Chaweng & Lamai - going forward.

[Maha Sarakham]

As we are all aware, these two areas in particular have been hit pretty hard from the lack of tourist arrivals.  Many businesses have been closed for quite a while now.

 

My question is, how do you think these areas might change going forward?  Do you think business owners will attempt to just pick up where they left off or will there be a significant turnover to new businesses catering more to Chinese nationals or otherwise?  I still believe Samui and Phuket will do pretty well with Westerners wanting to escape to a warmer climate for brief periods of time, however I really don't think the island will ever see the numbers of the past for the foreseeable future.  I also suspect a significant (and welcome) drop in the Full Moon Party crowd, with no other catalyst other than people choosing to explore other destinations instead while Thailand remains closed.

 

What are your thoughts, Samui patrons?  Any predictions for the future of these two areas?

[phetphet]

Bit of everything really. A lot of businesses will have just given up or walked away. Others may be able to reopen. Maybe landlords gave rent holiday or rent reduction. Even then, no tourists no business. Chaweng really is like a ghost town.

 

Of course the Chinese will swoop in when things open up again with wallets open, ready to buy everything cheap.

It's a lot closer to Thailand than Europe, and their tourists seem to love bulk buying everything here and shipping home to sell. It pays for their holiday.

Don't forget, even the middle class Chinese probably want to get out of China, and Thailand fits the bill. Not too far away, better quality food, and bankrupt or desperate businesses for sale for next to nothing.

 

I think long distance mass tourism from Europe will take quite a while to get back on it's feet.

 

Of course none of this is going to happen until Covid is under control and borders are open without quarantine.

 

[gearbox]

More businesses are still closing permanently. A lot of the staff has moved outside Samui,  so when eventually they start to reopen there won't be enough workers initially.

A lot of places look a bit dilapidated now, they would need some investment for a bit of refurbishing before opening.

Some of the public infrastructure like footpaths is slowly degrading,  hopefully they'll find money for it later as very few businesses are paying taxes now.

[Maha Sarakham]

1 hour ago, gearbox said:

Some of the public infrastructure like footpaths is slowly degrading,  hopefully they'll find money for it later as very few businesses are paying taxes now.

 

Interesting insight, something that I hadn't considered.  That could potentially affect other areas of Samui beyond Chaweng and Lamai as well.  Outside of infrastructure, I'm very interested to see if there will be any major or notable changes to Central Festival Mall's array of offerings and businesses.  I can only assume the reduced foot traffic is putting the squeeze on businesses having to pay hefty rental fees.  

[gearbox]

12 hours ago, Maha Sarakham said:

 

Interesting insight, something that I hadn't considered.  That could potentially affect other areas of Samui beyond Chaweng and Lamai as well.  Outside of infrastructure, I'm very interested to see if there will be any major or notable changes to Central Festival Mall's array of offerings and businesses.  I can only assume the reduced foot traffic is putting the squeeze on businesses having to pay hefty rental fees.  

 

I've heard on the grapevine, believe it or not, that a few months ago Central tried to raise the rents for the tenants. Probably as with typical mall leases there is a clause for indexing the rent up annually. Pretty dumb in the current circumstances.

 

My gf was talking a few days ago with a friend who works there in a clothes shop, she was saying that they are closing soon and moving out.

 

But Central in Chaweng is still in much better shape compared to say Jungceylon in Patong, Phuket,  pretty much all the chops were closed there late March.

 

[steelerian]

I was shopping on Central at 11.30am on Thursday last week. my gf and I were the only customers inside the Central Department Store, and I think we saw only 2 other customers in the entire mall.

[Maha Sarakham]

3 hours ago, steelerian said:

I was shopping on Central at 11.30am on Thursday last week. my gf and I were the only customers inside the Central Department Store, and I think we saw only 2 other customers in the entire mall.

 

Definitely not sustainable, let's hope things turn around later this year!

[KhunBENQ]

On 5/21/2021 at 10:17 PM, phetphet said:

Of course the Chinese will swoop in when things open up again with wallets open, ready to buy everything cheap.

Please don't describe nightmares ????

[Tropicalevo]

7 hours ago, steelerian said:

I was shopping on Central at 11.30am on Thursday last week. my gf and I were the only customers inside the Central Department Store, and I think we saw only 2 other customers in the entire mall.

 

I was in TOPS at Central today (not the department store) and it was very busy, more so than usual. I was there about 11.30 and it was Visakha Bucha - no alcohol so just normal shoppers and expats eating lunch..

 

It is just a feeling but the north end of the island is getting a little bit more busy again. Most of the villas that we manage are full  - quite a few long term guests now. People are fed up of Bangkok.

Also a few guests from ASQ.

[Tropicalevo]

On 5/21/2021 at 10:42 PM, gearbox said:

Some of the public infrastructure like footpaths is slowly degrading,  hopefully they'll find money for it later as very few businesses are paying taxes now.

Other parts of the island are having major investment on infrastructure.

The road from Bophut to Bangrak, Plai Laem, Choengmon and then on to Chaweng is brilliant.

All re-surfaced as far as Choengmon, with pavements and even street lights in most place.

The bad news is that the kids now use it as a race track for their bikes in the evenings.

 

(When I first came to Samui, Bangrak to Chaweng via Choengmon was just a dirt track!)

[bojo]

I think that for all tourist areas in the Kingdom, that we will be quite surprised at the breakneck speed that the locals adapt and reopen. Places, Samui in particular (my neck of the woods) might look like a setting for a spaghetti western, just the tumbleweed missing, will always remain popular as will all the other hotspots. A couple of phones calls to staff and only an overnight bus ride away at most for some will see most places bounce back rapido...................Enterprising Thais and local construction teams work fast and furious when they want....................I reckon they're all chomping at the bit, ever ready behind the scenes, just waiting for the first glimpse of travellers eager to spend their hard earned cash and the locals won't miss a beat in dusting off and opening the shutters........................

[starfish]

I can´t wait to see the outcry in all samui forums, when chaweng beachroad will be back to semi-normal, and thousands of tourists will permanently jump up and down and up from the footpath into the slowly crawling traffic jam, because of the hundred newly installed electro boxes, making it impossible to properly use the footpath anymore.

It will be a sight to behold ????

(or they are planing a car-free beachroad anyway, who knows . . )

 

 

[Maha Sarakham]

9 hours ago, starfish said:

I can´t wait to see the outcry in all samui forums, when chaweng beachroad will be back to semi-normal, and thousands of tourists will permanently jump up and down and up from the footpath into the slowly crawling traffic jam, because of the hundred newly installed electro boxes, making it impossible to properly use the footpath anymore.

 

Pretty sure the Chinese just walk in the road unaware of the surroundings around them anyways ????

[corkman]

My prediction.

 

Despite what TAT may think or wish for, tourists don't come to Thailand for luxury. The more "gentrified" it becomes, the less appeal it has to the type of tourists that put Thailand on the map in the first place. Tourstis want and expect tuk tuk's, cheap massages and knock off goods, cheap seafood and a rustic experience that is "cheap" compared to their home countries. They want quaint, thatched huts serving cocktails at sunset. 

 

Thailand offers none of that any more.

 

So as the recent high end places close down, and prices fall with it, then tourists may start to trickle back in enough numbers for smaller places to open and succeed. This lower end tourism (low end is not to be confused with low life) will gain a following and Thailand will regain its reputation as a "cheap and fun adventure", rather than an overpriced  "cheap and nasty" version of Bali or Singapore. If the flight prices stay as they are, they'll even attract well to do Thais for year round footfall.

 

I think there's another year of this slow death, then slowly it will rise from the ashes, and hopefully be more like it was 10-20 years, and less like it was 1-2yrs ago.

 

Either way, I'll still visit 3-4 times a year, because of the convenience and choice the place has always offered. Viva Samui! ????

[Maha Sarakham]

8 minutes ago, corkman said:

Tourstis want and expect tuk tuk's, cheap massages and knock off goods, cheap seafood and a rustic experience that is "cheap" compared to their home countries. They want quaint, thatched huts serving cocktails at sunset. 

 

Do we think that is true anymore?  Or has Instagram friendly travel become the way forward for these businesses?  It seems the only places really thriving lately are those with a trendy atmosphere, beautiful food presentation, and a seaside backdrop (at least in Pattaya).  I'm not sure backpackers will ever be the target market for any place going forward into the future.  It seems those days have sunset right along with the cheap prices that used to fuel young people to travel to Thailand.

[corkman]

1 hour ago, Maha Sarakham said:

 

Do we think that is true anymore?  Or has Instagram friendly travel become the way forward for these businesses?  It seems the only places really thriving lately are those with a trendy atmosphere, beautiful food presentation, and a seaside backdrop (at least in Pattaya).  I'm not sure backpackers will ever be the target market for any place going forward into the future.  It seems those days have sunset right along with the cheap prices that used to fuel young people to travel to Thailand.

 

It's just my perception, but the places which are thriving now are doing so thanks to Thai tourists that didn't come before because it was just too expensive. I know a lot of foreign tourists that said long before COVID that Thailand (not just Samui) had lost it's charm and unique quirkiness. As a young man, that's why I came here. I wasn't a stereotypical backpacker type. Thailand offered a sense of freedown and casual fun that holiday destinations in say the Mediterranean did not. Despite the "rustic" restaurant furniture, mismatched cutlery, etc. we didn't care because the food was both cheap and delicious. As I got older, and eventually came to live hear, I always lamented the times of old and hated the rise of hooters and other attempts to sleep away Thainess in favour of Westernization; and I often wondered if I was a twenty something or thirty something, why would I bother coming here, or least why they would come here more than once.

[gearbox]

6 hours ago, corkman said:

 

It's just my perception, but the places which are thriving now are doing so thanks to Thai tourists that didn't come before because it was just too expensive. I know a lot of foreign tourists that said long before COVID that Thailand (not just Samui) had lost it's charm and unique quirkiness. As a young man, that's why I came here. I wasn't a stereotypical backpacker type. Thailand offered a sense of freedown and casual fun that holiday destinations in say the Mediterranean did not. Despite the "rustic" restaurant furniture, mismatched cutlery, etc. we didn't care because the food was both cheap and delicious. As I got older, and eventually came to live hear, I always lamented the times of old and hated the rise of hooters and other attempts to sleep away Thainess in favour of Westernization; and I often wondered if I was a twenty something or thirty something, why would I bother coming here, or least why they would come here more than once.

 

I don't know where you are at the moment, but there are no places thriving in Samui, including the places catering for Thais. Most are barely surviving. 

When I came in Feb, I noticed a string of new Thai restaurants which have opened near the Success gym. I commented to my gf that the things must be getting better for new restaurants to come in play. She said "they are getting 3 months of free rent, they opened to see how it would go".  The three months free rent are gone and most of them are closed now.

I know one restaurant which is known to be owned by someone with lots of connections in Bangkok, it was full most of the time in Songkran, but completely empty since then.

One daily flight from Bangkok is not a volume of customers which could make any difference.

[khunPer]

The future – "going forward" – of Chaweng Beach and Lamai Beach is not what you see right now during a Covid-19 lockdown, it's what's coming after the pandemic.

 

The visitors to Samui already began to change during the last decade from it's original mix, originating from old time back packers, however with some major changes after the airport opened in late 1980s, when some people began staying in many star resorts, and more families arrived, and not to forget more Asian turists.

 

Asian tourists had already become the majority in Thailand before the Covid-pandemic, but Samui was still a destination for a huge amount of Westerners. Where 43% of visitors in Chiang Mai were Chinese in 2018, and 40% in Pattaya, and 35% on Phuket, there were only 15% Chinese on Samui. Pattya counted India as second largest group with 10% and South Korea as number three with 7%, whilst Samui had 10% Germans and 10% Brits in those positions. But the mix of guests on Samui might well continue to change in favor of more Asians in the future.

 

Furthermore I have an impression of that the interest from later visitors in general are for high-end accommodation rather than budget solutions. Especially in the later years befor the C-19 the number of several star resorts increased, and there are still a number under construction, whilst the "old fashioned" resorts were already suffering from little less customers. Also "old-timer" Westerners came in smaller numbers – some of the original returning hippie-era backpackers might simply have grown too old, or, as some of my friends, older and well-established enough to seek higher end accommodation with aircon, and travel by air instead of train and boat – the trend for experiencing amazing Thailand seemed to have topped around 2012-2014, so that also resulted in a little decline of Western tourists. Furthermore, in the period 2012-2014 the total number of foreign tourists in Thailand were about 25 million, whilst in 2019 it was almost 40 million, so relative the number of Westerners in total might seem halfed; but not on Samui, however both relative fewer, and in real numbers also little fewer.

 

Statistically have European tourists the lowest spending per day with average $125. Americans are second lowest with $147, but very small in number, 0.55% of the total arrivals in 2019; some individual European countries ranged higher with 1.98% Brits, 1.29% Germans and 0.92% French. However Russians made it up for the Caucasians with 6.78%, helped by o.48% from Ukraine. In 2019 the tourist stats showed 57.80% Chinese arrivals, 5.19% Japanese, 4.05% South Koreans and 2.90% from India, the latter has been mentioned as the future tourists for Phuket, and perhaps also Samui, don't forget India is within range of Airbus 320-family airplanes. Chinese are the highest daily spenders with $192, Middle East came in second with $190 a day, but low in numbers, and Asians in average (excluding ASEAN) spends $175 a day; i.e. Asians are more attractive tourists than Westerners, from en economical point of view.

 

Just looking at the numbers justify my impression of Samui turning more into higher end accommodation, and also a different shopping interest. Chinese tourists are said to love shopping in brand name malls, which justify places like Central Festival and the number of small brand name shopping malls replacing the old market stalls with mainly cheap clothes and copy-ware, paintings and souvenirs. However Chinese and Asian tourists are said to stay only 4-5 days, whilst Westerners typically stay two weeks – which might partly justify the lower daily spending – so the much higher number of Asians in arrivals stats are relative less viewed in daily number of residents compared to Westerners.

 

I've been noticing the young folks that are coming for partying. They are widely replacing the old time backpacker folks that created the party reputation of the islands, with stories about bonfires and guitars on Chaweng Beach on full moon nights – Time Magazine had a story about that the Full Moon Part originated on Chaweng's beach and later moved to Phangan, I'm not sure it's the true story, but it's one of many – and all other nights they were later also partying. They lived from next to nothing in cheap huts on the beaches of Chaweng and Lamai – some have posted that in the beginning a hut would cost 5 baht a day, but 100 baht is often mentioned, and when I came first time in 2001 then 300 baht the going rate – they were eating fried rice chicken for 30 baht, or less, from street kitchens, or like affordable restaurants, so they had enough spare money for Meekong-Coke and/or mushroom-shakes. It's changed; today's young folks want nice aircon rooms, good restaurants, and sit in trendy cafés or pubs before partying on beaches, or in clubs; and they seem to have enough funds piled up in their plastic cards for spending. That's why places like Ark Bar could grow so big from a modest palm-leaf roofed beach bar, to a huge resort with standard hotel-quality rooms.

 

The beaches of Chaweng and Lamai have become two different places, even both of them originates from the happy hippies. Where Chaweng Beach became party-zone and grew big based on that, including a number of several star resorts, Lamai Beach changed to more typical Thai beach destination with numerous bars spread widely over the beach road-area and more affordable life-style, where the few nightlife clubs slowly disappeared. Later it also seemed like some of the bars couldn't survive, as Samui is no longer an attractive destination for middle aged single gentlemen, who rather wish to spend the holiday budget in the nightlife, than on accommodation and domestic travelling. In Chaweng the typical beer bar era already began to fade out a decade, or more, ago; the party tourists are not heading for beer bars, and the family tourists neither; but the trendy pubs, attracting the party people, not only survived, but also grew in size.

 

I don't think the future after C-19 will change much of the already began progress, rather cement and forward changes from old style to the new era. Especially Asian tourists will quickly return and head for their 4-5 days in several star resorts, head out for gourmet restaurants, if not dining inside the walls of their resorts, and some of the guests will also seek trendy evening life and nightlife. A number of young folks will also return and pick-up the party where they left it, they seem to already really miss festivals and parties, not to forget a sabbat-year in South East Asia. However, some more of the old-time Samui-style will disappear, or just not reopen, but it will simply be replaces by something else within reasonable time.

 

Another already ongoing change that I also believe will continue is accommodation in pool villas and like, rather than old-fashioned rooms. Two pairs, or families, travelling together rent a private villa with their own pool, and might even cook a few meals "at home". Compared to the price of two or more, depending of eventual children, ordinary double rooms in the old-fashioned resorts, the private villa might cost the same; i.e. 1,500 to 2,500 baht a day times 2 easily justify a daily pool-villa rate of 3,000 to 5,000 baht; a private pool-villa might even be a cheaper solution in some cases (experience from my friends). Larger groups will head for luxury villas with more bedrooms. A trend for both Westerners and Asian is that the price is not as important as the quality of the holiday – I hear that often – in older time a holiday budget was limited, so the price was the most important for at all making the adventure of travelling possible.

 

So my "forward" crystal ball view is that it might take little time, perhaps up to two years, but both Chaweng Beach and Lamai Beach will come back alive when the pandemic is under control, but the already ongoing changes from old era towards a new time will just happen little more rapid than it would without the C-19 pandemic...????

 

[corkman]

27 minutes ago, khunPer said:

The future – "going forward" – of Chaweng Beach and Lamai Beach is not what you see right now during a Covid-19 lockdown, it's what's coming after the pandemic.

 

The visitors to Samui already began to change during the last decade from it's original mix, originating from old time back packers, however with some major changes after the airport opened in late 1980s, when some people began staying in many star resorts, and more families arrived, and not to forget more Asian turists.

 

Asian tourists had already become the majority in Thailand before the Covid-pandemic, but Samui was still a destination for a huge amount of Westerners. Where 43% of visitors in Chiang Mai were Chinese in 2018, and 40% in Pattaya, and 35% on Phuket, there were only 15% Chinese on Samui. Pattya counted India as second largest group with 10% and South Korea as number three with 7%, whilst Samui had 10% Germans and 10% Brits in those positions. But the mix of guests on Samui might well continue to change in favor of more Asians in the future.

 

Furthermore I have an impression of that the interest from later visitors in general are for high-end accommodation rather than budget solutions. Especially in the later years befor the C-19 the number of several star resorts increased, and there are still a number under construction, whilst the "old fashioned" resorts were already suffering from little less customers. Also "old-timer" Westerners came in smaller numbers – some of the original returning hippie-era backpackers might simply have grown too old, or, as some of my friends, older and well-established enough to seek higher end accommodation with aircon, and travel by air instead of train and boat – the trend for experiencing amazing Thailand seemed to have topped around 2012-2014, so that also resulted in a little decline of Western tourists. Furthermore, in the period 2012-2014 the total number of foreign tourists in Thailand were about 25 million, whilst in 2019 it was almost 40 million, so relative the number of Westerners in total might seem halfed; but not on Samui, however both relative fewer, and in real numbers also little fewer.

 

Statistically have European tourists the lowest spending per day with average $125. Americans are second lowest with $147, but very small in number, 0.55% of the total arrivals in 2019; some individual European countries ranged higher with 1.98% Brits, 1.29% Germans and 0.92% French. However Russians made it up for the Caucasians with 6.78%, helped by o.48% from Ukraine. In 2019 the tourist stats showed 57.80% Chinese arrivals, 5.19% Japanese, 4.05% South Koreans and 2.90% from India, the latter has been mentioned as the future tourists for Phuket, and perhaps also Samui, don't forget India is within range of Airbus 320-family airplanes. Chinese are the highest daily spenders with $192, Middle East came in second with $190 a day, but low in numbers, and Asians in average (excluding ASEAN) spends $175 a day; i.e. Asians are more attractive tourists than Westerners, from en economical point of view.

 

Just looking at the numbers justify my impression of Samui turning more into higher end accommodation, and also a different shopping interest. Chinese tourists are said to love shopping in brand name malls, which justify places like Central Festival and the number of small brand name shopping malls replacing the old market stalls with mainly cheap clothes and copy-ware, paintings and souvenirs. However Chinese and Asian tourists are said to stay only 4-5 days, whilst Westerners typically stay two weeks – which might partly justify the lower daily spending – so the much higher number of Asians in arrivals stats are relative less viewed in daily number of residents compared to Westerners.

 

I've been noticing the young folks that are coming for partying. They are widely replacing the old time backpacker folks that created the party reputation of the islands, with stories about bonfires and guitars on Chaweng Beach on full moon nights – Time Magazine had a story about that the Full Moon Part originated on Chaweng's beach and later moved to Phangan, I'm not sure it's the true story, but it's one of many – and all other nights they were later also partying. They lived from next to nothing in cheap huts on the beaches of Chaweng and Lamai – some have posted that in the beginning a hut would cost 5 baht a day, but 100 baht is often mentioned, and when I came first time in 2001 then 300 baht the going rate – they were eating fried rice chicken for 30 baht, or less, from street kitchens, or like affordable restaurants, so they had enough spare money for Meekong-Coke and/or mushroom-shakes. It's changed; today's young folks want nice aircon rooms, good restaurants, and sit in trendy cafés or pubs before partying on beaches, or in clubs; and they seem to have enough funds piled up in their plastic cards for spending. That's why places like Ark Bar could grow so big from a modest palm-leaf roofed beach bar, to a huge resort with standard hotel-quality rooms.

 

The beaches of Chaweng and Lamai have become two different places, even both of them originates from the happy hippies. Where Chaweng Beach became party-zone and grew big based on that, including a number of several star resorts, Lamai Beach changed to more typical Thai beach destination with numerous bars spread widely over the beach road-area and more affordable life-style, where the few nightlife clubs slowly disappeared. Later it also seemed like some of the bars couldn't survive, as Samui is no longer an attractive destination for middle aged single gentlemen, who rather wish to spend the holiday budget in the nightlife, than on accommodation and domestic travelling. In Chaweng the typical beer bar era already began to fade out a decade, or more, ago; the party tourists are not heading for beer bars, and the family tourists neither; but the trendy pubs, attracting the party people, not only survived, but also grew in size.

 

I don't think the future after C-19 will change much of the already began progress, rather cement and forward changes from old style to the new era. Especially Asian tourists will quickly return and head for their 4-5 days in several star resorts, head out for gourmet restaurants, if not dining inside the walls of their resorts, and some of the guests will also seek trendy evening life and nightlife. A number of young folks will also return and pick-up the party where they left it, they seem to already really miss festivals and parties, not to forget a sabbat-year in South East Asia. However, some more of the old-time Samui-style will disappear, or just not reopen, but it will simply be replaces by something else within reasonable time.

 

Another already ongoing change that I also believe will continue is accommodation in pool villas and like, rather than old-fashioned rooms. Two pairs, or families, travelling together rent a private villa with their own pool, and might even cook a few meals "at home". Compared to the price of two or more, depending of eventual children, ordinary double rooms in the old-fashioned resorts, the private villa might cost the same; i.e. 1,500 to 2,500 baht a day times 2 easily justify a daily pool-villa rate of 3,000 to 5,000 baht; a private pool-villa might even be a cheaper solution in some cases (experience from my friends). Larger groups will head for luxury villas with more bedrooms. A trend for both Westerners and Asian is that the price is not as important as the quality of the holiday – I hear that often – in older time a holiday budget was limited, so the price was the most important for at all making the adventure of travelling possible.

 

So my "forward" crystal ball view is that it might take little time, perhaps up to two years, but both Chaweng Beach and Lamai Beach will come back alive when the pandemic is under control, but the already ongoing changes from old era towards a new time will just happen little more rapid than it would without the C-19 pandemic...????

 

As usual, a well detailed and compelling position from KhunPer. Hard to disagree. That means me doing a complete u-turn on my previous thoughts ???? 

 

Indeed - 2001 and 300 baht, just as you describe. 

[corkman]

7 hours ago, gearbox said:

 

I don't know where you are at the moment, but there are no places thriving in Samui, including the places catering for Thais. Most are barely surviving. 

When I came in Feb, I noticed a string of new Thai restaurants which have opened near the Success gym. I commented to my gf that the things must be getting better for new restaurants to come in play. She said "they are getting 3 months of free rent, they opened to see how it would go".  The three months free rent are gone and most of them are closed now.

I know one restaurant which is known to be owned by someone with lots of connections in Bangkok, it was full most of the time in Songkran, but completely empty since then.

One daily flight from Bangkok is not a volume of customers which could make any difference.

In Bangkok at the moment. I've been to Samui 3 times relatively recently. 2 weeks at Xmas / New year, 2 weeks late Feb., and 2 weeks for Songkran. 

I agree. "Thriving" is a bit of an exaggeration. During my visits there was a reasonable crowd at W, Jungle Club, Seen, The Cliff, CoCo's, etc. Enough people to make it worth their while opening. Very few foreigners though. Mostly well heeled Thai's. A couple of years ago, the most of the THai's at these places would be a lady on the arm of a foreigner. 

[Tropicalevo]

12 hours ago, gearbox said:

I don't know where you are at the moment, but there are no places thriving in Samui, including the places catering for Thais.

I was in one of my favourite  local restaurants last night (not in Chaweng or Lamai) only 1 or 2 empty tables (used by takeaways) and more than 20 people in the restaurant. That is more customers than pre-Covid.

Maybe not thriving but certainly doing OK thank you.

[adammike]

5 hours ago, corkman said:

As usual, a well detailed and compelling position from KhunPer. Hard to disagree. That means me doing a complete u-turn on my previous thoughts ???? 

 

Indeed - 2001 and 300 baht, just as you describe. 

Reminds me of the "traveller v tourist " wars of the seventies eighties.big Buddha bungalows 1979-80,lean to on beach 20 BAHT,small Singha 40baht.snake in bed for free.

[Trujillo]

"...hundred newly installed electro boxes,..."

 

 What is an "electro box"?

[Maha Sarakham]

16 minutes ago, Trujillo said:

"...hundred newly installed electro boxes,..."

 

 What is an "electro box"?

 

Think he might be talking about power boxes / electrical transformers along the sides of the roads.

[Maha Sarakham]

6 hours ago, khunPer said:

Chaweng Beach and Lamai Beach will come back alive when the pandemic is under control, but the already ongoing changes from old era towards a new time will just happen little more rapid than it would without the C-19 pandemic...????

 

Very solid perspective KhunPer.  I think the pandemic will just hasten the whole process of transformation.  The era of the Westerner in Thailand most certainly seemed to have peaked around the 2012-2014 range.  I asked my Thai wife what she thought would happen, she thinks that it will just cater more towards Chinese and (less so) other Asian travelers with Instagram friendly resorts, restaurants, cafes, and most importantly - a shift towards larger villas instead of hotel rooms.

[phetphet]

There seems to be a lot of land clearing on the hills behind the ring road from Chaweng to Bophut.

Looks like burning off the brush for making access roads up the hills. Probably for building villas. Can see quite a few red dirt roads up there now. So maybe people still investing in holiday homes or moving to the island.

 

 

[khunPer]

4 hours ago, Trujillo said:

"...hundred newly installed electro boxes,..."

 

 What is an "electro box"?

"Electro box" is probably these fine transformers on the beach road in Chaweng, the photo is from before the took the hanging wires down – enjoy them here for a last time, they are good-old-days now – and painted a nice Samui-landscape on the "electro box"...

 

"Electro box" comes if different varieties, so you can always find one you prefers, and also in different sizes, which makes the sidewalk walks more amazing – wow, look at those good-old-time wires at left, we gotta miss them...

 

-especially during Covid-lockdown, as the street lights also disappeared together with the posts for the hanging wires – this night-time photo is from april 2021 – and be aware when heading home after a night in the town and wet after party, it's not the beach you are reaching, it's a landscaped "electro box"...????

[starfish]

On 5/30/2021 at 12:56 AM, khunPer said:

"Electro box" is probably these fine transformers on the beach road in Chaweng, the photo is from before the took the hanging wires down – enjoy them here for a last time, they are good-old-days now – and painted a nice Samui-landscape on the "electro box"...

 

"Electro box" comes if different varieties, so you can always find one you prefers, and also in different sizes, which makes the sidewalk walks more amazing – wow, look at those good-old-time wires at left, we gotta miss them...

 

-especially during Covid-lockdown, as the street lights also disappeared together with the posts for the hanging wires – this night-time photo is from april 2021 – and be aware when heading home after a night in the town and wet after party, it's not the beach you are reaching, it's a landscaped "electro box"...????

 

 

 

Yes, those are, what i meant with "electro boxes". As they seem to cause some confusion about what they really are for, i´ll tell you the ingenious plan behind placing them where they are now:

You all know, that the TAT is famous for their innovative, ultra-realistic ideas for reviving tourism. So they said, let´s make Chaweng future-proof and install "electric car charging docks" in front of every major business there. This goes in line with their wish to only attract "quality" tourists in the future, who will drive down beachroad in a Tesla, and while they spend their quality millions in quality shops and restaurants, they will charge the batteries of their electric cars on those boxes.

Ingenious, right? Think about it, we will be the hub of hubs of electric car charging docks.

And forget about those pesky pedestrians. Well, to make them happy too, the "electro boxes" will have multiple USB charging sockets, so the chinese can charge their smartphones when navigating the footpath with google-maps, without going offline . . .

So, there you have it. All well thought out by TAT, as always.

????

 

 

[Swimfan]

On 5/30/2021 at 3:56 AM, khunPer said:

"Electro box" is probably these fine transformers on the beach road in Chaweng, the photo is from before the took the hanging wires down – enjoy them here for a last time, they are good-old-days now – and painted a nice Samui-landscape on the "electro box"...

 

"Electro box" comes if different varieties, so you can always find one you prefers, and also in different sizes, which makes the sidewalk walks more amazing – wow, look at those good-old-time wires at left, we gotta miss them...

 

-especially during Covid-lockdown, as the street lights also disappeared together with the posts for the hanging wires – this night-time photo is from april 2021 – and be aware when heading home after a night in the town and wet after party, it's not the beach you are reaching, it's a landscaped "electro box"...????

Haha 

no street lights now either. I’m sure there are concrete plans afoot to replace them. ????

Hard to tell but looks like the big box has just been plonked down right in front of someone’s shop or business? Or maybe former shop or business ???? 

[lom]

1 hour ago, Swimfan said:

Hard to tell but looks like the big box has just been plonked down right in front of someone’s shop or business?

I've seen similar pictures from another place, I think it was Pattaya.

Probably the same contractor as in Samui...

It is however difficult to find a place for a huge transformer (which substitutes lots of smaller transformers previously up on poles) if it had not been planned for before the land was occupied by buildings.