Koh Samui 1977

[Buadhai]

I finally located a few more photos of Koh Samui in 1977



This is the south end of Lamai Beach. That was the only resort on the whole beach.



Ao Thong Takian (Silver Bay)



Fishing boats at Ao Thong Takian. They moored here all day and fished all night.



Ao Thong Takian, looking south.



The only establishment at Ao Thong Takian. I stayed there for about 10 baht per night, including breakfast of fried rice and Ovaltine, plus a little Thai Stick every evening. The Lao Cao was extra. No electricity or running water on that side of Samui.



Ao Thong Takian, looking north.



Chaweng Beach. No lodging at all, as far as I remember. Notice the huge pile of oyster shells. This is the far southern end of Chaweng. It was a long hike to get their from Ao Thong Takian.



Looking down toward Ao Thong Takian from the road to Chaweng. The road was quite rough. Four wheel drive only.



Yeah, that's me, 35 years ago. I don't look much like that these days. Taken at Ao Thong Takian.

 

[limbo]

Great Pix!

 

[Buadhai]

When I was traveling in 1977 I used the 1975 edition of Tony Wheeler's Southeast Asia on a Shoestring. That volume, along with Across Asia on the Cheap were the first two Lonely Planet productions. Here's the entirety of the 1975 section on Koh Samui:

"Ko Samui - A beautiful and so far un-touched island off the east coast. Nice by itself or a base to reach other nearby islands. To get there get to Surat Thani and then take a boat from Band Don (a 5B bus ride from Surat Thani) every day at midnight and returning at 23.00 -- the six-hour trip costs 15B deck or 25b cabin class. Or you can do it in half the time for the same fare on the 12:30 speedboat service, it returns from Ko Samui at 07.30."

 

[Darnold9999]

Great pix. Was there 10 years later - I think 88 or 89. The airport runway was just paved - some time in the previous month or so - and the island was a mix of extremely low budget with a very few higher priced places just starting to show up. Probably the very end of the Ko Samui you knew. We stayed in a nice lower budget place right on the beach - 15 feet from the waters edge. I think it was the other end of Lamai beach from the photograph you have here. For two, accommodation, all the meals we had at the "resort"-(most meals), all the beer we had at the resort, (not too many) the bill for the entire week was 400 baht. (A bit more than $60 USD as I recall) You could still stay in similar accomodation to what you show in your pic for even less. As I recall it was still 10 baht a night, but that is a very old and unreliable memory. Later in the same trip we were paying $60USD a night to stay overlooking the beach 100 yards from the water, up the hill at the end of the beach at Phuket in a similar bungalow. Have to say we enjoyed Ko Samui more.

Brings back some memories.

 

[Buadhai]

I went back in '88 or '89 to dive. The change during that decade was astounding: paved roads, electricity, running water, beer bars, discos, the whole nine yards of Thai tourism. I revisited Ao Thong Takian on that trip and had my photo taken in the same spot. (Can't find it now....) That beautiful bay was still undeveloped back then. I gather it has changed.

Aside from a few hours waiting for liveaboards, I have been back to Samui since....