Koh Samui

[1976]

Just done with Xmas pattaya trip, 5 nights. Stayed in LK Royal suites. Not a bad hotel, room wasn't clean though and only Thai food is available for room service, not my favorite to be honest. Though, you could find some pretty good restaurants around.

 

Over all, pattaya seems to be more of a drink and bang place. Well, what else could it be really?

 

Beer bars were a bit of a disappointment, as girls are very much into themselves and their phones, not much English spoken either. Discos are ok, plenty of freelances, got to have some luck to catch a better fish though.

 

I would probably choose Samui over pattaya on a good year. Better package over all.

[mcfish]

Do the police have checkpoints for motor bikes like in Pattaya?

 

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[1976]

Have not seen any checkpoints or police around at all, you might wanna ask old timers on this board for more details. Pattaya has narrow streets with very little space to walk on. You pretty much can get around with a motorbike taxi after few drinks.

[mlay]

Going tomorow to Samuï with my GF..my first time there.

We will stay in Chaweng.

Any possibility to get a quick ST or BBBJ ...like in Pattaya ?

Thx

[1976]

Going tomorow to Samuï with my GF..my first time there.

We will stay in Chaweng.

Any possibility to get a quick ST or BBBJ ...like in Pattaya ?

Thx

There are massages parlors on Lamai beach you could check out. Located on the crossroad where one way starts. They mostly do all services. 1200 bt, massage included. I am very sure there are some MP on chaweng as well. Have not seen any BB doing that.

Have fun.

[mlay]

There are massages parlors on Lamai beach you could check out. Located on the crossroad where one way starts. They mostly do all services. 1200 bt, massage included. I am very sure there are some MP on chaweng as well. Have not seen any BB doing that.

Have fun.

 

Thx !

[Burgos123]

Anyone know about how the taxi situation is currently?

I am using AirAsia to get to Samui so I will be arriving at Lipa Noi Pier going to Lamai Beach. Do I need to book transport in advance or get a cab when I arrive. I have heard that it is not easy to get a fair price from the taxi drivers but the price I get when booking in advance is 700 Baht. Seems very expensive to me for a 15 minute drive. Thx!

[Doober22]

Air asia to lipa noi pier????

 

Your getting a boat or a plane??

[Doober22]

Or you fly into Surat thani airport and get a ferry over to samui. Ferries usually get into Pier at Nathon. You might get a taxi over to lamai for 400 - 500 if walk up the town centre a little. Lipa noi no idea as never used it. Ferry always Nathon or Maenam beach when I used before.

[Burgos123]

Air Asia fly from Bangkok to Surat Thani and then by bus and ferry to Lipa Noi Pier. My hotel tells me that there a plenty of taxis there and it should cost around 500 so that's ok. 

[Doober22]

Ok. Never tried the Surat Thani route. Always fly into Samui airport from either Bkk or Utapao if I'm in patts. might look at Surat thani next time if good deal on price. Taxi to lamai from samui airport is 800 baht which is total rip off! They have the mini buses that stop off at peoples hotels for 180baht and not that painful of an experience!!

Know Chaweng farly well but lipa noi which i often hear about don't know where it is and have probably driven through it on the bike dozens of times will figure it out when back in samui!

[Sloracer]

How much has Koh Samui changed in the last 8 years?? For better or worse?

 

I was there About 8 years ago. Had a good time, nice beaches, plenty of bars and massage places with nice girls. I stayed at Chaeweng and Lamai.

 

I'm planing another trip to Thailand this year and wouldn't mind a visit to Koh Samui providing it hasn't gone downhill or been massively over developed. Will I be disappointed ??

[Fire Bar Matt]

How much has Koh Samui changed in the last 8 years?? For better or worse?

I was there About 8 years ago. Had a good time, nice beaches, plenty of bars and massage places with nice girls. I stayed at Chaeweng and Lamai.

I'm planing another trip to Thailand this year and wouldn't mind a visit to Koh Samui providing it hasn't gone downhill or been massively over developed. Will I be disappointed ??

It's constant,y changing, and depending on what you're looking for maybe for the better or the worse. Within the last few years there's been a lot of development, especially in Chaweng. There's now a Central Festival shopping mall on the beach road and many new hotels.

 

Soi Green Mango and Soi Reggae are still the places to go to for mongering, I don't think there's been much change to the beer bars along Soi Reggae.

 

The northern part of the island has had development as well, but not too the extent of Chaweng.

 

I'm heading there in May for my tenth trip and I'm very much looking forward to being back on the island.

[Fire Bar Matt]

Air Asia fly from Bangkok to Surat Thani and then by bus and ferry to Lipa Noi Pier. My hotel tells me that there a plenty of taxis there and it should cost around 500 so that's ok.

 

I think the biggest issue on Samui is the taxi 'mafia' that operates there and their complete utter refusal to use meters. 500 baht is probably going to be the cheapest price you'll get from a taxi at Lipa Noi and depending on where your hotel is it could easily be as high as 800 baht.

[Sloracer]

Thanks for the comments BKKMCB, enjoy your trip in May, I'll look forward to the report.

 

Sounds like the Samui taxi mafia has been taking lessons from the Manilla taxi scumbags. I thought Thailand would have been a bit more mature with their tourism and worked a way to manage the rogue taxi drivers.

[Chris1966]

Bangkok Airways mafia is an issue as well

Round trip from BKK ... 10 000 THB ...

[Sloracer]

I was thinking about a trip to Samui around Xmas this year, the only time I can get away.

 

I find conflicting information about the weather. Will it be rainy that time of the year? What about the beaches is the water flat or churned up.

 

If it's not the right time where would be a good alternative for nice beaches, girls and massage?

[look4fun]

How about the weather in September?

[Fire Bar Matt]

The weather in September should be fine, the monsoon doesn't usually kick in until October, I've done a few trips late September / early October and have had nice weather.

 

December/ January can get pretty wet but I've probably done half a dozen trips at that time of year and always had plenty of sunshine.

 

November / early December is usually the wettest time of the year for the gulf islands.

[Dwayne111]

I think the biggest issue on Samui is the taxi 'mafia' that operates there and their complete utter refusal to use meters. 500 baht is probably going to be the cheapest price you'll get from a taxi at Lipa Noi and depending on where your hotel is it could easily be as high as 800 baht.

 

I was there recently and we got charged 700 baht to go from Lamai to Chewang. When my friend questioned it he took he photo and got in his taxi without us paying. It was the whole groups first time except for me, so i should have known better and negotiated a price first. An Irish guy that manages a restaurant there told me if the meter was on it would be dirt cheap for us. We are getting taken for a ride in more ways than one. 

[bobcat74]

Or you fly into Surat thani airport and get a ferry over to samui. Ferries usually get into Pier at Nathon. You might get a taxi over to lamai for 400 - 500 if walk up the town centre a little. Lipa noi no idea as never used it. Ferry always Nathon or Maenam beach when I used before.

 

Last year one trip I got the ferry to Nathon as I knew where my hotel was in Lamai I walked to the end of Nathon pier and got into the songthaw marked Lamai and got dropped off in lamai's main street. Cost B70 which seemed ridiculously cheap for Samui - but hey i wasnt complaining!!

 

It might have helped that there was a monk sat opposite me and the driver didn't want to be seen ripping off a farang in front of him? who knows!

[Funflyer]

It's constant,y changing, and depending on what you're looking for maybe for the better or the worse. Within the last few years there's been a lot of development, especially in Chaweng. There's now a Central Festival shopping mall on the beach road and many new hotels.

 

Soi Green Mango and Soi Reggae are still the places to go to for mongering, I don't think there's been much change to the beer bars along Soi Reggae.

 

The northern part of the island has had development as well, but not too the extent of Chaweng.

 

I'm heading there in May for my tenth trip and I'm very much looking forward to being back on the island.

 

I haven't been to Samui in years and never to Soi Green Mango or Soi Reggie. Are the bars there beer bars, or gogo. Is it okay for slightly senior clients or better to stick Pattaya. I love Pattaya but want to try somewhere different for a change. And the weather, is it okay in January?

[Fire Bar Matt]

I haven't been to Samui in years and never to Soi Green Mango or Soi Reggie. Are the bars there beer bars, or gogo. Is it okay for slightly senior clients or better to stick Pattaya. I love Pattaya but want to try somewhere different for a change. And the weather, is it okay in January?

Soi Green Mango has a mix of bar types, mostly though bars closer to beer bars as well as night clubs. There was 1 Gogo but I think it's closed now.

The bars that line Soi Reggae are beer bars, but I noticed a lot more LB's in them when I was there in May.

 

No issue for slightly seniors but there's nowhere near the amount of bars and girls you'll find in Patts. Kind of think of it as Soi GM as a Samui version of Soi 7 and Soi Reggae as Soi 8, that's about it for Chaweng, 2 Sois.

 

There's also Lamai, which has a concentration of beer bars around the Muay Thai ring.

 

There's massage places on the road that links the lake and beach roads in Chaweng, as well as some small bars.

 

January can be hit and miss, technically it's still monsoon season so there can be some pretty decent rains. It's also high season so hotels are rather expensive. I've done half a dozen trips over Christmas, NYE, January and had some beautiful sunny days mixed with the odd rainy night. Seas can be pretty rough at that time of year as well.

 

I'd go back but It would be with a girl, not purely for mongering, Patts just offers way too much in comparison.

[Man7]

If you on BangRak beach MM bar is a good time and has great girls. 

[Sloracer]

I'm just researching the best route from Samui to Patts. I'm assuming that a flight from Samui to utapao is the best option?  Then Is there a shuttle from utapao to Pattaya?