Is Samui Really That Bad?

[davethailand]

to have sex with poor Thai girls.

[Aitit]

in case you decide for Samui, please be very careful with purchasing land there,

there is still some pirate blood running in the veins of many of the islanders...

I know some real good lawyers, they work for you, as you pay them, and I know so many that now regret, not to have spoken to them...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Quote Simon:

So I'm waiting to see if the owner will agree to sell it to me (we went direct to the Thai owners, rather than wasting any more time with the agents).

quote end

good luck Simon,

guess it's unnecessary to mention that the thai landowners are to dumb to be cheating - just one reason why we have so many thai-land-millionaires here.

[taxin]

I've been living in BKK for about 3 years, and - together with my Thai wife - have got 3 successful tourist bars established.  (I also have a UK IT business which generates very decent incomes, so we are doing ok...)

Last year we bought some building land in Phuket.  Our intention was to build a small holiday resort for disabled holidaymakers, and use this as our base in Thailand.  However, the tsunami has made us think again about the viability of such a project in Phuket.

So we have started to think about Samui as a  possible location for this venture.  But I only seem to hear bad comments about the island!  When I visit it does not seem all bad.  And our resort need not be in a prime location - it needs to provide good quality service and have decent marketing etc etc

I'd much appreciate comments and advice about Samui, and suggestions as to other locations if the general view is that Samui is going downhill fast! Maybe Krabi or Surat Thani??

cheers - Simon

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is typically going to be one of those bias subjects that nearly always gets the reply "well you would say that coz your in Phuket" however, I will try to be as unbiased as possible. I know im going to get bombarded with people going on the defence but hey, Phuket gets its stick so why not give a little back !

May I just say Simon is that you hit the nail on the head with your words "When I visit it does not seem all bad" ! Samui is a wonderful place, Phuket might be the Pearl of the Andaman but top marks goes to Samui for its natural beauty, wonderful beaches, great nightlife to name just a few however..... (here goes).... this is, as your own words may even say for themselves really only on the surface !

I have to say In my opinion Samui (I spent about 12 months there) has to be possibly the worst place in Thailand to live, to spend a holiday there is probably no place better but to live there and settle its far more the opposite.

Beneath all the expensive hotels and big spending tourists its really a poor mans island, some people would say that Pattaya is at the low end when it comes to the undesirable long term "farang" however, from my experience Samui beats it hands down. If you do go there chose your friends very carefully !

I have a great deal of friends in Thailand particularly ones who used to live in Samui and can say that every one of them will say the exact same thing as I am. One of its biggest downfalls and the main complaint is the feeling of claustrophobia, it gives a whole new meaning of being stranded on a rock ! There really is nothing in Samui, you have Chaweng and Lamai and that’s really it….. oh and Tesco Lotus !

OK, Phuket may be over developed however, when I push on the brakes of my bike I want it to stop, not continue by dragging myself 100 metres down the road in sand & gravel. I like my luxuries (if you can call a paved road a luxury) but most importantly I value my health !

Sewage is a big problem over there alongside rubbish, the whole island is a health hazard. When it rains (and boy does it rain) the drains literally engulf the roads, when the water resides what you have left is this residue of bacteria ridden dusty sand, now imagine this being blown in your eyes everyday ? Yes, better believe it, much to the amazement of a good friend of mine who lived in Lamai for 4 years, suffered from an eye infection (pretty bad one too), came out of hospital under doctors orders to wear goggles or a helmet with a sufficiant visor, yes to cover his face from what was very likely to be contaminated dust !

Sorry Samuians but your island needs sorting out and you know it ! Attack me all you want but its the truth and you know it ! I like Samui a lot (for short periods of time) and I hope the place can develop but first things first, you really have to sort your sh*t out !.... Quite literally !

[udon]

One of its biggest downfalls and the main complaint is the feeling of claustrophobia, it gives a whole new meaning of being stranded on a rock ! There really is nothing in Samui, you have Chaweng and Lamai and that’s really it….. oh and Tesco Lotus !

A good post Taxin. A great place for a break, like most islands in LoS.

Edited July 15, 2005 by udon

[Major Major]

Lived here for 7 months and love Samui. Like any resort it has it's share of louts but simply don't go where they go. Would recommend it to anyone. been to Phuket many times and believe Samui to be streets ahead of it in terms of liveability, beaches, sea. Pattaya, you're having a laugh.

[taxin]

Lived here for 7 months and love Samui. Like any resort it has it's share of louts but simply don't go where they go. Would recommend it to anyone. been to Phuket many times and believe Samui to be streets ahead of it in terms of liveability, beaches, sea. Pattaya, you're having a laugh.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pattaya is not my thing but if I had to choose between Pattaya & Samui it would be Pattaya all day long !

The majority of the clientele in Pattaya are only sex pests with there only intention of preying on young innocent girls (or not so innocent as the case may be), these people have no intention to fight me or sell drugs to me which is an all too common occurrence in Samui. I would feel much safer in Pattaya.

As from a business point of view Samui has a very “low” season and the high season doesn’t last that long, because of this I would tread very careful when considering business ventures. Putting aside the obvious short term situation in Phuket the island still remains the most reliable when it comes to business, this is purely down to its longer high season and its “not so low” season.

One thing I looked at in both these islands is the type of tourist they attract, Samui attracts every kind of tourist from the 21 year old back packer with barely enough money to survive to the big high flying spenders !

Phuket tends to have only one type of tourist being the mid range, package holiday, family type. I find this from a business point of view much more reliable. Because you know what market you are aiming for you can model your business to suit, rather than in Samui you are trying to cater for a broad range of people which is virtually impossible to do.

There are lots of other examples for which Samui gets the thumbs down, mafia run island, real estate sharks, someone mentioned the word lawless, this is very true. I had a friend come over from Samui to stay in Phuket, he did nothing but complain about petty little things like having to wear a helmet when driving a motorbike and requiring a driving licence, he actually returned back to Samui fairly quickly. Fine its not for everyone and some people may prefer the more relaxed laws however, I like to feel safe in the knowledge that im in a place where at least some laws are implemented !

[prairieoyster]

Hi

Samui is actually a good place to rent a motorcycle providing you don't drive after dark,

cheers

oyster

[spacebass]

Hi

Samui is actually a good place to rent a motorcycle providing you don't drive after dark,

cheers

oyster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True plus it also helps if you don't drink and drive and wear a crash helmet!!!!!

[wilko]

Pattaya? There's no doubt that the place is full of 'working girls and boys'  and all kinds of people with 'dubious intentions'.

I certainly wouldn't want my children to grow up in such an environment.

Not that easy to shield them from it.

Narrow minded? Maybe. Why take the chance?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was going to say someything but I can't be arsed

[Aitit]

Hi

Samui is actually a good place to rent a motorcycle providing you don't drive after dark,

cheers

oyster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True plus it also helps if you don't drink and drive and wear a crash helmet!!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Friend of mine is just out of hospital, got his toes sewed on his foot again,

hospital told him, they have an amputation every second day,

sounds like a good place for to rent a motorbike?

Can Phuket or Pattaya compete with this?

[pluto_manibo]

Samui was a nice place to live in back in the 90's....Amazing coves and beaches, although infrastructure was lacking, it was hard to get a phone line, bad mobile phone connections, dusty roads, no daily english newspapers, bad bread etc....But it had its charms, it wasn't so populated....I lived and worked there for 3 yrs, and at the end of the last year, I was so happy to get off the island for good. I went to visit last year, after having been away for 7 yrs, most of the people I knew from 1o yrs ago had left and relocated....Both Lamai and Chaweng had completely changed, nothing was recognisable, the tourist base had changed as well....The most annoying was that it had become overcrowded (with just a tiny 2 land road funneling through Chaweng), overpriced but with many facilities which would have been appreciated back then.....

Just remember as another posted stated, it can be incredibly boring on "the rock". Great place for a holiday, but also nice to getaway...

As for Pattaya, I live just outside Pattaya, its not bad if you live in the suburbs and take the best of what the city has to offer. Lots of attractions, shopping, sports activities....not far away from Bangkok, not far away from what is becoming a close contender to Samui, Koh chang.....

[valentinoxxx]

Pattaya? There's no doubt that the place is full of 'working girls and boys'  and all kinds of people with 'dubious intentions'.

I certainly wouldn't want my children to grow up in such an environment.

Not that easy to shield them from it.

Narrow minded? Maybe. Why take the chance?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was going to say someything but I can't be arsed

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe you may mean, 'can't be asked'.

Oh, the value of a good education.

[wilko]

Pattaya? There's no doubt that the place is full of 'working girls and boys'  and all kinds of people with 'dubious intentions'.

I certainly wouldn't want my children to grow up in such an environment.

Not that easy to shield them from it.

Narrow minded? Maybe. Why take the chance?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was going to say someything but I can't be arsed

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe you may mean, 'can't be asked'.

Oh, the value of a good education.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No - I mean't can't be arsed - oh the value of learning to read

[penelope]

One of its biggest downfalls and the main complaint is the feeling of claustrophobia, it gives a whole new meaning of being stranded on a rock ! There really is nothing in Samui, you have Chaweng and Lamai and that’s really it….. oh and Tesco Lotus !

A good post Taxin. A great place for a break, like most islands in LoS.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We flew down and spent a week at the Evason Sila recently in a Pool Suite (I get a 35% discount on my Visa card). Loved it, indulged to the max, seriously wicked place!!

Checked out the rest of the island by motorsai...thought it was pretty crappy actually, went to a nice waterfall, lots of Khao San types hooning around, and the obligatery Hua Ngu/BG couples, beaches around Chaweng and Lamai were ok, nothing spectacular, agree that the general infrastructure seems to be lagging, the upper scale resorts ae mostly self contained. Next time will explore the surrounding waters and islands.

[Mister Fixit]

Pattaya? There's no doubt that the place is full of 'working girls and boys'  and all kinds of people with 'dubious intentions'.

I certainly wouldn't want my children to grow up in such an environment.

Not that easy to shield them from it.

Narrow minded? Maybe. Why take the chance?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wouldn't want my children to grow up on Sami, which is every bit as bad as Pattaya. And there are some real low-life knuckle-draggers living on Samui as well ...

[simon43]

Thanks for all the input. Having been back to both Samui and Phuket over the past few weeks, we have chosen Samui as the best option for our new business, (based on a whole load of factors, and both islands had pros and cons for both business and personal living).

We managed, after a lot of site visits, to find some suitable flat land in the south of the island, about 200 metres from a nice beach. So the land purchase is going ahead and we hope to start building our little holiday resort in a couple of months, with grand opening in maybe a year.......

[udon]

I hope you like living on a rock Simon, I wish you every success.

Where exactly is your land on Phuket?

[simon43]

Well, England is also a rock Come to think of it, so is the world......

The land in Phuket is just by Ban Sakhu village, on the small road to Nai Yang beach, and about 10 minutes from the airport.

Simon

[limbos]

I hope you like living on a rock Simon, I wish you every success.

Where exactly is your land on Phuket?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

People on Koh Tao consider themselves living on the Rock.