Move To Samui?

[Tropicalevo]

very slective posting, during my time in Samui 2 friends murdered, one in full view of the whole of Soi Reggae. A guy was shot dead next to me on solo bar , plus many other posting of westerners being wounded in crossfire.

A guy was executed in view of familys enjoying a night out in Fishermans village last year.

i can think of 2 western women rapes there one unfurtunaly was murdered. people are regularly attacked over taxi metre disputes.

Burgalries are wide spread.

Pattaya and Samui have problems but on a like for like basis per head of population Samui has the same problems

When you dont have a newspaper or tv channels its difficult to report is it not.

i have lived in both places, East pattaya for me is streets ahead of Samui.

i visited ofr a week recently, i left after 3 days, did not think the Chaweng road could get worse but it has.

Horses for courses but try and present things in a balanced way to the OP.

interested if you make the move how you get on, having quite a few ex Samui friends here i meet up with, i would be suprised if you last a year.

the people who knock Pattaya probably have not lived here, the sex industry is a mostly in the down town area there are many many more places to live and visit. There are huge industrail estates around pattaya, plus th ebugeest port in Thailand, many of the Thai workers live in what ends up in Pattaya news

Sorry Marston - not selective postings. Those were all of the headlines today in the two Pattaya online papers. What you described re Samui was not a one day report but happened over a much longer period of time. Unbalanced reporting is comparing events that occurred over months on Samui with what the papers report in one day in Pattaya. (Most stories were a week old or less - from memory.)

The registered population of Chonburi (2010) was 1.2 million Thais. The registered population of Pattaya (2007) was more than 100,000 Thais. Pattaya is reported to have the largest ex-pat population in Thailand.

This would imply that there are truck loads more crimes in Pattaya than in Samui. The roads will also be better as will facilities. (We are insignificant in size by comparison.) My message was simple -

A small island paradise with low crime versus a larger urban sprawl with everything that goes with that. Sorry if the message did not get through

Edited April 22, 2012 by Tropicalevo

[Virt]

I wish i was in the original posters shoes and had the possibility to move to Samui with my gf.

Must be nice to be able to live out a dream which i'm sure many has.

But so far we have to keep slaving here back home for 11 months a year so we can afford 3 weeks in paradise.

I wish it was the other way around.

Slave for 3 weeks and spend 11 months in paradise

2 months, 7 days, 4 hours, 22 minutes and we're finally on a flight back to Samui for 3 weeks.

Can't wait

[samuijimmy]

Come on ! ..... there are murders and crimes in every country.... usually when you mix with the wrong people in bad areas.... sometimes being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I admit....

Burgularies will happen any where too.

As pointed out Samui has it's share of this, but on the whole I would say it's a safe and friendly place to live with many choices of "life styles and living conditions" to suit just about anyones tastes and budget.... One can only try it for them selves to see if it suites them....

To the OP why not come down for a couple of months an try different areas .... and get the feel of the place.... then decide for yourself.

[sandgroper2]

Thanks for everyones input. ( and not one smart ars post). Got a trip elsewhere in june, then , will check out Samui for a month. Sounds all good. ( Now to check out "Date in Asia" to see whats available there. Thanks again. P.S. Whats the medical facilities like?

[khunPer]

Best thing is, to get down to Samui and try it out. Try fx a week at different spots, like Chaweng, Lamai, Bang Rak, Meanam and...

Choice of area is depending of what you want - quiert place, far away from nightlife or nightlife, close to bars etc. etc.

You can live fairly cheap or you can spent a fortune in no time - as a Thai will say it: »Up to you« - depending of your life style. Here is a bit more expencieve, as it is an island, but you can still find a long term bungalow (bed/bath+living+small kitchen+veranda) from around 6k/m and dine at locals for around 100b (excl. beer or...).

I have been resident here for seven years now and still find it as »living in Paradise«.

[samuijimmy]

Thanks for everyones input. ( and not one smart ars post). Got a trip elsewhere in june, then , will check out Samui for a month. Sounds all good. ( Now to check out "Date in Asia" to see whats available there. Thanks again. P.S. Whats the medical facilities like?

There are several hospitals on the island.... the local Govenrment hosptal in Nanton is good.... but if your want to pay a lot, there is Bangkok Hospital too.... & several others too..... up to you!

[itishothere]

Thanks for everyones input. ( and not one smart ars post). Got a trip elsewhere in june, then , will check out Samui for a month. Sounds all good. ( Now to check out "Date in Asia" to see whats available there. Thanks again. P.S. Whats the medical facilities like?

If you have insurance or money .... excellent! Several 'international' hospitals here including Bangkok Hospital which has a branch in Pattaya.

If you don't have much money, healthcare can be OK. But no one in their right mind is in Thailand without provision for health cover right?

[sandgroper2]

Thanks for everyones input. ( and not one smart ars post). Got a trip elsewhere in june, then , will check out Samui for a month. Sounds all good. ( Now to check out "Date in Asia" to see whats available there. Thanks again. P.S. Whats the medical facilities like?

If you have insurance or money .... excellent! Several 'international' hospitals here including Bangkok Hospital which has a branch in Pattaya.

If you don't have much money, healthcare can be OK. But no one in their right mind is in Thailand without provision for health cover right?

Ive always had health insurance. As i say, if you cant afford health ins, you cant afford to live in thailand. When i get there in june, i will post again with the hope of catching up with some of you. I wanna live be around night life and all that goes with that, Cheers and see ya june. i hope.

[sandgroper2]

Final post. The thought of living in cottage, with maby a lawn to mow instead of being cooped up in a 30sq mtr condo all day sounds fxxxxxx great. I own my condo, can always just rent it out. Sales here,Jomtien, are dead. ( did have two, but as i have said, been married to thai "lady".

[itishothere]

When i get there in june, i will post again with the hope of catching up with some of you. I wanna live be around night life and all that goes with that.

Well that rules me out then.

[Virt]

May i ask what a normal expat spend each year on Samui incl everything like insurance,visaruns etc etc.

Just the regular person who lives in a 2 room bungalow/kondo etc and cook at home but goes out a few times a week and enjoy some beers with the people they get to know.

Are we talking about 500-600,000 bath a year in a place like Samui with everything covered.

Trying to figure out how much 2 people would need to bring, to be able to live there for the rest of the life ( like 30 years or something depending on when the man with the reaper pays us a visit)

Just an insane dream we have, but would be nice to know if it's possible at all without winning in the lottery or something.

[Birdman]

I live on Samui since ~24 years and what it costs you now, costed before a fraction of that and it will be so in the future.

Exact prices depend on your wishes and your standards of living, insurance options? visas? holidays from Samui? vehicles? food? .......food! we, 2 persons, cook and eat almost only at home and pay for that 15.000-25.000 per month......

[Virt]

Yeah i can imagine how much the prices has changed since you arrived 24 years ago.

Wouldn't have thought 2 persons cooking at home would spend 25,000 baht a month just on food, but that just tells me it's more expensive than i imagined.

Almost sounds like it's cheaper to eat out each day at the places where the locals eat. Last time we found a few places where we could get two thaidishes and 4 sodas for less than 150 baht, but i'm well aware noone would go there everyday if they lived there.

Ohh well it's always nice to have a dream to pursue.

Hopefully it becomes a reality some day

[PoorSucker]

I think Birdman refereed to total cost/month, house, food, etc etc.

[Birdman]

F&B only and all the other usual stuff for house cleaning maintenance, the shampoos, ....

Edited April 23, 2012 by Birdman

[wasas]

as most of you on here know, i,m living the dream in samui, and like a beer or 2, i want to ask, can a farang like mew and is married to a thai, { who doesnt, drink acolhol{ can we live in samui ,for 40000 a month, spending money

[Rooo]

as most of you on here know, i,m living the dream in samui, and like a beer or 2, i want to ask, can a farang like mew and is married to a thai, { who doesnt, drink acolhol{ can we live in samui ,for 40000 a month, spending money

If you are already doing it why are you asking? Do you need more pocket money?

Hold on , I think I know who you are, you 60 000 a month ++

[itishothere]

May i ask what a normal expat spend each year on Samui incl everything like insurance,visaruns etc etc.

Just the regular person who lives in a 2 room bungalow/kondo etc and cook at home but goes out a few times a week and enjoy some beers with the people they get to know.

Are we talking about 500-600,000 bath a year in a place like Samui with everything covered.

It is a good question Virt, but an unfair one. Everyones' idea of comfort and life is different. We could all argue the 'need' for THB 20,000, 40,000, 50,000 or 100,000 to get by. What (I think) we would all agree on is that there is much on this island that is free; beaches, sand, sun, blue skies, mountains. To make it extra special with a car, a coffee on the beach and an air-con'd room to go home to is what makes the difference.

Will you rent or own a home? Rent will be the main cost of living here. 5,000 will get you something. 20,000 will get you something very nice. 50,000 will get you luxury, It is up to you to decide what it is that you need. Similarly with transport ..... own or rent? .... car or bike?

Do you need air con? Maybe add 10% to the rent for that. Where do you want to eat and drink? I have just had dinner in Choeng Mon, at a tourist style Thai place, THB 350 for 2 courses and 2 buckets of wine. But I could have had the same at home for a fraction of the price.

A night out with friends can be just a few beers and so just a few hundred THB. (Unless you are buying for me, in which case red wine please! )

Health care etc. Well, it is reassuring you are thinking about this, but maybe 5,000 per person per month?

Do you want a Starbucks breakfast for THB 135, or is toast and coffee at home for 20 good enough?

It is difficult to answer your question. I know one guy who lives on the UK pension of about 25,000 a month. He always has a smile on his face. I also know another guy spending more than that on live in help in his villa, but he is a miserable old fart.

I guess I would say that your suggested budget can be done with just about most things covered. But if what you want is more than everyone else, you might be in trouble. On the other hand, if you enjoy the simple life, then you should be able to save a few baht each month.

Hope this helps. If it doesn't make any sense, blame the 2 buckets of wine!

[Birdman]

you can live in paradise on 10.000 a month if you want to including beach life > rent a simple room for 3.000 next to a market, eat there for 200 a day - morning chok and patango (50), lunch fried rice/noodle (50), dinner pat thai/khao man gai/soup/7/11 hamburger/tuna sandwich (50), inbetween seasonal fruit (50) water is FOC, fast 1 day per week - makes ~5.000 and 1.000 max for this and that, toothpaste (if you don't want to clean teeth in the sea), washing powder...., walk to the beach. Sick? stay in your room with or without cheap Thai medicine. Only problem is the visa.

[notmyself]

It's so hard to give costs because one man's pleasure is another man's poison. Knowledge is king here (as is cash).

[oldsailor35]

Two murdered in Lamai hey ! Well if that had been in Pattaya, it would have been suicide. So that must mean that our cops are honest

[oldsailor35]

John from page 1.

Mate, i don't know when you were last here. But the ring road is being bitumened all round and a lot of it is finished. What you don't seem to know is that until a couple of years ago, all the tax money went to Suratthani which was the provincial seat, so we got practically sweet FA. Now that is all finished and Samui runs itself with its own money, so money is being spent heavily on roads and drainage. Yes we did have a terrible concrete road, but come and see what we are getting now that progress is upon us, you will obviously be surprised. And we have some beautiful beaches here, but you might not be able to see them from the bars of Lamai or Soi Green Mango.

[oldsailor35]

Marstons ..........you don't get it do you. We love life on Samui because its quieter, we don't want to live in a 'rat race' of bars, prostitutes, industrial complexes, high rise condos, and millions of teenage drunken wanke_rs on 2 weeks holiday from UK.

[oldsailor35]

Khunper..................got some good news for you mate. A couple of days ago i stopped at a popular

(with farang) restaurant on the corner of Soi 5, Maenam, had a large plate of Kow Phat Gai and a Leo................Bht 100. can't say thats very expensive.

[oldsailor35]

Sandgroper............I have just been to the hospital in Naton that Jimmy mentioned, had chest x rays and prescripton cost me Bht425. Yes the hospital was busy, but i was only there for just under 2 hrs and felt quite at home with friendly locals.

[oldsailor35]

Wasas...........if you can't , send it to me i know i will manage it easily.

[oldsailor35]

For those who say only fools live here without health insurance, i say, try getting it if you are over 70. Nobody wants to know, and i think that they start younger than that.

[beachyman]

you can live in paradise on 10.000 a month if you want to including beach life > rent a simple room for 3.000 next to a market, eat there for 200 a day - morning chok and patango (50), lunch fried rice/noodle (50), dinner pat thai/khao man gai/soup/7/11 hamburger/tuna sandwich (50), inbetween seasonal fruit (50) water is FOC, fast 1 day per week - makes ~5.000 and 1.000 max for this and that, toothpaste (if you don't want to clean teeth in the sea), washing powder...., walk to the beach. Sick? stay in your room with or without cheap Thai medicine. Only problem is the visa.

Paradise? Sounds like hell. Maybe work a bit more and actually enjoy this "paradise".

[John 1]

John from page 1.

Mate, i don't know when you were last here. But the ring road is being bitumened all round and a lot of it is finished. What you don't seem to know is that until a couple of years ago, all the tax money went to Suratthani which was the provincial seat, so we got practically sweet FA. Now that is all finished and Samui runs itself with its own money, so money is being spent heavily on roads and drainage. Yes we did have a terrible concrete road, but come and see what we are getting now that progress is upon us, you will obviously be surprised. And we have some beautiful beaches here, but you might not be able to see them from the bars of Lamai or Soi Green Mango.

You should get some new glasses next time at the hospital if you think a lot of the road is finished being bitumened. the Chaweng section was done over 2 years ago and what's been done from Bophut to Nathon and beyond? nothing. Yes it will be done but in a half half fashion like putting drainage gates in the middle of the road. I don't have rose coloured glasses so I don't see paradise. I live here so I see the fact's.

[Birdman]

the state of a road on a palm island as the criteria for paradise is a first for me.

@beachyman, your opinion of paradise and that of others must not be on a par necessarily. Can remember when I was a teeny in the late 70es I stayed with my girlfriend only on beaches for months in Corsica and Greece. We lived on the beach in the open or in caves next to the beach, beachyman. Money was completely irrelevant. That was truly paradise.

Nowadays I spent almost that amount for petrol per month, but can still understand, that people can manage a very cheap life in stunning nature and be happy.