Do Thai People Complain About Samui?

[Pilchard]

Do Thai people complain about Samui?

A question for anyone married to a Samui Thai or longtime Thai samui resident.

Do locals make official complaints, write to local news papers or call radio stations about Samui’s infrastructure problems or lack of maintenance by local government.

My personal pet hates about samui at the moment are lack of street lighting (they are there but not turned on, infuriating!)

Big build ups of red soil on roads washed down from construction sites and dirt roads that harden and are left that way for months.

Dust and sand in the Motor cycle lanes that make them dangerous to use.

All problems that are pretty easy to resolve but that would make life safer and more pleasant on the roads for everybody.

Now I’m sure someone will tell me that if I don’t like it leave, but me liking it or not is not what this post is about.

What I am interested in is, do the Thai’s complain?

It’s the locals that get covered in dust and cr*p every morning and evening on their way to and from work and taking their kids to school.

It’s the locals that get injured and die in motorcycle accidents caused by sand on the roads and in the cycle lanes, also at unlit road junctions.

Do the Thai’s just grin and bare it, or is the local town hall besieged with complaints from unsatisfied Thai residents?

Are the newspapers full of “Angry from Chaweng” type letters?

Would love to hear some Thai opinions

Thanx

PS

This post is the result of a recent trip to the mainland and Phuket. On returning to Samui you quickly realize how far this island is falling behind the rest of Thailand with regards to simple basic infrastructure.

[womble]

"This post is the result of a recent trip to the mainland and Phuket. On returning to Samui you quickly realize how far this island is falling behind the rest of Thailand with regards to simple basic infrastructure."

Compared to Phuket samui is an absolute joke!

If they are complaining no one is listening.

[limbos]

Thais may not like what they see but in general will 'swallow it' and keep trodding on. Their mindset is not such that they will complain with a higher up institution, they probably already know where that will end due to the corruption and the 'it's more important who you know to get things changed than what you know' attitude. Also karma, loss of face and kreng jai will play an important role.

Just my humble opinion.

[womble]

Just seen the Thai news, they are complaining big time about the bkk air fare rise.

They are not happy. And will not accept it.

It seems money is generally the only thing that motivates.

[sbk]

Well, my husband's Samui cousins and uncle complain, mainly about the overcrowding and high prices of goods. They don't make enough to fly, so could care less about the price of Bkk Air

Certainly the state of the roads annoys them but that has been par for the course for their entire lives on Samui, so they don't see it as a problem. Same with all the other infrastructre problems you mention.

[limbos]

Mu wife is also annoyed by the state of the roads and by the blatant corruption that's going on, funds is there but it either disappears or inferior material and work is delivered. On the other hand, that's how it's always has been and she kind of takes it for granted. Maybe my complaining and bitch'n stimulated her in complaining a bit more???

[sbk]

Mu wife is also annoyed by the state of the roads and by the blatant corruption that's going on, funds is there but it either disappears or inferior material and work is delivered. On the other hand, that's how it's always has been and she kind of takes it for granted. Maybe my complaining and bitch'n stimulated her in complaining a bit more???

Its worked that way on my husband. Now the other locals think he's a bit nuts for complaining about something that is "normal"

[Pilchard]

What you guys are saying seams to fit with what I see here.

The roads have been bad for so long that no one see's it as an issue worthy of making a fuss.

I know the Thais are very capable of protesting if they feel the need to.

The recent BK air price rises and the Lamai Tesco project seams to have cuased enough concern for people to make their objections and complaints heard.

A few years before that the Raja ferry price increase had people blockadeing the peir.

I know that civic pride still exists amongst Samui locals , I see daily old ladies fighting a never ending battle with the dust and rubish outside their homes and shops.

Also I notice as you get closer to Nathon, samui seams to get cleaner and less dusty/sandy, even though there are similar amounts of construction and heavy vehicle movements going on as on the east coast.

Or is this just my imagination ?

Do you think this is becuase more origonal Samui/pangan folks have their homes toward Nathon and the west coast , and the North and east coast is now full of Thais from other provinces that have come to find work .

Possibly with a bit of a "not my province, not my problem" type attitude

[womble]

"The recent BK air price rises and the Lamai Tesco project seams to have cuased enough concern for people to make their objections and complaints heard.

A few years before that the Raja ferry price increase had people blockadeing the peir."

As soon as someones rice bowl is being messed with they soon start making a noise. It does seem though that unless someone is loosing money there is little complaining ever done, moaning amongst each other maybe, but actual action normally means someone must be loosing out financially and significantly.

If only they realised what all these problems will do to the tourist industry. I expect when the numbers start falling they will find something to blame it on, the coup maybe or something else that takes the blame off themselves as usual.

[EXOCET5-2]

"The recent BK air price rises and the Lamai Tesco project seams to have cuased enough concern for people to make their objections and complaints heard.

A few years before that the Raja ferry price increase had people blockadeing the peir."

As soon as someones rice bowl is being messed with they soon start making a noise. It does seem though that unless someone is loosing money there is little complaining ever done, moaning amongst each other maybe, but actual action normally means someone must be loosing out financially and significantly.

If only they realised what all these problems will do to the tourist industry. I expect when the numbers start falling they will find something to blame it on, the coup maybe or something else that takes the blame off themselves as usual.

Actually, they blame the west for everthing from HIV to their floods from their own pollution, waterseedings etc... In one year they will see who is to blame lat

[Mark Wolfe]

There is a lack of (political and actual) will here to lift a finger to do anything constructive (unless it involves kickbacks or more money, as the useless new Family Mart in Lamai at the lady Thai boxing ring, which displaced stalls selling island-oriented trinkets.)

Sand build-up on the roads can be solved with a bit of elbow grease and/or machinery and a small amont of cash.

Unfortunate that there is not a newspaper that could investigate these problems and hold the officials responsible accountable. The Bangkok Post is a junior high school-level joke and the local "papers" are all ad copy, mostly.

Just accept the ramshackle Samui as "local color."

Edited November 10, 2006 by Mark Wolfe

[poorfarang]

They should take some of that 130 MILLION BAHT that they allocated for sewers on ring road and fix up some of the massive pot holes, broken street lights, etc.

But that will never happen. Most of that money is going to piss away into someones pocket.

[Lite Beer]

They should take some of that 130 MILLION BAHT that they allocated for sewers on ring road and fix up some of the massive pot holes, broken street lights, etc.

But that will never happen. Most of that money is going to piss away into someones pocket.

The drains on the ring road were needed badly but agree about the rest.

[limbos]

Unfortunately the drains are of inferior quality. Money is saved, where did it end up?

[poorfarang]

Yeah the drains are crap quality. I bet then spent 10% of the budget on the actual drains and the rest disapeard

[steverino]

My neighbor told me that they will asphalt the whole of the ring road next year, due to the high cost and never ending costs of repairing the cement road.

He was actually complaining to me about this saying there will be many more accidents as many of the locals are are unfamilliar with wet driving conditions on asphalt. My view is that it won't make any difference to any of the above factors as the water and sand are the eroding elements on the cement road,as well as the thousands of heavy trucks used for construction.

One possible helping factor would be the placement of pavements and grass verges to prevent the water bringing sand onto the road. I'm no engineer, but maybe that'll help in places like Bangrak and Bophut to Chaweng sections of road.

[womble]

Yeah the drains are crap quality. I bet then spent 10% of the budget on the actual drains and the rest disapeard

As much as 10%, are you sure?

Have you seen the new traffic lights as well, they look real cheap, also they have countdowns now that seem to work some of the time. I wonder who owns the taffic light factory? Or the supply company, never seen this type of light anywhere in Thailand before.

Why don't they fix some of the holes in the roads before they start getting flash and give more excuses for people to race around the island with racing style countdowns.

[highdiver]

Mu wife is also annoyed by the state of the roads and by the blatant corruption that's going on, funds is there but it either disappears or inferior material and work is delivered. On the other hand, that's how it's always has been and she kind of takes it for granted. Maybe my complaining and bitch'n stimulated her in complaining a bit more???

Its worked that way on my husband. Now the other locals think he's a bit nuts for complaining about something that is "normal"

I belive that if all of us who are married to locals will teach our own to complain then this will slowly filter out that compalining is not as one post remarked "bitch'n".

Thai in general dont like to complain. as the situation is "normal" it is accpted usually from high ranking officials and very rich people who use the complaints for political power.

It is up to us to teach the Thai's that the govermant and politicians are there to serve us and not the other way around.

[Samuian]

It is up to us to teach the Thai's that the govermant and politicians are there to serve us and not the other way around.

You've got a very sore point there somewhere, but i guess it will take a hundred years.

It's the "get rich quickly" scheme that destroys most of any of good will actions.

Sea sand is used, very thin steel, not enough cement in the ready-mix.

Ah...well and then YES complaining, any criticism is a well guarded taboo!

It's easier to make a camel jump through a needles ear then....and then - why bother?

Drive carefully, do what you can and maybe one day we all wake up in the world we ever wished to live in - Alice in Wonderland - anybody?

In one of the Papers published in Samui, many promises are made, many good ideas are published... but only there, where is a will is a way!

The next "problem" is the allocation of funds, Samui and Ko Pan Ghan accumulate a big bag of taxes, which go into the treasury of Chaengwat Surat, then being redistributed per Capita, many, many residents on Samui won't register here because the are from Nakhon Nowhere, poses another Problem.

No building controls, a stop for ever increasing hotel rooms, , residential buildings, no zoning, no nothing.... will kill the golden goose, eventually.

Those who criticise openly, call for protests and complain are generally considered "troublemakers" and 'outlawed'.

Thailand has still to go a long way..

P.S.

regarding the traffic lights:

these traffic lights are the latest technology around, low maintenance cost, energy saving, top visibilty, LED stuff (A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device) one right step!

regarding the "Superiority" of Puket Roads:

Got to be joking! Did you mean the Roller Coaster from Puket Town into Patong, where on a daily base accidents occur?

Not to forget, tourism industry on Puket has taken place at least ten, if not twenty years earlier than on Samui!

However can't see how this either anwers the question nor solves the problem.

Edited November 12, 2006 by Samuian

[Pilchard]

regarding the "Superiority" of Puket Roads:

Got to be joking! Did you mean the Roller Coaster from Puket Town into Patong, where on a daily base accidents occur?

Are you from holland ?

The phuket town to Pantong tunnel might have been a possibility if Mr Taxin was still with us

[womble]

regarding the "Superiority" of Puket Roads:

Got to be joking!

You will never convince me that samui's roads are better than phukets!

There are areas in phuket that could have better roads and as in all of Thailand there are lots of accidents (samui has the most).

It is plain to see though that Phukets roads are far superior to Samui's in every single aspect.

[Malice in Wonderland]

Want to get things fixed in a hurry??? Why don't some of the clever T.V. readers post photos of the worst areas on this site and then forward the link to major travel operators,travel writers and newspapers??

If somebody shot some footage of the way kids "wheelie" down Lamai high st. every night and put it on youtube maybe it might embarass the powers that be to do something...

It's no wonder tourism in Vietnam will double by 2010 and Thailand recently came top of a holiday insurance claims survey (vehicle accidents,crime and food poisoning!)

Samui is in the unfortunate position of trying to meet the expectations created by the ruthless promotion of the island by the Tourist Authority of Thailand when the reality is not the "high-end" product they are promising... This approach only leads to disappointment for the customer who returns home and tells everyone how crap everything ACTUALLY is...

Customers asked me virtually every day - " Where does the 15 billion baht tourists spend per year actually go ??" as yet I have been unable to furnish them with an answer (except maybe "plenty of new empty roads for Suratthani Province....")

[womble]

I ask myself this question all the time, why is nothing ever spent on the island?

The lake is a prime example, it's been left nearly finished, but they just couldn't be arsed to put the last few bricks in place.

It looks crap aswell, it could have looked so good.

Samui is a small island, it wouldn't take much to spruce it up a bit.

If Thailand really want high end tourists they need to do some more cosmetic work and not just 'pak chee aroy nah'.