Samui, Thailand And People

[rep]

hi all,

i had been a member for some time not much interested in posting.today i spent my longest time in forum.

i had moved to samui march 2006.my original plan was to live on phangan, which was paradise in my mind.I left my well paid job and life in london just to live on a quiet tropical island and be happy with my wife.

as we both worked online all we needed was a 1 mbit connection and a nice house with a garden.so we found one in samui and started looking for a suitable one in phangan.which is a joke as people living there will understand.1 mbit proper connection on phangan? haha and ha.

anyway.we tried to stick to samui thinking we ll stay there for a year and then move to phangan when things improve.that is where we faced the awful truth.

i really dont want to turn this post to a blame samui one so i ll cut it short.we had everthing what turns samui into a horrible nitemare.street dogs, bad planning, bad tourists, unhappy thais (because of life getting expensive and harder), constant rip off on every corner, shitty smell coming from the sewer system even in the heart of the town, TAXI DRİVERS (f..k, i really hated those sharky creatures), really bad hygene on every corner, ruined and dirty beaches, only money oriented business and people etc.

so we fled the scene after 4 months to malaysia where we had been on a visa run before.i really can not say its much better but even the english speaking population is a big plus.we have two 1 mbit internet connection in our house (which we pay 10000 baht for 3 bedrooms with aircon anr two gardens, front and back) which cost half the price to even one of them in samui.yes people over here are also asians and their way of communication is -to be straightforward- silly for us.this losing face rules and different understanding of respect is really a problem for europeans.pls dont jump on me for using the word silly cos we all clearly know we are also silly for them.at the end its just cultural difference that looks silly from both sides.to avoid any of the dingos jumping on me no i dont have job seeking for tourist not trying to advertise malaysia.

then i realized another issue today while going through this forum, mainly samui section.even though i am settled here for one year and happy about most -can never be totally as you know- phangan and thailand is always on my mind.so i came back to read if anything has changed.

the answer is NO.people are still complaining about same things over and over again.if you go through the forum for some hours (i ve been doing for 5) you see same people chewing the same gum in a period time and starting all over again.

yes not all people are alphas and they can get along with thai's and their rip offs.some are alphas and hate to be treated as a bag of money.

yes some find their paradise no matter what the problems are by running away from them, some cant because they want a progressive life and environment.

yes some do have businessess on the island so they want more bloody tourists so that they can be rich, some hate this idea and miss the old days where they would find genuine beauty.

european nationalism and fights still go on both the island and this forum.yes there are lots of keyboard warriors as far as i can see.

people who dont care about being ripped off every corner, trated as money bags, being called a farang like they are another species than the others, who has low understanding of life struggles and likes to keep it low blame the others who are asking for some decency, progress, understanding, evolution and yes the others are blaming them to accept every stupid rule and role locals assign to them.which is keep quiet, spend all your money, get ripped off and get the hel_l out afterwards.

i am just heart broken to see this really bad effects of money, tourism, westernization, corruption and disease that has been spread all about samui and topics of this forum.

now you can begin your endless discussions and blame me for saying the truth and holding a mirror for you.but just think that even 20% of what i say is true the dreams of finding paradise in samui and phangan is LOST.

you decide now who is to blame.i have said my word.

best regards.

[Rooo]

REP,

You obviously not happy here.You are very well entitled to your opinion, but you are very contradictory on a few points.

Let's start about the move here .How many times have you visited both islands & what ground work have you done to see if they met your needs ?

Paradise lost ? Quiet tropical island with high speed INTERNET access ?Bloody tourists ?Where did you think you were coming too?

Being called a Farang ? God only knows what names you use in your own home country for Asians,a lot more derogatory then being called a Farang

Culture differences ? Wow that is a great point again,what did you expect ? Taxi rip off? What's new, easy don't use them , buy a bike or a car.

With one hand you want your tropical paradise but then you want progress & that everyone speaks English.

You are obviously ( understatement) not happy here.

Rep you can't check everything whilst on holidays, I understand that,but I also understand that by moving here you have to be very tolerant & take the good with the bad .Things are changing here all the time,part of the charm of Samui is the bit of chaos .Ok it's not everybody's cup of tea , we all have choices, you can make your own.

A forum is a good place as any, to vet your feelings & emotions.Yes there is some expat business people here, but there is also people that have no monetary gain & they both do contribute a fair amount here & extend help through advice & experiences they had to go through.

[rep]

REP,

You obviously not happy here.You are very well entitled to your opinion, but you are very contradictory on a few points.

Let's start about the move here .How many times have you visited both islands & what ground work have you done to see if they met your needs ?

Paradise lost ? Quiet tropical island with high speed INTERNET access ?Bloody tourists ?Where did you think you were coming too?

Being called a Farang ? God only knows what names you use in your own home country for Asians,a lot more derogatory then being called a Farang

Culture differences ? Wow that is a great point again,what did you expect ? Taxi rip off? What's new, easy don't use them , buy a bike or a car.

With one hand you want your tropical paradise but then you want progress & that everyone speaks English.

You are obviously ( understatement) not happy here.

Rep you can't check everything whilst on holidays, I understand that,but I also understand that by moving here you have to be very tolerant & take the good with the bad .Things are changing here all the time,part of the charm of Samui is the bit of chaos .Ok it's not everybody's cup of tea , we all have choices, you can make your own.

A forum is a good place as any, to vet your feelings & emotions.Yes there is some expat business people here, but there is also people that have no monetary gain & they both do contribute a fair amount here & extend help through advice & experiences they had to go through.

-i am not there.i am actually on another tropical island with 1mbit internet (two of them) which took 3 days to install (means it can be done)

-we simply call asians in my country.no other names for them.

-so you say the taxies have a right to rip off people and we have to accept it.well there are taxies here also and they dont rip people off.its a matter of decency i suppose.accepting these kind of treatment which is wrong just to be seem like you are a very understanding person to their culture and you can blend in is NOT accepting to pay 300 bahts on a simple ride which actually costs 60 baths according to the law and fare.

-i did not say i want all of them to speak english, you are trying to pick a sentence from my speech, turn it upside down and try to show it like i really did say it.this is a very unethical and a childish way to argue.but any clever people can see that thais, even the ones who can speak english use the "i dont understand you" game if they wanna.until you get fed up with i and say eehhh what the hel_l.

-maybe i chose the wrong word using progress.what about decency? is it too much to ask for some decency and understanding?

if you had any arguement regarding the situation except trying to prove me wrong this could be discussion.and pls read the post again and try to really understand what is written there.i clearly mentioned that i already left the place.maybe better to read in the morning with a clear mind.

of course i am not the best english speaker but it does not change the fact that you haven't understood half of my post and trying to twist the other part.i advice you to read it again.this time pls try to concentrate on the issues and problems not the teller.there are enough ad hominems on this forum.

anyways, thats forum culture.

regards.

[mrt273nva]

i live in kho phangan and have a 1mbit connection to the internet. you obviously havn't looked very hard.

but anyway, i agree with Rooo, you have to take the good with the bad.

i think you came here with preconcieved ideas about what this place is and when it didn't meet up to your high expectation you became bitter.

and for the alpha comment and getting ripped off... once you figure out the system you don't get ripped off very often. maybe you should learn functional thai, but you would rather them cater to you by speaking fluent english right?

[Rooo]

REP,

You obviously not happy here.You are very well entitled to your opinion, but you are very contradictory on a few points.

Let's start about the move here .How many times have you visited both islands & what ground work have you done to see if they met your needs ?

Paradise lost ? Quiet tropical island with high speed INTERNET access ?Bloody tourists ?Where did you think you were coming too?

Being called a Farang ? God only knows what names you use in your own home country for Asians,a lot more derogatory then being called a Farang

Culture differences ? Wow that is a great point again,what did you expect ? Taxi rip off? What's new, easy don't use them , buy a bike or a car.

With one hand you want your tropical paradise but then you want progress & that everyone speaks English.

You are obviously ( understatement) not happy here.

Rep you can't check everything whilst on holidays, I understand that,but I also understand that by moving here you have to be very tolerant & take the good with the bad .Things are changing here all the time,part of the charm of Samui is the bit of chaos .Ok it's not everybody's cup of tea , we all have choices, you can make your own.

A forum is a good place as any, to vet your feelings & emotions.Yes there is some expat business people here, but there is also people that have no monetary gain & they both do contribute a fair amount here & extend help through advice & experiences they had to go through.

-i am not there.i am actually on another tropical island with 1mbit internet (two of them) which took 3 days to install (means it can be done)

-we simply call asians in my country.no other names for them.

-so you say the taxies have a right to rip off people and we have to accept it.well there are taxies here also and they dont rip people off.its a matter of decency i suppose.accepting these kind of treatment which is wrong just to be seem like you are a very understanding person to their culture and you can blend in is NOT accepting to pay 300 bahts on a simple ride which actually costs 60 baths according to the law and fare.

-i did not say i want all of them to speak english, you are trying to pick a sentence from my speech, turn it upside down and try to show it like i really did say it.this is a very unethical and a childish way to argue.but any clever people can see that thais, even the ones who can speak english use the "i dont understand you" game if they wanna.until you get fed up with i and say eehhh what the hel_l.

-maybe i chose the wrong word using progress.what about decency? is it too much to ask for some decency and understanding?

if you had any arguement regarding the situation except trying to prove me wrong this could be discussion.and pls read the post again and try to really understand what is written there.i clearly mentioned that i already left the place.maybe better to read in the morning with a clear mind.

of course i am not the best english speaker but it does not change the fact that you haven't understood half of my post and trying to twist the other part.i advice you to read it again.this time pls try to concentrate on the issues and problems not the teller.there are enough ad hominems on this forum.

anyways, thats forum culture.

regards.

Reading it with a very clear head in the morning Thank You Very Much.Yes I did read your post several times & I responded as I interpreted it.

I am not trying to prove you wrong, I am just saying you have to go with the flow.As for taxis I never condone their actions,my attitude towards them is I never use them.I take the place for what it is,with it's negatives & positives.

To each their own I suppose.Enjoy Malaysia.

[rep]

i live in kho phangan and have a 1mbit connection to the internet. you obviously havn't looked very hard.

but anyway, i agree with Rooo, you have to take the good with the bad.

i think you came here with preconcieved ideas about what this place is and when it didn't meet up to your high expectation you became bitter.

and for the alpha comment and getting ripped off... once you figure out the system you don't get ripped off very often. maybe you should learn functional thai, but you would rather them cater to you by speaking fluent english right?

very happy to hear that you have a good connection.which i suppose is in a dense area of the island probably in one of the city centers.i had seen the fiber optic cables on the road side in phangan (which is btw very delicate and expensive stuff) so probably they have done some upgrading in their infrastructure.and may i ask you how long did it take for application? the last time i did apply they tried to sell me a special port for 24 users and 4 mbit total connection for 16000 bahts a month.anyways its good to hear they are now giving away 1 mbits to people who have connections but if you read my post its very clear that i said it was a year ago and i was not complaning that it wasnt there then, was just stating the situation.and even in samui it takes min 4 months to get one working with no support at all.this is not my complaint, this was the fact when i was there.

i am ok really with taking the good and the bad and hey i am in malaysia now which is not much different than thailand in most ways accept decency amongs people and better infrastructure.yes every tourism infested place creates these sharky people who just wants to suck the money from tourists pockets and unfortunately thailand is in a very bad situation in this matter.

could this be because of the people letting it happen to others? i mean knowing that there is a rip off on every corner but saving yourself from them by knowing some thai and learning from all the bad things that happened to you in the past? the more experienced you get the less you get ripped off and dont care the others ha? everyman for himself you say.hımm.so should not we warn all those other people planning to come there?should we shut our mouths tightly and let them learn it the hard, sad and costly way? is this what you are suggesting my friend? well i had my share.surely dont want others to have it too.at least the decent ones who have a dream about their future there.

and yes my friend i do except the people working in the tourism industry of a country who attracts nearly 15 million visitors a year and relies on -i really dont know how much- percentage of their national income from those tourists and expats.lets say even they dont want to or can not learn it due to money situation or whatever it is i expect the ones who know english to have the decency of using it when people are in need.the so called -i do not understand you game- is a big trick in thailand.the fact is that they are not stupid and doing this, just opposite they are so clever to exploit your patience in a game called "who loses his temper loses the arguement".

i was preconvinced to live a healthy and peaceful life with my wife and be happy away from the problems and corruption away from the city.i am not one of the people who came to exploit south east asia or colonize them in a modern way.

overall i think i clearly stated that this was not a post to blame samui or thai people.i clearly stated that these are some honest and sincere thoughts i am sharing with people.i was ready to take this "oh you could not manage and you are looking for a revenge" clause.i dont mind that really, which i know in my self i am not.

i mean just look at this i am being questioned here still, not the things happening out there.its time to quit this "i can understand them and i can get along so why cant you" game.

regards

[Samuian]

Finally you may have found the place you consider to cater to your needs and the surrounding setting is what you've been looking for !

Still, it sounds to me that you still aren't happy..

However that is "up to you" - how they say here.

May I suggest Hayman Island or the West Indies?

Maybe Mallorca?

I live and work for over ten years on Samui, yes it has its shortcomings, but the Qualitity of life in general is what topps it all.

The other day, it was raining haevy, i was just a few hundred meters away from my home, waiting outside a Family Mart untill the rain may stop... a Taxi passed by honking, I ran over told him where I wanted to go, he nodded, I gave him 50 Baht, he smiled, nodded and drove me to my place... 50 Baht was over the top, but I came home dry...

there is a lot about learning how people, cultures are functioning, the language, even basics, are an inevitable must, same in France, Spain, India and so on.

Trying to understand why people are as they are, is better then bashing the population of an entire Island!

And there are certainly other places on Samui, other then the main road in Chaweng, if you like I'll give you a tour and introduce you to some locals.

Who made the locals so "greedy", wasn't it the strangers comin' here and pay 20 baht for a coconut, where for they had to open a 100 to make the same money?

ahh well.... it wasn't us, hu? If not - who then?

Who made sewers, roads, taxis, an airport, hotels, the catering and tourism service industry necessary, who?

If so, who is then taken responsable?

Any answers?

[rep]

samuian,

i dont believe in complete happiness first of all.that is a state of no progress and i am too young to look for that.

of course i am having troubles similar to many people.customs, etiquette and blending in is never easy especially with so much differences.i am having my piece and lessons as well as the others.i am not negative.after all one of the reasons i am here is that.getting rich in culture by experiencing it.

however, on a discussion like these individual examples of good moments does not help much.i ve also had them and still having them.these examples are simply not helping to identify and solve the problems.i am not a pessimist seeing the bad things only.i ve learned enough not to categorize a nation or a group of people with only bad manners, no thats not me.

but how are we -you in this situation as i am not there- solve these issues? if you are not going to who will? those 2 weekers are not going to solve them for sure.they dont even know what the real taxi rate is.families want to stay in a good hotel and spend their two weeks in happiness, womanizers also dont care about these all they want is some thai girl banging and getting drunk.so who will make a stand for these ? certainly there are good ones around aproach does not help at all.these bad things are happening mostly due to acceptance of expats and foreigners.who will change this if problems are not adressed properly?

how many people like me will come there with hopes and lose time, will, effort and money trying to live the dream?

thats for your good wishes about other places, hope i will have a chance one day

for your question

"Who made sewers, roads, taxis, an airport, hotels, the catering and tourism service industry necessary, who?

If so, who is then taken responsable?"

i think i ve already given my answer :

"i am just heart broken to see this really bad effects of money, tourism, westernization, corruption and disease that has been spread all about samui and topics of this forum."

regards.

Finally you may have found the place you consider to cater to your needs and the surrounding setting is what you've been looking for !

Still, it sounds to me that you still aren't happy..

However that is "up to you" - how they say here.

May I suggest Hayman Island or the West Indies?

Maybe Mallorca?

I live and work for over ten years on Samui, yes it has its shortcomings, but the Qualitity of life in general is what topps it all.

The other day, it was raining haevy, i was just a few hundred meters away from my home, waiting outside a Family Mart untill the rain may stop... a Taxi passed by honking, I ran over told him where I wanted to go, he nodded, I gave him 50 Baht, he smiled, nodded and drove me to my place... 50 Baht was over the top, but I came home dry...

there is a lot about learning how people, cultures are functioning, the language, even basics, are an inevitable must, same in France, Spain, India and so on.

Trying to understand why people are as they are, is better then bashing the population of an entire Island!

And there are certainly other places on Samui, other then the main road in Chaweng, if you like I'll give you a tour and introduce you to some locals.

Who made the locals so "greedy", wasn't it the strangers comin' here and pay 20 baht for a coconut, where for they had to open a 100 to make the same money?

ahh well.... it wasn't us, hu? If not - who then?

Who made sewers, roads, taxis, an airport, hotels, the catering and tourism service industry necessary, who?

If so, who is then taken responsable?

Any answers?

[mrt273nva]

"can't please everyone all the time... can please some people sometimes"

there are people on holiday that come to the islands and have a great time and have great memories. then there are others who come and do nothing but complain and moan about every little detail. both go to the same place and have the same experiences, but it is the attitude of the individual that determines how their holiday will be. if little things get to you then you overlook the fact that there is beauty everywhere. it is a shame that some people only look for the ugly. perhaps it is so that they can feel as if they are better than it, while in the mean time they are only bringing everyone else down.

hey guy, if it isn't for you then it isn't for you. everyone has a nitch somewhere. it is finding it that is the trick. sounds to me you may have found it in malaysia. good on you. but please do't tell me that MY slice of heaven is ugly, it ISN'T your slice of heaven but i call it home.

[The Vulcan]

"can't please everyone all the time... can please some people sometimes"

there are people on holiday that come to the islands and have a great time and have great memories. then there are others who come and do nothing but complain and moan about every little detail. both go to the same place and have the same experiences, but it is the attitude of the individual that determines how their holiday will be. if little things get to you then you overlook the fact that there is beauty everywhere. it is a shame that some people only look for the ugly. perhaps it is so that they can feel as if they are better than it, while in the mean time they are only bringing everyone else down.

hey guy, if it isn't for you then it isn't for you. everyone has a nitch somewhere. it is finding it that is the trick. sounds to me you may have found it in malaysia. good on you. but please do't tell me that MY slice of heaven is ugly, it ISN'T your slice of heaven but i call it home.

Concur 100% - well said - lets hope that's the end of it (but I doubt it)

[samuishuttle]

-so you say the taxies have a right to rip off people and we have to accept it.well there are taxies here also and they dont rip people off.its a matter of decency i suppose.accepting these kind of treatment which is wrong just to be seem like you are a very understanding person to their culture and you can blend in is NOT accepting to pay 300 bahts on a simple ride which actually costs 60 baths according to the law and fare.

-

Hello

Firstly I would like to apologise to the moderators if this is considered inappropriate … if so feel free to take it off the forum and ban me and I will go back to my normal identity...

Secondly, I apologise to the forum readers if it is a bit long, but, I felt it necessary to provide sufficient detail to show that we are trying to fix a problem and also to show that it is not that easy, so any help from forum members to get this working would be appreciated.

I have the pleasure of announcing the establishment of Samui Shuttle (www.samuishuttle.com). Samui Shuttle is intended to be a fair priced / good service alternative to existing taxi and minibus services on Koh Samui. While we will never be the cheapest on the Island, we do intend to have listed prices, take single passengers at a time and we have a mix of Farang and Thai management to ensure that hopefully we can communicate needs, issues etc and therefore help with setting expectations as well as fixing problems.

As part of my other operations in Samui I have TAT licence, passenger insurance, and even have in my work-permit that I can assist "European" tourists (and therefore can stand at the airport holding up signs without worrying about Immigration etc). I also spend in excess of THB20,00 every month on minibuses and I continually hear complaints on the forum and elsewhere, so am trying to do some small thing to fix an obvious problem.

It is not easy for many reasons, but we have been operating quietly since January and already we are doing enough business to keep 2 minibuses relatively busy. We have done a couple of large groups where 5 buses were required and we have done many shuttle runs with small numbers of passengers – I personally do at least 2 x 4am shifts a week in order to show the drivers that it is not just them that is expected to be prepared to pick up a single passenger that requires an early morning transfer to the airport. One of the biggest issues is convincing the drivers that if we have 1 customer it is OK, because eventually a shuttle will get 10 lots of 1 customer and then it will be full and they will make more money than someone with a flat 500b rate (or flat 1,000 baht rate).

We have had teething problems and I am sure there will be many more, but the intention is to grow in a managed way so that we do not overextend ourselves, or we do not cause too much backlash from competitors.

Samui shuttle is a cooperative of owner drivers, so any driver can join but they have to adhere to some contractual agreements. We have even got a contract with a large operator on the island who takes up our excess … and they have agreed to our rates and service requirements.

We are attempting to get a counter in or near the airport and we are always interested in locations / hotels / bars etc that could be used as standby points. We do not take roadside pickups yet because we feel that would be too aggressive at the moment. We do want to make agreements with residents and villa owners such that we will make a point of finding out where the pickup / drop off point is (I and a driver go out and check them out). We draw them up on a map and keep it on file (we are working on a digital map and hope to have one soon) so that when you call we can easily instruct the drivers where you are.

We would like to grow "quietly" i.e. we do not want to put out too many "in-your-face" signs and put too much artwork on the buses. We would rather just get to a situation in a years time where we have created enough business for 20 or 30 buses and so then we can show our face and it is too late for the copycats or jealous competitors. In saying that, our website already generates good business with bookings coming in from all over the world.

So if any forum members need a shuttle (or general minibus) service, please contact us via the website. Also, we need a marketing person to go around the agents and hotels and to assist in the collection of bills and coordination of bookings. It would be good if they were computer literate – Work and Excel.

Please bear with us in the early days. It is not a truly regular shuttle business because we do not have the customers and do not have all of the hotels etc brought into the concept. We envision it to be just like any shuttle service you see elsewhere in the world, but know that it will take time to get there and it will always have some Thai idiosyncrasies about it.

Any recommendations, any support or any staff are welcome.

Regards

Samuishuttle

[SamuiJens]

Better than todays "taxi"'service!

[yorkie100]

It's good to see that someone is at last trying to offer an HONEST transport service for holiday makers AND residents on the island.

Publication in advance of fares and rates means that anyone can see exactly what they will get for their money and not be 'ripped off' after taking a taxi trip and finding there has been a 'misunderstanding' about the agreed unmetered fare.

Just maybe, but I doubt it, other transport operators will take note as healthy competition is good for any business, but it seems to me that this business will grow and grow providing it lives up to it's promises.

[samuishuttle]

Better than todays "taxi"'service!

If what you mean is that we are not proving a direct alternative to taxis then you are correct. But we feel that taking them on directly would not be the right approach. Also we are only starting out ... the vision is that one day we will have shuttles running around the island continuously offering flat rate reasonable price service from point to point - that is why we are starting to set up the zone format ... pricing will eventually be between zones, no matter where you start or get dropped off. We also have a private rate and I am convinced that once I get some economies of scale then I can actually start to lower the prices ... but that will take some time.

Sure it would be good to have a better "taxi" service, and if we end up getting one and we can close the shuttle service down then I don't mind as it means I wont have to get up at 4am so often.

Making something better does not mean we have to replicate it, perhaps we can make it better by doing it a different way.

[maurizio04]

Better than todays "taxi"'service!

The number of taxi in Samui is really exagerated, with all the minibus they are totally useless apart during the night and too expensive, never used one....

But I saw sumerous times brits or french duscussing with a minivan to save 10 bath. One time I was really searching 10 bath in my pocket to give it to them. Gee, at home 30 seconds of taxi will cost 10E, bus starts from 1E, in UK double....

The only annoying ripoff difficult to avoid in Samui is the trip back to the airport. Coming, there are the airport minibus at fixed price, 150 bath, but coming back the hotel will always charge what he wants, 300, 400 bath. OK, it is the price of a cappuccino in Seattle , i know, but to have a minibus service to call will be a very good service.

[SamuiJens]

I understand your idea, and find it worth the bother, and letting US know is great, should be pinned up on top there, what you say mods? Have seen too many tourists getting mad at the "Taxi" pressure, and being dropped at place like Big Budha in a rainstorm, NOT knowing what to do!

And again, good luck to ya, and hope all goes well!

[Jet Gorgon]

Mr Shuttle, I truly hope you are not driving the bus! The songthaew and yellow taxi drivers have strong groups; you would be infringing on their territory and I know many that drive with a big gun in the glovebox. Take care and good luck to you.

[susquosh]

-so you say the taxies have a right to rip off people and we have to accept it.well there are taxies here also and they dont rip people off.its a matter of decency i suppose.accepting these kind of treatment which is wrong just to be seem like you are a very understanding person to their culture and you can blend in is NOT accepting to pay 300 bahts on a simple ride which actually costs 60 baths according to the law and fare.

-

Hello

Firstly I would like to apologise to the moderators if this is considered inappropriate … if so feel free to take it off the forum and ban me and I will go back to my normal identity...

Secondly, I apologise to the forum readers if it is a bit long, but, I felt it necessary to provide sufficient detail to show that we are trying to fix a problem and also to show that it is not that easy, so any help from forum members to get this working would be appreciated.

I have the pleasure of announcing the establishment of Samui Shuttle (www.samuishuttle.com). Samui Shuttle is intended to be a fair priced / good service alternative to existing taxi and minibus services on Koh Samui. While we will never be the cheapest on the Island, we do intend to have listed prices, take single passengers at a time and we have a mix of Farang and Thai management to ensure that hopefully we can communicate needs, issues etc and therefore help with setting expectations as well as fixing problems.

As part of my other operations in Samui I have TAT licence, passenger insurance, and even have in my work-permit that I can assist "European" tourists (and therefore can stand at the airport holding up signs without worrying about Immigration etc). I also spend in excess of THB20,00 every month on minibuses and I continually hear complaints on the forum and elsewhere, so am trying to do some small thing to fix an obvious problem.

It is not easy for many reasons, but we have been operating quietly since January and already we are doing enough business to keep 2 minibuses relatively busy. We have done a couple of large groups where 5 buses were required and we have done many shuttle runs with small numbers of passengers – I personally do at least 2 x 4am shifts a week in order to show the drivers that it is not just them that is expected to be prepared to pick up a single passenger that requires an early morning transfer to the airport. One of the biggest issues is convincing the drivers that if we have 1 customer it is OK, because eventually a shuttle will get 10 lots of 1 customer and then it will be full and they will make more money than someone with a flat 500b rate (or flat 1,000 baht rate).

We have had teething problems and I am sure there will be many more, but the intention is to grow in a managed way so that we do not overextend ourselves, or we do not cause too much backlash from competitors.

Samui shuttle is a cooperative of owner drivers, so any driver can join but they have to adhere to some contractual agreements. We have even got a contract with a large operator on the island who takes up our excess … and they have agreed to our rates and service requirements.

We are attempting to get a counter in or near the airport and we are always interested in locations / hotels / bars etc that could be used as standby points. We do not take roadside pickups yet because we feel that would be too aggressive at the moment. We do want to make agreements with residents and villa owners such that we will make a point of finding out where the pickup / drop off point is (I and a driver go out and check them out). We draw them up on a map and keep it on file (we are working on a digital map and hope to have one soon) so that when you call we can easily instruct the drivers where you are.

We would like to grow "quietly" i.e. we do not want to put out too many "in-your-face" signs and put too much artwork on the buses. We would rather just get to a situation in a years time where we have created enough business for 20 or 30 buses and so then we can show our face and it is too late for the copycats or jealous competitors. In saying that, our website already generates good business with bookings coming in from all over the world.

So if any forum members need a shuttle (or general minibus) service, please contact us via the website. Also, we need a marketing person to go around the agents and hotels and to assist in the collection of bills and coordination of bookings. It would be good if they were computer literate – Work and Excel.

Please bear with us in the early days. It is not a truly regular shuttle business because we do not have the customers and do not have all of the hotels etc brought into the concept. We envision it to be just like any shuttle service you see elsewhere in the world, but know that it will take time to get there and it will always have some Thai idiosyncrasies about it.

Any recommendations, any support or any staff are welcome.

Regards

Samuishuttle

My wife and I have used Samui Shuttle on a number of occasions when we have needed to pre-book transport to the airport.They have proved totally reliable and fair on price.Nice new vehicles too.

If you can use them,they deserve to succeed.

[manuchaomk]

Hello guyz,

I just spent 2 months in Samui (located to my Portuguese Friend Fernando in Chaweng area) and

I shared a lot of beautiful experiences ! !

First of all Samui is a Cosmopolitan Island. It's not so wild as people can imagine... .

Koh Samui is a serviced island (maybe crowd of Taxi ) for all kind of people. Good deal for family and singles !!

I shared some times with thai people and farangs (expats and tourists too) and always good time(Sometimes different opinion but always with full of respect).

You can find the Eartly paradise (as a tourist ) , but remember that the keyword is

RESPECT& peace

Manu Chao

[samuishuttle]

Mr Shuttle, I truly hope you are not driving the bus! The songthaew and yellow taxi drivers have strong groups; you would be infringing on their territory and I know many that drive with a big gun in the glovebox. Take care and good luck to you.

I have been threatened before duing a divorce and my other business operations in Samui and understand the risks and therefore have taken the following actions

1. No farang face on website, in brochures etc

2. No large signs "in the face" of competition.

3. Owner drivers are being used and the majority of them are Samuians - anyone can join.

4. We only take bookings and not roadside pickups.

5. We are focusiing on villa owners, small resorts, tour companies etc who are also looking for alternatives based on quality of service and in many instances are happier with the ability to communicate in English (sorry - not the Queens English).

6. We are small scale (at the moment) - There are potentially around 2500 tourists arriving and 2500 departing Samui everyday on BKK airways (I am sure someone will dispute these, but I took them from the BKK airways schedule and website). We are only working on getting 5% of these a day - that is 250 passengers or 25 bus trips with 10 or 31 bus trips of 8 pax ... there is still plenty of room for the others to carry on their current practices with.

Our key objective is to try and fix the "first impression" and "last impression". If we can get the visitor from the airport to the hotel without getting ripped off then that is a good start to the holiday and hopefully stops them having bad feelings right from the start ... if we can get them from the hotel to the airport in the same manner so that they go away with a good impression of Samui then that may mean they come back again soon. Obviously there is still a lot of things to sort out in between those times, but I have to start somewhere and work with the resources I have got (just a reminder we are still looking for staff).

Thanks to all for the personal messages of encouragement ...

Cheers

[JimmyTheMook]

but just think that even 20% of what i say is true the dreams of finding paradise in samui and phangan is LOST.

Old hands have known for years to avoid these places.

Try the coast along Krabi for a better experience.

[a_classic_cigar]

Hi Samuishuttle

I agree on many of the points you brought up. I am GM at a small boutique resort & spa and can definately see the validity in your details.

Might look you up!

[sbk]

but just think that even 20% of what i say is true the dreams of finding paradise in samui and phangan is LOST.

Old hands have known for years to avoid these places.

Try the coast along Krabi for a better experience.

Paradise is a myth. Wherever you go, there you are. If there are people around, there are bound to be problems. Can't be avoided unless you find a deserted island with only yourself. But then, of course, you will have to deal with yourself.

Drop the fantasies and join the real world and you'll find yourself far less disappointed.

[The Vulcan]

Paradise is a myth. Wherever you go, there you are. If there are people around, there are bound to be problems. Can't be avoided unless you find a deserted island with only yourself. But then, of course, you will have to deal with yourself.

Drop the fantasies and join the real world and you'll find yourself far less disappointed.

OR wait until you aspire to the ultimate job. No staff and you don't have to deal with the general public - I've got it, RETIREMENT!

Hello Pension - Goodbye Tension

[girlx]

OP why do you need a 1 mbit connection? i work online and i have the normal ADSL 512/256 package and it's fine. not as fast as the US but it works well enough for my needs. also as mrt said you can get a 1 mbit if you need it... phangan IS paradise, but it depends on what you make of it, doesn't it? you don't sound like you have the best attitude coming into it.

[JimmyTheMook]

Paradise is a myth. Wherever you go, there you are. If there are people around, there are bound to be problems. Can't be avoided unless you find a deserted island with only yourself. But then, of course, you will have to deal with yourself.

Drop the fantasies and join the real world and you'll find yourself far less disappointed.

OR wait until you aspire to the ultimate job. No staff and you don't have to deal with the general public - I've got it, RETIREMENT!

Hello Pension - Goodbye Tension

Well I am retired and well under 50 and have travelled all over Thailand for the last 10 years or so.

Samui and Koh Phangnan have developed pretty bad reputations for the non Thai novice.

I have even heard Thai folks complaining they felt ripped off on Samui.

Koh Phangnan is just a bad extension of Khao San Road these days , that still appeals to some I guess.

[The Vulcan]

Old Chinese proverb - Blind man only see what people tell

[sbk]

Paradise is a myth. Wherever you go, there you are. If there are people around, there are bound to be problems. Can't be avoided unless you find a deserted island with only yourself. But then, of course, you will have to deal with yourself.

Drop the fantasies and join the real world and you'll find yourself far less disappointed.

OR wait until you aspire to the ultimate job. No staff and you don't have to deal with the general public - I've got it, RETIREMENT!

Hello Pension - Goodbye Tension

Well I am retired and well under 50 and have travelled all over Thailand for the last 10 years or so.

Samui and Koh Phangnan have developed pretty bad reputations for the non Thai novice.

I have even heard Thai folks complaining they felt ripped off on Samui.

Koh Phangnan is just a bad extension of Khao San Road these days , that still appeals to some I guess.

Obviously you've only ever been to Hadrin and Chaweng.

[girlx]

Koh Phangnan is just a bad extension of Khao San Road these days , that still appeals to some I guess.

SBK beat me to it- you obviously haven't seen much of phangan

[Prakanong]

This bit is true though about Samui though - dunno about Koh Phangnan as it has not been mentioned.

"I have even heard Thai folks complaining they felt ripped off on Samui."

I have heard Thai friends say this to me and Thai colleagues who will not go back.

These are a mix of Isaan folk and middle class Bangkokians.