Question For Business Owners & Farang

[livinthailandos]

As like many farang I have met on this island most either work here or have retired here. I am one of those who is working here though. I run a business. Anyway what I want to know is.

Business owners

1. in the last few years have you had to increase your prices?

2. Do you do any special discounts for residents of the island

3. Is your cash flow enough to get through the year

4. How much of your business is relied on giving credit to companies

5. Where are you mainly based in Chaweng, Bophut, Maenum, Lamai etc

6. Any reasonable ideas on where the island is heading short term - long term

7. 5. As far as people attitudes thai & farang what changes have you seen

Everyone else

1. Any reasonable ideas on where the island is heading short term - long term

2. Have you found places that have given you good prices if so where

3. Why do you keep coming back to samui

4. Between thai & farang do you feel you are cheated more by both or one in particular?

Mine

1. Last time I increased prices was back in mid 2006, prices are still the same now

2. Discounts for residents can be anywhere depending on amount of people usually 20% - 30% off

3. Cash flow is more month to month but have reserves for 6 months in a worse case scenario

4. Do give credit to agencies but have known them more than 2 years and there reliable

5. Based on bophut

6. my short term - long term depends really on how many tourists still decide to return and the global economy. Still believe this year won't be like last year or other years before that. Tourists are going where the bargins are at. As we all know samui has at least 1 major disadvantage high air fare to get here

[BusyBee123]

Everyone else

1. Any reasonable ideas on where the island is heading short term - long term

no

2. Have you found places that have given you good prices if so where

everywhere even with the pound not buying much baht at the moment it is cheap as chips if your not an alcoholic

3. Why do you keep coming back to samui

it's quick to get to, has good hospital facilities just in case!, has good beaches (some shit ones too), despite the moans has some great friendly locals aside from those tired of drunken foul mouthed tourist bums who expect the world and treat people like shit, easy to get to areas around tao for diving (even though koh tao needs to get its shit together before the waters around it are polluted for good) great restaurants offering so many different international cuisines as well as thai. moaning expats make me laugh and there are loads of them. The weather is unpredictable but always warm i like that. Frequency of flights if i want to go somewhere else for a few days is good though pricey but i'm a tourist and dont mind paying for a guranteed on time service.

4. Between thai & farang do you feel you are cheated more by both or one in particular?

couldn't care less thailand is a gazillion miles behind europe and america for rip offs we do it much better, see toxic debts, housing, shares for reasons why i think this. there is a moan about taxi mafia on samui but i only think no one ever gets a black cab in the uk now they are a rip off along side taxi drivers in any european holiday resort or airport. Farangs rip themselves off some real shiity ones on samui which i dont like but they are easily avoided.