The Bowling place on the island is located at Tesco Lotus, 1/7 Moo6, Tambon Bo Phut, and it certainly offers Tenpin bowling, Major Bowl and it is easy to find as it is centrally located, right next to the cinema in Tesco Lotus in Chaweng.

The Koh Samui Bowling offers eight lines, with two of them being thoughtfully designed for children by having side gutters blocked off and if there is a party of four, wanting to use more than one lane, it is advisable to book in advance.

Bowling shoes can be rented for 40 baht a session and also socks can be rented, though most of people prefer bringing their own socks and remember, Thai feet are usually smaller than western equivalent. So tom avoid disappointment, remember to bring your pair of socks, though they have shoes in all sizes!

The prices varies depending on what time of the day it is, during the evening, it will set you back 100Baht per person per game, while during day time, it is a lot less than that.

So plan an evening of fun in Koh Samui bowling and after, there is a very nice restaurant where you can have your dinner and also private karaoke rooms, if you think you have the talent, you give it a try, before heading out for the nightlife.

If you live here or are coming on holiday and going self-catering it is good to know where to buy your supplies. We do have a good selection of supermarkets to choose from and they are names that many Europeans will recognise like Tesco.

Tesco and Big C are great for buying almost everything you would if you were back at home in these types of stores like bread, butter, milk, soft drinks, beer and meat. The selection will not be entirely like home, but it is still possible to buy simple things like beef, pork and chicken.

If you’re a big group or will be catering for a large group Makro is the place to go for bulk buying. Many businesses use this store and it is much the same as any other cas-and-carry across the globe.

Don’t forget our island has many markets scattered across the towns and villages where you can pick up fresh produce of fruit and veg as well as meat and other local delicacies. Products here will tend to be a little cheaper than the stores, although you won’t be able to buy any imported meats of veg.

As many of you out there will be fully aware, getting to Koh Samui is really not a cheap option from Bangkok if you choose to fly. Bangkok Airways built the only airport on the island and they also run it. For years it was just their airline that flew here so the cost of flights was pretty much up to them.

Then a few years ago we all heard that Thai Airways were going to be given the chance to fly to Samui, great a little fare competition we all thought, not a chance! The price has increased over time and it is still extortionate to fly here from anywhere in Thailand.

There has been talk of a new airport that will be built by the government but that has not surfaced. Instead we are all constantly on the lookout for cheaper, faster alternatives.

The bus or train is by far the cheapest at anything between 500 and 1,500 baht depending on the standard of comfort that you seek. Hiring a car can be great fun but the cost will be almost equal if not more than flying if just one person.

The airport at Surat Thani offers a lot more affordable flights to Bangkok and beyond and it is possible to get buses direct from the pier on mainland Thailand. Also I am still hearing that Lomprayah will be launching an all-in-one ticket which will cover a catamaran ferry to mainland, and then bus to the Surat Airport followed by a no-frills flight to Bangkok.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you will know there are a few things that I don’t get on with, boats and Thai food; boats simply because I’m scared of the water and Thai food, because I don’t like things too spicy.

Now the wife has said for a while that I must try to eat Thai food because it simply cannot be healthy for me to live on steaks, burgers and chips, personally I think, add a beer and I’ll be fine.

However I have given in to demands and agreed to try some other Thai dishes that would appeal to me as they are not spicy. Firstly she took me to a little shack of a place on the Tesco road into Chaweng, passed the lake and more into town.

She ordered Pad Thai for me and straight away I turned my nose up, not ever tasting it before. Well knock me for six, it wasn’t spicy and was really tasty. The next day we ventured back along the same road, but to a different shack; this time I was given something that resembled sweet and sour chicken and was very tasty.

Now for the past week I’ve been taking myself for lunch and trying all types of different Thai food that is not spicy. I’m ashamed to say that for all these years I’ve actually missed out on something very tasty in Thai culture.

If anyone wants to give me any more recommendations on what to eat, which is not spicy I will gladly welcome them and report back to you.

This may not have crossed many people’s minds, as we all have our own ways of getting around but which way is best to get to mainland from Samui? I have always used the ferry at Nathon, the Seatran, as friends told me Raja was not as good.

I never go that often in a car so I don’t have a queue jumper for Seatran so I always have to queue from 02:00 and manage to get on the 07:00 or 08:00 ferry to Donsak. This time I thought I’d try the Raja, drove down to the port at 04:00 and was on the 06:00 sailing. To be honest I will use Raja from now on as there is little difference.

When I’m not using a car I will go the tourist route, but insist on the big boat still, not those crazy speed boats that feel like they’re going over on every little wave. It usually consists of a short stop in Nathon followed by a long trip over to Phuket, Hat Yai or wherever else I am going.

Just recently I’ve heard that Lomprayah will launch a fast service to Donsak with connecting buses to places like Phuket and Surat Thani Airport. This is great in my eyes; a fast crossing with connecting services to your final destination. I hope it does make a splash on to the market and give some of the others a run for their money.

The great thing about Samui is the diversity in tourists that come to enjoy this little bit of paradise. We have the top-notch five-star hotels costing more a night than I earn in a month and then with a little search you can also find rooms for as little as a couple of hundred baht per night.

Now, it doesn’t matter the class of the tourist, but many come here looking for that ultimate party. Most head over to Koh Phangan and to the Full Moon Party, but they are missing out on something special if they don’t head to the beach in Chaweng.

Ark Bar is synonymous with beach party, their Wednesday session starts at two in the afternoon and goes all the way through until 2AM. This is not just whack a CD in the player party neither; they have a host of international DJs as well residents from Thailand and the UK.

This bar is the place to go for a party and everyone, expats and tourists alike should know about Ark Bar, if not, why? I’ve been here many times and made some excellent friends along the way from painters and decorators hailing from Ireland to an international golfer from Australia, no names mentioned.

Others have come to Chaweng and tried to imitate the Ark Bar, but have failed always, because those in the know know its Ark Bar for beach parties.

Koh Samui and the surrounding area is a home, business, holiday destination and paradise for everyone to enjoy and we can all do our part to help sustain the environment. One thing that is evident everywhere on the island is the amount of rubbish that is accumulated.

Now with more than 15,000 rooms for holidaymakers available on the island, rubbish can get quite bad, particularly in the busy areas. Chaweng and Lamai Beach are hotspots for messy streets. The local government does have a daily collection along the main roads, but there is still more we can do.

Although not official, there is some kind of recycling that goes on around Samui; you may well have seen it without even realising! Local Thais will travel around, usually on motorbikes, with a side car collecting cardboard, glass and other recyclable goods, which they then sell-on.

Keeping these goods separate from the normal rubbish does not only do well for the environment, you are helping keeping the economy going by giving locals a means for earning money.

Water shortage is a hot topic also at the moment and with this searing heat it is good to keep an eye on how much water is being wasted in your household/hotel room/villa. Simple things like reporting leaky taps, taking showers instead of baths and all the other things you do when in the west all add up to a brighter Samui.

Sonkran or the Thai New Year is now over and some of you out there might now be wondering what to do with the kids. There is a whole host of options and here is just a few.

The weather plays and integral part of what we do on the island and you need to be aware of the how damaging the sun can get. The beach is the most popular and normally the cheapest, but stay away from the peak 11AM – 3PM time and keep them well covered with lotion.

For the older kids there are clubs that entail many different activities from sailing, football and even golf for the budding Tiger Woods, or should I use someone else for that reference?

You can also take them for a little thrill by trying out Canopy Adventures in the north of the island where they get to fly from tree to tree on zip lines. Go-karting in Bo-phut or off-roading on quad bikes is great fun for the adults too, but check out the safety and insurance conditions before you let your child loose.

You’ve really got to ask yourself whether the tourism figures are as bad as what some people are making out. The current situation in Bangkok is undoubtedly having an affect, but to what lengths?

Thailand has been through this type of situation before, okay only in December 2008 when certain coloured shirt wearers managed to shut down the majority of the major airports in the country. It caused worldwide condemnation at how it could happen, but is it still affecting tourism numbers?

In 2003 the country was rocked by the SARS outbreak, in 2004 the tsunami struck on Boxing Day, 2006 saw yet another military coup and yet people are still coming, aren’t they?

A quick ride down any beach road in Samui should tell us, drive past The Islander in Chaweng or even Tropical Murphy’s and if they are empty then Samui is struggling, but my last trip past these places was not long ago and they seemed to be booming, or was that because it was Paddy’s day?

It is the law in Thailand for any persons riding on a motorbike, driver or passenger, to wear a crash helmet for their own safety. It does make perfect commonsense so why do we see many people, Thai, ex-pat and holidaymakers flouting this law? Because they can! The police will not randomly stop motorists, like they do in the west, and issue them with a fine and say you cannot move that bike until you have a helmet. Instead the police here give random spot checks and issue all those with no helmets a fine, but then let them get back on their bike and ride away.

In my eyes this is crazy for two reasons; why would you want to endanger your life by not wearing a crash helmet? And, why do the police not enforce this simple law? Samui is notorious for motorbike accidents and many people have died, though the accident was not their fault, through not wearing a helmet. Isn’t it about time that there was a campaign to make people wear their helmets? If not for their own sake, then for that of their loved ones that get left behind!