A Couple Of Brief Notes, On Returning From A Week’s Cruise.

[Mobi]

We stopped for a day at Koh Samui, en route to Vietnam. It is at least 15 years since I was last on Koh Samui, and the changes are startling, and pretty devastating. OK, I was only there for the day, but we did mamge to get around quite a bit, having hired a taxi to show us all the sights – or should I say sites (building that is).

In particular, Chewang was much like downtown Pattaya without Beach Road. Just road upon hot, dusty road of shops, bars, restaurants and God knows what, straddled between construction sites. The beach, when you could find a way through to it, looked clean and inviting, certainly better than Pattaya’s beach, but what happened to the beach Road?

I once had a wonderful holiday there, but to my mind the whole island has been totally ruined, and I for one will not be returning.

Interestingly, in chatting with fellow passengers at the end of the cruise – almost to a man, they all bemoaned the stopover at Koh Samui, and said it was the low point of the cruise. Many said they would have preferred the ship had spent and extra day in Vietnam, which was much more interesting and enjoyable.

As for Suvarnabhumi – well it hasn’t got its act together yet.

We flew in on Thai Airways from Singapore. No Air bridge and had to be bussed to the terminal.

We went through immigration very quickly, and went to the designated baggage carousel and waited and waited and waited…

To cut a long story short, no baggage for that flight ever came through that carousel. We eventually found one bag, dumped next to a carousel disgorging bags from China, and baggage staff finally traced the other two on a carousel at the other end of the terminal – also for a flight from Singapore – but not Thai Airways. I got the distinct impression that this was par for the course, and the staff expressed no surprises on the chaotic baggage situation.

I’m afraid that things really seem to be going backwards in LOS.

[steveromagnino]

I’m afraid that things really seem to be going backwards in LOS.

You take a cruise to one island, and encounter some bad baggage on on the basis of this 'things are going backwards in LOS'.

Awesome

[JR Texas]

I’m afraid that things really seem to be going backwards in LOS.

You take a cruise to one island, and encounter some bad baggage on on the basis of this 'things are going backwards in LOS'.

Awesome

JR Texas: I lived in Samui for three months way back in 1999.......even then it was going downhill fast.

It is just too much development all over (TOO MANY PEOPLE).......Koh Samui is ruined, Pattaya-Jomtien is ruined, Bangkok is no longer livable, Chiang Mai is also ruined........running out of places to ruin but I heard that Koh Chang was also being ruined by rampant development.

Most of the problems surfaced over the past six years after Thailand was targeted by the real estate hounds in the West and subsequently promoted as a place to "retire in paradise."

I understand that development is necessary........but I miss the way Thailand used to be before massive development and population growth messed it up. Maybe Cambodia and Vietnam are the next frontiers.

[Mobi]

You take a cruise to one island, and encounter some bad baggage on on the basis of this 'things are going backwards in LOS'.

Awesome rolleyes.gif laugh.gif

I did say they were 'brief' notes.

Anyway, so after 6 months of operation, our wonderful new 'Hub of Asia' airport can't provide an airbridge for its own flag carrier and can't deliver a few bags to a designated carousel, and doesn't give s shit either....

Whereas in 30 years of travelling to Thailand, I never had a single bag go astray at Don Muang.....

And my harange about Koh Samui doesn't count then? From idyllic island to a polluted dump....

My observations were simply that - brief observations , and were in no way intended to be a all encompassing thesis on why I think Thailand is going backwards - which it undoubtedly is.

yes, I guess I am pretty awesome... thank you kindly...

[uptou]

i guess there will come a time when all the islands with potential,get over developed.

wonder whether national marine parks are safe?

i was also on ko samui,around 15 years ago,although my memory is abit hazy,being at the time a young 20 year old.i stayed on lamai beach in a bamboo hut,with only a few other bamboo huts dotted around.those were the days.