fiddlehead

Something I've learned here that really goes against all I've learned in the west:
The bigger the vehicle, the more "right of way" they have.
I once pulled in front of a bus and my wife screamed at me. What are you doing? He'll run over you without hesitation!

I said, no, I have the right of way here.
She said, maybe in your country but not here in Thailand.
The buses, lorries, cement trucks and big trucks have the right of way.
You can see it all the time at Chalong traffic circle.
Instead of getting mad about it, just remember it.
It may save your life.

Not saying it's right by any means.
But it is the unwritten law here.

Too bad about this 5 year old, Juggy, and this horrible story. RIP.

Laem Hin seafood near Super Cheap (the big one) is our favorite.
You can take the longtail out to the raft/restaurants (free) or just eat at the Laem Hin seafood at the pier.
Excellent seafood IMO.

I've heard that Garnet Symonds (sp?) in Rawai is an acupuncturist.

My wife is an excellent cook and we usually eat at home. Thai food.
But sometimes I get a craving for some farang food and I try different places.
I must say, the best I've found is "Wine Lovers" in the Fisherman's Way strip mall next to Rosovovo.

The dishes are not only excellent tasting, the platters are a work of art.
I've heard they got the cook from "Wine Connection" and the menu is similar.
Wine Lovers is the best farang food I've had around here.
I haven't tried their Thai food but might take the family there some night for a try.

A friend showed me a counterfeit bill he said he received at Tesco near Chalong.
The metallic looking strip on the one end was just white.
So, it was pretty obvious although I wouldn't have known.
It looked very well used.

Just a heads up for you all.
I would think they would go for the 500's or the thousand baht note, not the 100's but, that's what it was.

I asked him what he was going to do with it and he said, "I'll just tear it up".

This guy seems to tell it like it is.

Not your typical Thai politician or head cop running at the mouth.

I'm surprised they get a visa break. I guess it's because half of Russia is in Asia???

On the other hand, I'm sort of glad because if they were under the same rules as the rest of us, it could make the immigration lines even longer.

These folks have something to whine about:

These do not:

Both pictures taken today.

Where would YOU rather live?

The celibacy thing has got to be tough.

Most religions have their rogues.

This guy obviously couldn't take it anymore.

Should have taken off the robes before renting the room if he was trying to hide his straying from the rules.

Headline says "Biff Waffle"

Even google doesn't have an answer for that one.

Google-ing "Blarfed " was interesting. (as the ad says it can be "blarfed into any properly wired kitchen in Thailand"

There are 3 speakers there: One sub and 2 top end (smaller ones)

Does the sub work (very low end thumping sounds?)

The amp is in the sub's body.

IF you are getting nothing from any of them, it's probably not worth looking into.

I have a set of similar looking speakers that I paid 700 baht for about 5 years ago.

Great deal. I never expected them to last this long but they are still sounding great.

The topic is travel insurance not health insurance...

Sorry, you are right, I have misread these insurance terms.

like I said, I'm not into insurance and only use the minimum required by law as I see firsthand how much these guys make.

I have a lot of American friends who travel. I don't know any anymore who buy travel insurance for each trip.

One of the reasons is a typical situation that happened to my mother about 6 years ago.

She went on a trip to Europe and got the travel insurance as she is a prudent person.

Her first flight got delayed and she missed the bus for the group tour of pipe organs in Europe and could only rejoin the tour after missing the first 3 days. (it was a 4 day tour)

She fought the insurance companies for over a year on this and finally gave up.

They won. They have great lawyers and great answers to all your problems.

She paid them money, got nothing in return.

Maybe it's different in Europe and these kind of companies are a little more honest. I wouldn't know.

But enough stories like this non-payment of something she thought she was buying insurance for, have turned most against travel insurance.

To another poster who guessed that maybe I didn't have any need for insurance in the past 28 years, well I did.

I had two incidences. One 1989: I was bitten by a brown recluse spider and had to go to the hospital for a shot. Cost: $384 (yes it's probably triple that fee now in the states, but I probably could've gotten the same shot in Thailand for less than 1989 prices)

Then I had an emergency operation here in Phuket about 7 years ago; Cost $3,060

So, yes I had times when I could've used some insurance.

And yes, I'm getting older and starting to think about it.

I understand most companies won't give it to me after I reach a certain age.

They're afraid they might not make money on me.

It's a stacked deck IMO.

Anyway, sorry for the thread drift. Just trying to answer some other poster's questions.

Looks like the consensus here is that he was not smart to get insurance.

Seems to me insurance companies are in business to make money.

And obviously they do, because I have 2 friends in the business and another retired.

They ALL make big money compared to me. (the retired one is a millionaire, and THAT gets me thinking)

So, if it's so wise to get insurance at say $30 a week, and the company insuring you is making millions, why is so smart to buy it?

Makes little sense to me.

Personally, I stopped paying for health insurance 28 years ago and have saved $315 a month ever since. (they refused to cover my cut finger)

Of course I haven't just put it in the bank like I should have, but the extra money has allowed me to travel all over the world.

ps. I do wear a motorbike helmet though. and many of you can tell me you do too, but I observed aprox 30% of farangs wearing them to go to the beach the other day.

Sometimes common sense is not so common.

Kamala seems to be a town where the citizens actually do something about the crooked police and corruption on this island.

Good for them.

This is not the first time I've seen them do something about these kind of problems.

I'm liking this town and beach more and more.

On the contrary. The recent news stories coming out of Kamala should concern you.This was not a case of police corruption, nor are the many other cases where villagers/tuk tuks protest etc. This was an officer doing his job to protect the life of a person or people having vigilante justice meted out to them on the street. Kamala is in the news a lot with these "villigars protest this or that". The police seem to have no control there. Remember this is where a 16 year old girl was recently married to a much older man that she had never met. They didn't even speak the same language.

The Provincial Police Commander seems quite happy that no guns were fired, what an attitude

Original reports stated that a gun was fired into the air. That appears to be false and likely why he made this comment.

I agree that this was a tense situation apparently.

I wouldn't have wanted to be in that cops shoes and he may have done the correct thing.

My point is that most Thai people follow the "no confrontation" rule and bow to the police, whether corrupt or not.

In Kamala, the citizens sometimes object to bad policing and demand justice.

I agree this case may have been different.

Just pointing out that I sometimes like their style up there in this Muslim town.

Kamala seems to be a town where the citizens actually do something about the crooked police and corruption on this island.

Good for them.

This is not the first time I've seen them do something about these kind of problems.

I'm liking this town and beach more and more.

I would think moth balls would work.

Years ago I rented a motorbike from a guy named Chai who sets up right across the street from the Imperial Hotel on Phuket road just east of the old clock tower. (about 2 blocks east)

That was 12 years ago.

He is still there.

He is now (and has been) a good friend of mine.

He is very honest and trustworthy.

I would rent from him and he will make sure your bike is what you want and take care of any problems.

Now, I don't know which bus station as there is a new one now, but either way, you'd have to get a tuk tuk or a motorbike taxi to his place from the bus station.

He is only 5 minutes from the old one.

He has a car too with a taxi sign on top of it.

He usually sits there playing chess in the day time.

PM me if you need his phone no.

Good idea, except my cats would drive me nuts with that thing.

I see they are on Amazon and sold at Wal-mart.

If you really wanted that particular brand, I would get someone to ship them to you from wherever you come from (if Walmart or Amazon will ship there)

If you can be flexible, Home pro has similar gadgets that will keep your cats and dogs awake just as well.

Years ago I remember reading somewhere that the family that runs the place extended their lease or agreement to continue their business there.

I imagine they are paying someone for the use.

12 years ago, that road that goes steeply down to the small parking lot in question was dirt and almost unpassable.

They concreted it themselves I believe.

I see their point as the dive companies that do business on that first little beach do take a lot of parking spaces it seems.

If I built that road, and businesses were coming in and taking up my parking, I'd probably do the same thing.

They are trying to be fair IMO by saying they are charging businesses only.

Like I said before, I was down there about 2 weeks ago and no one tried to charge me anything.

Nice people IMO.

Those bashing them are just showing their ignorance of the situation.

Mmmm. Took my son snorkeling to Jungle beach about 10 days ago.

Nobody tried to charge me anything except for the coconut I drank.

Insurance won't pay any claims on this. If they would, it would be US $3 Million Dollars, not B3 Million stolen.

Depends on the policy.

I had a set of skis stolen once and even though I got them on sale for about $175, the replacement value was over $500 and that's what the insurance company gave me.

($500)

I have a good insurance man and I just showed him the police report and what kind of skis they were, I had the check in 3 days.

So, maybe some of these folks had a camera in there that they paid $300 for, but was list priced at $650.

Cell phones, cameras, jewelry, (I imagine a few jewelry items could get inflated prices from the guests)

So, yeah, 3M Baht is a little hard to believe but, half of that is possible.

And the police said they are only estimating as many guests couldn't speak English.

Take these stories with a grain of salt folks.

The media likes to sell newspapers and exaggerate a bit.

We are probably getting more truth from MadMitch who seem to know the owners.

If there were padlocks on the boxes, a good screwdriver can break most of those smaller ones. Or bolt cutters would make it easy.

Anyway, lots of tourists here now. I imagine there are thieves about.

Back in the states one time, we did a taste test with about 10-12 people.

We had Dominoes, Pizza Hut, and an Italian guys smaller shop.

Pizza Hut won between us with Dominoes coming in last.

Personally, I liked the small Italian guy's pizza better.

If they (Dominoes) comes here, I wonder if they'll change the recipe and start putting sugar in it?

The best I've tasted here in Phuket is the Pizza 2000 on the 2nd pier road from Chalong (smaller one that goes to the Sandbar)

This thread is pretty funny.

A bunch of old timers bashing the new music and the way the young choose party these days.

Get used to it guys. Or stay home. These parties or festivals or whatever they choose to call them are not going away.

I can't believe some posters were actually hoping and wishing that this thing would be a disaster.

Someone tries something new in the entertainment world and some of you seem to be glued to your computers and furiously typing away with glee when it fails.

Sad really!

I would think you'd have more of a chance of getting something done about stopping this if you went to the newspapers, rather than the police.

A few incidences like this broadcast to the media and possibly picked up by the ambassadors in Bangkok might have some long lasting positive effect.

Anyway, glad you're OK and they didn't hurt you.