Mousehound

Had a couple of good lunchtime visits and an evening beer before moving on to the Riverview. Actually preferred the Gecko. It hasn't changed in the three years since I was last there. Good value and some friendly faces.

Had good service from AVIS - never a problem. But I am surprised they (or HERTZ) are cheaper than North wheels etc.

New Zealand would be my choice if cost is no problem. They speak a strange, but basically intelligible, dialect of English. The really nice ones are very nice indeed and the rest live in Australia anyway, Good health care, no real corruption and stunning scenery in parts. The South Island is my favourite with a small cottage in Akaroa being my dream.

Log in to http://fastcarhire.co.uk/ for choice I have used them many times and so good

I've used fastcar several times. Great service. I get better results dealing with fastcar than dealing direct with the actual rental company.

No, I'm not associated with fastcar in any way.

Cheers..... Mal.

Priced Fast Car versus Hertz direct and Fast Car do seem about 30% dearer. I could have it wrong and you would need to check, but I would look at both options.

Poster's who will post things in Thai.

They will be removed by the mods.

This hit squad "the mods", will they really remove those that post in Thai?

I never heard of this. A log long way from the border! Are you sure you have the right place?

They run regularly - at least to the Hmong township near the Park HQ. Don't know the cost.

Contact the CM photographic Group. They have some pro photographers and some talented amateurs as well.

Astral, very nice pic, but those are not orchids, I don't recall the name now.

Look like a member of the pea family.

The problem with all this talk of wealth inequality and wealth redistribution is that it doesn't work. First off if all the wealth in Thailand was redistributed tomorrow and everyone had an equal share, in a year most would be broke and a few would have made prudent decisions and would be accumulating wealth again. It's like that anywhere. Most people make poor decisions about money. That's the plain and simple truth and we see it everyday with people we know or with whom we work. Some save for the rainy day and others spend like there is no tomorrow. The Bill Gates' of this world did not make their money by twisting someone's arm. They developed a product that people want. Just like the Red Bull people in Thailand. There is no problem taxing the wealthy a little more to help fund programs but for the most part the stupid people will still be stupid with money. Most Thais cannot seem to budget for a month let alone a life time.

This is a wonderfully Victorian era concept that is still with us. I completely agree with you. After all, there really is no point in letting people have money if they are going to waste it. There is also no point in educating people as then they want things and most of them are too stupid to know what are the right things to want. Also, people that are not well off are that way because they are lazy or stupid or both. I like this ideal as I was smart enough to choose well off parents that sent me to a good school and my connections got me a good job. I don't really work much now, although I like to kid myself I do, but whatever happens I need to make money the smart way by getting others to do all the hard work for me. If I had been really smart I would have gone into banking, after all this is where the real theft of money can be held up as good honest work. What I dread is the thought of all those ageing people that are going to try and get monies out of me. They are a drain on the system and should be put in workhouses and helped along to an early demise by increasing the cost of medication beyond their reach. In addition all those stupid kids from poor families need to be taught the real lessons of life - that hard work is good for you. At say twelve all kids should undergo an assets and ability test. If they fall out of the top two percent then they need to be put to work. The training of these kids is a cost so for the first few years they need only be given food and shelter. Spare time is wasted on these people so they might as well work eighteen hours a day and seven days a week so they don't get lazy in their ways. The really great thing is that because I have been able so accumulate assets I can be really smug whenever I meet someone that is finding the going tough. There is nothing so satisfying as crowing about how much better I am than someone else.

Have a nice day folks - if you can afford it!

Northwheels.

Quite unlike many parts of Tryland, it's worth a visit. I've been a few times, and though I would never actually rave about it, it is worth a few days.

Renting a car and popping down to Koh Lanta for a night or two, is also worth while.

Oh, and if you are into fishing, this is a must http://www.gillhamsfishingresorts.com/

I second Gillhams - if you are into fishing. Had a great couple of days there. You need to hire a car to enjoy the area. Great scenery and Railay is nice. I really preferred the old town to Au Nang. It was my first experience of a Thai town not filled with farangs. Liked the people and the food. Drove over to Khao Sok for a couple of enjoyable days. The climbing etc you already know about.

If I were going again I would look at some of the islands south toward the border. They seem trouble free and spectacular from what I have read.

I notice that my tip has got smaller as I have got older. At this rate I will have no tip to offer anyone even if I would like to.

Avis - Phuket airport is excellent. I have never had a problem with them. I do take out theft, no excess and personal insurance. If you do this and are over 25 I would say a Vios would work out at closer to 1200 per day. Still well worth it for me. No dreaded took took mafia and you can cover so much more territory with your own wheels. I love scooters/bikes but would not recommend them in Phuket. The traffic on the island can be hairy and the hills pretty steep and twisty. I have been offered cars (best insurance - no problem) from the hole in the wall outfits for as low as 600 bht a day. Tell him to run away from these as fast as you can. I would rather pay double than risk it. Driving a car on the island is not too bad and if he goes further afield - Khao Sok, Krabi etc the roads are pretty good and well signed. I really enjoyed driving there.

Most countries are pretty well at the mercy of the International scene. If the interest rate goes up then money comes in. If the interest rate goes down money goes away. A strong currency means more imports and less exports. Inflation is usually countered by a rise in the interest rate. So, in Australia for instance, over the last few years we have seen a higher rate of interest than say the USA and money has flowed in. The cost being that many manufacturing business have had it tough - including farmers who rely mostly on exports. As the USA economy strengthens money is flowing away from Australia and the dollar is weakening. This will put the cost of imports up and in this respect it is inflationary. But it will also mean more exports as home products become more competitive. As mentioned above it is all about timing. If the Baht were to crash against other major currencies then this is an opportunity to buy cheaper Thai goods (or assets). The Baht has held up remarkably well, as has the Ausie dollar but what goes up must come down. In my case I hope the Baht falls faster and lower than the $A.

A very strong currency can be a major problem. I remember when North Sea Gas came online in the UK. The Brit pound was so strong it forced many companies out of production. I recall the leader of the opposition at the time calling for the "stuff to be left under the sea as it is crippling the country". The same, to some degree has happened in Australia with the dollar being supported by the mining boom. At the same time the car industry has gone (Toyota will surely follow Holden and Ford) food processing is moving off shore and farms are selling out to offshore interests. Australia, unlike Thailand. has really given it's manufacturing away. I think the future is going to be pretty tough in Australia for the next ten to twenty years. Mines don't employ many people once they are running.

Sounds like you are into Hypermodernity. I must say I like your comment on conspiracy theories. They infuriate me. I know as soon as I hear the word conspiracy, postulated as a serious position, to watch out as I am usually talking to a nut case. But I have to say that you may find some pretty smart people out there without degrees. I have a couple and don't rate them as much as my college Higher Diploma. In fact a couple of the smartest people I have met barely attended school. But good luck in your quest. I am sure if you can get things together you would have the mix that script writers would dream of: a cast for a geriatric version of television's "The Big Bang Theory".

I am in Oz at the moment so not keen on phoning Dukes but have been trying to contact Riverside by email re Christmas and new year - need a table for 5. No answer as yet. Any ideas? I can't get up to CM before 24th Dec.

Thanks guys _ knew you would come through.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I've been trying to contact Dukes and Riverside to request a reservation but neither web sites seem to work. Does anyone have an email address for either of these? Any other suggestions for a good Christmas day and New Year dinner?

thanks

One thing no one has mentioned.

I believe , well in Australia at least,that if a travel warning has been issued then your travel insurance will not cover you

This is an interesting one as DFAT has had a warning out on travel to Thailand ever since I can remember. But it seems to have some sought of warning for pretty well everywhere in the world. I think you would be OK unless it says "do not travel". If it advises caution then it may be OK. Ultimately it will depend on your insurance policy - read the fine print.

I am in Perth right now and have done this trip many times. It all depends when you want to fly. I find Air Asia, Jetstar or Tiger are the cheapest option. I have done the return trip for as little as $A380 but this next trip is $900 return (includes BKK - CNX return as well). I look up the individual airlines but as a rule if you travel out of Australian school holidays it is cheapest. This time I am right on peak travel time, so not cheap.

http://www.det.wa.edu.au/termdates/detcms/portal/

The above link gives school hols for 2013 & 2014. Prices go up a week or so before these dates - especially for the summer break as private schools close earlier than government.

ADIOSO is worth a look but I have always found going direct to the airline website the best.

Got three days booked on Doi Inthanon in December - gets pretty cold up at that height.

Hertz charge for a one way hire but not if the hire period is over five days.

Gekko is a great little place to grab a quick meal. Had a fair few meals and beers there and always enjoyed the place. Even managed to get a smile out of the one or two sour faced expats that prop up the bar.

My suggestion is that you plan for your HD to crash on the day you install it. I always backup my backup drive weekly and the first backup daily. Over the years I recon a 20% - 30% failure rate not out of the ordinary but you will get some drives that go on and on and others that don't last a month. HDD are pretty old tech and mechanical at that. Solid state is IMHO the way to go if you have buckets of cash - I don't so I just keep racking the HDDs - but they are very cheap. I once sold a 10G HDD for $A1000!