phuketsub

This weekend:

Saturday: World Ocean Day activities @Phuket Aquarium on Cape Panwa. Special activities and exhibitions all day. Free admission. Good for kids.

Sunday: Phuket FC v PTT Rayong @Suakul Stadium. Kickoff 6:30pm. A must win for the Islanders against the 2nd place team.

Seriously, though, it's amazing all of the public works that have been destroyed down in that area. A real shame.

Please see attached sign before reading:

Hello! 191, we have an emergency on our hands. I believe the sign outside the vandalized/destroyed Saphanmai Community Help Center needs an immediate proofread in order to maintain the reputation of the island's best. What's that? You don't speak English? Call back later...er, okay

Another interesting one is the project on the intersection of Thepkrasattri and Damrong Roads, opposite Satree Phuket School. It used to be a big Esso station, but then they put up the equivalent of a 'renovation sign' in Thai. As there are already too few service stations on the island (the Shell in Samkong closed a few years ago too) I thought it would just be an upgrade. Now I notice a sign that says "Shianghai School"....I really don't understand whey there are so few gas stations on the island, but so many beauty salons, minimarts, pharmacies, dog grooming parlors, etc. I guess it comes as no surprise that there will be a new Chinese School, however.

On the topic of mosques, they are building a large one on Anupas Phuketkarn Road, near the public housing project in Rassada. (see pic)

In the same area there is another hilarious sign (pic attached, worth a look) encouraging people to call the "Phuker Police" if they see any dangerous or emergency situations. It's located right in front of the PPAO's 'Saphan Ruam Community Help Center", which was totally destroyed by rock throwing youths, the barber across the street told me.

My daughter did kindergarten at Kajonkietsuksa EP, liked it very much and adored her teachers...I never remember her mentioning anyone getting hit. She also did one term at Darasamuth regular program, which she hated -- the atmosphere there seemed a lot more strict, though again no reports of students getting hit. Now she is in a mainstream Thai school. She is in a dance troupe and sometimes gets hit if she makes a mistake, but she accepts this as part of deal of being on the team, which won a national championship. Even though her coach sometimes hits her, she adores him; so I think he must be doing it in a controlled kind of way, if that makes any sense.

In my own experience growing up (US in the 60-70s) I was never hit by any of my teachers, but was subjected to some really cruel mental punishment. I remember one teacher name "Miss Paris" who humiliated me by making me stand and hold her handbag at the front of the class and thoroughly enjoying it when all the other kids laughed at me.

I remember the humiliation vividly, but not what I did to bring it about. Looking back I think a smack with a ruler would have been far less abusive. I guess my point is that sometimes mental abuse can be just as, if not more, harmful that controlled physical discipline.

Derby: Phuket FC v Krabi FC. Kickoff 6:30pm tomorrow (Wednesday) at good old Surakul Stadium. There is definitely a rivalry here, with a number of Phuket fans having been held hostage in Krabi stadium after the team got a draw there last year. Phuket have not beaten Krabi since both sides got into Division 1 and it is a must win for both Phuket (fifth of 18) and Krabi (7th) if they want to maintain hopes of promotion to the TPL.

Let's hope for nice weather, a big turnout and a win after so many frustrating draws...

Nobody has ever adequately explained to me why anyone would name what is very clearly a bricks-and-mortar structure "Timber Hut".

Aren't the owners obliged to at least put some kind of facade in the front?

My wife and I live in a townhouse in the Supalai City Hill estate in Rassada.

We recently got a letter from the developers saying that they were going to start charging the owners 3,500 baht monthly for services that include security (8 guards, three of which make 25,000 baht/month), garbage collection (a Rassada Municipality truck comes by twice a week) and a range of other services which have most of the residents completely flummoxed, such as 'telephone fees' and 'administrative charges', even though the sales office has been closed for two years.

We have also been told we have one month to file a formal complaint about this before the charge will take effect.

Fortunately, because it is located near the provincial govt district, there are a lot of govt officials and police and other kharajakaan prepared to fight this ridiculousness.

We all understand that the key is to form a juristic entity, form a council, and run the hood on our own.

I am just wondering if there are any other housing estates in Phuket that have managed to do this -- and how it is working out. I realize condos are run this way, but I have never heard of a housing estate doing it, and it's not so easy since many of the units are owned by people in Bangkok and are up for sale/rent.

Much obliged for any advice by any TV members who have experience in such matters.

The joys of buying properties in LOS. I still have no idea why people keep buying properties for women here. Is it just a male thing? I dont see farang women investing much here

Where in the post does it state that I purchased the home for her? Don't jump to confusions.

My wife and I live in a townhouse in the Supalai City Hill estate in Rassada.

We recently got a letter from the developers saying that they were going to start charging the owners 3,500 baht monthly for services that include security (8 guards, three of which make 25,000 baht/month), garbage collection (a Rassada Municipality truck comes by twice a week) and a range of other services which have most of the residents completely flummoxed, such as 'telephone fees' and 'administrative charges', even though the sales office has been closed for two years.

We have also been told we have one month to file a formal complaint about this before the charge will take effect.

Fortunately, because it is located near the provincial govt district, there are a lot of govt officials and police and other kharajakaan prepared to fight this ridiculousness.

We all understand that the key is to form a juristic entity, form a council, and run the hood on our own.

I am just wondering if there are any other housing estates in Phuket that have managed to do this -- and how it is working out. I realize condos are run this way, but I have never heard of a housing estate doing it, and it's not so easy since many of the units are owned by people in Bangkok and are up for sale/rent.

Much obliged for any advice by any TV members who have experience in such matters.

Just a brief update: I got the application for the one-year extension accepted today without difficulty. My blunder (see initial post) simply didn't show up in the bank book, as the update machine rolled ten transactions together. Altogether quite good/friendly service by Phuket Immigration.

I guess the case is closed and moderators might want to do the same with this thread.

Not sure if it's possible, but if you could set up at the night/weekend market you could probably flog most of your stuff. Some markets are available on a first come first serve basis for daily rental, while others have set merchants at their set spots

Weekend market where?

The popular weekend market, known as "Phuket Variety", is on Wirat-Hongyok Road in Wichit, across the street from Wat Naka. This has pretty much supplanted the old weekend market near the PEA office off Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town. However, it's not so popular with the expat community. Most of the people I see there are Thais or tourists.

As for books, try the used bookstore on Phang Nga Road near On On Hotel (very nicely renovated, btw). Please send me a list of your stuff by PM; maybe I could use some of it.

Well, the fine print reads "alcohol free", so I'm out.

Phuket FC take on Rayong FC tomorrow (Saturday) night. Kickoff 6.30pm.

Go team!

They are really pushing this stuff in Phuket Town. If only it worked on adults!

I am sure the above-referenced parlor provides good service, but in my own experience massage, as well as stretching, yoga, chiropractic, etc were all ineffective at relieving back pain over the long term.

What worked for me after years of suffering was a set of exercises to strengthen back, abs,ass and upper legs.

Try doing hyperextensions to begin.

The traditional Thai massage (Wat Po Style) can actually be a torture session for people with severe back pain.

Things like getting a massage, swimming or other activities where you take the stress off your back muscles will give short-term relief, but can actually exacerbate the underlying problem.

Anyway, that's my experience, for what it's worth. I hope you can find a solution because lower back pain really sucks.

วันทะเลโลก (World Ocean Day)

I think we've all done a few laps around this course already and Steve is completely correct that everyone will tend to cheerlead their own choice of location.

I would first decide which part of the island you want to live on and start from there. In my residential estate in Rassada there are 150 houses, about a third of which are up for sale or rent. I believe the situation is much the same in most other parts of the island. It is definitely a buyers' (or in this case 'renters'') market.

Mangrove planting at Pa Lai Mangrove forest in Chalong on June 17. I guess they want to beat the heat because it starts at 5am.

Maybe it's gotten to the point where it is cheaper to hire a helicopter than a tuk-tuk.

And helicopter pilots wouldn't be running the risk of being pulled out and beaten by the tuk-tuk drivers.

They are independently run, so you would have to know the driver. But most of the drivers don't speak English and they invariably have communication problems with foreigners, so quite often they won't even pull over for people who are obviously foreign tourists. Once they know you, they will really go out of their way to help you, though.

I used them commute from Phuket Town and Koh Kaew for a period, but they are not so reliable -- sometimes they will stop at Supercheap for up to ten minutes loading cargo on. Also, there are far fewer of them when the schools are out, since students make up much of their ridership.

Another problem I had with them is the height. As they are all individually constructed, they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes...sometimes the ceiling heights are way too low, especially for those of us over six feet. One time the driver of one with a really tight suspension hit one of those retarded speed bumps on Thepkrasattri Rd in Koh Kaew and I was catapulted into the ceiling, where there was a sharp wooden beam. It nearly knocked me out and I got a bleeding gash on my head.

Anyway, I am going off on a tangent. I believe all the blue buses that go to Nai Yang start at the Fresh Market and Ranong Road and go via Thepkrasattri Road, so they don't pass Tesco Lotus.

A better option for you might be to check out the privately run terminus used my hotels that is located on the connector road that runs from Chao Fa West to Surakul Stadium. Many hotels have buses and employee shuttles that run between there and the resorts. Maybe you could find one that runs between there and Nai Yang. It might be worth a try. I know for a fact, though, that some won't take non-employee passengers for insurance reasons.

I think your best bet may actually be the Airport Bus: at least they tend to run on schedule.

Anyway, best of luck commuting from Tesco to Nai Yang in the monsoon season using Phuket's so-called "public transport system": I am afraid you might need it.

Last thought: Hey, new idea for moderator consideration: how about adding a new pinned thread called 'ride board'..this might prove useful for people like the OP who wants to arrange carpooling and such, or who want to share expenses on visa runs, etc.

Absolute final thought: Speaking of pinned threads, can I get some help on the Events thread? It seems like I am the only one that still posts anything there. I think if we all pooled our efforts it could be a great resource.

I notice four upcoming events I noticed from signs around town.

Halal Expo: 31 May - 1 June @ Saphan Hin

Last year's event at Sanamchai was as good as it gets for a non-alcoholic affair. I guess they chose not to hold it there again so as not to provoke the protesters who oppose building the new Provincial Hall at that location.

Prison Product Fair: June 11 -17 @ Saphan Hin

Good stuff cheap, entertainment every night, BYOB. I like this one.

Phuket FC v Rayong FC: June 18 @ Surakul Stadium. kickoff at 6:30pm

This will really be a must-win if they want to maintain a chance for promotion, as they could only get a draw at Ayutthaya yesterday. The pic below is of the diehard supporters watching the game live at the Nok Sanam bar opposite the stadium yesterday

Baba Wedding: June 22-24 in Old Phuket Town

sponsored by the Phuket Peranakan (Straits Chinese) Assn

see: www.phuketbaba.com

Might be interesting for tourists unfamiliar with the Old Town.

In the past they had a series of events around the island.

There is also a fair on at Saphan Hin at the moment and they have closed off a section of the road just south of the stage area to accommodate it.

Anyway, it looks like I am the only one posting here. Let's try to keep this one alive people.

"With tourism revenue estimates in Thailand for 2013 coming in at 1.1 trillion baht from foreigners and 5 billion from the domestic market..."

1.1 trillion from foreigners / 5 billion from domestic = 220. The revenue from foreigners is 220 times more than from locals?

I find this very hard to believe, but it is common knowledge that TAT and other govt officials just throw out numbers with little or no real justification or even basis in reality. If you ask them they will say are based on surveys of foreign visitors, but I have never heard of similar surveys conducted among domestic visitors.

In fact, many people mistake the surveyors for timeshare touts and so on.

I find many of the Thai domestic visitors my family hosts to be much more free spending than my own foreign friends who arrive from abroad or who live in other parts of Thailand. One thing they all have in common is the view that Phuket has become more expensive than even Bangkok.

One of the most popular among Thais (and myself) for minor eye problems and getting glasses fitted is Dr Kanokwan's clinic....It's "Thai priced" and they don't gouge foreigners, but be prepared to wait. it's just next to Yaowarat Bridge on Yaowarat Road northbound in the heart of Samkong.

If you have (or suspect) retinal damage, you should see Dr Captain at Bangkok Hospital Phuket,which is in the same immediate vicinity. The female eye doctor at Siriroj is good too as a general starting point for eye problems.

The weather looks good for tonight's big match match against Singthareu FC (formerly Thai Port FC, more Thai Premier League titles than any other, but demoted last year)...

Good match preview here:

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuketsports/2013/Phuket-FC-to-entertain-with-Singhtarua-20940.html

Hope to see you there

Why motorbikes? I don't know where I would begin if someone told me I had to torch one...I'd be afraid I'd get burned to death in explosion if I stuck a rag in the gas tank, assuming I could get the seat open.