Can somebody please explain to me why the East and North sides of Samui are well developed while the West and South sides are not. Is it because they are close to the airport? Or better scenery? Or better weather? Zoning restrictions?

Better beaches, I would say... where there are good beaches on the west and south side, it is starting to change...

Now the "super highway" is being finished from Nathon to Hau Thanon, that might change things, is some areas where there are good beaches in those areas...

There are a number of failed resort areas on the west coast, Waikiki etc... Water levels tend to be very shallow too in the summer months, not so good for year round enjoyment... (but it's nice to find quiet beaches there are still a few, that are nice to go to! )

I am sure in 20 years it won't all be the same same!

The beaches on the west side are horrible tidal mud flats.

The beaches on the west side are horrible tidal mud flats.

Not all of them! .... especially towards the south end of the west coast ... even around Lipa Noi, there are some quite nice, non muddy ones

You obviously have not seen them all.... just about all beaches around the island can be seen in the photo section, if you care to look... better yet, get out and go look... there are actually some nice beaches... between the muddy ones!

Some are harder to find than others, I admit... but not impossible to find!!! !

The beaches on the west side are horrible tidal mud flats.

That's true on some section's of west side side when the tide is low, it's also true around North side around Ban Thai, Ban Po when the tide is low the beach out to the water's edge is a rocky muddy bottom. So it all depends on tide and time of the year.

The beaches on the west side are horrible tidal mud flats.

Not all of them! .... especially towards the south end of the west coast ... even around Lipa Noi, there are some quite nice, non muddy ones

Nothing to see down here...beaches are far far nicer up north

Many years ago Chaweng and Lamai were the only beaches with any development, and Nathon was the tiny "capital" with all the banks and government offices.

In Chaweng local land owners were willing to sell their land so people could build hotels, but in Lamai most of the land was owned by a few families, and they only wanted to rent out their land, which is not a good option for a massive investment such as a hotel. Therefore Chaweng boomed and Lamai did not, at least not to the same degree.

Eventually Chaweng started filling up and land got expensive, so new investors had to move further away, but they still wanted to be as close to the boom as possible, which was Chaweng. They could not move to Lamai as the land was not for sale, so they had to move north to Bangrak, Choengmon and Bophut

Since Lamai did not boom (as much), neither did the areas nearby such as the south and south-west of samui.

Besides the above the quality of the beaches is of course also a major, if not the main factor as someone already mentioned. And they are undeniably better on the east and north coast. Chaweng Beach is by far the main tourist attraction on the island.

I don't think the northern beaches are better than Lamai. The best beach on the island is Silver Beach, easily. Chaweng is just the biggest, but Lamai beach is every bit as good as Chaweng, and far better than the beach in Bangrak or Maenam.

But apart from that minor disagreement, a good explanation of the tourism industry here.

The locals in Lamai still refuse to sell anything. I bet the locals in Chaweng wish they had the same foresight.

best place sand and sea wise is Central and Southern Chaweng. Nowhere else is the sand so bright and smooth on the beach as well as in the water without stones or seagrass or sea cucumber

Natural migration

First the foreigners came and set up in Chaweng

Then businesses grew round them then house for rent

Then t was cheaper to rent out side Chaweng and more residual house came along with hospitals extra

Then the roads as the island gets more developed shall naturally grow

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

It surprised me today, to see a lot of construction of new houses and resorts, going on, on the west and south west sides of Samui, on some of the side roads....

Things are changing... slowly and better planned, one would hope!

It's happening everywhere Jimmy.

16 construction projects where I live - with 11 different construction companies! That is just on one development.

Most of the 'beaches' on the East side were rock strewn so not good for resorts etc. Some years back I was over there visiting a friend and saw some huge JCB type earth movers with perforated buckets basically sifting the beach and some way out to sea. The rocks from the beach were placed in the water to create a jetty that the JCB could use to get further out. Slow going because it was only being done during low tide (clearing the sea) with more beach area being down during high tide. Costs must have been enormous even before any construction had begun. I presume the rocks collected were run through a crusher and used as building material (hardcore) for plinths and the roads. Huge investment.

I think I read somewhere that rocks and sand from the ocean aren't suitable for construction because of their high sodium content.

I think I read somewhere that rocks and sand from the ocean aren't suitable for construction because of their high sodium content.

Could be more to do with the type of sand? The UK dredges up vast amounts of sand from the Thames estuary which it sells to places such as Saudi because desert sand is unsuitable for construction.

Not sure about the crushed rocks but I see no reason why something like this could not be made.

I think I read somewhere that rocks and sand from the ocean aren't suitable for construction because of their high sodium content.

Could be more to do with the type of sand? The UK dredges up vast amounts of sand from the Thames estuary which it sells to places such as Saudi because desert sand is unsuitable for construction.

Not sure about the crushed rocks but I see no reason why something like this could not be made.

What Mole read or heard about beach sand is correct.... it cannot be used for making cement etc.... (Thai construction workers I have meet, know that) ....

As for the grey crushed rock NMS pictured, much if not all of that comes from the mainland, that is why it is so expensive to buy!

The quarry pit up Soi 3 Maenam, would probably supply a lot of the building sand... and sometimes you see sand being extracted from the streams/ river beds too... both on Samui and KP... there are other quarries around too... problem is the make a bit of a blight on the landscape...

I think I read somewhere that rocks and sand from the ocean aren't suitable for construction because of their high sodium content.

Could be more to do with the type of sand? The UK dredges up vast amounts of sand from the Thames estuary which it sells to places such as Saudi because desert sand is unsuitable for construction.

Not sure about the crushed rocks but I see no reason why something like this could not be made.

What Mole read or heard about beach sand is correct.... it cannot be used for making cement etc.... (Thai construction workers I have meet, know that) ....

As for the grey crushed rock NMS pictured, much if not all of that comes from the mainland, that is why it is so expensive to buy!

The quarry pit up Soi 3 Maenam, would probably supply a lot of the building sand... and sometimes you see sand being extracted from the streams/ river beds too... both on Samui and KP... there are other quarries around too... problem is the make a bit of a blight on the landscape...

Sand isn't an issue really Jim because it was being left in any case by the perforated scoop. Don't forget we are talking about sea sand rather than beach sand which would be the same as desert sand. The UK does dredge the Thames estuary all the time and sells it for construction use so go figure!

Rocks could well have been ground up and used as a hardcore base for a road to recoup some of the cost of moving them in the first place.

I think I read somewhere that rocks and sand from the ocean aren't suitable for construction because of their high sodium content.

Could be more to do with the type of sand? The UK dredges up vast amounts of sand from the Thames estuary which it sells to places such as Saudi because desert sand is unsuitable for construction.

Not sure about the crushed rocks but I see no reason why something like this could not be made.

What Mole read or heard about beach sand is correct.... it cannot be used for making cement etc.... (Thai construction workers I have meet, know that) ....

As for the grey crushed rock NMS pictured, much if not all of that comes from the mainland, that is why it is so expensive to buy!

The quarry pit up Soi 3 Maenam, would probably supply a lot of the building sand... and sometimes you see sand being extracted from the streams/ river beds too... both on Samui and KP... there are other quarries around too... problem is the make a bit of a blight on the landscape...

Sand isn't an issue really Jim because it was being left in any case by the perforated scoop. Don't forget we are talking about sea sand rather than beach sand which would be the same as desert sand. The UK does dredge the Thames estuary all the time and sells it for construction use so go figure!

Rocks could well have been ground up and used as a hardcore base for a road to recoup some of the cost of moving them in the first place.

You've lost me there ??? ...NMS. ..... on my first point, I was confirming what Mole had heard is True !..... No idea what they do with the Thames sand....

You've lost me there ??? ...NMS. ..... on my first point, I was confirming what Mole had heard is True !..... No idea what they do with the Thames sand....

Sorry mate, some sea sand can and is used for for concrete. The UK dredge the Thames all the time to allow boats with a large draught to enter which they then sell it to places such as Saudi. There is a doco on this from years ago which I shall try and find for you... It was called selling sand to the Arabs or something. You would remember an old adage about selling sand to the Arabs no doubt? Well the UK does, it does sell sand to the Arabs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft_(hull)

Back-hoes/excavators removing rocks from the sea are usually a sign that a new resort wants a nice beach!

Sixth Sense and Malati both did it up here at the pointy end. (Sixth Sense did it at low tide, which at the time was about 4 am! Dumping huge rocks into a metal barge! Very very noisy at 4 am.)