Deserted beaches, empty bars: Covid-19 devastates Thailand's tourist islands

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Elsewhere, swathes of Samui’s idyllic, sandy white beaches are almost entirely free of people.

Sounds idyllic, time for a visit !

[VBF]

11 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Sounds idyllic, time for a visit !

Ironically, yes!

Beach places have returned to how they were when tourists first found them and were amazed at how beautiful they were........and then proceeded to contribute to their ruination! ???? 

 

Sad and doubly ironic that not many people can get there right now.

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, american2 said:

On a positive note the Sealife has a chance to recover.

Till the next Chinese sea food buffet

[ronaldo0]

4 hours ago, eppic said:

If Koh Samui is so dead why are so many hotel prices astronomically high? 

 

We have been looking into a few days excursion from BKK in August and rates at top-end hotels are through the roof! (Some are heavily discounted, but many no discount at all)

 

Normally we would go to Bali (wedding anniversary, we were married there), but don't have that option now.

 

I get that would normally be high season on Samui, but seriously? I guess trying to keep prices high to offset the low volume (reverse polish logic).

 

Have also looked at BKK hotels and they ain't cheap either (I am talking about 5 star in both cases). 

Call zazen hotel or message them on Facebook and you will get a pretty good deal . Great restaurant, not to bad beach and pretty close to fishermans village in bophut although it is quiet there but enough places open to enjoy it.

[ronaldo0]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Sounds idyllic, time for a visit !

????

[Peterphuket]

6 hours ago, thequietman said:

and yet, these same business owners are not allowed to advertise the fact that they sell alcohol. They also can't offer any special offers on alcohol that might encourage their customers to buy more.

 

It is beyond redonkulous!

You are talking about farang.

For the Thai are different rules....or maybe the same, but they don't have to pay any fine.

There must be a difference.

[mr mr]

51 minutes ago, ronaldo0 said:

????

whats all that brown stuff

[moe666]

7 hours ago, thequietman said:

and yet, these same business owners are not allowed to advertise the fact that they sell alcohol. They also can't offer any special offers on alcohol that might encourage their customers to buy more.

 

It is beyond redonkulous!

Nothing new that law has been around for years.

[moe666]

1 hour ago, Peterphuket said:

You are talking about farang.

For the Thai are different rules....or maybe the same, but they don't have to pay any fine.

There must be a difference.

Well you should brush up, a thai Japanese restaruant owner was just charged 50,000b in cm for advertising alcohol. Since Thais are the majority owner of most bars and restaruants in Thailand why would they be excluded

[connda]

I bet the people who created the economic devastation are all still getting paid on a regular basis.

[khunPer]

Chaweng beach front and the Beach Road is very deserted, apart from a few open places, as it caters mainly from tourists visiting the party area of the island; however by the southern public beach entrance it's busy...

 

 

The reopened part of the nightlife in Chaweng is also busy, there are still a number of foreigners on the island, and foreigners coming on holiday or week-end from other parts of Thailand, mixed with the local residents, both expats and Thais (photo from last week-end)...

 

 

Other areas than Chaweng Beach are far less deserted, and it's nothing like what the news-sensation article try to tell, looking isolated at Chaweng beach front; or what posters not living on the island try to imagine.

 

Numerous Thais are visiting Samui, and the higher end hotels seem more busy the the affordable ones that many Westerners on a budget normally use; those mainly gained at that clients might suffer from lack of tourists, but not more than I see some of them use this low period for maintenance, and to my surprise also build some more...????

[StayinThailand2much]

9 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Yeah, but you can bet if 1 tourist sits down, 50 walking beach vendors will jump out of that greenery offering massages , Ice creams , fried sea food and a carved wooden elephant

That's exactly why I don't go there. Nothing to do with Covid-19...

[DrTuner]

That is not devastation, that's restoration. The devastation happened when the Chinese locusts attacked.

[mikosan]

13 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Hard not to adopt a very selfish attitude to this..........and enjoy the moment whilst it lasts.

 

Currently living in and loving Bangkok......half the bars and restaurants are closed, the half that are open are offering extended happy hours, deals and discounted prices. Streets are 'empty', pavements walkable....what is not to like......I seem quite popular in every bar I walk into!!

 

Sorry for the Thais though....tough, very tough time.

Offering extended happy hours? They'll be hit with a 50000 baht fine soon then and that'll close them down.  If the government can't get you one way, they find another.

 

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, mr mr said:

whats all that brown stuff

Richard III

[BritManToo]

16 hours ago, eppic said:

If Koh Samui is so dead why are so many hotel prices astronomically high? 

 

We have been looking into a few days excursion from BKK in August and rates at top-end hotels are through the roof! (Some are heavily discounted, but many no discount at all)

 

Normally we would go to Bali (wedding anniversary, we were married there), but don't have that option now.

 

I get that would normally be high season on Samui, but seriously? I guess trying to keep prices high to offset the low volume (reverse polish logic).

 

Have also looked at BKK hotels and they ain't cheap either (I am talking about 5 star in both cases). 

Yep, I agree.

Looked on Booking com thinking cheap beach holiday ......... lowest price 1,000bht.

End of cheap holiday thoughts, at that price I'll wait until I can fly to Da Nang again.

Flight CNX to DaNang, 1,200bht, bus to beach 20bht, hotel room near beach 500bht, beer 30bht.

[steven100]

12 hours ago, mr mr said:

whats all that brown stuff

is it sewerage waste   ?

[phetphet]

19 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Yeah, but you can bet if 1 tourist sits down, 50 walking beach vendors will jump out of that greenery offering massages , Ice creams , fried sea food and a carved wooden elephant

Not really. Most of them went back home along with the hotel workers, and have yet to return. There are a few about, but nothing like before.

[ChakaKhan]

12 hours ago, mr mr said:

whats all that brown stuff

vomited sangsom......I hear Ko Tao is doing well  2 for 1 murders..

[Tropicalevo]

13 hours ago, mr mr said:

whats all that brown stuff

I am not a marine botanist but I think that it is algae.

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

is it sewerage waste   ?

No. I walked that beach last week. As I said in the post above - I think that it is algae (dead). Or it could be broken up seaweed.

Whilst some of the older resorts might still run their waste into the sea, there are not many of those resorts left now and they have been closed for months. Chaweng Bay waters are the cleanest that I have seen for many, many years.

[rumak]

20 hours ago, Mavideol said:

maybe this is the best way for them to appreciate our contribution to their business....in the past some of them took advantage of many of us, now they have nobody, they should start to think that after will the foreigners living in are not bad and should be treated with respect..... or maybe I am giving them too much credit  555

you must have been with some of the same ladies that I knew !    

 

oh, wait..........  they would be in their 40's by now    55

[rumak]

12 hours ago, connda said:

I bet the people who created the economic devastation are all still getting paid on a regular basis.

microsoft,  amazon, apple,   pharmaceutical companies,  all close to new highs .

 

now you know who are the new rulers of planet earth . (and i am sure your friendly govts own quite

a few shares)

 

[Tropicalevo]

More activity in the air today.

Bangkok Airways has put on two extra flights to Samui. Again, using temporary flight numbers. Probably people coming for the long weekend. I know that ours and other villas in the area are fully booked this weekend.

 

11:05	11:05	Bangkok (BKK)	Bangkok Airways PG 1131	On-Time
12:55	12:55	Bangkok (BKK)	Bangkok Airways PG 1143	On-Time

 

https://www.samuiairportonline.com/flight-status/

[gearbox]

8 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Yep, I agree.

Looked on Booking com thinking cheap beach holiday ......... lowest price 1,000bht.

End of cheap holiday thoughts, at that price I'll wait until I can fly to Da Nang again.

Flight CNX to DaNang, 1,200bht, bus to beach 20bht, hotel room near beach 500bht, beer 30bht.

I live in Samui, but I booked the one below for Feb next year 600 bahts per room including breakfast. I think just the breakfast and the gym access are worth that much. Just to have a bit of change with my gf for a few days.

That's if I manage to come back to Samui by Feb 2021...and if they are really opened.

 

 

https://www.agoda.com/baywater-resort-koh-samui/hotel/koh-samui-th.html?checkIn=2021-02-15&los=7&adults=2&rooms=1&cid=1268072&tag=vzSlwDjo0b54QvtI8dDBaw&searchrequestid=b2125bcc-964c-42b5-ac5f-226159442858&travellerType=-1&tspTypes=4

[gearbox]

On 7/23/2020 at 3:44 PM, GeorgeCross said:

not according to our business owning, island reclining, members..

 

"business is booming they say, Booooming!"

 

????

Samui is not dead, it is just on ventilators ????

 

A lot of the locals are struggling big time, many have left the island and will continue to leave until the international tourists are allowed back. Chaweng and Lamai,  the best beaches attracting most of the tourists are pretty much deserted. I hear Mae Nam fares a bit better but not that much. If the things don't improve soon and people continue to leave,  next would be bank branches and other services to be axed or temporarily closed etc.

[ronaldo0]

8 hours ago, steven100 said:

is it sewerage waste   ?

Not so much sewage but some might be . I’m pretty sure it is waste from the buildings as most of these have pipes running out to the sea from what I know of other areas on samui. The way the rings are it is something coming from the beach side and not the sea and at first I thought might be where the sand had been disturbed by people but the beach is empty so I’m going with waste !

[spidermike007]

On 7/23/2020 at 1:04 PM, Surelynot said:

Hard not to adopt a very selfish attitude to this..........and enjoy the moment whilst it lasts.

 

Currently living in and loving Bangkok......half the bars and restaurants are closed, the half that are open are offering extended happy hours, deals and discounted prices. Streets are 'empty', pavements walkable....what is not to like......I seem quite popular in every bar I walk into!!

 

Sorry for the Thais though....tough, very tough time.

I tend to agree. It is tragic for the Thais. But, it is a historic moment in time for us. Seeing a place like Bangkok so quiet is amazing. And it is quite an opportunity for many expats living here. 

[racket]

On 7/23/2020 at 12:33 PM, webfact said:

Before the coronavirus pandemic, it was buzzing with traffic. Now, taxi drivers sit on the roadside, with little hope of finding customers.

Well, with their overpriced fares one would think they could be out of work for at least a decade. Karma.

[Tropicalevo]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I tend to agree. It is tragic for the Thais. But, it is a historic moment in time for us. Seeing a place like Bangkok so quiet is amazing. And it is quite an opportunity for many expats living here. 

I too am torn. My business (villas) is very busy but most Thais on the island are in dire straights. The regular places here that the locals visit are all doing OK. But - Chaweng, the tourist restaurants and low to mid star hotels are in deep poop. I never expected to have to donate food on a regular basis here.

The island itself is gorgeous. All of the folk coming here at the moment are really enjoying it. (They are all domestic tourists, Thais and foreigners.) My heart says that Thailand is a great place to be today. My head (and soon my wallet?) say please let in International tourists.