When Were They Ruined?

[Neeranam]

I read a post on another thread by SBK saying that she came to Koh Pa Ngan in 1980s. I went there for 6 weeks in 1992 and loved it - it had everything I needed and wanted - meditation, nice people, cheap booze/*****, 50 baht a night for a hut on Haat Rin beach, no electricity. There were two restaurants and one night club - perfect. I'd hate it now I'm sure.

My question is when did KPN and KS go past their perfection?

I guess for different people different times. I'd now love Koh Samet, for example as it was in 1992 because I'm a boring old fart, married with kids now but then there wasn't enough action for an young, alcoholic dope fiend.

[Birdman]

History here is subdivided in the Pretescolotuslithikum and the Posttescolotusmodernus.

But for me that old Samui feeling vanished in the first years of the 90s.

[Boater]

i first hit koh samui on 2004, and i think it lost it for me in 2007 .................

[Birdman]

really? can't see too much difference between 04 and 07.

[MJo]

I read a post on another thread by SBK saying that she came to Koh Pa Ngan in 1980s. I went there for 6 weeks in 1992 and loved it - it had everything I needed and wanted - meditation, nice people, cheap booze/*****, 50 baht a night for a hut on Haat Rin beach, no electricity. There were two restaurants and one night club - perfect. I'd hate it now I'm sure.

My question is when did KPN and KS go past their perfection?

I guess for different people different times. I'd now love Koh Samet, for example as it was in 1992 because I'm a boring old fart, married with kids now but then there wasn't enough action for an young, alcoholic dope fiend.

Usually it happens when you start to reach 35 years. You start looking something else than boozing/***

[Boater]

really? can't see too much difference between 04 and 07.

i can see lot and lots

buinesses that where taking 20 - 40 k a day, now 0 THB income.........................

[OriginalPoster]

really? can't see too much difference between 04 and 07.

i can see lot and lots

buinesses that where taking 20 - 40 k a day, now 0 THB income.........................

Neither the changes in KPN nor Samui were abrupt, it's not that you can point to some specific date or event that marked a watershed, rather it's been a gradual but steady change. I thought, for instance, on my first trip to Samui in 1991 that it was too quiet, with there being nothing much to do except to sit around waiting for coconuts to fall out of the trees. I went nuts after about 3 days of that. Came back a few times from 2001 to 2003 and that that the place was just right, just about the right mix of things to do and beaches to do nothing on. By 2007, I thought that the place was was getting out of control, that give it a few more years and if might be downright unpleasant. I'm going to guess though that there are probably people coming to Samui for the first time now and think that it's a godsend, and that it won't be until around 2015 until the think that the place has gone to pot. Aside from Samui changing a lot since 1991 (or even since 2001), so have I.

Edited May 10, 2009 by OriginalPoster

[Neeranam]

I read a post on another thread by SBK saying that she came to Koh Pa Ngan in 1980s. I went there for 6 weeks in 1992 and loved it - it had everything I needed and wanted - meditation, nice people, cheap booze/*****, 50 baht a night for a hut on Haat Rin beach, no electricity. There were two restaurants and one night club - perfect. I'd hate it now I'm sure.

My question is when did KPN and KS go past their perfection?

I guess for different people different times. I'd now love Koh Samet, for example as it was in 1992 because I'm a boring old fart, married with kids now but then there wasn't enough action for an young, alcoholic dope fiend.

Usually it happens when you start to reach 35 years. You start looking something else than boozing/***

Well I did stop drinking when I was 35 - it's 8 years now.

[koheesti]

My question is when did KPN and KS go past their perfection?

To paraphrase Bubba, it depends on what your definition of perfection is. Personally, both islands are far from perfect and, no, IMO they haven't passed it.

[Mark Wolfe]

I don't know, Neeranam when did Khon Kaen City lose its "perfection"? Or is that the Xanadu of Thailand?

[Neeranam]

I don't know, Neeranam when did Khon Kaen City lose its "perfection"? Or is that the Xanadu of Thailand?

I'd say about 3 years ago. Too getting too big now, traffic bad and too many mail order husbands.

[ParadiseLost]

I believe the tsunami caused a huge upswing in interest in Samui as Phuket, Phi-phi etc. were all devastated, so tourists looked for alternate destinations. Immediately after this there was a rush to cater for the higher influx of toutrists to Samui and local thai/farang thought this was indeed the end of the rainbow. New resorts, hotels, restaurants and bars sprouted everywhere and property prices exploded.

Now that Phuket is back to its deserved top destination status, all those clever people who spent stupid money buying/building on Samui are crying and wondering why oh why... Samui will never be Phuket.

Samui never had any decent planning; roads will always be too narrow for the volume of traffic and 3 family marts per m2 does not help. If you want fair comparisson look to Penang (Malaysia), which is just about identical in size but what a difference. Their infrastructure was planned ahead.

Unfortunately KP had some of the overflow from Samui during this time, but thankfully the bubble started bursting before the boutique hotel crowd got here with their bling. Land prices did shoot up on KP, but stangely enough only on property deals where farang where involved. Those properties will never sell for the price paid, too much went into the friendly (farang) agents' pockets... (strange how they can afford swank cars etc without actually contributing anything to the world )

So to answer your question, I guess these islands were truly ruined before any farang arrived, but in modern times the past 4 years have seen the most frenzied and clueless developement - almost like that Kostner movie 'Field of Dreams' - build the luxury hotels and the people will come...

[Soulwy]

I believe the tsunami caused a huge upswing in interest in Samui as Phuket, Phi-phi etc. were all devastated, so tourists looked for alternate destinations. Immediately after this there was a rush to cater for the higher influx of toutrists to Samui and local thai/farang thought this was indeed the end of the rainbow. New resorts, hotels, restaurants and bars sprouted everywhere and property prices exploded.

Now that Phuket is back to its deserved top destination status, all those clever people who spent stupid money buying/building on Samui are crying and wondering why oh why... Samui will never be Phuket.

Samui never had any decent planning; roads will always be too narrow for the volume of traffic and 3 family marts per m2 does not help. If you want fair comparisson look to Penang (Malaysia), which is just about identical in size but what a difference. Their infrastructure was planned ahead.

Unfortunately KP had some of the overflow from Samui during this time, but thankfully the bubble started bursting before the boutique hotel crowd got here with their bling. Land prices did shoot up on KP, but stangely enough only on property deals where farang where involved. Those properties will never sell for the price paid, too much went into the friendly (farang) agents' pockets... (strange how they can afford swank cars etc without actually contributing anything to the world )

So to answer your question, I guess these islands were truly ruined before any farang arrived, but in modern times the past 4 years have seen the most frenzied and clueless developement - almost like that Kostner movie 'Field of Dreams' - build the luxury hotels and the people will come...

Aaah, this is the story with Koh Samui...

Well, it worked out better for Kevin Costner.

[mistresserika]

Samui never had any decent planning; roads will always be too narrow for the volume of traffic and 3 family marts per m2 does not help. If you want fair comparisson look to Penang (Malaysia), which is just about identical in size but what a difference. Their infrastructure was planned ahead

Lets not forget, Penang was colonised by the Brits. That's why their infrastructure was planned ahead. Thailand does not have any forward planning.

[angiud]

It's called colonialism

Love your avatar

Edited May 18, 2009 by angiud

[Mark Wolfe]

Ask any sauropod, Samui and all of Thailand was ruined about 65 million years ago.

[pluto_manibo]

Lived there from '95-98. No seven-elevens/family mart, stale bread, newspapers came in late afternoon, dirt road through Chaweng and Lamai....lots of shabby little huts/bars/restaurants. It had its charm but it was inconvenient at times. I visited once in 2004 and didn't recognise the place. Most of the people I knew both thai and farang have moved on and left the island.

[baco]

the islands where ruined when the appeared in the lonely planet.

the lonely planet is always the beginning of the end

[Birdman]

the islands where ruined when the appeared in the lonely planet.

the lonely planet is always the beginning of the end

but without the Lonely Planet spirit, you would still live in your home town.

[PatinBKk]

Have to agree, the Tsunami put a spotlight on Samui and the greed escalated....look now at all those real estate agents that just had to put a pic in the window and bang they have sold the land/house....non of them were real agents and most couldnt even sell an ice cream......

[southbot]

I visited Samui first in 1982, Nathon pier was made of bamboo and coconut trunks.

I have now lived here for around 14 or so years, since 1995.

I have not really noticed that much change since 1982.

Some new roads and piers and stuff, a few more people. But it is still Samui.

What I mean is that Samui has changed no more than the rest of the world and why should Samui not move ahead/backward like the rest of the world?

Strewth, the whole world was totally 1982 style back in 1982 but now it's, like, 2009 style.

Wow!

PS: The more things change the more they stay the same (or whatever it is the smart folks say)

[highdiver]

I visited Samui first in 1982, Nathon pier was made of bamboo and coconut trunks.

I have now lived here for around 14 or so years, since 1995.

I have not really noticed that much change since 1982.

Some new roads and piers and stuff, a few more people. But it is still Samui.

What I mean is that Samui has changed no more than the rest of the world and why should Samui not move ahead/backward like the rest of the world?

Strewth, the whole world was totally 1982 style back in 1982 but now it's, like, 2009 style.

Wow!

PS: The more things change the more they stay the same (or whatever it is the smart folks say)

so true... i agree with you 100%

[longtom]

...

I have not really noticed that much change since 1982.

Some new roads and piers and stuff, a few more people. But it is still Samui.

...

You must be the farang living in that mountain cave for the last 25 years, I've heard some locals whispering about him. Some say he has hardly eaten or slept during that time, and due to his prolongued meditation, is in a constant state of bliss and happiness.

Don't get me wrong, I admire your perfecting the art of positive thinking.

[Johpa]

Chaweng circa 1983

If you can't notice a difference then and now, I just don't know what to say.

[Rooo]

If you can't notice a difference then and now, I just don't know what to say.

No plastic bags?

[sbk]

Ask any sauropod, Samui and all of Thailand was ruined about 65 million years ago.

[BIC]

Phangan when I moved here after the Millenium had no lady bars, at least none that were visable .... a very nice change for Thailand. Then ...... Shroooooooom .... Tsunami ...... no work in Phuket ... they all head to Samui ... then when that was full they overflow to Phangan and.....Shrooooooooom ....... Ban Tai now laden with them ....and only 100 meters down the road from the main school there's scantily clad ass shakin ladyboys shakin themselves at every car or bike that passes - now lady bars every side of the street for 3Km all the way to Thong Sala .... a sad sight for the school kids ..... and for the island...