Category Archives: Samui News

Samui, Phangan land prices overvalued?

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THE Chamber of Commerce of Suratthani has issued an urgent letter to the Finance Ministry to protest what it thinks are the overly high prices of lands fixed for Koh Samui and Koh Phangan by the Treasury Department. The prices represent an average increase of 200 percent. It said the land valuations were higher than the actual market prices. Theerakit Wangmutitakul, the Chamber president, told Finance Ministry caretaker Korn Jatikavanit that the new land prices set by the Treasury Department for 2008-11 did not reflect the real prices in the market and that they could be detrimental instead of helpful to the two islands’ economies.

Mr. Theerakit said property investors would be discouraged to put their money in Samui and Phangan because the new land prices are too high, and might instead move to other destinations.

The Chamber’s letter complaint was sent after landowners affected by the new land prices expressed their apprehension to the Chamber. Theerakit urged the Treasury Department to reconsider the new land prices it has set for the two islands.

“On behalf of the private sector, we would like to ask the concerned agencies and officials to consider the land prices which have recently been adjusted; the prices do not reflect the actual market and economic situation on Koh Samui. The exaggerated increase can result in the suspension of the economic growth and block potential investors and land purchasers from choosing Samui and Phangan as their investment destinations,” Theerakit said.

Theerakit said that they proposed more realistic land price adjustments for consideration by the Treasury Department “so that we can have the real prices that are not so high like what the Treasury Department has set.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Choomphol Kajana, a member of the Democrat Party from Suratthani, said he has also received a letter from those who are affected by the “inflated” land price valuations and that he was ready to coordinate with the Finance Ministry to solve the problem.

A source from the Treasury Department has admitted that the land prices on Koh Samui and Koh Phangan it set were in fact higher than their real prices and that when the prices were fixed, the department factored in the highly competitive market, wherein prices move up continually. The source added that the Treasury Department was in the process of readjusting the new prices to reflect the reality in some areas. But the Treasury Department said that land prices on Koh Samui and Koh Phangan could not be brought down because they are major tourist destinations where land prices are boosted up all the time. It claimed that in some areas, the real land prices are higher than what the Treasury Department has evaluated. For example, from Chaweng beach to Laem Son within 60 meters from the sea, the land price in 2004-07 was Bt 2,500-Bt10,000 per 4 square meters, but the land price in 2008-11 is Bt 6,250-Bt50,000, or an increase of 150-400 percent.

The old price of land in Lamai beach within the range of 40 meters from the sea was Bt5,000-Bt 7,500 per 4 square meters, but now it is Bt35,000, or a 366.66-600 percent increase.

In Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan the old price of land within 40 meters from the beach was Bt750 per 4 square meters, but the price now is Bt8,000, an increase of 966 percent.

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Taiwanese Idol Jerry Yan Visited Koh Samui

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Popular Taiwanese actor Jerry Yan and his rumored girlfriend Terri Kwan were spotted by the media when they went on a romantic getaway on Samui Island recently. On their return to Taiwan, Jerry was all smiles but refused to answer any questions on their secret holiday.

A member of the Taiwanese boy band F4, 32-year-old Yan is popular not just in Taiwan and mainland China. He has thousands of fans in Hong Kong, Macau , Japan , Korea , the Philippines , Indonesia , Malaysia , Singapore , Brunei , Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, England , Holland , France , US and Canada.

According to reports, in a haste to avoid further rumors about his secret holiday, Jerry went to Fuzhou to work first upon ending his holiday, before flying back to Taiwan en route to Hong Kong.

While it was initially rumored that their holiday destination was Bangkok, reports said they were actually in Samui for a week.

When asked whether he came here with Terri Kwan, Jerry did not reply and just said that he went to lots of places. Terri’s manager confirmed that she did come to Thailand to visit its temples, but was unsure whether she met up with Jerry.

Jerry and Terri met while filming the Taiwanese drama “Starlit” and rumor has it that they became an item. However, it was reported that Jerry scolded Terri in his car in June this year and they broke up after that. It is said that this holiday to Thailand was a reconciliation trip and they had invited eight other friends to tag along to keep rumors at bay.

It is not known where the Taiwanese idol stayed in Samui, although one source said he booked in a secluded five-star hotel.

Mr. Seni Phuwasethaworn, chief of the Koh Samui Tourism Association, said the Taiwanese idol’s recent visit only confirms the fact that Samui remains a popular destination for international celebrities. By Samui Express (www.news.samuiexpress.net)

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Oil leak damages beach in Lipa Noi

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Gallons of oil have leaked into the sea off the coast of Lipa Noi but nothing is being done about it, witnesses said.

Photos of the oil spill have been sent by e-mail to Samui Express by concerned residents who claimed it came from an inter-island ferry plying in the area. No ferry company, however, has come forward to own up the spillage. Concerned citizens have asked local authorities to do something to minimize the damage the spill would have on the environment. Residents around Lipa Noi complained that their beach has become dirty and smelly as a result of the spill.

Some witnesses have reported seeing dead fish and other sea creatures floating in the murky water or washed ashore.

“We tried contacting government offices that we think would be concerned about this environmental disaster.  But we haven’t seen any of them send somebody to check it,” one resident said.

Since last year, there have been reports of oil leaks around the area. But the government appeared to have not done anything to address the problem, local residents said.

Since Lipa Noi is not a popular tourist destination, it doesn’t get much attention from the government and civic groups, they said.

Phanu Woramit, chief of the Tourism Authority of Thailand regional office in Suratthani, said he would personally check the supposed oil spill.

This problem, he said, should not be treated lightly as this could cause serious damage to the island’s tourism promotion efforts.

Phanu said he would make representations with concerned offices to see to it that those responsible for this environmental damage should be held accountable. Samui News By Samuiexpress.net

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