Patong2

Hung Sen has been face to face with New Zealand's Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Ardern's huge PR contingent has advised that she has had a RAT test and has proved negative so far. Hang on a minute mate, This is the same woman that made RAT Tests illegal in New Zealand and threatened prison for my wife and I if we brought any back from Thailand. Her hypocrisy astounds me.

Definitely a lot busier the last week or so and traffic heavy last night too and pavements crowded. Went down to Karon & Kata on Sunday night and significant numbers of tourists on the streets compared to even a week ago, so things are definitely picking up. A word of warning, returning from our favourite restaurant on 9pm Sunday night and we were stopped at the Karon View Point by the police. Pulled over and spoken to and they wanted to know whether I had had a drink. No problem for me but they were stopping every vehicle and about 10 police at the checkpoint. Have been stopped here before so make sure you don't drink if you are going to drive. There are enough dangers on this road without you being half cut.

Crashes? Crashes? Remember the almost weekly bus and truck crashes? Even put the concrete barrier at the last corner into Patong to catch the buses. Heavy vehicle drivers who didn't understand changing down gears to brake and then riding the brakes all the way down the hill till they faded. Been much better over the last few years but that could be just lack of tourists.

Not sure I agree A lot of success (unless you are very lucky or inherit) has got to do with spending habits. It's not what you earn but what you save and utilise those savings to the best effect. I am amazed, all my tenants had bigger TV's and newer cars than I had until a couple of years ago. I don't think many young people have the discipline required.

Greed? but on whose part? When I bought my 1st rental property in NZ the upper tax rate was 66%. The govt let me keep 34c in every dollar I earned. Out of that 34c I had to pay 12.5% GST on all my food, local taxes, everything. Yes greed it was but by incompetent bureaucrats let loose by even more incompetent politicians. As to the "motel" situation in NZ now, it is corruption and so often in NZ people are blind to it. So widespread that the NZ Herald reported 5 separate prosecutions in one week recently. But any "Kiwi" will tell you there is no corruption in NZ. Many heads in that "Long White Cloud"

Thanks for the interesting report KhunLA Interesting reading what a new owner discovers about driving and consumption of a model. Like to see you follow up on this thread further down the track as you get more and more accustomed to the vehicle. Anyone else taking delivery of a new EV or Hybrid?

GammaGlobulin Was it an issue of National Geographic on Cambodia and the Khmer temples? The topless Khmer lady was stunning and I have loved topless ladies ever since.

Just had a bit of a downpour in Patong and Sai Kor 3 rd (middle broken road behind Jungceylon) is flooded again. Quite deep at the edges. This is at 2pm Friday Not a good look for tourists sadly

I have a pretty simple attitude to investing. As an example I bought a 2 bedroom brick and tile unit in a good suburb for $200k in Sep 1997 Peak of the market and I paid too much. Have rented it out since. But the value?? It is still only worth what a 2 bedroom brick and tile unit in a good suburb sells for, no more. Valuation today - $820 - $1m showing in market survey but say $700k for a fire sale. In effect though, you have not had an increase in your asset value because you can only afford the same value property, a 2 bedroom unit in a good suburb, you can't now afford the 5 bedroom sea view property in a prime suburb. Sure, you use the rent to cover mortgage etc and you pay the mortgage down ASAP but that is your choice in spending what unencumbered money you have.

Its a pretty normal part of the cycle and yes some properties sell but usually they are by vendors who have pressing reasons to sell such as divorce, death, financing a business, going overseas etc, Seen this before and will probably sell a house in Auckland early next year at whatever the market dictates. Fed up with being unable to evict tenants that frighten neighbours, too many restrictions on good and competent long term landlords. People have an expectation of what their house is worth, Joe's house down the road sold for $1.2m so ours must be worth $1.4m. They put it on the market but only get offers of $1m so they decide to stay, pull the house off the market, add on a basement and pool and over capitalise the place. Eventually they get too old, have to go into a retirement home and sell at the real market price which will have gone up on the upwards side of the cycle.

Isn't that great? My home in New Zealand, at 8am, used to take 3/4 of an hour to drive 6.9km and that was with all access routes available. And I had no where to park unless I paid B220. I just love living in Patong.

I asked the question re going from Patong to BK Hospital on Friday morning? Left Patong at 8am arrived at 8.45am going through Karon & Chalong. Really surprised, yes traffic heavier but all moving well. Heavy traffic going back to Patong and had to do the same trip later in the day but although heavy, the traffic was flowing. Police doing a reasonable job on Chalong roundabout flowing the traffic around in bursts. It is sad to see all the cleaning up having to be done. Business owners here have had and are having a real hard time. It must be heartbreaking to see the rain clouds rolling in and destroying your customer base for the day/night.

I'm taking a friend from Patong to Bangkok Int Hospital Friday so any suugestions for what's the best route and how long should I allow for travel?

Nobody got washed away in the big flood last night? No one drowned on the way home from Bangla? One polite ladyboy was sleeping in the lobby of our building as "electrics wet"on her MG that was stopped on the side of the road

Big problem for everyone, sorry I do not have any answers for you. Flooding in Patong has been bad for the second night in a row and seemed to peak at around 4am this morning. People crossing Sai Kor 3 Rd (the "new" road that runs behind Jung Ceylon) were up to their thighs in water at one stage. Too deep for motorbikes and quite a few cars stranded. Lets hope the rain eases and the water goes down quickly for everyone. People trying to get home from Bangla Rd clubs etc could not get a motorbike taxi or car it appears.

Yes it looks to be that. Ugly colour scheme that we see when we eat at Chez Nous. Have you been down to Nai Harn and looked around that area?

In Bangla Rd at 5.30am this morning and there was a guy sitting on the footpath selling plants about 400mm high in pots so I presume they were pot plants. I wouldn't know a pot plant from a pine tree so I have no idea what they were. Crossed my mind that a tourist would be a foolish to walk into his hotel with one of these in his hand.

While on the subject of Jung Ceylon, some good news. They appear to be opening part of the centre by Big C, access from the walkway you use to get to Big C from the carpark building across the road. Stalls with stock being erected yesterday but not obviously open.

They have put new barriers up in the street that runs between Ratuchit and Muang Saikor Rd beside Jung Ceylon. I can understand they may want to charge through traffic but the process is strange. Drive into the street and pick up your card. Go to the parking building on the left, pick up another card. Do nothing with either card Hand back card to leave carpark Hand back other card to leave street Pay nothing for either at this stage. Remember the barriers in Soi Sansabai before Covid? Same same put up but did nothing. Are these new barriers going to be the same or will there be a fee? Do you think they are workable in the long run?

Trekking in Nepal at 73? and taking sensible precautions before you go! Really admire your drive to keep enjoying yourself, hope you have a great trip. At 72 I spent quite a bit of time at 10,000' & 11,000' and we just take things quietly for the first 2 days but people have different tolerances. Up at 14,000' makes you a bit breathless and I don't think I could have carried even a small back pack but I was only there for the afternoon to spot animals. Like to see a report when you get back.

Definitely a lot more people in Patong than a few weeks ago. Watched the traffic on the corner of Bangla and Ratuchit for an hour or so while we ate at about 9pm and it is much much busier. Good crowd in Bangla but only a few bars like New York and Sweeties had good numbers in and the not many people at all in the Tiger bars. Certainly not the number of europeans there were 3 years ago which may mean bar spending is down but at least the numbers are starting to come back and there was good feel about the place last night. And at 5.00am this morning there were still lots of people in Bangla so there were a few hard core partiers around. Went down to Cape Panwa wednesday and traffic was very heavy and similar to pre Covid days so I think things are on the move all over the island. I think now would be great time to visit Patong, a lot of good restaurants and bars, not too crowded and the beach is looking clean and uncrowded and the locals are back to being very friendly and those smiles are back.

Imagine, at 85, getting back to the retirement village and being asked "How did you break your hip?" "Fell off an elephant!" Bit more exciting than the usual "fell out of bed" Hope they all recover well, and good on the ladies for being so adventurous.

That's a good sign with Tops reopening. It probably is time for "Patong - The Awakening" Up at Boat Avenue today and came back via Thalang and the new "Robinson's" is open and has been for 3 days. Carpark was full and certainly looks like a good start. Keep those reports coming Xylophone, they are of interest even if we have not got out much lately.

Have seen and been amused by the chaos of overhead wiring around Phuket. Multiple wires all in a tangled birds nest and I wonder how the poor technician could ever work out which wire to work on. Love the sparking in wet weather and make sure I keep clear. But what puzzles me is why unused wires are not removed? Do they not have a copper content now? If they do, how come they aren't stolen and melted down for scrap as happens in other countries

Spent the time in Auckland with trips to the farm and also Waikato. The weather was absolutely rubbish with sinking the red bands over the heels in sodden paddocks. Cold and strong winds the whole time. Yes, Queenstown and areas are beautiful on a good day and I have hunted and hiked over most of NZ but I find Utah, Arizona, Wyoming and Montana more scenic and certainly more consistent weather. The friends and people we met up with seemed beaten and resigned with none of the drive that NZ is known for. Time is dragging on for them. After running businesses in NZ for 40+ years I was shocked by the attitude of people I had worked and dealt with over many years. Different for one relative in Wellington who works for the government. She thinks the country is doing well.