mattias33

just got back from visa run with herbert to kota bharu,3 mini buses,30 people or more and have to report it was excellent.

the drivers were very good,120kpm on dual carraigeway sections and 80-100 on single lane roads,felt safe no problem.thought herbert very efficient,everyone knew what was expected of them re time frames,and what they had to do at each point of the visa run and found herbert had a good sense of humour,particularly on the return after everyone had got their visa's,pressure was off i guess.

we stayed in narathiwat on the first night,5 hours waiting in shopping mall in kota bharu to get visa's and 4 hours in hat yai on return,caught 6am ferry back to samui,very tiring 2 days but eveyone happy.its one of the reasons i decided to go with herbert as he practically gaurantees if you have the right paperwork and qualifications your visa is a cert,unlike if you go by yourself you can often come up against an official whose having a bad day or decides he/she does n't like the look of you and can decide to not give you the visa you applied for.

so i would like to recommend this visa trip to any out there thinking of going with herbert,it was a job well done,and i got non immigrant 0 multy entry for i year which will effectively give me 15 months.cheers herbert!

Happy you liked the trip. With Herbert there is a big fangroup who adore the way he works, there is a huge group of people who dont approve at all with his style. And let´s face it, the guy have been living on this for many years and have a big group of returing customers who like his trip. I personaly dont, but that just mean i dont use him. Easy.

However, i heard Kathu baru is closing down after new year. Anybody else heard this? .

Good job. Funny title of the thread though "they actually do something"!! That is indeed a big surprice!

To reply to limbos...

For starters, it isn't 20 years ago, and I never said that I thought that having no tourism was essential (although that is another thought, but irrelevant since it's like saying that without Joseph Bazalgette, London would still be a disease-ridden and very odiferous place).

I am not sure what you mean by "working hard"; perhaps you could elaborate. Most of the workers here in Lamai, at any rate, are in the sex trade, or are you talking about the hard-working farang bosses?

Look, I am not saying that some people are not earnest in trying to make a go of things (in fact, I'd say that everyone hopes to turn a profit), but frankly, this "compassion" angle doesn't move me. I didn't require anyone to set up a business here, nor do I care if they succeed or fail. (This is different from wishing for success or failure, I might point out.)

I doubt that the last time you went somewhere and it was overcrowded you thought, "This may be the pits for me and my family, but I am so happy for the hard-working and honest merchants!" You thought, "Christ, I wish there weren't so many people here. Sure would be nicer if there were fewer tourists here."

I believe that psychological egoism is always at work, but that it often manifests itself in the form of ethical egoism (take the instance of diving into treacherous waters to save a stranger from drowning). So in essence, I am not wishing ill for anyone, but simply have no interest in their businesses unless it will affect me, directly or indirectly. And I should mention that if a few resorts go under, a few bars close, a few eateries shutter their doors or an Internet shop or two go belly up, it will have nothing to do with me. So I don't care.

Samui is, if nothing else, full of clones -- how many bars do we need? How many prostitutes make it fun enough for the horndogs? How many T-shirt/bangles/pirate DVDs/carved soap flowers...the last time I counted (and this was a while ago) there were 18 tailor shops on the beach road in Lamai (about 1.7km). Should I be compassionate toward the Burmese working there? What if this slowdown forces some of them to close? Gosh, I'm getting weepy just thinking about it...Oh, and what about those poor flower girls? Or the beach hawkers? Should they be on my "compassion radar"?

And I was first in Thailand in 1986 -- God knows how I survived without all the tourist infrastructure that I apparently owe my stay here now to.

If you have a business here Limbos, more power to you. If you do well, fine; if not, too bad. Whatever.

Good post Mark.

Still the answer about the people involved in the accidents wearing a helmet hasn't been answered by the OP. Even with the flimsy helmets on sale here, there would be some kind of protection for the victims, since the OP talks about head and facial injuries. It's unfortunate but it's not very difficult to assume that the victims weren't wearing a helmet.

Maybe the OP should berate these drivers about the use of helmets.

None of the girls i been writing about (this thread and another one 2 mos ago) had helmets. The reflex to "hold the head high" is gone when you are intoxicated with alcohol. When i drove racingbikes, we learned "how to fall". I fell 100 of times on the track, in high speed, with propeper gear on, and knowing how to fall, it´s usually harmless, allthough something offcourse sometimes goes wrong. But with no knowledge, no gear, and halfway drunk, you can be very low speed and still get badly injured. The head don´t take much. Its a thin shell really. And sliding on the ground without gear, we used to describe as similar to putting your hand on a rotating grinding-stone. Would you do it? No? So, dont drive without gear, used to be our arguments. And here i am now driving in short pants and sometimes without helmet. But i always have those old times in the back of my head. I am aware. Drive slow, dont drink much. And watch out for the other maniacs on the road over here. Plus the bad road, loose dogs et.

The last girl (in this op) was bleeding all over the place. She hit the front off her face to the ground. Probably hard since the neckmuscle is the first to relax when you drink alohol. Already after 2 beers you are not able to hold up your neck if pressure is put on it. I know, that if you hit a blood vein in the lip or noose or the eye, it can look more nasty that it really is. But she was all covered in blood. It looked very nasty. I sure hope she´s ok again, but i dont know. For sure she will come out with nasty scars in her face for the very least.

Take a look in the Banrak bar area. These isaan girls newly arrived have zero experience in alot of the thing they do. You speak to some of the newbies and you can just hear they are about to die. Up til 2 months ago, some off them NEVER road a bike, almost NEVER drank alchol, almost NEVER had sex even really and here they came with the promise to "go to samui and be rich". Standing in a bar drinking themselves drunk on commission, drundriving motorbikes without helmet, having sex with strangers with no protection, and after being here for a while in some cases the "ganja" comes in the picture. Said really. Still with no money in the wallet since there is not any people in the bars.

I guess we should start a course already in isaan, educate this people about some things that they just dont understand is dangerous. Ooppps, wait a minuite, now im stepping into destroying tourism again. There´s alot of people here that make their living out of what these girls bring in so i might get the almighty samui forum maffia after me again now. I rest my case.

So, anguid, what are you actually trying to say here? Koh phagnan is a safe place? Is that the message you want us to beleive and then you´re ok?

Yes, is not what I want you believe, but what really is: KPG is so safe as Koh Samui is.

And for sure safer than Phuket, much more safe than Pattaya, much more safe than Sukhumvit or Kao San rd, etc

Wow. Koh phagnan is for sure safer than phuket, pattaya and sukhumvt or kaosan road? For sure? Because it seems to me we hear a little more of crime happenings in pagnan than those places. Could you please share with us, one rescent happening as crazy as the 3 op shared with us, that happened in any of those places the last month? Samui aswell. Or actually, for sukhuvit or kao san you would have to come up with at least 10 cases in the last month to equal percentagewise, since its much bigger and more people. For samui you would have to mention at least 3 the latest month.

Wich you can´t, because that statement don´t hold any water.

So, anguid, what are you actually trying to say here? Koh phagnan is a safe place? Is that the message you want us to beleive and then you´re ok?

How do you photocopy a bottle of tablets?

Sorry, my mistace, forgot about the retards on the forum. That would be photocopy the perscription of the meds. Clear enough sir?

slightly on topic.

just a way to save a few baht.

went to Samui International Hospital with sore eye (dirt in eye while on moto).

presented bill was 1660 baht.

medication in that was 740 baht, not itemised.

I asked to see the medication, and copied the names.

went back to accounts and said i didnt want the medication.

new bill prepared with only 1 medication listed at 100 baht,

this new med was not in the original group, strange.

paid and went to my favourite pharmacy,

the same medications there cost me 140 baht.

Total agreement, NEVER buy the meds in the hospital over here. Go to a pharmacy and ask for "generic" of whatever they prescribe for you.

Just out of curiosity mark: How did you copy the paper? Where you cool enough (or they stupid enough) to use their copymachine or did you carry a digitalcamera? .

Smart move.

look, you guys don't have to agree, but i know too many very nice people who do not fit angiud's very narrow-minded profile above who have had serious problems on koh phangan in the past 5 years. maybe it takes having something happen to a friend of yours before you can see it- meanwhile enjoy having your head in the sand and feel free to not read these posts. but i stand by my assertion that koh phangan can be extremely dangerous and everything you do there is at your own risk, and that is that. recent events back that up. you may be lucky, but plenty of people there are not.

Girlx, it is a party island, the most famous in the far east.

No party, change island, Samui is ok.

Making comparison is tricky, take for example central and south america.

In Santo Domingo the resort security guards have a Beretta during the day and a machine gun at night.

I was feeling VERY safe. Never again....but in Colombia it is worse, and in Brazil the kids have guns and for 10$ they shut at watever you ask for...

Being raped for 8 hours in the jungle or being badly beaten up in your bungalow dosent sound like party to me. The examples you provide is badly outlaw destinations. South africa is another example where people spend 40% of their income on security to keep their belongings.

Thailand dont have that big problems with lame police yet, not THAT far gone. But kohpgnan are getting close. If you are a single girl on travel, apperently, travel with a beretta at least.

Two things make stuff easier though:

1 , We who dont like the shitwhole, dont go there

2 , people that dont want to read about the shit that happens there, stop reading these threads!

A small update on topic:

Somebody did actually clean up that spot today, perhaps because it looked like Stockholm bloodbath, but whatever the reason its still good that it happened. Whoever did it, thanks alot!

Let´s hope it last for some time.

If you mess with long hair-rasta-tattooed man, 10% more dangerous;

Mess with some dope 15%;

if you leave valuable/laptop, cash,etc in your bungalow 20%;

if you drive your bike drunk, stoned, half naked, without helmet, 20%;

if you argue with young thai guys 20%;

catch some katoei and bring in your room 20%;

sleep during a party 20%

etc

etc

etc

BUT

If you know how to behave travelling, how to spend your holiday, what to do during a party (wherever you stay), don't do nothing you dont do in your homecountry, then northing happen to you and KPG is as safe as the rest of Thailand

I repeat, I'm living in KPG (Haad Rin) since 2000, I have a family, friends, business and never, ever happen something bad to me.

Thats like saying "girls who dress sexy have a rape coming". "If you have money in your pocket you deserve to get robbed".

Stop pretending that not more crime happens in Kpg than elsewhere in Thailand. That is sticking the head in the sand.

I get your point and halfway agree even, but still. The 3 cases the op bring up i can´t see how they where doing anything "wrong". Offcourse a woman that walks around naked, high on dope halfway had it coming herself if she gets raped. But a woman that gets pulled into the jungle and raped for 8 hours, a woman getting badly beaten and robbed in her bungalow? Is that "not knowing how to behaive on holiday"?

Might be in kpg, but thats what i call a safe place then.

Last time I was here, I had the best duck soup from a restaurant in a small series of cheap Thai restaurants on the ring road just heading out of lamai (if going north) near the lamai market. Now he is gone. I have heard rumors he took his delicious duck soup to Maenam, but cannot find him. anyone know where he is, or where to get good, cheap duck soup??? thanks....

If you are talking about "the duck shop" in lamai food market, the latest pople that had it (friends of my wife) closed down 4 months ago due to low buisness. I agree the soup was very good. Apperently there is indeed suppose to be one in maenam. Have not tryed it though....

yesterday while driving around samui i seen 2 incidents where people skided with motor bikes.

in both cases the fault was of the driver who slammed the front break.

anyone who has been driving bikes know that you never ever touch the front brake. the combination of slamming your front break and the sand on the road is lethal..

I'm not sure if what you are saying above is technically correct highdiver, the front brake is actually the most effective brake of the two & depending on who you speak to you will get told different things but braking between the front brake should be about a 70/30% front/rear combination....others will tell you 60/40, but the idea is the front brake is the one with the stopping power.

Having said all of that, one would be very wise certainly not to apply the front brake whilst in a bend & leaning the bike when there is sand on the road. As goldfish stated its possible to square up corners a bit & when you do brake the brakes should be applied gradually....this is good driving technique. The idea of going from full throttle to maximum brake should be avoided at all times, even on a good road surface....however I would like a baht for everytime I have been overtaken by a thai person who is accelerating like all madness to get past me and when he/she is almost past or just past, they commence heavy braking so they can pull left in front of me and make a left hand turn...<deleted> is that about?

Even with sand on the road it is still wise to use both brakes to stop the motorcycle, afterall when you apply brakes on a car the front ones don't automatically disconnect if there is sand on the road.A little bit of rider & driver training would go along way......but it will never be made compulsory in Thailand.

If the OP thinks he has a 'blackspot' area outside his house, perhaps, if he choses he could make a sign in thai & put it up on the edge of the road near his home....if its anything like my place theres a million signs everywhere BUT you never know, it may just get noticed & make some of them THINK. I don't know, maybe the sign should read...HEY STUPID, SLOW DOWN - SAND ON ROAD, SLIPERY! Maybe you should put a picture of a nud_e lady on the sign, that'll get their attention! Theres about 45 million km's of road that needs sweeping in Thailand, its just the way it is.

You are correct in your brake analysis. Also Hd is correct. Frontbrake is 70 % of the brakepower on a bike, backbrake is a pure toy. On a racingbike we didnt even have backwheelbrakes, and on sportbikes for the road i just to never use the backbrake at all. BUT, the front brake needs speed behind it. If you are above 70 km/hour and need to brake quick, "panicbrake", pull the front brake hard and let go slowly as the speed comes down, the less speed, the less pressure on your brake. This takes very much practise and no Thais have it thats for sure. Braketests are not included in Thai driverslicence.

However, driving scoters, around 40-50 km/hour, id say most of the time you can just let off the gas, bike is on 20km/h within seconds and you an brake it stop with the backbrake. In sand, pressing the frontbrake to hard will make the frontwheel slide sideways in a millisecond and if you are not aware and ready for this, you stand zero chans. Your on the ground wondering "what the hel_l happend?". Your idea of including some brakeskills and driving in sandy roads in th drivrslicnce is great. But then again, over here, how many of these girls even bother with a licence? There´s another issue to wake up the mayor with, get the police out of the lotteryspot in nathon and start doing their job!

Kpg people are a little special i have to say. So here´s girlx telling us about 3 serious happenings in short time. And the hippies answer with "it happens everywhere". I mean, c´mon guys. Nobody is saying it dont happen everywhere. She just pointed out something that did happen there. Don´t you see how serious this is? It´s you´re home, you are the ones that should be mostly bothered about it, but i guess confessing would bring less people to the place and some of you might live on tourists? Is that why you guys are so defensive?

Once again my wife come home shouting "call the hospital quick!!". A girl fell down right outside the house again.

All covered in blood, her face looked terrible. Give it that she might have been intoxicated but still. With the limited drivingskills these girls have, the sand is just a killer. One tush at the brake and you are down before you can say "bottle".

Actually, i will probably mostly get answers like "clean it yourself" by posting this, but i find it so hard to beleive community just seem to be watching accident after accident on the same spot.

It´s getting crazy by now.

FYI the girl is on the way to the hospital now. Hopefully they get her back on track but i´m here to tell you she was a mess. God, let somebody with somekind of connections wake up the samui mayor on this one. I tryed before on this forum, and this time i beg you to leave out the "go sweap yourself" things from the thread. If there is somebody with connections good enough, please, please, wake them up on this.

If not, nevermind the bullocks, just a desperate cry for help on a serious issue.

Thx.

Crime and violence has increased substantially in the years I 've been here. But that is to be expected when the population has increased by 300% or more. Is it worse than pattaya or samui? Doubt it. Are the police worse? doubt it. They are bad everywhere imo.

Hyping up stories as if only Koh Phangan has rapes, robberies, crime and junkies is naive. But also suggesting that these don't happen is also naive.

Truth is, people get murdered here, raped here, robbed here. Same as everywhere. Add in a huge itinerant population that is only on the island to make money, add in the the scammers and the rip off artists that are attracted to any place with money coming in, and there you go.

Doesn't mean I don't have any sympathy for the victims. These crimes are a terrible thing. Just like I felt sorry for the local lady who was murdered in Koh Samui a few months back, killed for her money and her gold jewelry. Doesn't mean I think Samui is a hel_l hole, just means that shit happens. And sometimes, its bad.

Allthough i do agree with what you say sbk, you have to realize yourself that the percentage sounds a bit strange. Here we are talking about 3 different horrible happenings in rescent time, in a very small place. That you can bring up one thing in Samui wich is much bigger and have much more people, and the happening you have is one happening in a few months, speaks for itself. Sure, you are right, these things are everywhere, but in pagnan it seems to be little more (percentagewise). Stuff happens in Bkk everyday, but thats a big city. (10 mil population?). In a small place like pgnan it is not acceptable that 3 of these horrible cases appear in a short period of time.

Also, the police on these islands is much more corrupt than for instans Bangkok. Sure, they takes bribe there aswell, but in here they dont do anything accept playing lottery and collect bribes almost. Can´t really speak about kpg police, i dont know that much about how they work, but to me it looks like a bit outlaw society when these things goes by pretty much un-noticed.

And by the way:

"Hyping up stories as if only Koh Phangan has rapes, robberies, crime and junkies is naive."

Who did that?

She´s just posting a few rescent cases. Thats not "hyping up stories as they are only on koh phangan" is it? Imo this is just overdefence of the island that you like to do. Quite ridicolous actually.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Firefly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, launched direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Thai island Koh Samui, local media reported on Wednesday.

The service, four times a week, was launched recently with an inaugural flight by the airline's new ATR72-500 turboprop aircraft.

"We can now expect many first-time leisure travelers to Koh Samui from Kuala Lumpur, now that we are connecting the capital of Malaysia directly through this route," Firefly head of communications and marketing Angelina Fernandez said.

"More people will be able to experience what Koh Samui has to offer. We are also honored to be able to encourage the people of Thailand to visit Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia," the New Straits Times quoted Fernandez as saying.

This new route would enable expatriates living in Malaysia to do their "visa runs" and at the same time take the opportunity to explore Malaysia via the new route, she said.

"We expect Koh Samui to be one of our top Thailand destinations and we are happy to provide the service, which is why we have holiday packages via Firefly Holidays," she said.

Firefly Holidays packages start from as low as 180 ringgit (51 U.S. dollars) per person to 2,800 ringgit (795 U.S. dollars) for a three day, two night stay.

Good news, but I have a few things to say if the other members don't mind:

1. If the 4 flights a week are full they will bring 272 new tourists to Samui, per week; The ATR72-500 turboprop aircraft carries 68 passengers. That would be a maximum of 14,000 (Malaysian and International) passengers/tourists for a whole year but I doubt if that number can be reached. Half of that would be nice.

2. I think nobody denies here on this thread that the present economic world situation won't be effecting tourism to Thailand and Samui also.

The numbers to Samui up to the summer were still good as shown in the previous supplied statistics (too bad if some don't believe them but unless there are better statistics, I suppose we have to live and rely with/upon them, right ?)

3. We just have to wait and see if the TOTAL 2008 numbers of tourists to Samui will be up or down compared to 2007; personally I think the number will be down.

But, that 2009 will be a very bad year for Samui and Thailand in general is obvious. Add 2010 to that also, I'm afraid.

LaoPo

Well, i don´t know what happened here exactly, if you changed or i did, but anyway i find myself in total agreement with this post, well said laopo!

I have to confess that the latest days i´ve noticed a bit more people in town, but still to my oppinion it is more quiet than usually this time a year. Like you say we will have to wait and see.

And there is also offcourse 14,000 going from samui every year with this new service. If they don´t plann to fly empty on the way back, wich i would´nt think?

i have to say, this is why i left the island and is why i am reluctant to go back... i have just known too many people with problems and had enough threats myself- and you have no protection at all there.

You always write about your bad experience about KPG: how bad, violent, full of junkies, old hippies, etc etc etc. So simply, don't come back. Easy.Nothing personal, just maybe not a good karma for the island.

In my 10 years life here, never had a problem, and most of my friends living here too. But bad people and bad luck everywhere, not just here. Not enough to badtalking everytime you can about KPG

She´s only asking a fair question before she go back to visit:

what is going on? i know this kind of thing happens a lot and isn't reported, but it sounds like it might be on the increase? it wouldn't surprise me if the airport closing and the economy downturn is starting to have an effect.

No reason to jump her for that. If posting true happenings is "bad talking" it´s says something about the place dosen´t it?

I agree that bad people and happenings are everywhere, but it seems that for the size and amount of people on Kpg it´s a quite high percentage? I think it is fair to ask people about safety issues before going there.

i have to say, this is why i left the island and is why i am reluctant to go back... i have just known too many people with problems and had enough threats myself- and you have no protection at all there.

Understandable. If oyu live in Bkk i dont see why you would bother going to Kpg. Except for meeting up with old friends maybe. Otherwise i would choose koh samet as a holiday island. In your case. I dont reccomend Koh pagnan to anybody over 20 years (and thats only for the party). The island just has nothing going for it imo.

a divemaster girl i now helped rescue another girl who was wandering half naked and bleeding down the road and was found to have been dragged off into the jungle and raped for 8 hours before she scratched the guys eyes out and got away

A story like this sould be hard to "cover up" on an island like Kpg. First of all the girl would need a hospital, not to mention the boy with scratched out eyes.

Is it really true? .

( I dont mean to call you a lier, just asking if the source is reliable).

But, yeah, i agree that the Thais do everything they can to cover up happenings like this since it hurts tourism.

This new route would enable expatriates living in Malaysia to do their "visa runs" and at the same time take the opportunity to explore Malaysia via the new route, she said.

How do they mean? If you live in penange you fly to samui on a visarun and then to kuala lumpur to explore it? .

On the other hand i might bring expatriates living in Samui on a visarun.

Interresting news.

Ohh, i should actually make something On topic aswell. My neighbours wife turn out ( i didnt know til tonight) a cleaninglady in "sala". One of the highend hotels in samui/phuket. A room is apperently 8000 baht/night. Very fancy and nice. (In samui it is in choeng mon). Their people almost never leave the hotel. They get pick up and eat and drink in the hotel for their holiday. They dont care about taxi-scams or overcharging restaurants.

For the first time since she started in 2002 she now have 29 rooms to clean out of 73. They been fully booked (with a room or two empty) since she started. Now they let 4 of her collegues go already, and maybe more to come. According to her there is absolutely no doubt about it what so ever: this is the slowest, lowest, she EVER seen samui tourism in.

Only qouting a chat i had with her. Don´t kill the messagecarrier.

So what .

So whats new?

Anxious to present a sanitary image of Thailand to George Bush and his fellow leaders in Bangkok this week for an economic summit, the prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, has covered a slum with a huge banner.

When the visitors watch a procession of royal barges tonight on Bangkok's Chao Phraya river, their view will not be spoilt by the grubby shacks that line the bank. Instead they will enjoy a panorama of scenes from Thai history and culture painted on a tarpaulin 500m long and four storeys high.

Mr Thaksin has been working on a series of fronts to spruce up the city for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

He has banished beggars from the streets, with many foreign beggars being deported, as well as clearing litter bins and roadside foodstalls until the summit ends.

He has also closed schools and annoyed go-go bar managers and dancers.

The prime minister even drew on the help of two pandas, on loan from China, to schmooze the Chinese president, Hu Jintao.

Kham Ai and Kham Eouy are loving their temporary home, which just happens to be in Mr Thaksin's home province of Chiang Mai, the prime minister reassured Mr Hu.

Bangkok's thousands of go-go dancers are disgruntled after Mr Thaksin asked owners to tone down their acts and urged patrons to stay away until Wednesday. The result is that most of the girls have only their poles to dance with as the banks of seats in front of them are largely deserted.

"Takings are down almost 50%," said Suree Kaewponong, the manager of Tilac ("Darling" in Thai), a bar on Cowboy Street. "The girls are getting bored and frustrated as they are not getting their usual tips."

The one benefit of all this social engineering is the city's usually clogged streets, devoid of traffic as residents obey their leader's orders to take a holiday. To encourage them, he has closed schools for the week.

Journeys that normally take an hour now take a fraction of the time. The congestion is expected to return by the end of the week.

Published: 10/19/2003

Where are we - which year ?

BTW I saw a fleet of channel 3 news , cars , also a fleet of bm's , police flashing lights etc driving fast in the middle of the road just to force everyone else into the gutter .

How´s your memory churchil. Stop asking the same questions over and over.

'For your information my boy friend has just come back from a 3rd time in Irak'

anyone know where irak is?

Next door to Tie Rack.