On 11/26/2024 at 12:45 AM, snoop1130 said:

Khaosan Business Association President Sanga Ruangwattanakul attributes the decline to European tourists' uncertainty amidst the persisting Russia-Ukraine conflict.

IMO that is BS. The Thais have destroyed the very thing that made K Road a destination of choice for bagpackers. It used to be a cheap and cheerful place for the bagpackers to hang out in a bar, watch a VDO of Apocalypse Now, and brag about all the places they got drunk in, buy Made in China fake Thai souvenirs, wear stupid elephant pants and generally pretend to be seasoned world travellers before travelling 3rd class train to get to the Full Moon Party on a bus without a bonnet where they would get drugged up and fall off their rented m'bikes, or end up paying a large bribe to the cops for buying illegal drugs.

 

The Thais tarted the place up, made it expensive, added trendy nightclubs and generally made it a place any self respecting young western tourist would avoid like the plague.

 

The Thais are the world hub of destroying the reasons tourists used to like about Thailand. They managed to destroy every decent easily reached beach in the entire country, as I can personally attest to.

On 11/27/2024 at 3:27 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

They managed to destroy every decent easily reached beach in the entire country, as I can personally attest to.

I last visited Koh Samet in the fall of 2018. Have you been there since and if so, has it changed for the better or worse?  Thanks ; )

On 11/26/2024 at 5:14 AM, Mburo said:

just weeks ago we were told that it was going to be a bumper year for tourists. What happened ? 

 

This concerns only Khao San Road.  There will be Zillions of Asians, of all shades, as well as the usual flock of pink obese mongers on Sukhumvit and in Pattaya.

1 hour ago, Woke to Sounds of Horking said:

I last visited Koh Samet in the fall of 2018. Have you been there since and if so, has it changed for the better or worse?  Thanks ; )

I last visited years before you and never went back, because

a/ the island was a rubbish tip end to end

b/ the park employees didn't do anything but put their hands out for the fees

c/ the pier was dangerous, both on the mainland and the island

d/ the village was filthy

e/ the road was a mud track

 

It wasn't my first visit but it was my last.

 

Someone else will have to tell you if it has changed.

On 11/26/2024 at 12:10 PM, RayC said:

 

Sadly,no.

 

The products you list are still available, but you will need to adjust your cost estimates upwards by a considerable amount😉

Haha. 

 

Well, I am guessing that he could still find a 300 baht room over there but that would be like for a bed in a dorm type of room. Just a guess though. I had usually stayed at two or three star hotels over there. They were around 600-900 baht per night in the noughties. 

 

As for taking a bird home for 10 quid, I assume he was joking, even for back in the old days 🙂

On 11/27/2024 at 6:50 AM, JonnyF said:

They destroyed the character/charm/vibe of the place when they "refurbished" it.

 

Now it's just a boring road in the middle of nowhere. Perfect for getting ripped off by TukTuk drivers as there is no MRT/BTS nearby. 

You have summarised it well. That 'refurbishing' really messed it up, and the fact that there is still no MRT/BTS nearby is a big minus too. I stay in the Victory Monument area, which is not far from KSR, but I really don't feel like going there anymore. Maybe, just maybe, I will go there just once on this trip.