# Which Island? Koh Tao or Koh Samui



## Livingdream

Hi Guys,

My boyfriend and I are moving to Thailand in January 2013 and are looking for some advice. We heard lots of opposing view points and been a little confused. I've been to Thailand before but never ventured down to the islands and we are looking to settle on one of them.

My boyfriend has an internet company so needs somewhere with a good internet connection and i will be looking for bar work/ hostel work/ anything really! We are 22 and 29 and are looking for somewhere picturesque, quiet but with some night life (as we do like a drink) and peaceful. 

We would ideally spend max 15000 THB a month on a one bed flat and would like something which isnt so remote that you can't get any western comforts (like cheese for example) once in a while.

We were originally thinking Koh Samui but have heard its full of young backpackers partying hard the whole time, so are now thinking Koh tao. I do have a Padi open water diver certification but am not a big diver, someone told me the beaches arent as nice in Koh Tao.

If anyone has any suggestions or any useful information or advice we would be very grateful!

Thank you,

Rhiannon


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## Livingdream

*Jobs in Koh Tao?*

I am moving to Thailand in January 2013- probably Koh Tao but not 100% on that yet and will be looking for work.

I have a BA Hons degree in English and American Literature and very good A Level and GCSE results.

I have experience in sales, hospitality, babysitting, waitressing and bar work and plenty of references for all of the above.

I would preferably like to work at a hostel/ in a bar but am open to doing anything really.

Does anyone have any advice on the best way to get set up with work out there and do people think its possible at all?

All advice and info would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

Thanks,

Rhiannon


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## stednick

*Work Permit Required*

Rhiannon:

As a foreigner, to legally work in Thailand you will need a work permit. Not an easy thing to get. First thing you need to do is read the Sticky Thread: "Employment: Restricted occupations for foreigners"

Realize that you will be competing for employment with the many local Thai citizens. You will be under observation, so, if you are fortunate to secure employment, it must be legit. Your paperwork must be in order because you will be visited by the local law enforcement officials.

I refer you to your local Royal Thai Embassy for more information concerning the legal requirements for a foreigner living in Thailand.

Royal Thai Embassy, London, United Kingdom | ???????????????????? ? ??????????

Good luck.


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## Song_Si

Hi

Read these threads Employment: Restricted occupations for foreigners and also, for an understanding of the local wage structure Salary-wages information

The occupations you mentioned are all on the prohibited list. 
To be employed you need a work permit - working without one you are liable to fine/imprisonment. DOn't know how common these are in the rest of Thailand, but our province has billboards with email and hotline numbers: 
"IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES BEING COMMITTED BY FOREIGNERS PLEASE CONTACT US"

It's not an easy place to be employed.


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## Song_Si

vast differences - Samui has a population approaching 60,000 and attracts over 1.1 million visitors per year. There are many retired overseas people there, not just backpackers, just as with Phuket there are areas for the quiet life if that's what you want. But it's industry is primarily tourism, and you'll pay for that.

Koh Tao, 1500 population. 
also note: at 70km offshore Koh Tao has no fixed/line internet service - limited to using an aircard/mobile service. 

*Note:* Koh Samui and Koh Tao are in Surat Thani province - the current minimum daily wage there increased to 240 baht per day in April this year. Just under 5 GBP per day, or US $7.80

Suggest you visit, research a few places; as per other threads, work is unlikely due to the employment laws here. 
Working from home/self-employed also is illegal without a work permit, which is not an option unless you set up a company . . . 
Sure, people do it, but it remains a breach of visa conditions.
There is no shortage of 'eyes', people who will report a person to police/immigration. You are required to report in to Thai Immigration every 90 days for all visas.


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## Moolor

Samui has a large expat population, so western conveniences like cheese are no problem here. Both dsl and cable based Internet are avaable, i've had both and prefer cable as the dsl connection would drop when it rained. 15k is more than enough for a flat, look around after you get here as there are many places for rent. Samui is expensive, especially if you want to eat western food.


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## Mweiga

Definitely make a recce trip out here to assess all options before making any commitment - there are a dozen odd island choices with greatly varying tourist activity , in different stages of development and ranging from small and intimate (eg , Koh Tao and Koh Lipe) to pretty large (eg, Phuket , Koh Chang and Koh Samui).

Thailand's recreational diving industry employs a large number of expats with dive operations generally assisting with the necessary visa and paperwork once they've agreed to employ you. Koh Tao is a good island for this being almost exclusively developed for diving. Most other islands have diving activities to a greater or lesser degree although the best diving is to be had either in the Andaman sea (from Phuket , Phi Phi , Lanta and Lipe islands) or around Koh Tao in the Gulf.

All islands have tourist development ongoing at breakneck speed which eventually changes them permanently from that idyllic tropical paradise to busy , commercial centres catering to a lowest common denominator specified by mass international tourist visitors. Some already passed this point of no return several years ago , while there are a couple of others catering to a more selective tourist market with an eye to maintaining higher standards and retaining natural beauty (eg , Koh Kut).


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## Mweiga

Following on from your other thread , Koh Tao is a very small , charming little island catering almost exclusively to the recreational diving industry - and probably the only feasible work option to which you might have access at this particular island location.


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## Livingdream

Thank you for all your responses, they have been very helpful!

Rhiannon


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## Livingdream

How difficult is it to get a work permit?


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## Song_Si

first step = you need a confirmed offer from an approved employer.

source



> *Q: I want to work in Thailand. How should I go about getting necessary visa?*
> 
> A: In order to work in Thailand, there are 2 important elements:
> (1) Non-Immigrant-B Visa and (2) Work Permit
> 
> First of all, you need to have a prospective employer in Thailand.
> 
> Then you may apply for a Non-Immigrant Visa category 'B' (business) at the this Embassy, submitting required documents and recommendation letter from your employer along with your company's business certifications as suggested in the website (www.mfa.go.th).
> 
> Once you have obtained such visa, you can enter the Kingdom and therefore apply for a Work Permit from the Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour.
> 
> In order to expedite visa issuance, your employer may, on your behalf, apply for the Work Permit in advance (with the form called Tor Thor 3). The Department of Employment will then issue a pre-approved certificate to be used in your visa application. In such case, please make sure to obtain the Work Permit (Tor Thor 2) once you arrive in Thailand.


more detail here: Thailand's Visa Information : Non-Immigrant Visa "B" (for Business and Work)  and simplified process chart


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## asiantraveler

I believe you cannot get a work permit yourself but your employer has to arrange for this.

I would also suggest to first visit both places before to decide on anything. Both islands are beautiful but can be boring in the end as you are stuck to the place. Reliable internet, I would not count on that for both islands. Have experienced black outs on both islands a few times in a week.


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## Fyre Faery Queen

This is a really interesting thread. I have just started another one assuming aisle about the process of long term accommodation. Can anyone here answer with regards to roughly how much a small studio or 1 bedroom apartment would be for 5 months (October to march) on the quiet sides of the more touristy Islands? Are koh Samui, Phuket etc similar in long term accommodation price or different?? 

And do these Islands feature both some natural rural life, and Western cafes and clubs (I saw someone mentioning cheese. That's interesting. It's hard to get cheese in Thailand?)


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## RickThai

Koh Tao is basically a scuba diving island full of younger tourists either scuba diving or taking scuba certification classes. It is rather small but has a lot of restaurants and drinking bars (not girly bars). Traffic in the main villages is crazy because of all the tourists riding their rental motor bikes (and a few ATVs). There doesn't seem to be any large supermarkets (that I could find) other than 7-11s.

It is also a fairly long ferry ride to get there. It's a nice place to spend a week if you like to scuba dive, but I sure wouldn't want to live there.

Koh Saumi is much larger with several fairly large cities and an airport. There are quite a few large supermarkets and much more to do compared to Koh Tao. It has a lot of girly bars and a lot of nightlife if you are into that scene. 

Getting around via Taxi is really expensive on Koh Samui (and many Songthiew drivers won't pick up foreigners do to trouble with the Taxi mafia).

I wouldn't want to live there myself.

Koh Phuket has just about everything an expat could want as far as variety of foodstuffs and drink, but it is rather expensive and there is a lot of serious crime.

My wife (who is Thai) and I were there in January and after talking with several of the Thai girls who work at the Club Med there, they all stated they very seldom left the Club Med because of fear of getting robbed and/or raped on the island.

And these are Thai girls who have lived there entire life in Thailand (one was from Bangkok and the other was from Chiang Mai).

If I wanted to live on a Thai island, I would seriously consider Koh Chang. It seems to have a slightly slower pace than Koh Samui, Koh Tao, or Phuket. And the public transportation is more reasonable (but still not cheap like in Bangkok or most other Thai cities).

You might want to check some of the Thai real estate websites to get an idea of rental prices for the different islands.

It does seem that people get murdered almost every day in Phuket.



RickThai


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## Paintbox

Only been to Samui back then 4-5 years ago the cost of living was expensive, I guess it would have been increased by now.


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## oliver06700

Livingdream said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> My boyfriend and I are moving to Thailand in January 2013 and are looking for some advice. We heard lots of opposing view points and been a little confused. I've been to Thailand before but never ventured down to the islands and we are looking to settle on one of them.
> 
> My boyfriend has an internet company so needs somewhere with a good internet connection and i will be looking for bar work/ hostel work/ anything really! We are 22 and 29 and are looking for somewhere picturesque, quiet but with some night life (as we do like a drink) and peaceful.
> 
> We would ideally spend max 15000 THB a month on a one bed flat and would like something which isnt so remote that you can't get any western comforts (like cheese for example) once in a while.
> 
> We were originally thinking Koh Samui but have heard its full of young backpackers partying hard the whole time, so are now thinking Koh tao. I do have a Padi open water diver certification but am not a big diver, someone told me the beaches arent as nice in Koh Tao.
> 
> If anyone has any suggestions or any useful information or advice we would be very grateful!
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Rhiannon


Do both


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