Samui bar manager speaks about the recession, the abnormally high Thai baht, the alcohol ban and other things that make the entertainment business tough.

RESTAURANTS, bars, pubs, watering holes, lounges and liquor stores are typically the first businesses to pop up when the economy is good and the first to go when it’s bad. With over a million visitors a year from various places and cultures, Samui is probably one of the most competitive restaurant and bar environments you’ll find anywhere.

The plan to build two museums on Samui could be a waste of money unless trained curators were hired to oversee them.