Koh Samui: Holiday island is in a "coma" on its last tourism legs

[RichardColeman]

Yet they still cosy up to the nation that has destroyed their tourism industry. 

[miamiman123]

KS on critical ICU now but they think it’s 1990 all over again!

it’s coming and it ain’t gonna be pretty boys!!

 

[Hotrats]

I would say the main problem Koh Samui has is the continuing monopoly of Bangkok Airways, resulting in absurdly high air fares. If Koh Samui was easier and cheaper to get to, then I'm sure there are are many resident expats and Thai tourists who would be happy to visit. For myself, for every trip we have made over the past 9 months I have checked the airfares to Samui and, seeing the high prices, chose to go somewhere else.

[miamiman123]

2 minutes ago, Hotrats said:

I would say the main problem Koh Samui has is the continuing monopoly of Bangkok Airways, resulting in absurdly high air fares. If Koh Samui was easier and cheaper to get to, then I'm sure there are are many resident expats and Thai tourists who would be happy to visit. For myself, for every trip we have made over the past 9 months I have checked the airfares to Samui and, seeing the high prices, chose to go somewhere else.

Price theory economics at work! Haha 

[rosst]

Boo bloody Hoo, Thailand has a problem now. 

If the Government had been more accommodating to foriegners the Island would have enough foriegners to prop up the economy. 

The immigration process is so convoluted and administered with Zero goodwill. 

The Tuktuk mafia and the rip off merchants, I hope they all go broke and lose every Baht they gouged. 

When I was living in Thailand I lived in Isaan and I loved it but the tourist cesspit were awful. 

I would love to be able to retire in Thailand but it would cost me my sanity. 

[cracker1]

Seems like a perfect time to put the power cables underground, repair the footpaths, paint the curbs, repair the potholes, etc ?

[klauskunkel]

phew, looks like the only way to enjoy Samui is, ahh... stoned.

[GeorgeCross]

1 hour ago, LivinLOS said:

If its in such freefall.. Do feel free to tag me or PM any fire sale villas, because I am not yet seeing much that looks like panic sale bargains. 

Personally prefer Lamai and south.. Leam Set to Taling Ngam.. Places that still feel coconut tree and island'y..  Or even hillside in the Na Muang zone... More than the bophut, chaweng, Choeng Mon, over developed messes.. 

But lets see the bargains ?? anywhere... say 8 - 20 mil.. So far all I see is the same listings, for breeze block 'villas' on 400m of land still asking 12 / 15 / more.. 

Sure theres some cheap rents, with unlikely renewal rates next year.. But not like 08 crisis sales.. 

 

was seeing lots of good prices on facebook (samui property groups) a few months back.

you might try looking there

 

[Bangyai]

On my first trip there in 1979 , there wasn't even a road around the island. Just a connection of dirt tracks from one beach to the next. No electricity either and water was pumped by generator that also ran a few very low watt bulbs. Accommodation was 50 baht a night in a sort of tent mad of hard floor and thatched roof.

 

Looking at these pictures of how it is now , I don't think I would like to return whether it is Busy or not.

 

Definitely another paradise lost. 

[ourmanflint]

Samui is one of the worst places in Thailand, worse than Phuket even because you can't just drive away when it becomes too much. I for one will be glad to see the end of this miserable dump. What happened there over the past 30 years is an abhorrent example of rampant unfettered greed. Into the sea with it

[Mung]

6 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

All part of the plan, ladies and gentlemen.

You might not be far from the truth. 
 

Do you remember the initial videos that came out of China at the very start of the viral outbreak? They depicted people fainting in the streets, hospitals rammed to the brim, and the whole scene felt like a dystopian horror movie. Months later, these scenes have not really been repeated anywhere else, which leads to suggest that those videos may have been faked.

 

Secondly, do you also remember how when the virus first emerged? WHO said that planes did not need to be grounded as that would not prevent the spread of the virus. Of course this is nonessential, it would have stopped the viral spread as that much is obvious. This was said by WHO when the virus was only in China and then subsequently in Thailand. The head of WHO, Tedros, had an odd relationship with the Chinese leader. Sources stated such things as, 

"the two men met in the Chinese capital, the number of cases was rising, and revelations were emerging that officials in Hubei province and Wuhan -- the city where the virus was first detected -- had sought to downplay and control news about the virus, even threatening medical whistleblowers with arrest."

Let's also remember that Chinese doctor who 'died' from the virus.

 

Thirdly, we have yet to establish where the virus originated – it's still an unknown. We do know that Wuhan is the home of the only biological weapons manufacturing location of such a magnitude to create something such as an engineered virus. Also, how did the Chinese obtain the the genetic sequence of the virus as early as February the 25th?

"Scientists in China have sequenced the genome of the COVID-19 virus demonstrating that it is a completely new virus, albeit closely related to the coronavirus (CoV) responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Their findings are published in the journal Chinese Medical Journal."

 

Fourthly, China has upped their spending power during the economical downturn on foreign assets, as a means to grab them at devalued prices.

"Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the global economies and businesses, Chinese companies have upped the ante to acquire or invest in distressed foreign assets in strategic locations. Against this backdrop, governments across several nations are now concerned about this move by China, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. Several media reports also suggest that there has been a growth in Chinese companies seeking proposals for targets from banks. During January to April 2020, 57 Chinese outbound M&A deals worth US$9.9bn and 145 Chinese outbound investments worth US$4.5bn were announced. The key M&A target destinations for Chinese firms included Hong Kong, the US, the UK, Germany, France, Canada and India. The key investment destinations during the period included the US, India, the UK, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Germany, South Korea and Australia."

 

Now the question must be asked, was all of this a plan from the start?

[gearbox]

7 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

All part of the plan, ladies and gentlemen.

You can easily disturb "the plan" by turning up there and offer more money. I don't think they'll refuse your offer.

 

I've heard the OP bungalows in Chaweng were sold to Hong Kong investors. Its a pity, they've been around for long time. Looks like almost nobody saved for rainy days.

[sammieuk1]

Jack the baht up some more we still have 150 hotels left ????

[gearbox]

20 minutes ago, Bangyai said:

On my first trip there in 1979 , there wasn't even a road around the island. Just a connection of dirt tracks from one beach to the next. No electricity either and water was pumped by generator that also ran a few very low watt bulbs. Accommodation was 50 baht a night in a sort of tent mad of hard floor and thatched roof.

 

Looking at these pictures of how it is now , I don't think I would like to return whether it is Busy or not.

 

Definitely another paradise lost. 

 

I can tell you with confidence that the Thais don't want to go back to your "paradise" without electricity.  There are many islands around the world without crowds and overbuilding, you just need to pay top bucks for staying there.

[cyril sneer]

Sihanoukville #2 in the making

[Jeffr2]

8 minutes ago, gearbox said:

 

I can tell you with confidence that the Thais don't want to go back to your "paradise" without electricity.  There are many islands around the world without crowds and overbuilding, you just need to pay top bucks for staying there.

Several islands like that here in Thailand that don't require big bucks.  Ko Libong, Ko Mak, Ko Mook, etc.

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, firestar said:

People take the SAME pictures of Chaweng beach road over and over again, yes that road is deserted not only because of Covid but because they are digging it up to bury the power lines other places like Fisherman are quite busy.

 

Also I am looking for Hotels for sale and have found no more than 5 or 6 and none in good areas. It is bad but not as bad as it is made it out to be

 

 

-----------

Some TV posters never let the truth get in the way of a major rant.

Also, a lot of people are geographically challenged when it comes to Samui. They say 'Samui' (an island) when they mean 'Chaweng' (one town on that island).

[ChipButty]

Im no expert but I have lived in Thailand 25 years, I dont think it will ever come back it's finished it's over, What is there to make you want to come back? Same with Phuket every day I see another empty shop 

[ChipButty]

3 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

Sihanoukville #2 in the making

That good?

[lovethai123]

I once asked my GF to take me to ko samui. She said it's for hi -so people . After 5 min she started arguing what problem I have in staying at her home. Why I want ko samui? Do I have a secret lady in ko samui? is she not good enough for me? Am i cheating her? 

 

after that I never mentioned ko samui to her. 

 

 

[samsensam]

1 minute ago, lovethai123 said:

I once asked my GF to take me to ko samui. She said it's for hi -so people . After 5 min she started arguing what problem I have in staying at her home. Why I want ko samui? Do I have a secret lady in ko samui? is she not good enough for me? Am i cheating her? 

 

after that I never mentioned ko samui to her. 

 

 

 

she sounds like a keeper.

[ukrules]

2 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

If its in such freefall.. Do feel free to tag me or PM any fire sale villas, because I am not yet seeing much that looks like panic sale bargains. 

They were 'very, very overpriced' before COVID, now they're just 'very overpriced'......there's never going to be any bargains....

[Tropicalevo]

45 minutes ago, cracker1 said:

Seems like a perfect time to put the power cables underground, repair the footpaths, paint the curbs, repair the potholes, etc ?

And that is what they are doing. Which is why some road surfaces are currently in a terrible state. They will re-tarmac the roads when everything else is finished.

[hsovereign]

Ooh if that's true about the Chinese buying up the hotels then you can expect a massive surge in chinese tourists once the gates open again. What a dreadful thought ????????

[herwin1234]

5 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

Ni Hao..i would like to welcome our new Overloards with the sharing of a mama cup...esp any cute chinese gals!

i bet your grandpa made similar "funny" remarks about black ppl. now its the Chinese (and the Thai of course) that is at the receiving end of latent racial jokes and stereotypes.

 

50% change i might (again) get temporarely banned from TV for  my reply while the fine gentleman who made such a quality joke about Chinese will get extra bonus points.

 

cheers.

[ChipButty]

3 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

And that is what they are doing. Which is why some road surfaces are currently in a terrible state. They will re-tarmac the roads when everything else is finished.

When will that be?

[ChipButty]

Business was bad in Samui long before Covid19 struck 

[Chiang Mai Bill]

6 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

The expensive flight monopoly that Bangkok Airways has doesn't help. I just looked and the cheapest return flight BKK - USM is 4,460 baht. Add to that the still relatively expensive hotels and it is little wonder that holidaymakers are going elsewhere.

Also the excessive prices the 'better' restaurants charge -- and the cost of taxis!  Lots of other places to go!

[cyril sneer]

9 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

That good?

depends what you like

[MasterBaker]

soory, but i never liked this island