NALAK

Firstly Nalak, you started all these arguments, you have been persistent in your slandering of Samui & posters who defended it on this site.

As for threatening us that we might be sued for stating the obvious that Dream Girls is not exactly a mum & dad place, you must be joking .

Secondly TV do not take lightly to public threats, ask him to contact us if he wishes & point out where any remarks have been slanderous, I will gladly refer him to our Lawyers.

On several occasions you have mentioned that you DO NOT live in the sleazy part of Pattaya but on the outskirts, your words not mine. you want proof, just go over your posts since you have moved there.

As to us standing up to our home, nothing wrong with that, we do not wear rose coloured glasses, we know there are downsides to Samui but we accept them, we live with the place.

Some of us have been here for a considerable amount of time, we are not blind nor idiotic, we found what is considered a much better lifestyle from what we came from , we accept it warts & all.Sure we all have our wish lists, but also realistic in our expectations when we came to live here.

No island fever induced responses either . Many of us also travel across Thailand & are aware of what is on offer elsewhere, many have the option to up & go, but still prefer to stay here.

At the end of the day, why blame the people defending the place?

Wherever you did your drinking is no concern of mine, but your statements about pricing is. If you wish to drink in Expat bars, so be it pay the price.

That is not a yardstick to what the real cost of living on the island is, as a matter of fact irrelevant to a lot of people that don't frequent bars .

The real cost of living in my opinion, is measured by how much it cost you to feed your family or yourself , not by how much I pay for a beer.

You didn't like it, you left, good on you ,carry on with your life & stop having this bitterness towards Samui & the people that defend their home on this forum.

a guy asked for peoples opinion i give my views, wheres the slander. where i have i shown any bitterness to any individual? never, i get bitterness back for my posts, but the forum and posters are a very tiny minority of the expats on the island. i am mearly agreeing with what the doingok has read. have been told Hongkong based cannot take legal action. the guy sharing my house now, contacted Admin before.as he wanted to take legal action against the forum but got the overseas HongKong based story and no chance. as you yourself have said over seas company overseas server.

like others i dont understand your post. can i not have an opinion on the place, i did live there for 8 years. the description of the Bar i would say comes into Thai Liable laws. if somebody refered to a restuarant as sleazy it would be classed as slanderous so whats the differnece.

seems to me only posative posts about Samui are tolerated, yet there are plenty of ex pats regularly posting things that are wrong with the place. i enjoyed 6 years there and the last 2 started to see it in a differnt light, ironically many of the developers who did the damage have moved away as well.

best advice if somebody is really interested in going then go and get a feel for yourself.

i will leave all the people who think this forum is only allwed to hear good things said about samui to it. people are finding out for themselves. the usual suspects have allreacted in the same way to some constutive critsism, usually judgements, as i i was hard up. well by business aqumin allwed me to retire at 45 with out the need to work again. the job was just for fun. would suggest the sleazy comments are removed Mr GB will not be happy about his bars being slandered on a public forum.

dont let the island fever get to you to much guys.

well i was the manager there so with 50% discount for staff was cheaper

But but but, everything is falling into perspective now, not everyone goes , lives , drinks , breathe Chaweng. How in the world can you justify judging the whole island by one area.

You take offence by us judging Pattaya as all being like Walking street.

Samui does not start & finish @ Chaweng. There are still plenty of beach side coconut trees & small restaurants, bars, etc........... & guess what ? They are even open during the day just have to get out more & enjoy the sunshine, obviously a bit hard with the job you were performing.

You want to stay with the high fliers in a tourist area ( Chaweng) expect to spend like one, but please do not come on here preaching to all & sundry that the whole of Samui is as you describe it.

drank in Ban Rak regular as well give me ! exaple when i have ever ever taken offence about when i have taken offence about what people say abouwalking street just 1 example will do. as mod i think you are also to back up your statement with a fact. when. i do not take offence against anything unlike people on here who will not here anything said bad agaist samui. yes i am so hard up i spend 10-15 baht a month on treating dogs, enjoyed the job, so what do you have against working in Dream Girls? i spent 8 years living there not preaching anything just asnswering a question as i saw it and as many people see it. if you see fit to remove or ban because i do that up to you but please get your facts right i have never ever taking offence about a walking street, proff of would be appreciated. i would caution the the owner of dreams has taken action against people slander his bars before.

150% mark-up for a beer, where have you been drinking NALAK.

Gecko bar?

Normal price for a Chang is 60 baht, 70 for Tiger and Singha.

You can even get a Chang draft for 30 baht at happy hour.

I also have a house in northern Chiang Mai so I can compare the prices.

I shop at Tesco and Makro and the local market, same prices as Chiang Mai.

Highest cost is rent, I pay 7300 baht / month each for my two shop houses on Chaweng beach road (incl. key money).

My rip-offs:

They charge me 9 baht for a shot of loa Khao at the market.

I know I can get it for 8 baht in Chiang mai.

My favourite Chiang mai restaurant have raised the price for Khao soy from 40 to 50 baht.

I believe NALAK preferred Dreamgirls.

Some shocking signs of inflation there PS....clearly a rip off.....you have my utmost sympathies!

well i was the manager there so with 50% discount for staff was cheaper

i can only as a tourist go on what i have read as i have not been to koh samui yet (21st September for 6 months)though i have looked up on a lot of sites for research,and all i am reading is how much more expensive it is than phuket and so on.

The last thing as a tourist is to hear that the rip off this and rip of that ,and not just on here on must website's and local and tourists a like, so some thing must be wrong on this island oh all these people cannot be wrong can they? as i do not work or live here i well be spending hard earned cash and the last thing i want to happen is to hear that i am going to be ripped off by taxi drivers,buying cloths,shopping and the cost of living is higher here so no wonder people think twice about coming or just a passing through.just been told on TripAdvisor that i will have to add 100-200baht for items here to what i have payed in phuket, to me that's an extra £2-£4 that's per item wow to that.anyway now we have a plan B if its all true which i am hoping its not as bad as it sounds.and i am sure i will let you all know what think after a have been there a couple of days.you guys have been a great help so BIG THIANKS

the minute you book your flight you will be ripped up until you get off the plane in BKK. i lived there 8 years, got out best thing ever, even my Thai wife said she had never been ripped of so much in her life. my neighbor of 3 years in Samui just moved up to East Pattaya, he cant beleive the VAST difference in pricing. you have read the evidence in independant write ups, qoute ALL I AM READING, not some but all!!!!!!! dont take much working out does it. most of my friends of 10 years ago are in patters, hua hin or phuket. as for all those who think pattaya is full of sex well that based on ignorance, sleaze in Lamai and Soi reggae is as much on par with pattaya. south pattaya and east pattaya blow away samui for infastucture, scenery, lack of rip offs, beachs (navy owned so pristine, no development) 30-40% of your hard earned income will go in rip offs and over pricing. live with it or dont go. ask a thai is it a rip culture there, yes even for them. taxis, stay well away from 100% except at the airport because of the scam you have to take a very over priced BKK airways taxi. charge the same to go to lamai is a taxi from east pattaya to the BKK airport. usual suspects will go on about island etc, well prices are same in all major supermarkets as the mainland, so whay is a beer in Samui 150% more expensive in a bar than mainland. it is a tropical island but the only place i have been to in thailand that has beaches without a beach road. you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a city on the mainland. every other place i have visited in Thailand have no development beach side of the road, Samui however have resorts that they built on beach land, that was not even there's. the beach side is rammed full of development from lamui to Nathon in both direction. however there are acouple of view points to get to see the ocean. mountain developments also an eye sore. tropical paradise island, not a chance. 15 years of living and visiting so know a little about the place.

as you say they cant all be wrong, mind you they have no vested interest in saying its a great place to go.

i have visited over 40 countries around the world, Samui is the only place where a cab advertised as taxi meter will not use metrer even though its a legal requirement.

You come on this forum and say the same old boring story over and over again, like a whining old woman. It really is tiresome.

nobody has a gun to your head saying you have to read it, somebody asked for there experience so i give. so go and have your nap if tiresome. and dont read problem solved

A lot of what's written above is true...but some is not.

Taxis in Phuket and Pattaya don't use the meter either.

Having no beach road is a plus point. Samui has far better shade on its beaches as a result of not having the trees chopped down. Major plus in my view.

Beers in normal bars are 60-70 Baht. Hardly 150% more expensive....maybe 50% more than Pattaya but same generally as Phuket and cheaper than Bangkok.

can only go on my experience was always 90 baht a botlle, my friend who was on Samui for 9 years just left 3 weeks ago says soi regaee its now 100 baht a bottle, where as i buy same at 40 baht. i prefer a beach road palm and cocnut trees beach and sea as view whilst being on a beach road not hotel after hotel with a mixture of macdonalds starbuks etc. and of course access to beach through trees is easy, no hotels saying no acess to beach. taxi is 10 baht bus anywhere in patters 10 baht i live 12 miles out baht bus 30 baht. only taxis i use are to airport 800 baht including express way tolls. anyway there are some of you guys happy with th eplace so great, i agree only way to find out is to go

each to there own.

always been more than happy with Sornram, had root canal, tooth removal and crowns fitted. would not consider anybody else since i found him.

Sornram is great. I've been with quite a few of the dentists there...very happy so far!

my last visit was for a crown, the price ranged from 8000-15000, i gave an honest opinion and said the 8k one would be fine, thats a first for me.

had a great chinese last night, back in th UK though, shame cant get a decent one in Pattaya, the Indian food issue seems ok, well it is for me as Brit, shame the Brit style chinese cannot be done.

having said that having been to china, china town in new york and San fransisco, brit style chinese is differnt from the real thing, but i still prefer it.

i can only as a tourist go on what i have read as i have not been to koh samui yet (21st September for 6 months)though i have looked up on a lot of sites for research,and all i am reading is how much more expensive it is than phuket and so on.

The last thing as a tourist is to hear that the rip off this and rip of that ,and not just on here on must website's and local and tourists a like, so some thing must be wrong on this island oh all these people cannot be wrong can they? as i do not work or live here i well be spending hard earned cash and the last thing i want to happen is to hear that i am going to be ripped off by taxi drivers,buying cloths,shopping and the cost of living is higher here so no wonder people think twice about coming or just a passing through.just been told on TripAdvisor that i will have to add 100-200baht for items here to what i have payed in phuket, to me that's an extra £2-£4 that's per item wow to that.anyway now we have a plan B if its all true which i am hoping its not as bad as it sounds.and i am sure i will let you all know what think after a have been there a couple of days.you guys have been a great help so BIG THIANKS

the minute you book your flight you will be ripped up until you get off the plane in BKK. i lived there 8 years, got out best thing ever, even my Thai wife said she had never been ripped of so much in her life. my neighbor of 3 years in Samui just moved up to East Pattaya, he cant beleive the VAST difference in pricing. you have read the evidence in independant write ups, qoute ALL I AM READING, not some but all!!!!!!! dont take much working out does it. most of my friends of 10 years ago are in patters, hua hin or phuket. as for all those who think pattaya is full of sex well that based on ignorance, sleaze in Lamai and Soi reggae is as much on par with pattaya. south pattaya and east pattaya blow away samui for infastucture, scenery, lack of rip offs, beachs (navy owned so pristine, no development) 30-40% of your hard earned income will go in rip offs and over pricing. live with it or dont go. ask a thai is it a rip culture there, yes even for them. taxis, stay well away from 100% except at the airport because of the scam you have to take a very over priced BKK airways taxi. charge the same to go to lamai is a taxi from east pattaya to the BKK airport. usual suspects will go on about island etc, well prices are same in all major supermarkets as the mainland, so whay is a beer in Samui 150% more expensive in a bar than mainland. it is a tropical island but the only place i have been to in thailand that has beaches without a beach road. you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a city on the mainland. every other place i have visited in Thailand have no development beach side of the road, Samui however have resorts that they built on beach land, that was not even there's. the beach side is rammed full of development from lamui to Nathon in both direction. however there are acouple of view points to get to see the ocean. mountain developments also an eye sore. tropical paradise island, not a chance. 15 years of living and visiting so know a little about the place.

as you say they cant all be wrong, mind you they have no vested interest in saying its a great place to go.

i have visited over 40 countries around the world, Samui is the only place where a cab advertised as taxi meter will not use metrer even though its a legal requirement.

the great hing about gramoxone its works fast, we had a much hated lecturer at Uni, he was also a warden and the one that awarded late passes back into dorms, as in after 11. he was a liitle hilter. on the day we got our degrees big cermony all parents attending and local dignatories. 2 fellow studens got some gramoxone and wrote in the chem on the nice lawn eveybody had to dive past, Twiggy is a C***. great there on the lawns for all to see. perannial grass, how ever creeping fescue so would have eventualy filled in. slightly off topic but good at the time.

48% gramoxone, i find even when i double up the strenght comes no where near the monsanto round up pro, but then again maybe it evaporates in the heat and does not get absorbed at the same rate as in UK.

biggest use now in UK is for desication of oil seed rape.

scary stuff seeing the Thais spraying Gramoxone no mask with back pack sprayer, short lives for sure and painfull ending. best left alone stick with the glyphosphate

always been more than happy with Sornram, had root canal, tooth removal and crowns fitted. would not consider anybody else since i found him.

"The greatness of a country can be judged by the way its animals are treated" Mahatma Gandhi qoute.

He is bang on the money when it comes to Thailand

Makro 2kg anchor cheddar 780 baht, there own brand tasteless but anchor OK.

the land of Scams, try getting a taxi meter in taxi to do what is legally required and put on his metre. its not just the islands its endemic in the country tourist places. a bike rental guy i knew in Samui told me he made more money out of accidents damage than rentals. every bike that came back he had 3 guys go over the bike looking for the slightest scratch. the rental is a means to an end the same as the jet ski's in pattaya. the rental bit is peanuts. compare the qoute of a repair from honda dealer against price of rental shops qoute. no sign of it slowing down as cops get paid off as well. Nobody is allowed to take your passport office except maybe immigration.

personally i can beleive the OPs version, and as such is the only one who knows what happened to suggest he gave lip without witnessing it is a little disrespectful to the OP. even if i gave lip does that give reason to scratch the bike and rip them off. who in there right mind lets somebody without a licence and never having ridden before rent out a bike, but they did, happy days another victem.

sorry to read another ripped tourist thread, most people living here dont have a licence. just make sure when you get home you pass the word, things might stop. even when shown on tv documentaries its dismmised. jet ski's tuk tuk's taxi, until the country stops the corruption against Thailand numbers will keep dropping. never ever give up your passport to anybody, its not yours to give and the law here states you have to have it with you. must have been a scary time. civil matter and nothing to do with police.

sorry you had bad experience here but you are far from alone.

go to police with loads of snacks and goodies, jeez what sort of advice is that.

just dont get caught before you get to a border or airport, other wise as stated 500 per day used to be allowed 24 hour grace. get caught before border and can be bad. guy i know in samui has no passport or visa for 7 years. prity dumb thing to do that.

Thanks Nod. I know the place well. I buy UBC brackets from them regularly for mounting my wireless equipment. I'll drop by and see them Monday.

I guess another question is - is it worth getting UBC again? Most of it is cr*p! LOL.

agreed it is crap, i use vuze and a media player and get any movie and any series ever made, even series made 30+ years ago. only thing its good for is football, otherwise cr*p. external HD WD media player sorted. 1 terrabite of films, doumentaries, comedy, and pop concerts.

copy of house book signed by lanlord should be enough, its hassle i have changed names on 2 vehicles and also changed them from Surat/Phitsonulok to chon buri plates. proof of address from immigration. as they were sales both parties had to be there and declare sale price. waited 2 months and got new number plates for new province.

will Abhisit apologise for this, how they dealt with fireworks and catapults. same as really. What Thailand has is democracy and if the majority want Thaskin then they are allowed to have the right to vote for him. i presume all the anit reds come from a country where its one person one vote and democracy exists. both parties paid for votes, both had corrupt polotitions and always will have, its a way of life here, and most of Asia. they certainly do not do it for the salary they get. Abhisit was a good guy in my opinion but the main guy behind him was a wrong un. Maybe the majority looked at there lives under Thaskin and saw it as better, just maybe they liked the 30 baht health scheme. because they did not vote the way a lot of westerners thought they should they are classed as stupid and ignorant. i would like to see westerners bring up a family on 4-5000 baht per month. thats prity smart accounting for a start in my book and great management skills.

how can a simple question turn into a slanging match so fast???? lots of mityon but all will be open Monday. often wonder why a buddist country choose a christain day for its weekly day off.

some winging brits go back to Scotland,Wales, and Northern Ireland not just England, but yes its a great place to be born and make some dosh then get the hell out, not to bad a placee to be when need hospital and when to old to take care of yourself.

we dont have the option of Florida, California, Carolina etc to move to still there always LOS

The one problem i get now and a gain is a dog thats in a bad way, vets are not sypmrathetic here, i took dog in last week literally picked it up in park put it in the car, asked for it to be put down they said they would do but wanted to try and make better first. that was never going to happen, i ended up with a bill for 13200 and a dead dog. tough choice, ignore or mget hammered. i would really like to get a bolt gun as used in abbatoirs for killing cattle, although i have found one vet who will put down for 2000 baht. he was closed unfurtunatly when i took this one in.she was never going to survive an operation.

Wendy at SCADS best contact, i do very similar in Pattaya about 25-30 dogs. neutering bitches is best way to reduce numbers, i got a vet who does it for 700 baht per dog. insect control the easiest way i found is buy bottle of ivomec about 500 baht, get a few syringes and needles. fill the syringe with ivomec and get some raw meat minced pork good, mix 2 ml ivomec with some pork i usually mix it into a ball. then feed 1 to each indvividual dogs as and when you can. internal parasites again buy from vet about 50 baht for 1 tablet mixed with meat again. cheapest way to feed in my experience is to buy rice they sell for dog food, 13 baht per kilo, i buy 15kg at a time as thats cheaper, i get a frozen dog food that makro sell for 20 baht per kilo. have a big pot mix rice and 2 packs of frozen dog food and boil up, once boiling switch off to save gas and leave for couple of hours. then empty into big bowl that they use to do laundary in and leave to cool for a few hours. mix it all up them as meat is then obviously thawed out. chicken carcass can replace meat but i dont like giving chicken bones to young dogs. so cost for days food is about 60 baht, heart gaurd way is to expensive.

PM me for wendys e mail at SCADS if interested

poor old Graham, thing is he is located in UK where as your average English Expat Joe is here in Thailand haveing a wale of a time

if you look up British Law on google he is English advisor who works presumably with Thai lawyers. he knows about Thai divorce law and is in pattaya. at least you would get accurate info and options. i have used them a few times including a divorce, it was pointed out to her i was entilted to half her assets in Thailand since marriage and wanted 350,000 for my share of her house, i got off scott free not 1 baht did she get, and no i did not buy the house but it twas a nice one.

site is down at the moment, probably getting thousands of hits after this post. its easy to get a hooker, getting a non working girl can be tough even for a Thai speaker. if its free worth a shot.