Changian

Wait for the naked version due at the end of the year . . .

I watched the interview and was shocked that such a man is in control of a country like Thailand. He dosent seem to be much of an intelect.

Unlike western leaders such as the intellectual giant that runs the US of A?

Say what you will about "Old Ginger" Surayud

You mean say things like he commanded troops during the Black May uprising in 1992 and admits to leading troops into the Royal Hotel that was being used as a field hospital where his troops were filmed beating up and stamping on injured demostrators lying on the floor.

Check the availablity of hotels that you like the look of. It'll be a matter of taking what's available rather than having a huge choice. Also depends on which area of the island you want to be on.

Plaloma is handy for the nearby bars but is 5-10 minutes walk from a sandy beach. Paddys Palms is only 200 metres away but more of an apartment block than a 'resort' - but better value for money than most beachfront hotels,ifyou are happy with a 10 min walk to the sea

Plenty of ads for kennels in any ofthe Thaigod magazines. For one of the best see www.kennelsanta.com located in banpong, 1 hour west of Bangkok on the way to Kancahaburi. Not cheap though but definitely worth a visit just to see how a good breeder runs his kennel that produces championship winning dogs. Owned by a vet who speaks English.

Dont buy from JJ, even though it's cheap, the dogs may look cute but the odds are you'll have a puppy that needs loads of medication / treatment as they come from puppy factories. Try to visit the breeder rather than buy from a shop.

Also helps if you live somewhere where they can run & swim daily . . .

Got a Triton 2.5 4WD manual. Very nice to drive. Clutch isn't heavy so not too much of a hassle driving in Bkk, plenty of power, quiet in the cab - doesnt sound like a tractor. Only downside is that the aircon vent controls aren't as good as on a Vigo - can never get the vents to point where they really should.

Jayenram - the photo here, is captioned 'Bungalows on Long Beach' - but wasnt taken on Long Beach. It looks like one of the resorts on Salakphet Bay, in Chek Bae village.

On Long Beach there are only one place to stay 'Treehouse' with 200 baht/night fan huts on the beach - no landscaped gardens, no concrete bungalows, no aircon bungalows and one other place to eat - Sea Breeze - just past Hat Yuthanavy. Goodplace to stay if you haveyour own transport and want a real backpacker experience.

Not too far away from Long Beach,at the far southeastern tip of Koh Chang - opposite Koh Ngam - there are some very nice new bungalows being built on the site of some old fishing huts - but these aren't on a beach.

LaoPo - no need to use the website. Just download the software and away you go - runs the same as Google Earth and never have to visit the website again.

Koh Mak would be a better bet than Koh Wai if you need some comfort. Accommodation in Koh Wai is mainly in wooden huts for 200 baht/night. One exception is Parakarang Resort, they have some AC bungalows for around 1000 baht/night. But don't expect to hae electricity all night.

If you use www.pointasia.com instead of Google Earth you get good resolution for Koh Mak, can see every resort. Try the new bungalwos at Koh Mak Resort, modern style, nicely done with an excellent little pool bar ' Ocean Place'

Lonely Beach got it's name over a decade ago when there was only one backpacker hut place to stay and no road leading there. Nowadays it's anything but Lonely. The backpacker places are also going upmarket. Last week i saw one place that was 200 baht huts last year but are now 2500 baht/night designer bungalows.

Bhumiyama & Siam Beach Resort are the nicest places to stay on the beach. Siam Beach has pool villas for around 10,000 baht/night plus other rooms for 2500 - 4000 baht/night. Bhumiyama is around the 3000 baht/night range.

No idea how it compares to Boracay - probably not favourably as Boracay is famed for clear waters, diving & powdery white sand.

Try the southern end of Klong Prao beach, Tropicana or Barali, if you walk north you will get away from people. Right now I only see a dozen people on the beach in the afternoon when I walk the dog. There are a handful of small restaurants to eat in on the beach.

Or for a less luxurious place, try White Sand beach resort at the far north end of White Sand beach - accommodation in bungalows 20 metres from the sea on a lovely beach but the resort needs some renovation. 15 mins walk down the beach to get to seafood restaurants, bars , minimart etc.

Try Kai Bae, plenty to keep you busy there. Sea View is a popular place for families - at the southern end of the beach so quieter than Chang Park but close enough to the shops etc and if you want to visit other beaches it's only a few minutes drive by songtaew north to klong Prao or south to Lonely Beach. You could send your oldest child off in a canoe to paddle round to Lonely Beach, good beach for swimming & sunbathing - only 10-15 minutes paddle away. On Klong Prao Coconut Beach would suit you - everything you need is on hand including supermarket only a few hundred metres away. Klong Prao Resort is also good but as already mentioned Paradise is the nicest resort in this area.

Lonely beach is a better bit of sand than Kai Bae too. Better for swimming as it has a drop off pretty near the shore and also has quite a bit of sand even at high tide. Kai Bae has some stones at low tide - especially nearer the southern end. The north is better at Gajapuri, Chang Park & Cliff beach resorts but the south has the nicer bungalow resorts - Porn's is a good flashpacker place, KB Resort if you want a bit of comfort.

Goo to Koh Mak and stay where you can walk for around 5km along a sandy beach with really clear water with no big hotels only bungalow resorts on it.

White Sand beach is more for package tourists, Kai Bae is more for older independent travellers who want stuff within easy reach but prefer bungalow resorts and having a good nights sleep to the noise and congestion of WSB. It's the second most built up beach on the island, but still has some character and isn't yest a total mess of concrete like WSB.

As far as the actual beach/sand goes, WSB is much longer and the far north fo WSB is nicer than Kai Bae.

The vast majority of wood is old rubber trees. No problem to cut these down if they are on your land as rubber farms wont be in the National Park boundaries. You can see areas where old trees have been cut down and saplings planted. Some species of trees are protected through regardless of their location - roads, resorts etc get built around these.

No one sensible would have a truck load of illegal logs on the ferry in daylight. Much better to cut it up into planks and then stick on the back of a truck - far less obvious.

There are a couple of areas where large swathes of National Park have been cleared illegally a few years ago. If you head to Klong Plu waterfall, go through the entrance and then instead of going straight to the waterfall, turn right past the park offices and head along the gravel topped road - that until recently didn't appear on any map of the island. This goes for a couple of kilometres towards Klong Prao waterfall - very small, nothing to see. On the way you'll see a huge area of land that was logged illegally - there is (was) a notice to this effect pinned on a board on the land. Interestingly the only way in and out of this land is via the road that passes the park office.

Hi Yumiko - Thanks for all the info. Pet Paradise looks like a very nice place. Our dog will have to go swimming daily as this is where he spends every afternoon trying in vain to catch fish:

Trying to find a good kennel for my 4 year old retriever to stay in for the first 2 weeks of March. Prefer somewhere where he can play outdoors everyday as he's used to being on the beach & swimming daily. Price isn't really an issue - just want a good boarding kennel anywhere in Rayong, Pattaya or Bangkok areas where he will be looked after well.

If anyone knows of any suitable places, please let me know. Thanks.

I keep meaning to stop and see how our house is going. But also agree 1000 is way to high for number of expats - a couple of hundred at the most, less if you count people who dont disappear from June - October. East coast will stay quiet for a long time to come - same as east coast of Phuket, all the tourism on the west coast of the island. Good location for a quiet house, pretty crap for a business of any kind.

Yep, lots of people complaining about how quiet it is. However, the number of people visiting is increasing. Problem is that the number of small bars, t-shirt shops and internet cafes are increasing at an exponential rate - rather than gradually. Therefore, an average shop takes less money. The business people who win are those who are doing something a bit different or have a unique skill / product that cant easily be duplicated by a person renting a neighbouring shop unit.

Saw a German guy in a ditch only yesterday. He had come off his bike after sliding on loose soil/sand that had fallen off the back of a truck. Stuck him in the back of the pick-up and took him to the local clinic where they patched him up. He wasnt drunk and had ridden bikes before, but the back wheel just went from under him on a corner and there was nothing he could do about it.

Best to drive the largest vehicle you can afford to, and if that's a small scooter then ride as though you expect everyone else on the road to kill you. That way you'll stay alert.

Guemlum & Cuban - thanks for the mention of me & the site.

Different from most islands because there are very few houses here, therefore very few people living here that dont have some business of one kind or another. In Phuket, for example, there are thousands of retirees and folks who visit for a few month a year, rent a house or buy second homes on the island. Koh Chang doesn't have this yet - only two large housing development sand neither will be complete for a couple of years or more.

Alina & Alina Grande are both pretty good value. Big AC room for under 2000 baht/night. Has a pool. On the beach at the southern end of White Sand Beach