Quality of life in Kho Samui

[paul1804]

I have resided in Koh Samui for 2 years now and love living here. Samui has all the amenities of a modern city including french pastries of a good standard. Public transport doesn't exist and taxis can be a rip off so just hire a motor bike, they are cheap. We have several good Supermarkets, markets and your convenience stores which stock basics. The recently renovated Tops Market in the Central Festival centre is excellent and also has incredibly good pastries and bread but are a little more expensive! The Central Festival shopping centre is normally bustling with a good range of shops and restaurants, also a Central department store which has everything you need. 

Medical is of a good standard with plenty of choices including Samui government hospital which has a good reputation. May is sort of the start to the rainy season but it really ramps up in October and normally goes through to February. The beaches right now are exceptionally clean, I guess due to the lack of tourists. I have visited Changmai several times and liked it but have to say I am happy to be on Samui and would not move to Changmai in preference. 

I hope this helps. 

[Jeffr2]

17 minutes ago, paul1804 said:

I have resided in Koh Samui for 2 years now and love living here. Samui has all the amenities of a modern city including french pastries of a good standard. Public transport doesn't exist and taxis can be a rip off so just hire a motor bike, they are cheap. We have several good Supermarkets, markets and your convenience stores which stock basics. The recently renovated Tops Market in the Central Festival centre is excellent and also has incredibly good pastries and bread but are a little more expensive! The Central Festival shopping centre is normally bustling with a good range of shops and restaurants, also a Central department store which has everything you need. 

Medical is of a good standard with plenty of choices including Samui government hospital which has a good reputation. May is sort of the start to the rainy season but it really ramps up in October and normally goes through to February. The beaches right now are exceptionally clean, I guess due to the lack of tourists. I have visited Changmai several times and liked it but have to say I am happy to be on Samui and would not move to Changmai in preference. 

I hope this helps. 

Well put...but I'd hate to think of how many scooter accidents I've seen on Samui.  Many.  I do believe it's the #1 place outside the UK where it's citizens get hurt.  The drivers there are insane.  Not too bad now, but back when it was busy, there's no way I'd ride a scooter on the main highway.  No way.

[gearbox]

8 hours ago, Maha Sarakham said:

I would advise you to visit Samui before you pull the "that's it, I'm moving to Samui" card based off of a few posts here.  Nothing against KhunPer and TropicalEvo, they are both very helpful, well-spoken, and regular posters here, but they are Samui's biggest shill's as well.  You basically read all the great things about Samui and almost decided to move based on that alone.  Don't get me wrong, Samui is a wonderful place that I someday hope to retire to as well, but seriously consider going there first as they suggested.  Taxis and Grab are not cheap on Samui, they are more expensive than Phuket in some cases.  Depending on your interest in riding a motorbike or driving on the island, that could be a potential deal breaker alone.  Go see what you think about it once the interprovincial restrictions are lifted.

I live in Samui, but if my gf didn't have business here we would seriously consider moving to Phuket.

 

There are a few advantages Phuket has in regards to my lifestyle:

 

* The beaches are just better. Cleaner water, more interesting islands to kayak to.

* No ferry needed to get to the mainland - every return trip with a car from Samui to Donsak is 1k bahts. If you like driving around often for holidays the west coast is more interesting.

* Big international airport with cheap and convenient flights all over Asia - I used to travel a lot pre covid. You are no hostage of Bangkok Airways.

 

I don't know the Grab prices in Phuket but in Samui looks like most of the Grab members are from the taxi mafia. I checked the Grab prices from Chaweng Beach to Nathon (around 18km),  around 650 baht. Same thing I've seen in Ubud, Indonesia. Best to have own car or motorbike here.

 

One very big advantage of Samui is the short wet season and the weather. It rains from mid October to mid December, during the rest of the year the weather is mostly good. Even during the rainy months you can experience periods of good weather. You won't see temperatures in the range 35-40C here.

Also Koh Phangan is just 15 km away, one of the best places in Thailand to chill out.

 

 

[Jeffr2]

3 minutes ago, gearbox said:

I live in Samui, but if my gf didn't have business here we would seriously consider moving to Phuket.

 

There are a few advantages Phuket has in regards to my lifestyle:

 

* The beaches are just better. Cleaner water, more interesting islands to kayak to.

* No ferry needed to get to the mainland - every return trip with a car from Samui to Donsak is 1k bahts. If you like driving around often for holidays the west coast is more interesting.

* Big international airport with cheap and convenient flights all over Asia - I used to travel a lot pre covid. You are no hostage of Bangkok Airways.

 

I don't know the Grab prices in Phuket but in Samui looks like most of the Grab members are from the taxi mafia. I checked the Grab prices from Chaweng Beach to Nathon (around 18km),  around 650 baht. Same thing I've seen in Ubud, Indonesia. Best to have own car or motorbike here.

 

One very big advantage of Samui is the short wet season and the weather. It rains from mid October to mid December, during the rest of the year the weather is mostly good. Even during the rainy months you can experience periods of good weather. You won't see temperatures in the range 35-40C here.

Also Koh Phangan is just 15 km away, one of the best places in Thailand to chill out.

 

 

Interesting comparison.  For sure the beaches on Phuket are better.  But I don't like all the hills! LOL.  Getting around is tough.  Not too bad now, but a few years ago...wow.  And the taxi mafia there is worse than in Samui.  After an altercation several years ago, we decided never to go back.  We did a few months ago and it was great.  But that will change in the future.  We stayed in Kamala.  KPN is nice now, but when busy, too many tats and body piercings! LOL

[LivinLOS]

52 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Keep in context that you are comparing a large city with a small island. The facilities cannot compare.

 

'The Chiang Mai metropolitan area has a population of nearly one million people, which is more than half of the total population of Chiang Mai Province. '

 

Absolutely.. I 100% agree with you this is the kind of difference.. 

 

But some of the Pro Samui posters are making it seem equivalent.. 'everything you need' is easily available and as someone with no particular dog in this fight, and  lot of experience in both, I dont think thats really accurate.. 

 

Are most of those things mostly available at higher prices and less quality choice ? Yes !! How important is that extra bit or cost, entirely up to the person. 

[Eric Loh]

I will live in both places at different time of the year. Stay in CM end of year while Samui battered the monsoon from October to January. Nice cool weather in CM at this time and flowers are blooming. During the monsoon period in Samui, not much to do. Get back to Samui after Feb where there are fewer rainy days and sunny at the beach while CM pollution seeps in. 

[Tropicalevo]

4 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

I will live in both places at different time of the year. Stay in CM end of year while Samui battered the monsoon from October to January. Nice cool weather in CM at this time and flowers are blooming. During the monsoon period in Samui, not much to do. Get back to Samui after Feb where there are fewer rainy days and sunny at the beach while CM pollution seeps in. 

That sounds like a good balance.

We get a lot of guests come down from Chiang Mai February to April.

Some are still here. but I suspect that is because Chiang Mai is a deep red zone.

[Mario666]

8 hours ago, Logosone said:

Of course I will have a look before I go there, but honestly I did not rate Samui as highly as after things have been clarified here (good internet, European shopping, good air quality, massage places). The only downsides I see to Samui are basically size, fewer malls, restaurants, and facilities generally, transport a little more expensive and no grab food deliveries, maybe Central Festival in Chiang Mai is a small cut above the one Samui and you don't get that vibe of civilized 1000 year old city in Samui, however, Samui has a very strong package. The island feel and beach life is the big draw of course and you'd not sacrifice much in terms of facilities. And there is that horrible air in Chiang Mai for months. But you're right of course it'll be a question of staying in Samui a few months. Still very good info here, and appreciate all the pics of malls and such. I have heard some good things about Surat Thani, but it looks like expats don't go there. Wonder why.

 

On Samui they now have Food Panda and I see their Delivery Motorbikes all the time....But, in any case there are so many restaurants everywhere on the island.....I live 10 metres from the beach and the AIR is Fantastic!.....I hear horror stories all the time about Air Quality in Chiang Mai.....Would you rather die from Lung Disease or Old Age??? ????

 

 

[gearbox]

11 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

 

Absolutely.. I 100% agree with you this is the kind of difference.. 

 

But some of the Pro Samui posters are making it seem equivalent.. 'everything you need' is easily available and as someone with no particular dog in this fight, and  lot of experience in both, I dont think thats really accurate.. 

 

Are most of those things mostly available at higher prices and less quality choice ? Yes !! How important is that extra bit or cost, entirely up to the person. 

 

For sure Samui would be more expensive,  not so much for the imported stuff, but for the local produce. The fresh food markets in Chiang Mai were cheaper, I would say significantly cheaper than Samui. However you can buy fresh seafood at the markets in Samui,  highly unlikely to get this in Chiang Mai unless they fly the goods.

[Henryford]

9 hours ago, Logosone said:

A lot of fanstatic replies, thanks everyone surpassed my expectations, things are much clearer now, really helpful.

 

Thanks Khun Per for clarifying about the age of Central Festival in Samui, I was looking at clips on Youtube, and thought it was much older, but it must be the outdoors concept rather than older architecture.

 

fdsa, can you elaborate on "lack of civilization"? I saw that much of Samui is dead now, as it appears to rely more on tourism than many places, but I suspect you mean something else. Just small size?

 

I quite agree that Chiang Mai is a very nice city, the hundreds of years of history vibe, plus cool weather sometimes and choice of restaurants has been very pleasant. Unfortunately the air quality is worse than I thought, which is a dealbreaker, but I certainly don't want to sacrifice the benefits of Chiang Mai, lots of massage places, restaurants, malls, french bakeries etc. I am still concerned about the size of Samui but it has so many plus points I will check it out. I saw there is no Grab food delivery in Samui but that's no an issue for me.

 

Phetphet, I've been to Hua Hin, nice fish, but too sprawled out and not my thing. I think it's between Chiang Mai, Ko Samui or Pattya. 

 

Interesting why you don't choose Pattaya. Has far more malls, restaurants, bakeries, bars, massages, close to Bangkok and the airports. Cheaper and easier travel. OK the beach isn't that great. Samui might be great for a short time but the hassle in travelling outside and the taxi (and Bangkok Airways) mafia would <deleted> me off.

[phetphet]

9 hours ago, Logosone said:

A lot of fanstatic replies, thanks everyone surpassed my expectations, things are much clearer now, really helpful.

 

Thanks Khun Per for clarifying about the age of Central Festival in Samui, I was looking at clips on Youtube, and thought it was much older, but it must be the outdoors concept rather than older architecture.

 

fdsa, can you elaborate on "lack of civilization"? I saw that much of Samui is dead now, as it appears to rely more on tourism than many places, but I suspect you mean something else. Just small size?

 

I quite agree that Chiang Mai is a very nice city, the hundreds of years of history vibe, plus cool weather sometimes and choice of restaurants has been very pleasant. Unfortunately the air quality is worse than I thought, which is a dealbreaker, but I certainly don't want to sacrifice the benefits of Chiang Mai, lots of massage places, restaurants, malls, french bakeries etc. I am still concerned about the size of Samui but it has so many plus points I will check it out. I saw there is no Grab food delivery in Samui but that's no an issue for me.

 

Phetphet, I've been to Hua Hin, nice fish, but too sprawled out and not my thing. I think it's between Chiang Mai, Ko Samui or Pattya. 

There is Grab food delivery on Samui. I actually saw one  of their guys waiting for a pick up in McDonalds last night. Also Foodpanda and Hangover Samui.

[robertson468]

10 hours ago, khunPer said:

You have not been on Samui recently, Tops is big now, they've taken over the whole northern part of Central Festival's ground floor.

I would agree that the original poster does not know the Island very well.  One issue that has not been discussed is the people.  I have lived here for near on 17  years and I love both the Island and the Thai People, who are predominantly kind, courteous and helpful, with more often than not a winning smile.  I have a good friene who moved from Chaing Mai because of the annual burning, which he found both very annoying and detrimental to his health, so moved here and loves it.  I have been to Phuket several times and have to say for me, it is too comercial and the people do not appear to be as friendly.  Hua Hin is fine if you want peace and tranquility, but I found it quite boring after about a week.  As suggested to you, why not come down for a month and see if it fits you - we are after all, all different!

[PDPA2024]

1 hour ago, Jeffr2 said:

Well put...but I'd hate to think of how many scooter accidents I've seen on Samui.  Many.  I do believe it's the #1 place outside the UK where it's citizens get hurt.  The drivers there are insane.  Not too bad now, but back when it was busy, there's no way I'd ride a scooter on the main highway.  No way.

I figure most accidents were drunk tourists who never rode a motorbike before. IMO it's much safer to ride here than in Chiang Mai, where you have to squeeze between cars to avoid suffocating in traffic. All insane car drivers I saw on Samui had Bangkok plates ????

[spidermike007]

I moved to Samui 15 years ago. Back then it was paradise. Over the years it got highly developed, and traffic increased dramatically, and we eventually left. Alot has changed since Covid. Been back recently, and have a few friends still living there. 

 

I am getting bored of Chiang Mai and am looking at Kho Samui. Air quality and beach feel appeal. However I wonder about the following:

Air quality is some of the best in Thailand. Nearly constant marine influences, some amazing tropical storms, and generally delightful climate. It does get hot in March to June, but so does nearly everywhere else in Thailand. There are some very nice beaches on Samui.

 

1. There is a great choice of European shopping in Chiang Mai, even a French bakery with excellent baguette. I am assuming this is not the case in Kho Samui. Is that correct? There is no French bakery, baguette or supermarket with European shopping items?

 

There are bakeries on Samui, though not the level of CM, which is special when it comes to baked goods, vegan food, etc. Some of the markets have imported items, and these days alot can be ordered on Lazada, directly from places like the Baguette in HH, and many other shops and companies online, who will ship via Kerry. 

 

2. Are prices the same, eg are Grab rides normal priced or is it a Phuket taxi mafia situation?

I do not know if Grab exists on Samui, and if so, how reasonable it it. The taxis are out of control, and one of my top complaints was the inability to get around reasonably, using public transportation. I hear that has improved a little bit. They still have alot of work to do. Having a car, and a motorbike (only if you are a highly skilled rider, as Samui is the most dangerous place to ride a bike in Thailand, by a long shot).

 

3. Is it viable to go to shopping in Surat Thani and is shopping there any good (ie malls, supermarkets, it looks like they are older malls in Kho Samui)

Yes, the shopping is pretty good. Top market, two big Makros, Big C, and many local natural food stores, fresh markets, etc. Prices tend to be higher than on the mainland, for alot of products. Not dramatically higher. I just felt like I was paying a Samui surcharge quite often. But, with the exception of certain items, the shopping on Samui is comparable, if not better than Surat Thani. 

 

4. Massage places, are there good ones in Kho Samui?

Over the years, the quality of women to be found in the local spots has declined, as is the case elsewhere too. But, there is enough to work with. Dozens of shops have closed since Covid. Many of my single friends are getting action online now. And prices have come down. It is likely alot better than CM. And plenty of good traditional massage spots, if that is what you were asking about. 

 

One small consideration. Samui, like Phuket is a ghost of it's former self with the impact of Covid. It is very quiet, and hundreds and hundreds of shops, hotels, bars, massage shops, etc., have closed. So, I find it a little bit depressing now. However, if you have nothing to compare it to, it might be fine for you. And some love the fact that the crowds are gone, and the island is cheaper overall. It is all a matter of perspective. 

 

Overall, I would say give it a shot. If it were me, I would move there for a month, and see how you like it first. The air and the congestion in CM would drive me crazy. Samui, if you are away from the Ring Road, is quite beautiful. Either the beach area, or the mountains are gorgeous. And prices of rentals have dropped significantly, as demand has dropped off the face of the earth. There are alot of very nice places available now for alot less than before. 

 

 

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, gearbox said:

For sure Samui would be more expensive,  not so much for the imported stuff, but for the local produce. The fresh food markets in Chiang Mai were cheaper, I would say significantly cheaper than Samui.

Yes, Chiang Mai-strawberries are awful expensive on Samui compared to Chiang Mai, but in general vegetables are otherwise affordable, and sometimes cheaper in Makro than on the local market; the latter unfortunately don't count for strawberries...????

 

[LivinLOS]

1 hour ago, gearbox said:

 

For sure Samui would be more expensive,  not so much for the imported stuff, but for the local produce. The fresh food markets in Chiang Mai were cheaper, I would say significantly cheaper than Samui. However you can buy fresh seafood at the markets in Samui,  highly unlikely to get this in Chiang Mai unless they fly the goods.

If you want it, the main market in the city (esp 5 6am) has loads of seafood and strangely cheaper for large prawns etc.. But as an Island its the on the menu choice and we both go overboard when we come down, its part of the experience. Up north more likely to enjoy geangs and northern lanna foods. 

Its all swings and roundabouts, I dont have strong feelings of dislike to any of the balance except high season tourism, everything else is a kind of trade off that has upsides and downsides. 

 

 

[khunPer]

24 minutes ago, redpill17 said:

I figure most accidents were drunk tourists who never rode a motorbike before. IMO it's much safer to ride here than in Chiang Mai, where you have to squeeze between cars to avoid suffocating in traffic. All insane car drivers I saw on Samui had Bangkok plates ????

A number of year ago, when we had printed weekly newspapers on the island, we also got a monthly police statistics for traffic accidents; unfortunately I haven't seen any since.

 

Back then, in average about 15 percent of the police reported traffic accidents involved foreigners, and in up to 85 percent of all accidents alcohol played a part; i.e. the drivers were over the permitted limit.

 

By that time 2-3 traffic death a month were reported, but that figure might well be higher, as it was said only to include those that were declared dead on the spot, not those that were declared dead when arriving hospital or died later. It seems to be a general discrepancy for Thailand's traffic stats, when reading the news.

[LivinLOS]

36 minutes ago, robertson468 said:

I would agree that the original poster does not know the Island very well.  One issue that has not been discussed is the people.  I have lived here for near on 17  years and I love both the Island and the Thai People, who are predominantly kind, courteous and helpful, with more often than not a winning smile.  I have a good friene who moved from Chaing Mai because of the annual burning, which he found both very annoying and detrimental to his health, so moved here and loves it.  I have been to Phuket several times and have to say for me, it is too comercial and the people do not appear to be as friendly.  Hua Hin is fine if you want peace and tranquility, but I found it quite boring after about a week.  As suggested to you, why not come down for a month and see if it fits you - we are after all, all different!

 

Agree with every word here.. 

[Birdman]

1 hour ago, gearbox said:

I live in Samui, but if my gf didn't have business here we would seriously consider moving to Phuket.

 

There are a few advantages Phuket has in regards to my lifestyle:

 

* The beaches are just better. Cleaner water, more interesting islands to kayak to.

* No ferry needed to get to the mainland - every return trip with a car from Samui to Donsak is 1k bahts. If you like driving around often for holidays the west coast is more interesting.

* Big international airport with cheap and convenient flights all over Asia - I used to travel a lot pre covid. You are no hostage of Bangkok Airways.

 

I don't know the Grab prices in Phuket but in Samui looks like most of the Grab members are from the taxi mafia. I checked the Grab prices from Chaweng Beach to Nathon (around 18km),  around 650 baht. Same thing I've seen in Ubud, Indonesia. Best to have own car or motorbike here.

 

One very big advantage of Samui is the short wet season and the weather. It rains from mid October to mid December, during the rest of the year the weather is mostly good. Even during the rainy months you can experience periods of good weather. You won't see temperatures in the range 35-40C here.

Also Koh Phangan is just 15 km away, one of the best places in Thailand to chill out.

 

 

Hard to compare the beaches. Phuket´s are very wide with almost no palm trees. The Andaman Sea is rougher and much longer not swimmable. Monsoon there is way longer and more intense. GoT has more of a lake character. Very calm most of the time. Because of many rivers the shallow Golf - the deepest app 80 meters at some spots only -  is not very salty and so is the air (which keeps also your things longer alive, if you live next to the sea like me) 

 

Especially because the mainland has to be reached by ferry Samui has that island character. Can't say which coast is more interesting, both are beautiful and interesting and just a bit over a hours drive away on 44. But if not on holidays you will never drive out of both places.

 

Yep, that would be a point. But there are cheap flights from NST and URT to BKK for connection and the HKT flights are only 45 minutes from Samui. But most people don't use that anyway. I live on Samui since 30 years, met countless farangs and was always surprised that most don't travel much even in Thailand. 

[fdsa]

I've just recalled a fun fact: the beloved international airport on Koh Samui is not a government one but a privately owned by Bangkok Airways and the monopoly allows them to pump up the prices.

E.g. the one-way ticket Samui-Bangkok costed 4000 THB at the same time as Chumphon-Bangkok or Suratthani-Bangkok costed 750 THB. But the long stayers on Samui were entitled to get a "Samui Resident" card which provided a whopping 50% discount! So Samui-Bangkok flight was mere 2000 THB compared to 750 THB from other near cities.

 

Have the situation changed since I left the island?

 

 

[Captor]

15 hours ago, Logosone said:

I have to say based on your comments and what I saw already, the good quality air, beaches, abundance of good restaurants, international airport, French and German bakeries I am seriously considering making the move to Koh Samui and will check it out. I'm still a bit concerned that the Central Festival is a bit older than the one in Chiang Mai but otherwise, one hour flight to Bangkok is the same as Chiang Mai, French and German bakeries, the same supermarkets, same accommodation prices and Surat Thani and islands quite close I think it is definitely time to check out the island.

But the air tickets are more expensive than other parts of Thailand. And how about the maffia? I have heard some of that.

[Mario666]

30 minutes ago, Henryford said:

 

Interesting why you don't choose Pattaya. Has far more malls, restaurants, bakeries, bars, massages, close to Bangkok and the airports. Cheaper and easier travel. OK the beach isn't that great. Samui might be great for a short time but the hassle in travelling outside and the taxi (and Bangkok Airways) mafia would <deleted> me off.

 

Well I have been to "Patts" and Phuket many times, but chose to settle on Samui.

 

Pattaya was great for Girlies and cheaper than Samui for most things, but I like beaches (clean ones)......I love Phuket for the the bigger variety of scenery, beaches, The Old Town and Bangla Road was real fun before Covid!....I think Phuket and Samui have similar prices for most things, but I think Phuket is higher for decent property rentals?.

 

But, I got a great deal on a beachside house (near Lamai) on Samui 11 years ago  for 110,000 Thb pa....and managed to get a fixed price 5 year lease!....I have been a good tenant and do all maintenance, gardening and repairs myself and as such have renewed the 5 year lease at the same price Twice!....Even with Covid I know it would be at least double that if I was starting again, but the Landlords are very wealthy property owners on Samui and have become like family friends!

 

Just before Songkran I was planning an extensive driving tour of the South (including Songkhla, Trang, Krabi, Koh Lanta, Phuket and Phan Nga...... plus the National Parks along the way).

 

This is easily doable from Samui once you have taken the ferry to Donsak (if it doesn't sink). ????

 

My rent is so cheap that I could even use my current place as a second or "Holiday Home" if I choose to get another place somewhere after Covid dies down, but anyway it is a Great Place to live, with all amenities close by...Makro, Lotus' and Big C.

 

I have used Nathon Govt. Hospital on many occasions, but now aged 63 and with the Covid situation I have taken out Health Insurance which is not cheap!....In fact it costs more than my rent! ????

 

But, I have also used Bangkok Hospital in Chaweng for emergencies (dog bite, broken arm, Ladyboy attack, etc.,) and they are excellent if a bit pricey!...There are another 3 Private Hospitals on the island as well as Govt, clinics.

 

I have a motorbike, but having witnessed accidents and very nearly been involved many myself (never my fault....Samui drivers and roads are CRAZY)....I now just use the bike to go to 7/11 or Family Mart down the road and use the SUV for any distance over 5K! 

 

I haven't been to Chiang Mai yet, but would love to visit outside "Burning Season" ...I have seen some great Road Trips on YouTube about CM and bike rides up to Chiang Rai, Pai, etc.,

 

I hope this gives you an insight and would "deffo" agree with other posters that you should come and rent a place for a short time to check it out!

 

Good luck and if you come PM me for a beer (assuming no alcohol ban) and I will gladly show you around the island! ????????????

 

 

 

[fdsa]

11 hours ago, Logosone said:

fdsa, can you elaborate on "lack of civilization"? I saw that much of Samui is dead now, as it appears to rely more on tourism than many places, but I suspect you mean something else. Just small size?

It's hard to explain, come live there for few months and you'll feel it. Or will not :)

but you should stay for relatively long time as on the first month you'll be amazed by palm island and beaches, and the "usual life" will begin on about 3rd month only. So staying for mere few weeks or one month will not give you a real picture.

And yes, renting/buying a car is a must.

[Deli]

Samui is a great place and had it all. The only downer is: whenever you wanna go somewhere else, you need to ferry or fly.

[Logosone]

4 hours ago, Henryford said:

 

Interesting why you don't choose Pattaya. Has far more malls, restaurants, bakeries, bars, massages, close to Bangkok and the airports. Cheaper and easier travel. OK the beach isn't that great. Samui might be great for a short time but the hassle in travelling outside and the taxi (and Bangkok Airways) mafia would <deleted> me off.

 

Pattaya is on the list, simply because the facilities are so good, so many malls, bakeries, restaurants and yes the proximity to Bangkok is a  plus because I love Bangkok and would move there if not for the awful air quality. I have different concerns about Pattaya though, like flooding, the Central mall is from 2009, and obviously air quality is not as good as Samui and surroundings are not as beautiful. But I also plan to do a longer stint in Pattaya because at the moment it is really between Pattay and Koh Samui. I've been to Phuket, stayed at a villa at the Grand Centara which is right on the beach but I was not impressed with the beach. I probably won't be in Koh Samui either as I saw the hotels now don't pay staff to clean up the beaches and I lived in the Caribbean anyway so beaches are on a different level. But I want to find that happy balance of facilities, beautiful surroundings and air quality. Phuket had a few okay malls, and lovely muslim breakfast of roti and fried egg which was the best I had in Thailand, but with restaurants and malls I think Chiang Mai is stronger.  Chiang Mai is a lovely place but the air quality is just a problem if it wasn't for that I could easily stay in Chiang Mai. Phuket doesn't draw me.

 

For me this thread was merely about checking if Koh Samui ticks all the basics, good internet, french bakeries, massage places, shopping malls. So it looks like that is the case, but people have been very honest about the downsides, expensive (not a dealbreaker for me I didn't find living in Chiang Mai cheaper than where I'm from), travel mafia (not great but I will have scooter and/or car), less choice of restaurants, malls and massage places (the most serious con), expensive flights (not great but not dealbreaker and you can fly to KL, HK, Singapore, China and BK so that's good).

 

Clearly one has to do a longer stint of living there for a number of months, but man is talking to those whove lived there for years useful. Really good posts across the board, and really appreciate all the good info.

 

 

[Jeffr2]

4 hours ago, redpill17 said:

I figure most accidents were drunk tourists who never rode a motorbike before. IMO it's much safer to ride here than in Chiang Mai, where you have to squeeze between cars to avoid suffocating in traffic. All insane car drivers I saw on Samui had Bangkok plates ????

Good point. I  tried a scooter in CM. NO fun. LOL

 

The worst drivers on samui are the vans hauling tourists around. Or ones making deliveries. Insane drivers.

[Jeffr2]

27 minutes ago, Logosone said:

 

Pattaya is on the list, simply because the facilities are so good, so many malls, bakeries, restaurants and yes the proximity to Bangkok is a  plus because I love Bangkok and would move there if not for the awful air quality. I have different concerns about Pattaya though, like flooding, the Central mall is from 2009, and obviously air quality is not as good as Samui and surroundings are not as beautiful. But I also plan to do a longer stint in Pattaya because at the moment it is really between Pattay and Koh Samui. I've been to Phuket, stayed at a villa at the Grand Centara which is right on the beach but I was not impressed with the beach. I probably won't be in Koh Samui either as I saw the hotels now don't pay staff to clean up the beaches and I lived in the Caribbean anyway so beaches are on a different level. But I want to find that happy balance of facilities, beautiful surroundings and air quality. Phuket had a few okay malls, and lovely muslim breakfast of roti and fried egg which was the best I had in Thailand, but with restaurants and malls I think Chiang Mai is stronger.  Chiang Mai is a lovely place but the air quality is just a problem if it wasn't for that I could easily stay in Chiang Mai. Phuket doesn't draw me.

 

For me this thread was merely about checking if Koh Samui ticks all the basics, good internet, french bakeries, massage places, shopping malls. So it looks like that is the case, but people have been very honest about the downsides, expensive (not a dealbreaker for me I didn't find living in Chiang Mai cheaper than where I'm from), travel mafia (not great but I will have scooter and/or car), less choice of restaurants, malls and massage places (the most serious con), expensive flights (not great but not dealbreaker and you can fly to KL, HK, Singapore, China and BK so that's good).

 

Clearly one has to do a longer stint of living there for a number of months, but man is talking to those whove lived there for years useful. Really good posts across the board, and really appreciate all the good info.

 

 

Just curious as we are considering this. Where were you in the Caribbean? Why did you leave? We're been here 20 years and are researching other places to live.

 

I've been on many Caribbean islands. But just as a short time tourist.

 

Thanks.

[Logosone]

I lived a few years between Cuba and Jamaica but it was a very small island and basically I missed civilization, few choices of good facilities and hurricanes were a problem. I do mean a serious problem.

[Swimfan]

4 hours ago, khunPer said:

A number of year ago, when we had printed weekly newspapers on the island, we also got a monthly police statistics for traffic accidents; unfortunately I haven't seen any since.

 

Back then, in average about 15 percent of the police reported traffic accidents involved foreigners, and in up to 85 percent of all accidents alcohol played a part; i.e. the drivers were over the permitted limit.

 

By that time 2-3 traffic death a month were reported, but that figure might well be higher, as it was said only to include those that were declared dead on the spot, not those that were declared dead when arriving hospital or died later. It seems to be a general discrepancy for Thailand's traffic stats, when reading the news.

Agree most fatality reports from motorcycle accident on Samui start with the following headline. In the early hours of the morning..... you can fill in the rest. 
I hold a motor cycle license and have never found riding on Samui anymore dangerous than anywhere else. 
I would like to see some data to support the allegations of so called Most Dangerous Place to Ride in Thailand. 

[JimmyJ]

4 hours ago, khunPer said:

Yes, Chiang Mai-strawberries are awful expensive on Samui compared to Chiang Mai, but in general vegetables are otherwise affordable, and sometimes cheaper in Makro than on the local market; the latter unfortunately don't count for strawberries...????

 

All your pix in this thread have exceptional clarity.

 

What camera do you use for these?