phuketsub

I was in there last week to do my 90-day (no problem) and ask about my TM30 status, because last month I went to Phuket for a few days and I didn't know if the guesthouse I stayed at had submitted info on me (they did ask to take a copy of my passport). The girl just looked it up and said they was no record of it and not to worry because "Phuket doesn't do that", and she added the the TM30 procedure was likely to be scrapped in a few months' time anyway.

Maybe the next phase will be microchipping...

Oh, I assumed it was the same time frame the Phuket one, which goes over 10 days if I remember correctly...

Interesting...last time I was there I saw they had started incorporating aspects of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival (self-mutilation, trance talking to spirits, etc.) Will check it out tomorrow. PM sent too...

I'll have to check with the experts on that one. The Phattalung accent has a reputation for uniqueness even in nearby, surrounding areas.

I always though น่าเอ็นดู meant something like 'cute' or 'precious'; something you would typically find describing a young child.

Anyway, I will let you know later. Thanks Surfdog...

About a month ago I went for my morning run/swim on the beach at U-Tapao Temple in Ranode, Songkhla, only to find the beach was gone -- and a new project underway.

After asking a few locals, I found the blue sign announcing the project all torn up and strewn over the sand with all the other plastic trash and garbage that mars what could otherwise be a pretty nice beach.

It turns out that the project is a seawall funded at 133,500,000 baht.

The obvious rationale is to stop beach erosion, and I know from a previous story I did [back when print media still existed] that the erosion has already moved the high tide mark in the area about 20-meters inland.

In fact, many of the old people who grew up in the area point out to sea when asked where they were born.

I always thought the erosion was mostly due to all the prawn farming in the area, which has totally ravaged the landscape. Officials said as much, but I guess global warning could be playing a role as well.

Anyway, I originally thought the project was just to save U-Tapao Temple, but now it appears that the entire beachfront of Ranode (from Paktrae north to the border in Huasai, Nakhon Sri Thammarat) is going to be walled in , affecting hundreds if not thousands of families. I still need to learn more and confirm if that will be the case, however.

Anyway, I know there aren't many posters living in this area, but I just wanted to document this since there is no mention of it anywhere in the media, Thai or foreign.

I will try to continue to update and add info as I learn about it, especially if this 'development' strikes any interest among other posters in this forum.

Not sure if Namaste is vegetarian or not. If it is, this carnivore will give it a miss. The good news is that I did get some of the spices for Garam Masala as recommended by Stocky. I found them at Makro. I kind of feel like I have opened a culinary version of Pandora's Box now...

20 hours ago, Stocky said:

There's only one Indian restaurant in Hat Yai that I know of, that's Namaste on Nipathutit 1 (the colourful buildings street). It's southern Indian, Tamil cuisine, which I don't much enjoy.

 

As for Indian spices, if you can't find what you want in Kimyong, then a trip to Malaysia is probably the best option.

Thanks Stocky, I subsequently found out through Google that Namaste has a second branch (at least I assume they are related) near PSU, but they require you to book a table and order a day in advance. I think I'll just pop my head in there first and have a look.

Kimyong definitely seems to be the place to pick up all the more exotic stuff...will definitely give that a go.

Does anyone know of a good Indian restaurant in Haad Yai? I am also interested in buying Indian spices and trying my hand at making it myself.

Does anyone know where they are available? I grow tumeric and ginger in my garden, so have plenty of them, but I still feel like something is missing.

Anyway, any help much appreciated as usual...

I would note that while the new office looks more impressive, it isn't any more comfortable for their customers.

There is one girl who works at the front desk who is a real angel, though.

Yup. When I first went there I got there at 12.30 and waited at the old spot, thinking they were on a lunch break. They didn't have a sign up at the old spot in English yet.

Anyway, Hat Yai is still far preferable to Phuket in terms of customer service, that's for sure.

Thanks for that Stocky. I had to go on successive days and it was really a mob scene at what is usually a pretty laid back airport.

I also agree with your comments about Hat Yai.

Here's a new one that I have been told is only used in the South:

แหมเห้ย Mae Heuy. This is an interjection to be used when some loudmouthed, know-it-all starts in on the same sermon for the upteenth time.

Similar to the meaning of 'here we go again!' used in English under similar circumstances -- or at least that is my take on it. Any other thoughts?

Not to my knowledge. Most regional transport in the South nowadays is covered by passenger vans, which typically end (last departure) at dusk. One route that might be of interest to you is the van that goes from Trang-Phattalung-Ranode-Songkhla Town. They also have one minibus that does the same route to cover the extra load at peak time.

Overnight public transport in the region is largely limited to buses and trains to Bangkok.

However, there are also overnight buses from both Songkhla Town and Hat Yai to Phuket. I think the bus from Hat Yai to Phuket stops in Krabi, but not sure what time. You would have to go to the BorKorSor (Transport station) and ask.

I pass through there occasionally, but seldom see any other farang.

I wish I could get 100 baht for every time I've had to do one of these interviews, though!

The worst is Samila Beach in Songkhla Town, where there are many, many schools. It's almost impossible to walk the strand for five minutes without having a pack of high school students approach for an interview request.

Actually it was last weekend. We had a pretty good time. There are lots of hiking trails through rubber plantation, so I got some exercise while my wife was hanging out with her old university friends. Where do you live in NST?

I just realized there is a thread about Southern Thai Language on Wikipedia. It says that Southern Thai is also known as 'Dambro', which is a surprise to me because I have never heard of it before.

My daughter, who is fluent in English as well as Central and Southern Thai, says she has never heard of that name for it either.

So I am just wondering if any others are aware of it.

Overall, the Southern Thai Language thread there is pretty interesting and worth a read if you haven't seen it already.

On 4/20/2019 at 9:51 AM, surfdog said:

Let's talk about รถถีบ "rot teep"
why I hear a P even though spelled with a B...

Anyways I was caught off guard but easily guessed in context the รถถีบ is a bicycle. Teep = Pedal

I figured this was southern but it is just "old"

I learned ปั่น = pedal จักรยาน for bicycle = "Pun Jakayan"

Perhaps there is a preference for word Rot Teep in the south?

maybe not... but it is not specifically southern language but possibly a preference for usage.

Maybe I'm just talking with too many seniors.




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Yes, my elderly peasants-in-law always use all the seniors รถถีบ and I never heard it until I moved in with them. Among the younger ones it tends to be จักรยาน

My wife is going on a university reunion to a homestay in Chang Klang District in Nakhon Sri Thammarat next weekend. It looks like a hilly area, but can't find out much about it...As I'll be up there for two days with our daughter in my capacity as chauffeur, I'd appreciate any helpful comments or tips about what might be interesting to do while there...

Well, I just got back from a week in Phuket and it has gotten much, much worse in terms of parking there. Someone told me that one trick for Haad Yai is to simply push the offending, blocking vehicle out of the way as the owners leave the cars in neutral when they block? Has anyone else tried that? I am sure I will get a chance on my next trip into town...

1 hour ago, sfokevin said:

Consider yourself lucky!... An XL here is a tight fit for me... 

I have noticed it has become a lot easier to find XL clothes that fit, thanks to the obesity epidemic that has puffed out the citizenry in this country. It was definitely not as easy 30 years ago. And all the Salvation Army and Goodwill stuff that ends up on sale in flea markets around the country really helps too...

It's all about listening in context.

True, there is more context out there now than ever before with Netflix, podcasts, regular TV and what-have-you, but it seems all of these compete among themselves ever more for one's attention. Also, the Thai language subtitles also serve as a crutch that hinders natural learning by listening. 

I am glad to have thrown myself into a "must listen to survive" situation to learn Thai before the advent of Internet and the rest of the digital info avalanche.

Best bang for the buck is just to find a cartoon series or English language media  that will engage the listener enough to keep him/her tuned in for long stretches. The good news is that it's free. The bad news is that the person has to focus and listen when there are so many competing windows for attention these days.

Do any other forum members drive a car in Hat Yai? What is up with the parking situation there? I've driven in a lot of big cities before, but even though it's was hard to find a parking in them at least there were some rules to the game.

Hat Yai is insane. I got blocked in by double-parkers three times in one day on Monday. And when the guilty parties appear after wasting my precious time, they just act like it's another day at the office...they don't even apologize.

One of them even gave me a retarded soldiers salute as if I was pulling rank on him by asking him to move his rusty contraption, which was also causing a bottleneck on a main road.

And where are the cops? Don't they know they can get money by writing tickets?

Who's in charge there? It's not a built up city like Manhattan...why don't they just make some parking lots? There is still plenty of free space. Even the parking lot at Robinson's there aren't enough free spaces because they have an ongoing tent sale in what used to be a prime parking area.

Phuket still takes the cake as the perfect storm for bad driving overall, but Hat Yai is still the second most frustrating place to drive in the South, imho.

Thanks SoiDog2. I just got through with it. It took a good couple of hours of rinsing/sweeping to get all the muck out. I put it on some plants, and not others of the same variety, to try and see what difference it makes, if any.

One of the things I was worried about was slipping on the muck-covered concrete inside the tank, but fortunately the almost complete lack of sunlight in there keeps out sunlight and there wasn't much algae at all . ????

58 minutes ago, soidog2 said:

I would use it to just spread the slurry around the cultivated area. 

 

My rain water tanks end up with lots of decomposing leaves, snails, airborne dust. All good organic additives for your soil.