Samui dead!

[motocrosser]

Anyone else felt that this year has been the worst in 10 years for any sort of business?I myself will be out of business very soon if nothing happens!people just don't seem to be coming and if they are its Chinese and they stay in higher end resorts and don't spend much money in restaurants etc.Anyone else feeling it:(

[flyingdoc]

Samui was alive last time I was there - just !

[mihalis]

Isn't it low season Samui now ? Rain too..

[robertson468]

Our occupation rate is 90%+ so we are very busy. I must admit that when Russia had the double whammy of oil dropping through the floor and embargoes on trade, it shook me out of our complacency of three and four tourist walking in every day looking to rent accommodation, to three or four walking in each month. I re-directed our marketing effort to Europe and have to say, we are bouncing with bookings again. Are you in the right business? Are you able to offer the public something special? Are you being innovative? Is your product in high demand? Are you in the right location? Are you surrounded by businesses that are the same (and possibly better) than yours? Is your business seasonal? Is your marketing dragging in the punters? There are many questions you need to ask yourself and those are but a few, but my best advice, don't just sit around going broke. Either revamp yourself, or get out of the business before it falls down around your ears. Very sorry to hear you are going through a difficult time and good luck.

[Tidybeard]

Our occupation rate is 90%+ so we are very busy. I must admit that when Russia had the double whammy of oil dropping through the floor and embargoes on trade, it shook me out of our complacency of three and four tourist walking in every day looking to rent accommodation, to three or four walking in each month. I re-directed our marketing effort to Europe and have to say, we are bouncing with bookings again. Are you in the right business? Are you able to offer the public something special? Are you being innovative? Is your product in high demand? Are you in the right location? Are you surrounded by businesses that are the same (and possibly better) than yours? Is your business seasonal? Is your marketing dragging in the punters? There are many questions you need to ask yourself and those are but a few, but my best advice, don't just sit around going broke. Either revamp yourself, or get out of the business before it falls down around your ears. Very sorry to hear you are going through a difficult time and good luck.

Great post and advice .... so many small businesses set up and just expect punters to walk through the door. With the internet, tripadvisor et all, you need to work hard to make money these days !!

[Shiver]

Within Thailand I've only seen Udon and Phuket in the last 6 months, so can't speak for Samui. Udon is dead. Phuket is quiet but seems a little more lively than when I was there 2 months earlier than that (smog still an issue last week if it didn't rain), but then again it's a tourist area so has the seasonal trade that may build up soon. It seemed to me that most tourists there were Korean or Singaporean, with the odd Chinese couple that were prepared to leave their all inclusive resorts, and a few Russians of course, though much less now.

Something Robertson468 said really resonates with me in where copy businesses are nearby. I guess you need a niche that can't easily be copied. I say this as a customer rather than business operator (especially since I don't know what business you're in).

Good luck in whatever you decide to proceed with.

[GAZZPA]

Our occupation rate is 90%+ so we are very busy. I must admit that when Russia had the double whammy of oil dropping through the floor and embargoes on trade, it shook me out of our complacency of three and four tourist walking in every day looking to rent accommodation, to three or four walking in each month. I re-directed our marketing effort to Europe and have to say, we are bouncing with bookings again. Are you in the right business? Are you able to offer the public something special? Are you being innovative? Is your product in high demand? Are you in the right location? Are you surrounded by businesses that are the same (and possibly better) than yours? Is your business seasonal? Is your marketing dragging in the punters? There are many questions you need to ask yourself and those are but a few, but my best advice, don't just sit around going broke. Either revamp yourself, or get out of the business before it falls down around your ears. Very sorry to hear you are going through a difficult time and good luck.

This is very sensible advice for sure. There are far too many businesses who do nothing and sit and wait, in difficult times it just isn't enough and these are very difficult times for sure.

Good luck to the poster,,

[samuijimmy]

The resort next to me has been busier these last few weeks than all summer.... mix bag from UK and parts of Europe and Russia mostly....

Problem with most of the Chinese tourists is they have everything "catered" and lined up.... they don't stay at "off the beaten track resorts"... (most of them anyway!)

Tour boat companies have been going strong on the Chinese market...It's hard to book a tour to Koh Toa or Marine Park ... although with the weather change, that will have dropped off.

[jasonsamui55]

With the exception of about 3-4 weeks around Christmas last year, I've seen it mostly dead everywhere. All the malls, stores, restaurants seem to be at about 20-30% capacity, and anybody in real estate is having a near impossible time renting or selling houses for anything near what they've done to expect in years past. It looks pretty desolate out there.

[samuibeachcomber]

Samui maybe quiet but the roads sure are n't...................more people coming to live here perhaps,would explain the continual villa building.

[PhillyBoy]

Hello......do you think the fact that every currency has weakened, except the dollar and the baht to any significant level has anything to do with it? When the pound exchange rate was in the hugh 60s and the dollar near 40 it was easy to get people to travel. Thailand should be weakening the baht.

[motocrosser]

Thanks for the comments,I've been in business for 10years here and have seen the last 2 years drop off a hell of a lot,I'm not doing anything different from before but just not getting the customers as much,don't really want to leave Samui,but maybe Phuket would have more people!Also as someone said the short term rental business has gone down by about 50% which I can confirm!I can only put it down to bombs in Samui and Bkk and koh Toa murders and government!

[motocrosser]

With the exception of about 3-4 weeks around Christmas last year, I've seen it mostly dead everywhere. All the malls, stores, restaurants seem to be at about 20-30% capacity, and anybody in real estate is having a near impossible time renting or selling houses for anything near what they've done to expect in years past. It looks pretty desolate out there.

Yea this is what I'm being told too:(

[kiwikeith]

I have seen Samui dead but low season a few years ago, now many places are down on customers maybe it will pick up in high season.

Chiang Mai is alive with Chinese tourists at present, they are mean as sheet and only stay and shop in places they are guided to by the corrupt chinese mafia tour operators.

I used to live in Chiang Mai a few years back but now Hua Hin, I went to visit friends a few weeks ago and the Chinese just flooded the Sunday market and walked over the top of everyone in front of them.

Most of the bars around Loi Krow and Moon Muang were empty, some shut but further into town where the big hotels were was alive with Chinese.

I was sitting in the front of a songtel and a Chinese man came up and poked a paper at the driver and said you know where I go, the driver said 30bht, the man said for all of us, the driver said no for one.

I had a laugh with the driver I said Jek Keenyow.

[sandyf]

Went down there for a week a fortnight ago. It was very quiet, car rental company said we were the only customer that week. Not surprising with prices about 30 percent higher than the majority of Thailand, it is just a rip off. First and last time.

[Rimmer]

An inappropriate troll post has been removed

[samsensam]

banglampu is very quiet; restaurants with hardly any customers, massage places empty, streets quiet, etc. the quietest october my thai friends with businesses can remember - and some rents have just gone up.

[ttthailand]

Samui I am not sure about but one tourist area that to me looks different now is Pattaya. Went there for a night away from Bkk. Soi LK had local farang hanging around the bars but don't think many were tourist. Walking Street was packed with Chinese, I mean Packed ! Not going in any clubs or spending money as far as I could see but just walking in groups. Everywhere else except for a few bars on beach road near Soi 8 were dead. I think if not for the local farangs most bars other than walking street would be closing there doors.

[canarysun]

With flight prices from as low as 310 GBP return from London to Bangkok ( and have been for a while ) it shows that they can't fill the planes.....

But always the same when times are good they must cover the bad times to....

F.J

[mcfish]

Samui I am not sure about but one tourist area that to me looks different now is Pattaya. Went there for a night away from Bkk. Soi LK had local farang hanging around the bars but don't think many were tourist. Walking Street was packed with Chinese, I mean Packed ! Not going in any clubs or spending money as far as I could see but just walking in groups. Everywhere else except for a few bars on beach road near Soi 8 were dead. I think if not for the local farangs most bars other than walking street would be closing there doors.

+1 my observations exactly

I have seen Samui dead but low season a few years ago, now many places are down on customers maybe it will pick up in high season.

Chiang Mai is alive with Chinese tourists at present, they are mean as sheet and only stay and shop in places they are guided to by the corrupt chinese mafia tour operators.

I used to live in Chiang Mai a few years back but now Hua Hin, I went to visit friends a few weeks ago and the Chinese just flooded the Sunday market and walked over the top of everyone in front of them.

Most of the bars around Loi Krow and Moon Muang were empty, some shut but further into town where the big hotels were was alive with Chinese.

I was sitting in the front of a songtel and a Chinese man came up and poked a paper at the driver and said you know where I go, the driver said 30bht, the man said for all of us, the driver said no for one.

I had a laugh with the driver I said Jek Keenyow.

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[redogi]

yes it is very quiet here in Pattaya, my girls had a bar here now for 9 years and honestly I can say , this is the least amount of people ive seen on the streets. My girl's bar has been kept going threw reputation and a good steady pack of expats, who enjoy a drink and a good chin wag. A lot of bars are now struggling the quality of the girls , there reluctance to put down there phones , if they do it is only to demand a lady drink. Their are still a lot to be offered by Thailand but they have to up there game , control there greed. Their are cheaper destinations who are chipping away at Thailand, but not as much as Thai greed destroying Thailand.

[mpyre]

What destinations do you think are doing the most damage?

yes it is very quiet here in Pattaya, my girls had a bar here now for 9 years and honestly I can say , this is the least amount of people ive seen on the streets. My girl's bar has been kept going threw reputation and a good steady pack of expats, who enjoy a drink and a good chin wag. A lot of bars are now struggling the quality of the girls , there reluctance to put down there phones , if they do it is only to demand a lady drink. Their are still a lot to be offered by Thailand but they have to up there game , control there greed. Their are cheaper destinations who are chipping away at Thailand, but not as much as Thai greed destroying Thailand.

[motocrosser]

Looks like I'm not alone then,many people feeling it too!

[PattayaPhom]

When the main attractions of beauty combined with cheap living/entertainment costs become a mass of concrete and congestion at similar if not higher prices than more beautiful/friendly places...is it any wonder Samui...Phuket...Pattaya etc etc etc are quite

[Lung Mike]

I often travel in Thailand and I always talk to the locals. It is obvious that practically everywhere, in many different kind of businesses, revenues are way down. My business-owner friends complain about the same dire situation in Pattaya, Phuket and Bangkok. Koh Samui, where I live for over 16 years, is definitely quieter than before. The general consensus is at least -30% compared to last year and that was already a slow year because of all the political unrest etc. The current military rule has so far only worsened these problems, which was entirely predictable from analyzing Thai history. It is correct that there will always be some businesses that flourish, no matter what, but in general you have to be blind not to see that Thailand is slowly sliding down a very slippery slope. On top of that people keep opening more and more businesses doing exactly the same as their neighbors, which naturally aggravates the problem.

[PoorSucker]

Thanks for the comments,I've been in business for 10years here and have seen the last 2 years drop off a hell of a lot,I'm not doing anything different from before but just not getting the customers as much

Also been in business for 10 years, last two years has been the best because I did do something different.

[motocrosser]

Thanks for the comments,I've been in business for 10years here and have seen the last 2 years drop off a hell of a lot,I'm not doing anything different from before but just not getting the customers as much

Also been in business for 10 years, last two years has been the best because I did do something different.

I am doing something different that no one else in Samui does and 6 years have been good but as I said the last 2 not!you seem to be one of the very lucky ones:)

[chrisdodd]

It's so simple that I'm not sure why the Military/Government hasn't acted on it....DEVALUE the Thai Baht..... Until Farang are allowed to get good value for their money, they will go elsewhere, and this is what they a have done...Duh

[lilyblue]

Samui is quieter than previous low seasons and the last high season was quieter than previously.

A reflection of changes in exchange rates, increase in popularity of Vietnam and Cambodia for inexpensive travel and growth in budget airlines flying to other destinations.

One thing I've noted is unless you have a diverse client base and market to them you will lose.

Lama I beach road has some bars and restaurants full and the rest empty.

Clearly the busy Ines have the right product and atmosphere for customers. Its not always price.

I know a lot of the atmosphere comes from being busy but it must be said a better displayed menu , more inviting ambiance and smiling relaxed staff is a better look.

If its car or bike rental it seems every house shop and hotel even in back road housing areas is willing to rent bikes for 100 baht a day up to 200 depending on type and location ie bophut still really dear.

There is less visitors here but I would suggest mainly a change in type of visitor - more Chinese honeymooners and groups of couples on package tours (the new emerging middle class) who aren't looking to chill out in samui, they are looking to take a package holiday they got sold back home to any destination really) and a drop in Russians for sure but more Italians. Less Brits but still french and German. Less high end more budget savvy.

Less backpackers more choosing full moon party and heading away immediately.

The reputation of samui across Thailand is that its super expensive compared to other areas and this is a deterrent for them.

My work takes me around island businesses and to phuket and bangkok so this is all just my observations and from conversations with travellers.

It is low season but you need to bring the customer to not wait for foot traffic.

[sandyf]

Samui is quieter than previous low seasons and the last high season was quieter than previously.

A reflection of changes in exchange rates, increase in popularity of Vietnam and Cambodia for inexpensive travel and growth in budget airlines flying to other destinations.

One thing I've noted is unless you have a diverse client base and market to them you will lose.

Lama I beach road has some bars and restaurants full and the rest empty.

Clearly the busy Ines have the right product and atmosphere for customers. Its not always price.

I know a lot of the atmosphere comes from being busy but it must be said a better displayed menu , more inviting ambiance and smiling relaxed staff is a better look.

If its car or bike rental it seems every house shop and hotel even in back road housing areas is willing to rent bikes for 100 baht a day up to 200 depending on type and location ie bophut still really dear.

There is less visitors here but I would suggest mainly a change in type of visitor - more Chinese honeymooners and groups of couples on package tours (the new emerging middle class) who aren't looking to chill out in samui, they are looking to take a package holiday they got sold back home to any destination really) and a drop in Russians for sure but more Italians. Less Brits but still french and German. Less high end more budget savvy.

Less backpackers more choosing full moon party and heading away immediately.

The reputation of samui across Thailand is that its super expensive compared to other areas and this is a deterrent for them.

My work takes me around island businesses and to phuket and bangkok so this is all just my observations and from conversations with travellers.

It is low season but you need to bring the customer to not wait for foot traffic.

Nobody seems interested in the local market, concept is foreign tourists equals big profits.

I live near Bang Saen, they do not have a low season, every holiday weekend it is standing room only on the beach.

End of next month is the motor racing, it will be mobbed for a week. Teams come in from all over the world.