@Alastair *******************
Samui is 2x Paris in size.
Prices are waaaaaay cheaper. You can still find a decent house in Samui for 10K฿. In Paris, you got an underground parking spot for that price if you are lucky 🤣.
Even if you live in Tokyo or New-York or in a small village in Issan, at the end, you stay near your accommodation / neighbourhood most of the time.
For example, Parisians don't go visit the Eiffel Tower everyday.
The only thing that embarrass me with living in Samui is not the size of the island itself, but the options to get out of the island. Flights are expensive (especially if you don't have a resident card), and in peak season, planes are fully booked. Not cool if you have an emergency.