PaulAllen

Best message I get is from a girl named Jam who works in a message place across from Punpreeda Hotel in Bang Rak, next to Jades. She is exceptional and beautiful to boot. I get her to come to my house and give me messages on my own bed. It's fantastic!

Is the airport in Penang a far ride from the hotel areas where you stay to do visa?

I thought the way satellite internet worked was you use the satellite only to receive and have to use a phone line to send data. Correct? I don't think the satellite dish actually sends a signal back up to the satellite does it?

I would have thought that the co-founder of Microsoft wouldn't need to ask a question like that

Oh... no .... wait..... sorry ..... that was a bait post wasn't it.

Carry on

Sorry but I'm the guy who gets hacked up by an axe by Pat Bateman in American Psycho. We have internet in heaven.

What do you mean by "temple fights"? When and where does this happen? Sounds like fun.

I thought the way satellite internet worked was you use the satellite only to receive and have to use a phone line to send data. Correct? I don't think the satellite dish actually sends a signal back up to the satellite does it?

i flew Samui-Penang with Firefly today with no probs. crappy plane but all else went smoothly. i agree, it's a good deal for a visa run. also for anyone coming to Penang, if you can afford a little higher end hotel, stay at the Evergreen Laurel on Gurney Drive. my room has free wifi so I can work (and thus justify the cost). it also has good cable tv, a bathtub with really hot water, a good mini bar, a great health center with steamrooms, saunas, jacuzzis, exercise machines, and 2 pools, one with a bar... also the concierge is ridiculously nice and is taking care of my visa for me. it is also right next to loads of good food stalls, and a 10 minute walk from gurney plaza which is a modern shopping mall with lots of food and movie theaters, etc. i can't say i miss georgetown too much.

How much per night? Also, I hear the Penang airport is far from where we have to go for visa stuff and that you have to pay quite a bit in taxi. Is this true?

My neighbor has TOT ADSL. I bought a wireless router and now we share his connection and split the bill so we get good internet connection for only 350 baht each per month.

Also, I am next to a hotel that has free wi-fi and can connect to it as well.

I think for being on an island in Thailand just have any connection is a blessing.

Has anyone tried the Ichiwara wireless connection yet? They say they are going to be covering the whole island yet I only see their network on my computer very sporadically.

Scorpions sting not bite.

It seems impossible to me that you can understand what they are saying (which shows you have a very good grasp of the Thai language already) but cannot repeat it. Especially because Thai's speak rapidly and you have to have sharp ears to dissect it and understand it.

It sounds the same to me as if you can read well but cannot spell at all.

But, what do I know?

Passwords don't do anything really. They can just reformat the harddrive and it is good as new. Again, this wouldn't do anything to stop them from getting inside in the first place. That's the key. Lights, good locks on doors and windows, a dog will drastically reduce the chances of your house being hit. I'm not saying it wont happen but they would much rather pick a dark easy to get into house.

I have a comfy couch in my house very close to the airport. I live in a nice and big 1 bedroom bungalow. I also have a king size bed if you want to share. I am only into Asian chicks so don't worry about a come on. Very nice guy and have only killed a few people in my life and only committed to the nut house 3 times.

I live near the pier where everyone takes the boats to the Full Moon party and normally there are quite a few people standing around waiting for boats, etc. Tonight, barely a trickle. It's almost like the party isn't even happening

And basketball!

You would be more wise to put money in stopping them from coming in your house in the first place. A dog goes a long way towards this. Thais' are scared shitless of them.

I can only assume that the police think the gang is led by a Farang because they are thus far successful and have not been caught while trying to sell the laptops withing a 50 metre radius of where they stole them.

Good one!!!!

If it's 15 degrees lower in the north then I want to go, now! It's freakn hot here!

one more thing..

All the "old Time farrangs" that have been on the island for a long time (you know.. I have been here since before the airport, and those were the days...) have good contacts to sort out problems..(you know... I know the village pooyai or i am very close with this or that and they are a well conected family)

unfortunatly those coming for a holiday dont have those "contacts" and when something goes wrong and they get into trouble the police volenteers are there to help and assist.

I realy can not understand the negetivity in some of the replies. alot of the threads are about hoe everything is wrong and how things need to improve. when some one is actually doing something and dedeicating time to do it they become a ridicule.

Here..here. Well written.

Also, the other day I saw a white car with the words "Tourist Police" on it. A Thai was driving it. I don't think Tourist Police are only farangs.

My Kodak digital camera has just quit working. Obviously only a trained technician should work on it. Do they exist on Koh Samui?

My girlfriend is going to BKK in a few days and she says she could take it to Pantip Plaza, maybe that is the way to go?

PA

There is a nice looking large ship that has been anchored off the coast of Bo Phut for about 5 days now. It almost looks like a cruise liner but I don't think it is.

Anyone have any info on it?

Please do not use my post to talk about soccer! I would rather watch the scum grow in my toilet that have to watch one of those BORING long games of people just kicking a ball around.

BTW, my original question was how to STOP/SLOW the growth of the scum in my toilet not how to clean it.

Big C Samui well under construction.On the same side as Macro, heading to Bophut from Chaweng.

What is planned completion date? What kind of store is a Big C? I was a little disapointed in Makro. They don't really have all that much stuff.

I usually use Santiburi for urgent cases

How much and why only urgent cases? Do they do a good job?

I have to say this Visa run has been terrible...

1.) I had to wait at the airport a FULL 20 minutes before boarding...

2.) The flight was an hour long. I hadn't finished catching up on my e-mails before I landed...

3.) I checked in to a nice hotel that is costing me 700 baht for the night

4.) I watched SpiderMan 3 in a nice cinema for a total cost of 96 baht

6.) I had a nice Javanese Massage followed by a Body Scub and Balinese Milk Bath in the hotels Tropical Spa

7.) I leave the hotel in an hour, fly back to Samui at 11.20am and return to Samui at 11.20am (Penang is 1 hour ahead)

I have to say it's been one of the toughest visa runs I've ever experienced...

Cinders.

P.S. There was only 3 people sat on the plane coming out to Penang!

How much baht did the flight cost? Did you book online?

Any dry cleaners on Samui?

Thanks everyone. I don't have a problem getting rid of it. It just builds up so fast. I like the idea of a water filter. I rent my house and it is a gamble if I'm going to stay in it for a prolonged period. Would hate to install and then move out 3 months later as I am sure they are quite expensive. Maybe I can get the landlord to pay for half.

Either way, thanks.

PA