stevenl

The hotel owes you nothing.

Oh but they do, according to Thai labor law.

Yes, the hotel does owe them according to Thai labor law, plus IMO morally as well.

Langkawi is a miniature version of Phuket, not much to do or see

Taxis are cheap, scooter hire expensive

No bars or bar ladies that should put a few people off

We will not return far more interesting places in Thailand to visit

Thanks for the feedback Peter, but I don't understand: in the same sentence: 'miniature version of Phuket' and 'not much to do or see'.

even if there is no waves, the signs are always there.

Which completely negates their credibility.

Don't understand that comment.

This means that in low season on both good and bad days the same signs are out. So on a good day somebody goes swimming, notices the seas ara calm and safe but there are warnings about. That means that on the next, bad day, the credibility of the warning signs has for him reduced to zero.

Safe signs should be there when it is safe, and warning signs when it is unsafe.

Oh come on Stevenl. If you think the lifeguard service has improved over the years I would disagree. And if you think that 37 or 53 people drowning a year on beaches that are supposedly patrolled is a good stat, I would say you're wrong. There were 40 deaths by drowning in 2011 by the way... Source is not to be mentioned here due to forum rule number 31.

All I'm saying is:

1) stats with comparison don't mean anything;

2) the lifeguard company has changed in I think 2011, so any stats from 2009 and 2010 don't say anything about their operation.

This is why I don't get drunk when traveling. One person's word against another, and one of those people is too drunk to walk.

This could happen anywhere in the world. Don't get drunk or do drugs when in unfamiliar places.

No, not one persons' word against another. He has admitted, so probably there was security footage or something else.

Sorry to say but I think the lifeguards around Phuket are a bit of a joke. As others have mentioned, they sit and chat or eat and no one watches the water. I have contacted the Lifesaving club and offered to help set up free training with the International Surf Lifesaving Association. No response. So it seems as though they are just a "club" that doesn't want to measure up to international standards and certification. Sadly there will probably be the same amount of drownings with these lifeguards as without, as they provide a false sense of security... Just look at the last few years drowning stats. 53 drowned in 2009, 37 in 2010. I can't find the 2011 figure, but I remember they were comparing it to road deaths at one point.

Stats don't mean anything if you don't have a comparison. Secondly, the lifeguard services have been taken over by a different company in I think May 2011, so stats from 2009 and 2010 are in this case meaningless, unless comparing with 2011.

i meant left

He's in the service lane

Impact on the left hand side of the vehicle and trying to overtake on the left? Sounds strange to me.

From the picture it looks like the frozen good trucks was trying to cut by the right lane

a nice move i had never seen before coming to thailand

Maybe because you're not used to driving on the left hand side of the road and overtaking on the right?

According to the gazette, on Friday he said he didn't confess to anything. http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2012/article15992.html

Gotta love the conflicting reports because I too saw where on another pubication he supposedly confessed.

I wouldn't say conflicting reports, PG simply didn't report anymore after the original report of the rape. That report was in the morning, later during the day he confessed, and the timeline from the other source does make sense. Also the details mentioned there fully fit the picture.

So he's admitted to the rape now? Must be a blow to the groin for our armchair detectives.

Yes, on Friday the 18th already.

wont need to wait for a hearing ,in thailand this is utter <deleted> ,never will happen and this guy can do it again ,

Do what?? A statement from a woman so drunk that she couldn't open the door to her room. And you think the receptionist is guilty. My money is on one of her 'friends'.

Even though the receptionist admitted he had sex with her by mutual consent? I would take yourself off this case and go back to looking for that large pink diamond, inspector.

No, he admitted to rape.

Toyota fans usually claim of superior resale value. However both models are based on Pick Up designs from 2005 / 6 which may be replaced 2013 or 2014. As newer models become available, resale value will not be easy to predict.

I am not a Toyota fan, but resale value will be easy to predict: Toyota's will be higher, they always are.

I like that idea with the Phuket Gazette office. What do the others think? Is there any nice pub nearby where we can have some drinks later on?

What is there to do at a newspaper's office? I'm not sure I follow this logic. I guess it would have to be catered? The last official TV party I went to was at Friendship Beach in the Chalong/Rawai area. It was for the member and a guest. It was the last one that seemed to actually work out and people did show up. George was even there. And I still have my free TV beer condoms! Good luck with this project raro... Getting people on this forum to agree on a party has proven to be difficult in the recent past.

Agree with you Jimi. I also don't think the location is very good, everybody will have to drive a quite long way, the PG office is not close to any living area on the island.

I also doubt very much there will be enough people to warrant a afternoon with kids and evening session without kids. I think for it to be a success it would have to be one session, and the one at Friendship Beach would be a good example.

Even well before the contract expired, people drowned on a regular basis on the beaches of Phuket.

Sometimes the life guards weren't paying proper attention, sometimes they just went our for lunch while multiple people were in the water...

Maybe it's an idea, as so many victims are foreigners, to have a foreign company or expat club manage and employ the life guards instead.

At least it will be done in a proper way then.

For a resort island like Phuket this situation is very un-professional and it will hurt it's already worsening reputation in the long run....

Considering the way many expat businesses are run, and quite often failing, why would expat lifeguards do a better job than the Thai lifeguards? IMO the lifeguards that came on last year did a very good job, and it will be the same lifeguards again this year.

I find your post extremely arrogant, how often are you on Phuket's beaches?

Phuket is advertised as worlds best destination place, and all that blah blah blah.

And all we get there is hundreds of touts, con-artists and criminals living of stupid tourists who pay the price.

and in exchange for that Phuket city which takes millions of dollars every year form tourists cannot even provide lifeguards...

DO NOT GO TO PHUKET> perhaps if people stop going there, something will change

Phuket City, what does Phuket City have to do with this?

Oh, you probably mean Phuket province

When I drive this I always drive with somebody who can't read maps. And since I can't read a map and drive at the same time can't help you with the numbers. But it's easy: first you follow Krabi, when you see Surat you turn left direction Surat, when you're almost there you turn left onto the main highway direction Chumpon.

well far away from there is nong khai BORDER , where i was virtually mugged and set up by false customs oficers with false identity cards just laminated, tried to put cartons cigerettes IN MY BAG while i was argueing, wanted 40,000 baht, i refused because i knew it was a scam as friend had same last year, so careful when walking to get your car after a visa run towards 7/11 shop...........ANOTHER NAIL IN THE COFFIN FOR TOURISM IN THAILAND

Any connection at all with Bangla Road?

Surat by far. To go there there are 2 options: the old road, which is 2/3 4 lane already, rest is being upgraded at the moment, and the new Krabi-Surat Road, all 4 lane, with normally not a soul in sight.

I prefer the old one, shorter and therefor the quicker road I think.

For the old road: take the road left where Surat is indicated, for the new road: continue at the Surat sign for about 25 km and follow signs for Surat there.

Steve are you talking about route 44, the unfinished "landbridge"? Kind of interesting history behind it. It even has it's own wiki page. That space in the center was supposed to be for train tracks and pipelines. There is not a single intersection in 190km. It's probably the only road in Thailand where you can pin the throttle for an entire tank of gas. I have always assumed it was a casualty of the '97 crash.

http://en.wikipedia....ailand_Route_44

.

Yes, that's the one. Nice road, problem is it is a detour of all in all about 40 km's over a less than 200 km's road distance. Since I drive about 120 km/h simply not worth it for me, since on the other road I can also drive at almost the same speed. To lazy for the calculation right now, but I guess you'd have to go about 180 km/h on that road, especially since the first 25 k detour are really slow on a 2 lane road.

Surat by far. To go there there are 2 options: the old road, which is 2/3 4 lane already, rest is being upgraded at the moment, and the new Krabi-Surat Road, all 4 lane, with normally not a soul in sight.

I prefer the old one, shorter and therefor the quicker road I think.

For the old road: take the road left where Surat is indicated, for the new road: continue at the Surat sign for about 25 km and follow signs for Surat there.

I think flexibility is important with these things. So buffet optional, etc. I would not want to commit to a whole evening including food, but would to a short visit which can always be extended.

yes blame the victims ...that is the way we do it in thailand !

you make me puke !

One beach vendor said many tourists were left to save themselves from the dangerous surf.

What's so hard about this? Just don't go in.

Anyone with a half-hour to spare can read about their destination online or in a travel book, and will come across the warnings. I was well-warned on my first trip to Thailand (and Karon beach) in August ten years ago about this danger. The information was everywhere, and clear to understand. The way some people travel (unprepared, unread, and clueless) just invites trouble. Sympathies to the victims, but it's a needless tragedy, as reckless as motorbiking without a helmet.

Well, there is also own responsibility, which people seem less and less to take.

Anybody who has looked at the beaches the last few days would not enter the water, unless they knew what they were doing.

wont need to wait for a hearing ,in thailand this is utter <deleted> ,never will happen and this guy can do it again ,

Not so utter <deleted> after all now, was it.

WOW ... a new Phuket is coming out ? could be nice for tourists but a bit too late ....what about all the jet ski scams ? taxi maffia ? and so and so ....

Too late for what?

To change it from what it is, seedy and expensive rip-off

Remember Phuket = Pattaya (except Phuket is far more expensive)

And Phuket has much more to offer than Patong alone.

According to the site that shall not be mentioned he has confessed to rape.

Yes and what I find a bit disturbing about this is the rapist's mother asks the victim to forgive his son because of his "youth".

Of course she does, that is what mothers are supposed to do.

One could also say: 'excellent news, swift action, and he probably even stays in jail until the trail, because bail has been set at 120.000 Baht. So the victim leaving the country is not a reason not to prosecute.'

I doubt they will cover it.

On my Mitsubishi triton I had a small accident where someone ran into me. I had to go with the insurace company to the police station and we made a report then they issued a paper to take to the shop and have it fixed. On the side of my truck is a big scratch from a motor bike they won't cover untill I go to the police station and make a report. Where it happened was 600 km away so not really worth the time or effort to have it done.

However syaing that, my rate did not go up when I renewed my policy this week

You're correct, the insurance company will not cover. Insurance is meant to cover for damages that occur now, not for damages that have occurred the last 5 years.

To Jeffrey: your premium did not go up because your insurance company will get the money for repair on your car from the insurance company of the party at fault.

In case of an accident: call your insurance company, they will sort things out with the other party, etc.