Patong2

Was watching a Thai man shift crocodiles in a pond at a farm in Phuket.

He was standing on a 150mm wide plank across the middle of the pool and herding them with a long pole. The crocodiles in this pool were 2m to 2.5m long so fairly sizeable and there were 50+ crocodiles still in the pool.

He was facing the deep end of the pool and suddenly from behind him,a crocodile lunged out of the pool and tried to grab him by the leg. It bit his gumboot but he managed to shake it off and retain his balance all in the fraction of a second. He got off that damn plank very quick.

The crocs in the pool were all excited and he would never have made it out alive if he had gone in.

I'm not sure if he was shaking but we both were. A very scary experience just to watch let alone be on the plank.

The biggest problem with Sleep Apnoea, as I understand it from my personal tests is not so much the breathing issue but what happens when you stop breathing or even worse, choking.

Looking at my heart monitoring in the hospital it showed what happens.

The body immediately reacts to lack of oxygen and goes into full recovery mode and pumps adrenalin right through your body. The effect on your heart is huge and a strain on your heart.

The problem with Sleep Apnoea, in my case, my oxygen was stopping several times in a matter of

minutes so it doesn't take a rocket science to realise that that strain on my heart meant I was not going to last as long as I possibly could and should.

The machine also means I don't go to sleep talking on the phone (even with the most boring of calls)

don't go to sleep at traffic lights ( not really a problem as the guy behind helps by honking and waking me up) but the real benefit is my wife is not lying there waiting for me to choke every night, and a wife with no sleep is not that great.

So I view a CPAP machine pretty positively.

I have severe sleep apnoea.

Have had CPAP machine for 20 odd years.

Have a ResMed 10 Airsense for the last 5 years with a 

BMC P2 Nasal Pillows Interface (available on Lazada for quarter the price of my country)

No real problems, after 5 years it is getting noisy so I will replace shortly.

Use it every night, all night and made a huge difference to my life.

Definitely lower traffic volumes in the last couple of weeks in Patong, Karon/Kata and even Kamala.

I even got a parking spot on Beach Rd about 5pm the other night and managed to find "Sweets" restaurant and "Karlsons" open which I was pleased to see as we had been unable to get down there since before Covid.

Driving home from CherngTalay from a great comedy show on Tuesday night and had just about a free run at around 10pm. No traffic at all.

Is there going to be a pick up in tourist numbers with Song Kran or is that only Thai's now? We used to get numbers of lunatic Aussie's and other farangs in Bangla Rd for Song Kran but I wonder whether we will see them this year. Wouldn't be missed by most people I think.

Sat in Soi Sansabai for a few hours the other night and plenty of people walking the street, always 

enjoy people watching and the huge diversity of people here.

32 minutes ago, Joe Farang said:

"I know nothing of aircraft and do not claim to

 

The US was way ahead in tech and quality compared to Soviets in my opinion."

 

Other than bias, what is your opinion based on?

I also know nothing of aircraft, so have no opinion on which may be better.

Probably best to use cars as a comparison as we know what they are like.

The US fighters had a burnished/polished finish and rivets (few exposed) joins etc or seemed to fit with the streamlining. They looked every part of what they were.

The Soviet craft looked like they came out of a tractor factory with the same standard as you seen on the jeep copies that you see around Patong for hire. They were not in the same class. Maybe not as bad as a Trabant but not great.

It is hard to shed bias but I do try. Maybe the Soviet stuff is up to par in performance but I doubt it.

An example where Soviet utilitarian design is better than Western is in the AK47 and SKS variants.

The US AR15 is much better finished etc but hasn't the reliability of the old AK's. But that is the exception I think, not the rule

27 minutes ago, ezzra said:

It would have been if you told us whom are you referring to, to those of us who are not aviation geeks, here's a question for you, in comparison between a US F16 to a Russian SU35, who do you think will come out the winner in an air battle?

I was amazed looking at American F-16 and F-18 and comparing them to Migs (21, 23 and 29) of the same era and the disparity in build quality was enormous. The American planes were meticulously finished. The Migs look like they came out of a tractor factory, not a standard I would want to fly in.

I took into consideration that the finish may have been to absorb radar.

I know nothing of aircraft and do not claim to, but as a casual observer the big thing I took away from this was that the "Cold War" was basically a con to feed the US Military manufacturing companies. The US was way ahead in tech and quality compared to Soviets in my opinion.

No you definitely do not need a card to purchase at Makro.

I am often asked if i have one though.

One thing to note is that Makro only accept cash as far as I have seen.

What is the benefit of having a Makro Card?

Do you get a cheaper price?

If so, what rate etc.

Driving from Karon to Chalong yesterday and I realised I really look forward to the vista you get from the top of Chalong hill.

As you crest the hill, the bay is spread out before you with boats, small ships and islands set on a lovely coloured sea.

As you go down the hill and curve to the left the view expands to allow you to see all of Chalong and up to Phuket town,

Just stunning.

Drive from Rawai to Patong after about 8pm along the coast road and the many squid boats off the coast with their ultra bright green flourescent lights are a view I've never seen anywhere else.

What are your favourites around the island?

Driving from Karon to Chalong yesterday and I realised I really look forward to the vista you get from the top of Chalong hill.

As you crest the hill, the bay is spread out before you with boats, small ships and islands set on a lovely coloured sea.

As you go down the hill and curve to the left the view expands to allow you to see all of Chalong and up to Phuket town,

Just stunning.

Drive from Rawai to Patong after about 8pm along the coast road and the many squid boats off the coast with their ultra bright green flourescent lights are a view I've never seen anywhere else.

What are your favourites around the island?

7 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

I have this one. PRINTER (เครื่องพิมพ์ไร้สาย) BROTHER DCP-1610W LASER ALL-IN-ONE พร้อมหมึกแท้ Brother TN1000 | Lazada.co.th

Easy to use and set up. Printer/copier/scanner all in one.

Toner lasts for ages and cost 350 Baht to replace.

Does not get clogged up when not used for a while unlike an inkjet one.

Has WiFi so can use with my computer and Android phone.

I have the Brother DCP-1510 and have had great results.

Around 6 years old no problems, away 2+ years and restarted as though it was yesterday.

Toner available on Lazada

Just use cheap 70gm paper available anywhere including supermarkets.

"Banshees of Inisherin" 

What a ridiculous depressing movie.

The Irish version of the Icelandic movie "Rams" and just as pointless.

A small village movie can be really entertaining. "Waking Ned Devine" is real comedy and uplifting to watch.

It is quite amusing walking down to the beach through Bangla Rd at 5am and often there are 2, 3 or 4

Indians bargaining with girls and ladyboys for whatever.

Often the discussions are heated and yesterday a lovely Thai girl had clearly lost her temper and was shouting "F.... Y...." at the top of her voice in Soi Sansabai in some dispute with an apparent Indian.

Is it time for a new thread or even two new threads,

One for the nice cheap finds and one for medium price and above?

Since Covid we have lost many old places and there are many new gems opening up.

Got to the stage where it is hard to decide where to eat as there are so many good places

but we love trying new ones.

But it would be good to have an up to date list of good finds that are open now.

Your thoughts?

18 hours ago, madmitch said:

Phuket has many streets where you park on one side of the road on even dates, the other side on odd dates. It would be bit unfair to clamp if these rules are in place wouldn't it?

Have seen the chains going on bikes in Sawadirak Rd after about 7am as they have parked overnight and are now on the wrong side of the road.

Longstanding rule and has been enforced for many years now with chains.

Thanks to everyone for sharing info.

Been on Tamsulosin for 12 months and no discernible benefit.

Only have to get once during the night as prior to taking it.

But ED, which roughly corresponds to the same time period, I had just put down to age and I was never advised of this as a side effect.

17 hours ago, London Lowf said:

It this the same road?

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1279245-new-local-road-from-kathu-to-patong-to-open-on-father’s-day/

 

That is exactly the same road.

I tried the other private road on the other side of the highway and it is pretty well advanced but just a single strip of concrete most of the way and a steep muddy track yet to be finished.

My passengers got a bit nervous after we went through a deep boggy patch and they weren't keen on the last steep stretch at all.

Probably OK on a bike but you will get dirty

I'll update on that when it is complete.

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

Just so that I understand this, are you saying that one can come from Kathu to Patong, and bypass the landslip by taking this "new road"???

 

One more question, please, do you think that my little Suzuki Swift would be able to safely negotiate that road??

Yes it completely bypasses the slip on Patong Hill but is not a great option as it is much longer and very steep in parts.

I drove our little front wheel drive Honda Jazz with 4 adults in and had no problem so expect the Swift would fly over it. (Couldn't resist that) Don't go in the rain as there was still some crumbly debris on the road which may make it slippery and you would miss the great vista over Patong.

Probably the inclines are about as steep as either hill from Nanai Rd to Hasippi Rd that runs along the top of the hill behind Patong.

Shatner's role in the "Boston Legal" TV series is brilliant

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.