phuketsub

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.

Personal websites, when not advertising should be ok on thaivisa? LiK?

Note that advertisers (ie sponsors) are the only members allowed to post links to their sites.

Rule 10) Not to post commercial spam or to post any promotional links, URLs or addresses to a member's own business or that would lead people to your site. Not to post URL links to other forums . Not to flood, post commercial or for-profit advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and similar solicitations. Any member who violates this prohibition will be banned from all forums on this website.Advertisers are the only members allowed to post links, URL's or addresses to their sites.

Understood, I would not want to jeopardize my ability to continue contributing to this forum. If anyone knows of any useful contacts just send a PM and I will respond with my contact details. Thanks.

I am trying to gather information for an in-depth news story about Thai people in Phuket who are originally from the Deep South (Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani or Songklha south of Kanchanawanich Road) , but now live in Phuket either for work or security reasons (due to all the violence of the insurgency there).

If anyone knows of anyone with interesting experiences in this regard pls send me contact details by PM.

I promise to post the final version of the story in this forum, free of charge.

Any help would be much appreciated.

note to moderators: I understand this is a rather strange and self-serving post, but I went through the house rules and don't see any that it is clearly in breach of, so I hope it can stand.

FC Phuket v Port Authority @ Surakul Stadium on Saturday, May 4. kickoff 6:30pm.

The teams are in fifth and fourth place in Division 1, respectively, and separated by just one point.

A very important match for Phuket if they want to get back into the promotion zone.

More developments up on Khao Toh Seh...As I walked past Point 5 I saw a huge cement truck coming down and thought "this can't be a positive development"...It turns out they are covering the traditional monkey feeding point (the one used by Mr Monkey) with concrete.

The head of the park's sanitation unit was there so I asked him "What about the sign that clearly states 'do not feed the animals here'. He said it would be taken down. I wanted to ask why they didn't remove the sign before they covered everything with cement, but then he got a phone call and I didn't want to wait.

Other developments:

-The pigs are back...two spotted at Point 3. Pork rustlers take note.

-Thieves have disassembled many of the walkway lights and stolen the light bulbs.

-A kiosk has opened at Point 7 selling water and a few snacks. It's run by Toh Seh Hill Walkers Association member Mr Pian, who has worked at the Ch7 broadcast office for 30 years. Bottled water just 10 baht; not bad considering the location. The association is about 10 years old and has about 100 members.

-The temple behind the court (Wat Lang Sarn) is offering free meditation classes for a month. They started on the 24th and run for a month. However, there is no English on the sign so I expect it is going to be a Thai only affair.

I will take 'em there by black plate submarine.

Annual 'lucky' license plate auction at Phuket Merlin Hotel tomorrow. The sign doesn't say what time it starts, but should be a good place to network with the rich and superstitious.

Phuket Bay used to have a nice, sandy bottom. Now it is covered in meters of muck from the tin mining era.

It is certainly still "on the sea", though I think people coming for a nice day at the beach would disappointed with most East Coast beaches -- especially the one at Saphan Hin!

Phuket town is not on the ocean.

Really? Actually all of Phuket is on the Andaman Sea, rather than the Indian Ocean, if you chose to get semantically correct... Phuket town is on the Phang Na Bay, is it not? There is a sea port not far. After all Phuket is an island!

Thai language being a tonal language is difficult for Westerners, but I found that most asians learn to speak it fairly fluently.

I suppose because most asian languages are tonal as well so they have an ear for it.

I may be wrong.

Even though I had no exposure to Thai until I was in my twenties, I still find it easier to memorize things like phone numbers in Thai than in my native tongue (English).

I can still get very frustrated trying to communicate in Thai; there seems to be a lack of inherent, grammatical specificity in it, at least compared to what I am used to in English. But I still find 25+ years of study one of the most satisfying pursuits I have ever undertaken -- even when my 7-year-old daughter corrects my pronunciation.

All that said, when I moved to Thailand in 1989 there was no cable tv, internet or anything like that, so you really did have to learn it if you wanted to make yourself understood.

Perhaps we are all headed towards a world of globalization and Google translation; I understand the OP's question, but I think if you have the ability to learn a foreign language it will make your life more fulfilling if you invest some time to learn some basic Thai.

To those who assume that anyone from Issan is "low class" or a bar wench, you are very wrong. Issan comprises 1/3 the population of Thailand.

Issan people form the backbone of the service industry, the trades and the military. Considering that almost all of us will at some point require the services of these "low class" people, speaking some Issan dialect, even a few words, would serve one well. Many of my Thai friends are from Issan. They are not bar girls and have never been to Phuket or Pattaya, nor wish to have anything to do with those that go there. One of them is the guy that will most likely be sent in to defuse the bomb someone plants. (I reckon most of you didn't know that most of the bomb disposal personnel come from Issan.) You bet I want to be able to speak a few words to them. Next time there is a civil insurrection and you want to navigate through the army people, drop a few Issan words and you will get some help as most conscripts are Issan people. Those Issan people form the majority of the NCOs and junior officer corps as well.

Appreciably if one makes his home in the south, one of the southern dialects is appropriate. However, if one is living in Bangkok or in the north, Issan dialect comes in handy.

It saddens me that so many of new arrivals, especially people who come to live and work here, have no interest in Thai language whatsoever, let alone the local version of it.

But at the end of the day the loss is theirs because Thai is such a great and flexible language and the Thai people are such enthusiastic teachers of it.

My experience of trying to learn French in Quebec (after six years of school study in the states) put me off efforts to learn that language completely.

I later found, but much too late, that French people (outside Paris) are pretty cool about people trying to learn their language.

I think that much of the conflict in the Deep South is really about language more than anything else; it's a shame that this issue is never really addressed by so many successive governments and that the unique Patani Malayu is not introduced as an official second language in that part of the country.

The resulting vacuum is a bottomless pit into which far too many lives, too much misery and money have been squandered over the last decade.

I have replaced these in the past with "ordinary" small ES 25/40 watt bulbs and had no problems. Perhaps you were unlucky with the one you bought. Worth another try?

I appreciate your comment. I had an idea to buy several of them at HomePro with the expectation they would blow out soon, but I am really getting fed up with the "disposable" aspect of life in 2013.

The bulb I replaced was at least 20 years old! Damn I miss the days when stuff I bought here was actually manufactured in Japan.

All this makes me feel like a retarded gerbil on a treadmill: why do I have to waste so many hours on fixing bum guns and replacing light bulbs? My computer tells me the year is 2013, but I feel like I am in some sort semi-retarded, post-industrial dark age.

I need a new drug.

Understand as have the same problem especially as I was an electrical engineer in my earlier previous life and have refurbished a couple of properties here. Some of the light switches and socket outlets which one buys these days are absolute crap and it is no wonder that many people I know have burnt out appliances.

As for a new drug – – – vast quantities of good red wine and remember that despite all of this, we are still living in somewhere akin to paradise, which beats working in my home country.

I have replaced these in the past with "ordinary" small ES 25/40 watt bulbs and had no problems. Perhaps you were unlucky with the one you bought. Worth another try?

The bulb I replaced was at least 20 years old! Damn I miss the days when stuff I bought here was actually manufactured in Japan.

All this makes me feel like a retarded gerbil on a treadmill: why do I have to waste so many hours on fixing bum guns and replacing light bulbs? My computer tells me the year is 2013, but I feel like I am in some sort semi-retarded, post-industrial dark age.

I need a new drug.

Electrical section of the big supercheap has them.

I can understand the frustration with anything in Thailand! Try finding shoes, trainers size 12, all you get is no have! I was even prepared to pay 4000 bht for nice footwear in the Oakley shop, answer no have!! try finding a simple rubber washer, again no have!! Ended up buying the item just to get the washer! <deleted> place is infuriating!!! the search continues for comfortable stylish flip flop type wear!! Premium outlet next!! No I don't want to leave Thailand but this place is super frustrating!!

Another 'where to find' question for my TV friends.

I recently had the lightbulb in my 20+ year old cooker hood/extractor fan unit die after years of service.

A quick look on the net ensured me that they do make make special bulbs for these units (to help withstand heat) and they are available through the net on Amazon.com, which does not ship to Thailand.

(see attached pix)

The sales staff at HomePro were of little help. They told me the bulbs only came with the cooker hoods.

I ended up buying a standard 40watt bulb (29 baht) in the same shape and it blew out in less than a day.

If anyone knows where to buy them in Phuket or online in Thailand pls let me know. Thanks.

FC Phuket v Khon Kaen at Surakul Stadium TONIGHT!!! (insert retarded Patong accent)

If the Islanders win they will not only remain unbeaten, but move into a tie for first place in Div 1.

10% of the gate proceeds (tix 100 baht, kids free) go to Plook Panya Municipal School.

kickoff 6:30

NOTE TO MODERATORS:

Would it be possible to turn this thread upside down so the most recent events appear at the top.

It's a pain to have to navigate to the end every time...just an idea

Yes, that's Point 7. Also well worth checking out is the garden at the Channel 5 station. Nice view of Phang Nga Bay and Koh Maphrao and a beautiful sea breeze not unlike the one atop Big Buddha Image hill.

The monkeys have been 'lost' from several of the points, but I expect that to lessen now that they have some security.