MissChris

Solar would be good in Phuket, however until you can feed into the grid, there's not much point. All you would really be doing is heating water. When one considers that the only hot water used is in the shower, it's minimal. Some showers have their own solar anyway - the pipes get very hot during the middle of the day, so you'll have hot water whether you turn the heater on or not.

Wind power is pretty irresponsible when it comes to wildlife. Birds, particularly raptors, are often killed by them. Microbats simply can't work them out & tend to fly into the blades. Lots of chewy stuff on the ground.

Just returned home from Phuket

Stayed at the Friendship Beach Resort at Rawai. Restaurant there had a wide range of food. Loved the pork spare ribs. They had anything from egg sandwich for lunch to beautiful breakfast menu.

Service is great, Eat dinner there & the chef is more than likely to come and ask you how it is.

Kept my 86 year old mother busy, eating her way through the lot.

It's also nice & close to Villa Market. Son was grumbling about having my fix 2 days after I arrived. HE ate the french camembert in one day. And the next one as promptly. 500 Bt each.

Thanks

Trying to avoid that

Does anyone know where there is a rubbish tip in Chalong for lots of yachtie garbage?

everpure.com.au

Based in Sydney NSW Australia, they no doubt will be most happy to post you one. (Google is my friend)

One method of improving tourists' knowledge of the dangers of the surf is to put information on incoming planes. The technology exists, with the mandatory aircraft safety information being showed on video on some airlines, rather than by bored attendants. Plenty of opportunity to insert a shirt video there.

There are repeated press issues about tourists being unaware of the dangers of the surf. Particularly now that incoming planes to Australia no longer have this information available. Dunno why. Clearly don't care.

One university which has many overseas students has two courses which are mandatory for overseas students - 'Safety in the Bush' & 'Safety in the Surf'.

Nah! It's me when I was little

I want one! The old one, that is.

AKA 'a three wheeled mayhem maker'

Good point, lemoncake.

The other issue about having an interpreter is that it is extraordinarily difficult to get the story even if the interpreter is very skilled. They need to be able to interpret the actual words said. Interpretation can be hampered by accents in one or both languages they are using. The person making decisions based on what is said may miss some of the nuances.

I've seen a Chinese person in court, unrepresented, with an interpreter. It was actually the Queensland Court of Criminal Appeal, where you would expect the judges to have some brains about it. However, there were comments that the applicant appeared to understand some of what was said and they felt that he was being manipulative by requiring an interpreter! The interpreter herself clearly had little experience with the legal system, making it even more confusing. Certainly, there might be a bit of an advantage in being able to collect one's thoughts while there is interpretation happening. It's a small thing amongst the huge disadvantages.

I have also done a practice interview about a legal matter with a Chinese person using a trainee Chinese interpreter. The whole class were quite dismayed at how little information we could glean from the 'client'. In fact, it was almost impossible to work out what they were trying to convey.

This is not a reflection on interpreters. It's a philosophical comment on the difficulty with the concept that one can do direct interpretation from one language to another and that there is an equivalence.

I don't blame Dokset for refusing to go ahead without a proper interpreter. I am told that, under pressure, newly acquired language simply dissolves. Shame the case has been put back another 5 months. Must be almost unendurable.

Happy Days has the Sunday roast. Big green & white sign.

There are a few restaurants around the pier road. Indian. And one overlooking the bay that has a sensational view & beautiful setup. This is an area of dive shops, so food is no doubt attractive to starving divers returning from an energetic day.

There's also Jimmy's with another stunning view.

You can stagger up the road to Villa Market if you are desperate for an incredible array of Western food from all over the world. But then, you're going there to get away from Western food & entertainment

The Naka markets have an incredible array of Thai food. Best to go with a Thai person to help you choose. Pad Thai for 35 Baht. The roadside noodle shops are great for dinner, even if us primitives drink the soup as well. There's Issan food on the main road west from the Chalong circle. Near the plant nursery. If only I could take those orchids home!

Aaaaah! Can't wait! 26 more sleeps & it's Nakita's, Natural and all the above.The Big Buddha to check on progress. Elephants, elephants, elephants. Ya Nui & Nai Harn beaches. Smiling faces. Big Russian women laying about the beach in bikinis who make me feel like Twiggy. Yay!

So why not give these kids a gift - compliment them on their excellent English, encourage them to learn to speak it as clearly as possible as well as to understand falangs. Especially us Aussies They will, despite their lack of a formal education, be employable in lots of areas in Phuket if their English is good. Better still if they learn to write it while they are young and their brains take on learning really quickly.

If you see these kids regularly, why not stop and talk to them? Encourage correct English. Maybe pull out a pen & paper and teach them to write it. Make them feel good about themselves, rather than the object of derision & pity.

great idea, teach them a bit of "OUSSIE" bush lingo, how far to the next waterin hole mate? orr, i dunno just down road there to the 3rd cattle grid and take a bit of a left turn onto the other track

what part of 'understand' is a problem for you?

So why not give these kids a gift - compliment them on their excellent English, encourage them to learn to speak it as clearly as possible as well as to understand falangs. Especially us Aussies They will, despite their lack of a formal education, be employable in lots of areas in Phuket if their English is good. Better still if they learn to write it while they are young and their brains take on learning really quickly.

If you see these kids regularly, why not stop and talk to them? Encourage correct English. Maybe pull out a pen & paper and teach them to write it. Make them feel good about themselves, rather than the object of derision & pity.

We needn't be too arrogant about Phuket Zoo. Our zoos all over the western world were just the same or worse 50 years ago. In fact even more recently, tigers were kept in appalling cages in Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney, Australia. None of the animals had the human contact that those at Phuket Zoo get. It's sad to see elephants chained, but at least they are not on their own or with only a couple of others, which western zoos think is acceptable.

If you want to see a crocodile farm, OP, take a flight to Australia. There's heaps. Including huge adults you could probably have your photo taken with

When I stayed in Karon 4 years ago the hotel manager was Burmese. Brilliant service too. I've also come across a Burmese waiter in Chalong a couple of years ago.

I have observed, watching over the back fence, over a couple of weeks, the appalling conditions under which Burmese construction workers slave away. Some really dumb stuff, too, like painstakingly picking up construction rubble which could have been dealt with much more intelligently. Then there was the painter, on top of the 4 storey bamboo scaffolding, standing on his tippy toes to reach where he needed to paint. Nothing to stop him falling. Disgraceful.

I found it sad that they never looked up. Probably used to people scowling at them. I just wanted to wave & say hello. My Thai daughter in law is frightened of them.

BTW OP I'm seriously jealous that you're sitting in Nakitas & I'm stuck in Australia, in flooding rain, awaiting my next visit. Soon

No spot for dobbing in family members.

and I wonder whether the injured will have to sit in their corrugated iron camps all day & night till their injuries are healed.

No doubt there's no pay for Burmese people if they can't work...

So which is safer ? sidecar or

That one's not moving

no blue rinses allowed]

Bugger. That's me out then.

me too

What's the problem?

I'll just have the little black dress on I don't want to bring my kids (only because they're all big & ugly enough to find their own fun) & I'm happy to travel all over the island.

Just don't have the Tardis or a broomstick for other times...

and I'd LOVE to meet some TV regulars

Try this thread

Another Great Ad In The Pg

sounds like just what you want

Make it between 2 & 15 April & I'll be there with my best frock on

I suspect that one of the reporters at the paper may have a bit too much time up his/her sleeves.

or reading 'Jabberwocky' while smoking illicit substances

They are practicing for the new Airport 120 Baht bus

Ah! You mean they are practising anti-Tuk-Tuk patrols?

Like this, were they?:

Imagine the expressions on those thugs' faces at those choppers bearing down on them

Interested to see the map of Rawai, with street names, including a name for each soi. Expanded all over Phuket, it might save those long-winded directions or latitude & longitude one is wont to use.

And as an aside about Russians in Phuket...I LOVE them on the beach. Especially the older women in bikinis. Makes me feel positively anorexic in comparison.

RIP to the poor man who died alone whatever the cause