Tourist Arrivals On Samui Down 50%

[DrChopper]

Are you really saying that you think people are staying away from Samui because petrol is 7 baht dearer than the mainland or because paracetamol is 10 baht and not 5 baht??? Unreal.

And of course rent is cheaper in Chumpon than Samui, they are completely different places. You may also be shocked to see the difference in rent between New York and Detroit, Jersey and Doncaster or Ibiza and Benidorm.

[jamesbrock]

It's no secret that Samui is an expensive place to live (compared to other places in Thailand, that is). Whether that's important is up to the individual, the prices here certainly haven't bothered me enough to go back from whence I came; but, after living in Samui for six months, and being in Chiang Mai for four days now, I can say that the difference in prices are very noticeable.

Some prices I can remember off the top of my head:

2012 Honda Click 125 - 48,900B brand new, drive away

Renting a PCX - 280B per day

1 hour Thai massage - 150B (and this is everywhere; I even saw 120 at Walking Street)

Public toilet - 2B

Nice 1br Apartment - 4500B per month

Razor refills - 365B (435B in Tesco Lamia)

A ride anywhere in a Sonthaew - 20B per person (yes, 20B!)

This difference in prices is present nearly everywhere you look; whether it's what's keeping people from Samui is anyone's guess, and, certainly, ten or twenty baht here or there doesn't matter much at all - but when almost everything is noticeably cheaper, it certainly makes a difference on a one or two week holiday.

[Rooo]

With all due respect, if you are living on a tight budget, thinking that all of Asia is dirt cheap, you shouldn't be here.

If you are winging about a gym cost of 100 baht or a plate of food being 70 baht again you shouldn't be here & shouldn't complain about Samui being expensive. In all honesty you can't have the best of both worlds.

You get what you pay for IMHO , you can not convince me that there is a slightest comparison between say Chumpon & Samui.

Further more doingok you find that prices in tourist areas are a rip off but you are quite comfortable shopping for clothes that you can sell at an inflated price in another European tourist destination.

Does that really make you any different from people trying to earn a living here? Think about it.

[Rooo]

It's no secret that Samui is an expensive place to live (compared to other places in Thailand, that is). Whether that's important is up to the individual, the prices here certainly haven't bothered me enough to go back from whence I came; but, after living in Samui for six months, and being in Chiang Mai for four days now, I can say that the difference in prices are very noticeable.

Some prices I can remember off the top of my head:

2012 Honda Click 125 - 48,900B brand new, drive away

Renting a PCX - 280B per day

1 hour Thai massage - 150B (and this is everywhere; I even saw 120 at Walking Street)

Public toilet - 2B

Nice 1br Apartment - 4500B per month

Razor refills - 365B (435B in Tesco Lamia)

A ride anywhere in a Sonthaew - 20B per person (yes, 20B!)

This difference in prices is present nearly everywhere you look; whether it's what's keeping people from Samui is anyone's guess, and, certainly, ten or twenty baht here or there doesn't matter much at all - but when almost everything is noticeably cheaper, it certainly makes a difference on a one or two week holiday.

Love the beaches in Chiang Mai

[Rooo]

One more comment / observation. You say Tesco is dearer on Samui. That is an absolute fallacy, Tesco & Makro print the same catalogue Thailand wide, they do not print a special Samui edition.

[jamesbrock]

Love the beaches in Chiang Mai

If beaches float your boat...

Seriously, Samui is an amazingly beautiful place and I love living here (and living here is much more cheaper than holidaying here), but I'm really liking Chiang Mai so far; although is certainly isn't a tropical island!

Edited February 23, 2012 by jamesbrock

[jamesbrock]

One more comment / observation. You say Tesco is dearer on Samui. That is an absolute fallacy, Tesco & Makro print the same catalogue Thailand wide, they do not print a special Samui edition.

If you're referring to me, I'm sorry for the confusion. I didn't buy the razors in a Tesco here in Chiang Mai, I bought them in a pharmacy. I just normally buy them in Tesco in Lamai because I assumed they would be cheaper than a smaller retailer like a pharmacy.

Edit: Ah, maybe you're referring to doingok...

Edited February 23, 2012 by jamesbrock

[Sophistichica]

It's no secret that Samui is an expensive place to live (compared to other places in Thailand, that is). Whether that's important is up to the individual, the prices here certainly haven't bothered me enough to go back from whence I came; but, after living in Samui for six months, and being in Chiang Mai for four days now, I can say that the difference in prices are very noticeable.

Some prices I can remember off the top of my head:

2012 Honda Click 125 - 48,900B brand new, drive away

Renting a PCX - 280B per day

1 hour Thai massage - 150B (and this is everywhere; I even saw 120 at Walking Street)

Public toilet - 2B

Nice 1br Apartment - 4500B per month

Razor refills - 365B (435B in Tesco Lamia)

A ride anywhere in a Sonthaew - 20B per person (yes, 20B!)

This difference in prices is present nearly everywhere you look; whether it's what's keeping people from Samui is anyone's guess, and, certainly, ten or twenty baht here or there doesn't matter much at all - but when almost everything is noticeably cheaper, it certainly makes a difference on a one or two week holiday.

Love the beaches in Chiang Mai

Beat me to it Roo!

However I must admit we are pushing away the backpackers and people 'travelling' to cheaper places. I try my hardest to keep the prices down in my bar and although we have to work a lot harder for the money we take, we've earned a good name for not 'taking the piss' with drink prices and tend to be busy most nights.

And Bangkok Airways could help us out a bit too by lowering their prices and not forcing everyone to fly to Phuket or Surat Thani instead...

[Tropicalevo]

Love the beaches in Chiang Mai

and the air quality (cough)

http://www.thaivisa....i/page__st__225

[jamesbrock]

and the air quality (cough)

http://www.thaivisa....i/page__st__225

Yeah, that's one thing I didn't research well enough before coming up here! Eyes were burning today!

[livinthailandos]

no matter how you state your opinion regarding the matter of tourists no answer on here will satisfy anyone it seems, all I can say is this. I" have been working and living here longer than probably most other people and before working on samui I was here for a while my experience on this island has started back in 2004. in that time till now I can say this

1. back then people till now people have complained prices where high as well and tourism on samui would die. I"m still waiting for that day to happen

2. The face of tourism has changed meaning UK, europeans are on the decline while tourists from russia, south korea, china, india, has continued to grow

3. Regarding the face of tourism another input the type of tourist has been changing

a. original backpacker

b. now - middle class to high end

4.Samui like other tourist desinations all have there problems and at the end of the day people will either dislike it here, like it here, love it or hate it.

lastly i wanted to say thank you roo for a point you made about living on a tight budget in asia i agree with your statement

[Boater]

i think the main issue with samui, is after the events of 26th Dec 2004, Samui had an incredible influx of tourists, everywhere was packed, i even remember all the bars in Lamai you had to get there by 7 just to get a seat !, now all these bars are empty .. they built and built to accomdate these people, BKK put there air fair up !, and so did everyone, but no one decreased after the tourist returned to phuket ect ...

speaking with a client today, he was going to BKK for biz, and wanted to visit the beaches for some R and R before heading home, i suggested Phuket and Samui, tried to swing him into samui but he wouldnt go , main Reason 1 ) Price of Flight, 2) price of Accomodation .. and this guy isnt ' poor ' but he opted for phuket as they had deals !, which samui didnt !

for samui to move forward, they need to adjust to the current market,

[Rooo]

One more comment / observation. You say Tesco is dearer on Samui. That is an absolute fallacy, Tesco & Makro print the same catalogue Thailand wide, they do not print a special Samui edition.

If you're referring to me, I'm sorry for the confusion. I didn't buy the razors in a Tesco here in Chiang Mai, I bought them in a pharmacy. I just normally buy them in Tesco in Lamai because I assumed they would be cheaper than a smaller retailer like a pharmacy.

Edit: Ah, maybe you're referring to doingok...

No James , was not referring to you lol.

[doingok]

One more comment / observation. You say Tesco is dearer on Samui. That is an absolute fallacy, Tesco & Makro print the same catalogue Thailand wide, they do not print a special Samui edition.

If you're referring to me, I'm sorry for the confusion. I didn't buy the razors in a Tesco here in Chiang Mai, I bought them in a pharmacy. I just normally buy them in Tesco in Lamai because I assumed they would be cheaper than a smaller retailer like a pharmacy.

Edit: Ah, maybe you're referring to doingok...

No James , was not referring to you lol.

you's guys re missing the point yes we are buy here to sell in the Uk/Spain but even here they are selling the same stuff that we are, but we sell it cheaper and they i guess they pay the same price as me but i have a bigger shipping cost.i.e bigc stall in they selling the same necklace we have from bali we paid around 30p =15baht they are selling it for 250baht = £5 we will not be selling them nowhere near that, they is a profit and there is greed so sorry rooo i am not like them here sorry that is just greed.and as living on a tight budget to me i am not plus that is not the point for me and others.i have talked to people who only come here for a couple of days cause of the prices here, old, young, family's, a like, no matter where you go on a budget are not no one likes paying over the odds when you do not have to. and i wish i had a quid for every one i have hard say i am not paying that. i understand most have wife's, businesses and have to stay here but we do not..budget are no budget people are not staying here for they full holiday cause of the price.people work out what they can live on before they decide were they are going stay/live and if they have it they love samui as many do they will come,if they just like Thailand on a hole they go else were as many have pointed out on here like the guy who went to phuket instead of here these people count and many more do to they should be coming here.put it on paper the cons and pros the list is bigger in the cons. i have got the say this though i wouldn't live in BBK to and that is cheap its just what a person is after.all we need is a nice beach a nice place to sleep do not need these other bars just a one to chill in with a cold beer or 2 so to US why pay more for the stuff we do not need?

anyway i have had a great 6 months here and travelling about ,made some great new friends Thai to but my eyes have been opened and my options widened.

who knowns i might get it later on but that the moment i just do not. i like samui and thailand

Edited February 24, 2012 by doingok

[BangrakBob]

who knowns i might get it later on but that the moment i just do not. i like samui and thailand

but you do understand how to moan about the cost of everything here to an anal degree, don't understand why an item cost can vary in different geographical locations, and at the same time you are quite happy about the fact you can make massive margins by exploiting the cheap labour and products you are buying from here to sell at a higher price in a foreign market?

[marstons]

I have often found with Agoda that their 50 % reduced rate just comes down to the same price the Hotel website has the room for. You have to question whether the real room rate was ever what Agoda quoted. Seems more like a sales ploy to me.

as a matter of interest i checked the internet room rate on the hotels web site at the time and it was the full rate agoda qouted as full rate, so the savings are 50% in that instance. Cant say i would be to happy if i was a customer paying full price.

web rate for hotel was 1500, agoda 800 baht.

Edited February 24, 2012 by marstons

[BangrakBob]

I have often found with Agoda that their 50 % reduced rate just comes down to the same price the Hotel website has the room for. You have to question whether the real room rate was ever what Agoda quoted. Seems more like a sales ploy to me.

as a matter of interest i checked the internet room rate on the hotels web site at the time and it was the full rate agoda qouted as full rate, so the savings are 50% in that instance. Cant say i would be to happy if i was a customer paying full price.

I think hotels agree a discounted rate for block amounts of rooms per season to 3rd party booking agents in order to sell those rooms as the larger 3rd party booking sites have a better chance of shifting the rooms for the hotel than the hotel does on its own. If all the block rooms have been booked through the 3rd party agent at the discounted rate, then the rate will shift back up to the same as the hotel.

[doingok]

who knowns i might get it later on but that the moment i just do not. i like samui and thailand

but you do understand how to moan about the cost of everything here to an anal degree, don't understand why an item cost can vary in different geographical locations, and at the same time you are quite happy about the fact you can make massive margins by exploiting the cheap labour and products you are buying from here to sell at a higher price in a foreign market?

i do not buy from samui i buy from bangkok but you do not here me moan about bangkok,and i do not make massive margins like the thais greed does if you are going to call someone read the facts that the thais charge more then we do fact.and for exploiting do you run a business here 600k to 10k a month and you call me for exploiting cheap labour pmsl god where is your head up you anal i think and i have bought from all over the world its called business.i am only saying this once more it the rest of thailand charged me 80 to 100 baht for the same thing this place would be busys 24/7 but it does not and there is no reason for it not to charge around the same price as the rest of thailand thank you good day lol

Edited February 24, 2012 by doingok

[doingok]

I have often found with Agoda that their 50 % reduced rate just comes down to the same price the Hotel website has the room for. You have to question whether the real room rate was ever what Agoda quoted. Seems more like a sales ploy to me.

as a matter of interest i checked the internet room rate on the hotels web site at the time and it was the full rate agoda qouted as full rate, so the savings are 50% in that instance. Cant say i would be to happy if i was a customer paying full price.

web rate for hotel was 1500, agoda 800 baht.

i do not use them now to just do a little search and its the same or cheaper

[BusyBee123]

doingok, try cambodia for exporting thailand is a rip off in comparison.

[doingok]

i have been to cambodia cheap as chip just not my kind a place.i saw a watch that i like in bangkok so the haggling started and i could get them down to a good price started at 2000baht so left and said i might go back,shopping as you do in cambodia saw the same watch (looked the same and had the same strap on to) ask the price 8 dollars i said 5 and he took it lol

[Birdman]

that little story is classic 100% Pattaya stone table topic

[Rooo]

Topic was started in 2008 so title a bit misleading.It did make sense then when things started to plateau after the Tsunami , SARS, economic crisis,yellow shirts etc........

Now we tend to deal with over supply of different venues . The old saying you have to change with the times, what worked 10 - 15 years ago is not going to work now, the formula will always have to be improved.

[Rooo]

I have started removing off topic posts,thread is being hijacked again.