Koh Samui City Status - Or Not?

[SamuiRes]

There has been talk for a long time about the possibility of Koh Samui achieving City status with the apparent consequence of retaining more revenue generated here to improve the infrastructure. This has been pushed recently by the Samui Community Newspaper (15 March - 15 April) stating that it only needs 577 more registered citizens to reach the magic 50,000 number which is the minimum required.

However, I have also seen it reported that 50,000 is only part of the equation and that the population density has to be 3,000 per sq km. Samui is ca 229 sq km which only gives a density of 218 per sq km so winning part of the battle may not be enough, and you can be sure that the authorities in Surat Thani will find any reason they can to prevent this happening.

Does anyone else have any other information to confirm or refute this or have any reliable information on this subject?

[BigC]

i hope you wrong even though u seem to know what u r talking about. otherwise it would seem that the paper is just promoting samui with printing half the facts.

samui is desperate for money to repair roads and electric and basically tidy it up.

i really hope that surrat lets us go other wise it will just be another hope trashed.

like the air port in lipa noi and the school and marine park.

dunno if they will go ahead with that airport in Phangyang. maybe just promotion to sell houses. i really hope not.

[Rooo]

There has been talk for a long time about the possibility of Koh Samui achieving City status with the apparent consequence of retaining more revenue generated here to improve the infrastructure. This has been pushed recently by the Samui Community Newspaper (15 March - 15 April) stating that it only needs 577 more registered citizens to reach the magic 50,000 number which is the minimum required.

However, I have also seen it reported that 50,000 is only part of the equation and that the population density has to be 3,000 per sq km. Samui is ca 229 sq km which only gives a density of 218 per sq km so winning part of the battle may not be enough, and you can be sure that the authorities in Surat Thani will find any reason they can to prevent this happening.

Does anyone else have any other information to confirm or refute this or have any reliable information on this subject?

I hope I can be proven wrong, but :

Why would the local administration relinquish power,city status a different type of local admin.

Why would the mainland be so easy going, as to let go of it's gravy train.

Two points to ponder upon.

[highdiver]

There has been talk for a long time about the possibility of Koh Samui achieving City status with the apparent consequence of retaining more revenue generated here to improve the infrastructure. This has been pushed recently by the Samui Community Newspaper (15 March - 15 April) stating that it only needs 577 more registered citizens to reach the magic 50,000 number which is the minimum required.

However, I have also seen it reported that 50,000 is only part of the equation and that the population density has to be 3,000 per sq km. Samui is ca 229 sq km which only gives a density of 218 per sq km so winning part of the battle may not be enough, and you can be sure that the authorities in Surat Thani will find any reason they can to prevent this happening.

Does anyone else have any other information to confirm or refute this or have any reliable information on this subject?

I hope I can be proven wrong, but :

Why would the local administration relinquish power,city status a different type of local admin.

Why would the mainland be so easy going, as to let go of it's gravy train.

Two points to ponder upon.

Agree 100% .

allso the local tae saban is the one that needs to apply for that. in such case there will need to be a new election and as you said

"Why let go of it's gravy train"

[SamuiRes]

I hope I can be proven wrong, but :

Why would the local administration relinquish power,city status a different type of local admin.

Why would the mainland be so easy going, as to let go of it's gravy train.

Two points to ponder upon.

I believe that the local population and administration would welcome City Status as it would give them greater standing and control over the funding.

I think that the second point is much more relevant and would be the difficult one to get round without significant support from Bangkok.

[The Vulcan]

I hope I can be proven wrong, but :

Why would the local administration relinquish power,city status a different type of local admin.

Why would the mainland be so easy going, as to let go of it's gravy train.

Two points to ponder upon.

Point No: 3 to ponder on; assuming "WE" retained our generated income, who do you consider would be "WE" and how much (if any) would find its way into the community?

Edited May 3, 2007 by astral

[LaoPo]

Samui, being under disaster status now, really needs to have it's city status as soon as possible.

I'm sorry that this topic has such low attention and would like to blow new life into it.

Is there a possibility that the 'headmen' (mayors if you like) of the three main islands - SAMUI - PHANGAN and TAO sit together in order to talk and try to become a 'status aparte' or, City Status, from the mainland province of Surat Thani ?

Your input please !

LaoPo

[TonyMontana]

There has been talk for a long time about the possibility of Koh Samui achieving City status with the apparent consequence of retaining more revenue generated here to improve the infrastructure. This has been pushed recently by the Samui Community Newspaper (15 March - 15 April) stating that it only needs 577 more registered citizens to reach the magic 50,000 number which is the minimum required.

However, I have also seen it reported that 50,000 is only part of the equation and that the population density has to be 3,000 per sq km. Samui is ca 229 sq km which only gives a density of 218 per sq km so winning part of the battle may not be enough, and you can be sure that the authorities in Surat Thani will find any reason they can to prevent this happening.

Does anyone else have any other information to confirm or refute this or have any reliable information on this subject?

Never heard anything else than the 50 000 requirement.

The density requirement can simply not be correct, since Bangkok is the only place in Thailand exceeding 3000 per sq km.

Also heard that we reached the required 50k limit since some time now - but have not noticed any changes because of that fact.

Tony

[Rooo]

There has been talk for a long time about the possibility of Koh Samui achieving City status with the apparent consequence of retaining more revenue generated here to improve the infrastructure. This has been pushed recently by the Samui Community Newspaper (15 March - 15 April) stating that it only needs 577 more registered citizens to reach the magic 50,000 number which is the minimum required.

However, I have also seen it reported that 50,000 is only part of the equation and that the population density has to be 3,000 per sq km. Samui is ca 229 sq km which only gives a density of 218 per sq km so winning part of the battle may not be enough, and you can be sure that the authorities in Surat Thani will find any reason they can to prevent this happening.

Does anyone else have any other information to confirm or refute this or have any reliable information on this subject?

Never heard anything else than the 50 000 requirement.

The density requirement can simply not be correct, since Bangkok is the only place in Thailand exceeding 3000 per sq km.

Also heard that we reached the required 50k limit since some time now - but have not noticed any changes because of that fact.

Tony

3,000 per SQ KM, Samui is 256 SQ KMS = 768,000.00 residents?

[Japhrodisiac]

I have heard some of our staff mention some signs in Thai on the island describing an upcoming name change to "Nakhon Koh Samui" though I cannot confirm where.