phuketsub

I was stranded in Hat Yai a few days ago while my car was getting fixed and, just walking around, I tried to find the old roti place I used to go to near the roundabout on Petchkasem Road. It was gone. Any ideas on where to get the best roti in HY these days?

When I wrote that there wasn't a sign, I meant to convey that there were no signs in English informing potential work permit renewers of the change in location.

Just a heads up to those needing to renew a work permit. The Songkhla Labor Office has moved yet again, this time into a small shophouse near the Greenworld Hotel. For a long time it was located at Samila Beach, right near the roundabout near the Mermaid Statue. Then about two years ago they pulled up stakes and moved further up the beach, into a largely windowless venue also near the beach -- just across from the OrBorJor Ferry port, on the Songkhla Town side. Well we went there today in a hurry, but it had moved again into a temporary office near the Greenworld Hotel. (see photo, if I can get it to load). It is a small place and the ground floor is packed with bureaucrats, who usually get more breathing room. There isn't even a sign in either location, at least not one that I could spot. Once elderly and entrepreneurial motorbike taxi drive has stationed himself in front offering to guide confused foreigners to the new location, but we didn't need it since Greenway is relatively easy to find. The staff there told us it is just a temporary office while the office near the ferry gets another makeover. They expect to move back in September, she said. To be fair, the staff there are always helpful and friendly...once you track them down. For me, the delay and all the traffic meant I couldn't get back in time to teach my evening classes.

I am sort of torn on this: should I just sleep through it or not. Maybe I'll crash at 9pm as usual then hit then go over at around 3pm to see what it is like...or just to pull my daughter out of there.

Well, tomorrow is the Full Moon Party. I am only here because my teenage daughter said it was on her 'bucket list'. Any advice for a grumpy old man who had avoided this for 30+ years, but is now being encouraged to attend?

Yeah, understood. Still, it is really frustrating. Where I live in Songkhla they built a huge seawall, making an otherwise nice beach unswimmable...it really drives me crazy. I would trade all the wifi, roadwork and 7-Elevens to go back to what these places were like 30+ years ago.

Thanks for all the help. I did go to Thong Nai Pan Noi and it was very nice. The road over there was a bit of a challenge, but it was worth it. I can't believe how bad this southern beach is for swimming given the number of resorts on it.

We are staying at the south end of Phangnan, but the beach here is pretty much unswimmable -- very shallow and can't make it out to the breakers without walking over coral. Is there a good beach for swimming on the island?

We are on a family vacation on Phangan and I'd like to play darts and get a nice, traditional massage. We are staying in the south of the island. Any advice much appreciated. thanks

Thank you very much.

Thanks!

I applied online to fill out the TM47 and it 'said' successful and sent me an email with a tm47 form filled in with the data I had provided. However, the form had several bits missing such as the space that says "Written At:" and the Arrival Card Number. I am confused, does this mean I am now finished?

I am a long term expat living in Songkhla and my 90-day report is due on Monday, but I will be on the road during this time so I plan to do the report at Phang Nga Immigration or Phuket Immigration. In the past I have always done it in Hat Yai. I feel like this shouldn't be a problem, but just wondered if I am overlooking anything or if there any new rules/regulation about having to report in the province where you reside. Any advice welcome. Thanks in advance.

ghost

Nice report...amusing and self-deprecating. thanks.

I had terrible back pain in my 30s and tried everything including several different chiropractors, but nothing worked. The only thing that really worked for me was doing hyperextensions on a weight bench that I designed for myself specifically for that purpose, which seemed to strengthen the back muscle. Over the years I have also developed a yoga routine that really works the back and I am sure that helps too. Back pain totally sucks. I wish you the best.

This is a pretty good description. As a fellow beer lover who has spent considerable time in the Deep South (anything South of Kanchanawanich Road that runs from Songkhla Town to Sadao), I have had a few experiences when it was difficult to find beer down there, but with a bit of advance planning it always seemed to work out. I guess it's easier if you are in a car or pickup, since you can just keep a cooler full of ice-cold ones...

I think this is already in use by the US Embassy

Yeah, I had always assumed it was just being smuggled up via train...I actually saw them loading it up once about 20 years ago. I wonder why they have such a separate network for booze and cigarettes.

I had a few hours to kill in downtown Hat Yai recently, so I ended up walking around both Kimyoung and Santisuk markets. While it was good to see them still open and relatively busy compared to many other parts of the city, it really did strike me just how anachronistic it felt. Most of the goods up for sale are the same crappy junk foods and other consumer products that they have offered for decades. There are even shops still selling CDs and DVDs, as if Netflix and torrent websites had never come into existence...It just made me wonder how the place actually works, with so many vendors selling the same stuff...it even made me wonder if it might be a front for something else. The last concern I had was about fire safety, as both markets are obviously at risk of a major catastrophe similar to what happened at Supercheap in Phuket. Just wondering what others might think about these places, since they are at the very heart of the city.

I had it twice: The first time was a living hell, living alone in a 5-story shophouse in 2000. I really thought I was going to die. It took about a month to get over it. The second time was 2019, before Covid. This time I was hospitalized for 2 nights, but it wasn't as bad in the early stages as the first time. However, after I recovered I had excruciating arthritis in my hands. I suffered for a long time before trying prednisone, which was like a magic elixir. Both bouts were far, far worse than Covid.

I am lucky to have Thai social security. I had a melanoma about 20 years ago. I found another one recently and went to the local hospital where it was excised an and sent to Bangkok for biopsy. I am still waiting for the result. It was almost comical that they charged me 12 baht. If it weren't for Thai social security and I would be blind and crippled now.

I think now the question is: when it is going to end? February has statistically been the driest month, with the transition of the monsoon from the east to the west...but it's almost March now and really strong winds from the east continue to prevail. Something's gotta give.

I did mine about a month ago in Hat Yai and an official there at the time confirmed to me that it was still 7 days after if done in person.

I am still addicted to caffeine, but the doctor told me to ease off due to suspected ulcers, so I experimented with various teas made from homegrown vegetables/herbs. The easiest combo so far that I have found is pandanus leaf and krathom, which is now legal. I also use the flowers of butterfly pea, ginger, galangal, tumeric and cinnamon. I used to throw in a chili, but the doc told me to cut that out too. I also sprinkle in some salt, not for the taste but because I have low sodium levels, the doc found.