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"""""Ie I wouldn't pay the same amount for a Ferrari as I would for a Toyota"""""

I think , you wouldnt get a ferrari for the same amount as for a Toyota....?

Of course, on Samui road Toyota are much more reliable than Ferrari cars....

Ho about a small Suzuky, 3 month price. I haven't found a Suzuky dealer for used car on the web....

U would not believe that. there is a ferrari on samui a nice red F430 Spider, maybe u need to spend a bitt more than 15.000, see it around in chaweng, good look mate

We all feel so sorry that ...[you]... 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.

Agreed, apart from the millionaire comment, in the last 3 months and within 100m of my residence I've had 3 late night karaoke sessions, 2 big Song Taew driver depot parties, and 2 new restaurants opening parties. Most of these have been up until 1am, a couple have gone on till 4. It's part and parcel of living here. Sorry you still feel outraged by it, but most people on the island have to deal with unwanted noise on occasion - you may have to get used to it too.

You know, if you can tolerate thumping music 12-18 + hours on occasions from an illegally built place, without having a moan good on you my friend.We are not talking small parties here, we are talking bass echoing through a valley in midst of a residential area & noise from whatever number of people they have there. Party starts at 7pm don't finish sometimes till after

8am. Sure we don't mind the temple fairs ot the markets or the occasional karaoke, but get real here, I'm sure if it was on your door step, you would be singing a different tune.

everyone makeing many comments, what about the legal way? for what do we have goverment officer, police, zoning and the law, its time for this kind of people to do there job, not only take brib and let the people in peace who what to have peace, without moving the house our room wehr thay stay, because someone things thay can do what ever thay want, gecko, lake view, solo, sound and so on........

Thank you Yantzen for pics.

if we get another partyplace from Gary , maybe its posible to make it in an asingt area , not in an living area where people need to sleep cause we need to work next day, thanks for that, and wish u all the best

Just at a rough guess, I'd say that the percentage of jetskiiers who have a problem is statistically insignificant. Granted, I don't watch the water all day, but in three-and-a-half years I have seen only one mishap, which was detailed somewhere here, in which an operator gave poor instruction to a renter as he came close to another craft, piloted by an operator, and the two hit.

I'm sure bad things happen, but let's not make it out that jetskis are crashing routinely. I don't go to Chaweng much so I don't know if every other Thai operator is a crook, but I sense this can't be the case.

Jet ski operators = scum! be clever forgett it on yr samui holiday, it will cost u.

thanks guys, still undecided though

check out the all new Ark Bar Beach Hotel in central chaweng on the beach www.7seas-samui.com, www.arkbarbeachhotel.com,

its fantastic, 1500 thai Bath

I give up, thought about it long enough.

sorry i meen, 'self destructing'

it amassing me how sefsistracting thailand is, wen ecomomy in on the worst they put ub the tax for ciggarets and alcohol.... very clever, wen the tourimus in about 50% down thay make the law not to bye or sell Alcohol for big Buhhhda days...wow. how someone can tell a aldult person not to bye alcohol??? its up to everyone what the want to do, if u bannd alcohol only for a few day why u bannd it forever??? what the point of it?

Govt invests Bt900 million to upgrade Koh Samui infrastructure

SURAT THANI, July 3 (TNA) – Thailand's Ministry of Finance has allocated a budget of Bt 900 million to redevelop and upgrade infrastructure on the resort island of Samui in the southern province of Surat Thani.

Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij and Deputy Finance Minister Pruttichai Damrongrat visited Koh Samui to observe repairs and reconstruction work in progress of a 70 kilometre ring road around the island.

Rapid development related to tourism has caused flooding and heavier vehicle use has brought about damage to roads, so that existing infrastructure to serve tourism is insufficient. The newly-earmarked funds will be allocated to finance the project until 2012, Mr. Korn said.

The Finance Ministry has also conducted a feasibility study on building an international conference centre on a designated plot of land.

Koh Samui Tourism Association chairman Senee Puwasetthavorn said there were only a few hotels, sufficient to accommodate 100-200 people to attend a seminar.

If the government develops the area as a conference centre with capacity to serve thousands of attendees, the island will attract more tourists with higher purchasing power. Currently the island serves a clientele comprised largely of modestly funded backpackers and budget travellers.

It will also be able to hold larger events such as a crafts and products exhibition to help the island earn more income, said Mr. Senee. (TNA)

-- TNA 2009/07/04

lets hope the money goes in to the Samui infrastructure not in some strange pockets as it us to be

The same article gives a clue at it's very end....

The minister did not reveal when this happened.

TiT!

But then he would have support of some business associates from Themasek...he wouldn't have to use the ordinary citizens immigration procedures - and to crank it up a notch - Nicaraguan, Montenegro Passport...or, or, or....on the contrary, for this guy is nothing impossible - just a thought....

what a bull...., boring of this thaksin story

last night at around 3.30am shooting again in solo , thai on thai , any police-any news ? panic around the costumers, thanks a lot

thai man pick up from 2 fellow thais put on motobike and bring wehr? hospital??? i dont think so....

this must be a copy from a movie, in my mind his is discrimination

On chaweng beach the silver sands resturant was nice and good seafood when I went.

the new 7Seas Restaurant in the center of Chaweng Beach, very tasty, nice presentation, very clean, unique Restaurant with very modern Bar

think first, if he got trough he would do it again, this people never change, som na na

I'm going to pay for it: heroin bust man

An Australian man charged with drug smuggling in Thailand says he has made a "big mistake" and is going to "pay for it".

Drug trafficking in Thailand carries the death penalty.

Andrew Hoods, 36, was arrested at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport's departure hall on Wednesday afternoon with 3kg of heroin strapped to his body, Thai officials said.

He was charged with drug smuggling after Thai Customs found the drugs concealed in 12 packages.

Thai police said another Australian, believed to be a friend of Hoods, is on the run after managing to escape from the airport.

During a break in questioning at Bangkok drug headquarters, Hoods said he had been caught red handed.

"I was caught with heroin, trying to bring it to Australia," Hoods told the Nine Network today.

"I made a big mistake and I'm going to pay for it man, do you know what I mean, I'm going to pay for it."

The heroin was estimated to have a street value of about 12 million baht ($A494,000), Thai officials said.

But Hoods' thoughts are now focused on his daughter, whose photograph he carries in his wallet.

"I've got her right, I've got my daughter here with me, know what I mean," he said while clutching the photo to his chest.

"And that's all I've got man, that's all I've got."

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said diplomats had met Hoods.

"Consular staff at the Australian embassy in Bangkok have spoken to the man and are providing him consular assistance," a DFAT spokesman said.

Consular staff were also in contact with the man's family, he said.

Thailand toughened its drug laws in 2002, but remains a transit point for narcotics produced in neighbouring Burma, the world's second largest opium producer and a major methamphetamine hub.

Source: AAP - 19 December 2008

Thanks to Simmo for the link.

My favorite gripe.

All the busy road junctions around the more populated tourist areas ,chaweng and lamai ect.. no lights turned on

The more dangerous bends on the way to lamai , total darkness.

South of Nathon where every one goes to bed at 9 pm , lit up so bright you need sunglasses

Go figure

now u know why we have countless hospitals with overprices on this island

the goverment made all this nice lights truout bangrak (in the middle of the walkway ofcause), but they will ever work so we can see all the holes in the horrible road

The manager of the complex told me it is going to be a Starbucks...

well god help the complex then if the manager thinks it is a starbucks when there is a sign outside the shop that clearly says ' Coffee World '

it is next door but 1 to Bangkok Bank.......

good one more shopping plaza, will c how many stupid people will lose money again

This money is available to all stranded tourists that have a eparture ticket dated to depart during an airport closure day. The money is for accommodation and food only.

Contact TAT or your embassy for details.

If anyone has further details im sure it would be benificial to many

Where did you hear this? I find it very hard to believe in a country with no social welfare.

B 2,000 per day X 100,000 stranded tourists...?? Are you sure?

Many threads on here concerning this, yes its true, I'm a guest myself of the TAT free upmarket hotel plus three meals a day

What about a local expat going out for a visa run, can we claim all the same benefits? When does the daily allowance stop (it might be worthwhile making the ticketing process difficult as B2,000 covers the overstay fine and some...)

No overstay fine if you're affected by the stand in.

I can't believe TAT are doing that. It's great but maybe that money would be better spent on local thais than on foreigners stranded at the end of a tropical holiday.

what u mean holiday? wake up

The mob of red-shirts attempts to block entrance to the court-hearings, which had been moved elsewhere, to confuse them. Happily a fairly-peaceful demonstration, as were most of the PAD ones, to be honest.

Standby for posts, from people who condemned the PAD as domestic terrorists, explaining how the actions of the PPP/Thaksin supporters are a totally different case, or otherwise eating humble-pie.

Capital punishment ? Would be totally over-the-top, and wrong, IMO.

Banning proven-cheats from political-involvement for 5 years, as has been happening to several parties since the last election, is however a workable step towards cleaner politics. Get the crooks, whoever they are, out of politics !

if u proven cheat, never again back in politics, cause they will do it again as proven in the past

I dread parking my bike on the main Ban Rak road!

Where possible i always try to park in a side lane.

Who is going to pay for the damages i wonder?

Word on the street (not facts!) is that since he was intoxicated he realized that he needed to pick up the bill to stay out of trouble, and also did so. Its just the word out there though...

find that very very hard to believe....but would love it if it were true....in the likely event it is not...too bad the truck driver was not seriously injured or killed

normaly they do the run , whats wrong? i do not believe a thai will take resposible for ten bikes 450.000 bath

bring an Easyjet or AirAsia service to Samui --- 99 THB One Way ! , will boast Tourism !

The 2 biggest tourism-killers on koh samui is still Bangkok airways monopoly situation and the crazy Taxi-maffia.

My oppinion

thats very right, but as u see the thai authority is useless as always, thats the thai way the land of smile, f..k that

Don Muaeng to become temporary govt house

How long will that "temporary" last? What do they mean by that? Will they abandon even a DMK soon? And if yes - what about that 1B of bugdet and all of that "office equipment"??

Clowns. Corrupted clowns. I wish to cancel paying my tax to... to all of THIS.

i would say is a lot of money for a temporaty govt. house

with 1 billion u can make a nice new one

how it is posible that u can borrow money from the police? what i know thay dont get a grade deal of money, so something must be wrong, wehre thay get the money to borrow someone??

what are shame on u, old story, almost same face, u people will ever lern???????

====================================================================

New First Lady Yaowapa Wongsawat

Amidst the conflict between former prime minister and Thai Rak Thai Leader Thaksin Shinawatra and Wang Nam Yen faction leader Sanoh Thienthong in 2005, Thaksin's younger sister rubbed salt in Sanoh's wounds by criticising him as being old so he should let younger politicians work.

That episode revealed the strong side of a woman who would one day become the First Lady, Yaowapa Wongsawat.

The wife of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was a Thai Rak Thai Party-list MP, and a Leader of the Party's Wang Bua Baan faction, one of the most powerful factions then. She was also an adviser to her brother, the then prime minister.

Although Yaowapa's voting right has been revoked when Thai Rak Thai Party was dissolved (TRT Banned #13), more than 30 members of the faction are now in the People Power Party. The group is based in northern provinces.

The group includes Deputy Party Leader Sompong Amornwiwat and the outspoken Surapong Towijakchaikul.

One of those who showed dissatisfaction against Yaowapa's criticism at that time was Supon Fongngam, now the caretaker Deputy Interior Minister. Supon is one of the closest aides of Buriram's Newin Chidchob, whose rights have been revoked.

Therefore, opposition of Friends of Newin group against Somchai's premiership was not the first power play between the two groups.

On various occasions when the Thai Rak Thai Party MPs disagreed, Thaksin's wife Pojaman came to the rescue of the party. Likewise, Yaowapa exercised her charisma to mend rifts in the PPP.

Last month, when the PPP was shaken to its roots with 200 MPs signing up demanding the then prime minister Samak Sundaravej clarify letting police issue arrest warrant against Thaksin and Pojaman, Yaowapa and her sister Yingluck appeared at the Party headquarters. It needed people with Thaksin's blood to summon respect from the MPs. Somchai, however, said Yaowapa had nothing to do with politics as she just went to pay homage to the Buddha image at the headquarters. *B.S. alert*

She just talked when she met the MPs whom she had been familiar with.

Yaowapa has also been powerful in business especially in telecommunication and properties. Her family owns and owned listed companies such as Wyncoast Industrial Park and Traffic Corner. She was the president of M Link. *corruption and suspicious dealings available via search on various thaivisa threads*

There have been investigations into her family's businesses and her role in Thaksin's share concealment cases.

The bank account of her daughter Chinnicha was also frozen when the Assets Examination Committee investigated Thaksin's. Chinnicha is now a Chiang Mai MP. *the family that steals together, stays together*

Although Yaowapa said yesterday she would just take the role of a housewife, her role should not be underestimated.

Thaksin even admires Yaowapa's talent. He once mentioned that had Yaowapa been his brother , she would have had taken a ministerial post.

If Yaowapa was not banned from politics, it might have been her turn now to be Thailand's first female prime minister.

- The Nation / 2008-09-19

its will never change, the thaksinvirus is still here, i wonder why the pad is acepting this, why we can not have someone how is not brelatted with this thaksinvirus? it will be only good for the country

so what we can expect from now on? better roads, roadslight everywehr, no more late partys(after 2am in the morning) and so on.......... sounds like a dream