Number of tourist arrivals in Koh Samui declines this year

[webfact]

Number of tourist arrivals in Koh Samui declines this year

SURAT THANI, 22 July 2014 (NNT) - According to Thanongsak Somwong, the chairman of the Koh Samui Tourist Promotion Association, as of July 2014 the number of tourists visiting the famous Samui Island has declined by 20% compared to the same period last year.

Mr. Thanongsak reasoned that even though the military curfew in Koh Samui has been lifted since June 13th, many tourists still can not make up their minds whether to revisit the island again due to safety concerns.

He stated that at least 1.5 million tourists visited Koh Samui for the entire year of 2013. The number of tourists for this year so far, however, has only reached 900,000. Therefore, it is unlikely that the number of tourist arrivals at the famous island for the remainder of 2014 would match that of last year.


-- NNT 2014-07-22

[iReason]

..."many tourists still can not make up their minds whether to revisit the island again due to safety concerns."

Been that way long before the coup...

[laurentbkk]

ok we got the whole touristic places ....we already know the amount of tourists dropped due to instability , political turmoil , curfew and military coup ....... but not only ... There are also many places around the world with better beaches , friendlier locals, excellent prices for hotels and food . Thailand made the choice of Mass tourism , huge Chinese group , huge Russian groups etc ... deal with it now .

[monkeycountry]

I know high and low season plays a major role, but if you divide 900,000 by the number of days that have so far passed this year (203), and then multiply by 365, you will get a little over 1.6 million :-)

[mihalis]

Problem lies with, Bangkok air monopoly, flights cost too much, where u can fly so cheaply elsewhere...

[Rooo]

Problem lies with, Bangkok air monopoly, flights cost too much, where u can fly so cheaply elsewhere...

Please not BKK AIR again. Nothing to do with what was going on in the country.

[pacovl46]

Good. There's way too many people down there anyway. The island could use a breather.

[samuijimmy]

..."many tourists still can not make up their minds whether to revisit the island again due to safety concerns."

Been that way long before the coup...

Rubbish.... safety concerns about what? The islands here are generally very safe...

People visiting here and acting normally, really have little to worry about.....

Those who act foolishly or stupidly are likely to have problems anywhere they go...

[crazykopite]

As far as I am concerned the less the better long may it last !!

[stoffel45]

In Samui right now. Hotel normally very busy at this time, nearly empty since we arrived two days ago.

No, the coup is not the major reason, the news that too many cases of Dengue Fever plus all those NOT reported is Very alarming.

When we fly into Thailand there are usually no vacant seats, this time Economy was 60% occupied and Business Class around 50%.

I think in order of importance - a shrinking euro, a disintegrating EU economy, Dengue Fever and the coup are the most guilty contributors to the decline in tourist numbers.

I was in Pattaya last week.

Streets, Shopping Malls Restaurants and Bars all stripped of tourists.

Heck, there wasn't even the standard traffic gridlock.

[sambum]

Good. There's way too many people down there anyway. The island could use a breather.

Not too many people - too many bars!

[samuijimmy]

Good. There's way too many people down there anyway. The island could use a breather.

Not too many people - too many bars!

The tourists are changing .... yes, there are to many bars, in some areas, but many don't do much business anymore.... so many are empty.... a lot / most of the time!

Except perhaps Chawang, but there is a lot more to Samui than Chawang! .... Thank goodness!

[iReason]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

..."many tourists still can not make up their minds whether to revisit the island again due to safety concerns."

Been that way long before the coup...

Rubbish.... safety concerns about what? The islands here are generally very safe...

People visiting here and acting normally, really have little to worry about.....

Those who act foolishly or stupidly are likely to have problems anywhere they go... alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

"safety concerns about what?"

First Samui Road Safety Meeting takes place in Maenam

A few, as posted on TV yesterday:

Traffic regulations

Koh Samui traffic rules are only occasionally implemented by the police. Many drivers ignore or do not know basic traffic rules. Most common are the following aspects:

Drivers on motorbikes do not wear helmets

Driving without a licence

Driving without insurance

Driving vehicles without of lights

Young children driving motorbikes

Drunk driving

Speeding

Drug Abuse

Ignoring red traffic lights

Drivers using mobiles phones while they are driving

Single handed driving on motorbikes while holding a child in the other

Driving out of a junction without looking for oncoming traffic

Driving on the wrong side of the road

Overtaking in populated areas, at high speed and without of respect for turning vehicles

Parking vehicles in no parking areas and close to junctions

Education

Tourists as well as many locals are not aware of the dangers of driving on Samui. They are unprepared and underestimate the level of attention that is required to drive safely on the Island.

Lack of traffic-education in the local community

Misunderstanding the meaning of flashing headlights

Inexperience of tourists on the roads

Road Conditions

Many accidents happen due to the road conditions on Samui.

Heavy vehicles are causing severe damage, as their respective weight does not match the quality of the roads.

Potholes and uncovered drainage systems contribute to drivers losing control of their vehicles, same as:

Insufficient streetlights and road marks

Sand and various objects on the road

Uneven drain levels

Dogs running onto the road

Severe road damages especially in the north of the island

Public Transport

It is – especially at night time – difficult, if not impossible, to hire a taxi at reasonable rates, which promotes drunk driving.

Public transport insufficient

Taxis at proper rates are not available

Ideas then turned to possible solutions

Traffic regulations

Fashionable helmets for kids

Bike rental quality check

Round the clock traffic controls by the police and civil officers

Speed guns for the police

Reward system for minibus drivers who drive carefully

Education

Information for tourists: safety cards and information flyers

Stickers with emergency numbers for tourists

Stickers with emergency numbers at the doors of every 7eleven or Family Mart on the island

Education on driving safely in schools for children and their parents

Road Conditions

Speed bumps

Installation and maintenance of traffic lights at notoriously dangerous spots

Finish building the new ring road

Improvement of streetlights and clearly marked roads

Regular street cleaning and removal of possible hazards

Public Transport

Enforcement of using taxi metres

Free transport for children

Voucher system for hotels: Transport vouchers

Minibus service around the island

No unlimited influx of private vehicles on the island

And finally a to do list was drawn up called What can we do?

Pressure on the authorities – public campaign

We plan to run a public campaign in various newspapers and online portals.

The Samui Times and Der Farang will publish articles on the problem.

Further steps:

Convince the Samui Channel and Bangkok Airways to cooperate.

Contact various hotels to support and sponsor the campaign – List of recommended places and free advertisement.

Contact the major, the police, the tourist police, Samui Rescue and TAC. We would appreciate, if some representatives would attend one of our meetings in the near future and share their ideas with us.

Information and education

We will create flyers and safety cards for tourists in English, Russian and German. Other languages are to follow.

A special Facebook page will be set up in order to provide information about Samui roads and to collect evidence on accidents.

The Next meeting of RAK will take place on Saturday the 2nd of August at 2pm at Café Talay in Maenam, everybody is welcome to join.

"People visiting here and acting normally, really have little to worry about....."

Absolute NONSENSE.

And what about people who live there? Do you?

"Those who act foolishly or stupidly are likely to have problems anywhere they go..."

Are you making assumptions and generalizing that all who may encounter problems there are at fault?

[khunPer]

In Samui right now. Hotel normally very busy at this time, nearly empty since we arrived two days ago.

No, the coup is not the major reason, the news that too many cases of Dengue Fever plus all those NOT reported is Very alarming.

When we fly into Thailand there are usually no vacant seats, this time Economy was 60% occupied and Business Class around 50%.

I think in order of importance - a shrinking euro, a disintegrating EU economy, Dengue Fever and the coup are the most guilty contributors to the decline in tourist numbers.

I was in Pattaya last week.

Streets, Shopping Malls Restaurants and Bars all stripped of tourists.

Heck, there wasn't even the standard traffic gridlock.

Dengue Fever may also be one of several reasons - if at the end of the year number of tourist has been declining - a German couple, friends, who used to come to Samui a month or more every summer already back in December decided to skip this year, due to the Dengue Fever risk…

[khunPer]

Good. There's way too many people down there anyway. The island could use a breather.

Not too many people - too many bars!

The tourists are changing .... yes, there are to many bars, in some areas, but many don't do much business anymore.... so many are empty.... a lot / most of the time!

Except perhaps Chawang, but there is a lot more to Samui than Chawang! .... Thank goodness!

Jimmy is right, the visitors of Samui are changing to more families and up-end tourist at 4 or 5 star resorts – must be the so-called quality tourists – whilst many of the typical “beer bar” visitors, middle aged single gentlemen (no offence to anybody), seems to head for other places.

Also in Chaweng there are many “Bar for Sale” or just “For Sale” signs at Soi Green Mango and Soi Raggae – and in Lamai as number of bars already seems to have vanished.

However the number of young visitors do not seems to be declining and the party and dance event are quite full – nights around last Full Moon seemed like Xmas/New Year peak-season…

[samuijimmy]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

..."many tourists still can not make up their minds whether to revisit the island again due to safety concerns."

Been that way long before the coup...

Rubbish.... safety concerns about what? The islands here are generally very safe...

People visiting here and acting normally, really have little to worry about.....

Those who act foolishly or stupidly are likely to have problems anywhere they go... alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

"People visiting here and acting normally, really have little to worry about....."

Absolute NONSENSE.

And what about people who live there? Do you?

"Those who act foolishly or stupidly are likely to have problems anywhere they go..."

Are you making assumptions and generalizing that all who may encounter problems there are at fault?

Yes I do live here.... I have done so for almost 7 years (KP as well).

I probably do more driving around the island than most people, yet I don't think the roads are as bad a most people say .... I don't see all these accidents either .... I am not saying there a not any, but I think some people live in "La la land" often overstating things and pretend it accidents don't happen in there own country... accidents happen every where....

I've yet to see it proven that Samui has the worst accident rate any where in the world... yes things can be improved... as anywhere...

I am not making assumptions at all, about stupid people.... stupid people get into trouble usually from too much drink/ drugs .... that is why they have problems, the majority of sensible tourists do not encounter these problems... they have a good time, and come back... year after year... that's why I came back several times before moving here... it's actually a nice peaceful place to live.

[samuijimmy]

In Samui right now. Hotel normally very busy at this time, nearly empty since we arrived two days ago.

No, the coup is not the major reason, the news that too many cases of Dengue Fever plus all those NOT reported is Very alarming.

When we fly into Thailand there are usually no vacant seats, this time Economy was 60% occupied and Business Class around 50%.

I think in order of importance - a shrinking euro, a disintegrating EU economy, Dengue Fever and the coup are the most guilty contributors to the decline in tourist numbers.

I was in Pattaya last week.

Streets, Shopping Malls Restaurants and Bars all stripped of tourists.

Heck, there wasn't even the standard traffic gridlock.

Dengue Fever may also be one of several reasons - if at the end of the year number of tourist has been declining - a German couple, friends, who used to come to Samui a month or more every summer already back in December decided to skip this year, due to the Dengue Fever risk…

This thing about Dengue fever seems to come up every year.... yet, I know nobody that has it had it recently or any body talking about it.... seems to me something else that is a myth .... or scare mongering?

[iReason]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

..."many tourists still can not make up their minds whether to revisit the island again due to safety concerns."

Been that way long before the coup...

Rubbish.... safety concerns about what? The islands here are generally very safe...

People visiting here and acting normally, really have little to worry about.....

Those who act foolishly or stupidly are likely to have problems anywhere they go... alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

"People visiting here and acting normally, really have little to worry about....."

Absolute NONSENSE.

And what about people who live there? Do you?

"Those who act foolishly or stupidly are likely to have problems anywhere they go..."

Are you making assumptions and generalizing that all who may encounter problems there are at fault?

Yes I do live here.... I have done so for almost 7 years (KP as well).

I probably do more driving around the island than most people, yet I don't think the roads are as bad a most people say .... I don't see all these accidents either .... I am not saying there a not any, but I think some people live in "La la land" alt=blink.png> often overstating things and pretend it accidents don't happen in there own country... accidents happen every where.... alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

I've yet to see it proven that Samui has the worst accident rate any where in the world... yes things can be improved... as anywhere...

I am not making assumptions at all, about stupid people.... stupid people get into trouble usually from too much drink/ drugs .... that is why they have problems, the majority of sensible tourists do not encounter these problems... they have a good time, and come back... year after year... that's why I came back several times before moving here... it's actually a nice peaceful place to live. alt=wai.gif width=20 height=20>

Well, if you can, perhaps get up to Mae Nam Aug. 2. It appears there others who feel differently...

And this list is just of the problems on the road. It may be a safe bet that one would be hard pressed to compile a list like this where you came from...

http://asiancorrespondent.com/119892/study-thailand-roads-2nd-most-dangerous-in-the-world/

With a population of 68,229,000.

[superdome]

I have been a Samui [Lamai] man for the best part of 27yrs now...I could see the change abt 6/7yrs ago..then I said that Samui had lost its charm and would loose many tourists,many almost every one laughed at me then saying "not a chance"...they aint laughing now...I could see what was going wrong...to many bars..taxi mafia etc..they thought "high end tourists"...family tourists...prices went UP..visitors went DOWN over the period...I know of many Thai & Farang business that went to the wall....high end tourist very rarely leave the hotel complex,so don't spend money with locals...families with kids just walk abt at night with young kids till they are tired,abt 9/10pm & return to hotel,many on "all inclusive" deals,so no need to go to restaurant's etc...older couples 50+ walking abt just looking.

Can you imagine a single guy with GF..or married man with wife..or family man with wife & kids saying..."just popping out to a bar for a quick drink"..with all the ladies that "work" there...NOT A CHANCE IN THE WORLD..the ladies in their lives wont have any of that.

As I said I have seen it coming for a few yrs now....& now they are paying the penalty...for me serves them right.

Many will agree with me..also many will disagree...I have been lucky & travelled the world seen it happen many times before.

Sorry if I have bored you all...please let me know if I am right or wrong about Samui....thx for reading this post....Peter

[khunPer]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

..."many tourists still can not make up their minds whether to revisit the island again due to safety concerns."

Been that way long before the coup...

Rubbish.... safety concerns about what? The islands here are generally very safe...

People visiting here and acting normally, really have little to worry about.....

Those who act foolishly or stupidly are likely to have problems anywhere they go... alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

"safety concerns about what?"

First Samui Road Safety Meeting takes place in Maenam

A few, as posted on TV yesterday:

Traffic regulations

Koh Samui traffic rules are only occasionally implemented by the police. Many drivers ignore or do not know basic traffic rules. Most common are the following aspects:

Drivers on motorbikes do not wear helmets

Driving without a licence

Driving without insurance

Driving vehicles without of lights

Young children driving motorbikes

Drunk driving

Speeding

Drug Abuse

Ignoring red traffic lights

Drivers using mobiles phones while they are driving

Single handed driving on motorbikes while holding a child in the other

Driving out of a junction without looking for oncoming traffic

Driving on the wrong side of the road

Overtaking in populated areas, at high speed and without of respect for turning vehicles

Parking vehicles in no parking areas and close to junctions

Education

Tourists as well as many locals are not aware of the dangers of driving on Samui. They are unprepared and underestimate the level of attention that is required to drive safely on the Island.

Lack of traffic-education in the local community

Misunderstanding the meaning of flashing headlights

Inexperience of tourists on the roads

Road Conditions

Many accidents happen due to the road conditions on Samui.

Heavy vehicles are causing severe damage, as their respective weight does not match the quality of the roads.

Potholes and uncovered drainage systems contribute to drivers losing control of their vehicles, same as:

Insufficient streetlights and road marks

Sand and various objects on the road

Uneven drain levels

Dogs running onto the road

Severe road damages especially in the north of the island

Public Transport

It is – especially at night time – difficult, if not impossible, to hire a taxi at reasonable rates, which promotes drunk driving.

Public transport insufficient

Taxis at proper rates are not available

Ideas then turned to possible solutions

Traffic regulations

Fashionable helmets for kids

Bike rental quality check

Round the clock traffic controls by the police and civil officers

Speed guns for the police

Reward system for minibus drivers who drive carefully

Education

Information for tourists: safety cards and information flyers

Stickers with emergency numbers for tourists

Stickers with emergency numbers at the doors of every 7eleven or Family Mart on the island

Education on driving safely in schools for children and their parents

Road Conditions

Speed bumps

Installation and maintenance of traffic lights at notoriously dangerous spots

Finish building the new ring road

Improvement of streetlights and clearly marked roads

Regular street cleaning and removal of possible hazards

Public Transport

Enforcement of using taxi metres

Free transport for children

Voucher system for hotels: Transport vouchers

Minibus service around the island

No unlimited influx of private vehicles on the island

And finally a to do list was drawn up called What can we do?

Pressure on the authorities – public campaign

We plan to run a public campaign in various newspapers and online portals.

The Samui Times and Der Farang will publish articles on the problem.

Further steps:

Convince the Samui Channel and Bangkok Airways to cooperate.

Contact various hotels to support and sponsor the campaign – List of recommended places and free advertisement.

Contact the major, the police, the tourist police, Samui Rescue and TAC. We would appreciate, if some representatives would attend one of our meetings in the near future and share their ideas with us.

Information and education

We will create flyers and safety cards for tourists in English, Russian and German. Other languages are to follow.

A special Facebook page will be set up in order to provide information about Samui roads and to collect evidence on accidents.

The Next meeting of RAK will take place on Saturday the 2nd of August at 2pm at Café Talay in Maenam, everybody is welcome to join.

"People visiting here and acting normally, really have little to worry about....."

Absolute NONSENSE.

And what about people who live there? Do you?

"Those who act foolishly or stupidly are likely to have problems anywhere they go..."

Are you making assumptions and generalizing that all who may encounter problems there are at fault?

Excuse me, but that copy-paste list from the RAK traffic group's establishing meeting last Saturday shows nothing new – more or less just a brain storm of anything which could be named about road & traffic safety on the island – that is how Samui has been for many years; however improving on a number of points during the past years like far less “black holes” and new tarmac on many roads, just to mention a few…

Agree in, that the traffic on Samui has increased over the years, but so it has all over Thailand, which in general is a “dangerous” place to drive, if one is not used to Thai traffic behaviour; just look at the TV new-section, both Pattaya and Phuket also seems pretty dangerous…

However, if the RAK group can help to improve the traffic safety on Samui, for example by their suggestions with Multilanguage information flyers and stickers with emergency numbers for visitors, and co-operation with local authorities for some kind of campaign aimed at the local population, then that is very good.

Samui is in general a (very) safe place, but if you don’t behave sensibly it can be dangerous – like anywhere else in the World…

And to prevent the question: Yes, I do live here – and I have survived the “dangerous” Samui traffic and nightlife since 2001…

[spidermike007]

Problem lies with, Bangkok air monopoly, flights cost too much, where u can fly so cheaply elsewhere...

It was the responsibility of both Abhisit, and the Yingbat, to do away with the Bangkok Air monopoly on Samui. It represents a complete abandonment of the island, to allow that monopoly to remain in place. The level of price gouging they engage in, on the Samui route, is an embarrassment to the nation. It does not matter how much money they spent on the airport. A responsible govt. would say, you spent $12 million on the airport. Ok, here is a check. You are now being asked to leave. You have been terribly irresponsible. You have blown it. We are going to ask the competitively priced airlines to come in now. Or, they would compel Thai to offer low pricing, thereby forcing BA's hand. Something needs to be done. Samui is hurting now. Tourism is way down. It is only a matter of time until hotels start shutting their doors. A lot of places I talk to say it has never been this slow. Ok by me. Quiet and peaceful. But, the business community is hurting, and as is typical, for the government, they are doing nothing, to aid the long lost forgotten island of Samui.

Do not get me wrong. BA is a very good airline. But, they do not have to gouge on the level they do, on this route. And they could offer a far better deal to ex-pats, than 20% off the highest fare. How about 50% off, for their loyalty?

[spidermike007]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

..."many tourists still can not make up their minds whether to revisit the island again due to safety concerns."

Been that way long before the coup...

Rubbish.... safety concerns about what? The islands here are generally very safe...

People visiting here and acting normally, really have little to worry about.....

Those who act foolishly or stupidly are likely to have problems anywhere they go... alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

"People visiting here and acting normally, really have little to worry about....."

Absolute NONSENSE.

And what about people who live there? Do you?

"Those who act foolishly or stupidly are likely to have problems anywhere they go..."

Are you making assumptions and generalizing that all who may encounter problems there are at fault?

Yes I do live here.... I have done so for almost 7 years (KP as well).

I probably do more driving around the island than most people, yet I don't think the roads are as bad a most people say .... I don't see all these accidents either .... I am not saying there a not any, but I think some people live in "La la land" often overstating things and pretend it accidents don't happen in there own country... accidents happen every where....

I've yet to see it proven that Samui has the worst accident rate any where in the world... yes things can be improved... as anywhere...

I am not making assumptions at all, about stupid people.... stupid people get into trouble usually from too much drink/ drugs .... that is why they have problems, the majority of sensible tourists do not encounter these problems... they have a good time, and come back... year after year... that's why I came back several times before moving here... it's actually a nice peaceful place to live.

I have a friend who worked on Samui rescue for years. He told me it has the highest fatality rate on the world, per capita. I believe him. It is very, very high. Do not delude yourself into thinking otherwise. The lack of driver skill, combined with the complete lack of traffic safety, on the part of a shockingly incompetent, and indifferent "police" force, is the main reason. Standards need to be raised. Heavy fines need to be levied, an deal police work is a good place to start. Consistent, well intentioned traffic safety standards. Not occasional revenue collection. Real helmet laws (driving on Samui without a really good helmet is a bit like playing Russian roulette with two bullets in the chamber), real enforcement of the driver license requirement (no longer tolerating 11 year old drivers, who are a huge hazard), drunk driving penalties, etc. Come on. The authorities here can do much, much better, than zero.

[Traveling Sailor]

Problem lies with, Bangkok air monopoly, flights cost too much, where u can fly so cheaply elsewhere...

While this probably is a factor,it is one of many. Some others are: 600 Baht for a taxi to take you 1/2 way round the island, roads that are not maintained, scams, rip-offs, no police protection/law enforcement, etc.

I could go on, but the picture should be clear.

I'm hopeful that the junta has Samui on it's list and will start to clean house here soon.

[carmine]

In Samui right now. Hotel normally very busy at this time, nearly empty since we arrived two days ago.

No, the coup is not the major reason, the news that too many cases of Dengue Fever plus all those NOT reported is Very alarming.

When we fly into Thailand there are usually no vacant seats, this time Economy was 60% occupied and Business Class around 50%.

I think in order of importance - a shrinking euro, a disintegrating EU economy, Dengue Fever and the coup are the most guilty contributors to the decline in tourist numbers.

I was in Pattaya last week.

Streets, Shopping Malls Restaurants and Bars all stripped of tourists.

Heck, there wasn't even the standard traffic gridlock.

Dengue Fever may also be one of several reasons - if at the end of the year number of tourist has been declining - a German couple, friends, who used to come to Samui a month or more every summer already back in December decided to skip this year, due to the Dengue Fever risk…

They decided to skip their holiday here due to risk of dengue fever!!! How idiotic of them

What ridiculous people they must be

[samuijimmy]

I am almost (but not quite) lost for words with some of the comments.... but then I suppose there are people who cannot adapt to situations, drive with due care and attention etc, use common sense and just enjoy the beauty that surrounds us on many parts of the islands.... (not just Samui.... actually pretty much all of Thailand for that matter.... )....

Where things like Dengue fever comes up is anyone's guess, (I already said that, as has Carmine) last time a year or two ago it was mentioned, I asked at the Gov. hospital and was told it was not an issue... No one had it there.

There was a TV member here two or three years ago, that wanted to get the motorbike rental places to insist on people using helmets.... that sort of died a quiet death.... good intentions...

One sees obviously resident farangs as well as tourists not wearing helmets.... I've heard "oh it's too hot" or "it will mess up my hair" "I don't need" I see a bike rental place near me offering the helmets and people turn them down...

As far as that list goes, yes there are a few good points, the sticker idea is not bad... a number of the points have been hashed around this and probably every other local forum on TV... and some probably will be in ten years time too.

Strange, according to UK news, cannot remember is it was ITV or BBC, Brit news, the other day, that after Brits most common complaint being the weather, the second is the state of the roads.... a budget of billions of pounds, and a ten year program to get them up to snuff...was announced... yet here we have I am sure a few expat Brits complaining about the same problem here

It's a world wide problem maintaining roads.... As is drinking and driving, speeding, drugs etc etc... and people moan because these things are enforced... you see and read that all the time here on Thai Visa!

I wish these people well in trying to sort out the problems, but I won't be headed down to the Cafe Thale to sit and partake! Good luck with though!

I guess this topic has crossed over from the other thread .... that will have more people confused!.... sorry!

[belg]

one guess is : lack of returning customers ?

if you have been ripped,starting from the airport, bad or no service at al, not like in the brochures ... and then getting informed about websites like TVF, that tourists are getting overcharged ... those kind of people will not return

and what do they expect, have more tourists in the first 7 months on a year than the whole previous year ? soon illogic, but fine for thainess

[spidermike007]

one guess is : lack of returning customers ?

if you have been ripped,starting from the airport, bad or no service at al, not like in the brochures ... and then getting informed about websites like TVF, that tourists are getting overcharged ... those kind of people will not return

and what do they expect, have more tourists in the first 7 months on a year than the whole previous year ? soon illogic, but fine for thainess

True indeed. I have heard comments from friends who stayed at the Four Seasons, or the W, and paid over $1000 per night. The common complaint was, when I asked the waiter if the McLaren Vale Shiraz, at 4400 per bottle was elegant and soft, as opposed to fruit forward and racy, they looked at me like I was from another planet, and said it was a red wine. It is often necessary to get the F & B manager involved in the conversation to get an answer. Is this a wine sauce? Not sure sir, it is a white sauce. Sometimes the restaurant manager can answer if they are well versed foreigners. Not usually. So, the common complaint is that i am paying first world five star prices. Why am I not getting five star knowledge and expertise?

The inability or unwillingness to train the staff, is a real issue. The staff are often kind, courteous, and very pleasant. But they are not experts. Why not? Well, where do you start?

That combined with the SEVERE indifference on the part of both the regional and national government is a real handicap for Samui. It has been suggested the govt. does not want to support the island because the mafia families profit from it. Well, if that is the case, just get rid of them. Lock them up, deport them, or make them go away. Stop being incompetent babies, and pretending you have a world class Island. Because it may have five star resorts, but is the rest of it five star on any other elevel? Let's get real here. Let's list some issues:

No government run information center, like most tourist areas provide. A center that is not trying to sell something.

No government support, safety standards, competent policing, consumer safety or consumer complaint service.

No real clean up crews, run by the mayors office, to take care of the beaches, the waterways, the canals, etc.

No long term planning.

No visionary policy.

No regulation of taxis, jet ski scammers, car rental companies, etc.

No regulation of noise from nuisance operators like the Ark Bar, who pollute the island many nights with their noise, which can be heard for many kilometers at beachfront resorts.

Very minor league leadership on the island.

I could go on for an hour. You get the point. If you want to get serious, take yourself seriously!

Spidermike007

[Rooo]

Over the years Samui has seen it's fair share of changes. It has also weathered many a world economic crises, stock market crashes, floods, currency fluctuations etc... it always rebounds.

Many an emerging market out there, from China, Eastern Block, Middle East etc..... Europe is not the all to end all.

Sure demographics have changed, if you read through the archived posts on the forum from 2006 on you will see this predicted.

As for BKK Air, I'm not a great advocate but I don't see it playing any turn in the current downturn.

Things will pick up.

[Tropicalevo]

Problem lies with, Bangkok air monopoly, flights cost too much, where u can fly so cheaply elsewhere...

It was the responsibility of both Abhisit, and the Yingbat, to do away with the Bangkok Air monopoly on Samui. It represents a complete abandonment of the island, to allow that monopoly to remain in place. The level of price gouging they engage in, on the Samui route, is an embarrassment to the nation. It does not matter how much money they spent on the airport. A responsible govt. would say, you spent $12 million on the airport. Ok, here is a check. You are now being asked to leave. You have been terribly irresponsible. You have blown it. We are going to ask the competitively priced airlines to come in now. Or, they would compel Thai to offer low pricing, thereby forcing BA's hand. Something needs to be done. Samui is hurting now. Tourism is way down. It is only a matter of time until hotels start shutting their doors. A lot of places I talk to say it has never been this slow. Ok by me. Quiet and peaceful. But, the business community is hurting, and as is typical, for the government, they are doing nothing, to aid the long lost forgotten island of Samui.

Do not get me wrong. BA is a very good airline. But, they do not have to gouge on the level they do, on this route. And they could offer a far better deal to ex-pats, than 20% off the highest fare. How about 50% off, for their loyalty?

Just a small addendum here -

Silk Air

Thai Airways

Firefly

all have scheduled services into Samui. Not frequent, but regular/daily.

China Ailines has also been known to bring in a charter or two.

I understand that Thai Air charge a similar price to Bandit Airways, but Firefly is definitely cheaper (as you would expect from a budget airline). I do not know about Silk Air, but then again, when have Singapore Airlines every done anything cheap.

OMID was the one who orgainised the extra slots for Thai Airways, by increasing the daily maximum number of flights allowed (by two more).

I could be wrong - but probably not in this case.

[spidermike007]

Problem lies with, Bangkok air monopoly, flights cost too much, where u can fly so cheaply elsewhere...

It was the responsibility of both Abhisit, and the Yingbat, to do away with the Bangkok Air monopoly on Samui. It represents a complete abandonment of the island, to allow that monopoly to remain in place. The level of price gouging they engage in, on the Samui route, is an embarrassment to the nation. It does not matter how much money they spent on the airport. A responsible govt. would say, you spent $12 million on the airport. Ok, here is a check. You are now being asked to leave. You have been terribly irresponsible. You have blown it. We are going to ask the competitively priced airlines to come in now. Or, they would compel Thai to offer low pricing, thereby forcing BA's hand. Something needs to be done. Samui is hurting now. Tourism is way down. It is only a matter of time until hotels start shutting their doors. A lot of places I talk to say it has never been this slow. Ok by me. Quiet and peaceful. But, the business community is hurting, and as is typical, for the government, they are doing nothing, to aid the long lost forgotten island of Samui.

Do not get me wrong. BA is a very good airline. But, they do not have to gouge on the level they do, on this route. And they could offer a far better deal to ex-pats, than 20% off the highest fare. How about 50% off, for their loyalty?

Just a small addendum here -

Silk Air

Thai Airways

Firefly

all have scheduled services into Samui. Not frequent, but regular/daily.

China Ailines has also been known to bring in a charter or two.

I understand that Thai Air charge a similar price to Bandit Airways, but Firefly is definitely cheaper (as you would expect from a budget airline). I do not know about Silk Air, but then again, when have Singapore Airlines every done anything cheap.

OMID was the one who orgainised the extra slots for Thai Airways, by increasing the daily maximum number of flights allowed (by two more).

I could be wrong - but probably not in this case.

I was told that in exchange for allowing Thai air some slots, BA insisted that they never price a segment BA serves, at less than BA. Makes sense that they agreed, as they have never been lower in cost. And besides those two, no others serve domestic routes. It is a travesty of justice, that the government allows this. An abomination to the people of Samui.

Spidermike007