Koh Samui Tourism Struggles Amid Infrastructure Challenges

[Roo Island]

One of the biggest problems in Thailand is the lack of a decent tax system. This is what funds lots of different types of infrastructure. The top 1% control about 50% of the countries wealth. Including property of which most isn't taxed. Just plant a few banana trees and you pay very little tax.

 

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305083101_Concentration_of_Land_and_Other_Wealth_in_Thailand

 

The fifth quintile holds 325.73 times the land of the first quintile. The inequality of asset holdings is higher than the inequality of income. The value of the stocks held by the top 10 stock holders is more than one hundred billion baht in 2010 and 2011. A wealth tax (such as property tax and capital gains tax) would thus be a good fiscal instrument to redistribute wealth in Thai society. The government can use the tax revenues to provide public goods and services to the needy, which would result in wealth being distributed in society more equally.

[Cabradelmar]

Energy and water infrastructure here is sub-par almost everywhere. And it's only going to get worse. Being crushed under the weight of poor planning and investment, and unrestrained tourist and expat growth.

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, lom said:

100 Baht a month which is for 1 garbage bag per 2-3 weeks. Dogs, chickens and compost get food remains, and we recycle plastic bottles, metal cans and cardboard letting the grand children do the sorting and bagging and then getting whatever money the scrapyard pays for it.

We could have given it to the local garbage collector but it is a good lesson for the grand children in the value of recycling.

Our own well.

 

No, we have a solar system, we are almost 100% self sufficient.  We typically buy 15-20 units from the grid monthly , so far this month we are 10 days into the billing period with 0 units purchased..

You are not unique in that aspect. Even the mountain side villa owners with their pools condensing out water in the heat has brought in a lot of money and I think they are a much bigger problems for Samui's infrastructure than 20-30 cruice ships one-day tourist a year.

So, why are the long staying expats the problem – is it because you don't like people in larger hillside villas with a pool..?

[Dogmatix]

No mention of the horrendus taxi mafia that operate throughout Samui, Phangan and Murder Island.  That must put a lot of tourists off.  They confront the taxi mafiosi as soon as they land and realise that they will not be able to use local transport to hop around the island.  They are stuck in the place they are staying or forced to rent their own transport which often means seriously injury or death from riding motorcycles without knowing how to drive them and without a driving licence.

[Tropicalevo]

12 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

No mention of the horrendus taxi mafia that operate throughout Samui, Phangan and Murder Island.  That must put a lot of tourists off.  They confront the taxi mafiosi as soon as they land and realise that they will not be able to use local transport to hop around the island.  They are stuck in the place they are staying or forced to rent their own transport which often means seriously injury or death from riding motorcycles without knowing how to drive them and without a driving licence.

Or on Samui, they can call GRAB!

Nowhere to go on Koh Tao. Never saw a taxi on the island. Only one or two roads when I was there.

[stoner]

On 5/28/2024 at 4:42 AM, khunPer said:

Garbage – not only incinerator problems, but as well the visual bad looking and smelly garbage deposits on main roads

 

this is a country wide issue. need fixing fast or a real turning point is coming in the next 5 to 10 years. 

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, stoner said:

On 5/28/2024 at 3:42 PM, khunPer said:

Garbage – not only incinerator problems, but as well the visual bad looking and smelly garbage deposits on main roads

 

this is a country wide issue. need fixing fast or a real turning point is coming in the next 5 to 10 years. 

 

On Samui, the Tessabaan removed the garbage bins.

The reason was simple - no one was paying the garbage tax.

Most Thais burn their garbage.

Most foreigners just dump it.

On the development where I am, there are at least 90 properties.

To my knowledge, 20 or less are paying the tax. Most have refused to pay it.

 

Probably similar all over Thailand but it is the tourist areas that are more badly hit.

[Roo Island]

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2024/05/29/thailand-finds-itself-downgraded-by-the-world-economic-forums-tourism-index-in-its-latest-report/

 

Thailand’s tourism industry has taken a hit, falling behind Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia in the latest World Economic Forum report. Industry leaders demand urgent action from the government calling for a comprehensive development plan.

 

[AllanA]

I think if they really want more tourists on the island they need to make the airfares to get there more affordable. Most people don’t go to Samui as if the over priced airfares, make them affordable and the business on the island will be making far more than they do currently. 

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, AllanA said:

I think if they really want more tourists on the island they need to make the airfares to get there more affordable. Most people don’t go to Samui as if the over priced airfares, make them affordable and the business on the island will be making far more than they do currently. 

To re-quote what someone wrote a while back - 'the fares keeps the riff-raff away'.

 

I think that your comment is very true for domestic tourists, but International tourists do not always see the price of the Samui leg. They just see the price for the whole trip.

Most of our guests are International tourists.

Edited June 1 by Tropicalevo

[phetphet]

On 5/29/2024 at 11:55 AM, Roo Island said:

One of the biggest problems in Thailand is the lack of a decent tax system. This is what funds lots of different types of infrastructure. The top 1% control about 50% of the countries wealth. Including property of which most isn't taxed. Just plant a few banana trees and you pay very little tax.

 

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305083101_Concentration_of_Land_and_Other_Wealth_in_Thailand

 

The fifth quintile holds 325.73 times the land of the first quintile. The inequality of asset holdings is higher than the inequality of income. The value of the stocks held by the top 10 stock holders is more than one hundred billion baht in 2010 and 2011. A wealth tax (such as property tax and capital gains tax) would thus be a good fiscal instrument to redistribute wealth in Thai society. The government can use the tax revenues to provide public goods and services to the needy, which would result in wealth being distributed in society more equally.

With all the tax the government has been taking from tourism on Samui for almost 40 years, the place should already have a far better infrastructure than it does have., but it has been bled dry.

 

Waste disposal, sewage treatment, electricity, roads, water supply have all been left wanting.
Unfettered building on steep hillsides is also creating more problems, as the rain washes the soil down to block the drains, causing flooding.

[Tropicalevo]

32 minutes ago, phetphet said:

With all the tax the government has been taking from tourism on Samui for almost 40 years, the place should already have a far better infrastructure than it does have., but it has been bled dry.

Before 2012, all taxes went to the governor to distribute around the whole province.

Koh Samui received very little benefit from the budget but there were some very nice roads around the governor's place.

Since Samui was given municipality status in 2012, the mayor of Samui decides where the budget goes.

[Roo Island]

3 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Before 2012, all taxes went to the governor to distribute around the whole province.

Koh Samui received very little benefit from the budget but there were some very nice roads around the governor's place.

Since Samui was given municipality status in 2012, the mayor of Samui decides where the budget goes.

And in the end, pockets get lined rather than going to desperately needed infrastructure.

[Roo Island]

4 hours ago, phetphet said:

With all the tax the government has been taking from tourism on Samui for almost 40 years, the place should already have a far better infrastructure than it does have., but it has been bled dry.

 

Waste disposal, sewage treatment, electricity, roads, water supply have all been left wanting.
Unfettered building on steep hillsides is also creating more problems, as the rain washes the soil down to block the drains, causing flooding.

We were there just at the end of the monsoon. Couldn't swim at Lamai due to dirty water. It was really bad, and a bit dangerous due to debris.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 5/28/2024 at 3:53 PM, webfact said:

Small boats are currently employed to transfer passengers ashore, creating inconvenience and delays that impede tourism growth. He further underlines the persistent issues of water shortages and power outages that plague business operators, particularly during peak tourist seasons.

The last thing the islands need are more tourists. They should be restricting them not encouraging more. Samui used to be wonderful, but this century became a <deleted> hole.

 

Seems greed reigns supreme.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 6/1/2024 at 12:26 PM, AllanA said:

I think if they really want more tourists on the island they need to make the airfares to get there more affordable. Most people don’t go to Samui as if the over priced airfares, make them affordable and the business on the island will be making far more than they do currently. 

If that's the case then they should be increasing the fares to reduce the number of environment destroyers going there.

What is the point of getting more tourists if they make the place a <deleted> hole? It's probably too late for Samui and Tao, but Phanang might be OK for a while as long as they don't build an airport there.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 5/31/2024 at 1:32 AM, Roo Island said:

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2024/05/29/thailand-finds-itself-downgraded-by-the-world-economic-forums-tourism-index-in-its-latest-report/

 

Thailand’s tourism industry has taken a hit, falling behind Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia in the latest World Economic Forum report. Industry leaders demand urgent action from the government calling for a comprehensive development plan.

 

Perhaps Thailand could stop turning the place into a garbage dump and building concrete excrescences if they want to make the place worth going to. Some people actually want a nice beach to stay at, but most have been ruined long ago.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 5/29/2024 at 4:55 PM, Roo Island said:

The government can use the tax revenues to provide public goods and services to the needy, which would result in wealth being distributed in society more equally.

 

You dreamer, you!

[Roo Island]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Perhaps Thailand could stop turning the place into a garbage dump and building concrete excrescences if they want to make the place worth going to. Some people actually want a nice beach to stay at, but most have been ruined long ago.

Yeah. Walk 100 meters off Lamai beach and it's a horrible mess. Small sideways, trash on the streets, scooters going way too fast in both directions. Loved the beach but that was it.

 

 

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

You dreamer, you!

I am! 😄