Koh Samui: Deserted island says video, it's not so bad say taxi drivers

[webfact]

Koh Samui: Deserted island says video, it's not so bad say taxi drivers

 

Picture: Sanook

 

The question as to whether tourism sites are deserted or not really depends on who you ask, notes Thaivisa. 

 

One minute there are absolutely no people at all. The next someone or some group pops up to say it's not so bad.

 

Reports in the Thai media today are a case in point.

 

Sanook went with a video that is doing the rounds of Twitter from "Citizen2600" that reported Koh Samui as being utterly devoid of tourism.

 

TNN went there - early on Sunday morning - a full week after the video aired and spoke to a few taxi drivers at Chaweng. 

 

They said it was not as deserted as the video claimed. They pointed out it was quiet right now as it was early in the morning and it was Sunday.

 

The media in a completely flimsy report only bothered to go to one other place. They saw some Thai tourists arriving on the island at the ferry terminal. They said that there were some foreigners too. 

 

Many shops and hotels were shut or undergoing renovation. 

 

They said that Samui is not completely deserted.

 

Sanook put more weight on the video saying that it was abandoned. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

 

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[Matzzon]

No, it´s not so bad. Next friday it will come a confirmation from TAT, that it´s 90% full. ????

[GeorgeCross]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The question as to whether tourism sites are deserted or not really depends on who you ask, notes Thaivisa. 

 

One minute there are absolutely no people at all. The next someone or some group pops up to say it's not so bad.

 

same problem here. one minute someone's posting a clearly deserted tourist area video then, as if by magic, 3 posts later one of the local fagan's is spouting "bookings to the moon i tells ya, to the moon!!"

 

[brain150]

Samui is pretty empty ! [first hand ... that's what I see everywhere I go !!!]

[hashmodha]

4 hours ago, Matzzon said:

No, it´s not so bad. Next friday it will come a confirmation from TAT, that it´s 90% full. ????

TAT will release a statement..... Samui is overbooked and they are desperately trying to find beds in Pucket! ????????????????

[Benmart]

Unless I see or hear it first hand, I am skeptical. 

[ronaldo0]

It’s deserted and will be even more so after the visa amnesty !

Only business places that are still kind of busy are buffets , Thai pubs and one nightclub in chaweng . Most of the beach clubs are quiet and few closed till Xmas or for good , bars pretty empty apart from certain nights like quiz nights , live music or sports being on tv , walking street markets mostly people coming for a snack while walking but dead compared to before . A lot of places people have just walked away from owning as can’t pay rents and a lot of places not opening till Xmas time .

[ukrules]

28 minutes ago, ronaldo0 said:

a lot of places not opening till Xmas time

Well, it's going to be just the same, if not a lot worse by the time it gets to Christmas

 

There is no reason at all for any hope that things will return to normal any time soon, none whatsoever.

[khunPer]

Chaweng's beach road has always been depending of foreign tourists, and when they are not there, it's of course deserted. Another video of the beach road has been shared before, but neither of them they show the full picture of Koh Samui. Similar videos show Patong in Phuket completely deserted, and Pattaya's Walking Street – that's what happens, when borders are closed, and stranded tourists are let out, instead of keeping the business that is already here – so I cannot see why there should be something so special about Samui...????

A few hundred meters inland is Chaweng Beach's second road, and it's full of life...

[rondeelove1]

I have family and friends on the Island NOW and believe me it is deserted

 

[fpexpert]

I was on the island just over 3 weeks ago and Chaweng was very quiet with practically no one on the streets day or night and very many shops, restaurants and bars closed but Lamai was much busier and seemed pretty much all open, and Bophut whilst not that busy had people and places open!

[hotchilli]

On 9/14/2020 at 9:36 AM, webfact said:

They said it was not as deserted as the video claimed. They pointed out it was quiet right now as it was early in the morning and it was Sunday.

And withing the 4 day holiday?

[Tropicalevo]

5 hours ago, fpexpert said:

I was on the island just over 3 weeks ago and Chaweng was very quiet with practically no one on the streets day or night and very many shops, restaurants and bars closed but Lamai was much busier and seemed pretty much all open, and Bophut whilst not that busy had people and places open!

There is no doubt that parts of the island are struggling.

Businesses in the entertainment and main shopping areas in Chaweng relied on foreign tourists. Guess what. There are none. Many businesses closed now and more to come unless Thailand allows in foreign tourists.

Domestic tourists will not pay the high prices that foreign tourists did.

But the press never lets the truth get in the way of a good story.

All of the press reports say that "Koh Samui: Deserted island"

But they only show photos of the same areas in Chaweng. Last year Chaweng would be deserted, in high season, early on any Sunday morning. Chaweng does not open until 11.00 on a good day.

Daily flights from the capital to Samui have doubled over the last month or two. Busy periods - even more so. Last Saturday, 18 flights from Bangkok to Samui. If Samui is deserted, where are these passengers heading to? (and most of our guests drive from Bangkok or fly to Suratthani and drive from there!)

I can only talk about the north end of the island where I live and work and our villas are seeing a regular flow of tourists BUT a lot of them cook and drink at the villa. Beautiful views, private pool, luxury villa and cheap food and drink.

Local Thai restaurants are busy and the good ones that do foreign food are making a living (just) from the local expats. I went to The Cote de Bouef last night (Monday) and most tables were busy.

Places that are good at marketing to Thais on social media are all busy. 'Pig island' is busy every day if the rest of the Thais are similar to our guests. Almost every group of guests go to Coco Tams, Chi, Secret Garden, Black club etc (and Ark Bar when it is open).

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Tropicalevo

[Swimfan]

The number of properties coming up for sale on Samui groups is astonishing. There are literally dozens of new listings coming up every day almost a tsunami of them in the last two week. Particularly in the higher end of the market. I have seen at least a dozen in the 100 to 300 million baht range in the past week alone.    

[Tropicalevo]

4 minutes ago, Swimfan said:

The number of properties coming up for sale on Samui groups is astonishing. There are literally dozens of new listings coming up every day almost a tsunami of them in the last two week. Particularly in the higher end of the market. I have seen at least a dozen in the 100 to 300 million baht range in the past week alone.    

Sadly, this is happening all over Thailand (but not being mentioned in the press).

My neighbour was told by his lawyer in Bangkok that they are struggling to cope with the amount of work that they have resolving bankruptcies.

[Swimfan]

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

Sadly, this is happening all over Thailand (but not being mentioned in the press).

My neighbour was told by his lawyer in Bangkok that they are struggling to cope with the amount of work that they have resolving bankruptcies.

And sadly a lot wont sell. A lot of properties have unreasonable price expectations. Its not unusual to see property on the Samui market for years and years

[CGW]

1 hour ago, Swimfan said:

The number of properties coming up for sale on Samui groups is astonishing. There are literally dozens of new listings coming up every day almost a tsunami of them in the last two week. Particularly in the higher end of the market. I have seen at least a dozen in the 100 to 300 million baht range in the past week alone.    

Do you have a link to where they are listed? - I need to dream ???? 

[Swimfan]

1 minute ago, CGW said:

Do you have a link to where they are listed? - I need to dream ???? 

Most are coming up on the Koh Samui property Facebook groups. There is a lot of them. Just do a search and join the group. Todays specials are 5 br in Taling Nam 160m, 4 br Choeng Mon for 70m and 8br in Thong Krut for 300m.

Loads of land coming on the market too.

[CGW]

10 minutes ago, Swimfan said:

Todays specials are 5 br in Taling Nam 160m, 4 br Choeng Mon for 70m and 8br in Thong Krut for 300m.

Thanks, found some here https://www.horizonhomes-samui.com/property-for-sale/ had a serious reality check and moved on!

Not a lot of hope of any of these selling for years to come - if ever!

[Swimfan]

5 minutes ago, CGW said:

Thanks, found some here https://www.horizonhomes-samui.com/property-for-sale/ had a serious reality check and moved on!

Not a lot of hope of any of these selling for years to come - if ever!

Haha. Lots of reasonably priced property available on the regular property sites too.

[CGW]

55 minutes ago, Swimfan said:

Haha. Lots of reasonably priced property available on the regular property sites too.

Yes, some of them are a reasonable price, I lived in Samui in the eighties for a year, its changed a lot! was offered 5 Rai of beachfront land in Mae Nam for 1 million Baht, told the owner he was insane wanting so much - have had a few regrets since then! ???? 

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, CGW said:

Yes, some of them are a reasonable price, I lived in Samui in the eighties for a year, its changed a lot! was offered 5 Rai of beachfront land in Mae Nam for 1 million Baht, told the owner he was insane wanting so much - have had a few regrets since then! ???? 

Wow, and I was looking at only around 300 m² beachfront land in MaeNam for 1 million baht in 2001, and thought it was expensive.

 

A few years later I bought similar size almost next to it for little more than 5 million baht, and thought it was too much. The locals asked me »how much?« and continued with »that was cheap!« I thought, how polite they are, they want me to feel happy, but within a year I have two offers of the double of what I paid. I of course didn't sell, but in the always crystal clear light of hinsigt, I should have bought land when I thought the price was "expensive", and not waited till it was "too much"...

 

But always look at the bright side of life: Thanks for your post, now I'm happy that I didn't come to Samui in the 80s, to later regret that din't buy 5 rai of beachfront land in Maenam for 1 million...????

[CGW]

16 hours ago, khunPer said:

But always look at the bright side of life: Thanks for your post, now I'm happy that I didn't come to Samui in the 80s, to later regret that din't buy 5 rai of beachfront land in Maenam for 1 million

20/20 Hindsight has never deserted me! truth be remembered i probably didn't have a spare million floating around back then!

Least I learnt a lesson and loaded up on Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Facebook shares when they first came to the market ???? 

[Swimfan]

Todays special is 28 Rai on Nathon Beachfront only 627 million Baht. 

[Tropicalevo]

On 9/15/2020 at 8:52 PM, khunPer said:

Wow, and I was looking at only around 300 m² beachfront land in MaeNam for 1 million baht in 2001, and thought it was expensive.

Back then, you could have bought 1 rai of beachside land for 1 million baht up here at the pointy end of Samui.

Mind you, there was nothing here then. No electricity, no water, no roads, no phones.

I paid 3 million for my hillside plot of 1 rai. Friends said that I was being robbed. They bought 5 years later - 9 million.

[ronaldo0]

36 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Back then, you could have bought 1 rai of beachside land for 1 million baht up here at the pointy end of Samui.

Mind you, there was nothing here then. No electricity, no water, no roads, no phones.

I paid 3 million for my hillside plot of 1 rai. Friends said that I was being robbed. They bought 5 years later - 9 million.

Yeah my wife went to cook at a few villas near sala samui , they are on the right before you turn left and drive down the road about a km to sala . She was leaving one day and a foreign guy asked who she was and what she was doing as she stopped at the security box . He said he was the owner of most of the villas there and he had bought basically about 30-50 rai years ago for peanuts and everyone thought he was nuts as there was nothing but jungle there . Now about 8/9 million bht a rai in the area ???? Safe to say he would have got his investment back a long time ago .

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

Back then, you could have bought 1 rai of beachside land for 1 million baht up here at the pointy end of Samui.

Mind you, there was nothing here then. No electricity, no water, no roads, no phones.

I paid 3 million for my hillside plot of 1 rai. Friends said that I was being robbed. They bought 5 years later - 9 million.

I should have been here in the happy hippie days when 1 rai was traded for 60,000 baht; 7 years after, I was told by a weeping local, 1 rai was traded for 600,000 baht; and after 7 more years and it was 6 million baht.

 

Twice I've been offered a hill-top for a reasonable price – one of them in excellent location near the airport, the other at ridiculous low price, but way up in the hills – that could be subdivided and paying for one's own landplot with outstanding view, but I'm in a way happy that I didn't enter into any business on the island; instead I just enjoy paradise full time...????

 

 

[kingofthemountain]

On 9/15/2020 at 5:06 PM, Swimfan said:

Loads of land coming on the market too.

Just a reminder for the readers (Swimfan you are probably not concerned)

under the actual Thai laws, only thai people can own a land in Thailand.

 

However a foreigner can still pay for a land, and in fact a lot do it, but still

they are not the owner of the land, even if usualy they claim the opposite

using all sort of loopholes and playing on the words (Rent a land, even in a

long term lease isn't the same than to buy a land, and if it's in your Thai

wife name. you are not the owner of the land, even if you put the money

on the table for the purchase, as it is in most of the cases)

 

 

Edited September 16, 2020 by kingofthemountain

[JeffersLos]

On 9/14/2020 at 9:36 AM, webfact said:

someone or some group pops up to say it's not so bad.

A Japanese tourist that left 100,000,000 baht in the back of a taxi and had it returned.

[khunPer]

3 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

Just a reminder for the readers (Swimfan you are probably not concerned)

under the actual Thai laws, only thai people can own a land in Thailand.

 

However a foreigner can still pay for a land, and in fact a lot do it, but still

they are not the owner of the land, even if usualy they claim the opposite

using all sort of loopholes and playing on the words (Rent a land, even in a

long term lease isn't the same than to buy a land, and if it's in your Thai

wife name. you are not the owner of the land, even if you put the money

on the table for the purchase, as it is in most of the cases)

Investor visa...????????