posts - Yes Samui "was" a Paradise - and for some who will go there next year .... (for the 1st time) ... it will STILL be a Paradise, because they didn't know how it was .... a long time ago.

I have heard about Samui in the 80's, but was too busy working and going to different places - but finally made it to Samui around 2011 - yes WAY TOO LATE to experience the early Paradise, but ..... it was still ok?

Maybe a bit too busy, maybe a bit too overdeveloped, but I just rented a Motorbike and explored all around the Island - including up into the Mountain areas. There was still a lot of "natural beauty" around - and perhaps the secret is to go away from the packed-out places ... and seek-out the more "off-the-beaten-road-places"? What has remained with me though, was the somewhat stuck-up attitude of some Local Residents and also of many Farangs that settled there.

Would I go back for another visit?.... I probably would - however, my biggest problem is I am running out of time - as I get older..... ???? ..... so I have a few more good years left ... and soooo many places STILL to go......

[Awinkl]

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

so perhaps another new "paradise" is available – perhaps check Koh Phaluai – but then please keep it little more secret...????

 

.... PSSSST ..... it's a bit too close to Samui, but definitely will be worthwhile to check-out. THANK's!!

I am also interested in some Islands further down the coast - actually I think already in Malaysian waters and not that easy to get to .... from BKK?

Went to Koh Lipe ... and liked it ..... and fortunately, there are still a lot of (very interesting) places ... to explore.... ???? that will keep me busy (in my Retirement).

[Tropicalevo]

One other point to mention re the infrastructure and being able to improve it with the mass tourism.

Samui was always under the control of the governer of Suratthani.

There would be big budgets to improve the infrastucture on Samui BUT the governer decided where those budgets were spent. In Suratthani of course!

Samui only really had a proper chance to improve the infrastructure once it became a city in its own right with its own mayor Then the budgets were spent on the island. Better roads, better drains, better water and power supply etc etc. This happened about 2012. Before then, very little money was spent on the island.

Edited July 19, 2020 by Tropicalevo

[Tropicalevo]

39 minutes ago, Awinkl said:

.Went to Koh Lipe ... and liked it ..... and fortunately, there are still a lot of (very interesting) places ... to explore.... ???? that will keep me busy (in my Retirement).

Be careful where you go. I retired in 1999, and came to Samui in 2000 for a one week holiday. I am still here! Bought the land on day 5 and started construction one and a half month's later.

 

One thing is certain. Wherever you 'lay your hat' will be very different 10 years from now. Nothing stays the same in today's world.

[khunPer]

I agree with that it seems like Samui was spoiled first by "overpopulation" by both tourists and expats – the first we are often told to be backpacker hippies that never returned home – which resulted in "over development". And in the always crystal clear light of hindsigt everything should have been better planned from the beginning.

 

We locals know, as mentioned above by @Tropicalevo, that for several years until quite recently the tax-money from Samui ended in Surat Thani, where the majority of provincial voters live, so they got wide 4-lane tarmac roads with no cars, whilst Samui got narrow bad maintained, cheap cement roads, overloaded with traffic. On top Samui had power supply problems – underwater cables, with until a few years ago too low capacity, and no back up – and unsolved incinerator warranty faults; the latter also seems to be a similar problem at Koh Tao.

 

I've personally always thanked all the Egyptian Gods I know by heart – and some more well-known, just to be on the safe side – that Bangkok Airways from the early days acted like "Bandit Airways" with a high mileage charge for Samui, due to the higher rate on the private funded airport. That has kept the island free from budget, charter, and package tourism by air. Can you imagine how Samui would have developed with the often talked about second government funded airport, aiming for massive amount of budget carriers, bringing even more tourists in..?

 

In a way, it might be great that there were "no planning", and therefore no second low-fee airport...

 

And even without the a second airport – or a bridge to the mainland – the number of tourist arrivals kept rising, but the mix of tourists changed to both relative more Asians, and relative higher number of families, and families with children, and relative fewer single males; the latter could be the reason for both more "Bar for Sale"-signs, and less number of beer bars. Asian guests spend lesser time than Westerners on a Thai holiday, so the total booked hotel-nights might not be linear increasing with the number of arrivals.

 

However, it seems like multiple tourists places around the World are also suffering from "overpopulation" and probably in addition some also from "over development"; especially a number of European destinations have been the talk of the town in the news articles.

 

Venice and other European destination began (before Covid-19) to charge a kind of "entrance fee" to reduce number of tourists, and also make sure there were funds for maintaining the infrastructure load...

Venice:

Quote

Councillors overwhelmingly endorsed the entrance fee at a meeting on Tuesday evening, saying day-trippers would now have to pay 3 euros ($3.42) each this year to enter Venice. The sum will rise to between 6-10 euros from the start of 2020, depending on whether tourists come in high or low season.Feb 27, 2019

Source: Reuters "Italy's Venice to charge admission fees for tourists".

Mallorca:

Quote

A single adult going for a holiday for 7 days and staying in a 3 star hotel; the tax payable will be 3 Euros per day for 7 days so a total of 21 Euros. A single adult going for a holiday for 7 days and staying on a cruise; the tax payable will be 2 Euros per day for 7 days so a total of 14 Euros.Feb 7, 2020

Source: MP "How much is tourist tax in Majorca 2020".

Amsterdam:

Quote

Starting Jan. 1, the city willcharge a flat fee of€3 (about $3.25) per person, per night for any visitor spending the night in Amsterdam. That's on top of the 7% tourist tax currently in effect. (Private Airbnb and houseboat owners are also required to collect the 7% tax and pay the city.)Sep 30, 2019

Source: USA Today "Amsterdam's new tax puts city's tourist taxes among Europe's highest".

 

High prices and fee seems to fit quite well with the Thai government's wishes for so-called "quality tourism", or quality rather than quantity.

 

Would fees – for example relative high fees – be a solution for Samui to stop overpopulation and improve infrastructure..?

[Awinkl]

On 7/19/2020 at 4:56 PM, Tropicalevo said:

Be careful where you go. I retired in 1999, and came to Samui in 2000 for a one week holiday. I am still here! Bought the land on day 5 and started construction one and a half month's later.

 

One thing is certain. Wherever you 'lay your hat' will be very different 10 years from now. Nothing stays the same in today's world.

I retired also, got myself a small Condo that is good enough for my needs and I use as a Base to move around .... from there. LOS is very Central and many places in SEA can be reached within easy flights. And for me, there are still way too many places to visit, but it's always nice to come back to my little HOME away from home.

[pixelaoffy]

All those nice beach huts I would stay in on Samui in the early 2000s may return when those overpriced hotel resorts are out of business! Turning the clock back 

Edited July 21, 2020 by pixelaoffy

[Starmocihc]

It'll be under total chinese ownership before the year's end.

[khunkarl]

On 7/11/2020 at 9:48 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

The island that sold its soul for greed got its comeuppance!

I for one have no sympathy.

I stopped going there last century when it went trendy and expensive. Kicked the cheap places out ( like Charlie's hut ), destroyed the old Ark bar and built horrid concrete places everywhere.

Couldn't believe it last time I sailed past on the ferry to Phangan- concrete villas destroying every hillside. Used to be a great place to holiday- Chaweng is one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen, but ruined by greed and aircraft.

Only people to blame are the Thais that destroyed it to get rich.

And the first price for the most cynical statement of the century goes to...

[phetphet]

On 7/19/2020 at 4:09 PM, Awinkl said:

.... PSSSST ..... it's a bit too close to Samui, but definitely will be worthwhile to check-out. THANK's!!

I am also interested in some Islands further down the coast - actually I think already in Malaysian waters and not that easy to get to .... from BKK?

Went to Koh Lipe ... and liked it ..... and fortunately, there are still a lot of (very interesting) places ... to explore.... ???? that will keep me busy (in my Retirement).

Don't know when you went to Lipe, but that has gone the way of Samui as well. Last time I went that way about seven years ago (boat to Koh Bulon Lae), it was full of young backpapckers talking about how they were going to party. I remember Lipe as very quiet, apart from the long tail boat engines. Beautiful empty beaches.

 

As for Malaysian islands, the Perhentians were indeed beautiful, and extremely quiet when I went. Almost dead. I did read that there were a lot of drug problems on one of the two islands a while back.

[A512]

On 7/11/2020 at 9:48 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

The island that sold its soul for greed got its comeuppance!

I for one have no sympathy.

I stopped going there last century when it went trendy and expensive. Kicked the cheap places out ( like Charlie's hut ), destroyed the old Ark bar and built horrid concrete places everywhere.

Couldn't believe it last time I sailed past on the ferry to Phangan- concrete villas destroying every hillside. Used to be a great place to holiday- Chaweng is one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen, but ruined by greed and aircraft.

Only people to blame are the Thais that destroyed it to get rich.

and now it is going bananas!

[torturedsole]

On 7/11/2020 at 3:13 PM, rooster59 said:

Koh Samui: For sale and gathering dust - island that catered to foreigners is completely deserted

Please allow me to update the OP's header in light of the continuing and deteriorating realisation that tourists (what's left of them) won't be going anywhere near Koh Samui for some considerable time to come.  Obviously not limited to Samui either.

 

Koh Samui: For sale and gathering dust - island that catered to foreigners is economically destroyed.

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, torturedsole said:

Please allow me to update the OP's header in light of the continuing and deteriorating realisation that tourists (what's left of them) won't be going anywhere near Koh Samui for some considerable time to come.  Obviously not limited to Samui either.

 

Koh Samui: For sale and gathering dust - island that catered to foreigners is economically destroyed.

 

 

Karma is real! Samui got it's comeuppance for going trendy, expensive and IMO horrid.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 7/25/2020 at 5:20 PM, phetphet said:

Don't know when you went to Lipe, but that has gone the way of Samui as well. Last time I went that way about seven years ago (boat to Koh Bulon Lae), it was full of young backpapckers talking about how they were going to party. I remember Lipe as very quiet, apart from the long tail boat engines. Beautiful empty beaches.

 

As for Malaysian islands, the Perhentians were indeed beautiful, and extremely quiet when I went. Almost dead. I did read that there were a lot of drug problems on one of the two islands a while back.

Young bagpackers and parties always seems the end of paradise. After them come the flashpacker and the accommodation desired by them. Once the flashpackers arrive it really is the end of paradise. Not enough 5* tourists want to visit LOS for them to be a large change factor.

 

However, I've yet to see the absolute horror that has befallen the once lovely beaches of Penang in LOS. Even Patong isn't that bad.

[pedro01]

On 8/1/2020 at 9:42 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Karma is real! Samui got it's comeuppance for going trendy, expensive and IMO horrid.

So you are happy that large sections of the local community are without an income now? 

 

I hope for your sake that Karma isn't real... 

[khunPer]

On 8/1/2020 at 4:47 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Young bagpackers and parties always seems the end of paradise.

Young backpackers and parties actually started Samui as a "paradise" island back in the late 1970s and the beginning of the 1980'ies. When the local police get too interested in their mushroom drinks and bonfire on the beaches, they migrated by long tail boat, and moved their party to an isolated stretch of sand, not reachable over land, on the tip of neighboring island Koh Phangan. Incidentally it was a night with a full Moon rise over the horizon. It was also a birthday party, but most people forget who had birthday – his name was Joe, and it was his 21st birthday during Xmas 1977... – but it was such a cool party that they decided to do it again next full moon, and so they continued every following full Moon ever since...????

 

The end of the tale came with Covid-19 when the legendary Full Moon Party at Haad Rin's Sunrise Beach temporary stopped.

When there were no full Moon the backpackers however continued to party on the Samui beaches, and inventing the Black Moon Party, and later Half Moon Party, so they could have a big party every week...????

 

If that definition quoted above is right, then Samui died as paradise – to my best knowledge – in the early 1980s...

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 8/2/2020 at 6:42 PM, pedro01 said:

So you are happy that large sections of the local community are without an income now? 

 

I hope for your sake that Karma isn't real... 

They are the ones that caused and profited by the destruction wrought on the once beautiful island of Samui. Tourists didn't build the concrete houses all over the hills, and they didn't ruin the beach. Karma on those that did.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 8/3/2020 at 12:22 AM, khunPer said:

If that definition quoted above is right, then Samui died as paradise – to my best knowledge – in the early 1980s...

It's not right. I went to Samui many times in the 90s and it wasn't, apart from a few places on Chaweng a "party island" as Had Rin is. Unfortunately, the Phangan locals decided to get in on the party scene and promoted black moon etc parties on other beaches than Rin. Thankfully, the beaches on the north east I stayed on didn't become ruined by pestilential noise all night, though Thong Nai Pan Yai had a party bar that ruined it, so never went back there.

The beginning of the rot was when they built the airport, though it took a decade to really get ruined.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 8/3/2020 at 12:22 AM, khunPer said:

When the local police get too interested in their mushroom drinks and bonfire on the beaches, they migrated by long tail boat, and moved their party to an isolated stretch of sand, not reachable over land, on the tip of neighboring island Koh Phangan. Incidentally it was a night with a full Moon rise over the horizon. It was also a birthday party, but most people forget who had birthday – his name was Joe, and it was his 21st birthday during Xmas 1977... – but it was such a cool party that they decided to do it again next full moon, and so they continued every following full Moon ever since...

The story I heard was very different. The reality is probably lost in time.

I once tried to find out about the "lost in Time " bar on Haad Khom, as there has to be an interesting story connected to it, but apparently that information is not to be found. I suspect that is the case with most 80s history of the islands.

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It's not right. I went to Samui many times in the 90s and it wasn't, apart from a few places on Chaweng a "party island" as Had Rin is. Unfortunately, the Phangan locals decided to get in on the party scene and promoted black moon etc parties on other beaches than Rin. Thankfully, the beaches on the north east I stayed on didn't become ruined by pestilential noise all night, though Thong Nai Pan Yai had a party bar that ruined it, so never went back there.

The beginning of the rot was when they built the airport, though it took a decade to really get ruined.

I hoped you would have understood the joking part of my explanation...????

 

Next time you find a paradise island, keep quiet, and tell everybody to do the same...???? 

The private airport was build only because there was, and still is, a demand, pure business, not a political decision to boost something.

 

The northern beaches of Samui are not all spoiled – and so even more the northern part of Phangan – if that's what you are searching for, and the smaller local restaurants are pretty much as in older time, apart from prices have gone up, but so have foreign salaries.

 

I you stick to the southwestern part of Samui it's still quite like how Samui (probably) once was, you don't need to visit Chaweng and like places...????

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The story I heard was very different. The reality is probably lost in time.

I once tried to find out about the "lost in Time " bar on Haad Khom, as there has to be an interesting story connected to it, but apparently that information is not to be found. I suspect that is the case with most 80s history of the islands.

There are different stories about the birth of the Full Moon Party – the story about Joe's 21st birthday in 1977 is however one I have directly from Joe, he tell's it here...

–and a bit more about the early time here...

 

Another story is that it began in a bar, or rather wooden hut, in Haad Rin in 1985 and later moved to the beach. Bear in mind that Haad Rin was not easy reachable over land in before sometime in the the 1980s, either one needed to cross the hills/cliffs, or one could walk by the seafront in during low tide, I've been told. Nobody lived there, only a few hundred people lived on Phangan by the 1970s. Those partying on Haad Rin beach in the beginning came by long tail boats.

 

Time Magazine told a story where the Full Moon Party started in 1988, it moved to Phangan after the parties originally took place on the beach in Chaweng. They moved out because of complaints about noise, after electric cables were installed from Nathon to Chaweng, and all night loud music became a possibility. Before that there were only generators running from 6 pm till 10 pm, and after that time bonfire and candles on the beach, and hippies with guitars. The crowd were about 25 guests, compared to now on days (before Covid-19 lockdown) easily 25,000 visitors.

You can read the article "Silver Sand and the Sound of Waves: It’s 1988 and Thailand’s First Full Moon Party" from Time Magazine here.

 

The first modern style Full Moon Parties started in 1989, organized by Mr. Sutti Kursakul from Paradise Bungalows...

 

[Tropicalevo]

I admit to not being able to go back to the start of the FMP on KPN but there were still spin-offs on Koh Sami up to the early 2000's.

Secret Beach was one such spin-of. (Samrong Bay - where Six Senses is now.) The last one there was in February 2001. It kept wifey and I awake all night. No road and no electricity here back then. Just a track through the jungle. There was a small bamboo resort nearby just opposite Koh Som, called Secret Resort.

There were also FMP's held in the bay at Sea Dance, near Choengmon. Anyone out there know the name of the bay? These lasted less than a year.

[thaibeachlovers]

15 hours ago, khunPer said:

I hoped you would have understood the joking part of my explanation...????

 

Next time you find a paradise island, keep quiet, and tell everybody to do the same...???? 

The private airport was build only because there was, and still is, a demand, pure business, not a political decision to boost something.

 

The northern beaches of Samui are not all spoiled – and so even more the northern part of Phangan – if that's what you are searching for, and the smaller local restaurants are pretty much as in older time, apart from prices have gone up, but so have foreign salaries.

 

I you stick to the southwestern part of Samui it's still quite like how Samui (probably) once was, you don't need to visit Chaweng and like places...????

Sorry, I did miss that.

 

Chaweng was the perfect beach when I visited it, but after it went full on destroyed I found what I was looking for in the north east of Phangan. Than Sadet was my favourite, though sadly I never managed to get back there after I got married. Bottle Beach could have been a favourite, but for the horrid concrete hotel right in the middle of it.

The last beach I visited was Haad Khom, but they had built the concrete road that far and mains power was coming. The flash packer expensive rooms were already under construction- paradise was being lost as I looked.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, khunPer said:

There are different stories about the birth of the Full Moon Party – the story about Joe's 21st birthday in 1977 is however one I have directly from Joe, he tell's it here...

Thanks for that post.

The tragedy of Hat Rin is that it is one of the most perfect beaches in Thailand, but off limits to anyone wanting nature over man.

I stayed there a few times late last century and while developed it wasn't yet overwhelmed by party mania. Quite nice actually.

The last time was on a stop over on the way back from Phangan a decade later- I hardly recognised the place and the price for the same place I stayed years before had gone up astronomically. The first place I stayed at which was lovely had vanished under a concrete mostrocity. Even the rather nice resort on Leela beach had gone full concrete destruction. Seemed that communing with nature on a nice beach was lost to foam parties and black moon raves.

I did go down to a few FMPs, but judging by the photos on the internet they were very low key compared to now.