ham

Full details explained via this image from Nasa, but for the lay viewer:

Starts (approx) at 16.00 Thai time ends at 18.00,

As seen from Thailand the sun's disc should be about 45% covered, in practical terms it will appear a bit dimmer than normal for that time in the morning.

If you can get down South to Java etc. you will see (clouds allowing) a black disc (the moon) with a bright ring of sun behind, this is called an Annular Eclipse. (There will not be a Total Eclipse visable anywhere on earth during this eclipse.)

Scroll down about half way on this web site for an animated preview of what to expect.

Good Seeing.

-------------------------------------

Edit - Link with graphic to help explain what is happening if you need to explain it to someone.

Reminder for tomorrows (22.7.09) partial Sun Eclipse to be seen in SEA, check also links from "Cuban" above

4 p.m. to 6.p.m.

1. Reason: Get spending shorttime tourist like Samui, the main thinking in the peak years of the 90's, when tourist where comming in masses and also liked to stay longer, longer. People start to ask vor AC, Pools and so on the, normal devlopment.

2. No planing at all

3. This I have heard from owners, but can't proove it: Banks where pushing in that way that projects with high end and AC Bungalows have gotten good and easier credits.

Hugh resorts are in construction on the way to hadrin (e.g. 200 bedroom in Ban Kai from a big local family). The Had Yao (the ex. beauty of the west coast) has like other beaches quite a lot of people over fullmoon and empties after 3 day's completely, since allmost all resorts have transformed their resort for another level of tourist. That may attract some newcomers by the word (when reading comments on travel sites). Not to mentioning the rain during the summer peak. This made a lot of travellers moving.

Now the income is down to a dangerous point for many families without any knowledge about "what happen?". Not to think what happen when the situation is getting worse over the new year? There are many "scenarios" waiting in the background ;-)

looks to me like an rest of an ancient (dying maybe) civilisation, means Erich von Daeniken

Im wondering what really would happen if they come to the deccission to close the border.

Has anybody a clou, how this would work? Is there any possibility to "still" leave the country, if i would like so? I just like to know. Never know what those strange guy's will implement

I have to do a visa run next saturday.

I've heard that there is a taxi serivice that picks you up from don sak, if you take the 5 am boat, and takes you to malaysia and that you're back in don sak in time to take the last boat back to koh phangan.

does anybody know how much this is, i'm alone and how/where to book it if it is exists

I did this trip 2 months ago, speak to Mr. Kim in Thongsala.

I think the price was in the region of 1,500 baht.

thanx man i will go to mr kim in thongsala, I thought mr kim moved you know to where in thongsala

His dive shop is between the 'yellow' bank and the gold shop, near the entrance road to Long Shots.

check here: http://www.hadrin.com/Templates/T2_mr_kim_info_eng.html

call him early enough, not every day a drive!

Many of the Western men who come to Thailand have a higher sex-drive than average - they know that Thailand is a cheap place for sex so they come here. What you see is an unrepresentative sample of Western men. I don't know whether the same theory holds good for Asian men coming to Thailand.

No value judgements intended!

and you realy think that the "asian man" don't know this? And of coarse they just want to talk

The biggest group of tourists comes from Asia. Little difference, we the Westerners can easier speak about sex I guess.

"The outbreak of type-A (H1N1) influenza is threatening international travel and affecting THAI's business directly."

Other airlines have also seen passenger numbers decline. Bangkok Airways, the major operator of Bangkok-Koh Samui flights, has reported low bookings on that route even with the high season starting next month. It has lowered its passenger forecast this year to 2.6 million, due to the pandemic. Last year, it flew 2.5 million and had expected to serve 2.8 million this year.

"We're not sure whether we'll show a profit this year. That all depends on second-half operations," said ML Nandhika Varavarn, vice president for corporate communications.

In the first 15 days of this month, passenger numbers were down 18.5 per cent year on year, lowering the average load factor to 70 per cent. Foreign tourists, who make up 80-85 per cent of Bangkok Airways passengers, contributed to the drop.

The Nation

Listen, I don't believe a word of what they're saying.

It's not due to the flu; rubbish. There is not a single article in the European newspapers that confirm that people stay home BECAUSE of the A (H1N1) Flu, and therefore would NOT fly to Thailand or other Asian countries. It's purely misleading and rubbish talk by those people.

European roads and highways are filled and blocked by millions and millions of cars, going on holiday, which is quite normal in July and August.

If people would be scared of the Flu they wouldn't travel at all, whether by plane, car, boat or train.

On Tuesday, 14th July it was Quatorze Juillet or Bastille Day in France; at the same time The Tour de France is riding through the hills in the country and 30, 40, 50 million French people are celebrating this special day and having a good time and party.

That long distance holidays are down and declining because of the economical situation is nothing new, but it's not due to the A (H1N1) Flu.

But.....Thailand's "travel specialists" know better and tell their Thai audience it's the Pandemic A (H1N1) Flu that's keeping the tourists away.

Yeah, right

Why on earth don't they tell the truth ?

LaoPo

a verry good tool to avoid mass rally's (such as 31.July??). Therefore fear is needed among Thais, that's what they know PEEEE

it just came to my head ;-)

I really don't see the point in wasting time and energy writing to Tesco to give them tips on how to expand their already massive profit margins when you have fresh food widely available from independent stall holders who are relying on your business for their livelihood.

bravo! i love tesco but come on, those fresh food stalls are good too. nice people and a more personal shopping experience, wouldn't you say?

Tesco is nice when you need to cool of....(aircon)

or don't want to talk...

unfortunately, or fortunately i guess, depending on how you look at things, we are guaranteed to run into one of our neighbors or relatives or friends in the Tesco. So, for me and my husband, a trip to Tesco is usually a social event

and you remember the "banners" all over Ko Phangan in Thai, saying "Ko Phangan don't need Tesco" and people cutting out the word"don't" )))

First step of Tesco was successfully, now shure they can start with the planing of a bigger one without disturbancy! Thats OK for me, still need to go sometimes to the Samui one too. But this is under having fun and a good Japanese meal in "Fuji".

after speaking to a couple of them,and being told that they allow themselves 1 Pound per meal.

I can feel that. Last Full moon in KPG was crowded, but many business complain about "farang Keneaow". Actually I can see also a drop in my restaurants, while the amount of tourists is almost the same.

Just tourists are more careful about what they spend.

Anyway may-june-july, low season

as far i can see "they" rather like to spend it on Ko Tao for snorkeling and diving expenses! Since all boats available heading to Ko Tao after the partys (hfullmoon and halfmoon) crouwded with young backpacker! They are not at all willing to pay 1000 B for a sleep instead of 300 before. Good exemple is Had Yao's failling in the hotel sector!! And "they" are not at all "Keneaow", when it comes to their personal whishes I guess! Just they understand the ripp off too.

Ko Phanganers thought to get the same short time tourists as in Samui if they change the standard of the bungalows! Same same but different, na? Kids travelling around here, choosing their Phangan time accordingly the ravers calandar and nothing else.

I would focus on Ko Phangan, with your background and ideas ;-)

And anyway as said before, just come to this islands for a month or two to check it out. Have a look on my web page too ;-)

I experience this download problem (and other connection problems) since a while. I'm using CMDA CCU 880 in Ko Phangan.

Also last month bill was together with two older bill's which I have paid (through 7-11) with receipt!!

Amateurs that's what I can say about this company! Loks like they good in sale but poor in maintenance!

First thing to do is find out if there are any Whales off the coast of Thailand!

there are some around Angthon Marine National Park in the gulf, I have seen some of them ;-) I guess they were Black Whales

Cmon credit where credit is due.....the police found the only drugs party that was going on in Pattaya that night, there must have been a lot of detective work and man hours gone into this operation and the great haul they found is worthy of National press especially as it happened in such a family orientated and cleancut Pattaya.........im amazed something like that could even happen in Amazing Thailand as drugs are highly illegal arent they!

yeah, astonishing, since it is so difficult to get anykind of drugs here, because i remeber, this guy Thaksin cleened up the whole scene, you remember? Amazing clean Thailand

What a suprise! After the Phangan Film Festival there will be also a Annual Samui Filmfestival. Starting 14th August until 16th August. Hope they have a big success in Samui. People from Samui, it is worth to go, from my own experience now 2 times already on Ko Phangan.

http://www.samuifilmfestival.com/festival.html

A while ago I learnt something about acticvities on the island going on regarding the corals, the water and so on. People (local on Ko Phangan) were invited to join some information evening.

I have received this 3-fold (CHEVRON) from somebody a bit worried about the ongoing.

Since I found this on facebook, and that it shows that it is public now, and also seen on Ko Samui in the "samui express" (link below) here also a scan from this brochure in Thai. May someone can translate?

http://news.samuiexpress.net/oil-explorati...id-opposed.html

I wonder who else heard about that topic?

i was told from next month only one half moon party a month

As there is only 1 half moon a month technically then that figures

Bring on the 1/4 moon and 1/8 moon parties yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

there are 2 halfmoons per month and there will be two halfmoon partys per month again.

Reason: Halfmoon Team had started to make a new site deep in the jungle at the end of a rubber tree plantation. The site was advanced quite well and a big opening ahaed, but the construction work were stopped by the "authoreties" recently. Meanwhile they can make a second party event per month!

Hi

Around this time next week I will be travelling from Chiang mai to Vang Vieng in Laos. Then a few days later I will be travelling from there down to Ko Phangan, can anyone tell me the best ways of making these trips bus/train/plane? We are on a reasonably tight budget and as we don't have a lot of time either we would be willing to pay maybe 4000 baht for flights but only as a last option.

Also can anyone tell me if we will have any problems at the Laos border, we do not have any visas as we will only be in asia for 29 days.

Thank you,

Kevin

Hi Kevin

we did it twice, but the opposite way, coming from Ko Phangan. We fly Suratthani to BKK, taking the comfortable and nice train ride (sleeper 2nd, better 1. class of coarse, it is hot now!!) through Issan (morning time) to Nong Kai. Then crossing the border to Laos and sleeping in Vientiane one night. Ordering the bus for the next day to VV in the guesthouse. Busride about 5 h to VV.

I send you my website link (having al about Phangan and some info about VV). Air Asia you can book over the web.

In Bangkok you can make yourself fresh in the Railwaystation, clean shower rooms etc. for 10 Baht. Vang Vieng is a lovely destination.

In VV you can make the visa (back to Thailand) through a agency as far as i remember, but now not shure about that. You can save the expenses there and doing a day trip again from Ko Phangan to Kuandon (Malay border), end spending the money for this trip (about 1800 B/person, it's a daytrip only (in urgency another "visa run") and you see a lot from the south.

No problem at the Lao border! (see other info on this thread), all well organized to get your money ;-)

have a good trip

ham

.............Now, after the revolution, things will be much better, much more cut and dried. Very Burmese. Until then....

Thailand = Myanmar (Burma) with electricity

The Harmony Team from Halfmoon on Ko Phangan has lauchnched a special event for the 1. Mai, "SAY NO TO PLASTIC".

JOB2DO will have a concert at this event. Everybody who gets in before 22:00 h should have a free entrance, as I heard!

It is at the same location as the Halfmoon Party is hold normaly (Ban Tai, road to Tong Nai Pan)

"GreenPhangan" will be there too, somebody from this forum will have a little speach ;-)

the banner

Brilliant idea! But it would be nice if there was some representation and a speech from Lotus Tesco/Big C/ Makro and 7/11 etc.as to their plans regarding how they

plan to contribute to reducing their wanton destruction of the environment on KP and Samui.

Gatorade, of coarse this would be the real input at the right place. But how?

If you can setup a writing to ask the management what their plans regarding how they

plan to contribute to reducing their wanton destruction of the environment on KP and Samui are and just mention the event and the "brand" SAY NO TO PLASTIC! With the support of "GreenPhangan".

I would then forwarding the "letter" at least to the local Management of Tesco and 7/11, whom I know from seeing in the shop and hoping the written goes the way up till Bangkok??.

We just would ask them ;-)

ham

The Harmony Team from Halfmoon on Ko Phangan has lauchnched a special event for the 1. Mai, "SAY NO TO PLASTIC".

JOB2DO will have a concert at this event. Everybody who gets in before 22:00 h should have a free entrance, as I heard!

It is at the same location as the Halfmoon Party is hold normaly (Ban Tai, road to Tong Nai Pan)

"GreenPhangan" will be there too, somebody from this forum will have a little speach ;-)

the banner

sounds like you found a Skua..

does it look like this...?

this is a Pomarine Skua.. winter visitor to Thailand

cool Goshawk

and btw, what a great design on those wings!

Ham, your friend can still come to Samui and go to immigration. He can then simply get the later ferry back to KPG. I think the last one leaves from the big buddha pier, not actually near the big buddha, at 18-30

THANKS H2oDunc

Will take the 7 o'clock boat in the morning , Lomprayah to Meanam, this due to the following holidays at the immigration. I'm afraid that there will be a lot of customer. Usually the 11 o'clock boat is enough to do the immigration stuff. But as I said it will be crowded I guess. And 18:30 h is correct, it is the "Haadrin Queen". Or Lomprayah at 17:30 h

I wanted to get a ticket for a friend for this coming friday to go to Samui (Immigration) and the staff of Seatran Discovery said that the ship is out of service for at least 10 days. This is regarding the newer early morning 8 o'clock boat only. The other boats working accoding schedule, according the office in Thongsala.

News from the japanese Phangan website: According to the information there, new rules for all partys at BANTAI have been set in place by the local authority's. Every Party hold in Bantai will be only ones per month!

We will see the 17th, then is the second date this month for the famous Halfmoon Party. I have so far no confirmation regarding this new rules, but if it is like that, Bekki probably will have a hard time here

(in japanese only)

http://www.phangan-traveler.com/news/archi...009/04/417.html

www.bottlebeach1resort.com

Though that is just my clearly biased response - you'll find rooms that fit your description on almost every beach on Koh Phangan.

not yet stonybonytony ;-)

nice entrence of the website, but the links do not yet work