Koh Samui’s ferry pier gets a much-needed makeover

After a year of soaking rains and blistering sun, travellers at Koh Samui’s main ferry pier can finally say goodbye to their weather woes. The Nathon Pier is getting its roofs back and relief for passengers is just days away.

Narobb Tuaycharoen, a member of Nakhon Samui’s municipal council, confirmed today, November 28, that workers had started installing metal sheets on one of the two long roof structures.

“The repairs should be completed within a week, or before the end of the year at the latest.”

Nathon Pier, often dubbed the “capital” of Koh Samui, is the island’s vital hub, connecting it to Surat Thani and other destinations via ferries and speedboats. However, the gateway’s 200-metre-long walkways have been roofless since December 2022, leaving passengers at the mercy of the elements.

This saga began when a contractor, hired by the Marine Department with a whopping budget of 212 million baht, removed the old roofs in 2021. While the project was supposed to be finished by December last year, work ground to a mysterious halt, leaving skeletal structures exposed for over a year.

Fed up, the municipality intervened, securing approval from the Marine Department to complete the abandoned job.

While the new roofs come as a welcome improvement, questions linger about the contractor’s failure to deliver. For now, though, island visitors and locals can look forward to a more comfortable experience at Koh Samui’s bustling maritime gateway, reported Bangkok Post.

In related news, Pattaya’s ambitious project to build a 310-metre roof over the Bali Hai Pier walkway is finally approaching completion but not without drama. Initially set to finish in March, the 8.8-million-baht project hit a series of delays, leading to hefty fines for the contractor.

In other news, a Swedish man reportedly jumped from a ferry into the sea near Koh Chang, an island in the southeastern province of Trat. The man was rescued in time but was in serious condition.