SKÅL Koh Samui invites travellers to rediscover the delights of Thailand’s favourite island

[webfact]

SKÅL Koh Samui invites travellers to rediscover the delights of Thailand’s favourite island

 

Skål Koh Samui initiative aims to lure tourists back to the island with its #RediscoverSamui campaign, featuring a brand new video, media and social media programme

(Koh Samui, Thailand: September 28, 2020) -- Skål Samui has launched its own tourism recovery initiative under the banner #RediscoverSamui - and prepare to fall in love in a bid to attract domestic and eventually international tourists, to the beautiful island of Samui in the Gulf of Thailand.
A key element of the campaign is a new video which contains never-been-seen-before footage of the best experiences the island has to offer. From glorious soft white sand beaches and extraordinary sunsets, to dramatic jungle waterfalls, and from hot new beach clubs to enchanting ethical nature experiences.

Skål Samui promotional video:

 
Despite the global pandemic and its devastating effect on the island’s tourism industry, Samui is emerging from months of curfew which saw the closure of virtually all hotels, resorts, restaurants and bars. As a likely result of these strict measures, the island experienced an exceptionally low incidence of Covid-19 cases; to date just seven people were diagnosed early on and all of them fully recovered. Samui registered no fatalities from the outbreak.

Also part of the campaign is an ongoing public relations programme targeting mainstream media, bloggers and influencers who will be invited to visit the island to experience for themselves its stunning natural beauty and diverse lifestyle offerings.

 

Campaign highlights:

● Samui is Safe and Clean - Its famous beaches are pristine, and many resorts and restaurants have been doing maintenance work. Samui is looking more beautiful than ever.

● Samui’s Environment is Clean and Hygienic - The pandemic has seen all public facilities, from shops to massage parlors, going to great lengths to ensure that their environments are clean and hygienic to welcome visitors.

● Samui Wildlife is Returning - Turtles not seen for years have been spotted laying eggs on several beaches around the island and there have been increased sightings of pink dolphins – both indications that the water quality has improved significantly during lockdown. ● Samui has an unrivalled choice of hotels and private villas – The island boasts Thailand’s highest concentration of 5-star international hotels outside of Bangkok as well as a wide range of affordable hotels, resorts and spas for

● all budgets. And for those who prefer their own space, private villas range from palatial hill-top luxury to beach retreats and elegant apartments.

● Samui is All about Lifestyle – The island is home to a huge variety of superb restaurants offering an impressive choice of Thai, Asian and international cuisines for all budgets, as well as vibrant and exciting cafés and bars with beach seating and spectacular entertainment.

● Samui is Beach Chic - A crop of chic designer beach clubs have opened in Samui offering an elegant lifestyle experiences by the island’s iconic golden sandy beaches.

● Samui is Colourful and Lively! – The island continues to evolve as Thailand’s favourite tourist island, welcoming new attractions with appeal to all ages, from vibrant street markets like Fisherman’s Village, elephant sanctuaries, beach-side art classes and wonderful jungle cooking schools high up in the beautiful mountains of Central Samui.

● Samui is Surrounded by Magical Islands – As well as Koh Phangan (Full Moon Island), there are many magical islands to explore by sailboat, motorboat or by ferry including Koh Madsum [pig island], Koh Tao [a diving paradise], or the extraordinary Angthong National Marine Park with its hundreds of islands and crystal waters.

● Samui is Accessible and Convenient – Just under an hour’s flight from Bangkok with regular daily connections, or 1½ hours by ferry from Donsak, Surat Thani. The island has upped its game on the infrastructure front, laying vast new pipelines to avoid serious flooding in future and making the roads more pleasant to travel on.

● Samui is Great Value! – Most hotel, resorts, spas and private villas are running amazing packages and rates to entice domestic visitors to the island.

Commenting on #RediscoverSamui - and prepare to fall in love, Lutz Mueller, President of Skål Samui, said; “The campaign will initially focus its efforts on the domestic tourism market and once travel restrictions surrounding the pandemic ease up, attracting regional and international tourism.

Samui is lucky to have a fantastic collection of world-class hotels, resorts and spas and now is the time to make sure Thailand’s travellers take advantage of what’s right on their doorstep”.

The campaign, which is being driven by members of Skål Samui, a chapter of the global hospitality and travel organization SKAL International, underscores the organization’s overall mission, ‘Connecting Global Tourism’.

The new video is available to all Skål Samui members and partners for their own promotional use and can be customized on demand at an extra charge.

[soalbundy]

Too late, Samui was good 40 years ago, your greed ruined it.

[brain150]

Samui is Safe and Clean - Its famous beaches are pristine, and many resorts and restaurants have been doing maintenance work. Samui is looking more beautiful than ever.

Samui’s Environment is Clean and Hygienic - The pandemic has seen all public facilities, from shops to massage parlors, going to great lengths to ensure that their environments are clean and hygienic to welcome visitors.

 

... it's so funny how much these people lie to themselves !!!

Right now Samui is one big construction site, the garbage problem is not even slightly solved and much of the island is simply falling apart due to missing maintenance.

Chaweng and Lamai are Ghost towns and do look as such !!!

 

Bringing tourists back is one thing, but doing it with these totally false claims is just immoral !!!

[phantomfiddler]

I recently watched a cctv site showing Chaweng main drag. Watched it for a few seconds then tried to activate it with the little arrow until I realized it WAS live, except there was absolutely nothing happening except a dog ran across the road. This is becoming terminal ????

[Tidybeard]

Dear Skal - great video, but unfortunately the reality that will greet visitors to our island is somewhat different. A walk down Chaweng high street will shock most into a quick return home. Most shops, restaurants and hotels are boarded up. The road is falling apart, and is just embarrassing. Once vibrant open markets and food courts have been cleared away leaving a wasteland of concrete and rubbish. 

Don't get me wrong, I applaud your efforts, but the general infrastructure of the island is rapidly falling in to total disrepair, and unless this is addressed, tourists will give us a huge thumbs down. A few photos on Tripadvisor would soon show the World the truth. 

My only constructive suggestion is to maybe consider opening sections of the island one at a time, so that a true experience could be given. Say the top 1/3rd of Chaweng, followed by the middle followed by the South. Of course this would be highly unpopular for those resorts and restaurants lower down the list, but to try to open the whole island at once - will I think, lead to disaster and thousands of bad reviews.

Good luck !

 

[ronaldo0]

It’s a mass building site , not great value as it’s one of the most expensive places in Thailand and you will get the beach clubs that are actually open all to yourself they are that quiet as nobody is there . Oh and let’s not forget the garbage dump problems !

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, soalbundy said:

Too late, Samui was good 40 years ago, your greed ruined it.

Agreed, it will take more than white-wash to clean that island up.

Ruined after decades of unsustainable mass tourism.

[thaibeachlovers]

The photo at top of the page is appropriate- it's of an island that is definitely NOT Samui, while the blurb is describing an island that is, IMO, not Samui but some other island that looks like Samui in a parallel universe where a virus hadn't shut most of it down.

[thaibeachlovers]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The island boasts Thailand’s highest concentration of 5-star international hotels outside of Bangkok as well as a wide range of affordable hotels, resorts and spas for

● all budgets.

Charlie's Hut closed many years ago, so I'd say the claim for ALL budgets is somewhat bending the truth.

[Tropicalevo]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Charlie's Hut closed many years ago, so I'd say the claim for ALL budgets is somewhat bending the truth.

Yes. Charlie's Hut was a bit expensive. But there are still beachside bungalows available for 200 - 350 per night if you are interested.

They are next to beaches that are not encroached upon and still very quite. Even in last year's high season.

Sorry, I forgot. You think that Chaweng is the only place on Samui. These beaches are nowhere near Chaweng.

By the way. I rent a small Thai place for 2,500 baht per month in Plai Laem. Living area, bedroom, toilet and kitchen! It is for my staff to relax and cook in. I have to admit though. It is at least a five minute walk to the nearest beach. I can put you in touch with the owner if you wish?

ALL BUDGETS - yes. That is from someone who lives here.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2020 by Tropicalevo

[Tropicalevo]

6 hours ago, soalbundy said:

Too late, Samui was good 40 years ago, your greed ruined it.

I think that inflation and a strong baht would also mean some changes. I only came here 20 years ago when there were 70 baht to one GBP (now only 40 baht).

40 years ago, the locals were mostly on the poverty line and struggling to exist. Do you really want to go back to that? No electricity. No sanitation. No transport. You call that good? Good for you maybe, but hey, let's not let a cheap holiday get in the way of improving the local standard of living.

Methinks that you exaggerate a tad.

Edited October 6, 2020 by Tropicalevo

[Tropicalevo]

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Agreed, it will take more than white-wash to clean that island up.

Ruined after decades of unsustainable mass tourism.

Again. Why let the truth get in the way of a good knocking.

'decades of unsustainable mass tourism'? Please check your dates and numbers. There was NO mass tourism on Samui decades ago. I was here then. There weren't even roads up in the north where I live.

In case you need help - 'decades' is at least 20 years.

[Tropicalevo]

4 hours ago, ronaldo0 said:

you will get the beach clubs that are actually open all to yourself they are that quiet as nobody is there

So you haven't been here for a while then. Another exaggeration.

As I write this, I can here music from a beach club in Bangrak. Every bloody single night since the lockdown ended in April. Luckily for me, they turn the volume down at 24.00 hours. Peaceful bliss.

Would they stay open for that long, evry night, if they were empty? I think not.

Another beach club in Fisherman's village has a queue ouside most nights (unless it is raining).

I cannot comment on other beach clubs as I do not traval far from my base. Too many good restaurants and places to go to. (Choengmon, Bangrak, Bophut and Maenam.)

Have you been to any of these places?

[khunPer]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Charlie's Hut closed many years ago, so I'd say the claim for ALL budgets is somewhat bending the truth.

Still ALL BUDGETS available, but how will you know, havn't been here for 20 years...????

 

And Charlie's Hut is still available, same owner, it's just moved.

 

Prices from before Covid-19 lockdown...

You can find numerous bungalows for 299 baht a day, for example in Bang Por, and hotel rooms from 300 baht to 400 baht in Nathon.

Beach side bungalow with aircon, hot water, TV and wifi from 550 baht to 900 baht, the last price for beachfront, on a #9 beach on an Asian Top-10 list, and that is by the way high-season prices of April 2018...

 

For longer terms there are nice bungalows, within walking distance to beach, available from around 8,000 baht, or less, a month...????

[khunPer]

6 hours ago, ronaldo0 said:

...you will get the beach clubs that are actually open all to yourself...

Sure, I have the beach club all for myself at the moment, when I out in the weekends...????

 

Photos from last month, September 2020 (first weekend this month was Buddha Lent)...

[ronaldo0]

4 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

So you haven't been here for a while then. Another exaggeration.

As I write this, I can here music from a beach club in Bangrak. Every bloody single night since the lockdown ended in April. Luckily for me, they turn the volume down at 24.00 hours. Peaceful bliss.

Would they stay open for that long, evry night, if they were empty? I think not.

Another beach club in Fisherman's village has a queue ouside most nights (unless it is raining).

I cannot comment on other beach clubs as I do not traval far from my base. Too many good restaurants and places to go to. (Choengmon, Bangrak, Bophut and Maenam.)

Have you been to any of these places?

I haven’t  been since I left in June and refuse to get ripped off in quarantine when I have a perfectly good house I own there !

If you are talking about chi in banrak being the beach club it’s mostly empty unless special party is on and beach clubs will play music even if empty as it won’t attract anyone in silence.

Beach club in fishermans village ? If you mean coco tams it’s not a beach club and it’s that quiet they let their farang manager go last month as no need for one they said .

As for restaurants I have been to quite a few very cheap and very expensive all around the island as I owned property in banrak,bophut and taling ngam . The only place I don’t know is lamai as it never appealed to me for some reason .

[ronaldo0]

2 hours ago, khunPer said:

Sure, I have the beach club all for myself at the moment, when I out in the weekends...????

 

Photos from last month, September 2020 (first weekend this month was Buddha Lent)...

And if you look at ark bars own page of their last event it’s a very different story . In the daytime it’s dead , I have friends who were just there a few days ago and said the only place busy in chaweng was the black . 

[khunPer]

10 minutes ago, ronaldo0 said:

And if you look at ark bars own page of their last event it’s a very different story . In the daytime it’s dead , I have friends who were just there a few days ago and said the only place busy in chaweng was the black . 

They start in the afternoon, I think about 4 pm, the daytime pool parties used to be targeting hotel-residents, which there are none of now; the hotel sections are closed. After reopening I've only been there in evenings, after 10 pm, and when I've been there, it has been all right...????

 

However, last weekend alcohol sale was closed midnight to midnight, so no reason the head out, most folks stays home. Ark Bar officially close by midnight. The weekend before had awful rainy and windy weather, which is not unusual this time of the year, so not the right time for beach party.

 

Black Night Club is indoor and normally full.

[Mario666]

Well I have been coming to Samui since 2005 and lived here permanently since 2010.

 

That video is very carefully edited and many of the images are not even of Samui.

 

These videos show the True situation in Chaweng and Lamai since Covid.....Having said that they are a few months old now and the situation is even worse (Business Wise).....Great if you like it quiet!.....I make no apologies for the "Jerks" presenting the videos....Coutresy of YouTube!

 

 

 

If you want to see live pictures take a look at these webcams:

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmYyJaUxYiF5IbLx-0jFXHQ?fbclid=IwAR1Xm11sbHG0qRJCtn1hftPnEVE7feNlctOYoTczmLJsbR3Wa1BS0dnL8xs

 

Don't get me wrong. I am not knocking Samui......As a resident I am loving it, but have to feel sorry for all the Bars, Hotels, Restaurants and other businesses that have gone bust and the staff who are now jobless!

 

There are many beautiful places on Samui away from the Old Tourist Haunts if you know where to find them and there are many beaches that you can literally have to yourself!

 

Would I be happy to come here for a holiday?....ABSOLUTELY NOT!....Am I enjoying the Peace and Tranquility as a resident?.....ABSOLUTELY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 7, 2020 by Mario666

[junker32]

It is true that there is never an end to decency lying so shamelessly does not solve the problem in which he has been ko samui for years.
Semi-destroyed roads, unresolved waste collection problem, at least we do not see any kind of improvement.

Hope authority begin taking care these problems or will be too late

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

As I write this, I can here music from a beach club in Bangrak. Every bloody single night since the lockdown ended in April. Luckily for me, they turn the volume down at 24.00 hours. Peaceful bliss.

Would they stay open for that long, evry night, if they were empty? I think not.

 

Would they stay open for that long, evry night, if they were empty? I think not.

LOL. Of course they do. I was driven off Thong Nai Pan Yai by a beach bar that played very loud music long after midnight every night. On investigation, the only audience for the sole bartender/ DJ was a dog.

[ronaldo0]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

Would they stay open for that long, evry night, if they were empty? I think not.

LOL. Of course they do. I was driven off Thong Nai Pan Yai by a beach bar that played very loud music long after midnight every night. On investigation, the only audience for the sole bartender/ DJ was a dog.

Was the dog barking orders at him ? ????

[khunPer]

I honestly don't understand why video of the empty beach road in Chaweng is so fantastic to share? There is a similar video from Phuket that is at least equally empty, and what about Pattaya and the Walking Street, which is not even a pedestrian street anymore?

 

The Covid-19 situation is not specific to Samui, and it has nothing to do with concrete on beach-fronts, or narrow beaches due to erosion, or greed and greedy business owners, or whatever...
–it's a Worldwide situation.

 

I read about how bad the Spanish holiday island Mallorca is now, and that many hotels and restaurant will never reopen – does it sound familiar?

 

My home country, Denmark, is also suffering from lack of tourists, and many a business gives up and begin to close, not to forget the travel agencies already under bankruptcy, and the two big Scandinavian airlignes Norwegian and SAS survives only because of government money-flow. Norwegian operated 10 percent of it's former flight capacity in September, and that was with only half occupancy rate, i.e. 53 percent to be specific, they expect to run out of money again in early 2021. So even you can fly, people don't go anywhere.

 

Many countries in Europe has a so-called second Covid-19 wave right now, followed by travel restrictions; most of the European countries have moved up in "not recommended"-status.

 

So why is it such a big story that a beach road, depending almost entirely of foreign tourists, is closed, when there are almost no foreign tourists anywhere in the World..?

 

 

[RickG16]

22 hours ago, khunPer said:

Sure, I have the beach club all for myself at the moment, when I out in the weekends...????

 

Photos from last month, September 2020 (first weekend this month was Buddha Lent)...

I think Samui is a great island and I admire you for being one of the people who always sticks up for it....

 

... but I do find it amusing when you hold up Ark Bar as a reason to go there ????????????

[Tropicalevo]

44 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

I think Samui is a great island and I admire you for being one of the people who always sticks up for it....

 

... but I do find it amusing when you hold up Ark Bar as a reason to go there ????????????

Hey - KhunPer is young. Let him have his fun.

I went to the Ark Bar once. Years ago. Never again but young people like it. Many guests from Bangkok want to go there.

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, RickG16 said:

I think Samui is a great island and I admire you for being one of the people who always sticks up for it....

 

... but I do find it amusing when you hold up Ark Bar as a reason to go there ????????????

I'm dancing there – like numerous others comes to Samui for – it's cool music, and you are allowed to dance on the tables...???? However, the platform in front of the pool, next to the DJs, is also Okay, good space, and enough for a couple of gorgeous girls can jump up and dance together with me...????

 

PS: We are some that don't stop dancing because we get little mature; because we risk getting old if we stop dancing...

[CG1 Blue]

Samui is my home from home ❤️, and I'd go there tomorrow if I could. Even with most of Chaweng shut down the island has so much to offer - especially compared to where I'm stuck now!

What I'm a little confused about is; this campaign to revive tourism on the island - what is the purpose of it when tourists are still not allowed into Thailand? 

Maybe it's only aimed at Thais on the mainland? Or the 120 Chinese that are being allowed in? ????

[khunPer]

12 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

Maybe it's only aimed at Thais on the mainland? Or the 120 Chinese that are being allowed in?

The 150 (it is) Chinese snowbirds expected to come to Phuket today (September 8th) has been postponed to October 25th, the locals don't want them inside right in...

However, quarantine and certificates seems to be the same, no matter who enters, so difficult to understand that 90-day snowbirds can be allowed in, whilst for example retirees that for one-or-other reason was abroad when the borders closed, and already having their non-immigrant O-visa and extensions of stay with re-entry permit – i.e. they are already kind of residents in the country – are not allowed to enter...????

[huberthammer]

Again large number of comments based on the the one Video that went Viral that mostly showed Chaweng empty. It is empty and that will not change anytime soon and might even lead to the needed change to the s..thole that it is.

 

Rather ridiculous to apply what people see in the Chaweng video to the rest of the island. It is quiet but certainly not dead. Bars, beach clubs in Bangrak, Bophut and Maenam have customers and due to some bars/restaurant not having opened since the covid closure I would even argue that business is probably not much worse than the normal quiet October/November season. As everywhere else in the world, high season will be a different story.

 

Last but not least, SKAL making an effort to get tourists back and created a very nice video promoting the beauty of Samui. It makes a nice change from all the people who just knock Samui down, many of them who have not been here in many moons and don't have a clue about the pro and cons of Samui. If you make the effort and leave your house or hotel you will find that Samui still offers many beautiful places and that the scenery is stunning. Not something you will see if you never leave the ring road. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/8/2020 at 4:17 AM, khunPer said:

I honestly don't understand why video of the empty beach road in Chaweng is so fantastic to share? There is a similar video from Phuket that is at least equally empty, and what about Pattaya and the Walking Street, which is not even a pedestrian street anymore?

 

The Covid-19 situation is not specific to Samui, and it has nothing to do with concrete on beach-fronts, or narrow beaches due to erosion, or greed and greedy business owners, or whatever...
–it's a Worldwide situation.

 

I read about how bad the Spanish holiday island Mallorca is now, and that many hotels and restaurant will never reopen – does it sound familiar?

 

My home country, Denmark, is also suffering from lack of tourists, and many a business gives up and begin to close, not to forget the travel agencies already under bankruptcy, and the two big Scandinavian airlignes Norwegian and SAS survives only because of government money-flow. Norwegian operated 10 percent of it's former flight capacity in September, and that was with only half occupancy rate, i.e. 53 percent to be specific, they expect to run out of money again in early 2021. So even you can fly, people don't go anywhere.

 

Many countries in Europe has a so-called second Covid-19 wave right now, followed by travel restrictions; most of the European countries have moved up in "not recommended"-status.

 

So why is it such a big story that a beach road, depending almost entirely of foreign tourists, is closed, when there are almost no foreign tourists anywhere in the World..?

 

 

Could it be because it's the Koh Samui News subforum and not the Phuket or Pattaya sub forum, nor the World News sub forum, and definitely nothing to do with Spain?