Is samui for this time of year quiet

[worzel]

As the post says lived here for 11 years seems very to me be intresting for peps options and reasons

[finy]

I was going to post a thread asking this exact question.

I'm coming back to Thailand soon and would love my old room back in Lamai, but was going to head to CM instead because I thought it would be too annoying trying to find a place to stay.

If I knew my old place was available I'd knock CM on the head.

So are there less of those people who come and stay for 3-4 months at the moment?

[Tropicalevo]

I was going to post a thread asking this exact question.

I'm coming back to Thailand soon and would love my old room back in Lamai, but was going to head to CM instead because I thought it would be too annoying trying to find a place to stay.

If I knew my old place was available I'd knock CM on the head.

So are there less of those people who come and stay for 3-4 months at the moment?

Not up here at the pointy end. Very busy. All villas booked. Some longer term. Most for a week or three

A friend came for a one week break (last minute) and could only do it by staying in 3 different hotels. One of them cancelled on him in spite of his confirmed reservation. (Existing guest wanted to extend.)

[samuijimmy]

I was going to post a thread asking this exact question.

I'm coming back to Thailand soon and would love my old room back in Lamai, but was going to head to CM instead because I thought it would be too annoying trying to find a place to stay.

If I knew my old place was available I'd knock CM on the head.

So are there less of those people who come and stay for 3-4 months at the moment?

Not up here at the pointy end. Very busy. All villas booked. Some longer term. Most for a week or three

A friend came for a one week break (last minute) and could only do it by staying in 3 different hotels. One of them cancelled on him in spite of his confirmed reservation. (Existing guest wanted to extend.)

I spent a couple of days last week all around the island trying to find mid to high priced range resort for a friend, not easy to find...

One nice place in Thaling Ngam had only two days available ... but it was a beautiful beach I had not seen or heard of before... I was surprised on that side of the island how hard it was to find a place!

So it's busier than it seems.... and judging by the traffic between Maenam and Chawang this afternoon, it's very busy on the roads and perhaps with that sun today, perhaps the beaches busier too!?

[khunPer]

Seems a little more quiet this year, after some very busy years more like back to "normal".

[Tropicalevo]

I spent a couple of days last week all around the island trying to find mid to high priced range resort for a friend, not easy to find...

One nice place in Thaling Ngam had only two days available ... but it was a beautiful beach I had not seen or heard of before... I was surprised on that side of the island how hard it was to find a place!

So it's busier than it seems.... and judging by the traffic between Maenam and Chawang this afternoon, it's very busy on the roads and perhaps with that sun today, perhaps the beaches busier too!?

Went to Choengmon this lunchtime, The beach was quite narrow - only two rows of sunbeds.

BUT the place was manic. Tourists and locals everywhere. Looked like Blackpool on a summer Bank Hoiday weekend. (Including the rain!)

Great plah sam rod and crab meat curry in Crystal though,

[carmine]

Torism this christmas is down massively. Putting aside the reasons why, and there are many, its easy to get a room, a flight, a train or bus, in or out. Why? Because the islands comparatively empty as compared to any other christmas.

Empty bars and restaurants and easy travel access to and from the island at christmas tell an obvious story but i'm sure we'll be reading soon how tourists were piling in in droves and all that baloney! The usual head in the sand, delusional denial claptrap. With brutal murders, assaults on foreigners, lethal roads, an extremely strong baht and rip off gala nights added on to your hotel bill its not surprising. Hardly paints an appealing picture!

[ukchatterbox]

Look at each local forum going back 10 years and there are always threads " isn't this year quite"

[carmine]

Look at each local forum going back 10 years and there are always threads " isn't this year quite"

I don't know where you live but if you go out of a day or a night theres a huge loss of tourists THIS year in particular. Thats the point has has no relevance to whatever has been sai in the past. If you actually live here and have done for a few years you would understand the relevance of the OP's post this year. If you don't then you clearly don't live here so why would you care to post in the first place?

[Tropicalevo]

Torism this christmas is down massively. Putting aside the reasons why, and there are many, its easy to get a room, a flight, a train or bus, in or out. Why? Because the islands comparatively empty as compared to any other christmas.

Empty bars and restaurants and easy travel access to and from the island at christmas tell an obvious story but i'm sure we'll be reading soon how tourists were piling in in droves and all that baloney! The usual head in the sand, delusional denial claptrap. With brutal murders, assaults on foreigners, lethal roads, an extremely strong baht and rip off gala nights added on to your hotel bill its not surprising. Hardly paints an appealing picture!

We are obviously in different areas on the island Carmine.

Hotels and private villas where I am are full. (My head is not in the sand - I service villas so I know. Indisputable fact).

Empty bars have been like that for over a year. This is not a Christmas phenomenum. It is a change in the nationality of Samui tourists. Used to be Europeans (bar visitors) now more Koreans, Chinese, Russians. These tend to eat/drink at home.

Out of interest - where are you based?

[samuijimmy]

Torism this christmas is down massively. Putting aside the reasons why, and there are many, its easy to get a room, a flight, a train or bus, in or out. Why? Because the islands comparatively empty as compared to any other christmas.

Empty bars and restaurants and easy travel access to and from the island at christmas tell an obvious story but i'm sure we'll be reading soon how tourists were piling in in droves and all that baloney! The usual head in the sand, delusional denial claptrap. With brutal murders, assaults on foreigners, lethal roads, an extremely strong baht and rip off gala nights added on to your hotel bill its not surprising. Hardly paints an appealing picture!

We are obviously in different areas on the island Carmine.

Hotels and private villas where I am are full. (My head is not in the sand - I service villas so I know. Indisputable fact).

Empty bars have been like that for over a year. This is not a Christmas phenomenum. It is a change in the nationality of Samui tourists. Used to be Europeans (bar visitors) now more Koreans, Chinese, Russians. These tend to eat/drink at home.

Out of interest - where are you based?

As I posted above, there are a number of areas where resorts are full.... even many, if not all in Maenam, Ban Tai and Ban Por, it's just about impossible find a place in any price range to my recent visitor late 20's something, was not the slightest bit interested in Chawang or Lamai, but wanted to be away from the "party" areas.... so it's not just that demograhic... of forengners this guy was Canadian...

I have seven friends of friends coming in March, also Canadian, they also want to be away from those areas.... I seem to spend half my life making suggestions. for people ..

So Carmine, it's your head in the sand, but then you do tend to be very negative about things ... much of the time! Things are changing... get use to it! .... adjust accordingly

[AngThong]

I have seven friends of friends coming in March, also Canadian, they also want to be away from those areas.... I seem to spend half my life making suggestions. for people ..

You suffer from chronic friendliness, Jimmy

[lom]

With brutal murders, assaults on foreigners, lethal roads, an extremely strong baht and rip off gala nights added on to your hotel bill its not surprising. Hardly paints an appealing picture!

Don't forget the weekly power cuts!

[carmine]

Torism this christmas is down massively. Putting aside the reasons why, and there are many, its easy to get a room, a flight, a train or bus, in or out. Why? Because the islands comparatively empty as compared to any other christmas.

Empty bars and restaurants and easy travel access to and from the island at christmas tell an obvious story but i'm sure we'll be reading soon how tourists were piling in in droves and all that baloney! The usual head in the sand, delusional denial claptrap. With brutal murders, assaults on foreigners, lethal roads, an extremely strong baht and rip off gala nights added on to your hotel bill its not surprising. Hardly paints an appealing picture!

We are obviously in different areas on the island Carmine.

Hotels and private villas where I am are full. (My head is not in the sand - I service villas so I know. Indisputable fact).

Empty bars have been like that for over a year. This is not a Christmas phenomenum. It is a change in the nationality of Samui tourists. Used to be Europeans (bar visitors) now more Koreans, Chinese, Russians. These tend to eat/drink at home.

Out of interest - where are you based?

. May i remind you we are supposed to be in the middle of the busiest 14 days the island has all year. Its massively down on last year, i estimate atleast 30% but as you say you are busy then good luck because that would make you the first person, Thai or falang i've spoken to over the past ten days who isn't feeling the downturn. By the way, empty bars has been the case for a year because thats following a general pattern as tourism here has dropped month on month. So why do you think you are bucking the trend so well. You must look around and notice the distinct lack of tourist numbers compared to past years surely? Is your part of the island an especially sought out area?

I think, with the power of social media and the seeming ambivalence towards the safety of tourists, coupled with lethal roads, scams, ridiculous taxi charges paints its own picture.

Perhaps its negative but i rather say it as i see it and the islands appears firmly on its backside..

Edited December 29, 2014 by carmine

[carmine]

With brutal murders, assaults on foreigners, lethal roads, an extremely strong baht and rip off gala nights added on to your hotel bill its not surprising. Hardly paints an appealing picture!

Don't forget the weekly power cuts!

I doubt the people in Bangkok that suffered an eleven hour power cut the other day would find that comment quite as funny as you but feel free to laugh at others peoples woes....its christmas afterall

[carmine]

Torism this christmas is down massively. Putting aside the reasons why, and there are many, its easy to get a room, a flight, a train or bus, in or out. Why? Because the islands comparatively empty as compared to any other christmas.

Empty bars and restaurants and easy travel access to and from the island at christmas tell an obvious story but i'm sure we'll be reading soon how tourists were piling in in droves and all that baloney! The usual head in the sand, delusional denial claptrap. With brutal murders, assaults on foreigners, lethal roads, an extremely strong baht and rip off gala nights added on to your hotel bill its not surprising. Hardly paints an appealing picture!

We are obviously in different areas on the island Carmine.

Hotels and private villas where I am are full. (My head is not in the sand - I service villas so I know. Indisputable fact).

Empty bars have been like that for over a year. This is not a Christmas phenomenum. It is a change in the nationality of Samui tourists. Used to be Europeans (bar visitors) now more Koreans, Chinese, Russians. These tend to eat/drink at home.

Out of interest - where are you based?

As I posted above, there are a number of areas where resorts are full.... even many, if not all in Maenam, Ban Tai and Ban Por, it's just about impossible find a place in any price range to my recent visitor late 20's something, was not the slightest bit interested in Chawang or Lamai, but wanted to be away from the "party" areas.... so it's not just that demograhic... of forengners this guy was Canadian...

I have seven friends of friends coming in March, also Canadian, they also want to be away from those areas.... I seem to spend half my life making suggestions. for people ..

So Carmine, it's your head in the sand, but then you do tend to be very negative about things ... much of the time! Things are changing... get use to it! .... adjust accordingly

No i just see what i see and don't try to pretend its all so wonderful. Frankly, the way some of you get so prickly towards the slightest criticism tells its own story. I often post positives if you care to read my posts but forgive for saying but i find nothing positive about things that are wrong.

[longtom]

The crappy weather sure doesn´t help, with the ferry services from/to Don Sak sometimes cancelled.

IMHO about 10-20% less than last year, maybe not the bookings in the high end segment, but budget accomodation, and definitely many shops/restaurants are suffering (yes I know there are to many of those).

[samuijimmy]

Torism this christmas is down massively. Putting aside the reasons why, and there are many, its easy to get a room, a flight, a train or bus, in or out. Why? Because the islands comparatively empty as compared to any other christmas.

Empty bars and restaurants and easy travel access to and from the island at christmas tell an obvious story but i'm sure we'll be reading soon how tourists were piling in in droves and all that baloney! The usual head in the sand, delusional denial claptrap. With brutal murders, assaults on foreigners, lethal roads, an extremely strong baht and rip off gala nights added on to your hotel bill its not surprising. Hardly paints an appealing picture!

We are obviously in different areas on the island Carmine.

Hotels and private villas where I am are full. (My head is not in the sand - I service villas so I know. Indisputable fact).

Empty bars have been like that for over a year. This is not a Christmas phenomenum. It is a change in the nationality of Samui tourists. Used to be Europeans (bar visitors) now more Koreans, Chinese, Russians. These tend to eat/drink at home.

Out of interest - where are you based?

As I posted above, there are a number of areas where resorts are full.... even many, if not all in Maenam, Ban Tai and Ban Por, it's just about impossible find a place in any price range to my recent visitor late 20's something, was not the slightest bit interested in Chawang or Lamai, but wanted to be away from the "party" areas.... so it's not just that demograhic... of forengners this guy was Canadian...

I have seven friends of friends coming in March, also Canadian, they also want to be away from those areas.... I seem to spend half my life making suggestions. for people ..

So Carmine, it's your head in the sand, but then you do tend to be very negative about things ... much of the time! Things are changing... get use to it! .... adjust accordingly

No i just see what i see and don't try to pretend its all so wonderful. Frankly, the way some of you get so prickly towards the slightest criticism tells its own story. I often post positives if you care to read my posts but forgive for saying but i find nothing positive about things that are wrong.

Yes, I did remark on a positive post you made last year, I seem to remember....

Well, I and many others I know here (living or visitors) don't seem to see or have the problems you state.... so I think it is you that gets prickly when we correct your outlandish statements....

Roads on the whole are not that bad in my opinion, I use them a lot.... three times around the island last week, but then I tend to try and drive with due care and attention, to what's going on in front and behind me... some thing many farangs tend not to do... (yes Thai's too) ...

My local bike rental shop has all 21 of his bikes, out and people keep asking if or when they will have one... seems to be the same for other shops at least in Maenam...

Perhaps Chawang , if that is your area is different,? one area I tend to avoid ... seems many others too! Beaches are quiet due to weather conditions, but Namuang 2 was busy the other day... and there are lots of Jungle Safari trucks that seem to be full most days, I had to wait quite a while for about a dozen of them to drive by, near the temple above Lamai... the other day...

Enough said!

[carmine]

It terms of outlandish statements then "the roads aren't that bad here" is right up there. Truly astonishing. That line alone destroys any credibility in your post.

Honestly Jimmy, get real!!

Edited December 29, 2014 by carmine

[PoorSucker]

Have been more busy than last year.

More western Europeans now, Russians are gone.

South Chaweng / Chaweng Noi.

[khunPer]

I don’t think you can judge the number of tourist on bar visitors – as Carmine mentioned above in post #7 – the beer bar business seems to have been decreasing for a number of years. Audience has changed from bar visitors to another kind – I see a number deserted bars being changed to fast food stalls during the past years, so to me this indicates that the customers are hungry for something else than what the lady-bars offers – I notice a lot more of families with children and more couples, both young and mature, coming, and some groups on all-inclusive package tours, I think of Chinese, may not be that visible outside of their resorts; however the high number of single middle-aged men aiming for a “beer bar holiday” may be a story from the past.

The Xmas/New year two years ago was like all-time peak, with (almost) everything fully booked. At that time we got calls from friends working in hotel receptions asking if we could help with our two guestrooms – that are for my friends from home only – as everything were full and people begging for a room, even in a backpacker style guest house (a couple that had paid deposit, but the resort had sold their room to someone else and just handed the deposit back). Another friend, owner of a small guest house in Maenam, had been asking all over the village for a spare room, but with no luck, for an extra guest showing up without pre booking, so also begged if we kindly could help.

This year seems a little less, either more like it used to be at Xmas time before the peak, or perhaps a bit up as many resorts now have more rooms than a few years ago – the guest houses around Maenam seems not to be completely full, and nobody has (yet) begged for help...

Also looking at the nightlife, and I don’t talk about the half empty beer bars, but the discos where the young folks party in Chaweng; they are not that over-packed this year as the previous two peak seasons, but still crowded. Based on visitor numbers from Full Moon parties (can be too positive?) and the successful expansion of Ark Bar Beach Resort and the newly opened Cha Cha Moon Beach, the group of young guest seems to be rising in numbers; and they are presumably not beer bar clients.

Also seems like Bangkok Air have many fully booked flights – know of people who had been too late booking and now need to find alternative transportation – and if I shall base my view of peak-season visitor numbers on the traffic on the Ring Road, then that will then be an all-time peak right now; the Bo Phut traffic light “normal” cue is about 5 kilometers long all the way to Maenam gasoline station in early afternoon, wonder what it will be like later in rush hour...?

I think total number of visitors is mainly a guess or “feeling” – numbers use to vary from source-to-source – do the island authorities have reliable statistics...?

Edited December 29, 2014 by khunPer

[arjunadawn]

Is it possible that they are here and we are just not seeing them? Really; the weather has sucked and not a lot of people on beaches at all but from what I have heard bookings are locked up everywhere. Maybe they are all playing boardgames.

[samuibruno]

maybe many are forgetting that theres a lot more accommodation available than last year

and a lot more bars than last year and a lot more restaurants than last year

plus more clubs

but same same amount of tourists means a dispersion of moneys spread over a larger area

= many complaining of less income

its economics

if samui doesnt get annual INCREASES in tourist numbers but still keeps expanding then many incomes are going to take a dive

[evadgib]

I broke my own golden rule <5km exclusion zone around Chaweng 22 Dec-03 Jan> today & regretted it. After 2hrs/25kms round trip running an errand that could frankly have waited until 2015 <wife!> I arrived back home ready to grab the Christmas tree & give the car a damn good thrashing....

Unless or until the authorities prevent private vehicles that aren't registered to Samui addresses from boarding inbound ferries between 15 Dec & 07 Jan per annum & similar for Songkran we can expect more of the same next year.

Road maintenance, traffic lights (bulbs-lack of!) & lane discipline are frankly a shambles & something the authorities can no longer ignore.

From now until the end of next week it's Naton only for me.

One for Samui Times & RAK?

Edited December 29, 2014 by evadgib

[oldsailor35]

I spent a couple of days last week all around the island trying to find mid to high priced range resort for a friend, not easy to find...

One nice place in Thaling Ngam had only two days available ... but it was a beautiful beach I had not seen or heard of before... I was surprised on that side of the island how hard it was to find a place!

So it's busier than it seems.... and judging by the traffic between Maenam and Chawang this afternoon, it's very busy on the roads and perhaps with that sun today, perhaps the beaches busier too!?

Went to Choengmon this lunchtime, The beach was quite narrow - only two rows of sunbeds.

BUT the place was manic. Tourists and locals everywhere. Looked like Blackpool on a summer Bank Hoiday weekend. (Including the rain!)

Great plah sam rod and crab meat curry in Crystal though,

mmmmmmm! B'pool on bank holiday.........All the men paddling with their trousers turned up to their knees plus knotted hankies on heads. British through and through!

[samuijimmy]

I spent a couple of days last week all around the island trying to find mid to high priced range resort for a friend, not easy to find...

One nice place in Thaling Ngam had only two days available ... but it was a beautiful beach I had not seen or heard of before... I was surprised on that side of the island how hard it was to find a place!

So it's busier than it seems.... and judging by the traffic between Maenam and Chawang this afternoon, it's very busy on the roads and perhaps with that sun today, perhaps the beaches busier too!?

Went to Choengmon this lunchtime, The beach was quite narrow - only two rows of sunbeds.

BUT the place was manic. Tourists and locals everywhere. Looked like Blackpool on a summer Bank Hoiday weekend. (Including the rain!)

Great plah sam rod and crab meat curry in Crystal though,

mmmmmmm! B'pool on bank holiday.........All the men paddling with their trousers turned up to their knees plus knotted hankies on heads. British through and through!

Can people get to Blackpool on a Bank Holiday or any other day?

I hear the roads in UK might be worse than here.... Seems to be a very common complaint over there... next to weather...Watch the UK news!

It's rather sad some seem to have such negative views about things here.... they should live in a bubble, there are some at Central....

[evadgib]

You're thinking of Immigration Jimmy:)

[carmine]

Theres nothing wrong with being positive Jimmy. That is of course until you start coming out with blatant untruths such as :the roads aren't that bad.

People reading this thread should be able to read a sensible opinion, whether positive or negative. So next time you tell someone they are being negative why not take a moment to consider whether what they are saying is actually an honest fair appraisal, despite perhaps not being what you want to hear.

[Birdman]

Maybe some, who associate fewer tourists as a sign, that Samui has done something wrong and therefore has to suffer, want to imagine fewer tourists than in reality, because their stay on Samui is not as perfect as they wished for in the first place and are somehow now glued to this island, can get some twisted kind of subconsciously satisfaction by that.

[carmine]

Maybe some, who associate fewer tourists as a sign, that Samui has done something wrong and therefore has to suffer, want to imagine fewer tourists than in reality, because their stay on Samui is not as perfect as they wished for in the first place and are somehow now glued to this island, can get some twisted kind of subconsciously satisfaction by that.

The island became very busy on the 29th and will stay busy until around the 6th. Prior to the 29th numbers were clearly well short of expectations as confirmed by everybody i know in the tourism sector. End off. This purely represents the view of people using their eyes and eyes and is no personal reflection on the place. Ofcourse theres always a crowd of expats wearing their permanent rose tinted specs who only see what they want to see and only listen to an opinion and statement that they want to hear. I se it as it is. Its wasn't busy prior to the 29th. As the bus service companies, ask the tour operators, you could get in and out of the island no problem. Why? Because tourism is down.

Then again, lets just pretend its been a terrific christmas and while we're at it lets all agree the weather was great too.