seville

Is the one in Ban Tai open? The animals near the Chinese Temple look skinny to me and not very happy. How are the Mahouts with them anyone know. Whoever, got the elephants on the island and the land to do the tour on is not having money problems. Nor do they need to make a living. I hope for the animals sake and the people that were brought down to run the camps are compassionate to the animals and the "big boss". Is also.

I spent some time up in Chiang Mai at the Elephant Heaven. I saw some pretty bad treatment and even one group of Elephants with their Mahouts that had been left out in the middle of now where more or less to fend for themselves. The man who brought them to the area had not brought them food for the mahouts or the Elephants for a week and they were trying to figure out how to make the journey back to their village. The biggest problem is that they had a one year old baby elephant with them and he and the Mom were not going to make the journey make without help.

I just rented a movie, Feast of Love. Really lovely. It just made me feel very human and humble about the power of love.

Girlx of course we all see what you are talking about. But TNP is not the whole island. TNP is it's own little island onto it's self and everybody knows it. The rest of the island does not operate the same way. You lived on Thong Nai Pan, your neighbors etc. it's not the same all over.

Ham does live in Hippy Love Fest Land. Have you ever spent any time where he lives? Most of the locals and leaders are completely chill cause everybody is getting along and don't have generations of drinking and gambling problems.

All the Westerners are doing Yoga or meditating. The Thai are all in bed by 10pm. Except for a handful of people chilling at one of the chilled out bars are you kidding me. I think they throw the occasional party.

No shootings, no Cock fights and all the rest of what goes on on TNP. My ex-boyfriend use to gamble playing checkers for Christ sake when we lived there. Thong Nai Pan is the wild west of the island Always, has been.

Why do you think it was so easy for KP properties to get their hands on all the land? Lots of people with outstanding debts of all kinds needing to be paid off. As a matter of fact, Ham use to live there before you or I ever did.

Girlx and I have both been TV members for what over 3/4 years now. She living full time on a beach on Phangan that takes at least 45 minutes to get to by a very bad dirt road. The beach is lovely and one of my favorite spots on the island. I lived there for 6 months in total and was the girl friend of one of the local men from the island.

I know pretty much all the same people that she does. I think Girlx may have gotten there after I had already moved away. It is notorious for being lawless, full of drugs, gambling and everything bad that Girlx will ever say about the entire island.

But most people that live there don't leave for months. Okay, maybe go to Thongsala, a little shopping on Samui, but for the most part and I'll bet I'm right. Girlx never lived on any other part of the island. Maybe a week here, a week there, but never lived on a different beach.

Not all of the island is like where she lived, as a matter of fact, no place on the island is like where she lived. Not even Had Rin.

My opinion, Girlx is your bitter and I'd be bitter too if I hadn't left TNP. But the rest of island simply is not like where you lived on the island.

As for the Green Cross and the life guards and everything else that the Phangan Explore had in the mag. Image booster.

Have a fund raiser get some people to volunteer and then get busy making Real Estate Deals. No real passion behind it. But it looks good in the magazine.

Look if you plan on having this person in your life then you should invite her and her current husband to dinner or something. This whole thing sounds really odd to me. Does the ex. live near by? What ever you do. Don't help any ex-anything without talking to your current girlfriend when the time arises, especially if she is over say 30.

I have Thai friends who are younger and are pretty modern in their thinking about men being able to be just friends with another women. Older girlfriends not so much. Best rule is be honest. Keep something from her, good chance mee ben ha.

Has there and could there ever be a community of Westerners and Thais that could ban together and work on the really big problems for all concerned? Water, Sewage, Over building, Violent Crime Being over looked and a host of other things.

So tell me boys and girls of KP. Why isn't there a concerned citizens of KP? PAC managed to get up off the ground. Why not starting with the garbage problem or the pollution of the water. Would it be possible to start a non profit and try to gather funds to make KP a community that works together despite the problems? Drug dealers need clean water too. We all lose if the garbage keeps getting worse. I don't really care about what drugs people are taking or selling that's their business.

Taxis don't get in them. But I swim and so do 90% of the tourist that bring their money with them. We get so much garbage washing up on Had Tien it's heart breaking. Nothing like advertising paradise and then finding out your surrounded by garbage.

What about a website that lists all the resorts that pollute the creeks, streams and the gulf? Why not a ban on plastic bags? What about a good business of KP site. We don't list the bad motor bike rental places just the good ones. We don't list the bad travel agents who book people on the wrong Had Tien beach and then keep their money. We just list the travel agents who would never dream of doing such a thing. I sure hope someone is reading this

Had Rin has had a marginal bit of success getting rid of some riff raff and cleaning some things up have they not?

Lastly, Girlx I'm sorry that your years on Thong Nai Pan were so difficult. I'm pretty sure over two years ago I asked you why the hel_l you were still living there. Okay, you've moved.

Can you please stop posting things like, "dirty drug island," when referring to KP. It's offensive. You want to say that TNP is a dirty drug village or talk about TNP being like this or that fine. Just leave the rest of the island out of it. Thong Nai Pan is Thong Nai Pan, not Koh Phangan.

My Doctor is at Bumrungrad Hospital. You can go to the website and go to the skin center. Dr. Niyom Tantikun is his name. Educated in the west and current on the treatment of skin cancer. I also found it very refreshing when I asked him about getting injections for my crows feet around the eyes and he very honestly said to me, " You don't want to do that. The treatment only last six months."

Also if you do have a basal cell, it can be treated with Aldara topical cream.

Dr. Niyom knew exactly what it was the first time I asked him to perscribe it for me 5 years ago. The cream was created for Herpes Warts, but is very effective for basal cell treatment.

I have tried to find it in pharmacies other then Bumrungrad and have not been able to find it. I'm happy to say that I have not had a basal cell in quite some time, but keep the Aldara on hand in case one shows up while I'm stateside. It is much cheaper in Thailand. I'm not sure how many doctors will suggest it for skin cancer treatment. I was lucky and had a Doctor that was filling in for my Doctor in the states suggest it and she suggested that I start seeing a Doctor in Thailand as well. God Bless her!!! It has saved me a great deal of money and unpleasant treatments. Don't forget your hat when you go outside

To add to what SBK said, southern people are more likely to be direct with each other so they are certainly going to be the same with tourists. Watch them with each other and how they speak to one another. Very little waiing and not nearly as many Kops and Ka's being thrown on the end of a sentence.

My Aunt always gives me big smiles when I wai to older Thais who show up on the beach that I've never met before, because we just don't wai that much in the south, but I never know if someone who has just showed up is a VIP.

As my boyfriend puts it, " Southerns speak strong, but speak true." How many times have you had a waiing smiling Thai person say, Yes Yes and then not be able to provide you with what it was you were asking for. I'd rather have a simple no.

Dealing with westerns in the south is more difficult as well. The main reason is the jump in cost of everything. Westerns and even Thai people that have been in the north come down and are shocked by how expensive everything is. I understand, but people get down right loud and nasty about it. I don't even want to count how many times in a day I have a westerner come up to me and ask me, "why". It gets really old.

The Product I'm taking is too expensive to ship into Thailand. After all the shipping cost and what not. So I'm trying to find something similar. High quality multi vitamin in liquid form, so I'm not downing 10 pills every morning. One year I brought a bunch of vitamins from the states over to Thailand to find that in the warm climate taking all those pills made me ill.

Heart Breaking... Don't leave your cat with him. If you can't find someone to take him, your kitty would be better off four mos. in a cage where he will be feed and not neglected. He clearly isn't concerned about taking care of his children, he certainly isn't going to give a rats **** about your kitty.

I've been getting Spirulina from Baan Suan Pak in Chiang Mai. I don't know anything about it being grown near a road. You can check with the women who owns the store. I've never been there myself personally. I've had friends bring it down for me.

on Vitchayanon Rd. phone 053233317

The women I spoke to on the phone was very nice and we are going to set up shipments to be sent down to me in Phangan when I return. I plan on going up to check out the store to see what else she has available and will be sure to ask her where things are coming from. That won't be until the fall.

Hey all,

I just started taking Liquid Vitamins here in the U.S. and I can totally feel the difference in my clarity and energy level. I used to take some pretty good caps. Anyway, to get the product while in Thailand is just too expensive. Do any companies is Thailand or Singapore. I'm searching on line and not coming up with much.

Healthy and fun has closed.

Thanks everyone. I have decided to get a PC.

You all rock!!! Still a bit daunting as my boyfriend isn't a student, isn't middle class and won't have a long work history. Money in the bank, well as one of you mentioned; a lot of money to him is nothing compared to what we make and have in the U.S. the best bit was asking for an interview with an American.

That might be of some help for us. The biggest frustration is that he doesn't want to live in the States at all. I barely want to be here for the 5 months that I'm here. I think two months and he will be really ready to head back to Thailand.

I think getting an interview with an American might be the trick for us. I'm pretty sure I can assure the interviewer that we have no intention of extending his stay. All they have to do is look at my passport to see that I don't stick around for very long.

Thank again

Where I live? A Bubble

I love all the advice. Sounds like I'm back on the PC train as spending over $1000 on a computer is a little more then I'd like to spend and it looks like my plane ticket is going to be at least $300.00 more then I've ever spent this coming fall.

Acer seems to have a pretty high rating so I'm going to explore them more. Thanks everyone.

I don't live in Thailand full time. I'm there now about 1/2 of the year. Anyone looking at my passport can see that I don't stay stateside for very long. Maybe we need to think about getting married sooner then later to make the process go more smoothly. Like I said, he may have a business in his name by the time we try and get him over for a visit, but not sure about that.

About four years ago, some friends and I tried to get a friend over for a visit and she was denied. I just hate the idea of giving them $130.00 to get turned down.

Anymore suggestions. I thought my status as a girlfriend isn't going to matter, but maybe that will help.

So many options. Thanks for all the great advice Acer huh, never heard of that one. I'll check it out on line. It's the virus thing with the pc's that is making me think mac. But wifi strength is huge in this new picture.

I'll be back in the fall and will certainly swing in SBK.

Hi all,

Tried to do a search, but nothing pulled up. I'd like to have my boyfriend come back with me to the U.S. next summer or the year after. Any suggestions on how to increase our chances of getting approval? It is nearly $130.00 just to apply!!! 3 months would be lovely, but one would be better then not at all.

He may have a business in his name by the time we are ready to apply. But other then that and a small amount of money in the bank. That's about it in terms of documentation stating he doesn't want to immigrate. He's never left the Kingdom and we won't be getting his passport until this fall at this stage of the game.

Any advice would be great

Hi All,

I'm getting ready to buy a new Laptop and everyone says Mac is the way to go. Do any of you know if any of the shops on the island are able to print flyers off a Mac. Just Phangan, Samui isn't conveint.

Thanks

Especially in Thailand where the food is so good and healthy for the most part.

Same for me. My boyfriend is lovely, but poor as dirt and didn't have the money to go to school. He works from 8am to 10pm and barely gets any time off. He is also a push over and I know his boss is taking advantage of him.

But he's a man and proud you know, so I have to be delicate about ideas for how to make our life together a little more flush. I'm not rich at all, but to him I am. It's going to be an interesting balancing act, but worth trying to figure out. He is one of the kindest people I've ever met. I sometimes can't figure out what the heck he is thinking being with me, because I can be a first class bitch at times and when the pushy Jersey girl comes out in me, it's not pretty.

I will second SBK's advice. TNP rarely fills up anymore even around the full moon. You will surely be able to get a clean well kept up room for a good price if you just head for the beaches. I prefer Yai over Noi.

The price range will be between 250 baht for off the beach with shower on up. I've stayed at bungalows all over the island and there are still very nice well kept bungalows for as little as 300 baht even lower in some cases. As for TNP on Yai you can get a Bungalow right off the beach for as little as 400 baht. The only place that you really need a reservation for is Dolphin which is by far the most charming place to stay. I would start at Dreamland and if they don't have anything that you like just head south down the beach. I know a lot of the staff there and they are a good bunch many of which are born and raised on the island. If you find your money getting low and you want to stay as cheap as possible try Paradise Garden, Bamboo Hut, AD View or Thai House. All but AD view are off the beach. AD view bungalow are old, but cheap and right on the beach.

I've only stayed on Noi a few times and often I just stay at my friends house. Star Hut is the most popular with the backpacker crowd and has always got a scene going on. You can start there and work your way north on the beach to find a place.

Sanctuary is expensive compared to prices here in California. I was blown away at what they charge, but I live in California and fasting is common and can be done very cheap here.

I think there are places doing fasting programs in Had Rin and Spa Samui from what I hear is the best.

Moon who runs the fasting program for Sanctuary has a very good reputation and I've never heard any complaints. I live on the same beach as Sanctuary when I'm in Thailand.

PU Guest House

They were very nice and the rooms clean. I don't know if this phone number is correct but what I have is 66 3525 1213 it's off of Naresuan Rd.

Time will tell as to what changes are made at the Temple and perhaps as you said Wildlife Conservation Agencies and the like might be able to promote what they are doing in time.

At this time I haven't been able to find any that support them.

Thanks for playing devils advocate and making mention of the libel laws in Thailand. Let's just say that many an unwanted visitor has shown up on someones door for being too outspoken.