keestha

I strongly have the impression that this high season there are more western tourists in Phuket/Khao Lak/Krabi/Ranong than the previous years, it is difficult to find hotel rooms. But I don't know how places geared for Chinese/Koreans/Japanese are getting along.

I have sent you a PM.

Wondering what caused his condition. Mental trauma can result in memory loss, but so can alcohol abuse and also a very hard knock on the head.

Bus from Phuket town bus station to Had Yai, from there take a minivan to Penang. You'll be dropped right at Julia street, the local Khao San Road.

Khao Lak / rained just once the last 3 months. Overgrown empty plots of land behind me and in front of me, grass turned yellow, driest "winter" since 2001, hope everybody will burn trash / dispose of cigarette butts in a responsible way.

The girls also have to watch out a little bit. A number of years back I helped two women who were working for me to get started with Thailovelinks. The same guy (American living in Chiang Mai) instantly sent both of them an I am interested message, and both of them concluded on the spot he had to be an unreliable butterfly.

Nowadays all over Thailand it has become less common: people going around in salaengs (motorcycles with side car) selling the white home made ice cream, you can get it with white bread or with a wafer cone, and they can add sweetened condensed milk on top. Occasionally such a vendor passes by my place in Khao Lak, and if I see it I usually buy. You won't see this in like Patong I think, but you might still stumble across it in dwindling rural Phuket.

Sorry, nostalgia, I am going off topic. The OP was asking about branded ice cream.

If you book a hotel in Ao Nang, let them arrange it.

best thing since sliced bread,so sells out fast

Give me sllced bread any day...much more reliable..

I applied Kamagra all over desired area and..no reaction at all....

Oh dear, you and many other posters have my sympathy. I had no idea that erectile dysfunction was so common among our posters.

Must offer up a silent prayer and touch wood that I don't have any plumbing problems (yet).

Oh dear..i never said i did have ED myself..

So no ED visa.

OP, besides Phuket and Koh Samui you might also have a look at Hua Hin, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. They're all places with lots of entertainment and gyms. Why not make a small inspection tour before you decide where to stay?

This is a very old problem, AA's website randomly not accepting credit cards. Once a customer of mine had 2 credit cards issued by the same bank, AA's website rejected one but accepted the other one. Unbelievable they still seem to be unaware of the problem, or just unwilling to do something about it.

See this link.

Somebody whose short term memory has gone cannot be left alone for a moment. Once I had no other choice than escorting somebody back to the airport myself, the guy's short term memory was completely destroyed because of alcohol abuse. By speaking to him very forcefully I managed to keep him off the booze his last 2 days in Thailand. I had contacted his embassy (Austria) already, but of course they were not able to send somebody over to babysit him. At the airport I stayed with him till check in time, after which I released him into the care of Thai staff of the airline he would fly with, I had already explained them the situation.

If i would have left this guy alone at HKT, after 5 minutes he wouldn't have remembered anymore what he was supposed to do there.

I guess if somebody is at least sober, and like this Hungarian bloke doesn't really look like he is about to drop dead, checking in and boarding the aircraft shouldn't be a problem.

Somebody should contact his family, who could maybe pay some money which then can be used to pay somebody for watching over him till he boards the aircraft in a presentable state.

I am subscribed to a tsunami warning text message system, it is German based. When wherever in the world an earthquake occurs which could generate a tsunami, I receive a text message. Unfortunately the system cannot be programmed only to send out a text message when something could happen in a specific region, so it can happen that I am woken up by a text message alerting about a possible tsunami in Antarctica.

Excellent post OP. I am surprised and disappointed that even a pretentious and expensive facility like the Bangkok Phuket Hospital apparently doesn't stock the anti venom.

You don't want to die behind the wheel driving around stuck in traffic shopping around for this.

What about the availability at Red Cross posts, in many rural areas they are the only easily reached medical facilities, except for private clinics which are usually only open in the evening.

You might consider including Khao Lak in your Andaman coast travel plan. The town is nothing special, but the area is great to explore by scooter: a lot of remote beaches, and waterfalls in the hilly forested hinterland. From Khao Lak you can also make one day snorkeling trips to the Surin and Similan islands.

From Khao Lak it is only a short hop to Khao Sok national park, tropical rainforest, lots of walking trails.

I agree with previous posters that your schedule seems a bit stressed out, too many moves in a short period. In my backpacking days, I usually spent at least 2 and more likely 3 nights in each place, unless I instantly disliked it or couldn't find an affordable hotel.

Sigh....they even closed the local government run primary school now.

Island wide ban on privately using cars and motorcycles, and seeing to it there are enough tuktuks to meet all transport needs.

The OP might have meant bicycle. Doable in roughly a bit more than 2 days.

A friend of mine arrived at Phuket airport on January 19 on a flight from Berlin, and on presenting her passport with non imm B visa, the immigration officer asked her also to produce her work permit. I don't think this is official policy, just a smartaßß immigration officer doing his/her own thing, that's why I post here and not in the visa/work permit forum. The last thing I want to be is somebody starting a rumour, it is just that non imm B holders entering the Kingdom through HKT should be aware this can happen..

Today the telephone office and the post office in Khao Lak were closed, starting this afternoon, I was told by the staff still present there that they will remain closed till the present government resigns. Anything of the kind going on in Phuket?

Funny. The first Halpin thread, right after his arrest, was populated by regulars frequently posting in the Phuket forum, but this one has turned into a playing ground for out of towners.

People reading this thread might become afraid of traveling by bus in Thailand. They should be aware that theft frequently occurs on so called backpacker buses that take only tourists, not on normal buses which are used by Thai people.

Come on Aussie girls, cows? Clean your glasses most Russians chick are not that hot. OK saw some good looking ones but wait til that kid peeing in your pool from pool side that might change your outlook. Sent from my A200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

to many fat, tattooed, whitetrash aussie chicks down in patong right now..terrible..

Tattoos have become mainstream, nowadays also God fearing law abiding youngsters are getting themselves tattooed. Gone is the association with outlaw motorcycle gangs and people who have been in jail. I used to be put off by women sporting tattoos, but now not so much anymore.

The main touristy area is Ao Nang which is always very lively and full of the usual locals touting for your business,

Locals?? Walking down Ao Nang Beach Road you will constantly be harassed by Indians and Nepali who try to get you into their pizzeria's and tailor shops.