News Forum - Koh Samui anticipates 34 billion baht mainland bridge by 2028

[Thaiger]

Plans to establish a land link to the island of Koh Samui have been in the works for years but now the Express Authority of Thailand (EXAT) held their first public orientation hearing about the Samui Bridge. The blueprint for this project showcases a 20-kilometre bridge, slated for construction in 2028, to connect Koh Samui … …

The story Koh Samui anticipates 34 billion baht mainland bridge by 2028 as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Ramanathan.P]

Good bye to the Island beauty Koh Samui. Once the bridge is built, the traffic will become standstill starting form the main land to the island and people can have a nice 20km walk along the bridge to the Island. 

[Guest1]

Flights will become cheaper,methinks

;-)

[cowslip]

one of Thailand's biggest mistakes since backing the wrong side in WW2

 

[Marc26]

50 minutes ago, Ramanathan.P said:

Good bye to the Island beauty Koh Samui. Once the bridge is built, the traffic will become standstill starting form the main land to the island and people can have a nice 20km walk along the bridge to the Island. 

I've never found Samui to be all that much of a beautiful island, to be honest 

 

Way too built up and so much blocking the beach and traffic on the ring road is always bad already 

[cowslip]

1 hour ago, Marc26 said:

've never found Samui to be all that much of a beautiful island, to be honest 

Way too built up and so much blocking the beach and traffic on the ring road is always bad already 

so, what about the bridge?

[cowslip]

1 hour ago, Guest1 said:

Flights will become cheaper,methinks

;-)

apparently the Bkk Samui route is the only profitable route that Bangkok airs have - largely because they own the airport. THe government even insisted they offer discount flights - which they do occasionally do.... so if the bridge is built it will probably mean the end for Bangkok Airways - unless of course they own the bridge!

[palooka]

1 hour ago, cowslip said:

backing the wrong side in WW2

Personally think they just did the Thai thing and took the easy way out. Capitulated.

[Grumpish]

1 hour ago, Marc26 said:

I've never found Samui to be all that much of a beautiful island, to be honest 

Way too built up and so much blocking the beach and traffic on the ring road is always bad already 

Like much of Phuket, a victim of it's own success

[palooka]

1 minute ago, Grumpish said:

Like much of Phuket, a victim of it's own success

Another area for serious expats to avoid, unless of course you have masochistic tendencies. 

Honestly expats that reside in these shit holes in Thailand are only kidding themselves that they "live in Thailand".

You live in a westernised bastardisation version of Thailand that replicates the shit hole you left to come live here because it is cheap.

Thankfully you'll stay there (and whinge) and not encroach on my REAL life of living in Thailand with real Thais. 

[cowslip]

54 minutes ago, palooka said:

Personally think they just did the Thai thing and took the easy way out. Capitulated.

how do you capitulate a bridge? I suppose it goes over to the other side?

 

Edited August 9, 2023 by cowslip

[Marc26]

6 minutes ago, palooka said:

Another area for serious expats to avoid, unless of course you have masochistic tendencies. 

Honestly expats that reside in these shit holes in Thailand are only kidding themselves that they "live in Thailand".

You live in a westernised bastardisation version of Thailand that replicates the shit hole you left to come live here because it is cheap.

Thankfully you'll stay there (and whinge) and not encroach on my REAL life of living in Thailand with real Thais. 

I don't think that is necessarily true and in actuality, if you live in say Phuket(I have) and Samui(I have been a lot) you actually may end up interacting and knowing more Thais(yes, they are real) than you would say, living in the village, where most times you only know your family and their close friends

 

 

We spend decent time in Kamala, Phuket and my wife's village

I will say, by a wide margin, I am interacting and getting to know more Thais when in Kamala than in my wife's village

In the village, we keep mostly to family and very close friends

 

When in Kamala, we are out and about meeting Thais that work in the restaurants that we frequent, meeting other Thai partners of expats, etc..........

[HolyCowCm]

2 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I've never found Samui to be all that much of a beautiful island, to be honest 

Way too built up and so much blocking the beach and traffic on the ring road is always bad already 

Haven’t been there in 30 years as gave it a pass for other places. Planned on it for next years holiday, but only for a few days and then off to somewhere else. 

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, Grumpish said:

Like much of Phuket, a victim of it's own success

Patong used to be splendid in its old time before. Now it is a complete mess. 

[HolyCowCm]

36 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

I don't think that is necessarily true and in actuality, if you live in say Phuket(I have) and Samui(I have been a lot) you actually may end up interacting and knowing more Thais(yes, they are real) than you would say, living in the village, where most times you only know your family and their close friends

We spend decent time in Kamala, Phuket and my wife's village

I will say, by a wide margin, I am interacting and getting to know more Thais when in Kamala than in my wife's village

In the village, we keep mostly to family and very close friends

When in Kamala, we are out and about meeting Thais that work in the restaurants that we frequent, meeting other Thai partners of expats, etc..........

For me I talk to every Thai no matter what. But I do know what you mean about villages. You have to keep to yourself to a point, except when going out to the city or market then can open up more. Fir me and where I live in CM, nope, dint want to know my neighbors and don’t t care about knowing them. Too close to home. 

[Marc26]

6 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Haven’t been there in 30 years as gave it a pass for other places. Planned on it for next years holiday, but only for a few days and then off to somewhere else. 

I still enjoy Samui, I just don't think of it as an island paradise

 

Similar to what I said about Phuket............it's great when you are where you want to be

 

We stayed in Bang Rak near Fisherman's Village last time in this villa

I could easily spend a month or two there

Quiet area with a bunch of small restaurants/bars and some beach clubs

 

 

https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/10481550?adults=2&location=Koh Samui%2C Ko Samui District%2C Surat Thani%2C Thailand&check_in=2023-10-18&check_out=2023-10-21&source_impression_id=p3_1691589673_TpqroQXPlUlwfSzW&previous_page_section_name=1001&federated_search_id=f2b19010-9aeb-4702-b47c-e34004c348f6

[HolyCowCm]

31 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

I still enjoy Samui, I just don't think of it as an island paradise

Similar to what I said about Phuket............it's great when you are where you want to be

We stayed in Bang Rak near Fisherman's Village last time in this villa

I could easily spend a month or two there

Quiet area with a bunch of small restaurants/bars and some beach clubs

https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/10481550?adults=2&location=Koh Samui%2C Ko Samui District%2C Surat Thani%2C Thailand&check_in=2023-10-18&check_out=2023-10-21&source_impression_id=p3_1691589673_TpqroQXPlUlwfSzW&previous_page_section_name=1001&federated_search_id=f2b19010-9aeb-4702-b47c-e34004c348f6

Before going I might google drive it to find my niche. Me and the kids want nice water and swimming and nothing with any entertainment so to speak. Just a good place or two to eat and a nice place to stay. 

[Marc26]

18 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Before going I might google drive it to find my niche. Me and the kids want nice water and swimming and nothing with any entertainment so to speak. Just a good place or two to eat and a nice place to stay. 

My wife and I have been regulars at this hotel for some time

 

The beach isn't great to swim but you have it pretty much to yourself plus an awesome pool and great rooms

 

The hotel itself is amazing

It comes with the most amazing breakfast cooked to order that you choose, plus massages every day

The area is quiet with a lot of local shops and a couple of western restaurants

 

http://www.nalinnadda.com/

[TheDirtyDurian]

Bridge is a great idea but I've got my doubts it will happen anytime soon. I hope to be proved wrong. 

Samui is already very busy but it will be nice to be able to drive there without relying on the ferry. 

Prefer kpg personally but don't mind a couple of nights in samui here and there. 

It may encourage more Thais from surrounding provinces to visit, otherwise put off by the cost of the ferry. 

[cowslip]

1 minute ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Bridge is a great idea but I've got my doubts it will happen anytime soon. I hope to be proved wrong. 

Samui is already very busy but it will be nice to be able to drive there without relying on the ferry. 

Prefer kpg personally but don't mind a couple of nights in samui here and there. 

It may encourage more Thais from surrounding provinces to visit, otherwise put off by the cost of the ferry. 

You think the bridge tolls will be cheaper than the ferry?

How will it benefit Samui and the other islands?

How will you get to KPN? Will there still be a ferry from Don Sak or will they run from Samui?

[TheDirtyDurian]

12 minutes ago, cowslip said:

You think the bridge tolls will be cheaper than the ferry?

How will it benefit Samui and the other islands?

How will you get to KPN? Will there still be a ferry from Don Sak or will they run from Samui?

Lot of questions there! Good to see I got you thinking...

Complete whataboutery coz as I said I can't see it happening anytime soon, BUT:

1) My memory might be wrong but last time I did the ferry to Samui it was something over a 1000 for the carload of us. I can't see how the toll will be more than a few hundred baht per vehicle if that. The ferry to Samui will be dead overnight so all that traffic and more will be on the bridge. But maybe I'm wrong. I don't know and neither do you. 

2) Samui will benefit as it will get more business. KPG will benefit as folks who might not otherwise have gone may go that bit further. I can't see it making much difference to Tao as the car ferry to there operates from Chumpon way and very few tourists would take their car there anyway. It's more of a locals car ferry operation for Tao. Yes, business vs nature argument applies re Samui. Business won that argument long ago. Paradise it ain't. KPG is still remarkably pristine considering... 

3) All hypothetical of course but why would Raja ferry take on increased fuel costs from DonSak to go to KPG, when they can save money and run a ferry from Nathon. I think the ferry from DonSak to KPG would be dead very soon after a bridge opened too. 

Who knows though really. We could both be dead before any of it happens! 

[cowslip]

THe bridge will destroy Samui. 

A ferry is about 500 e/w for car and passengers

I the bridge is bound to be about the same or even more.

Te problem will be the same as anything that comes from Thai authorities - the project is totally unresearched - there is no research into the impact the bridge will have. both as it is being built or v=cm=omes into use.

There is the ecological damage caused by the building of the bridge and the traffic when it is in use.

THe effects of the extra traffic on Samui has hardly n=been mentioned by the builders - Samui already has traffic problems and a road infrastructure creaking under the weight of the traffic. THere used to be a ban or semi trucks on Samui - that has been lifted and the unrestricted influx of traffic will overload the roads and of course pollute the island - unless they make it a ULEZ???

 

Can you imagine the influx of building materials the further drain of the water supplies and the increased sewage after a development boom?

 

One on Thailand's major attractions for tourists is sea and beaches - yet they insist in pooping in their own nest.

 

Ferries need maintenance and running from the island will be more costly - if they bother to run.

THey need a certain level of traffic to make the operation worth while - services off Samui were suspended over Covid and hadn't been reintroduced in March you had to go to Donsak from Samui to get to KPN.

Obviously the islands will want ferries to run but they have to make a profit and that requires traffic - so the other islands will need to accept more cars as well.

 

I wonder what will happen to the ferry service from Sattahip?

 

"Samui will benefit as it will get more business." - unfortunately this may not be good for Samui - as the island has failed to cope with the business they already have - water pollution and garbage are all overloaded. -more poop in their own nest - the place will become less desirable for tourists.

 

i think it's very unlikely that people will continue to use ferries to Koh Tao for cars s much if they can just drive over to Samui - so that service will probably collapse too. I've taken my car to KPN from Samui direct in the past when I lived there but last time the service was no longer running.

I think you'll find a bridge will affect ALL ferries to ALL the islands as the companies can't suddenly lose their main ferry service to Samui and live off the other smaller business offered on the other runs. 

 

one of the major attractions of Samui (drawback for me - i hate islands) is that it is an ISLAND - the bridge will end that and create a monopoly in transport totally change the traffic situation pollute the island and unacceptably strain the infrastructure. A few year back I used to attend some of the  local government  meetings in Nathon and even then if I mentioned the "bridge" it was met with that embarrassed laugh that Thai people do when confronted with something painfully embarrassing.

THis is not a project for the island - it is a project for national civil engineering companies and government backhanders - like all Thai business, you can't criticise your boss, you just have to deal with the aftermath when it happens - (and that's not "if).

 

 

[TheDirtyDurian]

2 hours ago, cowslip said:

THe bridge will destroy Samui. 

A ferry is about 500 e/w for car and passengers

I the bridge is bound to be about the same or even more.

Te problem will be the same as anything that comes from Thai authorities - the project is totally unresearched - there is no research into the impact the bridge will have. both as it is being built or v=cm=omes into use.

There is the ecological damage caused by the building of the bridge and the traffic when it is in use.

THe effects of the extra traffic on Samui has hardly n=been mentioned by the builders - Samui already has traffic problems and a road infrastructure creaking under the weight of the traffic. THere used to be a ban or semi trucks on Samui - that has been lifted and the unrestricted influx of traffic will overload the roads and of course pollute the island - unless they make it a ULEZ???

Can you imagine the influx of building materials the further drain of the water supplies and the increased sewage after a development boom?

One on Thailand's major attractions for tourists is sea and beaches - yet they insist in pooping in their own nest.

Ferries need maintenance and running from the island will be more costly - if they bother to run.

THey need a certain level of traffic to make the operation worth while - services off Samui were suspended over Covid and hadn't been reintroduced in March you had to go to Donsak from Samui to get to KPN.

Obviously the islands will want ferries to run but they have to make a profit and that requires traffic - so the other islands will need to accept more cars as well.

I wonder what will happen to the ferry service from Sattahip?

"Samui will benefit as it will get more business." - unfortunately this may not be good for Samui - as the island has failed to cope with the business they already have - water pollution and garbage are all overloaded. -more poop in their own nest - the place will become less desirable for tourists.

i think it's very unlikely that people will continue to use ferries to Koh Tao for cars s much if they can just drive over to Samui - so that service will probably collapse too. I've taken my car to KPN from Samui direct in the past when I lived there but last time the service was no longer running.

I think you'll find a bridge will affect ALL ferries to ALL the islands as the companies can't suddenly lose their main ferry service to Samui and live off the other smaller business offered on the other runs. 

one of the major attractions of Samui (drawback for me - i hate islands) is that it is an ISLAND - the bridge will end that and create a monopoly in transport totally change the traffic situation pollute the island and unacceptably strain the infrastructure. A few year back I used to attend some of the  local government  meetings in Nathon and even then if I mentioned the "bridge" it was met with that embarrassed laugh that Thai people do when confronted with something painfully embarrassing.

THis is not a project for the island - it is a project for national civil engineering companies and government backhanders - like all Thai business, you can't criticise your boss, you just have to deal with the aftermath when it happens - (and that's not "if).

Car and one passenger is currently 720 on Raja, car and 4 passengers 1230 one way. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

2 hours ago, cowslip said:

THe bridge will destroy Samui. 

A ferry is about 500 e/w for car and passengers

I the bridge is bound to be about the same or even more.

Te problem will be the same as anything that comes from Thai authorities - the project is totally unresearched - there is no research into the impact the bridge will have. both as it is being built or v=cm=omes into use.

There is the ecological damage caused by the building of the bridge and the traffic when it is in use.

THe effects of the extra traffic on Samui has hardly n=been mentioned by the builders - Samui already has traffic problems and a road infrastructure creaking under the weight of the traffic. THere used to be a ban or semi trucks on Samui - that has been lifted and the unrestricted influx of traffic will overload the roads and of course pollute the island - unless they make it a ULEZ???

Can you imagine the influx of building materials the further drain of the water supplies and the increased sewage after a development boom?

One on Thailand's major attractions for tourists is sea and beaches - yet they insist in pooping in their own nest.

Ferries need maintenance and running from the island will be more costly - if they bother to run.

THey need a certain level of traffic to make the operation worth while - services off Samui were suspended over Covid and hadn't been reintroduced in March you had to go to Donsak from Samui to get to KPN.

Obviously the islands will want ferries to run but they have to make a profit and that requires traffic - so the other islands will need to accept more cars as well.

I wonder what will happen to the ferry service from Sattahip?

"Samui will benefit as it will get more business." - unfortunately this may not be good for Samui - as the island has failed to cope with the business they already have - water pollution and garbage are all overloaded. -more poop in their own nest - the place will become less desirable for tourists.

i think it's very unlikely that people will continue to use ferries to Koh Tao for cars s much if they can just drive over to Samui - so that service will probably collapse too. I've taken my car to KPN from Samui direct in the past when I lived there but last time the service was no longer running.

I think you'll find a bridge will affect ALL ferries to ALL the islands as the companies can't suddenly lose their main ferry service to Samui and live off the other smaller business offered on the other runs. 

one of the major attractions of Samui (drawback for me - i hate islands) is that it is an ISLAND - the bridge will end that and create a monopoly in transport totally change the traffic situation pollute the island and unacceptably strain the infrastructure. A few year back I used to attend some of the  local government  meetings in Nathon and even then if I mentioned the "bridge" it was met with that embarrassed laugh that Thai people do when confronted with something painfully embarrassing.

THis is not a project for the island - it is a project for national civil engineering companies and government backhanders - like all Thai business, you can't criticise your boss, you just have to deal with the aftermath when it happens - (and that's not "if).

 

Car and one passenger is currently 720 on Raja, car and 4 passengers 1230 one way. 

Thais won't care about ecological damage. More concrete is progress and development. 

Difficult to say how much extra traffic. I can't see how much worse Samui could get anyway really on that front. Hard to tell you're on an island going round the ring road. 

ULEZ?! you been on the mushrooms so popular there! 

Why will maintenance be more costly from Samui when fuel costs have gone down so much. DonSak will still be there and those ferries don't get maintained too much methinks...

As I said in another post, if this bridge opens there will be no more ferry services from DonSak period, and that includes car ferry and foot ferry. Samui will be the new terminus at that end. Thais are innovative people. If there weren't ferries to KPG from Samui before, there will be

Samui has been all about business for a long time already

Car traffic to Koh Tao is negligible anyway, and runs from Chumpon area. This won't be affected by any bridge. Different kinds of tourist too. 

Ferry companies will just have to adapt to the new reality

Anyways, it won't be happening anytime soon so we're all just blowing hot air....

 

[Pinetree]

I would love to see the cost benefit analysis on this idea, it must have some very creative stats in it.