Langham Place - Explain Illegal Floating Walkway

[Tracer Round]

This is an open letter to Langham Place Samui

The recently opened Langham Place Samui resort at Lamai beach has constructed a very long, floating dock/promenade protruding into the bay (which the resort refers to on their Web site as a, "unique ocean pool and chill out salas situated 200 meters out into the sea.").

This giant eyesore is clearly illegal as it contravenes the prohibition on any construction within 10 meters of the beach. The walkway is anchored by at least two metal stakes driven into the seabed and held in place with heavy chains.

I would like to offer this public forum for the resort to reply to some questions:

1. Did you obtain government permission to build on the beach in circumvention of the law, and if so, how was this accomplished?

2. Since the promenade has been anchored to the shore and extends out on top of an old coral reef, was an environmental impact study done before construction, and if so, by whom was it conducted and what were the conclusions?

3. Since the promenade is build on an old coral reef, the water even at the end farthest out to sea is shallow (shallower with summer tides) and strewn with sharp coral. Do you have any insurance against injury sustained by people (guests or others) jumping or diving off, thinking it is actually deep enough to do this ("unique ocean pool…")?

4. Before you decided to put in a 200-meter eyesore, why did you not survey the local residents to assess how they felt about the idea?

Edited February 22, 2010 by Tracer Round

[crusty]

Yes a clear example of "influential Bangkok Thais intruding on our island. Wot say you Harbour Department ?

[BigC]

looks like a floating peir to me. looks easy to dismantal. suppose if the Teesa baan came. they would pay the fine then keep it there. or just pretend that they don't kow who put it there. not claim responablity. i don't know just a guess. don't suppose it is tempery is it ?

Edited February 22, 2010 by BigC

[Rooo]

Cost 9 million baht.

[Obiwan]

I don't see your problem with this pier: apart from a little "eyesore" this thing don stink, don't make noise or endanger swimmers. There are many, many bigger eyesores and pollution problems: eg. jet ski-s, large scale deforestation, untreated sewage, huge ugly buildings etc. In fact the whole island lies to shatters. What is your point?

[samuicanuk]

I don't see your problem with this pier: apart from a little "eyesore" this thing don stink, don't make noise or endanger swimmers. There are many, many bigger eyesores and pollution problems: eg. jet ski-s, large scale deforestation, untreated sewage, huge ugly buildings etc. In fact the whole island lies to shatters. What is your point?

don't see the problem?...can we start with the legality issue?

[Obiwan]

Yes, tell me what IS legal in the island:

Bunrmese workers?

Farang workers om a tourist visa?

Jetski's

24Hr parties

selling and use of Fireworks

Land encroachment

Prostitution

the list never ends,

Therfore i was just curious why on earth this pier is such a problem.

[screamingeagle]

Yes, tell me what IS legal in the island:

Bunrmese workers?

Farang workers om a tourist visa?

Jetski's

24Hr parties

selling and use of Fireworks

Land encroachment

Prostitution

the list never ends,

Therfore i was just curious why on earth this pier is such a problem.

Prostitution? Good grief. This doesn't exist on Samui, surely???

[Obiwan]

No, it' all "true love"

[BigC]

Yes, tell me what IS legal in the island:

Bunrmese workers?

Farang workers om a tourist visa?

Jetski's

24Hr parties

selling and use of Fireworks

Land encroachment

Prostitution

the list never ends,

Therfore i was just curious why on earth this pier is such a problem.

yes i am baffled as to what is legal and illegal. maybe somethings are illegal but less punishable. i know that in the bail police book. they have bail set. 1 collum for thai's another for forang for each affence. don't think that would work in my country some how. 1 bail for English nationals another for Pakistaanis.

i do know one thing. forangs repect thailand a hel_l o allot more than other countries so they ain't doing a bad job.

as for the floating pier. maybe. they could just push it out to sea a little bit then it could be classed as a floating raft and if the police see it on the beach then it is just parked.

There are loads of loop holes in every system. thats what the lawyer is for

[angiud]

I saw one (100 mt) in Angthong Nat. park.

Eco-compatible?

[Nio]

Why don't you take this up with the proper Thai authorities or get the Thai news to investigate instead of railing on a mostly farang forum where we have no power to do anything?

PS www.fotosizer.com is the worlds best free photo resizer, you should try it out

[srisatch]

WHO OWNS LANGHAM??

For so many years Lamai has been a paradise in the midst of disaster.............NEW GENERATIONS, NEW MONEY?.........PROBABLY TIME TO NOT GO BACK?

[costalot]

Yes, tell me what IS legal in the island:

Bunrmese workers?

Farang workers om a tourist visa?

Jetski's

24Hr parties

selling and use of Fireworks

Land encroachment

Prostitution

the list never ends,

Therfore i was just curious why on earth this pier is such a problem.

Don't forget the quad bikes, without number plates etc.

[H2oDunc]

Why don't you take this up with the proper Thai authorities or get the Thai news to investigate instead of railing on a mostly farang forum where we have no power to do anything?

PS www.fotosizer.com is the worlds best free photo resizer, you should try it out

Same here. I gave up after 5 minutes waiting for the pictures to load.

[itishothere]

WHO OWNS LANGHAM??

For so many years Lamai has been a paradise in the midst of disaster.............NEW GENERATIONS, NEW MONEY?.........PROBABLY TIME TO NOT GO BACK?

Great Eagle Holdings. A Hong Kong public company. Been around for a while, as has the Langham brand. Although the owner of the Langham Samui is Thai. Operates a bit like a franchise I think.

[Changian]

One pier isn't so bad, not too much of an eyesore and (relatively) eco friendly. The problem is that if they get away with it and their reasons for building are given credence by the local authorities then pretty soon every luxury resort will have a floating pier outside it, no doubt competing for who can have the biggest and longest, size is important.

[Tracer Round]

Sorry for not resizing the photos. I previewed them and they loaded fine for me.

As for what is the point, what is yours, Obiwan? Whatever problems there are, tackling even one of them is something worth doing. Please feel free to address "huge, ugly building, etc." in a thread. Maybe something will be done.

Perhaps more compelling, according to my sources, a number of resort owners in the area had approached the builder of this walkway to ask if they too could have one. One is an abomination; how would the bay look with five? Eight?

By the way, I asked the Hong Kong liaison when she was here about this walkway and she was a bit chagrined. I said that given that the bay in that area is an old coral reef, and that the tides are such that for some of the year the thing will be "floating" on less than a meter of water at the end and resting on the exposed sea bed near the shore, the only people who could have possibly thought this was a good idea was someone back in corporate who had never even been to the location.

She indicated that this was not untrue.

I agree that taking the issue to more concerned authorities is important. That will happen. But I also think that the more people (including foreigners) who are aware of this -- and everyone I have met who has actually seen the monstrosity agree it is quite out of place and out of tune with the surroundings -- the more difficult the owners will have of defending it.

(edit to address last post: ..."not to much of an eyesore..." Try coming here and taking some sunset photos between Langham and the corner of Renaissance. It's a giant gash across your lens. It is nothing less than a long piece of permanent debris obstructing the otherwise beautiful view.)

Edited February 23, 2010 by Tracer Round

[limbos]

Sorry for not resizing the photos. I previewed them and they loaded fine for me.

As for what is the point, what is yours, Obiwan? Whatever problems there are, tackling even one of them is something worth doing. Please feel free to address "huge, ugly building, etc." in a thread. Maybe something will be done.

Perhaps more compelling, according to my sources, a number of resort owners in the area had approached the builder of this walkway to ask if they too could have one. One is an abomination; how would the bay look with five? Eight?

By the way, I asked the Hong Kong liaison when she was here about this walkway and she was a bit chagrined. I said that given that the bay in that area is an old coral reef, and that the tides are such that for some of the year the thing will be "floating" on less than a meter of water at the end and resting on the exposed sea bed near the shore, the only people who could have possibly thought this was a good idea was someone back in corporate who had never even been to the location.

She indicated that this was not untrue.

I agree that taking the issue to more concerned authorities is important. That will happen. But I also think that the more people (including foreigners) who are aware of this -- and everyone I have met who has actually seen the monstrosity agree it is quite out of place and out of tune with the surroundings -- the more difficult the owners will have of defending it.

(edit to address last post: ..."not to much of an eyesore..." Try coming here and taking some sunset photos between Langham and the corner of Renaissance. It's a giant gash across your lens. It is nothing less than a long piece of permanent debris obstructing the otherwise beautiful view.)

Tracer Round,

Full support here! Respect!

There's already too much damage done to corals around the island and every involvement trying to stop the tide deserves kudo's and support. The Thai Hotel Association (Southern Chapter) is actually trying to get a much more eco friendly environment on Samui and maybe contacting them is a first step or possibly one of many to take.

There may be many problems on and around the island, most likely too many for one person to 'attack', individual efforts are a first step and will hopefully accumulate into something bigger and stronger.

Obiwan, if you feel something needs to be done about the problems that you mention, feel free to try to change them, just sitting behind a key board attacking people who actaully try to do something is not the way forward.

[BigC]

Sorry for not resizing the photos. I previewed them and they loaded fine for me.

As for what is the point, what is yours, Obiwan? Whatever problems there are, tackling even one of them is something worth doing. Please feel free to address "huge, ugly building, etc." in a thread. Maybe something will be done.

Perhaps more compelling, according to my sources, a number of resort owners in the area had approached the builder of this walkway to ask if they too could have one. One is an abomination; how would the bay look with five? Eight?

By the way, I asked the Hong Kong liaison when she was here about this walkway and she was a bit chagrined. I said that given that the bay in that area is an old coral reef, and that the tides are such that for some of the year the thing will be "floating" on less than a meter of water at the end and resting on the exposed sea bed near the shore, the only people who could have possibly thought this was a good idea was someone back in corporate who had never even been to the location.

She indicated that this was not untrue.

I agree that taking the issue to more concerned authorities is important. That will happen. But I also think that the more people (including foreigners) who are aware of this -- and everyone I have met who has actually seen the monstrosity agree it is quite out of place and out of tune with the surroundings -- the more difficult the owners will have of defending it.

(edit to address last post: ..."not to much of an eyesore..." Try coming here and taking some sunset photos between Langham and the corner of Renaissance. It's a giant gash across your lens. It is nothing less than a long piece of permanent debris obstructing the otherwise beautiful view.)

Tracer Round,

Full support here! Respect!

There's already too much damage done to corals around the island and every involvement trying to stop the tide deserves kudo's and support. The Thai Hotel Association (Southern Chapter) is actually trying to get a much more eco friendly environment on Samui and maybe contacting them is a first step or possibly one of many to take.

There may be many problems on and around the island, most likely too many for one person to 'attack', individual efforts are a first step and will hopefully accumulate into something bigger and stronger.

Obiwan, if you feel something needs to be done about the problems that you mention, feel free to try to change them, just sitting behind a key board attacking people who actaully try to do something is not the way forward.

yes i think it is not too bad. lets face it samui's natural beauty has gone but there is still room to create a nice tropical business island city. like penang or singapore. maybe not quite as good but think leave all the natural beauty to Koh Anthonh Koh Phangyan Koh Tao. bascally all the other islands. too late to start worrying about these thins now. make the best out of a bad situation. the peir is not too bad. infact it is quite good. if the future of peirs is floating peirs tha is better than those crappy wood things with wholes in them

[Obiwan]

I give this thing a year or two, then the plastic will become brittle. Or maybe a storm will take care of it. The lifecycle of things at the beach or in the sea is very short in Thailand.

[Gatorade]

I give this thing a year or two, then the plastic will become brittle. Or maybe a storm will take care of it. The lifecycle of things at the beach or in the sea is very short in Thailand.

Wise words Obiwan. The very similar one at Six Senses (Sila Evason) only lasted one season.

[Beachedwhale]

While the plastic pier is certainly not pretty it is not the main issue along that stretch of beach. About 200 metres further down (toward Buddy Beer) the local Thais have dug out the coral and sand and built a small wooden pier where they bring in their fishing boats.

I have friends in the harbour board and they have taken these local people to court over the matter but the lamai locals refuse to demolish it and return it to the natural state. The harbourboard is trying to protect the beaches etc but the lack of legal clout to support their efforts and the time it takes through the system (especialy when it is locals) makes it very difficult for them. The plastic jetty is considered a smaller item of concern and while they may not want it to be there it is certainly better than the mess of a pier down the beach and is likely to be harder for them to fight.

We farangs on a forum are unlikely to be able to make much difference as long as the authorities continue to see Samui as its own little town to manage themselves, and continue to have long tedius court systems in place that mean people just give up after time.

[screamingeagle]

This is an open letter to Zog, Caliph of Zultan (he' sure to be reading all open letters published on planet Earth.) Stop this nonsense with floating piers or the might of the Zog intergalactic navy will destroy everyone!

[crusty]

I give this thing a year or two, then the plastic will become brittle. Or maybe a storm will take care of it. The lifecycle of things at the beach or in the sea is very short in Thailand.

Wise words Obiwan. The very similar one at Six Senses (Sila Evason) only lasted one season.

Yes and a similar pier at Phuket Evason was also trashed by nature. Just cannot wait for the smart arse Bankok owner to through up his arms and curse the unreasonable behaviour of the sea. Who is this all knowing architect that shows an abject lack of knowledge of the power of the sea and nature. Soon time to chant "Som Num Na"...

[BigC]

I give this thing a year or two, then the plastic will become brittle. Or maybe a storm will take care of it. The lifecycle of things at the beach or in the sea is very short in Thailand.

Wise words Obiwan. The very similar one at Six Senses (Sila Evason) only lasted one season.

Yes and a similar pier at Phuket Evason was also trashed by nature. Just cannot wait for the smart arse Bankok owner to through up his arms and curse the unreasonable behaviour of the sea. Who is this all knowing architect that shows an abject lack of knowledge of the power of the sea and nature. Soon time to chant "Som Num Na"...

they might be able to toe it through the sea to calmer spots. would like to see that

[Tracer Round]

The floating walkway is purpose-built and quite robust. The location of the resort is such that the full bront of seasonal storms will proably not affect it much. Or not to the point it will be damaged.

For those who think it is "not so bad," I wonder if you have actually seen the thing in person and also, you can't go out on it unless you are a guest. In theory you could go to the front desk and get a "day pass," but I am not sure how that actually works (do you need to buy something the restaurant such as a drink?).

So tell me, Beachedwhale, are people taking legal action against Langham at the Harbor Board? If not, why not?

[limbos]

Except for Tracer Round all participants in thsi thread think it's totally legit to damage the local coral by building some form of a jetty on top of it and than consider it totally normal for the jetty to be lost due to seasonal and sea influences and the debris is just that, debris, of nobody's concern apparently. Interesting, guess you guys have been in Thailand too long.

Edited February 24, 2010 by limbos

[Gulfsailor]

I have been on this dock and would like to give my 50cents;

There is no living coral around the entire of Samui. I even wondered why the need of protecting something dead and so dangerously sharp (it injures many swimmers). It also prevents most boats and other watercrafts to come near the beach in most locations on Samui. The only watercraft that are not affected are very shallow and small beach catamarans and trimarans and jetski's. And I hope we can all agree that jetski's are the worst of the worst, so don't defend a 'natural' shoreline where only jetski's can be used! Because the Northern half of Lamai is very shallow and littered with little remains of dead coral, apart from the nice view this stretch of water is truly useless. You cannot swim, sail or windsurf in it. Specifically Langham, but also next door's Beach Republic have a very short beach, which is gone at high tide. A floating pier like the one at Langham, makes it possible for people to enjoy the sea in front of the resort and it also acts like an artificial beach. It's even the same color as the beach. When you approach the area from the water, you don't even see the dock until you are very very close. The material the dock is made from is Polyethylene, which is very very durable and (if the right quality) will not get brittle (even after 20 years in the sun). It's also the only maintenance free and environmental friendly material you should use for a structure like this. It is completely recyclable, non-toxic and will degrade naturally (albeit that might take quite some time). Furthermore there is no need to paint or do other surface treatments to it. It is by far more environmental friendly then a concrete or wooden pier. Moreso, because this dock floats and never even touches the precious dead coral. Polyethylene is also the number one material used in the manufacturing of environmentally correct watercrafts. Wooden and polyester boats will soon be a thing of the past fortunately.

I, as a small-boat-sailor would hope to see more of such piers along the coast at places where one otherwise could not go by either boat / kayak or swimming...

ok, lets's have it.....

[H2oDunc]

I wont mention the floating marina that is to be built around koh Sok this year then.