Long-Term Future Of Koh Samui Remains Up In The Air

[Boater]

In anticipation of Property Report’s special 100th edition, due for publication in December, the last couple of days have been spent dusting down back copies, armed with archival gloves and tweezers, and sifting through the pages to hand-pick and compile memorable quotes and significant market factors from the last eight years. Starting from scratch, something struck me about the first issue, a lightweight, 14-page newsletter released back in the spring of 2004. It ran with the headline: Second airport for Samui? Sound familiar? It should.

Eight years on, the question is once again making the rounds in the local media and has tongues twitching on the island.

To put in perspective the length of time that has passed since rumours initially circulated about potential construction of a second airport, page two of the inaugural Property Report features an analysis discussing post-bomb Bali, in addition to a double-page spread looking at the potential of Phnom Penh’s puerile property sector

continues here - http://www.property-report.com/long-term-future-of-koh-samui-remains-up-in-the-air-25362

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[chuckles]

Koh Samui is in danger of being submerged by construction and tourism. While a few relatively unspoilt areas still exist, the notion of a second airport should be resisted at all costs.

Keep the current monopoly and high prices. This would retain a certain amount of exclusivity and deter some of the riff-raff. Any further building seems unnecessary as it would simply add to the overcrowding on the roads.

If the remaining greenery is left to its own devices, the islands ecosystem might even survive.

The only remaining area requiring action is the pollution of the coastline and beaches by internal and external sources.

[Gatorade]

Koh Samui is in danger of being submerged by construction and tourism. While a few relatively unspoilt areas still exist, the notion of a second airport should be resisted at all costs.

Keep the current monopoly and high prices. This would retain a certain amount of exclusivity and deter some of the riff-raff. Any further building seems unnecessary as it would simply add to the overcrowding on the roads.

If the remaining greenery is left to its own devices, the islands ecosystem might even survive.

The only remaining area requiring action is the pollution of the coastline and beaches by internal and external sources.

Your a brave person Chuckles! But with so many vested interests on this forum you're going to get a lot of incoming!

It seems that most posters here only want cheap flights no matter what cost to the island infrastructure.

The unabated construction, big business interests and trying to get more and more people on this island is going to kill it.

The greed, corruption and zilch lregulations and law enforcement here is unlikely to save the remaining greenery, which is a shame.

In the long term it is only Thailand which will suffer because of the desire for short term gain.

[yorkie100]

Koh Samui is in danger of being submerged by construction and tourism. While a few relatively unspoilt areas still exist, the notion of a second airport should be resisted at all costs.

Keep the current monopoly and high prices. This would retain a certain amount of exclusivity and deter some of the riff-raff. Any further building seems unnecessary as it would simply add to the overcrowding on the roads.

If the remaining greenery is left to its own devices, the islands ecosystem might even survive.

The only remaining area requiring action is the pollution of the coastline and beaches by internal and external sources.

Your a brave person Chuckles! But with so many vested interests on this forum you're going to get a lot of incoming!

It seems that most posters here only want cheap flights no matter what cost to the island infrastructure.

The unabated construction, big business interests and trying to get more and more people on this island is going to kill it.

The greed, corruption and zilch lregulations and law enforcement here is unlikely to save the remaining greenery, which is a shame.

In the long term it is only Thailand which will suffer because of the desire for short term gain.

But it's the same the whole world over........

(Reminds me of a song I once knew)

[islandguy]

More construction, more development, more concentration of benefits in the hands of fewer and fewer people. They will find a way to get large group tours into the market with another airport (I think Donsak myself). There will continue to be enclaves of rich people who only leave them to get on a luxurious boat for the day. The rest of the island will be more and more apartments filled with local workers and escapees from the true hell holes of the planet. If the world economy allows travel to continue, most on the island will eventually generate their own clean water and electricity on site as the infrastructure will fail to deliver anymore. Note: preceding brought to you by the makers of the movie, Soylent Green. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green

Please don't ask what kind of curry we're having tonight!

[khunPer]

Another tread in TV talked, well documented, about air traffic space limitation to 36 operations a day over Koh Samui (must be 36 landings and 36 take offs). If that is correct, there will be no air traffic space for a second airport, without cutting operations at Big Buddha Airport.

Using larger aircrafts may give more capacity of passengers, compared to 72 and some 140 seats available in the existing Bangkok Air fleet. Surely, if the demand is there, larger airplanes will be used. The present airport seems to be able to handle some more passengers than now, I read somewhere a capacity of 2 million and at the moment there are about 1.2 million. However, those who may not be able to afford the present price of flight tickets to Samui may also not be able to afford accommodation. Some people still believe, they can find beachfront a/c rooms for 500-600 baht and when they realize, that a beachfront a/c starts at 1500 and their 5-600 baht hardly can provide them with something other than fan, even way back from the beach, they choose other destinations in Thailand. The kind of tourist Samui is aiming for, are those little up-end who can afford to stay 3-star and up. There is simply not (enough) accommodation for the budget tourists at the island, and with the high land and construction prices, cheap budget resorts cannot be justified without a loss.

Property owners looking for something very affordable do not choose Samui – land, house and condo prices are too high, no matter how many airports and budget flights provided.

Furthermore, the high-end tourists seems to stay more inside the hotel walls, as the resort managements wish to control their guests spending - for the managements benefit - offering a variety of food, markets days, entertainments, excursions, airport transfers etc. The local business outside the hotel walls cannot feel, that the number of visitors to Samui actually increase, as those days are past, when people came here for a cheap bamboo hut on the beach and dined in a street kitchen or the simple local restaurant. Tourist of today wish more than seeing another pert of the world, they wish to experience their hard earned holiday weeks in a bit more luxury surroundings than at home. The old bamboo hut plots change owner for an extremely high price - I believe the legendary "Charlie’s Hut" in Chaweng were sold for around 400 million bath some years ago - so they need to upgrade, both to justify the investment and to attract customers.

The number of resorts and projects (guest beds) has increased faster, than the number of tourist. However, increasing the number of budget tourist may not fill the empty capacity in the luxury resorts. It seems to be a simple (Thai) logic - »If something is good, double as much, is double as good« - business will instantly double, or at least increase a lot. But the truth may well be quite different.

Finally comes the questions about nature and infra structure. A second "Lamai" airport at the south will mean a lot to the environs. And how do Samui manage roads, water, electricity and garbage handling to double as many visitors?

The (probably too) high airfare to Samui by Bangkok Air, may actually be a benefit for the island.

[notmyself]

Last thing I want is more tourists

[chuckles]

The current airport runway at 1500m is not long enough for bigger aircraft and cannot be extended according to the numerous surveys that have taken place. Bangkok Airways will happily cancel one or two flights per day in low season in order to have near full capacity on the flights they do run.

I regularly stay in beach bungalows costing no more than 800bt with aircon tv and hot showers. A price of 1000bt per night is easily achievable even in Chaweng. In the high season budget accommodation is near to capacity. High end resorts complain because even in high season they can only make around 60/70 percent occupancy. This has been distorted by political crisis and adverse weather conditions over the last 5 years.

The policy at local government and tourism association level has been to drive the resort upmarket for the last 5 years at least.

For the sake of the island and its people further expansion is impractical.

As a pragmatist, I understand that will not stop people trying to exploit it.

[khunPer]

The current airport runway at 1500m is not long enough for bigger aircraft and cannot be extended...

Samui Airport runway 17/35 is 2060 meters long, enough for a variety of aircrafts - including some models of Boeing 767 - especially as MTOW (Maximum Take Off Weight) is not needed for short domestic trips.

[mojorison]

Can't see it happening on Samui - don't think it makes sense, it'd be a logistical/political/environmental/judicial nightmare. I thought the Don Sak concept was there to satisfy the budget end to Samui, Phangan and KohTao...Time will tell.

[BigC]

Koh Samui is in danger of being submerged by construction and tourism. While a few relatively unspoilt areas still exist, the notion of a second airport should be resisted at all costs.

Keep the current monopoly and high prices. This would retain a certain amount of exclusivity and deter some of the riff-raff. Any further building seems unnecessary as it would simply add to the overcrowding on the roads.

If the remaining greenery is left to its own devices, the islands ecosystem might even survive.

The only remaining area requiring action is the pollution of the coastline and beaches by internal and external sources.

you might having a problem getting your point across to people who are coming from out side to visit their familes who either form here or live here and depend on the flow of customers. I think build in a air port in the samui islands region be it donsak, Samui or kao toa or chumpon should help the island and keep the natural beauity. remember that for people that chose to spend allot of money here to live who are not " riff raff"depend on poorer people to work for them also the rich depend on smaller business to provide the luxuries that they would like to enjoy being a rich person on a tropical island.

such as nice roads for their fast cars. which they would not build unless they had allot of traffic on the island. allot of traffic is built for allot of people. " working people"

It is all very well trying to keep prices up to keep other people out but then there would be no facilities to cater for the rich. everybody needs everybody. the rich cannot savive without the poor and the middle are in a constant struggle to keep business going.

SSamui is a business island built mainly around toursime. Anything that hinders the grouth of tourisme hinders the grouth of samui. In this case it is the manolpy Airport. Manolpies are illegal for a reason they hinder grouth and control the markets

Yes i am in favour of keeping the green parts of samui green but a well designed building in the right settings is not an eye sorer and can actually capture beauty.

u look at the 7 wonders of the world. all buildings.

samui shall reach a point where construct shall have to stop as samui is an island and they do notmakeany more land but as long as toursime grows and expats rise then business cvan have a chance to boom. tourists can be happy because they can enjoy cheaper prices whats wrong with that.

[BigC]

Last thing I want is more tourists

its all about u isn;t it

[BigC]

The current airport runway at 1500m is not long enough for bigger aircraft and cannot be extended...

Samui Airport runway 17/35 is 2060 meters long, enough for a variety of aircrafts - including some models of Boeing 767 - especially as MTOW (Maximum Take Off Weight) is not needed for short domestic trips.

we only need and airport that is capable of cheaper domestic flights to bangkok from there can go anywhere.

or even phuket if there is a very small budget.

1500 baht to phuket beats the bus 5 hours then air asia for 1200 baht to bbk

sounds fair enough

[notmyself]

Last thing I want is more tourists

its all about u isn;t it

It is when 'I' is used as a dominative.

[mjj]

Personally I would like to see a Samui to Chiang Mai flight. I would also like most of the tourists and residents to leave so the house prices drop and then I can move here. :-)

I'm here on Samui at the moment and was here in April and apart from Chaweng, Lamai and Bophut there seems to be lots of empty restaurants. In fact not very many people. Lots of traffic, but not many people.

[oldsailor35]

Last thing I want is more tourists

Yeh ! so you keep telling us !

[oldsailor35]

G'day CHUCKLES !

Did the surveyors say why the airport runway could not be extended ?

[notmyself]

Personally I would like to see a Samui to Chiang Mai flight.

I thought there were flights to Chang Mai

[PoorSucker]

Personally I would like to see a Samui to Chiang Mai flight.

I thought there were flights to Chang Mai

Samui to Chiang Mai via BKK.

Chiang Mai to Samui, direct flight for 7190 THB one way in low season.

[notmyself]

Personally I would like to see a Samui to Chiang Mai flight.

I thought there were flights to Chang Mai

Samui to Chiang Mai via BKK.

Chiang Mai to Samui, direct flight for 7190 THB one way in low season.

That makes sense as I'm sure I have seen Chang Mai on a screen a couple of times and this would most likely only have been at arrivals when meeting someone. I guess the planes do a round trip... Chang Mai - USM - BKK - Chang Mai for example

[BuddhaDave]

We are going from Chiangmai to Samui nonstop on Bangkok Airways in a few days for a little less than 9000 THB each. Flight PG242. Strangely enough it was not listed on Expedia but we could get it through a Norwegian site.

[mjj]

We are going from Chiangmai to Samui nonstop on Bangkok Airways in a few days for a little less than 9000 THB each. Flight PG242. Strangely enough it was not listed on Expedia but we could get it through a Norwegian site.

Good. I happily stand corrected. :-)

[BigC]

Last thing I want is more tourists

well u really shouldnot be here then as this is an island with an income that comes from tourists

[chuckles]

G'day CHUCKLES !

Did the surveyors say why the airport runway could not be extended ?

G'Day Oldsailor

I did some research a few years ago, which is where I picked up a link to the length of the runway at that time. Perhaps it has been extended since?

At one end of the runway are 2 temples, a drainage area and a built up area. At the other end is a beach road and a boat pier. I used to live in an area adjacent to the runway and it was clear to me that not all the take off and landing slots are fully utilised. In the low season it is quite common for residents to arrive in Bangkok mid morning and be told there is no flight until late afternoon, as the airline waits to fill enough empty seats to justify take off.

As far as riff raff goes, it is the drunks who live on the steps of 7/11 and renew tourist visas every 7/14 days that really annoy me. The soi dogs contribute more than these low life scum.

[Boater]

Seen a few Thais post on Facebook that the airport in donsak has just been given the go ahead

[PoorSucker]

Seen a few Thais post on Facebook that the airport in donsak has just been given the go ahead

It was also on the television news this evening.

[monkeycountry]

G'day CHUCKLES !

Did the surveyors say why the airport runway could not be extended ?

G'Day Oldsailor

I did some research a few years ago, which is where I picked up a link to the length of the runway at that time. Perhaps it has been extended since?

At one end of the runway are 2 temples, a drainage area and a built up area. At the other end is a beach road and a boat pier. I used to live in an area adjacent to the runway and it was clear to me that not all the take off and landing slots are fully utilised. In the low season it is quite common for residents to arrive in Bangkok mid morning and be told there is no flight until late afternoon, as the airline waits to fill enough empty seats to justify take off.

As far as riff raff goes, it is the drunks who live on the steps of 7/11 and renew tourist visas every 7/14 days that really annoy me. The soi dogs contribute more than these low life scum.

The runway cannot be extended much at the Chaweng end, but at the bangrak end there is only 3 obstacles. The beachroad, the pier and an old run down resort which I believe is owned by Bangkok Airways.

The resort does not have much value as it is, so could easily be removed. The pier is relatively small, and it would be fairly simple to move it elsewhere. The beachroad could be made to simply go under the runway - flood control for the lowered beachroad is not a major problem. As it is covered by the runway anyway, all it needs is to rise a bit at both ends, making sure no floodwater runs downthere.

Then the runway can be extended into the sea until it hits Big Buddha which is about 1300 meters from the end of the existing runway. As the fishermen there have completely ruined the beach and the surrounding area as far as tourism and nature goes, environmental issues should not be a problem either.

[khunPer]

G'day CHUCKLES !

Did the surveyors say why the airport runway could not be extended ?

G'Day Oldsailor

I did some research a few years ago, which is where I picked up a link to the length of the runway at that time. Perhaps it has been extended since?

At one end of the runway are 2 temples, a drainage area and a built up area. At the other end is a beach road and a boat pier. I used to live in an area adjacent to the runway and it was clear to me that not all the take off and landing slots are fully utilised. In the low season it is quite common for residents to arrive in Bangkok mid morning and be told there is no flight until late afternoon, as the airline waits to fill enough empty seats to justify take off.

As far as riff raff goes, it is the drunks who live on the steps of 7/11 and renew tourist visas every 7/14 days that really annoy me. The soi dogs contribute more than these low life scum.

The runway cannot be extended much at the Chaweng end, but at the bangrak end there is only 3 obstacles. The beachroad, the pier and an old run down resort which I believe is owned by Bangkok Airways.

The resort does not have much value as it is, so could easily be removed. The pier is relatively small, and it would be fairly simple to move it elsewhere. The beachroad could be made to simply go under the runway - flood control for the lowered beachroad is not a major problem. As it is covered by the runway anyway, all it needs is to rise a bit at both ends, making sure no floodwater runs downthere.

Then the runway can be extended into the sea until it hits Big Buddha which is about 1300 meters from the end of the existing runway. As the fishermen there have completely ruined the beach and the surrounding area as far as tourism and nature goes, environmental issues should not be a problem either.

The runway has already been extended from the first mentioned 1500 meters to 2060 meters, making it fit for a variety of larger aircraft types, when MTOW (Max Take Off Weight) may not be needed for long range flights.

[BigC]

samui is bizzing as high as a kite