stevenl

I am sure if people do a comparison on the web of the Two places they will agree with me as far as value for money goes.

If you look sec at 2 comparable houses, probably with a few exceptions Phuket will be more expensive. But that is not the issue with houses, you can't compare it that way.

Prices to pay and value for money can be something completely different, so Peter, I agree Phuket is more expensive, but I don't agree HH offers better value for money. It simply depends on what you're looking for.

No. It's been called the World Series since at least the early 1900's. Nobody else was playing the game back then.

Though the name "World Series" might bring to mind an intercontinental championship, it is confined within Major League Baseball's American and National Leagues. Since those two leagues together generally attract the top talent from around the world, the World Series is thought of among fans and sports writers as a de facto world championship.

Ah, so that is why at the first edition of the world baseball classic none of the players in the finals play with a MLB team, and in the second edition 3? of the players in the finals play with an MLB team. Because all the best players play in the MLB.

Sorry, but I think the explanation is quite simple: it is called World Series out of ignorance of the game being played in other places at high level.

Whatever... I've lived here for years and Phuket wasn't so trashed as it is now. I have land that I can build in another part of Thailand, but my place here is cheap to keep.... And there is a housing bubble here that I think will burst... Good luck with whatever you have or do here, but I can still disagree with your opinion...

Hardly any forced sales on the island, so i doubt the bubble will burst. I don't think it is a bubble really since the prices are not inflated. Sellers in general simply think: pay my price or i don't sell.

Why would I ow you an apology? You still quote your book as proof for your opinion, which does not make much sense.

Oxygen rebreathers are really an exception, and have only been used by a very limited number of persons for a relatively limited time. Very soon the use of rebreathers has changed to less than 100% oxygen. And rebreathers are perfectly safe, no reason at all not to use them.

Yes you would have had to dodge the Australian dickheads down in Patong too...yelling aussie aussie aussie oi oi oi.....could they be more embarrassing?....I always claim to be a new zealander. Imagine a few Thais running down the street in Wagga Wagga yelling out in a similar way. They wouldnt last 10 minutes.......the rednecks would crucify them. Actually the Thais wouldnt be that rude if they visited another country........its amazing the tolerence the Thai people have for these sort of Australian morons.

I had another annoying moment today.........Cone hour at Chalong circle.....why make cars enter a roundabout twice? eg...if i want to go down to Chalong peir from Kata....I have to enter the roundabout....then turn towards Phuket town....then bust a U turn into the Traffic...then re enter the round about.....<deleted>?? This is moronic

Yes, moronic, but the flow of traffic at the circle has improved tremendously since the cones.

I don't believe there would be a local market for public buses between the beaches,

I do believe quite a few tourists would like to travel more between the beaches at least once or twice during their vacation, so more options there would be very welcome IMO.

Erm ???

I don't believe there would be a local market for public buses between the beaches, except around bar closing time maybe. So very limited use for that IMO.

I do believe quite a few tourists would like to travel more between the beaches at least once or twice during their vacation, so more options there would be very welcome IMO. The tuktuks could be an excellent option for that, if their prices were more reasonable. I do think the main reason for complaints about tuktuks are their prices, but I also believe these complaints are more fueled by the media than by actual experiences.

But they are expensive, plus they are irritating by honking, blocking the road, etc. I think this is more important to most people than their prices, which is also why the irritating timeshare touts are more discussed and more hated than tuktuks on tourist forums.

Most tourists don't mind forking out some money, they just don't like the hassle.

From personal experience: on occasion (twice a year) I use them, find them expensive but have no problems: they do what was agreed on for the agreed price.

If you marry a thai - no problem at all - she / he will receive a Schengen visa, and can arrive in whatever Schengen airport. No hassles at all.

If you just invite...... you might be honnest, but do not blame Schengen for doubting your intentions.

On divetrips spearfishing is not allowed.

So the option would be to hire a private boat, and plenty of options there.

Marine sanctuaries and national parks are out of bounds, so shark point (hin musang) and similans are forbidden. But racha yai and racha noi would be possible, as would any of the smaller islands closer by.

Also in rawai is one.

I see where this place in heading and it is not for the better.

Agree with you, but that is your opinion, not a fact.

I know many people that have left, or will be leaving (myself included as soon as I wind up my business here),

Yes, of course, that is always the case, even in an ideal place. After all you don't know the people that are coming new yet, do you.

You quote YOUR book as proof for YOUR opinion? :lol:

I hope the same nonsense you wrote here 'I had had no such problems previously when I used Oxygen re-breathers, but I had to give up on them due to the dangers using them' and mistakes 'all of the big the fish' are not in your book?

So your saying, that if there was an efficient school bus system, no one would use it and they would still choose illegal bikes ??

A bus system between the beaches would hardly help to increase safety for school children.

The school in Phuket Town may include children who use the bus.

Idid not say there were no buses in the Town

But if you drive by that school at emptying time any day the road is a seething mass of inexperienced kids,three up,in most cases tearing up and down to get home

You missed the point.

If they had a road code.proper tuition.lights that worked and on and on there might be a great leap to more safety on Phuket's roads.

So yes, I missed your point, because your point has nothing at all to do with this thread, plus in your post you made no reference at all to what your point really was.

So thanks very much for your explanation.

Your mocking Wellingtons comment, by saying there is a bus service in phuket town correct ??

I was explaining why the cartels tolerate a bus service there..

Are either of those statements out ??

Not completely. Wellington claimed a regular busservice in stead of/besides tuktuk's would save school children's lives because they would not have to ride their bikes anymore, I can't see where that would be the case. He indicated Phuket Town, which is of course a strange example.

So if you meant to indicate the same you're correct, but I'm getting real tired of reading your statements about tuktuk drivers beating up people, threatening everybody, mafia style, westerners are discriminated against, etc., so I simply skip those remarks from you, which just leaves your hollow phrases.

Of course they tolerate busses in Phuket town as they wont pay the tuktuk fares anyway.. So no need to beat up drivers, threaten companys management and do the usual MO of the cartel.. They reserve that for the hotels with westerners in them where to get out of the hotel costs 2 days Thai min wage.

Unusual to see blocks at 800 sqm. But still built against the back fence, I guess Thais just have no concept of privacy in the same way as westerners.

Meter taxi will be around 450 Baht including surcharge. Airport limousine (Camry) to Patong is I think 550 or 600 baht these days.

Hotel taxi's are always more expensive, 700 baht is cheap for a hotel transfer service.

I think your rates are a little out of date.

I flew to Phuket last week. The current Airport Limo rate for both operators is now 650 baht (it was 550 then 600 the last 2 times I went last NYs & then in May). This after being 500 baht for the previous few years Back in 03/04 it was 400. It is one example of how Phuket is pricing itself out of the market for some.

Upon checking at the meter counter (to the right after exit), I was informed that the meter taxi was be around 450- baht to Patong but then you need to add in the 100 baht airport surcharge. (Not sure why it is 100 baht when it is 50 baht at most other domestic airports)

One of the problems with using hotel 'taxis' is that many of the smaller/medium size hotels use private vehicles which are not registered as taxis in Phuket Province and that may have insurance implications in the event of a problem or an accident. Larger hotels tend to have their own vehicles. Check with your hotel if you do book.

There is also an airport van option is your not fussy for 180 or 200 baht.

That is the latest information I have from my guests. Are you also talking about from airport to Patong?

About the 100 baht meter taxi surcharge: ask the AOT, they are a big part of the problem by milking out the taxi operators, thereby contributing to the high taxi prices from the airport, and they are the ones asking 100 baht at Phuket airport.

It has everything to do with SCUBA. Fish are very sensitive to sound especially sharks. Escaping air bubbles sound like a motor bike without an exhaust to fish. There is no overfishing in the Maldives but all the sharks and very large fish are no longer around in any numbers due to SCUBA divers scaring them away. Every time I used to don SCUBA to photograph large fish they all completely disappeared very quickly. There is an Island on Australias Great Barrier Reef that is unlike any other. No SCUBA only snorkelling. It is like an overstocked aquarium.

On the Maldives are no more sharks because they have all been caught by fishers. Nothing to do with scuba divers. The situation is improving now that a calculation has been made and the value of a living shark was compared to that of a dead one. So also the fishers now realise it is not a good idea to catch them away.

Absolutely; we need a bus service badly, besides the obvious it would save a lot of lives lost by young kids going to school on bikes they don't know how to use properly.

You have me curious, from where to where do young kids go to school on bikes where there are no buses?

I don't know the school's name ,but the road near Saphan Hin, which runs between the Immigration to the Driver Centre,

is full of bikes parked outside the school there.

Anyway, you are splitting hairs, the point is exaggerated ,yes,but still valid.

Sorry, but Phuket Town as an example of where the busservice is missing :lol:

And don't forget that if you pay they use rhe same calculator to calculate the change for a 40 baht payment.

Absolutely; we need a bus service badly, besides the obvious it would save a lot of lives lost by young kids going to school on bikes they don't know how to use properly.

You have me curious, from where to where do young kids go to school on bikes where there are no buses?

Meter taxi will be around 450 Baht including surcharge. Airport limousine (Camry) to Patong is I think 550 or 600 baht these days.

Hotel taxi's are always more expensive, 700 baht is cheap for a hotel transfer service.