womble

One big mistake for Big C from the start was to have all virtually all the same shops downstairs as in Tesco already. KFC, MK etc etc. Had they gone for completely different shops eg sizzler, Hachiban (mmm), it would have helped them a lot.

Personally I always shop Big C, Tesco far too crowded and too much walking for me.

I really can't see why Big C is such a flop with the Thais. Is it more expensive?

This could be solved so easily, they could set up a course with bouys that riders must follow in one direction only.

Obviously it will never happen.

No one should hire Jet ski's, the opperators are some of the nastiest people on this island, constantly scamming tourists for damage to jet skis that never happens.

All with the help of the tourist police.

Jet ski operators/tourist police = scum!

None of the boats from Samui have a clue how to fish, they bottom fish with tiny hooks, using dead bait cut up squid, this will catch only small reefies, unless your lucky and a barracuda or trevaley picks up the bait.

The only boats I can recommend are based in Koh Tao, one of them is run by a member of this forum, Jai dam. He catches small Marlin, sailfish, king mackerel, not large in size compared to the size they get in certain parts of the world, but on light tackle they will put up a great fight.

IF you hire a boat make sure it has a livebait tank and that it is well stocked for the trip.

No live baits and you might aswell forget it.

Oh and the number of times I have been promised by skippers in samui that they will go and get livebaits for a trip and then I turn up and the tank is empty. I then refuse to get on the boat which often leaves them a little unhappy.

Well thats there fault for promising and then thinking they can get away with being lazy. Ok some times you can't always catch the livebaits, in which case I tell the skipper to let me know beforehand so we can go another day, nearly always they lie on the phone and say everything ok.

Unfortunatley for them first thing I do when I get on the boat is inspect the livebait tank. IF it's empty, see you later!!!

Send Jai Dam a PM for info on fishing around Koh Tao.

IF anyone is interested in spearfishing let me know, some good fish can be had around samui when the water is clear.........I get more fish spearfishing than on rod and line.........

A friend of mine was staying in Chaweng and the five days he was here he sat on the beach outside his resort. In the five days he saw the same jet ski operator pull the same scam 3 times!!!

The old trick where they make out the jet ski is damaged then claim money from the customer when infact no damage was caused. It's impossible that jet skis could be damaged so often, this scam has been going on for years, but I find it amazing that they have the cheek to pull the scam so frequently.

For the love of common sense! It has already been stated why the police are there, they have a nationally advertised police workout campaign running right now. GAS CHAMBERS?! I really am a laughing man at the moment.

Think the invasion of CW is only a temp thing, once they figure out it's full of gay guys.

You obviously havent been there and seen the cute girls that walk around. Nice eye candy i must say.. the more gay guys the more girls are free.

those girls like their men young...

We're not all silver surfers!

anyone know who won the election?

Fear not, my friend has a diner dance evening in bophut, a carwash night with 70's and 80's music + great food!!!!

It's meant for expats and quality tourists so PM me for details..............

It should be a blast....

radio 1 launches today, 5pm-midnights, 101.65fm

It's a temple, the monks would definatley not allow fishing.........

I agree though it would be good!

Funny how they say she dissappeared not that she is on the run.

Maybe her collegues caught up with her and took matters into their own hands....

I think it's almost impossible to compare and contrast as the parties don't seem to have any solid ideology that stays the same. They chop and change like the wind. Parties are just places where mafia/police/army/vested business interests can join together easily in order to systimatically pillage the country. They lie to the people about the good they will do (just like everywhere else in the world), to secure the vote that will get them into power.

Members of parties regulary cross the floor and jump from the sinking ship to which ever ship has more favourable winds and a good forecast at the time. The Demorcrat party has been around for a long time, most other parties often last no more than a year or two and are created by clans that group together and create factions where the nations most corrupt squabble together continually fighting over how to carve up the pie. Each faction never being happy with the size of their slice...........

He's probably down at the internet cafè gloating upon his worldwide fan club!!

I hope everything works out well and that Womble will keep us up to date about his new home.

I shall post some pics of him enjoying his first bone from our bbq.........

You must start plan to make a businesslike move.

To get to be a employee for major resorts , you must have:

1. University degree.

2. 5+ experience

3 Be prepared to work for 50.000 bt/month.

Just to get work permit, compete with 20 something from UK--US and other ones.

If you can speak 5+ languages you have a better chance.

Forget about being a English teacher, there's one TEFL teacher for every ten falang without job.

Sorry to bring your spirit down,

Come here and fix a job before you move, I did.

Is it realistic for us to find jobs in Samui ??

Sorry, No, unless

If you speak 5+ languages, have Resort management+3 years and can take a 50.000Bt?month salary

I just about speak English and order a beer in Thai !!!

wasnt setting my standards high.... was thinking bars / restraunts something that would benefit from a british employee...

well like i said i will have enough cash to stay for 6 months so if it turns out to be an extended holiday then so be it ...

not throwing the towell in yet though my friend

Most bars employ Thai's as bar staff as they work for 6-8k per month. Some have farang managers but they normally employ people who have lived on the island a while as they know lots of people and they can help bring in business. Most get a small salary of around 20k unless they are really good and work in one of the bigger bars in which case they may get 40 or 50k, sometimes even more.

Unless you have lots of experiance I doubt you will find much.

I would think it's pretty unrealistic to think you and your gf could both find jobs that pay enough to support both of you in comfort.

What are your skills? what jobs have the pair of you worked in uk before?

As a foreigner it,s not possible to have a internetbankaccount but for Thai people there are. I don´t understand this. When I am outside Thailand I can not look at my account on internet. I can´t make payment to people or company from my bankaccount when I am abroad. This is bad service from Thai Banks.

not true, I have internet banking at SCB and Kasikorn......

Kasikorn is better. I also have an online card (no tangible card, but all the details and no's to do online transactions), very handy.

Think of Bung Sam Lan as a driving range. Pop down in the evening have some dinner delivered to your hut and catch 20+ fish over 20kgs in just 2-3 hrs, it's a great place to practise your skills and perhaps lighten your tackle so when you hook into a biggie in more challenging surroundings the skills learnt their may help you.

Knock the place all you want, but it cannot be denied there are some monsters in there and the average size of most fish is truly astounding. Personally I prefer fishing the reservoirs or seafishing, but Bung Sam Lan is a lake like no other I know worldwide. A great place to take kids, begginners and non fishers, certainly different than a few hours spent in the bars and a pretty good workout those meckongs do provide.....

Fisherman and spearfisherman based in Samui, if anyone ever fancies a spot of fishing locally PM me. Have my own 16ft with 90hp thats good for 4-6 people.

How about in Chiang Mai?

Anyone here know where the shops are. So far I can only find one on Kaow Narrawat. And it is primarily a mobile phone store.

I love fly fishing.........anybody ever see a fly rod/reel in Thailand?

Seafishing wise......

I know a spot that has bonefish and many large milkfish very hard to catch on fly though!!!

River fishing can be good for blah gasoop and blah wien (thai mahseer), the reservois can be good for blah chon and Shado, the strike from these fish is great.

Baramundi fishing with fly can be good fun too in the right lakes, not the stock ponds.

Never seen fly fishing stuff stocked here, Singapore has some good stuff though.

I buy my stuff almost exclusively through the internet.

There's small group of expats who spear here, wondering who else enjoys a little underwater hunting.

I have recently purchased a Hummingbird GPS fish finder for my boat, I normally go from the mainland near to Koh Samet/Koh Mun there is some good fishing around there especially going out to sea a little farther some monster swordfish Spanish mackerel and shark, I have been told there are also marlin around there.

When I find an area that has great fish I can record and return to the spot but as yet I cannot find a download of maps of the area to install on the unit, does anyone know?

Also I used to have nautical maps of the area from the admiralty which I bought in Amsterdam those are gone does anyone know where they can be purchased on line?

Swordfish are not found in the gulf, it's too shallow. They arn't really found in any Thai waters, you need water over 500, deep and to find that it's around 20hrs from mainland. Most of gulf is no more than 80m deep Marlin can be caught tho usually under 50kg.

Best way is to hire a kayak and head out to the headlands, watch out for the rips though!

Cast towards the rocks, small poppers or soft plastics work best. Expect to catch small queenfish, baracuda, groupers and trevalleys, not GT though.

Anywhere with a little coral is best, fish light, with braid and the lightest leader you can, longtom are easy to catch and fun on light tackle, you need a thick leader or they will bite you off.

I've been following this thread since the start..............

so I made the trip up there, you don't know what your'e missing, it's not a club, it's a trendy chilled out bar. I've seen where the pool is going and can't wait to get in it.

I advise all to make the effort to see for yourselves, you will not be disappointed, this is a unique place that anyone would want to visit.

It's not the easiest place to get to, but once you get there u will not want to leave.

By the way the Mojitos are superb!!!!

Some of you need to get out more...................

Perhaps, instead of "following this thread", you should have READ it!

Do you ever follow the news?

However.......

I think you will find the correct internet terminology is "lurked" the thread............. ie. I'm a lurker.

I've been following this thread since the start..............

so I made the trip up there, you don't know what your'e missing, it's not a club, it's a trendy chilled out bar. I've seen where the pool is going and can't wait to get in it.

I advise all to make the effort to see for yourselves, you will not be disappointed, this is a unique place that anyone would want to visit.

It's not the easiest place to get to, but once you get there u will not want to leave.

By the way the Mojitos are superb!!!!

Some of you need to get out more...................

From the sea it must be one of the ugliest develpements on the island. Not sure which has damagd the look of the island more, Coco developement or the concrete monstrocity on the hill in north chaweng.

There MUST be a public figure on road deaths on Samui!!!

Communities figures were rubbish. Every month they said around 4 or 5 died, normally 1 tourist. Some months I knew personally of over 12 deaths, one time 4 were in 1 car (Thai), then two farangs dies on a bike and another farang dies on another bike. Community said 4 dies that month and mpst accidents occured around 630 pm adn most accidents involved employed males. I think they got the last two things right, but the figures for deaths were a complete fabrication.

I heard from 1 person that one reason for the false figures is they only include those dead at the scene or maybe those taken to the government hospital.

who knows................

Love him or hate him, I do have some pity for the man.

It seems that not only do they wish to destroy him, but eat him until there is nothing left.

This Thaksin thing has become a witch hunt and maybe it is time to just call it a day, as surely Mr Thaksin is not the only corrupt politician in the world.

He hasn't given up trying to get back into politics (in order to get back his 76 billion), so why should they leave it?