Changian

I added an extra helmet hook to my Mio. Doesnt make it go any faster but doubles the number of bags of take out food you can carry back from the shops

Good to hear you had a good time. You got close to our place, we're about about 500 metres from Tiger Huts.

End of the rainy season is usually the best time of year for sunsets. E.g.

someone remind me what this thread was originally about

There's only one other place on Long Beach, Zion Bungalows at the southern end of the beach. Run by a friendly Thai family, soem of whom have done building work for us before, and who's daughter is married to a usually stoned French guy who likes to think he is the owner, but in reality isnt. Much nicer than Treehouse and has a good restaurant.

Nothing on Wai Check beach unless you fancy a long walk and camping with zero amenities.

Baan Rong Thian is where you'll find Salakphet Seafood, they have very nicee rooms for 900 baht/night if you stay for a few nights. Also see the apartments and rooms at Island View pier which is where the yachties hang out. Alsosee Koh Chang Marina nearby which has rooms and is where Sunsail keep their yachts. (But no beach here)

There's half a dozen resorts on the east coast of Salakphet Bay in Jek Bae. All get some visitors at weekends when they get Thai groups in, but are pretty much deserted during the week. Hardly any farangs stay there as no beach and not easy to get there.

All of koh Chang is quiet now so no need to go to the remote far east to find somewhere with vry few visitors.

Can remember DVD movies recorded in cinemas by hand camera.

Bit off topic but I remember watching one of those in a guesthouse in KSR donkeys years ago. Half way through the camera fell on it's side. Cue everyone tilting heads at a painful 90 degree angle. Fonturnately the guesthouse owner was happy to flip the TV on it's side so we could enjoy the remainder of the movie in comfort.

In a word 'No'.

There used to be a language school here but that didn't last long and is now a restaurant. Just have to find someone with freetime on their hands and who is happy to teach you.

I know a Koh Jum in Krabi - is that the one you mean?

Weather is still pretty sunny, but some big thunderstorms most nights last week. So expect some grey mornings and sun in the afternoon. Sea is calm,safe to swim at the moment. But very busy now. Loads of people here from Bangkok this weekend.

No problem to drive to Klong Prao beach and all the way down to Bangbao in a Honda Jazz. The road gets narrow and is like a mini rollecoaster after Kai Ba, but is paved and in good condition. Klong Prao beach is good because it's usually pretty quiet on the beach and easy to wander along it and escape from everyone. There are quite a few large resorts but these are all interspersed wih large areas of undeveloped beachfront and so it doesnt have the same Benidorm feel as White Sand beach in high season I walk my dog there every afternoon and even in high season it's rare to see more than a couple of dozen people in the stretch from KP Huts & Tiger Huts, north to the estuary.

All politicians are pretty much the same when it comes to corruption. Ok so Thaksin got a concession off Suchinda - big deal. He wasnt the only one. There were other telecoms concessions given out at the time.

What the OP forgot to mention is that Suchinda installed Anand Panyarachun as Prime Minister in 1991. One of the first acts of this new government was to award Telecom Asia ( owned by CP Group and now part of which is now True) a concession to install land lines in Bangkok.

So you can probably guess what job Suchinda ended up in after he was forced to resign following 'Black May' 1992 . . . Chairman of Telecom Asia.

From a related report also in Thailand's Comedy Newspaper today . . .

Among the wonders showcased by "12 Months, 7 Stars, 9 Suns" are herds of wild deer in Khao Yai in May; the swarming prawns of Ubon Ratchathani in August . . .

and thanks to Ubon Ratchathani's swarming prawns . . .

The new campaign will run during the low season period June to September - and is expected to bring a 5 percent growth in tourist revenues this year.

Google "12 Months, 7 Stars, 9 Suns" and you'll see the TAT still need to work on PR as the only two results are these two reports in The Nation today.

I think you'll find that Koh Chang has changed beyond recognition. KC is still there in the guise of KC Grande Resort, The photo below is the location of the old wooden huts where you stayed. May not have the same 'paraffin light' ambience but at least you now have a swim up pool bar and the seaview rooms have a jacuzzi on the balcony.

Have a look at www.travelfish.org for reviews of budget and mid range bungalows. You'll also find general island info on my site - www.iamkohchang.com

If you want to mingle with the gap year backpackers then go for one of the Lonely beach fan bungalows complexes. But there are also some nice places to stay there too, such as Warapura, Bhumiyama & Siam beach resorts.

You can drive to Koh Chang, there have been car ferries for 7-8 years now. So no need/reason to park on the mainland.

Airasia has never liked my credit card from UOB bank here in Thailand. I always get the card rejected if I try to book on the main site. Far easier to book on the mobile site, never had a problem there. Very quick and simple.

Mobile.Airasia.com

think its the 'village people' type outfits that puts people off .... all that leather and chains stuff ..??

If there's five bike clubs on Samui then it's probably what attracts members rather than puts them off.

Ahh I didnt realise you actually owned the land Treetip.

In that case have a look at Warapura and the type of resort they have which is on the stony shoreline, south of you. There's is on leased land. However, it is a lovely small resort and charges around 1500 - 3000 baht/night for very nice bungalows. Much better value than most of the large resorts. They do very well - something similar would work on your land for sure.

If you can give proper registered 30 year lease on the land, then I know a couple of people who might be interested in it for a boutique resort. One in Thai and is already has a 4 star resort and is currently looking for more land here, the other is a farang guy who also has a house here and wants to run a medium size resort - but 10 Rai is maybe too large for him.

Anyone know how is the hotel business in Koh Chang doing???

Last time I was there December 2005. it was so crowed.

You guys still think it is a smart place to develope hotel there??? Our location is next to Treehouse hotel? I am not sure how are they doing.

Very quiet now - but there again it is always quiet in late April compared to December on all Thai islands as December is High Season and late April isnt.

Do you mean the land where the old original Treehouse bungalows were on Lonely beach - now has a wire fence around it? There is still the Treehouse Restaurant just to the north. Or do you mean on Long Beach where the current Treehouse Bungalows and a small Thai run place called Zion Bungalows are?

If the former then bear in mind if you want to do a hotel you wont get a registered long lease on the land just 3 year renewable contract so not worth building a hotel based on that. Also Lonely Beach has been a lot quieter this year, quite a few small businesses including bungalow resorts for sale there.

If the latter - same applies only far harder to get customers for a hotel or bungalows due to the remote location - only backpackers will go there and they are attracted by the Treehouse name. Ok for cheap huts but nothing else.

I guess Abhisit missed the Nicaraguan President's website that confirms the issue of the passport. If only they had Google in Government House. http://www.elpueblopresidente.com/ACTUALIDAD/3899.html

And yet the PAD satellite TV station and radio was never cut during the airport demos. Interesting . . .

The best you'll find is KEC in Klong Prao. They've been around for a few years, aren't the cheapest, but know their stuff and you can guarantee they wont stop work half way through construction because their workers have to go off and plant rice in Isaan or Cambodia.

They've done everything from restaurants to very nice beachfront villas to resorts & apartment blocks on the island. If you are doing something nice then use them. If you are knocking up a few backpacker huts or a cheap 'bannork' house then use someone else. (The guy who did most of the work on out guesthouse 'Lueng Chai' might be interested - PM me if you are doing something relatively small scale, house, bungalows, and I'll pass on his number - doesn't speak English)

I'm curious about condos there.........where do expats live? Also, looking at maps you can see lots of islands nearby.........people live there too?

I live in a house. One of those 4 walled things with a roof.

There are condo developments in Bangbao, Pearl beach and Klong Son on Koh Chang. If you are looking for anything under 5 million baht then you'll need to look elsewhere. In Bangbao you can expect to pay Bangkok city centre prices ie over 100K Baht/sqm for 60sqm condo. (But they are very nice.)

Also now some condos on Koh Mak soon.

People live on some of the outlying islands. Some are private islands, some are uninhabited. For expats there's only really Koh Mak which has a growing number of farangs who either live there and run businesses or who have holiday homes on the island.

No doubt the expats committee from the northeast will be planning some 'fact finding' missions to Pattaya.

Lets hope the Cambodian passengers are given a warmer welcome than they were at Christmas last year when 269 of them who arrived on a cruise ship in Bangkok where refused visas and sent back to Cambodia:

The 7-storey Jupiter Cruise liner (pictured) with 450 passengers had docked at a Bangkok Seaport on 25th December, 2008 at 10:30am with the hopes that the passengers will be able to celebrate Christmas in the land of Thailand. On the cruise ship there were 269 Cambodian passengers but it was the worst nightmare for them that the Thai authority did not allow them to leave the ship and sent them packing back to Cambodia.

On the 4th of December, Jupiter Cruise, as part of its first launch, has left Phu Quoc (Koh Tral) island in Nha Trang province for Kompong Som in Cambodia to go to Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket in Thailand. This is a free cruise and according to Mr. Benson Samay, defence attorney for the cruise, on the cruise ship there were 269 Cambodian passengers, among them there were 27 Cambodian passengers who hold diplomatic and government official passports, 22 Cambodians who hold foreign passports and 215 Cambodians who hold ordinary passports with Thai visas stamped on them.

In a letter to Mr. Chheang Vun, Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, sent on 6th January, 2009, Mr. Benson Samay said that, according to an English captain of the Jupiter Cruise, the Thai authority did not allow the Cambodian passengers to enter into Thailand by using an excuse that “there might be some Khmer Rouge disguising among the passengers who can create insecurity in their country (Thailand).” The letter added that the Thai authority will only allow the Cambodian passengers to enter Thailand “on the condition that those Cambodian passengers agreed to pay $1500 each person in security bond and the bond money can only be withdrawn after 3 months time.”

Source: http://preahvihear.com/?p=169

I'm very confused. What is the army supposed to be doing, celebrating with the reds?

They're just keeping an eye on their tank. Letting the guys have their fun. Same as when you were kid and got a new bike. Then your mates wanted to have a go on it. You'd let them ride around the yard a bit but you'd draw the line if they said they wanted to take it across town and drive it up the steps of the government offices.

Deciding what to wear is becoming harder and harder now that blue t-shirts are out too.

With the last couple of 'deomcratic' governments having failed to contain angry mobs - one who blocked the airport & one who canceled a major summit. Looks like the only option is for the army to take over as politicians obviously cant be trusted to deal with things in a proper manner.

What's the betting on the army taking over before the end of the year? (Reluctantly of course, and in order to prevent the nation from entering a downward spiral of violence ) The Invisible Hand would be happy then.

Have a look at Mairood Resort that would do the job. Good place to base yourself - lots of dirt cheap seafood in Klong Yai.