Gov't Urged To Bring More Tourists To Samui

[Boater]

TOURISM Association of Koh Samui said it has submitted a petition to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, asking the chief executive to help tap the flight services of key airlines in the country to bring in more foreign tourists to Samui this summer. Seni Puwasetthawon, president of the association, noted that huge volumes of tourists tend to visit Samui during this season. Seni, however, expressed apprehension about shortage of flights to the island this year despite intensive marketing campaign of local hotels and tour operators.

http://news.samuiexpress.net/headline/609-...-to-samui-.html

[itishothere]

Hmmmmm ....

I find it difficult to even consider whatever point they are trying to make when they make such obviously wrong statements like;

"As it stands, the national flag carrier Thai Airways International has only two flights a week from Bangkok to Samui with a total of 290 seats, while Bangkok Airways has about 32 flights from Bangkok to Samui every week."

If it is true that our Tourism Association is looking for help based on these 'facts' then we don't stand much of a chance.

Or maybe Samui Express has got it wrong?

Edit for clarity ... sorry .... my belief is that Thai fly here twice a DAY and that B. Air. have at least 70 flights a week.

Edited May 3, 2010 by itishothere

[smokie36]

Bangkok Airways refuses to incease its flights due to environmental reasons.

Now I understand the reasons for the high prices. Its a green issue. Fair play to them for having our best interests at heart all along.

Such an uplifting tale....why there might be no need for a second airport after all!.........

[mitmig]

Increasing the flights? Decreasing the fare would bring more tourists to the island!

[Samui Coconut]

Increasing the flights? Decreasing the fare would bring more tourists to the island!

First of all I think there are more than 70 flight per week from PG to Samui (that would only be 10 per day, and taking Hong Kong, Singapore, Phuket, Pattaya etc out, there would be nothing left from Bangkok.) I think the figure in high season is approx. 140 flights to Samui.(or more)

Second, decreasing the airfare would not necessarily bring more tourists to Samui (at least not the ones coming from overseas) as their ticket price already includes to BKK-USM sector. If you pay Euro 700 for LHR-BKK-USM or Euro 730 doesn't really make that much of a difference.

Considering Samui's 17,000 hotel rooms (plus Villas etc) with an average stay of 5 nights, the present airlines simply do not have enough seats (in high season) to fill the rooms.

Thus the request from TAKS or THA is a valid one. Whether there will be any action remeains to be seen........

[OriginalPoster]

Increasing the flights? Decreasing the fare would bring more tourists to the island!

First of all I think there are more than 70 flight per week from PG to Samui (that would only be 10 per day, and taking Hong Kong, Singapore, Phuket, Pattaya etc out, there would be nothing left from Bangkok.) I think the figure in high season is approx. 140 flights to Samui.(or more)

Second, decreasing the airfare would not necessarily bring more tourists to Samui (at least not the ones coming from overseas) as their ticket price already includes to BKK-USM sector. If you pay Euro 700 for LHR-BKK-USM or Euro 730 doesn't really make that much of a difference.

Considering Samui's 17,000 hotel rooms (plus Villas etc) with an average stay of 5 nights, the present airlines simply do not have enough seats (in high season) to fill the rooms.

Thus the request from TAKS or THA is a valid one. Whether there will be any action remeains to be seen........

Lower fares might not cause people coming straight from Europe to go to Samui but it definitely would cause me to go to Samui more often. BKK Airways is charging S$385 (about 9100 baht) for a one-way ticket from Singapore to Samui now. That's just not attractive compared to fares to other interesting destinations in the region. Unless you have some specific reason why you want to go to Samui it makes a lot more economic sense to go elsewhere for a holiday. If, however, the fares from SIN-USM were as cheap as the fares from SIN-Cebu (for example) I would go to Samui frequently.

[MSingh]

Mindblowing stupidity as per normal..

Why on Earth would anyone want to Holiday in Thailand at the moment when you take into consideration Exchange Rates & what's going on in BKK ??

I heard recently of a 747 coming in from the UK last week with 37 people on it..

Add to that teh most expensive domestic Air Fare in SE Asia..................

Edited May 4, 2010 by MSingh

[BigC]

could always kid nap the toursists kaosang road style. people want to buy a ticket for say phuket and chiangmai in stead they sell them ticket to samui. lol. that was a long time ago. when u complain they say " sorry i cannot speal good engllish but cannot change ticket" lol

[smokie36]

The major problem for tourism in Thailand at the moment is the trouble in Bangkok. More specifically insurance coverage for Thailand or the lack thereof.

Its not only two week tourists avoiding Thailand but frequent visitors as well.

[BigC]

Bangkok Airways refuses to incease its flights due to environmental reasons.

Now I understand the reasons for the high prices. Its a green issue. Fair play to them for having our best interests at heart all along.

Such an uplifting tale....why there might be no need for a second airport after all!.........

oh no not the could this be a re-incarnation of the bangkok airways forum open again

i don't think that bangkok air give 2 burps about the enviroment. they are losing money uping there tickets and cutting staff saleries. don't know where u got that bit of spin from

Edited May 4, 2010 by BigC

[smokie36]

Bangkok Airways refuses to incease its flights due to environmental reasons.

Now I understand the reasons for the high prices. Its a green issue. Fair play to them for having our best interests at heart all along.

Such an uplifting tale....why there might be no need for a second airport after all!.........

oh no not the could this be a re-incarnation of the bangkok airways forum open again

i don't think that bangkok air give 2 burps about the enviroment. they are losing money uping there tickets and cutting staff saleries. don't know where u got that bit of spin from

Big C the first line of my post is directly quoting the OP. Its just been edited is all.

[BigC]

Bangkok Airways refuses to incease its flights due to environmental reasons.

Now I understand the reasons for the high prices. Its a green issue. Fair play to them for having our best interests at heart all along.

Such an uplifting tale....why there might be no need for a second airport after all!.........

oh no not the could this be a re-incarnation of the bangkok airways forum open again

i don't think that bangkok air give 2 burps about the enviroment. they are losing money uping there tickets and cutting staff saleries. don't know where u got that bit of spin from

Big C the first line of my post is directly quoting the OP. Its just been edited is all.

yep my mistake. good now there is no need for a second forum about a second ariport lol

[carmine]

What a pathetic story this is. Beginning to think theres no hope left here. You just got to keep smiling

Edited May 4, 2010 by carmine

[UmpaLumpa]

the main problem is that there is an over-supply of hotel rooms, as there is of restaurants, real estate agents, etcc..

after the tsunami everybody started building hotels, villas, etc, everybody wanted a piece of the gold rush

today there are simply not that many tourists coming here.. samui is not the only place in the world with a beach,

samui is not so great as it sounds to many: smell of sewage, taxi scams, expensive airfares, this is the reputation of samui today

[BigC]

the main problem is that there is an over-supply of hotel rooms, as there is of restaurants, real estate agents, etcc..

after the tsunami everybody started building hotels, villas, etc, everybody wanted a piece of the gold rush

today there are simply not that many tourists coming here.. samui is not the only place in the world with a beach,

samui is not so great as it sounds to many: smell of sewage, taxi scams, expensive airfares, this is the reputation of samui today

its not perfect then if u find anywhere in the world that is 100 per cent perfect and cheapish then let me know. it is not that bad. specially considering the alternative. samui definatly beats the cr=p out of london. then each to there own.

think thailand has more freedome than back home. just my opiumon

[goldfinger]

think thailand has more freedome than back home. just my opiumon

i never believed that its your keyboard.....

[LamaiCat]

the main problem is that there is an over-supply of hotel rooms, as there is of restaurants, real estate agents, etcc..

after the tsunami everybody started building hotels, villas, etc, everybody wanted a piece of the gold rush

today there are simply not that many tourists coming here.. samui is not the only place in the world with a beach,

samui is not so great as it sounds to many: smell of sewage, taxi scams, expensive airfares, this is the reputation of samui today

Yes, after a lot of years next winter no more Samui.

Thailand ia a mess, Samui is overpriced badly and resorts are too busy cutting service and staff.

The beaches are pathetic. On Lamai you can even get the risk of getting attacket by stray dogs.

Goodbye shithole.

[Birdman]

Wrong, some parts of Bangkok are a mess. Which place offering all that Samui is offering is cheaper?

All kind of beaches, Lamai is very nice indeed and some years ago there were a lot more stray dogs everywhere.

So where will you be next winter? Madagascar? Martinique? Mainana Atoll? Marina Disco?

[Samui Coconut]

the main problem is that there is an over-supply of hotel rooms, as there is of restaurants, real estate agents, etcc..

after the tsunami everybody started building hotels, villas, etc, everybody wanted a piece of the gold rush

today there are simply not that many tourists coming here.. samui is not the only place in the world with a beach,

samui is not so great as it sounds to many: smell of sewage, taxi scams, expensive airfares, this is the reputation of samui today

Yes, after a lot of years next winter no more Samui.

Thailand ia a mess, Samui is overpriced badly and resorts are too busy cutting service and staff.

The beaches are pathetic. On Lamai you can even get the risk of getting attacket by stray dogs.

Goodbye shithole.

Have a safe trip..........Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[carmine]

Wrong, some parts of Bangkok are a mess. Which place offering all that Samui is offering is cheaper?

All kind of beaches, Lamai is very nice indeed and some years ago there were a lot more stray dogs everywhere.

So where will you be next winter? Madagascar? Martinique? Mainana Atoll? Marina Disco?

You could simply start with Spain. Beats the crap out of this flea infested dump and the people are generally nice aswell. Oh, and they have law enforcement.

[smokie36]

Wrong, some parts of Bangkok are a mess. Which place offering all that Samui is offering is cheaper?

All kind of beaches, Lamai is very nice indeed and some years ago there were a lot more stray dogs everywhere.

So where will you be next winter? Madagascar? Martinique? Mainana Atoll? Marina Disco?

You could simply start with Spain. Beats the crap out of this flea infested dump and the people are generally nice aswell. Oh, and they have law enforcement.

Don't forget they got the Euro carmine. No more cheap sangria over there...£4 a beer no thanks!

[UmpaLumpa]

lets face it, there is a huge crisis in europe and people have less money to spend, and the euro has lost a lot of value here too.

to come to thailand they have to go on a 12hr flight, avoid the bangkok problems, and another flight to samui of 200 euros (return).

for the average family (ie 4 ppl) this is a lot of money and time.

there are other alternatives, as canary islands, sharm el sheik, etc.. which are closer and more or less the same, places where people are not shooting each other and where journalists dont wear bulletproof vests.

what's left is the pelple/farangs that live in asia or in thailand, they should be targeted, but they too can go to phuket, kaolak, krabi, for a simple 1600bht return... places that have been rebuild to high standards just a few yrs ago

sorry samuians, time to step up your game if you want to compete.. if not hello empty rooms!

Edited May 5, 2010 by UmpaLumpa

[carmine]

Because of the retarded way of thinking i doubt anything will change. As we know, if business is down the locals "up" the price thinking this will make up for the shortfall.

Looks like Bangkok situation is going to sort itself out. That is, until the elections in November, when the side that loses will start to demonstrate again, thus destroying our tourism yet again. Sadly it will probably be far worse than the current situation because next time will coincide with our busiest time of year.

There is no point in taking this place seriously

[ChangMaiSausage]

Increasing the flights? Decreasing the fare would bring more tourists to the island!

First of all I think there are more than 70 flight per week from PG to Samui (that would only be 10 per day, and taking Hong Kong, Singapore, Phuket, Pattaya etc out, there would be nothing left from Bangkok.) I think the figure in high season is approx. 140 flights to Samui.(or more)

Second, decreasing the airfare would not necessarily bring more tourists to Samui (at least not the ones coming from overseas) as their ticket price already includes to BKK-USM sector. If you pay Euro 700 for LHR-BKK-USM or Euro 730 doesn't really make that much of a difference.

Considering Samui's 17,000 hotel rooms (plus Villas etc) with an average stay of 5 nights, the present airlines simply do not have enough seats (in high season) to fill the rooms.

Thus the request from TAKS or THA is a valid one. Whether there will be any action remeains to be seen........

Depend I never booked my flights all the way from MAN/LHR to Samui I normally booked it as a seperate ticket. The Samui flights are still the biggest rip-off in Thailand (IMO)

[ChangMaiSausage]

the main problem is that there is an over-supply of hotel rooms, as there is of restaurants, real estate agents, etcc..

after the tsunami everybody started building hotels, villas, etc, everybody wanted a piece of the gold rush

today there are simply not that many tourists coming here.. samui is not the only place in the world with a beach,

samui is not so great as it sounds to many: smell of sewage, taxi scams, expensive airfares, this is the reputation of samui today

its not perfect then if u find anywhere in the world that is 100 per cent perfect and cheapish then let me know. it is not that bad. specially considering the alternative. samui definatly beats the cr=p out of london. then each to there own.

think thailand has more freedome than back home. just my opiumon

Big C - Seriously are you compairing Samui with London! try Goa I think you will be surprised, cheap and great accommodation and food.

[smokie36]

the main problem is that there is an over-supply of hotel rooms, as there is of restaurants, real estate agents, etcc..

after the tsunami everybody started building hotels, villas, etc, everybody wanted a piece of the gold rush

today there are simply not that many tourists coming here.. samui is not the only place in the world with a beach,

samui is not so great as it sounds to many: smell of sewage, taxi scams, expensive airfares, this is the reputation of samui today

its not perfect then if u find anywhere in the world that is 100 per cent perfect and cheapish then let me know. it is not that bad. specially considering the alternative. samui definatly beats the cr=p out of london. then each to there own.

think thailand has more freedome than back home. just my opiumon

Big C - Seriously are you compairing Samui with London! try Goa I think you will be surprised, cheap and great accommodation and food.

Yep Goa has all of those and its a great place to relax. Not much of a party scene there anymore however. Heavy handed policing and increasing bribes has put paid to much of the fun in recent years. I simply grew bored of the place in the end. Little to do beyond 11pm imo.

Still prefer Thailand easily.

[Birdman]

Goa or Boracay or Tioman would be more compatible alternatives to Samui than Spain or London.

[dmax]

it wont be on my list of places to go this year , think i,ll stay in isaan and maybe treat myself to 2 weeks in hau nin when i go on 24th may, its just too expensive

[BangrakBob]

Well what is happening in BBK is not going to stop our trip, We just transit straight through to Samui.

Smelly Sewage, stray dogs, taxi scams...whoopppaaa!!! bring it on I don't care I love Samui it's the greatest little island on the planet, the sand, the sea, the jungle, the locals, the expats, I love it!

[BigC]

the main problem is that there is an over-supply of hotel rooms, as there is of restaurants, real estate agents, etcc..

after the tsunami everybody started building hotels, villas, etc, everybody wanted a piece of the gold rush

today there are simply not that many tourists coming here.. samui is not the only place in the world with a beach,

samui is not so great as it sounds to many: smell of sewage, taxi scams, expensive airfares, this is the reputation of samui today

its not perfect then if u find anywhere in the world that is 100 per cent perfect and cheapish then let me know. it is not that bad. specially considering the alternative. samui definatly beats the cr=p out of london. then each to there own.

think thailand has more freedome than back home. just my opiumon

Big C - Seriously are you compairing Samui with London! try Goa I think you will be surprised, cheap and great accommodation and food.

yes. personally i hate london. thats why i live in samui. as for Goa. seen enough of that in houslow ! sorry if this brakes forum rules. just expresing my feeling