Koh Tao

[mattias33]

Somebody said that the average westerner living on samui spends the day drinking beer, hahaha. I know the average westerner (or i think so) on koh pagnan is a oldie goldie hippie, , (joking halfway). Now, i´m just curios, what kind of people live on Koh tao? I reccon there´ll be alot of divers there, running their dive company right? But other than that? I mean, it is quite the hassle to get there, 4 hours with boat either from samui or mainland. What is it that makes the island worth living on. What would the general expat say is so much better on koh tao than for instans samui, that it is worth it? Is there something in particular that you guys just love about the place?

Curios

[angiud]

You won the 1st prize for generalization

[limbos]

4 hours? From Samui to Koh Tao just an hour and a half.

[mattias33]

4 hours? From Samui to Koh Tao just an hour and a half.

True. Sorry for that typo. 4 hours from chumporn though.

[mattias33]

You won the 1st prize for generalization

Hope its not another playstation 2. I have 4 now. Tell me i won something drinkable?

[H2oDunc]

4 hours? From Samui to Koh Tao just an hour and a half.

True. Sorry for that typo. 4 hours from chumporn though.

No about the same from Samui. It is 4 hours, or there abouts, from Samui to Chumphon or vise versa. Obviously never been or done it and as said just using broad generalisations for all 3 islands.

You have a lot of dive shop owners, dive instructors, dive masters and people training to do both of the above. You also have bar owners and other people who have income from abroad and just love the Tao lifestyle. Oh and a few beach bum hippy types as well.

[angiud]

You won the 1st prize for generalization

Hope its not another playstation 2. I have 4 now. Tell me i won something drinkable?

You win a hippie-style 'shroom shake

Edited December 13, 2008 by angiud

[mattias33]

4 hours? From Samui to Koh Tao just an hour and a half.

True. Sorry for that typo. 4 hours from chumporn though.

No about the same from Samui. It is 4 hours, or there abouts, from Samui to Chumphon or vise versa. Obviously never been or done it and as said just using broad generalisations for all 3 islands.

You have a lot of dive shop owners, dive instructors, dive masters and people training to do both of the above. You also have bar owners and other people who have income from abroad and just love the Tao lifestyle. Oh and a few beach bum hippy types as well.

Ohh, thanks for the great answer. "just love the tao lifestyle".

So, let me formulate the question differently, i didnt realize it was so difficult to understand.

-What is the tao lifestyle?

Ohh, and yes, ive done the lomprayha ceveral times and not later than 5 days ago actually. My point was more that samui has less hassled connections in case of needing to go to mainland quick. Not that particular connection because it´s an hour shorter from tao to choumporn than from samui. Clear enough?

And no, i´m not using broad generalisations for all 3 islands. Infact i tried to ask what koh tao is all about. Allthough if you are an expat there i already got a little closer to the answer. Now, c´mon tao people. Surerly there is something special to tell us about? How about some pictures and stories.

[mattias33]

Seems like computers, or at least Thaivisa forum is not a part of the "Tao lifestyle", then?

Dont be scared, i´m serious about this thread. Some info about Tao. How´s life over there? C´mon!

[pokerkid]

4 hours? From Samui to Koh Tao just an hour and a half.

True. Sorry for that typo. 4 hours from chumporn though.

No about the same from Samui. It is 4 hours, or there abouts, from Samui to Chumphon or vise versa. Obviously never been or done it and as said just using broad generalisations for all 3 islands.

You have a lot of dive shop owners, dive instructors, dive masters and people training to do both of the above. You also have bar owners and other people who have income from abroad and just love the Tao lifestyle. Oh and a few beach bum hippy types as well.

Ohh, thanks for the great answer. "just love the tao lifestyle".

So, let me formulate the question differently, i didnt realize it was so difficult to understand.

-What is the tao lifestyle?

Ohh, and yes, ive done the lomprayha ceveral times and not later than 5 days ago actually. My point was more that samui has less hassled connections in case of needing to go to mainland quick. Not that particular connection because it´s an hour shorter from tao to choumporn than from samui. Clear enough?

And no, i´m not using broad generalisations for all 3 islands. Infact i tried to ask what koh tao is all about. Allthough if you are an expat there i already got a little closer to the answer. Now, c´mon tao people. Surerly there is something special to tell us about? How about some pictures and stories.

So if you have "done" the lompraya several times, why don't or didn't you invest 1 day of your obviously very busy schedule to come to koh tao.

you can read all you want about this little island but you'll never fully get it until you've been there .

But if 1.5 hour on the ferry is too much for you (like it is for a lot of samui tourists) don't bother. You wouldn't like it here anyway.

by the way the lompraya takes only 2 hours to go from tao to chumpon. so you were wrong again. Who told you about that anyway, or did you find that information on the the internet like most of your knowledge and experience maybe .

[samuibeachcomber]

never ceases to amaze me how a simple topic question can degenerate into defenses of where one lives,..............a simple answer to the question would be to tell us all what it is like.There, end of story but everyone happy!

[angiud]

it's a mystery to me why Koh Tao people don't read TV. My accountant have over 100 farang companies registered in KT, against the 60 in KPG (Khun Suthep) so I wondering if they are too busy making money, maybe fishwatching, or just internet connection too much expensive?

Anyway in my (short) TV life I've seen just a few couple of posts from KT people.

[pokerkid]

never ceases to amaze me how a simple topic question can degenerate into defenses of where one lives,..............a simple answer to the question would be to tell us all what it is like.There, end of story but everyone happy!

too me it looks like the OP set the tone when he made a certain reply. but i could be wrong................ am I?

[H2oDunc]

never ceases to amaze me how a simple topic question can degenerate into defenses of where one lives,..............a simple answer to the question would be to tell us all what it is like.There, end of story but everyone happy!

Samuibeachcomber you have lost me with this one. Just exactly who is " defending where they live " as NONE of the posters appear to live there ? I spent some time there but think its the biggets rip off island in Thailand so that leaves me out of your generization.

The guy thinks it takes 4 hours to get there from both Samui and Chumphon yet is supposed to stay in Samui ??? Unless you have lived on a small island its hard to describe the small island lifestyle. Most people know each other, especially those that work and live there. Its mainly a diving island so go into any bar and around half the custmers will be diviers of some description. There is a small party scene there and it has your typical beach bar lifestyle you expect here.

I personally dont like the small island lifestyle. I like being able to jump on my bike and ride not be limited by having to take a ferry. Other people love it. I would suggest you go for a few days and see for yourself. Its really the only way.

[samuibeachcomber]

I agree and next time i take the lomprayah cat. to chumpon i will drop off and take a look.I think its the old story of not visiting places in your own backyard.My point was that no one actually replied to the post and said what koh tao was like to live on.

[H2oDunc]

SB the next time you go Chumphon take the Seatran, A far better ferry and you can get a ticket which allows you to stop off on on Tao and them continue on to Chumphon when feel like it. Plus its a far nicer boat and the staff are a lot more pleasant. A long weekend there would give you an idea of the Tao lifestyle. Its a beautiful island with some excellent cheap diving. I just personally need the freedom the mainland gives you. But then when you have a 2,300cc motorcycle any island is small even here on Samui. Its back to Chumphon for me in the new year

[mattias33]

never ceases to amaze me how a simple topic question can degenerate into defenses of where one lives,..............a simple answer to the question would be to tell us all what it is like.There, end of story but everyone happy!

Samuibeachcomber you have lost me with this one. Just exactly who is " defending where they live " as NONE of the posters appear to live there ? I spent some time there but think its the biggets rip off island in Thailand so that leaves me out of your generization.

The guy thinks it takes 4 hours to get there from both Samui and Chumphon yet is supposed to stay in Samui ??? Unless you have lived on a small island its hard to describe the small island lifestyle. Most people know each other, especially those that work and live there. Its mainly a diving island so go into any bar and around half the custmers will be diviers of some description. There is a small party scene there and it has your typical beach bar lifestyle you expect here.

I personally dont like the small island lifestyle. I like being able to jump on my bike and ride not be limited by having to take a ferry. Other people love it. I would suggest you go for a few days and see for yourself. Its really the only way.

Just chill a little in your tone please. I done the lomprayha ceveral times. It´s 4 hours from choumporn to samui. If tao is after 2,5 or 3 might not really matter, i dont wear a watch. I´ve spent 2 days on tao touristing and seen the island. Quite nice place. Now, i didnt mean to upset people with this thread. I just simply wanted to know whats nice about being an expat on Tao. Apperently i was way out with that question. All the replies so far is about minuite counting of the ferry systems, while my point ws more that it is for sure a bigger hassle to get to tao than samui, and what makes it worth it. What does tao have that makes the expats rather live there than on samui.

Could never see such agression coming in this thread. .

Whats even worse is that nobody from Tao really participated so far.

[Mark Wolfe]

It is interesting that apparently no one on Koh Tao has replied. That must tell you something...but what isn't clear. It might be that not many people actually know about this site. The "regular" posters on Samui are very small in number (at least compared to those on the Taiwan board -- www.forumosa.com).

Or maybe the Taoists are too stoned to type, too deeply in a meditative state, too busy being cool with tie-dyed pants with drawstrings, too bleary eyed from nitrogen overload, too busy getting new skank tattoos, too dam_n hip in general....

...and these are NOT generalizations, these are scientific facts determined using a lifestyle meter of my own design (patent pending) which I will be selling along with my new HE-MAN 9000 Bio Feedback Synthetic Amelioration Machine. I would give you my Ebay store name but you'd probably try to steal my inventions so I won't.

[angiud]

They have a secret forum, reachable only by ip and not by URL, with triple password; they only talking about gorgeous dives, last nitro equipments, cool diving suits, PADI examinations.

They organize huge guinness record dives, grown their own 1st quality skunk and they know the real location of the Beach!

Ah, forgot! They also organizing a psy-trance party for the new year eve, to steal more people from the so-hippie KPG

Edited December 14, 2008 by angiud

[Birdman]

maybe lack of good internet connections under water.

[mattias33]

Hmm. Interessting. How is internetconnestions on Tao? Is that one reason why they are not on this forum? Or are they just shy? .

[Gatorade]

Hmm. Interessting. How is internetconnestions on Tao? Is that one reason why they are not on this forum? Or are they just shy? .

Hey Mattias

As you seem to be the only person remotely interested as to why the Tao tribe cannot be bothered to give away their secrets, why not carry out a research trip

and report back? Who knows what you will unearth!

[everydaysthesame]

koh tao people don't need a forum. its so small everybody knows everyone elses business before even they do.

imo.

[mattias33]

Hmm. Interessting. How is internetconnestions on Tao? Is that one reason why they are not on this forum? Or are they just shy? .

Hey Mattias

As you seem to be the only person remotely interested as to why the Tao tribe cannot be bothered to give away their secrets, why not carry out a research trip

and report back? Who knows what you will unearth!

If i am the only one interessted, what would be the point of reporting back?

Now, i been touristing there. I´m asking about how the expat life is. Thats not something you can get by visiting the place for a few days. I been to Koh pagnan, and didnt particular like it, drove around for a few days and didnt really see something special about the place. I might go back for a 2 day trip sometime but thats it. Not in a while though. Still, the people that live there have different views of the place than you get if you visit it short-term. I was kind of wondering what the general TAO-expat likes about Tao. Comments like "go look yourself" is pretty lame imo.

[stiggy]

Tao people are generally to busy doing nothing or moaning that they are to busy with there 3hr a day work ethic or having fun.Its a small island big on attitude has great nightlife that includes sunrise style opening hours.Has very few girlie bars and hence very few sexpats.Lots of Swedish chicks in season and is a million miles away from samui.

Tao has some awesome bays and lots of eagles, clear blue water most of the year resident sharks in some bays and bigger boys further out at Chumporn pinnacles.

Interestingly Tao has its own unique species of squirrel found no where else,Unfortunately no one has told the workers /builders that enjoy there taste and use there tails as keyrings.

Island life can be a bit groundhog day but who cares if everyday is on the rock.

[samuibeachcomber]

Tao people are generally to busy doing nothing or moaning that they are to busy with there 3hr a day work ethic or having fun.Its a small island big on attitude has great nightlife that includes sunrise style opening hours.Has very few girlie bars and hence very few sexpats.Lots of Swedish chicks in season and is a million miles away from samui.

Tao has some awesome bays and lots of eagles, clear blue water most of the year resident sharks in some bays and bigger boys further out at Chumporn pinnacles.

Interestingly Tao has its own unique species of squirrel found no where else,Unfortunately no one has told the workers /builders that enjoy there taste and use there tails as keyrings.

Island life can be a bit groundhog day but who cares if everyday is on the rock.

first interesting reply from someone who lives on the island.thanks.so are most non thais there in diving industry/bar/restuarant owners are there many retired farang there who are not related to these businesses?so would guess most people visiting on holiday are there for the diving and or couples.somewhere someone said or thought that koh tao was very busy right now,is that the case?cos right now samui is very quiet.

[limbos]

KT has a a very young average age imo and most people are somehow active in the dive business. Slowly other businesses are opening up, resorts not attached to dive centers, spa's etc. Very slowly though.

As already has been pointed out, the avergae person living on KT is not really interested in or doesn't know about TV but if they're active at all on a forum, it's more likely a dive forum like Scubaboard and even there they're rare finds.

Stiggy summed it up nicely though!

[PoorSucker]

There is a website devoted to Life on Tao