stevenl

As SB says, fastest way is by far via Tepkasatri Road and Chalong. Takes me about 45 minutes on normal days.

Is that in your salaeng?

Seriously, 45 minutes? It can take that long from Tesco Lotus on a bad day. An hour is more realistic except very early mornings.

Sometimes a bit longer, sometimes (nighttime/early morning) a bit less. On busy times normally 60 minutes, but yes, sometimes even more.

The elsewhere mentioned negative travel advisory for tuktuk's would mean both health insurance and travel insurance becomes invalid.

As SB says, fastest way is by far via Tepkasatri Road and Chalong. Takes me about 45 minutes on normal days.

A pipe lay barge in the gulf of Thailand accidentally pulled up one of the main 36 inch gas trunk lines around May / June. The gas from this line does up to 70% of EGAT's electricity. And i have heard it's still not repaired yet. That's why all our bills have increased. On top of that the insurance company and the construction contractor are arguing over who's going to pay for it. We are talking billions here, and not baht either.

Thanks for the explanation, but the bills have not increased, ie the price per unit has not. Some people have used more so pay more, so people have used less so pay less.

Thanks, appreciate the advice.

Do you think it would be unrealistic/unlikely to find discussion in a philosophical direction here?

Stupid question?

Do you mean on the Phuket forum of TV or in any of the mentioned bars? Never mind, the answer would be the same: highly unlikely.

You're coming to Thailand for philosophical discussion? Are you having a laugh? (I think so)

Come to the Freebird and we'll have a deep, philosophical discussion about pool, beer, ladies and the pros and cons of toilet paper as opposed to the bum hose! :jerk:

Can't think of any pro's of toilet paper.

Thanks, appreciate the advice.

Do you think it would be unrealistic/unlikely to find discussion in a philosophical direction here?

Stupid question?

Do you mean on the Phuket forum of TV or in any of the mentioned bars? Never mind, the answer would be the same: highly unlikely.

Lots of nay sayers here, 'he is never going to be extradited'.

But I'm glad to hear that the news is in that the order has been given to extradite him.

Why do people go to phuket?

Because it is a very nice place with lots of things to see and do.

As the editor of another news source said: "It would be a shame to overstate the scale of the problem. The vast majority of people have a wonderful time on holiday on Phuket. But while there is a lawless element among the tuk-tuk drivers and jet-ski operators - and now, apparently, motorcycle hirers - Phuket will suffer. Incidents of intimidation, violence and fraud should not happen on Phuket."

Correct, Katekwan Road, same road as Sawasdee Village, Centara Kata and Alpina Nalina Resorts.

But she still is very expensive IMO.

>>If anything, the main message from this thread is to make sure you have travel insurance if you are a visitor to Thailand.

Correct as has been stated here is that the standard health care policy will not cover most cases here, whether you're Russian, Chinese, Indian, Australian, American or most other nationalities. I'm glad someone knows about insurance as another poster said I don't know zilch.

My earlier statement was not correct, but I seriously doubt your 'in most cases' is correct. It might be though, depending on the percentages we're talking about.

Do agree with the advice to make sure one has travel insurance, anywhere in the world basically, if only because of emergency evacuation cases.

EU states health insurance will. After all the corrections I'm not sure about UK at the moment.

I used to cross border supply workers through the EU.. And how it was then was each person would need to get an E101 medical form, which enabled cross border medical cover, through the EU.

But if they didnt have that form with them they wouldnt get emergency medical cover, and it was only inside the EU that this pro rata medical cover worked.

So I dont see how any EU citizen is going to get a private Phuket hosptial to claim on that medical system.

Where did you get the idea that some posters prefer they are uninsured death traps?

I personally am more than happy to accept when I climb in to a tuk tuk, that I'm 100% financially responsible for taking care of myself if I were to be in an accident. And that's just the way I like it.

So maybe one poster, if you're interpretation is correct.

Regarding the insurance: I know for sure that most European countries these days do have automatic cover overseas, not limited countrywise. The only limitation in general will be the amount covered, normally the same amount as the home country. So that may be a problem for US coverage consideirng the high costs of healthcare there, but no problem here in Thailand.

Certainly UK and EU states health insurances wont cover them while travelling either..

Personal travel insurance required, and while it 'should' cover you.. I note they try every weasel way to use the fine print to not pay. What would happen if the driver was shown to be intoxicated (which in reality would not be shown) I have no idea.

However the very idea that some posters 'prefer' that they are uninsured death traps, instead of well insured safe vehicles, well the mind boggles !! Why would you prefer they were dangerous and uninsured instead of safe and insured ??

EU states health insurance will. After all the corrections I'm not sure about UK at the moment.

Again the intoxication, same issue back home. Not a problem for the insured, maybe a problem for the insurer to reclaim though .

Where did you get the idea that some posters prefer they are uninsured death traps?

According to my calculations, I get the following:

Distance from Kata to Karon Beach (center to center): 2.6km (on googlemaps)

The Tuk-Tuk website claims that a Tuk-Tuk does 10-15 km/L. (http://www.thailandtuktuk.net/thailand-tuktuk-engine.htm)

Price of 1 L of LPG: 11 baht a litre (http://pttweb2.pttplc.com/webngv/en/kw_df.aspx)

Cost of LPG/km: 0.733 Bht/km or 1.91 Baht for a 2.6km trip

Therefore:

The drivers are make 197.4 baht per 1-way trip. Lets assume that they are making 10 trips like this per day. They are making 2,000 Baht/day which is just over 8 times the minimum daily rate. That is a HUGE profit margin.

Please tell me, how is it possible that at rates like this, these guys aren't stinking rich? Oh wait, they have to give a huge chunk away to the bosses. Who are these bosses? How much of that 2,000 baht a day goes up the chain? This is the big question. After making this calculation, I am less inclined now to blame the drivers if in fact their are shadow bosses.

Quite right, it is 2.6 Km from Karon Circle to Kata centre.

You forget that most Tuk Tuk are not driver owners. Most of them pay 800 baht/day to rent the Tuk Tuk + fuel + wear/repair. And they seem to sit about all day waiting for that 'big' hire fare, and they are not interesting in moving/waking up for only 200 baht.

Plus they don't run on LPG, plus the mentioned website is for Bangkok tuktuk's, etc. Lots of flawas in the reasoning here.

Do you have better numbers? I would be surprised if his calculations are significantly off and even if the actual costs are 40 baht round trip, that is still a huge profit margin.

TheWalkingMan

I see what they are doing and don't need better numbers. They'd wish they made that much. True, some/most don't work really hard and I agree with the conclusion that the problem is not the tuktuks or the drivers but the big bosses.

Insurance companies "recoup' their payout from the at fault party. Usually, the at fault party is insured, however, such insurance is null and void if the driver is unlicenced and/or is under the influence.

So, a tuk-tuk crashes and injures 4 tourists, badly. Their tavel insurance covers them, then, the travel insurance company lodges a claim against the driver's insurance company. When the driver's insurance company say, "He was drunk at the time of the accident, so, we denied liability" then, you may have an issue arise where travel insurance companies will not cover tourist if their are using a tuk-tuk.

No, not true. If there is cover there is cover. They will try to recoup from a liable party, but if that liable party has no money and no insurance cover the home insurance company can not change the cover.

With regards to health insurance covering overseas you're right, I just learned that Australians are in general not covered in Thailand by their health insurance, they will need travel insurance. And with the many Australians we have visiting the area that is an important point IMO.

According to my calculations, I get the following:

Distance from Kata to Karon Beach (center to center): 2.6km (on googlemaps)

The Tuk-Tuk website claims that a Tuk-Tuk does 10-15 km/L. (http://www.thailandtuktuk.net/thailand-tuktuk-engine.htm)

Price of 1 L of LPG: 11 baht a litre (http://pttweb2.pttplc.com/webngv/en/kw_df.aspx)

Cost of LPG/km: 0.733 Bht/km or 1.91 Baht for a 2.6km trip

Therefore:

The drivers are make 197.4 baht per 1-way trip. Lets assume that they are making 10 trips like this per day. They are making 2,000 Baht/day which is just over 8 times the minimum daily rate. That is a HUGE profit margin.

Please tell me, how is it possible that at rates like this, these guys aren't stinking rich? Oh wait, they have to give a huge chunk away to the bosses. Who are these bosses? How much of that 2,000 baht a day goes up the chain? This is the big question. After making this calculation, I am less inclined now to blame the drivers if in fact their are shadow bosses.

Quite right, it is 2.6 Km from Karon Circle to Kata centre.

You forget that most Tuk Tuk are not driver owners. Most of them pay 800 baht/day to rent the Tuk Tuk + fuel + wear/repair. And they seem to sit about all day waiting for that 'big' hire fare, and they are not interesting in moving/waking up for only 200 baht.

Plus they don't run on LPG, plus the mentioned website is for Bangkok tuktuk's, etc. Lots of flawas in the reasoning here.

So 200 Baht from Karon Beach Resort to let's say Kata Villa?

This is nothing new, just done to appease the protesters. I would prefer lower prices, but the prices are not the problem.

So what you're telling me is the majority of Russians, Chinese and Indians do have travel and health insurance and everyone I talk to has been lying to me? Yeah you're right, I know zilch about insurance.

No, that is not what I am saying. I am saying nearly all of them will have health insurance, so they will have coverage while being passenger in a tuktuk. I don't know about the percentage of Russians/Indians that come here and have travel insurance.

Hum. My US health insurance would only cover emergency room treatment. It would not cover in patient care, not alone ICU!

True, in general US health insurance does not cover abroad, and also Medicare will (of course) not cover abroad. I forgot about the US, sorry, but health insurance policies issued in nearly all other countries do cover abroad.

So my opinion as a repeat customer would hold a bit of merit would it not? Your statement that my opinions are a bit strange (or words to that effect).....but my opinions are of good experiences...if you work in the industry you should be asking me specifically what I liked about the trips ....that way enhancing your own business or work practices. Instead of rubbishing most of the dive companies i recommended and being a secret squirrel type character about the one i liked. I think my statement about the dive industry being bitchy is spot on

Yes, of course your opinion holds merit. But for quality courses you're simply mentioning quite a few of the wrong companies. It becomes a lot easier to realise the quality of course once you're an experienced instructors, and see the instructors in action on a regular basis.

Regarding the bitching: I told the accident prone company exactly what I think of them. So maybe bitching, but directly to the guy himself and not behind his back.

Yes, excellent news. Judging from a distance it did not look good, glad to hear he is recovering.

Please tell us who you work for. Cryptic comments are great amongst 'those in the business' - but makes everything more obscure for the rest of us 'out of the loop'.

My brother used to work in the diving business here, so I know some of the old gossip, but none of the new.

AND, before anyone queries it - no, he did not work for Seabees, but recommended them even though the company for whom he worked did not use them!

I don't think I can mention that here. Why don't you read my profile?

BTW which one did you like simon? was it offspray?

And I thought my username was easy

Offspray has a nice trip on offer, won't comment on their courses.

In general I don't think the diveshops here are very bitchy, I do notice though that at the moment, with business not as good as it once was, standards dropping. Yes, more co-operation and a new DOCT would be nice, don't see that happening though at the moment.

And yes, DC's that do everything on the cheap can be called accident prone IMO. Or maybe simply short sighted, but that is too unfriendly on an open forum IMO.

So what you're telling me is the majority of Russians, Chinese and Indians do have travel and health insurance and everyone I talk to has been lying to me? Yeah you're right, I know zilch about insurance.

No, that is not what I am saying. I am saying nearly all of them will have health insurance, so they will have coverage while being passenger in a tuktuk. I don't know about the percentage of Russians/Indians that come here and have travel insurance.

I highly doubt a majority of the Russian, Chinese and Indian tourists have travel and health insurance that would cover them in a tuk tuk accident. As far as the rest of the tourists, what does their social insurance cover when traveling abroad? In my dealings with many tourists over a number of years, I ask them if they have travel insurance due to many of them riding motorbikes and the majority say they do not have it.

Sorry, but sounds to me you know zilch of insurance.

Quite a few insurance policies will exclude driving motorbikes, especially when the driver has no license, as is quite often the case here. That would be another reason to improve the public transport system on Phuket IMO.

Count on 500 Baht, since the meter taxi's don't use the meter anymore.

If you want a bigger car (Camry) take one of the airport limousine cars, should be 600 Baht to Patong.

Since when have the metered taxis stopped using there meters

When we use one i always tell them to use the meter and they always have

I always tip them because the fare is very reasonable

The only time i have had taxis refuse to use the meter is in Bangkok and i will not use those taxis

there are plenty of other taxis who will run on the meter

Since 3-4 months they don't use their meters anymore.

I wonder if all those happy smiling passengers would be happy and smiling if they knew there was nil to (perhaps) very limited insurance coverage?

This is (in nearly all cases) not true. The passengers will nearly always have their own travel and health insurance coverage. So what you probably mean to say is: 'I wonder if all those happy smiling passengers would be happy and smiling if they knew there was nil to (perhaps) very limited car insurance coverage?'. You could also write the 'perhaps' before the 'nil' but that would change the tendency of your writing.

I don't think there is any car insurance, but I don't know, so can't say anything about it