Gee I love these cars the economy is great, so is the pick-up when I need  it on the open road.  Passing those damn trucks is unbelievable ,the car is quiet ,easy to negotiate bends, and in a rain storm I know I am safe, gripped to the road with skid bars to protect me.  You know my Subaru goes where Toyotas fear to tread !  My stereo system is so, so, great as well!

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Well off I go again and this time I have accepted an invitation from one of my vendors Noel Kelly who was once one of Australia’s Foreign Affairs ministers and now lives on the magnificent Island of Samui. I have his palatial Koh Samui mansion/home for sale. It would be an ideal resort, as the home is set up with three levels for the millionaire be it a playboy or a resort owner. They cannot get better for the price which incidentally is around 79 Million Bart or $3 Million Australian.

When I left home it was 5 below in my home town and arrival in Bangkok was a bit of a change at around 40. What a shock that was. But I couldn’t help but notice the airport was so clean and immaculately designed with so many duty-free shops, bars and eateries, but very organised. A stay in Bangkok and then off I go the next day by air to Samui. 

Arriving at Koh Samui Airport what a wonderful experience that airport is, the best on a island I have ever seen. Immaculate, beautifully designed and built by a very wealthy business man who also built the hospital in Samui and that’s like a stay in a 6 star resort. More on that later.

The Thai People

You know the Thai people are so friendly and accommodating from the minute I was met at the airport by Noel’s staff, to the day I left the island, I was treated with respect and friendliness the whole time. It’s not that they have to, it’s that they want to be helpful and friendly, smiles on their faces all the time, and when I bumbled and tripped with all my gear the three women and one little adorable child rushed to assist me.

I find their culture amazing. I was always under the impression Thai girls were (well must I say) easy, but that’s not it at all. They are very proud people, never expose themselves like our brazen Aussie girls and dress as best they can at all times. They are humble and quiet, speak when they are spoken to and know what it’s like to be poor. The respect they have for their peers and family is commendable. My daughter is always complaining I don’t look after the grandchildren enough. Well, in Thailand the grandparents’ first consideration is to the grandchildren. It’s the grandparents that bring them up if needed, giving the mum a chance to get on her feet, but at the same time it’s the done thing to look after the family and in many cases many woman marry foreigners for security for the family.

I was sad to see the poorer sides of the island were families live no better than their dogs that trail around the island in search of food. A bit of tin holding a thatched wall together seems all they have. A few coconuts and an abundance of fruit grows on the island so no one every goes hungry and I guess in their own way that’s all they need. Most of the less fortunate people work on construction sites for very little money, but there were no beggars in the streets. Everyone works and appreciates the little money they receive – no industrial relations here – yet they are happy and contented in this lifestyle. But, as a Real Estate Agent and knowing the importance of first impressions are the best ones, I would like to see a clean-up campaign on the island, more sanitary and Garbage control.

I am an animal lover and am sad to see the dogs and cattle undernourished. The Thai’s faith is mostly Buddhism and believe nothing should be killed, especially the animals as they worship them. I am ok with that as I am an animal lover but I would like them fed! Yet the dogs roam in a placid manner all round the island looking like they need a good feed, and even so they are happy also just motoring on with the flow.

The Roads in Samui

Now that’s a different experience! The roads are mainly made of concrete – too hot for bitumen – so the cars drive down tracks that in Australia you would call them goat tracks and amazingly motor bikes, trucks, dogs, chooks and pedestrians all seem to survive, no road rules and NO road rage. Everyone is courteous – amazing to me! The only one time I saw a disgruntled driver it was a foreigner. The Thai’s just let him through without a blink off an eye. I loved that so much about the placid nature of these people. They are so polite. The government here is trying to do its best in upgrades but it’s got a long way to go! After all this is an island. We shouldn’t expect highways or that would take it away from that get away feeling… and it’s a short time from one side of the island to the other anyway!

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