stevenl

Speaking from experience: about $225 tax.

I think it is quite clear what the op means. I don't think he is right though.

Last week they were for sale at Rawai market, the Sunday one.

In a lot of the Moo Gata places, also in e.g. Phuket Town, they have about 1 year ago raised the price from 99 to 129 Baht.

>>As soon as an employer can see that significant money are coming through tips they will try to justify a wage drop to less than a minimum wage for employees who earn tips.

Isn't there a minimum wage that has to be paid by the employer? I sure thought there was.

Sure there is, for Co. Ltd's etc. But if 5% of restaurant workers (not including the hotel restaurants) is officially employed I'd be surprised. Restaurants are nearly all family businesses, just like massage parlours etc.

Is it one of the jobs where you will get a motorbike and drive around with a nicer scratch card than Absolute or do you have to stay in Jungcylon and tell all the tourist what a good place it is to buy a time share????

No, I think this is a reputable one, just as the Marriott timeshares are sold honestly.

I doubt there are many people that have lived here a few years that don't know somebody who has been through the same experience - some more than once.

Me and the neighbours, both having lived here minimum of 10 years, just of soi nam jay.

Only security we both have are dogs and thai houses, no fences, alarms, video or whatever.

Neither have i.

If you're good at talking to numpties who fall for pressurised time-share selling tactics, then it's the job for you.

You will be well rewarded if you make a sale.

I'm not completely sure, but I think this is reputable sales, not the scamming like Absolute etc.

A worthwhile project and hopefully concrete will last a bit longer than the airplane fiasco..

Saw a great docu about how on Bali they have a coral garden that they are stimulating with electric charge making them grow much faster...

Anyone know what depth these will be in ??

The location is not known yet, so also the depth is not known.

I was at a meeting about this about 2 years ago, at that point there was mentioned of a few different location at different depths. Some to provide the fishers was a location, some to provide divers with a location.

I would also not recommend a speedboat, but the ferries are safe imo.

Just look at what happened at Kata some days ago. A police officer smashed up a girlie bar. And the owner of the bar who was that, yes that was another police officer. Just another police officer that owns a girlie bar where we all know what is going on. When this is the direction here and the future is not great.

AFAIK and as far as was reported the owner of that bar was not a police officer.

I'll try and get some picture the next time I am at Phi Phi.

Love all those yacht guys in their shiny captain's costumes. Reminds of the (mainly Russian) guys at the pier in the morning going fishing for the day.

YOUR problem is the speed boats, the speed boats see YOU (dive boats/divers) as a problem. They are unable to see where you have divers, cause your to lazy to point it out.

If you as dive boat operators want to increase the safety for your divers/customers, do something about it. Give the speed boats directions to avoid your divers.

The first part is true, MY problem are the speedboats. But the second line is not, because the divers are 'protected' by a diveboat on descend, and on ascend they have a marker buoy, so the speedboats know all the time where the divers are. Also, the diveboats sail more or less according to international regulations (speed), whereas the speedboats simply ignore these regulations, thereby creating possibly hazardous situations. Also for snorkelers from other speedboats by the way, because they simply can't see them.

The true professionals don't cause these problems by the way, like the speedboat drivers from the Racha Resort or the local longtail fishers. It is the cowboys from the cheapo snorkeling trips that have to prove their manlihood by going as fast as they can as close to shore as they can that are the problem.

On the other hand, sometimes inexperienced diveinstructors who are thrown in the water without any coaching can also contribute to a potential hazardous situation. And I think there is much more to be gained by the dive community as a whole by proper training and coaching for new staff than in the seamanship of the captains.

See you at the Honey Bar, 5 o'clock.

LOL. I live in the area, but don't even know where it is. Any directions please?

Okay, it's obvious that a TV member in the dive industry doesn't want anything to do with this. Change your name to Mr. Teflon, I suggest, as you don't even want to try and improve matters...........just 'move it on'.

You just can't talk with some people. Over and out.

See my posts and PMG posts: the problem are the speedboats, not the diveboats. So again referring to the diveboats, slow going and taking care of everybody in the water already, with your solution won't solve anything because that is not where the problem lies.

The close to shore fast moving speedboats, speeding and ignoring everybody else but themselves, are the problem.

Lannatyne,

You are again putting the problem in the hands of the diveshops and their boats, and that is not where the problem lies, nor are they in a position to solve it.

Agree with PMG that to limit the number would be a good idea, but that will never be reinforced. There is a marine police boat BTW, sometimes used to board diveboats and check for work permits. At least I think it was a marine police boat used for that.

Ok, anybody some practical ideas?

As a diver i would be more afraid of boat boys running around in a dinghy than a captain in a big boat.

Just this weekend not because of internationals. All other weekends all matches were shown.

In retrospect, make that 'many' in stead of 'most'.

It does appear to me as though the 'marine' industry still operates at a level whereby profit far outweighs the consideration of safety - but this is also on par with many developing nations so we should never forget where we are.

Considering the extremely low level of profits at the moment that does not bode very well for the future then.

Marine is a very broad term, but with respects to diving safety is high on the list of priorities of most operators.

First of all, Thailand's prisons might be uncomfortable, dirty and full of sick people, it is at least saver and more human than let's say a prison in the USA, where guards are abusive and the private sector does it utmost to keep model prisoners behind bars because they make money out of human misery.

No idea, and neither do I want to find out myself.

Secondly it is highly unlikely that he will get the Death penalty because Thailand dare not to risk a problem with the EU with a possible trade boycott and a bad name with tourists.

Agree with you he probably won't get the death penalty, but doubt it has anything to do with the reasons you gave. Probably more with the amount and a guilty plea (if that comes).

Thirdly this article says a lot about the Thai justice system and courts. Nothing has to be proven, an "assumption" is obviously enough.

Enough for what? he is not yet convicted. So I don't see how this says anything about the Thai justice system.

Ah, the wonders of Thaivisa forum. Any drug story and all the mindless punishers jump in. Even a drug story that is so badly written that no reader can actually tell what the real story is.

Some notes:

1) Drugs should be decriminalised worldwide and their supply closely regulated.

2) Scandasia should employ somebody who can actually write in English.

Totally agree with you on both counts.