SamuiRes

tarmac on concrete? how long will it keep his beautiful surface??

all the heavy trucks(and temperatures around 35 C) will destroy it within 6 month.

They will have more work to repair than it was with concrete.

There are plenty of asphalt roads in mainland Thailand, and they are in good condition. With 35 C, tourist buses and the heavy trucks even Phuket roads are great in comparison with concrete roads we (used to) have here. I highly doubt that asphalt cover is as unstable as Goldfinger says. Come on people, stop complaining already!

Not complaining but wonder where all the recently made road drains have gone. From Thong Takian to The Spa, it is now one continuous ribbon of black tarmac with the drains beneath .....?

They appear to be laying the tarmac over the drains and then going back, cutting them out and raising them to the level of the tarmac.

Attached two photos taken this morning by The Cliff Restaurant.

thanks, anyone have number for her,thanks again.

Clinic in Nathon is 077 421 405

She also has a clinic in Lamai on the ring road, and I'm sure I've seen another one as I've been traveling around. She goes between the 3 clinics at different times of the day. Just looked through my cards but can't find her number.

Are you sure this is the same Dr Ning? I have known her for years and she has never mentioned having other clinics and she knows Lamai is more convenenient for me.

Best person to go and see is Dr Ning in Nathon. Her Clinic is at the end of the one way system going south, on the left about 100 metres before the turn back towards the sea. I have used her for a number of years now and everyone I have sent to her has been very happy with her treatment. She speaks good English which is useful!!

I may be behind the times on this but just today saw this hillside in Ban Tai - just above the Wat.

Does anyone know what happened - or is happening - here?

Are you sure they have a MRI, or was it a CT scan? Would be nice to know because I need a MRI.

Cheers

Good question. It was the small circular one, not the long one if that helps! Sorry not an expert in these things.

To up date on my previous comments re Samui hospitals as I have had the misfortune to need their services again.

Had some disturbing heart palputations and pain in my left arm one night a few weeks ago and went to the nearest which was Samui International just after midnight. Doctor did ECG and was not happy with what she saw and referred me immediately to the specialist at Bangkok Samui. Wanted to take me there in an Ambulance, but having driven to SIH I figured my wife could drive me to BKK Hospital. That alone knocked about Baht 1000 of the SIH bill!

BKK Hospital did ECG and blood tests and eventually decided they wanted to keep me in Intensive Care. This was about 4am by now and they wanted Baht 46,000 to do so! I asked if I was having a heart attack and they said no, we just want to observe you! I paid the bill (Baht 7,500) and left.

In the morning I went to Nathon Hospital with all the paperwork from the previous night. I have to say I was actually quite impressed. I saw a doctor within two hours having had further blood tests. She looked at the ECG's and decided she wanted to keep me in over the weekend for observation. Did I want a private room at Baht 1200 a night? Yes please. More ECG's and blood tests. Next morning about 10, she came in and said you can go home. The palputations are due to stress and lack of sleep. No heart damage. Blood pressure normal, if a little low. All tests show you are basically healthy just need more exercise.

Bag full of medicine - pain killers for the arm, muscle relaxants, vitamins. Come back in a week for a check up. Total cost Baht 1200 for the room. Week later more tests, everything fine but come back anytime if you are worried. No charge.

Could not have asked for better service. Rooms were excellent, balcony and sea view. Nursing staff friendly and efficient although many, but not all, lack good English. Food however pretty poor. And take your own towels as they do not provide them!

So in summary

SIH - knew they had something they were not capable of dealing with and made a sensible referral.

BKK - no diagnosis or opinion given once they knew I was not staying, just wanted to keep me in at an exhorbitant cost in ICU.

Nathon - basic, good service and a clear diagnosis.

If you pay Social Security as we do, standard day care out patient treatment not covered by insurance, head to Nathon.

"Ordnance Survey is Great Britain's national mapping agency, providing the most accurate and up-to-date geographic data, relied on by government, business and individuals." [source: www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk]

It was quite clear from the OP what Kipsie was looking for, without the debate on the correct / incorrect usage of the word ordnance! And a reasonable question as well I feel. So what we are looking for is really the equivalent of the above but for Thailand.

Kipsie, myself and a few other girls have beent trying to find an up to date detailed map for a long time now but to no avail. 'Up to date' is the key phrase here as the roads / tracks up in the mountains are growing at an alarming rate. Many times we go up there discover a new track that wasn't there a few weeks ago.

Google Earth did seem to be a good solution, and we have already plotted a number of different walks using it as you can see even the tiniest of tracks that probably wouldn't appear on a map anyway. But as already mentioned in a previous post, it was a cloudy day when the aerial photographs were taken and we are struggling with the central island area and across to Nathon. And yes, it is now out of date.

So in the absence of a detailed and recent map, what we could really do with is some recent aerial shots (preferably on a clear day!) Would anybody have any ideas where we could find something like this? Do you know anyone who might have some of these and would be willing to sell us some prints?

Many thanks

Kate

Google Earth images of Koh Samui are for the most part dated 2004. Google Earth have a facility to report images more than 3 years old and/or cloud obscured - perhaps if enough of us do this they might be persuaded to do something about it. The same function can be used to report images obscured by cloud which is also the case with Koh Samui.

The link is https://earth.google.com/support/bin/reques...type=data" and you can chose which option you are reporting.

edit: url corrected

Is it at all possible to buy legaly in Thailand. The company route seems to be illegal -using a nominee set up. Buying in the wifes name is illegal if the money comes from the ferang husband. So what way can a ferang buy without having the threat of future problems?

Firstly the Company route is not illegal provided the Thai shareholders are not nominees.

Secondly the Thai wife of a foreigner may own land but he must sign away his rights to the funds he gave to her for that purpose.

Thirdly, a foreigner may own a Condomnium.

Fourthly, a house (as opposed to the land it sits on) can be owned in the name of a foreigner and registered as such. The land can either be leased or held under a legal company structure - ie no nominees.

Despite logging in here to the Forum successfully, when I try and log in to add a business to the Directory it comes back with User Name and Password do not match! What to do?

Second Bangkok Airways Press Release received earlier but superceded by later Press Release

(Only just got to the office so could not post earlier)

PR2009/049

Bangkok Airways’ President heads to Samui

Bangkok / 5 August 2009; 10:00 hrs – Captain Puttipong Prasattong-Osoth, the President of Bangkok Airways, is scheduled to be in Samui today for an on-site inspection as well as to visit the remaining 8 passengers with injuries at the Bangkok Samui Hospital. Passengers with minor injuries have all returned to hotel, and those who have not been injured are taken care of at a designated hotel under a close look of psychiatrists.

Upon his visit, he released a statement of sympathy: “On behalf of Bangkok Airways, I would like to, again, express my sympathy towards our passengers and crews who have been affected from the unfortunate accident of PG 266 in Samui, particularly my deepest condolence to the family of Captain Chatchai Punsuvan, who lost his life in this accident. While the investigation of this accident remains underway, Bangkok Airways’ management reassures that we continue to take safety as priority in all aspects of our operations,” said Captain Puttipong, “We are conforming to our Crisis Management standard in order to regain our status in normalcy the fastest possible,” added Captain Puttipong.

The latest update: Bangkok Airways had extra flights on standby the whole night at Suratthani Airport with necessary transfers arranged for all stranded passengers between Suratthani Airport (alternate airport) and Samui on both ferry and airlift mobilization by helicopters from Bangkok Hospital and the National Police Bureau, due to the temporary closure of Samui Airport since yesterday. Meanwhile, Samui Airport is expected to reopen at around 13.00 hrs this afternoon.

The flight movements between Bangkok and Suratthani are as in the followings.

Bangkok-Suratthani/ Suratthani-Bangkok

PG 5111 06.00-07.50/ PG 5112 07.45-08.50 (extra flight)

PG 103 06.00-07.05/ PG 104 07.45-08.50

PG 121 07.30-08.35/ PG 122 09.15-10.20

PG 5125 08.00-09.05/ PG 5126 09.45-10.50 (extra flight)

PG 123 08.15-09.20/ PG 217 10.00-11.05

PG 127 09.00-10.05/ PG 128 10.45-11.50

PG 805 09.40-10.45/ PG 138 12.20-13.25

Chiang Mai-Suratthani

PG 242 09.55-11.40

For more information please contact Emergency Call Center at 02 265 8777.

Corporate Communications

Bangkok Airways

Bangkok Airways Press Release just received

PR2009/051

Samui Airport resumes normal operation this afternoon

Samui/ 5 August 2009; 14:00 hrs – Samui Airport re-opened early this afternoon with the first departure on PG 100 leaving Samui at 14.00 hrs and arriving at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport at 15.00 hrs. The first departure from Suvarnabhumi Airport is PG 153 at 14.00 hrs with an arrival in Samui at 15.00 hrs.

Today’s flight movements in and out of Samui Airport are as in the followings.

1. Bangkok-Samui 16 flights

2. Samui-Bangkok 17 flights

3. Samui-Phuket 1 flight

4. Phuket-Samui 1 flight

5. Utapao-Samui 1 flight

6. Samui-Utapao 1 flight

7. Samui-Singapore 2 flights

8. Singapore-Samui 2 flights

9. Samui-Hong Kong 1 flight

10. Hong Kong-Samui 1 flight

For more information please contact Bangkok Airways’ Call Center 1771.

Corporate Communications

Bangkok Airways

Someone just told me that no alcohol will be served on Saturday 25th July because of the elections here in Samui. Can anyone confirm this?

Well if they are may I suggest you get on down to Park Avenue at the Airport as they have the third Samui Jazz evening on Saturday and I cannot see the plod closing a Bangkok Airway function.

This web site shows animations of what you can expeect to see in different parts of the world including several locations in Thailand.Tomorrow, Wednesday 22nd July from around 7 am to 9 am.

http://www.eclipse.org.uk/eclipse/0412009/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...mp;#entry237585

My "favourite" is Dr. Supaporn at Natien Center.....

She left some time ago and they always now have new dentists - have not had the same one on the last three visits, the last time only three weeks ago.

Don't know if this is the solution you are looking for but give it a try

open Skype

click on view--->view outlook contacts

untick "view outlook contacts"

I read somewhere you can't remove it by another way because of a bug in Outlook 2007

(I could not verify this information)

I do not see that option in "View" in Skype

I am using Outlook 2003 not 2007.

Thanks for trying though.

I made a mistake -click on contacts -

Brilliant!

Thank you - that worked.

Don't know if this is the solution you are looking for but give it a try

open Skype

click on view--->view outlook contacts

untick "view outlook contacts"

I read somewhere you can't remove it by another way because of a bug in Outlook 2007

(I could not verify this information)

I do not see that option in "View" in Skype

I am using Outlook 2003 not 2007.

Thanks for trying though.

Have been using Skype for a couple of months with no problem.

Following a PC Crash due to the abismal power supply problems on Samui, I had to log in again to my Skype account and rather than just my selected contacts, it loaded all of my Outlook address book which I do not want or need. I can find no way to stop this or remove the unwanted names. It will only let me delete the contacts I want by right click delete. That option is not available for all of the unwanted Outlook names.

Can anyone suggest a solution please?

I heard that Condomimium licences were no longer being granted on koh Samui - If you look at the building regulations it is not legal to build over 12 metres - So low rise condominiums are possible - like Infinity , but you need to speak with a lawyer who works with the tesse bahn and land office and get an official opinion .

A condominium licence is a legal title and does not necessarily have to be for high rise buildings. There are a number in Bangkok and The Park here in Samui is an example. Provided the criteria for condominiums is met - which includes parking ratios, escape routes and the management contract is in the approved form among other requirements - a condominium licence can be obtained.

On the main road, driving from Bophut not far after Tesco/Lotus on the right hand side. They do ac's

Ok Thanks. Any idea of the name of the place?

We use a garage in Chaweng Noi. Going south towards Lamai, just after The Impiana, turn right and they are about 100 metres up on the right. Always had good service from them although you do need to be specific about what you want doing.

As already said I would think it is the per day price not per month price. The only way to positively find out is to ask them ?

This must be a daily rate for vacation rentals. Other properties on the same development are listed at similar figures and more for daily rates.

Hi Stiggy,

Good news on the helicopter, that's new to me. A couple of months ago (January) my dad got evac'ed to BKK by a BKK Airways plane, after normal flights finished for the day. No life support indeed.

SIH is indeed getting a bit outdated, all 'old' staff more or less left for BSH and TIH.

Still not convinced in a long shot about Bandon, stuff I personally witnessed there have them on my personal black list. Do you know if they are 'blacklisted' by Western insurance companies, have heard that rumor a few times. Besides running a business, which I think is fair enough and what I expect from privat hopsital, there's also some blatant ripping off going, Bandon used to take the strudel, especially before BSH arrived on the scene. Now they're just completely outflanked and 'outgunned' by superior equipment and know how.

I was in Bandon for three nights last year following an accident. Had no choice at the time. Medical care was first class. Food crap but the Irish Times sent their girls over with a menu. Rooms dated but I was not there on vacation. Bill seemed reasonable and agreed by AIA before I was discharged.

I spoke with my husband this morning and he said that the power at our place has not been going off lately so it seems to be Samui specific work.

My office is on the Ring Road in Chaweng and we have been suffering these blackouts for weeks now. They are not long, maybe only a few seconds, but every few minutes. Last Monday I counted ten within an hour and a half. It would not be so bad if our UPS's caught this, but for some reason they do not - we have changed them and upgraded them to no effect. Talking to the PEA in Nathon on Tuesday they said this was due to a lot of repair work they had been carrying out on faulty lines and should be OK now. So far so good as we only had one brief outage yesterday. Still does not explain some of the longer blackouts we have had in the evenings though does it!

Conrad, Park Hyatt, W, Banyan Tree, possibly another Marriott and maybe Ritz Carlton, you know even with these extra hotels coming, or another international brands, regardless eventually you have to much supply and very little demand. Recovery for global travel is going to be slow at least for a few years. Things should get slightly better than last year but not by much. Thailand here could always go more downhill though. Thailand isn't exactly stable though. Time will tell how things will do or how thailand will do. Samui in general though needs serious infrastructure improvements more than anything. It would seem to many regardless though on this matter what hotels come or go, you still need to do something different from other hotels, need a good location though to. I know I'm gonna go off topic on this but most hotels already have

modern facilities

modern rooms

most are up to date but the only thing i've really seen missing is staff that really understands or comprends. most of you know what i'm talking about. Those who do completely understand are thai's who usually dont work in the hotel industry or if they do they are rarely ever found.

I cannot really disagree with anything you have said. Hotel prices here are in general so far out of line with reality that I have advised a client not to buy here unless he can do so at a very heavy discount. We will find much better deals elsewhere in Thailand and probably throughout SE Asia over the next few months.

My take on all these hotels, being sold, I seriously don't see how they will sell for those prices, like everything in thailand everything seems over inflated on prices. I could be wrong on this but maybe the hotels should sell it for less. even if they sell at lower prices I believe with many factors in play its gonna be a hard sell.

Global Recession ( Things won't go back to normal again like last year but maybe in 1 or 2 years should see some better pickup hopefully better than this year.

Swine Flu. If you have seen enough reports. The only thing spreading faster than this flu was panic and fear towards it.

Domestically Thailand is a mess always has been within 30 years and 19 military coups. Prime Ministers only last less than 2 years this country won't get anywhere anytime soon. If this country was to make actually progress it would take 50 years and have to start with the young generation and complete change in schools. otherwise thailand will always be a developing country.

The hotels themselves. Mind you this is a unconfirmed I was informed that most are run by local thai families or thai management ( NOTE I am NOT trying to be biased towards thais on this, I just wonder in general how many of them:

A: had a good business plan,

B: prepared for a event like this

C: how many have stacked away cash for a hard season like this

D: How many think outside of the box

E: Able to take responsiblity

what I am going to say I don't know if most would understand this but, I run a small business were doine fine even 5 months on. I control costs, and for 3 years I have not raised prices, I believe that if you don't have to raise prices don't. Don't offer discounts offer value, good prices, good service. I honestly believe to many people have gotten greedy on this island. Or they dont think in general. It would seem like everyone was going high scale. To me there's a market for everyone even the back packer. Thailand is still a good place but it needs change

The locally managed hotels are always going to struggle unless they have moved wth the times and are affiliated to good overseas agencies. In doing so they have to deliver what they promise because the agencies will cut them off at the knees if they do not. That is one of the advantages of being managed by an international chain in that you have immediate access to a world wide marketing organisation. However, international chains in general are not interested in small. low value hotels. Small hotels are obviously much easier to fill than large ones and if you can build up a good reputation for service and value for money, repeat custom and recommendation become your best marketing tools. The problem with the hotels mentioned here in Samui - and many others not mentioned that are for sale - is that they simply have not managed their room rates sensibly and their valuations are based more on replacement cost rather than income return and where land values in particular have become so inflated the two will never match up.

The other issue they will all have to face as hotel room numbers increase is accessibility. Conrad, Park Hyatt, W, Banyan Tree, possibly another Marriott and maybe Ritz Carlton - the customers for these hotels are not going to come by land and sea. Flight costs are not going to be an issue for these people but I suspect that when things get back to something like normal - however long that takes - seat availability on Bangkok Air may be a serious problem. Not just in the high end - but look at the additional 3 and 4 star hotels being built and completed now e.g Bhundhari and the new Nora on the way to Choengmon.

It will be interesting to see how this all pans out.

and how many hotel rooms are there now in samui????

"only" some 14.000 and going....

and yes the Samui Buri has been bought by Mercure - Accor Group

as of my knowledge it has been built to be sold, never been built to be run

by the same people who built it (Resotel-Group)

somebody told me that Accor is same like a management company and they don't own the properties. is this correct?

Resotel, you mean same as Chaweng Cove, Samui Plaza and the new Munchies?

Like the majority of hotel groups, they own very few hotels themselves and their business is primarilly managing hotels for owners for a fee. Management Contracts can be very lucrative for hotel chains and there is a great deal of competition between the groups. I am pretty sure that Samui Buri is only a management contract and has not been sold. Yes it is the same owner as those you mention.