stevenl

Peter, you're talking about the prices for excess luggage, Namkengman is talking about the scales not being correct. Completey different situation.

Van Bommel is the type of player that the Dutch have lacked in the past. Not only hard if necessary and able to interrupt the game of opponents, there have been plenty of others doing that, but he is very irritating to play against as well, in good Dutch: 'een zuigerd'. He'll do anything necessary to win the game, including all kind of 'unsportsmanlike conduct', and nearly always is successful. Because of that he is not very popular in the Netherlands, but IMO extremely useful for the team. One of the most important players, if not the most important player.

it would appear a systematic form of rip off, at the highest level, is operating out of Phuket Airport.

one, possible, experience of this, so there is a systematic rip off?

I think Holland have been fairly dull to be honest.

Again I was not impressed by the Dutch style of football. The first half was quite terrible.

I can't see van Persie and Sneijder in top form. Robben is always dangerous but not fully recovered yet. The defense looks a bit slow and old fashioned.

True - always a problem with these 'passive' off-sides. Didn't see the match but if van Persie did as much as moving his foot it should have been an off-side.

Didn't watch the match but from what I read it must have been pretty nerve wrecking up to the final whistle.

We were set for an early morning dive at one site only to be told we were going elsewhere as the skipper had received news from another dive boat (that had dived there the previous day) that the site had been dynamite-fished a couple of days earlier and was a foot deep in dead fish...

Having said that, we did see a Whale Shark passing overhead on one dive!

I'm old enough to remember when Phuket was known as a first class dive destination - I stand by my view that (2 years ago) it was no longer remotely the case. A few years earlier I too saw leopard sharks on pretty much every dive - I rarely saw them for the year I last dived here.

Regarding the leopard sharks: maybe you need a prescription mask? Between May and beginning of December at virtually every dive at Shark Point and Bida Islands we see leopard sharks.

England weren't playing Holland. Brazil were.

I'm sure your hotel can sort this out for you. Not the cheapest option, but this will be the easiest option.

Insurance will be limited BTW.

Why not The Green Man in Chalong?

Undoubtably will have a big screen and there are good biers for sure.

Michaels a bit of a dive, Kama Sutra o.k. food ( thats the same for Green Man), but at least it's a one stop pop for ya.

another thing i may add mate is that in all my life i have never been 'verballed'' by anyone in a face to face situation, or called anything at all but very polite....

Agree with some of the things you say. Not a face to face situation, but some of your posts including your last are rude and not polite at all.

maybe mate..thanks for the advice. do you think being up front and honest and secure is a problem?

and i can do it without hiding my ID in cyberspace...thatts gotta be a plus..i have nothing to hide.. and honesty is a real good policy of mine ... sorry if it confuses people who maybe can not handle this concept

PS if thats your photo, dont you think your a bit young to give a 50 y.o some advice? joking mate ..joking ..

From experience: honesty/directness is not always appreciated, and easily confused with rudeness.

Sometimes the message comes across much better with a bit of polish.

the overall reaction to my honest criticism is quite bewildering to me.. bringing all the nasties out en masse but its only because they for some sad reason take it as a personal attack...[ i think ] maybe just insecure people??

I thinkit is the way you present yourself and formulate. Ever thought about some selfreflection before looking at others?

The Thais that earn that salary if they do, get their accomodation and food included so they have 6,000 disposable income, on top of that they get overtime and other benefits.

A lot of Thais earn 6,000 Baht, and most of them will be working for small businesses. That means normally: housing included, but no meals, overtime worked but not paid, no benefits whatsoever.

Initial cost of motorbike will be approx 40,000, so over a two year period that is already almost 2,000 a month on your budget and that is without the repairs and servicing etc.

Sorry, but here you really don't know what you're talking about.

Just how much does a scooter cost??????????? click, mio, wave, scoopie, fino...all around the 40k mark

you're right, that remark from me about the cost of a motorbike was a misinterpretation of your words, and thus incorrect.

So far none of the teams has been outstanding, so the Dutch sure have a chance.

Normally the Dutch play a beautiful game, this time they are more businesslike and effective. So it could be their time has come.

From someone whose never lived here and whose points are clearly biased.. UK and Thai educations systems about a draw ?? TV (who cares) about a draw ?? Even crime.. Where my mother lives she doesnt lock her doors when she goes out, a burglary in the village would be a talking point for ages, here almost everyone I know with a freestanding home has had a break in, bodies turning up in suitcases, rapes etc.. Having a bias is all well and good but it should stick to reality.

As to the taxes paid it sort of ignores the fact you make money there, real money, the kind of money that allows you to go live elsewhere.. Every year I was in the UK I make money, in asia every year I spend money.. I only visited the uk and the business and opportunities easy ways to make money was so refreshing, it got me all fired up about work until I thought about complaining about taxes to make money, when Thailand you dont make money, its kinda blinkered.

For your information: I don't lock the doors (freestanding home in Rawai) when I go out for a bit.

The Thais that earn that salary if they do, get their accomodation and food included so they have 6,000 disposable income, on top of that they get overtime and other benefits.

Initial cost of motorbike will be approx 40,000, so over a two year period that is already almost 2,000 a month on your budget and that is without the repairs and servicing etc.

Strange, never happened to me, neither in car nor bike (except the big checks when everybody is stopped).

From Monty Python : "The Show So Far".

My only beef and the genesis of the thread was the statement "most would agree Phuket is a shithole", which I said was invalid due to it being two posters opinions. In the result below I am not counting my favoralble nor the poster who claims "shithole" while swimming in dog turds in Patong.

From the thread here:

10.5 find Phuket NOT a shithole (HDRIDER is the .5)

1 undecided

2 agree "shithole"

3 short term visitors who will not be back, one from the early 90's (still wears a mullet hairdo probably)

10.5 to 2, I would say with those results (so far), "most would find Phuket agreeable".

(reason for edit:still can't type)

1 more for 'not a shithole'. Been living here for 10 years now, and would not want to live anywhere else.

I am renting the house and the owner is overseas so this would make claiming via house insurance complicated.

Agreed that International Hospital is taking the p*ss. I used to go the dentist there and after some reasonable treatment my female Thai partner started to go there also - after six months the dentist was charging my partner the same rate as me for fillings and cleaning, I expect to get charged farang prices but expect some leeway on charges for locals. Now we use Phuket Dental clinic and we both get charged the same price, about half of what International Hospital charges. Nuff said.

So because they don't have thai/farang dual pricing you stopped using them? Lol

Would gave agreed with the advice regarding mission hospital about 5 years ago, but not anymore.

Also on Thaina Road is an DIY store that will have this kind of stuff.

I always liked Don's, especially the old place, so it is good to see that the restaurant is almost back to where it started.

But I fail to see the connection with the food and Tex-Mex.

Why do people in a thread like this find it necessary to sprout their vermin?

Diving from phuket is hardly seasonal. All daytrips are going, and offerexcellent diving. There are even liveaboard options.

Just no trips to similans.

what diving is now avilabe is not worth paying for if ur looking for really nice coral and such. Most of the best diving is off the west coast of Phuket and /or in the smilans/burma banks

There is some easy places off of Phi Phi but save ur money and come back in Nov/dec

besides similans the best diving from phuket is not from the west coast, but at places like shark point, anemone reef, racha noi, etc.

And in quite a few of those pkaces duvers will find lovely corals, even better than at the similans.

I just can't believe people posting here without knowing what they are talking about.

You might just be right and I might just be the odd man out on all of this, luckily for me I might add.

you're right, that is most important.