Koh Samui Airport

[ParadiseLost]

Beef 1

So now the official taxi desk at arrivals charges 600 Baht for a taxi trip to Maenaam Lompraya Ferry 'terminal' It was bad enough when you used to negotiate the fare yourself, but it usually came out at 500 Baht or less...

The airport should be getting a fair deal for the newly arriving passengers - not helping to fleece them!

When I enquired as to size of the cut she/Bangkok Airways is taking the response was the usual flustered annoyance at my rudeness

Beef 2

Offical minbus paid for at taxi desk to Big Buddha pier: near retirement age English doctor and his wife asking about resorts gets hounded by the official Bangkok Airways driver to such an extent that I and another Phangan longtimer advise them to come over to the more 'civilised' island

So we eventually persuade the driver to go to the pier - but he stops at the Petcharat (speedboat) pier instead. We had already confirmed there was no speedboat (<deleted> it was raining hard at that stage) but he insisted we must buy our tickets for the ferry there. Upon enquiring the price (at Petcharat desk) it was magically 250 Baht - this is 100 Baht more than the official price

After we whispered some loving words in the scavenger's ear he finally conceded defeat and drove us to the pier.

Get real Bangkok Airways, it is bad enough your fares are pathetically high, but to allow these type of shady things to go on under your nose shows a total lack of ethics and decency.

[ClaudeFeller]

Beef 1

So now the official taxi desk at arrivals charges 600 Baht for a taxi trip to Maenaam Lompraya Ferry 'terminal' It was bad enough when you used to negotiate the fare yourself, but it usually came out at 500 Baht or less...

The airport should be getting a fair deal for the newly arriving passengers - not helping to fleece them!

When I enquired as to size of the cut she/Bangkok Airways is taking the response was the usual flustered annoyance at my rudeness

Beef 2

Offical minbus paid for at taxi desk to Big Buddha pier: near retirement age English doctor and his wife asking about resorts gets hounded by the official Bangkok Airways driver to such an extent that I and another Phangan longtimer advise them to come over to the more 'civilised' island

So we eventually persuade the driver to go to the pier - but he stops at the Petcharat (speedboat) pier instead. We had already confirmed there was no speedboat (<deleted> it was raining hard at that stage) but he insisted we must buy our tickets for the ferry there. Upon enquiring the price (at Petcharat desk) it was magically 250 Baht - this is 100 Baht more than the official price

After we whispered some loving words in the scavenger's ear he finally conceded defeat and drove us to the pier.

Get real Bangkok Airways, it is bad enough your fares are pathetically high, but to allow these type of shady things to go on under your nose shows a total lack of ethics and decency.

Are you sure there is no more mini bus service at the airport? Should be 100 THB to Bangrak.

Taxis? There should be a large billboard at the airport:

"Avoid dark skinned black haired taxi scammers"

Why the TAK is not solving this problem (think they have never solved any problem here)...

[sbk]

I've only ever taken the Lomprayah bus and never paid for a taxi Why not go that route and avoid the extortionate taxi prices altogether (well, at least for those of us travelling on to Phangan and Tao, you Samui people are stuck).

[mattias33]

I've only ever taken the Lomprayah bus and never paid for a taxi Why not go that route and avoid the extortionate taxi prices altogether (well, at least for those of us travelling on to Phangan and Tao, you Samui people are stuck).

So, the lompraya-trip is free now? No, you never pay for the pick-up becaue you paid all included for the boat. If you book a room on Samui many hotels/resorts also have a pick-up.

I agree with claudfellers post. You are right. Everything.

[suegha]

They tried to charge me 400 baht to bang rak! It's only a 5 min journey. I took the mini bus and it costs 70 baht each, which is still excessive. I feel like getting a t-shirt printed saying: "I'm not a <deleted> tourist!"

ps that taxi journey here in the UK wouldn't cost that!

Edited January 26, 2008 by suegha

[sbk]

I've only ever taken the Lomprayah bus and never paid for a taxi Why not go that route and avoid the extortionate taxi prices altogether (well, at least for those of us travelling on to Phangan and Tao, you Samui people are stuck).

So, the lompraya-trip is free now? No, you never pay for the pick-up becaue you paid all included for the boat. If you book a room on Samui many hotels/resorts also have a pick-up.

I agree with claudfellers post. You are right. Everything.

I was responding to the OP's post about going to the Lomprayah pier. Since the OP was talking about going to Koh Phangan, if going with Lomprayah there is no need to pay for a taxi as their bus is included in the price of the boat.

I guess if you hadn't noticed that part of his post then my response wouldn't necessarily be clear.

[Tony121]

I would report this to bangkok airways. sometime's without proper supervision employee's will try to earn a quick buck, seatran is a classic example staff getting backhander's from truck driver's and friend's to push in front of the queue.

and If they get caught they get the sack !

So i think a complaint to bangkok airway's is worth the effort

[ClaudeFeller]

I would report this to bangkok airways. sometime's without proper supervision employee's will try to earn a quick buck, seatran is a classic example staff getting backhander's from truck driver's and friend's to push in front of the queue.

and If they get caught they get the sack !

So i think a complaint to bangkok airway's is worth the effort

Seatran: One of wifeys family is seatran queue staff: We have regular free eggs and sometimes a bottle of thai whiskey.

The guy has no understanding at all that this is wrong!

[Eric1949]

I would report this to bangkok airways. sometime's without proper supervision employee's will try to earn a quick buck, seatran is a classic example staff getting backhander's from truck driver's and friend's to push in front of the queue.

and If they get caught they get the sack !

So i think a complaint to bangkok airway's is worth the effort

Seatran: One of wifeys family is seatran queue staff: We have regular free eggs and sometimes a bottle of thai whiskey.

The guy has no understanding at all that this is wrong!

Stuck at Donsak seatran terminal last August, with a minimum wait of 7 hours, I went down the 1000 baht road and got on the next ferry. Terrible I know, but the alternative was to spend 7 house min at the ferry terminal, and then pay for a hotel in Nathon, as I would have been too late to check into my bungalow.

[mattias33]

I would report this to bangkok airways. sometime's without proper supervision employee's will try to earn a quick buck, seatran is a classic example staff getting backhander's from truck driver's and friend's to push in front of the queue.

and If they get caught they get the sack !

So i think a complaint to bangkok airway's is worth the effort

Seatran: One of wifeys family is seatran queue staff: We have regular free eggs and sometimes a bottle of thai whiskey.

The guy has no understanding at all that this is wrong!

Stuck at Donsak seatran terminal last August, with a minimum wait of 7 hours, I went down the 1000 baht road and got on the next ferry. Terrible I know, but the alternative was to spend 7 house min at the ferry terminal, and then pay for a hotel in Nathon, as I would have been too late to check into my bungalow.

Ok, now you guys woke me up!! Came to Donsak 3 o clock in the afternoon about two weeks ago. There where approx 30 cars inside. 3 o clock, with 4? boats left. The lady said "full"! I said "no, look inside, there is almost no cars and 4 more boats!" She kept saying "full"! I lost my temper because it simply never crossed my mind that she wanted me to bribe her, i just thought of it as pure rasism. Where i come from bribes practicly dont exist so i dont automaticly make this connection. Reading you guys posts make me realize that bringing up a 1000 would have got me on the 4o clock ferry, shame shame shame.

On the other hand i just went over to raja instead and got the 3:30 ferry, same price and to my oppinion better boat, so no harm done.

[ClaudeFeller]

For Seatran it is possible to book a ferry, just must pay at Ayuthaya Bank office by ATM if you have an account or inside the bank by cash. They charge 35 THB fee for reservation (nonsense!).

The word "corruption" doesnt exist here, it is all about doing a favour to each other.

[highdiver]

For Seatran it is possible to book a ferry, just must pay at Ayuthaya Bank office by ATM if you have an account or inside the bank by cash. They charge 35 THB fee for reservation (nonsense!).

The word "corruption" doesnt exist here, it is all about doing a favour to each other.

but you should mind all that . as your helicopter from your yacht can take you directly.

[ClaudeFeller]

For Seatran it is possible to book a ferry, just must pay at Ayuthaya Bank office by ATM if you have an account or inside the bank by cash. They charge 35 THB fee for reservation (nonsense!).

The word "corruption" doesnt exist here, it is all about doing a favour to each other.

but you should mind all that . as your helicopter from your yacht can take you directly.

Highdiver, you don't know the daily life of my class. We like our staff to move the car pool from time to time. As Samui roads are too slow they have to go to Surathani to drive "a little bit" faster on the highways. We also like the staff to be back right in time, so we make the reservations for the ferry BEFORE they go. That is our style.

[girlx]

agree with SBK- why do you not just take the free shuttle to lomprayah?

[Maestro]

I have deleted off-topic posts and replies thereto, bickering, and other posts that made no sense.

--

Maestro

[koheesti]

I was looking for fligh tschedules and ran across this. Apparently Sawadee.com provides a transfer seervice. Not sure if it's free or just for people who book through them.

http://samui.sawadee.com/airport/transfer.html

Edited January 29, 2008 by koheesti

[Samui Coconut]

I was looking for fligh tschedules and ran across this. Apparently Sawadee.com provides a transfer seervice. Not sure if it's free or just for people who book through them.

http://samui.sawadee.com/airport/transfer.html

Transfers are not free and meant for Sawadee bookings only.

[Samui Coconut]

AVIATION / BANGKOK AIRWAYS' STRATEGY

Samui airport to become second international flight hub

BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA

Bangkok Airways, the country's largest privately owned carrier, plans to turn Samui Airport into a second international air hub after Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport in the next one or two years.

The airline would launch more direct international flights for medium-haul routes through the small resort airport. The plan falls under Bangkok Airways' growth plan and the mandate of the Samui Property Fund.

Also in the pipeline are plans to offer direct flights from Samui to Dubai, Shanghai, Bali, and Kuala Lumpur. The airline already has scheduled flights to Hong Kong and Singapore.

Being instrumental to the launch of the direct international flights from Samui is the arrival this year of additional A319s boost capacity for the longer flights, said Bangkok Airways vice-president M.L. Nandhika Varavan.

The first of the six A319s that Bangkok Airways has ordered is already operating, while three more are due for delivery this year with the rest gradually joining the fleet until Nov 2009.

''The definite launching dates of these international flights has yet to be decided, but are unlikely in the very near future,'' M.L. Nandhika said. That depends on the four-year marketing plan Bangkok Airways is finalising, she added.

The bulk of Bangkok Airways' flights originate from Suvarnabhumi and a substantial number of its passenger traffic is between Bangkok and Samui. Bangkok Airways carries about 600,000 passengers a year through Samui Airport.

With a limited number of international flights, Samui Airport is largely classified as a domestic airport, flying mostly foreign tourists from Bangkok to Samui.Aside from Bangkok Airways' own international-bound services, Samui serves a handful of international flights from Malaysia by the low cost carrier Firefly and Selangor-based Berjaya Air.

Part of the problem is environmental restrictions on the number of flights and operating hours, with a total of 36 flights per day currently allowed.

But Bangkok Airways is eager to make Samui Airport its second traffic base to support the airport's new 500-million-baht passenger terminal that was completed early last year.

The new terminal is four times larger than the old one and can handle 16,000 passengers a day. It is intended to cope with surging foreign tourist traffic to the island over the next 10-years.

Meanwhile, air traffic through Samui last year slowed from the previous year.

According to the Department of Civil Aviation, total passenger throughput dropped 15.71% to 1.18 million from 1.40 million in the previous year while combined aircraft movements also fell 15.87% to 15,783.

[ParadiseLost]

I've only ever taken the Lomprayah bus and never paid for a taxi Why not go that route and avoid the extortionate taxi prices altogether (well, at least for those of us travelling on to Phangan and Tao, you Samui people are stuck).

Unfortunately, the Lompraya minibus departs around 4:00 from the airport and I arrive just too late - I would use it if I could .

[sbk]

Ok, then you were stuck with being ripped off and have a right to complain

Why not write the Bangkok Air office in Bangkok? Can't hurt and might help. Since it is an airline that promotes its excellence in servce, enough letters might cause someone to notice.

Then again, might not. But you will never know if you don't try.

Bangkok Air

99 m 14 Viphavhadi Rangsit Rd

Chum Pon, Chatuchak

Bangkok 10900

[emmezeta]

AVIATION / BANGKOK AIRWAYS' STRATEGY

Samui airport to become second international flight hub

Meanwhile, air traffic through Samui last year slowed from the previous year.

According to the Department of Civil Aviation, total passenger throughput dropped 15.71% to 1.18 million from 1.40 million in the previous year while combined aircraft movements also fell 15.87% to 15,783.

I was allucinating or Bangkok Airwais is doing discount from BKK to Samui in february?

Has ever happened before? Unfortunately no discount leaving samui, sgrunt .

[BlackWolf]

Me and my wife arrived Samui Airport yesterday and needed transport to our house located just nearby Chaweng Noi beach. The official taxi-price was 600 Bath for about 10 kilometer. In Bangkok you can have a ride all day for this rip-off. The ofiicial Air Port minibus had a quite different price; 150 Bath each which is more normal.

We stayed for some days in KL. and had a taxi from our hotel to the airport. It was a fixed price 35 RM (360 bath) for 35 kilometer. It is time for the TAT do something about this taxi mafia on Samui to show that they care about all the tourists visiting this island.

[longtom]

Can't blame these 'poor' taxi drivers, they have to pay off their expensive new cars and houses! I can see almost no cheap Solunas or similar cars among them. And there's an amazing high number of taxis on this small island, gives probably only 1 ride average per day/taxi. That's why they sometimes have to beat the customers to get their 'fair' fare.