Hoteliers back plan to build bridge connecting Koh Samui with mainland

 

File photo

 

Manager reported that a mobile cabinet meeting with prime minister Prayut Chan-ocha will visit Koh Samui on November 2nd/3rd. 

 

Top of the agenda on the southern Thai holiday island will be the large number of hotels that are prepared to offer ALQ or alternative local quarantine facilities. 

 

Some 400 have expressed an interest in welcoming tourists in this way. Hoteliers also want to discuss the supply of local produce to feed those quarantined. 

 

In addition Pimporn Thongsuk, a hotelier representing the Fairhouse group, said that the issue of a bridge connecting the mainland with the island would be raised. 

 

Picture: Manager Online

 

She said it is a plan that has the backing of 495 hotels and would be a boon for tourism especially Thai domestic tourism. 

 

She told Manager that flights to the island were limited and the ferry was not the long term answer. 

 

She also said that benefits of a bridge would not just be for Samui but would help to develop the area around Khanom, Nakhon Sri Thammarat on the mainland. 

 

Thaivisa notes that the subject of a bridge has been raised many times including in parliament within the last year though there has been little progress reported. 

 

Source: Manager Online

 

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A bridge would be at least 26kms long at a huge construction cost. Dependant on bridge tolls vs existing ferry fare costs, it could reduce transport costs and certainly speed access to the island. I can see why hotels would want it and I'm sure locals, visitors and other businesses would too. Once the bridge is completed (if ever) I'm sure flight costs to Samui would fall dramatically due to the travel competition.

wonder what the rip off charges would be to use such a bridge. ?

bad enough with the flight prices and the rip off taxis 

So we have:

 

The Koh Samui Bridge

The bridge over the gulf connecting Chonburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces

The high speed rail network

Mass transiit systems in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phitsanulok

The Phuket tunnel and expressway

The continued expansion of the public transport system in Bangkok

The Don Muang Suvarnabhumi link

I've probably missed a few

 

If gambling were legal I'd run a book on the completion dates of these projects, as long as I keep all stakes for non-completion by 2030.

I took Koh Samui of my list when they built the airport.

Relax.....never going to happen

Can you imagine a bridge ! ..... we have just had the ring road upgraded, it has take 3 years, and it is still single track, but now has a nice Tarmacadam surface ( until that gets destroyed by the rains and subsidence ) The road is busy now, despite nearly all tourists arriving by air and being ferried around the island by a fleet of expensive but quite efficient mini vans and taxis.

If more cars were to come across on a bridge, it would be gridlock !

These people have no idea really - it is quite sad. 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

She said it is a plan that has the backing of 495 hotels and would be a boon for tourism especially Thai domestic tourism. 

Open up as a quarantine island and you can kiss goodbye any domestic tourism, as an expat here in Thailand you would be off my bucket list too.

What do they put in the water these people drink ????

Who is going to pay for it ? Where will all the traffic go as they can’t make the road wider ? Ferries can’t even avoid each other as it is now so you can bet a bridge would be target practice. They just don’t get it do they , tourism is pretty much done in places like samui and Phuket due to Covid and travel restrictions and will be for several years unless they make everything cheap as chips and improve the exchange rate . 
Although if they start building now it might be finished just in time for when people start to return again !

35 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Open up as a quarantine island and you can kiss goodbye any domestic tourism, as an expat here in Thailand you would be off my bucket list too.

No point in doing quarantine. Some French woman went through it and left clear of Covid , then contracted it in samui ???? oops !

5 hours ago, madmitch said:

So we have:

 

The Koh Samui Bridge

The bridge over the gulf connecting Chonburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces

The high speed rail network

Mass transiit systems in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phitsanulok

The Phuket tunnel and expressway

The continued expansion of the public transport system in Bangkok

The Don Muang Suvarnabhumi link

I've probably missed a few

 

If gambling were legal I'd run a book on the completion dates of these projects, as long as I keep all stakes for non-completion by 2030.

I don't think you'll survive....

However I am convinced that you will be 100 years old.

A bridge don't solve the Covid-19 crisis, i.e. mentioning Alternative State Quarantine together with a billion dollars, and years ahead construction project, as solution to the present World Wide reduction in tourism, it simply don't make common sense.

 

Chinese tourists, which are considered as the saver of the crisis, would most certainly wish to fly in directly to the island by both international scheduled flights, and charter flights; just like they have been used to do before the coronavirus lockdown. I cannot imagine Chinese tourists – which according to statistics stays short time only in Thailand – drive 600 kilometers down from Bangkok, and back again, during a five to seven days vacation.

 

It's furthermore a major investment that might not pay off, as the island cannot accommodate the expected inflow due to lack of infrastructure; the latter might even hold some tourists back already.

 

The most important investments needed is an upgrade of infrastructure, mainly malfunctioned garbage incinerator(s), a better garbage collection system – including litter bins – improved local electric power supply (which is partly ongoing), and improved public water supply (which is also partly ongoing). Roads and sewer are being done at the moment, but the present road system cannot at all cope with a massive inflow of cars from a bridge.

 

In my modest opinion, useless wishful thinking, which has been up several times before, and just as pointless as a the suggestions for a second airport, which in real life terms is technically impossible.

6 hours ago, madmitch said:

So we have:

 

The Koh Samui Bridge

The bridge over the gulf connecting Chonburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces

The high speed rail network

Mass transiit systems in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phitsanulok

The Phuket tunnel and expressway

The continued expansion of the public transport system in Bangkok

The Don Muang Suvarnabhumi link

I've probably missed a few

 

If gambling were legal I'd run a book on the completion dates of these projects, as long as I keep all stakes for non-completion by 2030.

2130 more likely  

Or should I choose 2525

Now there is confirmed COVID-19 on the island as of today, they had better hurry up with those ASQ hotels.

Take away the monopoly from BKK airways and open Samui airport to every airline.

Modernize the ferry ports to a 21st century standard and put up to date roro ferries in place.

Who the hell still needs a bridge ?

6 hours ago, madmitch said:

So we have:

 

The Koh Samui Bridge

The bridge over the gulf connecting Chonburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces

The high speed rail network

Mass transiit systems in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phitsanulok

The Phuket tunnel and expressway

The continued expansion of the public transport system in Bangkok

The Don Muang Suvarnabhumi link

I've probably missed a few

 

If gambling were legal I'd run a book on the completion dates of these projects, as long as I keep all stakes for non-completion by 2030.

At such times with Covid the people need dreams and hope. I can't recall a time here with so many project ideas. I think after Covid most projects will be forgotten. 

Why build a bridge, if nobody wants to visit due to "every-day-new-rules"  the country anymore. 

Its a waste of money.

10 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

A bridge would be at least 26kms long at a huge construction cost. Dependant on bridge tolls vs existing ferry fare costs, it could reduce transport costs and certainly speed access to the island. I can see why hotels would want it and I'm sure locals, visitors and other businesses would too. Once the bridge is completed (if ever) I'm sure flight costs to Samui would fall dramatically due to the travel competition.

Can the island cope with the influx extra traffic that a bridge would surely generate?

3 hours ago, phetphet said:

Now there is confirmed COVID-19 on the island as of today, they had better hurry up with those ASQ hotels.

Let us not muddy the water. Today's case on Samui is nothing to do with a bridge to the island.

There have been 3 inbound cases of covid infections on Samui. Two French guys back in March arriving here from holidays abroad and this French lady. Only this lady is not French, she has dual citizenship. She stayed in state quarantine and not ASQ. Only Thais can stay in state quarantine.

4 hours ago, ronaldo0 said:

No point in doing quarantine. Some French/Thai woman went through it and left clear of Covid , then contracted it in samui ???? oops !

She didn't catch covid on Samui, she brought it with her. Probably caught it in SQ. (My words.)

2 hours ago, Deli said:

Take away the monopoly from BKK airways and open Samui airport to every airline.

Samui airport has been open to other airlines for years (at least seven airlines from memory - pre covid.). Not every airline can land here - the runway is too short.

A bridge to Samui would only reduce travel time from Suratthani by approximately 3 hours or less.

BUT with tropical storms and wind guests up to 80 kph, is it safe to cross a bridge under those conditions?

Environmental impact of building a bridge? A study on that will not really happen.

A bridge has been proposed for many years. It is a political thing. Not a practical thing. Same as opening another airport.

3 hours ago, Deli said:

Who the hell still needs a bridge ?

You are 100% correct.

4 hours ago, Grumpy one said:

2130 more likely  

Or should I choose 2525

In the year 2525 it will be a great hit...????

Hey the bridge would be good in good weather, and it could have watser, and fuel lines running under the deck to provide them services to the good people of Samui. I have flown in and taken the ferry to

the island, and a 30 minute drive across the bridge may be okay if there are no strong

winds or such to wreck the drive. Another nice pip dream, but hey as some said, It may be built 

by the time that tourism is back to 50 percent of the old normal. 555

Geezer

IMHO the bridge is indeed "a bridge too far".

 

I agree with Deli in his earlier post. They need to improve and modernise the ferry services. Better, ports at both ends, and bigger capacity  ferries.

 

On 10/23/2020 at 8:23 PM, Surelynot said:

Relax.....never going to happen

However................................

Plenty of opportunity for investigations, inquiries etc etc etc that benefit the usual suspects. No need to actually build the thing, which would be completely uneconomic and possibly be un maintained. Hopefully Raja won't be running it if it does get built.

 

Far cheaper would be to buy some new(er)car ferries that don't sink, and train some crew properly. Also a passenger hydrofoil from Surat town to avoid that diabolical bus trip to Don Sak.