Koh Samui ready to offer a ‘bubble’ for foreign tourists

[ttrd]

1 minute ago, Susco said:

I know more than one well off family which have a second home in Phuket, and are waiting eagerly for months to return, but they plainly refuse to pay for a 2 week prison sentence.

 

They rather stay in their current less favourable location, where they have to pay monthly rent, but at least they have freedom of movement

The tourists are planning vacation - The Thai Govern are offering prison and cannot understand the lack of tourists - tragicomic... 

[spidermike007]

4 hours ago, tomauasia said:

Correct. They were pushing foreigners out before COVID. And now as all Thais with half a brain know. Are using this a excuse to keep white tourists out. This old folks home gov simply doesn't care about tourism. It's all a stage act. Thai people need a election and fast. They need to go.

True that. Away with the regressive minded dinosaurs. Let the youth have their chance to run the nation. It will happen sooner or later anyway. So, why run the economy into the ground first? 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

 

[Mr Grumpy]

4 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

True that. Away with the regressive minded dinosaurs. Let the youth have their chance to run the nation. It will happen sooner or later anyway. So, why run the economy into the ground first? 

Why? It's obvious why. You have to drain the 'honeypot' first.

[CLW]

First, make flights to Samui cheaper. Second, the article makes your visit sound like in a prison.

[Knocker33]

Sounds more like a prison camp. 1000 CCTV cameras 

[Geoffggi]

6 hours ago, khunPer said:

Not really on Samui, only 15 percent – but other Thai destinations have around 40 percent Chinese guests plus further Asian tourists, for example an additional 10 percent from India – Samui however has 10 percent Germans and 10 percent Brits as 2nd and 3rd in Top-3 (2018 stats), still a lot of Westerners here...????

You misunderstand, the operative word is "Wanting" 

[impulse]

4 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

allowing for couples, that's every large hotel having maybe 6 rooms occupied, whilst probably having to ban all other tourists for fear of contamination ! Hardly a boom and hardly likely to boost any economy !

 

Are they now allowing couples to stay in the same room?  Last I heard, they had to book separate rooms...

 

[Gustomucho]

I don't understand this forum, why are everyone so salty ?   All of Asia is closed down and the only country opening to "some" tourists is Thailand, they are not looking to resume mass tourism and it is 100% understandable, I would be glad if other countries would do the same protocol as Thailand and I do hope Thailand can show the way to other neighboring countries.  The 90 days minimum is a bit weird for me but I would love to quarantine in Thailand and be able to travel in neighboring countries after that time.

 

Thumbs up Thailand, you are doing something no other Asian country is doing :  Trying.

[Huckenfell]

23 hours ago, claffey said:

Do they actually believe that Tourists are waiting in airport lounges around the world to go on holidays to Thailand! The arrogance is unreal! Nobody in the right mind would be travelling across the world right now...for a holiday. Or would they????

I know someone who has just gone from Samui to the USA for a 4 month holiday.

[Redline]

They forgot to mention the GPS collars ????

[kiwikeith]

On 9/30/2020 at 8:32 PM, spidermike007 said:

Samui desperately needs the help. Was recently there. More than 80% of the hotels were closed. 

 

Thailand needs courageous leadership. They don't have it. The army are major cowards. ANY person from ANY nation should be welcome starting tomorrow, if they are willing to subject themselves to a 14 day quarantine and pay excessive fees for that two week sentence. There is no downside or risk, and only upside for the nation. No begging from a local consulate should be required. That is utter nonsense. A covid free letter and a booking at an approved hotel. Nothing else. No insurance. No groveling. 

Keep your hat on. 

If you read the latest Chinese vaccine news, they have the vaccine packaged and ready for approval. 

They are so confident they have vaccinated their own executives. 

These proposed flights to Samui will be pre booked by Thai govt approved travel agents, and I would put money on it, that they would be carrying a Chinese vaccine certificate. 

China has offered Thailand funding for its vaccine and priority. 

Chinese tours are controlled, the tour guide tells them where they can and can't go. 

Falungs would not cope with these conditions. 

Chinese have been going to their airports and paying to sit in simulators, pretending to go on vacation, so Samui will be luxurious for them, they will be fighting for a booking. 

[spidermike007]

3 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

Keep your hat on. 

If you read the latest Chinese vaccine news, they have the vaccine packaged and ready for approval. 

They are so confident they have vaccinated their own executives. 

These proposed flights to Samui will be pre booked by Thai govt approved travel agents, and I would put money on it, that they would be carrying a Chinese vaccine certificate. 

China has offered Thailand funding for its vaccine and priority. 

Chinese tours are controlled, the tour guide tells them where they can and can't go. 

Falungs would not cope with these conditions. 

Chinese have been going to their airports and paying to sit in simulators, pretending to go on vacation, so Samui will be luxurious for them, they will be fighting for a booking. 

I hope they are still subject to quarantine. Most studies show an efficacy rate of only 55%. So, even with a vaccine, Covid could be amongst us for awhile. And trusting the CCP on anything, is quite a stretch anyway. 

 

Tourism here will not even begin recovering for at least a year. Maybe longer. And it will never, in our lifetimes, resemble what it was. Never. 

[spidermike007]

The antiquarian Thai army simply needs to up it's game and use antigen testing. Immediate results. No panic. You are negative. Welcome to Thailand. 

 

Antigen tests are relatively inexpensive and can be used at the point-of-care. The currently authorized devices return results in approximately 15 minutes. Antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 are generally less sensitive than viral tests that detect nucleic acid using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

[BigC]

I just  see people moaning an complaining. Army  only following orders. Staying in a luxury room for 14 days  i could  handle i have stayed in worse places for more than 14 days.s

 

Remeber also the whole world is pretty much on lock down.

 

Uk threatening army to help police

 

So maybe some people need to take a chill pill

[cjinchiangrai]

On 9/30/2020 at 3:32 PM, spidermike007 said:

Samui desperately needs the help. Was recently there. More than 80% of the hotels were closed. 

 

Thailand needs courageous leadership. They don't have it. The army are major cowards. ANY person from ANY nation should be welcome starting tomorrow, if they are willing to subject themselves to a 14 day quarantine and pay excessive fees for that two week sentence. There is no downside or risk, and only upside for the nation. No begging from a local consulate should be required. That is utter nonsense. A covid free letter and a booking at an approved hotel. Nothing else. No insurance. No groveling. 

Get me a plane ticket. The consulates do not have a plan and Thai Longstay does not answer their mail. I have the cash and can cover 5 different visa options. There is no way to get there.

 

Thai Air has no bookings but they are accepting planes from Dubai every day. I thought the idea was to make money for Thailand?

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/1/2020 at 1:23 AM, DrTuner said:

Nice angle in the photo. When you actually walk on Chaweng that way, on your left side would be one concrete abomination after the other. That in a country where bamboo is everywhere. Fugly.

The days when everything was low key and hidden in the trees ended long ago. Now, the only thing that matters, IMO, is money, no matter how much the destruction to make it. A nation that, IMO, sold it's soul for mammon.

I really miss when LOS was sanuk and the smile was real.

Edited October 3, 2020 by thaibeachlovers

[thaibeachlovers]

On 9/30/2020 at 8:20 PM, webfact said:

Ruengnam Chaikwang, the association’s president, said most of the proposed hotels had pool villas and were a fair distance from main streets and local communities. Hence, he said, it will be difficult for tourists to get away during their quarantine period. 

Let me get this straight. They think rich people will pay large to stay in one villa for 14 days and not go anywhere. Are they serious?

 

Anyway, given Samui does not have an airport capable of handling large planes, how do people get from Bkk to the villa without coming into contact with a myriad of locals on the way?

Alice has nothing on these dreamers.

[khunPer]

9 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Let me get this straight. They think rich people will pay large to stay in one villa for 14 days and not go anywhere. Are they serious?

 

Anyway, given Samui does not have an airport capable of handling large planes, how do people get from Bkk to the villa without coming into contact with a myriad of locals on the way?

Alice has nothing on these dreamers.

2100 meter runway on USM (Samui Airport) is prefect to handle direct flights from for example China; they already do so. Airbus 320-family airplanes will be able to take off fully loaded with an around 6,000 kilometers range – A319 with typical payload even 6,900 kilometers – which is enough for, for example the Emirates and other Gulf-states, Chinese mainland and Japan; and even part of Australia. The limit was set to 100 passengers per charter-plane. Furthermore transit in Bangkok is allowed, and there are about 8 daily flight to Samui at the moment, and extra flight in some weekends, where the demand is extra high due to local tourism...????

[Tropicalevo]

5 hours ago, khunPer said:

there are about 8 daily flight to Samui at the moment,

That has been up to 10 or 11 flights per day for the last couple of weeks and usually more at weekends.

Looking at October bookings, the weekend of the 16th is looking more busy this month. School holidays?

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, khunPer said:

2100 meter runway on USM (Samui Airport) is prefect to handle direct flights from for example China; they already do so. Airbus 320-family airplanes will be able to take off fully loaded with an around 6,000 kilometers range – A319 with typical payload even 6,900 kilometers – which is enough for, for example the Emirates and other Gulf-states, Chinese mainland and Japan; and even part of Australia. The limit was set to 100 passengers per charter-plane. Furthermore transit in Bangkok is allowed, and there are about 8 daily flight to Samui at the moment, and extra flight in some weekends, where the demand is extra high due to local tourism...????

Fair enough, but my point about having to stay in a villa for 14 days still stands. Most tourists, I believe, came for a holiday from work, ie a couple or three weeks- so who wants to fly all the way to Thailand to stay in a villa for most of the time and probably quarantine on return to home country?

Do local tourists have to quarantine? I would expect not.

[khunPer]

23 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Fair enough, but my point about having to stay in a villa for 14 days still stands. Most tourists, I believe, came for a holiday from work, ie a couple or three weeks- so who wants to fly all the way to Thailand to stay in a villa for most of the time and probably quarantine on return to home country?

Do local tourists have to quarantine? I would expect not.

Lots of snowbirds comes to both Thailand and Samui, and as they often just relax and enjoy service 14 days quarantine might not scare them away, just they can get their winter half-year down here; presumable some are also happy with two or three month only...????

 

What you might not be aware of is that since you walked Chaweng's wide beaches during the happy hippie era, before the airport, before concrete roads and before 24/7 electricity, Samuis now has numerous, probably counted in thousands, of hi-end pool villas. And many people don't mind spending thousands of dollars to flock too these, even part of Chaweng's beach might have become more narrow and impossible to walk during high tide some part of the year. The secret is that the don't walk Chaweng's beach, they prefer the more private-like other beaches – especially if staying beachfront for thousand dollars or more a day, there are numerous nice options – or just relax in their serviced pool villas up the hills with sea view...

 

This beach has for example very little concrete – and it even still has a bamboo hut beachfront place a bit like old time Ark Bar, where foreigners that enjoy old-fashioned Samui-style meet – but it also has numerous of thousand dollars and more per day, spacious beachfront bungalows, hidden between the palms seen in the photo.

 

I'm often amazed that there are so many many-star options available – I live next to a number of them, and they have customers, whilst the affordable places don't – and I'm mainly amazed over that there seems to be lots of people that are having relative huge amounts of dollars to spend, at least viewed from my more modest social level...

 

No, domestic tourism don't need quarantine – domestic travelling is without restrictions – so many both Thais, and some foreigners, comes down for a happy weekend in "paradise"; especially when it's a long weekend...????

[Tropicalevo]

On 10/5/2020 at 12:26 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

 Most tourists, I believe, came for a holiday from work, ie a couple or three weeks

Before 2018, I would agree with your statement. 2-3 weeks was a normal tourist holiday and 1 to 6 months were the snowbirds.

According to my records of the guests that I dealt with then, that changed about September/October 2018. I think that this was when VoA was made available to the Chinese. Prior to that, the Chinese had to apply at a local embassy.

Suddenly, the most common tourist, where I am, was Asian and staying on Samui for only 2- 3 days.

Not mass tourism in the Pattaya sense. ie hundreds of busloads of tourist groups, but lots of individual small family/friends groups 'doing Thailand' in 10 days.

Some time was spent in each of 3 out of the 4 main tourist places. Bangkok, Samui, Phuket and Chiang Mai. I know this because I always asked 'where have you just come from and where are you going next'. Pattaya was always just for the tour groups.

In my personal view, this was the start of the end for bars, pubs and 'farang' food restaurants etc. They were used to having the European holiday makers. The Eurpeans could not come here because the Asians got here first.

[Tropicalevo]

On 10/5/2020 at 1:31 PM, khunPer said:

Lots of snowbirds comes to both Thailand and Samui, and as they often just relax and enjoy service 14 days quarantine might not scare them away, just they can get their winter half-year down here; presumable some are also happy with two or three month only...

Spot on khunPer.

In my small circle of friends, there are at least 5 couples now who are eagerly watching this. They own villas on Samui. The only two things stopping them are:-

1) they are from the UK, Hungary or Germany (Not low risk countries)

2) Samui is not included in the scheme at the moment.

Some of them always start their holiday with a stay in a 5* hotel in Bangkok anyway and as one friend pointed out, the new visa was cheaper than the one that they used to go for as the new one was 2,000 baht for was for 3 months. Their normal one was only for two months and 1,900 baht. Then they would have to leave the country and re-enter again.

These are not huge numbers but there are people out there who will say yes.

[khunPer]

 

2 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

According to my records of the guests that I dealt with then, that changed about September/October 2018.

[ ... ]

In my personal view, this was the start of the end for bars, pubs and 'farang' food restaurants etc. They were used to having the European holiday makers. The Eurpeans could not come here because the Asians got here first.

From my observations, I think the decrease in bars and Westerner oriented combined pub & restaurants is a longer process.

 

Already, when I came to Samui first time in 2001, there were numerous bars for sale, and some few had closed, and many of the bars had few customers only. Over the following years it just expanded, i.e. bar closures, and during the same period I realized – firstly from my own home-country friends – that the number slowly decreased of typical Western beer bar guests, often characterized as middle aged single gentlemen, or travelling as singles. Both because of the number of bars decreased, but also because Samui little by little got that little more expensive than other destinations in Thailand, that furthermore offered a wider selection of both beer bars and ditto inventory; it's like a circle that continues. Some of my elder home-country friends – well, in fact younger than me – didn't want to go to clubs, these places were too noise and too dark; and perhaps also too much competition...

 

During the same period the party life expanded, and that clientele is different from the beer bar guests. It's a higher number of young people, or people with more money to spend, and folks with different expectations. That was the period when Ark Bar grew to the size of today, and places like Big Bamboo, later renamed Cha Cha Moon Beach, and others appeared, together with the more hi-end beach clubs, places like Nikki Beach, and Beach Republic, and W; and probably many more that a modest guest couldn't afford even to buy a soda in – I still remember the price of my soda in now closed hi-so Q-Bar; not because I'm a "Cheap Charlie", but because I hardly ever drink alcohol when I'm out in the nightlife.

 

During the same period the Full Moon Party grew. I don't know the exact number of guests, but medias have reported counts in the area 30,000 and up to 50,000 guest. The reality is, that there were guests to be calculated in 10-thousands, my guess is somewhere between 20.000 and 30.000 in peak season. Again an overweight of young people coming for party and dating, but not to visit beer bars and old-time Westerner's pub & restaurants. And many of the post millennium young generation are not budget backpackers in old-fashioned style, but loaded with handy plastic cards. They are looking for nice modern aircon rooms with full reception service, and they prefer heading out to visit trendy restaurants and brand name cafes, rather than checking prices for fried rice chicken with free drinking water in street kitchens, or similar places.

 

I was surprised sitting next to three young Swedish "backpackers" in the plane, when I still commuted six-seven times a year between Copenhagen and Samui. They were heading for Koh Phangan and asked me how to get down there from Bangkok, it was their first trip outside Europe. I told them about train and bus, that was how young folks got down there in my mind. Then they asked how I would get down to Samui? I said that I'll walk over to the domestic section in the airport and buy a ticket with a local airline. »Can we follow you?« they asked, and had no problem buying Bangkok Air tickets over the counter. When we finally arrived on Samui they felt tired and didn't want to continue with boat to Phangan, but instead stop a night on Samui. I told them about Chaweng – there were still affordable beach-side bungalows by that time, and that was in my mind where young folks would stay – but they wanted some quiet place by a beach. The 350 baht a night, huts on "my beach" were still there, so that must be it, so I took them to there – at that time I had my car long-time parked in the airport for 50 baht, when I was in Denmark. When we arrived and should walk to the old-style backpacker huts, we passed a new build resort with a nice garden and a big pool. They said, »Can we look!« and a moment later, »Here we will like to stay,« they didn't even bother to check the price first...????

 

Little later same year I met a larger group young Brits in Green Mango Club. They looked like backpackers travelling together. We chatted, and they asked me where I lived. Maenam Beach, I said. »So do we,« they answered, »Santibury, great place!«...????

(Santibury is a 5-star luxury hotel, at that times modest room was available from list price $999 a night, while a beachfront villa was priced up around $2,000; it's cheaper now).

 

Those episodes made me realize that my illusion of young backpackers and samui were wrong, time had changed to plastic card loaded youngsters that could afford brand names, or similar level products and service. It was also by that time Ark Bar began the heavy expansion with high-end rooms, and a new large pool-party beachfront.

 

Later, when I had my house build, a big luxury house next to it was rented out. Several times the guests was small group of young folks. The house owner knew that my girlfriend and I often visited the Full Moon Party, and asked if their renters could join us for a trip over there, as they were just kids travelling alone.

 

Furthermore I noticed a remarkable change in audience from singles to pairs, both younger and elder, and an ever increasing number of families with children. They are not typical beer bar guests, or heading for old time Western-style pub & restaurants. It was also by that time that the walking street markets, like Fisherman Village, became popular crowded events. There has really been a remarkable change in guests from my first visits in 2001 – by that time the majority of visitors seemed to be Western Europeans, Aussies and Kiwis, and Americans – and during the following 15 years, beginning with the Russian and Eastern European "invasion".

 

Then the later years – from about 2016 and onward – the number of Western tourists also slowly decrease bit by bit, which could be caused by several reasons. Currency exchange rates could be one of them, when the baht got about 15-20 percent more expensive. Those staying away due to exchange rate would probably be those already travelling on a budget, which might include a number old-time regulars that used to visit the Western-style pub & restaurants, and some also the Beer Bars. At same time the number of Asian tourists began to increase, so relative it seemed like lot less Westerners.

 

However, a small group of Western oriented pubs and restaurants targeting mainly expats and snowbirds in residential areas, i.e. not in Chaweng, seems to survive quite well...????

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/5/2020 at 7:31 PM, khunPer said:

What you might not be aware of is that since you walked Chaweng's wide beaches during the happy hippie era, before the airport, before concrete roads and before 24/7 electricity,

Sadly I wasn't that lucky. The planes used to bug the <deleted> out of me as they flew in low over the resort I always stayed at.

I was there before the restaurants became too snobbish to play VDOs as we ate, so I did get the tail end of it before it really got ruined.

 

However, I did discover Phangan after I gave up on Samui and that was still dirt road and electric only in the evening on the best part of the island. Paradise, it was, in truth.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/5/2020 at 7:31 PM, khunPer said:

This beach has for example very little concrete – and it even still has a bamboo hut beachfront place a bit like old time Ark Bar, where foreigners that enjoy old-fashioned Samui-style meet – but it also has numerous of thousand dollars and more per day, spacious beachfront bungalows, hidden between the palms seen in the photo.

The title on the photo says it is MaeNam beach. Certainly looks like it. First time I arrived there it was on the ferry that used the pier that vanished long ago. After I gave up on Samui I stayed on it when transiting from Phangan to Surat as the ferry from Haad Rin went to Bo Phut and Bo Phut sucked as a beach, IMO. Nice beach, but steep and narrow at high tide. Chaweng was always the best beach on Samui by far, and I expect that hasn't changed.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Before 2018, I would agree with your statement. 2-3 weeks was a normal tourist holiday and 1 to 6 months were the snowbirds.

According to my records of the guests that I dealt with then, that changed about September/October 2018. I think that this was when VoA was made available to the Chinese. Prior to that, the Chinese had to apply at a local embassy.

Suddenly, the most common tourist, where I am, was Asian and staying on Samui for only 2- 3 days.

Not mass tourism in the Pattaya sense. ie hundreds of busloads of tourist groups, but lots of individual small family/friends groups 'doing Thailand' in 10 days.

Some time was spent in each of 3 out of the 4 main tourist places. Bangkok, Samui, Phuket and Chiang Mai. I know this because I always asked 'where have you just come from and where are you going next'. Pattaya was always just for the tour groups.

In my personal view, this was the start of the end for bars, pubs and 'farang' food restaurants etc. They were used to having the European holiday makers. The Eurpeans could not come here because the Asians got here first.

Thanks for the informative post.

I count myself as privileged to have been able to enjoy so many of Thailand's wonderful beaches, even though I just managed to slip in to the gap between when A frames and shared toilets were it,  and full on flashpacker with AC hot water and tv.

First time I walked on Chaweng I packed my always too heavy bag along the sand from where the songtheaw dropped me about the middle all the way to past the Ark Bar ( original bamboo place ).

Ended up staying at JR Palace, which had an amazing enormous open air restaurant with massive tree trunks holding up a vast thatched roof. Sadly it was burned by an arson attack some time later.

Over the years I stayed at a lovely place up near the Ark bar run by a farang who had a yoga room on the hill. Next time I came he and the yoga room were vanished- I never did find out what happened to him. After that it was the OP bungalow which had the luxury of gas heated shower water.

In the end I settled on the Chaweng Garden ( I think that was the name, but age is cruel for memory ) resort near the south end of the dead coral reef. Had many happy holidays there. Later I migrated southwards in those happy days when Charlie's Hut still existed. Tried Lamai as well, but Chaweng was always the cheese, till it got too trendy and I abandoned Samui for Phangan.

 

Happy days indeed.

[thaibeachlovers]

10 hours ago, khunPer said:

Already, when I came to Samui first time in 2001, there were numerous bars for sale, and some few had closed, and many of the bars had few customers only. Over the following years it just expanded, i.e. bar closures, and during the same period I realized – firstly from my own home-country friends – that the number slowly decreased of typical Western beer bar guests, often characterized as middle aged single gentlemen, or travelling as singles. Both because of the number of bars decreased, but also because Samui little by little got that little more expensive than other destinations in Thailand, that furthermore offered a wider selection of both beer bars and ditto inventory; it's like a circle that continues. Some of my elder home-country friends – well, in fact younger than me – didn't want to go to clubs, these places were too noise and too dark; and perhaps also too much competition...

Thanks for that long post. Very interesting take on it.

 

My experience predates yours by a decade, and I'd already abandoned Samui when you arrived, save for overnight stops at MaeNam after arriving at BoPhut on the HadRin Queen transiting to the mainland.

Resorts of all * there were, but of villas none when first I arrived on Samui on a Songserm fast boat. Plenty of bagpackers traveling in couples, but they stayed at places like Charlie's Hut, not flashpacker resorts. I soon learned that takeaways on Samui were very pricey, and in the future I always stopped off at Pattaya before training to Surat and the ancient bus from station to Songserm fast boat.

As mentioned already, Chaweng was the place for a long time, and well worth it.

[thaibeachlovers]

10 hours ago, khunPer said:

During the same period the Full Moon Party grew. I don't know the exact number of guests, but medias have reported counts in the area 30,000 and up to 50,000 guest. The reality is, that there were guests to be calculated in 10-thousands, my guess is somewhere between 20.000 and 30.000 in peak season.

I traveled down to 3 FMPs during my time on Phangan. The ferry on the East coast picked us up off the beach and dropped us at Had Rin.

My experience was early this century. I don't know how many there were, but I heard 5,000. Anyway, only enough to fill half the beach. About midnight I'd head to the quiet end and lie on the sand to watch the moon pass overhead. For some reason it seemed larger than elsewhere. In the morning the ladyboys would cruise for drunk farang youths and vanish into the bushes. Sometimes they would emerge at a run as an irate lad pursued them, but they could always run faster.

In the morning I'd catch the ferry back to the north. Happy days.