stevenl

I have been on board some of the diveboats, and it is unbeliveable what they go to sea with. Very few diveboats are up to International standards on safety. A brief inspection of fuel tanks and engine bay would keep them stranded in most countries

Hey ... the boat floats and the engine starts. What more do you want .... Really sad ...

Fortunately most of the diveboats in the area are safe. There are just 2 that are not IMO. Well, at the moment only one, but in a few days there will be two again.

This boat was not seaworthy and has not been for quite some time now. This was the upteenth breakdown it experienced in a short period of time as well.

If just divecenters would stay away from this boat, and there is one more I don't trust at all, it would be much, much better for everybody. But money talks, the boat is rented out cheaply, so there will always be somebody using it, even if they (should) know it is totally unsafe.

The boat is in the shipyard BTW, and I'm sure will be available for rent in a few days.

The.Farang.Must.Pay. Regardless of who is at fault.

As jackr said: lots of misinformation here.

To those who think renting a motorbike for 150 baht a day is the way to go, consider this:

Phuket police can sniff out a tourist half a km away and will pull you over asking to see your driving licence, and if you get past that - he will ask to see your insurance certificate, and then your current tax disc and in extreme circumstances (and if he is having a really bad day) ask for the owners manual or accuse the number plate of being dirty and unreadable (yes it really happens).

Last week I spent over 30 minutes near the police post at Bangla Road in Patong watching the police pull motorbikes (only) over.

Without exception - every single one they pulled over was a foreigner despite Thais driving past without helmets on or 4 people on a bike.

Should you be fortunate not no get stopped and things are going great - I have heard people saying "I will be fine - I have been riding bikes for years"

Yes - you may have - but the other tens of thousands on the road riding a bike haven't.

The Thais have a unique driving style and is quite scary to the newcomer and if you do have a scrape - remember there is no insurance and as a foreigner/tourist involved in an accident - you already start with a disadvantage and will usually get the blame.

Summary: there is NO easy and cheap way to get around Phuket (without getting ripped off or putting your life on the line) - and life in Thailand is cheap.

Strange. In all thosenyears of me riding a bike here I have never seen this. People getting pulled over, yes, but only foreigners, no.

Yes. quite a few sightings lately, also last friday.

Where in Kata ? The hill on Patak road going to Phuket town. I am trained chef and will be in Kata in the winter if you still needed more help.

anyways, it doesn't matter too much...isn't there a cooking school in the vijit area on the way to town? pu's or pum's cooking school? and a friend said a new cooking school is opening on the hill to kata? i saw on another website that indochine in kalim is offering a thai cooking course for 300 baht--3 dishes.

There may be some confusion here, I think the op means he is looking for a western style cooking class. Blue elephant is thai style.

Instead of closing Karon Beach which would be adverse for tourism and those who can handle themselves out there .

Maby it is time to contract out lifeguard services to foreign lifeguards: That would be only Australian or Southern California lifeguards .

Thais bring in foreign engineers to design bridges ,subwalys and skytrains.

I'm sorry, but someone goes swimming after diner, having had a few drinks, on a beach where every 30 or so meters are red warning flags.

There is only person to blame for this death, and that is not the lifeguards nor the warning system.

RIP

These samlors might be fine for quiet rural areas, but really not suitable for busy main roads. It's about time the authorities realise that, and locals recognise that samlors belong to a previous era.

Most locals would love to trade them for a small pickup, but simply can't afford it. This is the only way of transport for them. In Phuket Town there are not many, so a crackdown there will be accepted probably (provided it doesn't last too long), but in more rural areas like Rawai I don't see any crackdown happening.

This crachdown will be in Phuket Town and Chalong circle for 2 weeks, and after that anybody can do as they please again.

Except Dive supply...other filling station with website to check it ?.

thanks

Tank filling is hardly anything you need to advertise on a public website in those necks of the wood, so even if they do have website you won't find much info in those regards. Places where you can get a hydro and a tank fills include:

Aquamaster - Pier Road, Chalong

Asia Dive Tech - Viset Road, Rawai

Dive Supply - Patak Road, Chalong

Scuba Market - Patak Road, Kata Beach

Siam Diving Enterprise - Pier Road, Chalong

Iwould recommend scubamarket.

The water was calm yesterday, and therefor dangerous, people don't realise there are strong rip currents.

If your friend is travelling by bus booked via a travel agent he will end up at a travel agent in Surat as well, not at any kind of busstation.

German bakery use Myanmar staff and yes not very good, but bread is OK

Better bread at Fruits of Trang, the German bakery at Viset Road traffic light intersection with Sai Yuan Road. Problem is Fruits of Trang tend to suddenly close shop for a few weeks or close 2 days of the week, so I have stopped going there.

Funny I was just thinking the same thing !!!! ..... what ever happened to NASA burger ??? ..... their chicken burgers and food was good and I think one of the better takeaway food places around Kata !!!

any new recommendations would be great !!!

NASA Burger first moved from their location at the intersection to Katekwan Road, next to my shop, where they had a proper restaurant. Too much keymoney to be paid at the old location. Not enough business though at their new location, so they recently changed and are now selling all kind of garments. Again, not enough business so they are closed quite often now. I think the shophouse is owned by the brother of the lady running it, that is why they are still there. If it were a normal rental place they would have been long gone.

Are you asking for recommendations or just telling everyone what you're doing?

Read the title, pointless post. Some people ...

“Cheeseburger And Chips In Kata/Karon Your recommendations"

Problem may be that the subheader, in this case 'your recommendations' does not appear on all mobiles.

they have been closed for months now.

No perpetrator stays at the place of the crime, waiting to be caught. There is more to this than you all seem to think.

But why would he wait at the scene of the crime?

My kids (20,23 and 25) rent jet skis every time they are here at kata beach, never a problem

Yes, Kata should be fine.

Might work out if jet ski guy claims damage, but no guarantee that police will accept your photo evidence. I side with the don't bother renting advice.

So do I, but if they can't be talked out of it: any other beach but Patong, make photos and have witnesses.

Let's all hope that this will end all the previous speculation about the Swiss lady's death.

RIP Ursula

Your hope was in vain.

Don't rent any jetski's in Patong. On other beaches the chances of being scammed are much slimmer.

Why ask the question when you already know that in your opinion it is.

I thought all Thai mobile numbers stared with 08?

A friend of mine leaves his rental motorbike there on a regular basis. Never any problems.

depends on the bikes value I guess. a 20-30k baht Dream/Wave with chains and padlocks wont be first choise unless its a pickup taking em all

Rental Click, no padlock.