redbaron

Shit mate I've seen heaps of Aussies in Phuket, as well as the other usual tourist towns. Go Bombers.

A few lads were talking about this very topic today at work (lots of LOS fans there) and the general consensus was PR, as a reaction to a bit of bad press Thailand, and Phuket in general has had of late.

doesn't work here with my "usual" bookmarked link, nor a google search, care to share a link which works, if that's in line with forum rules?

As said - facebook can be a great tool for keeping in touch with people you haven't seen in a while and, I guess this is relevant to people who travel a bit - incl LOS, people who live on the other side of the world/different countries etc. That's the main reason I signed up - having said that there are a lot of people who feel compelled to comment on each and every aspect of their lives, "share" articles I couldn't give a rats arse about, and constantly keep me and copious amounts of "friends" updated with the most mundane aspects of their lives.

Apart from recent LOS holiday snaps and updates (Feb - March), and one or two gags, I could count the number of my own "Status Updates" on one hand for this year... easy. People waffle on. that's why facebook works...

http://www.infochoice.com.au/banking/savings-account/rams/rams-saver/24819

I like the idea that I can spend my days and nights doing something other than scouring rows of data on a laptop, but that's just me. For some, I suspect that the prospect of Forex or share trading is as much about finding something to fill in their days when they retire - fortunately, I've discovered fast women and slow horses.

Thanks for that link. Are those Gov't. insured accounts ? Is it the same as the USA, where the FDIC will always pay back your money if there is a problem?

No - RAMS is a non-bank lender and not covered by the Federal Government's Guarantee scheme from what I can see on this page:

http://www.guaranteescheme.gov.au/guaranteed-liabilities/

I don't believe this scheme was ever designed to do anything more than assure Australians with bank accounts that they weren't going to wake up to the same headlines as those seen in the UK, Ireland and Europe. Any investment - however 'low risk' - needs to be researched thoroughly. I posted that link after someone mentioned earlier that his friend is getting 5% pa in Oz - when the Bank of England is no longer seen as 'impregnable', I dont see any investment as 100% risk free.

According to RAMS they are guaranteed http://www.rams.com.au/savings-account/

Their FAQ's state that since their savings accounts are issued by Westpac they are covered. Westpac bought RAMS out a few years ago. When I opened mine, Westpac assured me it was covered, and I did all my ID etc at my local Westpac Branch.

Got an email account this morning about it - but I'm hardly a BIG member(?) - I have only taken one flight with them - BKK-HKT early this year.

Anyone know how long the water festivities last in Phuket? Will likely be going next year (2014) and the lady who owns our favourite guesthouse says just a day or 24hrs - have heard it goes for a week or two in some parts (Pattaya etc). A day would be quite fun, but it would get old fast if it went for too long.

Thanks

Have bought a few lenses through fotofile in MBK, Bangkok. The staff have been good and haven't had an issue with the lenses. The prices are a lot better than down here, especially with the 7% VAT refund for tourists, but we (Aussies) really do get shafted when it comes to top end lenses - Tamron and Sigma not so much though.

The US seems cheap, have bought a few things from B&H and Adorama with no dramas.

Enjoy the 650 - looks a good thing.

Morning all,

Have been a frequent visitor to LOS for over a decade now. Am on a number of forums with the same username and signature, and have met up with a lot of great people through these forums.

Settled in Melbourne, big fan of photography (Canon) and travelling...

Happy Easter everybody.

Red