Ko Samui

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Ah at last my first experience of the Thai gulf islands.
Coming in on the Ferry the natural landscape was spectacular, just like the pictures in the guide books i'd been reading whilst in NewZealand. The problem with the guide books though is that they leave out most of the nasty stuff.
The Lonely Planet is full of coconut trees, white sandy beaches, emerald waters etc. To be honest, I was abit disgusted when i got there. The incessant seven eleven stores (& all the other favorites, McDonalds, Burger Kingetc) ingrained on every street in Asia, ever more present in what i now know to be overly commercialised Ko Samui. Prostitutes and Lady boys line the main street in Chaweng Beach. Even more sickening to the eye is the filthy old men riding around on their bikes with what i can only describe as yound girls on their back seats. I'm talking 50 years age gap here. The Beach is beautiful though, and i rented a hut right on the beach for around 400 bhat!!.
We hired mopeds and rode the entire circumference of the island in a day which was about the best thing i did on this island.

Nightlife? what cn i say, it is quite full on, clubs, bars pumping music neon lights everywhere. The Ladyboys are scary!! they are really scary. Aggressive and they just will carry on pestering you until you have to run off. It got to the point where we had to take regular detours to the main night life just because the extra distance was alot less hassle than getting away from the pros & Lady boys. The prostitutes just blatantly go for your testicles. I can honestly say someone is going to get hurt here very soon. Its a melting pot ready to explode. All very seedy and grubby.

In the day time everyone is friendlly and the well known Thai smile is everywhere on peoples faces. But i lay on Lamai beach watching a group of thai people smile at westerners for a while and wondered how much of this is genuine?. You dont have to speak thai to recognise false gestures. I got the impression that beneath the thai smile there lurks something sinister & sometimes i looked at their point of view and saw thousands of relatively wealthy old western men coming to their country and picking up their young girls. They have good reason not to like westerners. But they rely on the money brought in. If we were not so wealthy relative to them would we still see the smile?
I would estimate that 90% of the Thai's who spoke to me did so out of interest in my wallet. whether that be offering sex, selling tours trying to get me in a store, tuk tuk rides etc. Quite exhausting really. I am not so sure i am a fan of this country. In fact i'm not.

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Photos

Sunset on Samui
Just pulled up to the shore on my boat from KoPhangan

Lamai Beach
A very 'soft' Sunrise appearing more like a sunset