The Worst Samui Season Ever

[crankman]

With all the terrible weather -- more or less 4 months of torrential rains -- murders, rapes and dozens upon dozens of traffic casulties, the past six months could hardly be any worse for the tourism industry on Koh Samui.

Not that the island won't be okay, tourists will still come to visit. But for many I know on the island, this season has not been particularly good from many perspectives.

The weather you can't do much about, but the traffic accidents, the flooding and the increased crime you can at least try to prevent before more people lose (investment and travel) interest in Koh Samui.

Anybody have a different take?

For all you Swedes reading this, check out:

http://www.svenskarithailand.se/forum/

[Khun Jean]

Last i heard it was still packed.

My wife had difficulty finding a place to stay for a few days.

If you talk about other businesses as hotels and guesthouses it has another cause.

I know that when all accomodation is 100% full, bars and shops still have not much to do.

Bars sometimes seem busy, but if you not count the hostesses, the owner, his wife not much people who are actually paying customers are left.

The ratio accomodation/shops/bars is completely out of balance. I mean with 100% occupancy, every bar/restaurant should be packed and making money. Now it is just a few that are busy with a lot of them having close to nothing.

It sometimes looks there is a private laundry, motorcycle rental, clothes shop, internetshop, cd shop, bar, restaurant for every single tourist.

With this in mind, start a hotel.

[taxexile]

i certainly wont be shedding any tears for those businesses on koh samui that have been fleecing visitors to that island for far too long , maybe tourists are finally waking up to the realisation that there are other destinations in the world where prices are fairer , the environment is nicer and tourists are truly welcomed and treated as guests , rather than have to put up with the shallow two faced welcome that greets so many visitors to thailand these days.

if visitors could only understand what is being said about them by so many of the locals behind their backs then tourist numbers would decrease by another 50%.

maybe the drop in visitors with the resultant drop in income will concentrate the minds of those on samui , including the tourist authorities , and that to sustain the arrivals and the income they have to provide proper service , decent infrastructure and a genuine welcome , and not just trouser the readies and turn their backs.

[Rooo]

Tourist profiles are changing.Less backpackers , more family units, hence they do not frequent the bars .It is bound to happen.Natural attrition will bring it all into balance.

Drop in visitors? I doubt it.Hotels are full, flights are full ( no cancellations).The turning point has arrived where the over supply will disappear.Long gone are the days where, I will open a bar & have fun.People require more then just a drinking hole with girls.To me this is a positive & it was bound to happen. I hope it will get rid of all the dregs & smarten up the services.

[bfg]

Our 'welcome' to Koh Samui, consisted of the hotel pickup arriving an hour later than our flight.

I asked at the 'hotel booking' service at the airport if it would be possibile for them to contact the hotel (after they had quietened down of course), but they rather tersely told me to go and use the public phones. When I said I had no change (I left it at the previous hotel as part of the tip), they suggested I go buy something from the bar. Out of the 6 or so public phones, only 1 worked - and this took about 5 attempts before a connection worked.

Needless to say, the unhelpful and unfriendly nature for the first time in Thailand was not a good start, and Koh Samui generally went downhill from there.

And whilst Samui may be 'full' and the bars and restaurants empty - then this is probably indicative of the cliental that Samui is attracting (& I do not mean this in a derogatory sense - just that a back-packer or a cheepy package tourist are less like to spend their hard-earned money).

The old saying that you will reap what you sow will apply to Samui just as it does to others.

[LaoPo]

Our 'welcome' to Koh Samui, consisted of the hotel pickup arriving an hour later than our flight.

I asked at the 'hotel booking' service at the airport if it would be possibile for them to contact the hotel (after they had quietened down of course), but they rather tersely told me to go and use the public phones. When I said I had no change (I left it at the previous hotel as part of the tip), they suggested I go buy something from the bar. Out of the 6 or so public phones, only 1 worked - and this took about 5 attempts before a connection worked.

Needless to say, the unhelpful and unfriendly nature for the first time in Thailand was not a good start, and Koh Samui generally went downhill from there.

And whilst Samui may be 'full' and the bars and restaurants empty - then this is probably indicative of the cliental that Samui is attracting (& I do not mean this in a derogatory sense - just that a back-packer or a cheepy package tourist are less like to spend their hard-earned money).

The old saying that you will reap what you sow will apply to Samui just as it does to others.

Another comment which puts 'Samui' in a black light.

I'm sorry you had to wait 1 hour for the pick-up car from the hotel at-the-moment-you-arrived.

I'm sorry they didn't help you in a way you expected.

I'm sorry the 6-or-so public phones didn't work properly

I'm sorry 'Samui' went downhill from the start

I'll bet your food and accommodation was bad too and NOT what you expected

My wife, coming from China waited for 2 hours for the pick-up car from the hotel in the middle-of-the-night, travelling alone; does that make Bangkok a bad city?

I was treated in a very bad way in a Jomtien/Pattay hotel; does that make the area bad?

Years ago my plane was CANCELLED for 24 hours in Bangkok because a truck hit one of the wings ; does that make Thai airways a bad company?

Shall I continue....? I have a thousand stories to tell you and I'm still travelling all over the world

Come on 'be' a tourist traveller and GROW UP instead of complaining. This is not Europe/USA/OZ...and: KEEP SMILING

I'll bet, you're happy to be at home again and sleep in your own bed. Dream softly about your next destination...dream on.

LaoPo

[britmaveric]

Progress has pitfalls that is obvious.

[BattyBatty]

Jesus, I give in.

Another piss on Samui thread.

I just wrote a very long page having yet another pop in retribution to you miserable, boring, moaning people... but i deleted it. I just cant be farking arsed to argue with you moody buggers.

Alow me this one question before i sign off;

Quote tax

"rather than have to put up with the shallow two faced welcome that greets so many visitors to thailand these days"

You expect a heart felt greeting, a peck on the cheek, invite to dinner and a polite enquiry as to how much your balls have dropped? Its a smile for christ sake! Same kinda smile that you get from any service industry employee anywhere in the world! What kinda sad plonker are you to give this so much as a seconds thought!

laoPao.... very well put indeed.

[annamgi]

I ve been trying to avoid contributing to the posts talking about bad and good things about Samui (as I am still new to this forum!!!) however post by bfg just really really annoyed me, especially the generalisation point about Thailand.

During all my latest trips to Thailand I have never experienced any problems that I would consider to be significant enough to make a major point and moan about.

In fact we experienced the same problems you did on the way back home in UK when our pre booked taxi didn't turn up and the we were left waiting for an hour and a half for another one. So what? Yes we were tired after an 11 hour flight but it's still not a big deal and we forgot about it about an hour later and I would certainly not generalise saying that the taxi service in UK is appauling. . It's part of life and it's just when it happens in your own country you accept it and get on with it and when it happens when you are abroad it's generally a big deal!!

I think you just get people who take opportunity and moan just about everything to everyone if they get a chance and even if they don't they still somehow manage to find something negative around them

I would just say people pls stop moaning about insignificant things (surely to every negative point about someth there are some positive ones as well??!!) and you may start to enjoy life as it is!!!

[cobra]

Tourist profiles are changing.Less backpackers , more family units, hence they do not frequent the bars .It is bound to happen....

Agreed,

The Mango Soi is no longer the nucleus it use to be, (Chawang),

upscale alternatives like the Blues Factory and even the Deja Vu are doing very well,

[taxexile]

Quote tax

"rather than have to put up with the shallow two faced welcome that greets so many visitors to thailand these days"

thailand sells itself on the "smile" , the "hospitality" , the "warm welcome" , the "generosity of spirit" and the "friendliness".

when those expectations are not met and new visitors are treated in an offhand way , they will complain , and rightly so.

too many people on samui who work in the tourist industry , ( airport workers , taxi drivers , shopkeepers , shop staff , bungalow employees , waiting staff in restaurants , police , etc.etc.etc) have what can only be described as a bad attitude towards visitors. visitors are often treated with contempt. the staff are lazy , they wont go out of their way to help.

samui , unfortunately , is becoming famous for this.

the poster who could not get any help at the airport is absolutely right to complain , the airport staff were too lazy to move their asses to help a visitor solve his problem.

samui , (and other destinations here) are becoming more and more like the west , with poor service and poorly motivated staff.

why should people travel half way round the world for poor service and aggressive employees when they can find it closer to home for half the price.

without the welcome , without the hospitality , without the friendliness , without the generosity of spirit , without the exceptional value , without the things that thailand has built its reputation on , what exactly does thailand have to offer ??

answer ................. very , very little indeed.

unless you are looking for poor service , 100% humidity , a rising crime rate , disrespect for foriegners , crumbling infrastructure , flooded roads , out of control development , unlevel playing fields for foriegn investment , seedy shacks selling beer and sex , pavements that look like war zones , and roads that are racetracks.

[sbk]

Coming at it from the other side of the coin, as it were, let me tell you how difficult it is to be pleasant all the time to rude, drunken people with no manners, no class and no patience. Too often have I seen farang treat Thais with contempt and bad behavior when the only problem has been that the farang can't get what they want when they want it. Deal with this for a few years and you become jaded and sick of farang.

When complaining about poor service look around you first and see how many of the customers are polite to the Thais first. I have seen some truly appalling behavior and it is no surprise to me to go to a very touristy area and find staff with a bad attitude. Thai people have a difficult time telling farang no, I don't so I very rarely have to deal with poor behavior in my place. Also, seems most farang will think twice about being rude to another farang but have no problem doing so to a Thai.

[BattyBatty]

SBK

I fully agree. Samui, with its huge volume of tourists every month, atracts a diverse group of people. The service community, by and large, are not as experienced as other destinations around the world. How long has Samui been popular? 12 years? 15? 20 at the most I would say. 20 years is bugger all... the island is still in its infancy. Our hosts, for the main part, are not trained to deal with your average tourists.... unlike other established resports globaly, where a third generation shop keeper will know how to interact and take the rough with the smooth, our hosts dont. A poor Isaan vendor who sells hand crafted soap will obviously become a little jaded with the average tourist from time to time. I dont blame them. Part of the charm with Thailand is it's lack of organisation, IMO. A local commision set up to educate the Thais on service industry standards wouod ruin things - we cant have our cake and eat it.

Khun Jean, Tax.... i dont get it. I enjoy reading your posts on any other subject - you both have much to say regarding the island and have an inteligent view of things. Your advice on any other subjects are allways spot on. But why, oh why, do you have to moan so much about trivial things here on Samui?

"unless you are looking for poor service"

RARE.

100% humidity

BLAME JC, NOT THE LOCALS.

a rising crime rate

AGREE ON THIS. STILL, NOT EVEN CLOSE TO PATAYA OR PATONG.

disrespect for foriegners

EH? WHEN, WHERE?

crumbling infrastructure

SO? PART OF THE CHARM.

flooded roads

SOMETIMES. NOT THE END OF THE WORLD THOUGH IS IT?

out of control development

IN CERTAIN AREAS. THE MARKET SETS THE TONE HERE....

unlevel playing fields for foriegn investment

THE AVERAGE JOE DOES NOT COME TO SAMUI TO INVEST. THE SMALL PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO INVEST IN SAMUI FACE PROBLEMS, BUT IF THEY DONT LIKE IT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO INVEST.

seedy shacks selling beer and sex

COME ON TAX GET REAL. THIS IS SAMUI, NOT MARTINI'S CLUB, CAMBODIA. TAKE AWAY THE 'SEEDY' AND YOU ARE LEFT WITH A SHACK SELLING BEER AND SEX. SO WHAT.

pavements that look like war zones

CLUTCHING AT STRAWS NOW TAX.

and roads that are racetracks

WHAT, LKIKE THE M1? THE A45 FROM COVENTRY TO STRATFORD ON AVON? IDIOT DRIVERS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

[sbk]

battybatty.

Actually, complaining about the humidity is, to me, clutching at straws. Holy mother of god, if you don't like the weather don't come here! It is an island in the tropics, most people expect heat and humidity!

[Malice in Wonderland]

Give me strength!!!!!

Of course it seems quiet compared to last year - we haven't got loads of Tsunami-afficted tourists flooding in (no pun intended). From what I can see takings are on a par with 2 years ago so I don't see the problem...Crisis? What crisis???

[Malice in Wonderland]

Just realised how long the OP has been with thaivisa.com . Enough said.

Edited March 23, 2006 by Malice in Wonderland

[taxexile]

sbk ,

i couldnt agree with you more , the attitude ( to those trying to provide service ) from some tourists is appalling , and it must be trying to have to keep your temper and sanity..... or aim your market at a different type of customer.

in my responses in these forums i just tell it like i see it , or used to see it , i left samui last may or june. and i stand by just about everything everything i say (except the humidity!).

samui is run by a few for the benefit of a few , tourists are just cash cows , there to be milked until they dry up and fukc off with little thought given to quality and service.

its gradually become a disgrace.

i cant speak about koh phangan , although i remember a wonderful 4 months i spent on that island in 1991 , i dont know what its like now but i hope it isnt going to become another samui , hopefully those who run things there are wiser than their cousins across the water.

[khall64au]

I think it is difficult for tourism service staff to stay cheerful 24/7 given their long hours and low pay - anywhere in tourist Thailand. Imagine if you were a waiter working 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, 10 months straight? And dealing with complaints all the while?

Tourism staff in my former home town in an Australian tourism destination, called the tourists - "wallets". Tourism is a product and many forget that the "wallets" are their most important asset. When dealing with huge turnovers of tourist numbers, the humanity is forgotten and replaced by balance sheets. Workers become over-worked and jaded.

Samui would be better off investing some of the lucrative tax income into their infrastructure rather than increasing annual tourist numbers (as is the standard plan). Already it is difficult to see the beauty through the concrete jungle. Sustainability is the key. People complain about Phuket also, but at least investment is now being made in improving roads and facilities. It has to happen sooner rather than later or paradise will be well and truly lost.

[sbk]

I think it is difficult for tourism service staff to stay cheerful 24/7 given their long hours and low pay - anywhere in tourist Thailand. Imagine if you were a waiter working 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, 10 months straight? And dealing with complaints all the while?

Tourism staff in my former home town in an Australian tourism destination, called the tourists - "wallets". Tourism is a product and many forget that the "wallets" are their most important asset. When dealing with huge turnovers of tourist numbers, the humanity is forgotten and replaced by balance sheets. Workers become over-worked and jaded.

Samui would be better off investing some of the lucrative tax income into their infrastructure rather than increasing annual tourist numbers (as is the standard plan). Already it is difficult to see the beauty through the concrete jungle. Sustainability is the key. People complain about Phuket also, but at least investment is now being made in improving roads and facilities. It has to happen sooner rather than later or paradise will be well and truly lost.

True enough Khall, esp the overworked part.

The lack of investment in infrastructure in Samui lies with the Provincial authorities. Samui's tax income goes to the mainland and builds beautiful roads in the middle of nowhere. There is a movement afoot to have Samui/Phangan/Tao declared seperate, along the lines of Pattaya (as it doesn't have enough population to have its own province like Phuket). Lets hope it happens/

[skipdivils]

Quote tax

"unless you are looking for poor service , 100% humidity , a rising crime rate , disrespect for foriegners , crumbling infrastructure , flooded roads , out of control development , unlevel playing fields for foriegn investment , seedy shacks selling beer and sex , pavements that look like war zones , and roads that are racetracks.

Oh yeah. Give it all to me. Seriously man. I <deleted> ck ing love it!

[Rooo]

Give me strength!!!!!

Of course it seems quiet compared to last year - we haven't got loads of Tsunami-afficted tourists flooding in (no pun intended). From what I can see takings are on a par with 2 years ago so I don't see the problem...Crisis? What crisis???

Spot on Malice, many people have based their forecasts upon a very out of the ordinary season.

For all the experts, please do yourselves a favour & go to the TAT office & check island arrivals.

They can even give you breakdown of age,sex, countries & baht spent.

[bfg]

Hi LaoPo

You assume too much.

We too have travelled the world – in fact we have travelled to the ‘Far East’ practically every year for the past 20 years.

We expect hiccups.

It is a sad fact of life, that it is the ‘little things in life’ that can make all of the difference between a great and a bad experience.

Let’s say that it was your wife’s first time to Bangkok and she had to wait 2 hours for the pick-up in the middle of the night. Let us say that she too had travelled to other locations around the world for 20 years and this was the first time this had ever happened. Association – Bangkok with a bad experience. It might not be fair – but it is life.

Koh Samui’s main (if only) industry is tourism, pure and simple.

If it cannot get the little things right, then you immediately look at the ‘big things’.

So.

1 hour wait for a hotel pick-up: This was a 4 ½ star hotel charging 10,000baht a night for a room. IF they cannot get an airport pick-up right, then that is going to put you on edge.

The Airport is the first point of contact for the majority of people entering Koh Samui. In ALL business, your first contact is the most important and will affect your future relationship. The Koh Samui tourist authority (if such an entity exists) should be making sure that the facilities are at least working, and that tourists are looked after if the need exists. (Only twice has a hotel pick-up not arrived at the airport, once in Dubai and once in Sydney (after 24 hours travel). Each time we were well looked after by local people, without any thought of pecuniary advantage. This makes a difference whether you believe it is right or not.

Oh, trust me I smile a lot. I smiled all the time at the airport in Koh Samui, and was treated with complete and total indifference by the locals.

And finally, for your information:

I was sharing our initial ‘experience’ of Koh Samui, not complaining or whinging.

I’m 6’ 8” (2.03m). If I grew up any more, I might be scary.

And you lose your bet. We found the beds to be exceptionally comfortable in Thailand. We loved the food, especially Thai.

As mentioned before, we have been to America once, Australis once, Dubai once, Thailand twice, Malaysia 11 times, Singapore & Hong Kong once.

Please don’t make assumptions about posters.

If I wanted to complain or whinge about something, then I could have picked the tons of festering rubbish lining the streets and beaches, the appalling roads that get flooded when somebody sneezes, the electricals in Chaweng – a disaster waiting to happen, the dyng reefs off the Island, the over-development of the Island.

It’s time that people ‘woke up and smelt the coffee’, got themselves organised and put real pressure on local government to get some proper leadership and direction.

Hi BattyBatty

I’m sorry you’ve given in.

Until Koh Samui has collective and local responsilibity for it’s own affairs, then without a radical overhaul of its infrastructure it is an ecological disaster in the making.

& stop making assumptions about people just because you don’t like what we say.

In response to your question to Tax, I still love Thailand and its people and we will be coming back next year. But until Samui gets its priorities right, and its act together then we will probably not be back (for which you will in all likelihood be greatfull.

Hi Annamqi

There was no generalisation about Thailand, Samui was the first time I had experienced unhelpful and unfriendly people.

Samui is a Tiny Island whose Business is Tourism. For a Hotel pick-up that is 15 minutes from the Airport to be an hour late is unacceptable. There were no reasons give, no apologies made, no effort to make up for it until we spoke to the General Manager.

And you are right, this was not a major point and isn’t worth moaning about. I wasn’t, just relaying my experiences of the first 1 hour in Samui.

& you assume to much about those who are posting.

Hi Sbk

I am extremely polite, I always smile and rarely get drunk.

I must say that I have never come across a Farang insulting or being rude to a Thai.

At 6’ 8” and 120kg, I would not hesitate to put the Farang in their place – so to speak.

Best wishes to you all.

bfg

[sbk]

Glad to hear it, but I have, quite often and I have lived here for many many years. Just because you are nice doesn't mean that the person before you was nice.

Perhaps you should learn abit more about Samui's problems before blaming the locals for everything? Infrastructure decisions, as has been pointed out before, are made at the Provincial level. Something Koh Phangan suffers from too. So, altho Samui rakes in the tax money, it is also rapidly raked out again. Something to bear in mind.

[SamuiRes]

I am very optomistic about the future for Samui.

Yes, we are going through a bad time currently, principally for the lack of funding for infrastructure and of course the development on the island does not help that.

However, I do believe that one way or the other the infrastructure will be sorted out although it will obviously take time - the current Mayor is reviving the application for City status and regards that as a significant part of his tenure.

There will be a new Zoning Law to prevent further extensive development in the hills - maybe something like the 80 metre rule in Phuket.

The existing developments will be completed and fewer lorries will be on the roads.

Now this may take ten years, but Samui will come out the better for it.

Many people who moan on these Forums remember Samui as it was and want it to stay that way. You will not halt progress and tourists will still come here. Some may never come again - but many I meet love what they see - they have no comparison to what Samui was even four or five years ago.

Knock Samui all you want but I love it here and "ain't goin nowhere else!"

[JuergenFFM]

in the latest (march) community newspaper there was an article about a shedule or plan to beauty up samui within 2006-2008. any informations from your side which items are "included" this plan?

ps: sitting in my office i would be happy to wait 1 hour for a taxi or hear the thunder sound of the trucks :-)

just a question of the personal viewpoint ....

[bfg]

Glad to hear it, but I have, quite often and I have lived here for many many years. Just because you are nice doesn't mean that the person before you was nice.

Perhaps you should learn abit more about Samui's problems before blaming the locals for everything? Infrastructure decisions, as has been pointed out before, are made at the Provincial level. Something Koh Phangan suffers from too. So, altho Samui rakes in the tax money, it is also rapidly raked out again. Something to bear in mind.

Oh I did lots of research, and your community magazine had many, many articles from Samui's residents of many years that basically backed up all of the 'whinging & moaning' I have read on these fora.

You appear to be saying that the locals are impotent in this matter? I am fully aware of the tax situation, and that will go some way to help Samui in the future - but sitting around, wringing your hands, saying woe, woe & thrice woe, will achieve nothing.

The problem, IMHO, is that infrastructure is something that you build on - not something that can be fitted retrospectively.

All I have read on this forum is a combination of - as it has been put - whingers and moaners, and other people whinging and moaning about the whingers and moaners.

Until the problems are accepted as being 'real issues', and positive action is taken - then this will get worse. This has to driven by the 'locals' -i.e. those living on the Island.

I mean, look at the 'Positive Topic' thread!!

Where are all the positive suggestions from the 'whingers and moaners about the whingers and moaners'? All that has been said on their so far, is to put a warning out at the arrivals at the Airport against the Taxi Mafia and having your drink spiked at the bar!

Hardly positive.

[VTR1000]

I am very optomistic about the future for Samui.

Yes, we are going through a bad time currently, principally for the lack of funding for infrastructure and of course the development on the island does not help that.

However, I do believe that one way or the other the infrastructure will be sorted out although it will obviously take time - the current Mayor is reviving the application for City status and regards that as a significant part of his tenure.

There will be a new Zoning Law to prevent further extensive development in the hills - maybe something like the 80 metre rule in Phuket.

The existing developments will be completed and fewer lorries will be on the roads.

Now this may take ten years, but Samui will come out the better for it.

Many people who moan on these Forums remember Samui as it was and want it to stay that way. You will not halt progress and tourists will still come here. Some may never come again - but many I meet love what they see - they have no comparison to what Samui was even four or five years ago.

Knock Samui all you want but I love it here and "ain't goin nowhere else!"

While I hear what you are saying I personally think Samui has changed from what once was a great little island into an unsupervised building site. I remember the first time I was there - no concrete roads for most of the ring road including Chaweng, Lamai a small fishing village, Bophut had basically nothing etc etc etc. It's going downhill and going downhill fast. Overdevelopment, a property market with no constraints, violence both Thai and Farang etc etc. Nah, that place isn't a tropical paradise anymore as there are many more much nicer places both locally and afar. To a, and excuse the word, but 'newbie' it's more than likely paradise on earth where as in reality it is far from. Enjoy your tropical paradise living amongst Burger Kings, Mc's and building sites. For me there are many many nicer places to go. I live in the south and very rarely will I go across there unless it's for a wedding or something like that. And a final question, just how will Samui come out better? More shopping malls, more high rise condos, more people, more traffic, more crime ... get a grip!

Edited March 23, 2006 by VTR1000

[LaoPo]

You appear to be saying that the locals are impotent in this matter? I am fully aware of the tax situation, and that will go some way to help Samui in the future -

1....but sitting around, wringing your hands, saying woe, woe & thrice woe, will achieve nothing.

The problem, IMHO, is that infrastructure is something that you build on - not something that can be fitted retrospectively.

All I have read on this forum is a combination of - as it has been put -

2....whingers and moaners, and other people whinging and moaning about the whingers and moaners.

Until the problems are accepted as being 'real issues', and positive action is taken - then this will get worse.

3...This has to driven by the 'locals' -i.e. those living on the Island.

4.....I mean, look at the 'Positive Topic' thread!!

5....Where are all the positive suggestions from the 'whingers and moaners about the whingers and moaners'?

6....All that has been said on their so far, is to put a warning out at the arrivals at the Airport against the Taxi Mafia and having your drink spiked at the bar!

7....Hardly positive.

My answers to your post:

1. that includes yourself I suppose.

2. same-same

3. You're right here but read and listen to people like SBK and Khun Jean, Rooo and others; it's not done overnight. We're saying in Europe 'Aachen and Rome were not built on the same day". Samui is merely -since 15/16 years- a tourist-destination (since the airport was built).

4. I started that, yes.

5. I would welcome your positive suggestions; haven't seen any yet.

6. That were my suggestions, and I welcome everyone's input, including yours. I assure you that behind the 'scenes' some guys are working on it though. It's just a few days ago.

But, isn't it easier to moan and whing? Like you do?

7. I agree and that includes you...hardly positive.

Good day to you.

LaoPo

[bfg]

You appear to be saying that the locals are impotent in this matter? I am fully aware of the tax situation, and that will go some way to help Samui in the future -

1....but sitting around, wringing your hands, saying woe, woe & thrice woe, will achieve nothing.

The problem, IMHO, is that infrastructure is something that you build on - not something that can be fitted retrospectively.

All I have read on this forum is a combination of - as it has been put -

2....whingers and moaners, and other people whinging and moaning about the whingers and moaners.

Until the problems are accepted as being 'real issues', and positive action is taken - then this will get worse.

3...This has to driven by the 'locals' -i.e. those living on the Island.

4.....I mean, look at the 'Positive Topic' thread!!

5....Where are all the positive suggestions from the 'whingers and moaners about the whingers and moaners'?

6....All that has been said on their so far, is to put a warning out at the arrivals at the Airport against the Taxi Mafia and having your drink spiked at the bar!

7....Hardly positive.

My answers to your post:

1. that includes yourself I suppose.

2. same-same

3. You're right here but read and listen to people like SBK and Khun Jean, Rooo and others; it's not done overnight. We're saying in Europe 'Aachen and Rome were not built on the same day". Samui is merely -since 15/16 years- a tourist-destination (since the airport was built).

4. I started that, yes.

5. I would welcome your positive suggestions; haven't seen any yet.

6. That were my suggestions, and I welcome everyone's input, including yours. I assure you that behind the 'scenes' some guys are working on it though. It's just a few days ago.

But, isn't it easier to moan and whing? Like you do?

7. I agree and that includes you...hardly positive.

Good day to you.

LaoPo

1. Not really. I have done more reading on the Samui Forum, rather than posting. I have related my initial introduction to Samui. No whinging, or complaints in my initial post, just relating my experiences against expectations as a relatively seasoned traveller.

2. You got me there. I suppose we are all guilty in many ways. Your reply to my post is basically whinging, about me whinging about other peoples whinging to other peoples genuine concerns about Samui (or whinging, as the other whingers like to call it.

3. It is interesting you picked the 'Rome wasn't built in a day'. Reminds me of the old Life of Brian Sketch where people were complaining on 'what-ever have the Romans done for us' Ans: apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

The Romans always understood that in order to create a great place, you need to have the right infrastructure in place 1st.

4. Ok. You want some positive comments and suggestions?

Ko Samui has fantastic potential - with it's beaches, stunning scenery, great people (in the main ), a superb diverse range of food, great hotels, and stunning scenery (mentioned twice).

What are the perceived problems at the moment, and why do they matter?

First impressions count in all business, and Ko Samui's business is Tourism.

So, in no particular order:

1. Sort out the road from the Airport to the main ringroad! This is not only feeding the lifeblood of Samui (I believed the Airport closed at some point last year), but is also the first taste that people have of the Island.

2. Stop development along the beaches without adequate planning control. You are blocking the natural waterways to the Sea, and are causing blocked drains, flooding, stagnant water, and potential health problems.

3. Create an adequate drainage and sanitation system. (A lot of the flooding looked to be due to blocked drains. Much of the Coral of Koh Samui is being seriously affected by pollution).

4. Sort out your roads generally (i.e. fill in the potholes).

5. Sort out the Rubbish problem. Tons of festering rubbish next door to 5* hotels, and along the road in to Fishermans Village does nothing to enhance the experience.

6. Get some decent tourist statistics. Find out how many are coming, how many are first timers, how many times have they been to Samui, roughly how much money do they spend. Without this you will not be able to plan for the future.

7. Have a vision. What do you want Samui to become? Idyllic, paradise Island, or the Costa del Sol of Thailand?

8. Get yourself organised and get the 50,000 resident signatures to get tax autonomy.

9. The taxi drivers are breaking the law. Advise tourists on entry of this. Give out freephone numbers for the local police and for the Bangkok authorities. The worlds media is focused on the Island, and pressure in the right place will go far.

10. Sort out your electricity cables.

I do not underestimate any of the above, but Samui needs to take a long deep breath and get a positive vision of where it wants to be in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years and 20 years.

I really do wish you all well.

[LaoPo]

I suggest you write your letter with suggestions to the Province Authorities in Suratthani/Mainland who are responsible for the situation on Samui.

Further I advise you to come and live on Samui and appoint yourself as head of the expats and lead them.

Maybe you might have some fun accomplishing what others can't or couldn't.

LaoPo

Edited March 23, 2006 by LaoPo