long klong

>>while others criticized the westerner for failing to agknowledge the difference between private transport options (such as tuk tuks and taxis) and public transport options (such as sawng taeos) which they pointed out are available in Phuket for between B20 to B40 per trip.

Perhaps the people criticizing the guy should inform the rest of us how we can get a 20-40 baht ride from Kata beach to a nearby hotel. I'm sure most of the tourists visiting would also like to know this.

The same situation exists in Laguna. Tourists with children walking back in the rain from Cherngtalay to their hotels. It's awful. No transport available. Amazing for a great holiday resort. Many of these tourists will never come back. Why can't they have mini vans like in Hong Kong plying along designated routes? Maybe the Laguna taxi mafia will not allow that to happen - absolutely incredible!

Why there is no news about the Sen.Sgt.Maj (immigration) who was hit on the head according an earlier report?

Bang Tao Beach without a doubt. . Stay in any of the hotels in Laguna. Try Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort or Angsana, both directly on the beach. Some good bargains on hotel rates in May as it is low season.

http://www.lagunaphuket.com/

Yes we have lived in Laguna for the past 16 years and fully support the above recommendation. The Dusit Hotel is very children friendly and has a nice pool for kids which will be useful when swimming is not allowed in the sea due to high tides. Enjoy your holiday.

Why does Soidog employ foreign vets when so many Thai vets are available? Are the foreign vets related to the people who run Soidog and they give this chance to them to come to Phuket and have a nice holiday - air fare paid, fancy accommodation with pool and car provided. Not a bad life!

Many of Soi dog rescue's "employees" are volunteers. Foreign vets are not paid to come here are not given 5* holidays. Please get your facts right before posting misinformation

Are you working for Soi dog foundation? . If so, in what capacity? My facts are absolutely correct. How many private cars are registered with Soidog foundation and who drives them? How many Soidog Thai employees also do private chores for Soidog management?

Why does Soidog employ foreign vets when so many Thai vets are available? Are the foreign vets related to the people who run Soidog and they give this chance to them to come to Phuket and have a nice holiday - air fare paid, fancy accommodation with pool and car provided. Not a bad life!

Wonder when Thailand realises it's not the centre of the universe but a small poor nation in the middle of 3 3rd world countrys in Asia.

Excuse me, the plural of country is countries and the disparaging description "third -world' countries has been obsolete for a long time. It has been replaced with "developing" countries and in some cases "emerging" countries. If you think you come from a "developed" country, then I am sorry to say you display a pretty underdeveloped cultural sensitivity which means you must be terribly unhappy here. One wonders why you continue to stay in Thailand?

Go to a nearby 4 or 5 star hotel and ask to see the Head Housekeeper. Tell he what you need and what you will pay and she will find someone from her team who wants some extra hours or someone that worked for her before and wants full time (if that's what you need). You will therefor get someone who is trained to clean, makes beds like a demon and knows what laundry should look like when it comes back from the cleaners. You'll pay a little bit more but the standard is so much higher. You may need to tell her which way you want your toilet roll to run though if your have OCD.

Thank you for suggestion. We just called on the Housekeeper of a nearby hotel and she has offered to help. BTW we are looking for a live in maid. We are in the Laguna area.

I wonder if someone here can help. What's the best way to find a maid in Phuket? We called The Nanny Agency but their telephone number on their website which is 5 years old is inactive. Thanks.

I've lived in both quite recently.

Climate:

Needless to say, Bangkok is warmer, but to the point that it is too hot most of the time.

In Barcelona the weather is quite nice most of the year, and you get all four seasons. Winters are MUCH colder than Bangkok.

Cost of living:

Housing in the mid-range segment is quite similar cost-wise i.e. a 2BR apartment with terrace in Barcelona can be around 1000€ (40.000THB). But you will not find a condo for 150€ like you might in Bangkok. So at the very lower end, Barcelona cannot compete with BKK. I would say that in Barcelona you have to spend at least 400-500€ on rent per month, whereas in Bangkok you can get away with much less.

Food. Most groceries are cheaper in Barcelona (beer 0.50€, serrano ham 2€), you can buy wine and cheese for a fraction of the price of Bangkok.

Dining out will typically cost between 8-20€ so obviously Bangkok is cheaper in that sense, but keep in mind that we are comparing apples to oranges (different food, quality, and service).

In Barcelona you can usually have a pint for 3€. An imported IPA for 5€.

Shopping (clothes, electronics) is cheaper in Barcelona.

Activities:

Barcelona - coastal city with beach and mountains.

You can go hiking the nearby mountains and jogging/walking in the city all year round, and from April-September the beach is right at your doorstep if you live in Barceloneta area. Overall, Barcelona is quite a beautiful city, with nice architecture, small narrow alleys with lots of character. The local metro system is very easy to use, covers the city well and costs 1€ per ride.

Bangkok - I honestly don't think there is that much to do in Bangkok except eat, drink and have fun with the local ladies. The city is also not that easy on the eye and typically smells really bad. Weekend trips sure, but that gets old fast.

Overall I would say that for me Barcelona is the winner (I live in Bangkok currently though). But if you are into nightlife and the whole lady-scene, then that changes the equation quite a bit.

Try the Rembrandt Hotel, restaurant is on the 23rd floor, great views at night and has a balcony for a fag or breather.

Book in advance for a good table.

Rang Mahal is definitely among the top Indian restaurants in Thailand. But it is very expensive - not what Op asked. Don't know cheaper ones in Bangkok but am delighted that Phuket now has one that serves good food at reasonable prices - Little Prince at Pasak Soi1. Raj is the chef and owner and is assisted by several family members. The atmosphere is simple - no frills- but it's not cheap!

What religion or culture teaches that dogs should be treated at a higher level than one's neighbors?

I visited a friend the other day at very nice residential community and his neighbor has adopted seven soi dogs who bark and howl intermittently. My friend told me that the couple are known to save soi dogs which is fine with him. But why keep them at his home?

He has complained many times for disturbing their sleep. He will now take legal action on grounds of public nuisance law. I want to know what is with these people? Don't they realize that they are being terrible neighbors and putting their love of dogs above common courtesy and good neighborly relations? Oh, by the way they are English!

Does the Phuket Immigration office charge 300 baht for certifying the residential address required for renewal of Driving license? A friend said he was asked to pay but got no receipt.

This kind of survey is very subjective. Sadly the London cabbie standard has gone down a lot. There is no age limit. The driver of the cab we took on arrival on Euro train from Paris turned out to be a cantankerous octogenarian who hated practically everyone driving on the road! Also the cab drivers do not help you with the luggage (they are not supposed to do so). It's certainly not an "uplifting" transportation experience! Must be pretty bad for the unwary tourists. Maybe it's because traffic is pretty bad in the Westend. The cab drivers around Hampsted Heath are more relaxed and fun to talk with! Surprising that Paris is included in the list. Our experience has always been good. The problem in Paris are waiters not cab drivers!

There has been a repeated mention of $1 billion "profit" to Thailand from private hospitals, implying that they are charitable organizations and spend all their profit on public welfare. This profit goes straight into the pockets of the shareholders. Would the government allow the electricity, water and telephone companies also to charge such exorbitant prices?

Health services also come under essential needs and until such time that the government can offer a reasonably high- standard universal public health service in clean hospitals (such as in U.K) it must regulate the private hospitals to prevent price gouging and sheer exploitation.

A couple of people who have said that we have a choice not to use private hospitals are either apologists for these hospitals or are trying to feel important and showing off their money which they have acquired in Thailand! They are talking like high class privileged people, a status they never enjoyed in their home country!

My wife's experience needing ESWL treatment for kidney stones was that the big American hospital in BKK was at least 6 times cheaper than what we would have paid in the US.

Two sessions of ESWL 80k THB for first session, 20k THB for second (plus some incidental's total 120k) In the US it would have easily cost over 500k THB for the same treatment.

We went to at least five different hospitals, some suggesting two nights stay, others suggesting treatment for over a month. We ended back at my first choice (wife had to shop around) and found it to be the best option.

The experienced Urologist we found laughed and said one treatment with a second follow-up in three days to ensure the stone was removed.

I would find it very difficult to believe the private hospitals in Bangkok come anywhere close to the US costs.

It may well be 6 times cheaper than the USA. However, the USA is well know for being extremely expensive for medical care compared with the rest of the world.

I recently got medical insurance worldwide except N America. To include N America would have more than doubled the cost of the policy.

Please stop comparing every thing with America. That's what the doctors and hospitals are doing. Thailand is not America. Your comparison hurts people who are retired here. You may be a visitor and consider the charges moderate compared with the U.S. But people who live here have to shell out six times more money because of frivolous comparisons.

Far too many cases of sheer exploitation of people's distress is becoming a legend in Phuket. It is now one of the main topics of discussion on social occasions - bringing a very bad name to the medical profession and Thailand. One recent case - a worried couple were charged 4,500 baht by the small clinic at Laguna (canal village) for five-minute "treatment" of a young child who had been stung by a jelly fish on the beach at the Outrigger resort. The parents told everyone that the shock of the bill was almost as much as the incident on the beach

The Thai mantra, is greed.

That pretty much sums it up.

It use to be "cheaper " but from personal experience I find it is the same if not more expansive now.

Shoulder surgery Bkk Hospital- close to 500k

Shoulder surgery in Sydney Australia, private room -$16000,close to 500k

The only competitive prices remain is the physio and dental, everything else is about the price of Western countries

Even dental charges are going up fast while the quality of service is going down sharply. At one "International" hospital the head dentist had to send back a crown to Bangkok three times as it did not fit properly. Instead of apologizing for the delay and prolonged discomfort, he charged the patient for the extra time on top of already exaggerated fees!

I think it's all here http://www.siam-lega...ransfer-tax.php

Thank you... Are any of these taxes/costs shared by the buyer?

I dont have an agent, looking to sell on my own and then just hire a lawyer for the transactions.

Actually you do not need a lawyer for selling the condo, it's as simple as the buyer and seller turning up at the land office and doing the transfer. Of course, having a reliable lawyer may be useful if there are any complications, but beware that many so called lawyers in Thailand are more likely to cheat you than help you.

There are fees that the land office that are technically the responsibility of the seller, and fees that are the responsibility of the buyer. It's common practice in Thailand for buyer and seller to just split all the fees down the middle. Only the land office can tell you exactly what the fees will come to, but in my experience condo transfer always seems to be unexpectedly cheap, at least compared to houses.

The condo management will need to give you a document before you can make the transfer.

Good luck, I have sold a few myself in my time in Thailand and it's always been easy enough. The best advice is that whatever else you do, ensure that you have cleared funds before you allow the transfer of the title. A cashiers check is good. If you accompany the buyer to his/her bank and witness the cashiers check being handed over to the seller then you know it's real. The seller should hand you the check in the land office when the chanote is ready for transfer. The land office know the drill and actually very helpful in my experience.

I never get involved with deposits (when buying or selling) other then perhaps a 10k good faith deposit, preferring instead to do the whole thing at the land office in one go, this in my opinion does away with the need for a lawyer.

What happens when you go to your bank to deposit the cashier's check and the buyer has already emptied the money in his account?

BREAKING NEWS

In response to furious protest by parents to the increase in fees, the School has now sent a letter offering the following concessions:

It will now give a discount of 4% instead of the usual 2% if the fees are paid in full at the beginning of the academic year instead of paying before each term.

It says further: "The Board of Trustees wishes to 'reafirm' that it has adopted a not-for-profit status." !!!

No comment is needed except to say that not a single student in the School's entire history has made it to Oxbridge or Iyy league universities. Considering

the above response, it's not surprising!!

-

Anyone care to refute that this rise is due to inflation?

Dear KarenBravo,

I have a feeling you know that the increase is not due to inflation and are simply seeking a reaffirmation!! None of the major components of the school's expenditure has gone up.

1. The teachers and staff salaries have not gone up.

2. The electricity and water bills have not shot up.

3. The cost of landscape and and gardening is about the same.

4. The school claims that they need the money for "improvements". Well these should be paid from the capital budget as it enhances the value of the property.

5. The school doesn't pay rent. It had received large sums of money from an international organization to support the cost of building.

What are the other components of the overall expenditure that have gone up?

The only thing that has gone up is GREED!

Best regards

Consequences of greed:

1.Teachers are complaining that though the school has arbitrarily increased fees by 8.3%, their salaries have not gone up!

2. Another cause for dissatisfaction among the staff is the demand that they split the money they make from private lessons with the school. Some teachers have been augmenting their salaries by coaxing or even coercing kids into taking lessons. Instead of stopping this practice the school thought of the "innovative" idea - share in the gain!

3. As an increasing number of new teachers are only accept the job offer at present salaries if their kids (1-3) are given free education, this will further deteriorate an already existing bad situation. There are far too many children of teachers at school and this leads to some very awkward and ugly situations., especially as Thai teachers are not allowed this privilege even though their salaries are far less than half of expatriate salaries.

I have a friend that is an admin at an international school in Bangkok. The reason schools raise their fee is because.........they can. That "one time payment" that is made when you enroll a child in an international school is to prevent parents from changing schools, the logic being if you paid all that money for the one time fee, you won't be taking your child out of that school to pay another one time fee in another. Education here is a business enterprise first, and an institution of learning second.

Another similar trick they use is Credit Points for each year the child is at school. So if a child spends all his/her young life from Nursery to year Ten, the accumulated points (say worth 150,00 baht ) can be offset against the fee for Year Eleven. It cannot be used any earlier than that!! Ostensibly they call it helping the parents who have been paying these hefty fees for years, but the real intent is to bind the students to the school till Year Eleven!

Error: 150,000 baht (not 150,00 baht)

I have a friend that is an admin at an international school in Bangkok. The reason schools raise their fee is because.........they can. That "one time payment" that is made when you enroll a child in an international school is to prevent parents from changing schools, the logic being if you paid all that money for the one time fee, you won't be taking your child out of that school to pay another one time fee in another. Education here is a business enterprise first, and an institution of learning second.

Another similar trick they use is Credit Points for each year the child is at school. So if a child spends all his/her young life from Nursery to year Ten, the accumulated points (say worth 150,00 baht ) can be offset against the fee for Year Eleven. It cannot be used any earlier than that!! Ostensibly they call it helping the parents who have been paying these hefty fees for years, but the real intent is to bind the students to the school till Year Eleven!

Sorry, the figure should be US$1 billion, not 10 billion!!

I'm from a country where public education is granted for all. While we are not the best in the world, we are still the best in the western world.

The cost of education has never been an issue. It has always been zero.

All of these schools, which offer higher standards of learning for the kids, are offering something what should not have been offered to the kids in the first place.

Education should be bringing the brightest up, not the ones with most of the money.

I agree with your sentiment. In an ideal situation these private schools should not exist. But parents who want their children to have good education will continue sending them to these schools till such time that the general standard of education in government schools has improved. Meanwhile, it's a sobering thought that, at a conservative estimate, parents (both Thais and expats) who are obliged to send their children to private schools are forking out about US $10 billion a year. The practical solution might be for some entrepreneurs to start more schools and provide greater competition than exists today, at least in Phuket.