LAST weekend, there were at least two fatal motorcycle accidents that occurred on the island, one in Bangrak and the other in Lamai.

In Bangrak a young Thai woman speeding on a rainy night apparently didn’t see another man backing his motorbike on the roadside, hitting his bike. The impact hurled the woman a few meters away and landed on the road, head first. Some onlookers who came to her rescue saw blood oozing from her head. Later it was learned that she died.

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.