tom yum goong

JS, please count me in too

When i was looking for a car i had a look round quite a few 2nd hand dealers here. Everything was way overpriced - a 5 yr old car still costing 75% of the original price . The salesman was usually rude, not willing to answer questions about the car or allow a test drive. I don't understand why anyone would end up buying a car from these guys. I ended up buying new and am very pleased i did.

The only dealer i've heard anything good about is Sure Motor in Phuket Town: http://www.suremotor.com/ they are more expensive than the other dealers but give a 3 month waranty which apparently they do honour but YMMV.

Personally I would look for private sales through classified ads. Should be a lot cheaper and no more risky than buying from a dealer.

http://phuketgazette.com/classifieds/phuke...tors_ref_18.asp

http://www.phuket.net/scgi/classifieds/pag...2Findex.htm;d=1

From the Phuket Gazette:

All-English radio launches in Phuket

PHUKET CITY: Phuket now has its first all-English radio station, 90.5 Phuket Gold FM, broadcasting from the Radio Thailand office near Phuket Rajabhat University.

The launch was announced at a press conference at the China Inn restaurant in downtown Phuket City this morning.

90.5 Phuket Gold FM is managed jointly by Bangkok-based KOOL...EST Co Ltd and monthly lifestyle magazine Phuket Bulletin.

A press release distributed at the launch announced that programming would be positioned as a “touristainment radio”, also targeting the local expatriate community.

Music segments will feature Western music hits from the 1970s, 80s and 90s, along with local tourism industry news and national news by Radio Thailand.

Listeners can expect to hear songs by such artists as Eric Clapton, Elton John and The Eagles, the press conference was told.

Speaking at the launch were MR Rujayapa Abhakorn, Managing Director of Bangkok-based KOOL...EST, Phuket Bulletin Managing Director Chaiyot Pinpradab and Radio Thailand acting Director Weerapong Waitayawongsakul.

While other radio stations on the island have had limited segments in English, 90.5 Phuket Gold FM will be the island’s first all-English radio service, broadcasting daily from 8 am until midnight.

Listeners in parts of Krabi and Phang Nga will also be able to receive broadcasts.

The service will start with a music-only format, with other features to be added gradually over the next two months.

The station will have an expatriate program director with more than 10 years of experience. All DJs will be native English speakers.

The new format replaces the Thai-language “Aloha FM” service, which previously operated the station under a two-year contract with Radio Thailand.

Cheapest is the airport bus service that runs from the main Phuket Bus Terminal on Phang Nga road. Last bus leaves at 18:30 and arrives 19:30. Fare should be 52 Baht.

More info here: http://www.phuket.com/info/bus-schedule.htm

Most convenient would be a private taxi. If u ask any locals u know, someone should be able to supply with you a number for a reliable guy to pick u up and drop you off at the airport. Cost should be around 400 Baht.

Hi Jules, i used the clinic mentioned by Old Croc when they first opened in November. i was one of their first Lasik cases. I opted for the wavefront lasik and everything went very smoothly. Its now been 10 weeks and my vision is perfect. no problems at all.

the surgeon there used to work at the largest lasik centre in Bangkok, TRSC, i found her to be very professional and thorough in explaining everything to me.

forgot to mention they are called Phuket Laser Centre : http://phuketlaser.com/

i dont think avoiding carbs altogether is healthy or even sustainable. the best solution i've found is what is mentioned above by Boo - eating low and medium GI foods and avoiding high GI foods.

i avoid white Jasmine rice, potatoes and bread (esp. white bread) whenever i can.

its quite hard to avoid rice when eating out but noodles and pasta are good alternatives and easily available.

when at home i cook brown/red rice, eat a lot of glass noodles (u can buy wholegrain glass noodles in the supermarket) and wholewheat pasta. i also snack a lot on fruits.

lost about 6 kgs in around 2 months when i first started and still losing a little more each month. its quite an easy diet to follow once u understand about GI. i don't get hunger pangs anymore despite eating less than before.

[Links must be posted in the links thread- your GI information link has been moved to the Links thread].

There is no difference in either power or mileage between using gasohol 95 or pure gasoline 95

are you sure?

from my own experiences and from talking to many other car owners, i find gasohol gives considerably lower mileage (around 10%) and less power.

i tried using gasohol but stopped after finding that it was less economical (and less powerful) than both regular 91 and 95, despite the cheaper cost per litre.

StickKettleOn, have u tried setting different DNS servers? i use TOT in Phuket and there has been a problem with their DNS for the last 2 days.

right now i'm using OpenDNS with no problems: 208.67.222.222 & 208.67.220.220

how to change your DNS settings

to apply for a Thai passport in the south you have to go to Hat Yai. takes about a week.

if u do it in Bangkok it only takes a few hours (in theory anyway)

just to clarify as it seems some posters are confusing the two, the royal anthem is played in the cinemas while the national anthem is played at 6pm, not sure about in the morning coz i'm never up that early.

I told my Fiance' (Thai) about someone's comment about how we should pay more because we are farang and have money, and she said "What the hel_l??? what like we don't have money? do I look like some chili farmer from Issan? Why do the white man always think he is the only one with money?"

i'm sorry but this is a typically racist remark also.

is ur fiance one of those bangkok Thais who denies that Thailand is a poor country and points to all the mercs and bmws on the streets of bangkok as evidence of the country's wealth?

In Europe, however, if you pass a test on automatic you are only allowed to drive automatic and your licence shows such restriction.

strangely, i don't think there is any distinction in Thailand. even if u take your test in an automatic, you are still licensed to drive a manual.

i took my test a few years ago in an automatic but now drive a manual

r u sure?

i'm pretty sure it was 400 baht last year. this year i'm told they've increased it to 500 baht but i'm not sure if they will reimburse you if you use a private clinic, which was the case previously.

how about Via Lingua in Phuket Town, near the Phuket Gazette. They give free english lessons so the teflers can get teaching practice.

does Dell actually stock parts in Thailand? last time i needed new parts, everything had to be shipped from Malaysia.

lol, despite the evidence from most posts on this board, not everything in Thailand is a scam.

somewhere in Japan?

IMO blue elephant food tastes like thai food you would get back in europe. no doubt its well prepared and the ingredients are high quality, but you can eat much tastier food in a classy Thai restaurant for half the price. its a nice setting though, used to be the Thai Chinese Chamber of Commerce building, and the service is good.

also i wouldn't recommend anyone drive there on a weekday evening. that end of Sathorn is hellish

no one is going to do anything or make any changes because if you ask most Thais why the kid died they would answer it was his time to die. there is no thought towards the irresponsible parents or the fact that he was underaged and without a helmet.

its the rainy season, which means it rains a lot, it can be difficult to get to the outer islands due to rougher sea conditions for diving etc, and dangerous to swim at most beaches.

the plus side of the rainy season is that it is much cheaper, less crowded and the weather is often not bad at all.

if u are looking for budget accommodation then u will be able to find some reasonable places to stay by walking in/shopping around. but if u want mid to high range hotels, booking online should save u quite a lot of cash.

if shopping around, be careful of scams from just about every minibus, taxi or tuk tuk on the island - there's a recent post on this in this section

First people kill the spiders, snakes, frogs (they eat them) some other animals I don't know the english names, too and than they wounder that they have so many rats, mouse, bugs and mosquitos, than they use poisions and wounder why their children get sick with things which were unkown 50 years ago. Strange world....

many thai ppl eat rats and bugs too. if only they would start eating mosquitoes...

i'm in Phuket Town and mine has been down for a week and before that was intermittent for about a month

i hope TOT pull their finger out soon.

weather should be great in Feb but you would have to be extremely lucky to get any surf. not sure of any events apart from Chinese New Year and the Phang Nga Bay Regatta. check the Phuket Gazette nearer the time for a list of events.

u should book your hotel online. much cheaper than walk-in and less hassle.

there are a few more i know of in Phuket Town:

Club Asia Fitness, which is in the Royal Phuket City Hotel. Lots of good equipment and also a swimming pool, but not that cheap at around 2,000/month and 7,000 joining fee.

The Royal Spa, which is in Sam Kong, have recently refurbished their gym and is now a bit bigger than it was before. I think its somethign like 3,000 to join, and 1,500/month. I remember u used to be able to pay 100 per time which doesnt work out too bad if u don't go everyday. They have a pool but u can't really swim any distance, just big enough to relax in.

If u want a really cheap gym check out the one at Surakul stadium. its a public gym and u only pay 20 per time. looked a bit rusty when i poked my head in there though.