concerned

Why?

Why not?

About time!

Completely agree. All these posters have been a blot on the Island for years and years. You even see them for places that have been closed for many years, on the other side of the Island from where the original places existed! The Island looks so much more natural without them. There are still the remnants of "Dreamfields" posters hanging around from a one off event from years ago. Probably upset some pr--k if you stopped and took them down!

PS. Before somebody beats me to it! I have taken some down but some are too high to reach, and can't fit ladders in my car!

About time!

Completely agree. All these posters have been a blot on the Island for years and years. You even see them for places that have been closed for many years, on the other side of the Island from where the original places existed! The Island looks so much more natural without them. There are still the remnants of "Dreamfields" posters hanging around from a one off event from years ago. Probably upset some pr--k if you stopped and took them down!

Deleted and sent by PM instead.

Aaaaaaaah! Thanks from my garden.

Good post LaoPo.

Eventually this place was always eventually going to HAVE to be a pretty quiet place when all the Villas they mentioned were eventually finished, because no matter how party oriented the buyers were, having a noisy club in their midst would have been the last thing they needed. They even stated that it was going to be this kind of place eventually and even in the meantime ("with no sleepless nights" ) as was pointed out earlier.

Therefore they should have built it up as a quiet quality restaurant (maybe with nightly BBQs) venue from the kick off, with speakers about the size of golf balls. If they had done this they would have had considerable support from their neighbours and their neighbour's rental customers, who would have been happy to have such a place in close proximity without having to necessarily always venture out too far. It could almost have become a bit of a "local"

Instead with their first "all nighter" they managed in one master stroke of blinding stupidity, to alienate all their most likely customers. What business man on this planet would do such a thing?

It was a marketing gaff and classic "shot in the foot" of truly MONUMENTAL proportions the like of which I have never witnessed before in all my time in Samui or anywhere else for that matter. Especially after such a substantial investment.

From the minute they did that, nobody local was going to talk to them or use their services. What a bloody shame and total waste of a potentially good business.

You are right of course LaoPo that they should have visited local villas, but noise should never have been the issue they had to talk about, instead they should have been delivering promotional brochures to a great new and slightly unique chilled out drinks and meal venue. I would even have handed out the classic "Thai VIP cards" for Villa owners and their renters offering 10 or 15% discount at their place to encourage its use, not turning them into enemies overnight!

I would have tried to do a deal for example with the Canopy Adventure guys to make it a drinks/meal panorama stop off en route. Chatted up the local hotel concierge people to suggest it to local hotel residents. Got the " tommorow night, tomorrow night" guys to advertise it. Done a deal with a mini bus company re. transport from Chaweng etc etc. Used the Dining Guides that I am told work quite well with the tourists. They have a huge fan base on Facebook which is a captive audience of friendly people that they could have pointed out to that it was now a cool chilled relaxed atmosphere place now. They all have to eat and they won't all be friends that only like them because they are noisy!

The first time one of their old contacts asked them to host a party for them they could have said something along the lines of " we can't p-ss off our local customers but we can put on a great meal for you then transport you down to Green Mango ( for example ) where we will a special private area and I will do a guest DJ spot specially for you". Green Mango would have done that for them. They might even have paid them for it!

Just ideas, I know, and they might not all have worked in these difficult times.

If it was about making a living to support themselves and their families, this might have been a more successful route, especially as it was going to have to go that way eventually anyway!

However do anything but destroy up your potential customer base!

I'm not sure that Gary was always aware of what was going on at the club because I remember one night when I know for sure, he was doing a gig "off Island" ( Borocai (spelling?) or somewhere ) when the music started off fairly quiet and then by two or three in the morning, it was almost as if the DJ got pissed enough to say " oh <deleted>> it" and it just got louder and louder and louder. Gary was not even on the Island! Allowing the karaoke guy to use the club's sound system to incredibly loud volume was hardly endearing either! Especially as the guy was so clearly in need of singing lessons!

If you were to ask me whether I thought someone capable of such a massive error of judgement was capable doing it again, I would probably have to say yes. But I sincerely hope not.

Some crazy Punks stole the Motorbike of my girlfriend while we were sleeping in our House last night. Today we went to Nathon Police; told all our Thai neighbors; told everybody at my workplace; my landlord is quite influential in Samui. Any chance to get the scooter back? Anybody good experience after been robbed?? There might be a place where the freaks sell and buy stolen Motorbikes on the Island? Appreciate some comments.

Hope you manage to find it. Good luck. Any numbers / colour you can give us in case we just happen to see it on our travels?

Merged with sleepless thread.

Are you going for the highest record of hits ever on one thread?

Quite high so far for such a small Island!

I AM a good friend of Gary and his family, and DON'T live on the Island (although I do have many close friends who do and I visit regularly) and I can't understand why how this thread has turned into such an absurd charade.

Has everyone lost sight of the fact that a decent, hard working man and his family have lost all their wordly possesions coupled with their dreams and aspirations and could well have lost their lives to boot! I suspect this thread would have tacked a very different course had there been fatalities?! Gary and his family may live their lives very differently to how some of you live yours, but so what, we are by definition, sentient beings who are all intrinsically different.

I can understand that noise may have been (and I use the past tense here, as it would appear that this is no longer a cause for concern) a problem for some of you, but I think I am right in saying that there have only been a handful of events since the beginning of the year? Was it really that bad, and if it was, how come, when reading through all the threads on the forum that deal with this subject, I don't find mention of many of you actually going up to Gecko and speaking to Gary about the problem. I know he's a friend of mine, and as such I'm sure I will be seen as being a little biased, but he really is an extremely affable guy who, I have no doubt in my mind, would have taken your comments on board and done something about them. How many of you have actually ever met Gary and his family? And indeed, how many of you are basing your posts on hard facts and not on heresay, particulatrly with reference to Geckos last 10 years at a completely different venue?

Last time I was on Samui, I spent a great deal of time with Gary and we talked at great length about his plans and dreams of creating something quite special on the side of a mountain on an Island paradise. Not the druggy rave venue that seems to have been perceived by most of you, but somewhere that liked minded people could live peacefully amongst friends, raise their families and enjoy their lives. I've seen the plans, and personally know two of the investors who were/are planning to build homes there(one of whom has a young family) and they are decent people, just like I'm sure you would have yourselves be. I know that the project has cost Gary and his family dearly, financially speaking, and in the meantime was it so wrong of them to try to recoup some of their capital by throwing parties once in a while? And as I asked earlier in this post, why didn't you go up there and speak to them if it was SUCH an issue....what did you think would happen for Gods sake? If you don't ask, you don't get, in this world, and how are people supposed to know there is a problem if you don't say anything to them. It seems that what happens is that you all end up bickering on this forum and in turn create monsters for yourselves and others. There is no real alternative to face to face communication...nothing else really works. A forum, surely, is supposed to be a launch platform for action....I just hope this one hasn't been just that, only in a truly horrific and tragic fashion!

Now, those of you who had issues with the NOISE no longer do but what you do have still, however, are, a HOME, POSSESIONS and your DREAMS.....unfortunately (and tragically) the same cannot be said for your neighbours. I can't help reading between the lines of the posts I have read, and I wonder how many of you smiled, even laughed, at the recent turn of events? I sincerely hope I am wrong to even imagine such things.....And, can what has happened be attributed to KARMA.....I hope not, because it does not seem as if the acts which I have read about could actually be classed as BAD in the true sense of the word, and certainly not deserving of this devestation and destruction.

And finally, I keep seeing peoples posts mentioning that Gary et al are angry and will not take this lying down. Well I would vouch that every last one of you would be feeling exactly the same, right about now. What would you suggest Garys best course of action to be given his circumstances? Can't answer that, I'll bet....WHO COULD????

You as you say, are a good friend of Gary's and you comments as a friend, do you credit. Nobody could wish for a nicer post from a friend than yours.

We I suspect, from all the nice things you say about him, could well have been friends with him under other circumstances, as I have said before.

However due to circumstances as they were, we were hardly likely to feel like being his friend were we? We have a living to make too and the welfare and well being of our children and families to consider as well. Most of the points you mention apply to us as well you know, including massive and sometimes crippling financial investment.

I have personally stated that there is little honour in kicking anyone when they are down or joy in watching someone's dreams go up in smoke. You on the other hand have to appreciate from a distance that's it is not for you to decide what we should or should not find acceptable, just as we will not presume to suggest what you should find acceptable in your life.

If you knew me, you would know that if that club was anything other than a place that has been annoying the hel_l out of us for God knows how long, I would be there helping to re build it right now, as I'm sure would many others. However it was'nt and early on we were treated to a pack of lies about it by ill informed partners and a few of us received threats in private messages which eventually led to very nasty comments from both sides in which I claim no innocence.

However as far as I can tell none of Gary's neighbours is in any way responsible for this fire, and if newspaper reports are to be believed it was started by an electrical fire in their kitchen. ( Probably wired by his builder friend Adam who has "built so many houses" on Samui and "has so many friends!" )

If this is not the case, then all should be done to bring the perpetrators to justice.

As you are a friend of Garys and as you did ask, then if he feels he might enjoy living in peaceful harmony with those around him, then as a friend, I would suggest to him that if he has the resources, he uses the place to open a really cool panoramic restaurant with a quality chef, nightly barbecue and soft chilled out music for diners, charge a fortune like the Cliff ( or slightly less! )and build up a business which be there ready for his Villa customers when they are eventually built. I for one would be up there on a regular basis as would many I know. In the meantime, because nobody's going to make a fortune at anything at the moment I would have my fun, make my noise and hopefully a few quid in places that can still be filled. Because lets face it, I don't think the venue was making much money entertaining the few people it was, when it was going. In the meantime it was entertaining very few and annoying hundreds, if not thousands. Unlike Glastonbury which entertains thousands and just annoys a few.

I'm sure this wont happen but you did ask. Anyway what the <deleted>> do I know, I'm only a marketing man. The only problem at the moment though is filling anything to a financially viable level. But as I said you did ask, and that’s how I would have started out in the first place.

Once again I say that I wish Gary a full recovery and success in any new venture he undertakes but I just hope it does'nt involve blasting us out again, though I have little doubt that it will!

Regards.

Soon as Rooo see's those posts they are good as gone .... and for once think i would be glad .... no need for this nonsense lads ...

In defence of nod if he is a local who has been complaining then he would have every right to want to know the cause of the fire as if arson then yeah he may have a knock on the door of the police for a little chat .... they wouldnt be doing thier job if they didnt ...

secondly this is a forum where people discuss local issues ... and this is one of them ...

and the initial indications are that Gary is not taking this lying down and will be back ......

someone poined out on facebook that when th tsunami happened Gary was at the forefront raising money on Samui .... people tend to forget these things ....

once again .... get well soon Gary

that still does not make it right to keep people awake all night, children, thai workers and locals all being kept awake before school, work etc. many people raised money for the Tsunami without troubling so many people.

Apparently Peter Sutcliffe the "Yorkshire Ripper" used to give a lot of money to charity!

Gary Geckho = Yorkshire Ripper ?????????

so easy to let yourself slip and start giving a load of abuse to people for being such a muppet

thats enough of my time spent on this topic (until we find out the cause of course ) just wanted to give bit of support to Gary and wish him a speedy recovery, didnt mean to start Yorkshire Ripper comparisons ....

Peace out !

So sorry that you CHOSE not to understand that I was not comparing Gary to the Yorkshire Ripper. I know you're actually a lot smarter than that!

As you say Peace. I have no personal beef with you. Hope all is well with you in lovely Glamorgan!

CAN'T WAIT TIL HE COMES HOME! and don't delete my flame!

[/quo

"Expect a visit by the police!"

Re. above quote from Eli27.

Oh Good! When the police go round he can ask them why they let the club operate in the wrong zone and out of legal hours.

Oh yes! And have you had your visit from the police about your libelous statement yet?

Oh by the way! When the police have finished at Samui Jens could you send them round to me because I'd LOVE to have a chat with them about your threatening post!

Have a nice day!

Soon as Rooo see's those posts they are good as gone .... and for once think i would be glad .... no need for this nonsense lads ...

In defence of nod if he is a local who has been complaining then he would have every right to want to know the cause of the fire as if arson then yeah he may have a knock on the door of the police for a little chat .... they wouldnt be doing thier job if they didnt ...

secondly this is a forum where people discuss local issues ... and this is one of them ...

and the initial indications are that Gary is not taking this lying down and will be back ......

someone poined out on facebook that when th tsunami happened Gary was at the forefront raising money on Samui .... people tend to forget these things ....

once again .... get well soon Gary

that still does not make it right to keep people awake all night, children, thai workers and locals all being kept awake before school, work etc. many people raised money for the Tsunami without troubling so many people.

Apparently Peter Sutcliffe the "Yorkshire Ripper" used to give a lot of money to charity!

Well they got soo many friends, let them help!

You are right.. What goes around DOES come around.... YOU'LL SEE!!!!

YOU THINK YOU CAN ALL HIDE BEHIND YOUR USER NAMES.. WELL YOU'RE VERY WRONG!!!!

YOU THINK YOU NOBODY KNOWS WHO YOU ARE... WRONG AGAIN!!!

YOU ARE NOT IN YOUR COUNTRY NOW... WE WON'T STAND FOR THIS!

You are rather noisy this morning! Since when has objecting to noisy nightclubs been against the law?

Arson however IS against the law.

Are you here publicly accusing us of arson?

Please be very careful. The laws of libel in Thailand are very severe indeed. Persue this line and I can assure you you are likely to find yourself in a court of law followed by the monkey house in double quick time.

As for hiding behind user names. What's your name?

It is common practice and recommended throughout the world not to disclose identities on forums and on the web for sensible security reasons.

If anyone did commit arson then they should go to jail.

However people on here are allowed to express their opinion about noisy venues. That is not breaking the law. The only one putting themselves on the wrong side of the law right now is you.

Whilst many of us will probably understand you feeling very upset about a friend's demise, you should as I say, make yourself aware with regards to Thai libel laws and realise the position you are likely to put yourself in

Glad to hear Gary is ok ... gutted i never got to sample the new gecko club

but dont think it will put him off ..... check out his status on facebook

Gary G Ecko - HAPPY TO BE ALIVE!!!! WE'LL BE BACK, WE PROMISE YOU.. BIGGER, BETTER AND 10 TIMES fuc_kING LOUDER!!!!!!!!on Friday

I think it might be April the 1st in Bridgend! Nice one 1927.

Tell you what though, I bet you could be right mate!

Cheers!

Karma doesn't seem to work.

I did say he wouldn't believe in it. I'm sure he will do one day though.

Glad to hear Gary is ok ... gutted i never got to sample the new gecko club

but dont think it will put him off ..... check out his status on facebook

Gary G Ecko - HAPPY TO BE ALIVE!!!! WE'LL BE BACK, WE PROMISE YOU.. BIGGER, BETTER AND 10 TIMES fuc_kING LOUDER!!!!!!!!on Friday

What an ass-hole, if this is true!!!!

I would imagine you could put your money on it! Thinking about it, it will probably be his biggest crowd ever!

Great! We can open up the old thread again! Yipee!

All the best Gary. Hope all the people who wished for this are happy now.

I have given it a considerable amount of thought before replying to this particularly unpleasant post, with all its implications.

Happy! Certainly not! Nobody of any decency at all would derive any pleasure from seeing a man and his family's possessions go up in smoke, no matter how much they objected to the actions of this club. I can only speak for myself when I say that if, in the unlikely event that this is discovered to be an act of arson as some form of retribution, it will just be another nail in Samui's coffin for me. The unsavoury mafia elements that have always existed here, ( "my mate's bigger than your mate" etc.) are one of several issues that are beginning to make the Island a much less pleasant to be. I only hope it is discovered to be an accident.

So "happy" definately not!

There will however be people that believe in "Karma" ( "how you behave will determine what comes to you" ) who will feel that an element of Karma exists in this incident. I am sure that, from what you say in a later post, that Gary is a very pleasant chap and it's entirely possible that if some of us had met him in other circumstances we might well feel the same way about him.

However I have to assure you that when you are wondering around sleepless at 3 and 4 in the morning because neither you or the kids can sleep, but you know you've still got to get them off to school the next day. Or you are wondering if your next rental people are hearing about this new club and are going to cancel on you, then at that particular moment, you are not saying to yourself "What a lovely chap that Gary Gecko is!" That you just have to accept is just human nature.

However even that does not make you "happy" when a fellow human being and his family are suffering, if you have any decency. I in fact despite being quite a strong objector, do have some considerable sympathy for him in his current situation.

And because human nature is as it is, you will have to accept that there are others for whom, the amount they feel sorry for the demise of this club, will be determined by, and directly proportional to, the amount of respect they themselves feel they were shown during their "sleepless nights". That's just how it works I'm afraid in the real world.

I sincerely trust and hope that Gary makes a full recovery as soon as possible and that all affected by this, "their own personal tragedy" heals as soon as possible. "Happy" it happened this way we are not, thanks very much!

I would not be surprised to find that Gary does not believe in Karma, and will rise like a "Pheonix from the Ashes" and be attempting to entertain us through the night again at some future time. Then no doubt the thread "sleepless nights ahead in Bophut" will be restarted. The compensation being that it has been the most interesting and challenging post on here for years!

Regards.

Although I have strongly disapproved of this club. I do sincerely hope this is not some kind of Samui style act of retribution. This would be no way to deal with this. If so, it just shows what a disgustingly violent this lovely Island can be. Let us hope that nobody has been hurt in this incident and no damage to neighbours has occured.

We all feel so sorry that you millionaires have to put up with similar noise like everybody else on the island. Every few weeks we have a fair in our area, with extremely loud music until 2 AM, for ten days in a row. You should know by now that you can't buy silence on Samui.

What gives you the right to assume who may or may not have money? Guess what, we hear the temple fairs loud and clear too! At least they go away after some time. The place we are talking about is a permanent structure. If you had taken the trouble to read the whole thread you would have realised that it troubles the workers and their kids in their corrugated sheds as much as anyone else. However unlike you they cannot afford a computer on which to express their views!

While you're at it, it is just quite possible that at the moment you have more money than me, so could you possibly lend me a few quid? Please take your inferiority complex somewhere else. It does not lend anything to the rights and wrongs of this issue.

Thanks and kind regards.

The offensive droning karaoke would not be so bad if the inconsiderate talentless morons could actually sing!

How terribly terribly sad. I am always so dreadfully sorry to hear news like this.

Sincerest condolences to all concerned. I'm sure she will be greatly missed.

Concerned is living in another world ! Of course the bank was responsible, considering the loan for our upgrade is twenty times less than the value of the property. What was unknown at the time was that Thailand would experience an inept government with unqualified ministers, no control on taxis, jetskis or building controls and an inept police force and the airport scams and a series of tourist murders. Of couse they will be repaid but over a longer period is all we ask, considering what the tourism business is up against !

Sadly you've got it the wrong way round! I live in the real world. You live in a world where you think that money is yours. You don't get it. THE MONEY IS THEIRS not yours and they want it bank under the terms which you were delighted to sign for and accept! Whatever happened between is the "real world" I'm afraid.

I'm not saying I don't have sympathy with you or anyone else that finds themselves in difficulty because believe me I could do with a bit of help myself! I'm just fed up with people who happily sign up to something and then end up whingeing when it does'nt work out to their advantage.

Just as I'm pi---d off with all the dic---ads who have 20 or 30 grand on their plastic because they wanted the latest ipod or trainers or laptops and then end up being shocked that they actually have to pay it back one day. Trouble is, they probably never do and it's the rest of us who end up paying for it.

I hope you manage to find a way out of your troubles, but blaming everyone but yourself, would be typical of someone who would tell someone else they " don't live in the real world"

How many know that the Thai bank whose favourite colour is yellow is owned by Singapore ? Four years ago this bank's sweet talking manager built their business up to one the biggest banks on Koh Samui by offering to refinance hotel and resorts loans, while their exchange outlets sprung up everywhere. While Thai banks are trying to help during this crisis by extending time repayment on loans, this bank insists that a 5 year loan be paid in that time otherwise you are charged as an NPL. This is the same bank who demanded we upgrade our disaster insurance (after the tsunami), with their affiliated insurance company which is partnered with a large German insurance company. Not long after, we suffered in the 2005 floods and had to replace all our underground cables and transformer (not once did they come to inspect the original wiring) at over a million baht costs. Yet our claim was rejected, as they declared the damage was caused by "floods and not rain damage". Lesson learned., deal with good Thai banks as they are more tuned into the Thai economy !

Whilst I am no great fan of banks and this bank's treatment of your insurance claim seems bizarre and well worthy of appeal through the courts, I am however constantly amazed at how shocked people are that they are supposed to pay back loans they are given, on time!

What did you expect?!

When you lend money to someone, don't you expect to be paid back on time?

If the banks had been more responsible about who they loaned to and more diligent in getting repaid, we would not be in the s--t we are in right now!

Get real!

Aaaaaaaah! Nothing like waking up after a good night's sleep!

Or so I am told!

Grrrrrrh!

Oh what a lovely peaceful evening!