phuket Mike

The Thai authorities have been blocking certain sties for some time. Certain US and UK gambling sites were blocked and I think recently they have started blocking some porn sites such as porncrawler.com etc.

You can get round it by using some proxy software, this was discussed on this site a few week ago I suggest you do a search for 'proxy'. I beleive the software is free and works very well.

Good Luck.

phuket Mike

In Dreamweaver MX 2004 there is a create photo album option in the commands menu. This automatically creates a photo album complete with thumbnails.

This automated approach may not be what you are looking for, but the way it creates the thumbnails is through a macro in Fireworks MX which may be worth taking a look at.

Also if you go to Dreamweaver Exchange at Macromedia.com you may find someone has already created an extension that does it for you.

Other than that as already mentioned PHP has a built in class that will resize JPEG images on the fly. For this if you go to PHP Class Library and I am sure you will find the necessary code to do the job.

phuket Mike

I might be able to help you a bit..

First of all I assume when you say a PHP Engine you mean one of the PHP Content Management Systems/Portals like PHPNuke etc. These are ready to run web sites written in PHP and usually accessing a database such as Mysql to store content.

So the first thing you need is a hosting company that gives you PHP 4 and Mysql. From what I have seen Thai hosting companies tend to charge extra for Mysql where as US or UK based ones offer a couple of databases for free. The hosting all depends on where the majority of traffic is coming from. Also some hosting company offer some of the PHP Portals as options from a control panel so all you do click on them and they are installed on your site. This option is also available for Forums, Shopping Carts, Galleries etc.

You will then have to decide on which PHP Portal you are going to use because there are a lot of them, take a look at Hotscripts

Some of these Portal sites also offer support , even customization and of course the are modules that do just about anything. They all come with strong admin interefaces so modification is easy and also different skins so the overall appearance can be easily changed.

So what are the drawbacks ? The obvious one is that lots of people are using them for their sites so they all tend to look the same. Also the PHP code is very advanced in some of them so if you want some 'outside the box' mods you will need a skilled PHP developer. Having said that there is a huge community of developers out there and so just about every change you could possibly want has been done.

In terms of finding someone in Thailand that can help you implement one of these systems that could be a bit more difficult. If you are in BKK there are probably good PHP skills there, in other areas they are few and far between. As most of the programming has already been done for you, it would probably be easier to find someone to do the graphics work and then just add them to the system.

If you use something like PHPNuke the user/developer community is massive and there plenty of people that will help you via the web.

If your looking for a hosting company outside of Thailand take a look at

Free Page Hosting

They will give you free webspace if you register a domain with them, they support PHP and Mysql and have Control Panel system that will install a number of different PHP scripts automatically.

Good Luck

phuket Mike

Here's my experience...

I came to Thailand on a non-imm B visa with a international driving licence I obtained from the Uk Post Office (1949 Convention).

I bought a car and two motorbikes in my name using only my International License, Passport and Letter from immigration proving my address (300 baht).

At the time I did not have a work permit.

I drove with this license for 11 months in which time I was stopped by the Police 4 times, nicked for speeding once and nicked for parking in the wrong direction in Phuket Town. On all occassions I only showed my International License.

While I was teaching the wife to drive she hit the gate post, because she did not have a license I had to tell the insurance company I was driving. Again I successfully claimed using only my International License.

A couple of weeks before my International License expired I went to the Transport Office in Phuket and exchanged my Int License for both Thai car and motorbike licenses. All I had to do was pass a the colour blindness test.

Phuket is very strict now because of the number accidents here, and they do check your International License very carefully to make sure it covers you to drive both car and motorbike.

Good Luck

phuket Mike

How is the electrical supply where you are running your laptop. My first laptop, a Dell did exactly the same thing as yours. The electric supply here is really bad with massive troughs and peaks. This of course is not good for any electrical device.

I was told by Dell that this is what had damaged my battery and that it had to be replaced. I now only run it through a UPS.

Depending on the manufacturer replacement batteries are available here but tend to be 20-30% more expensive than the US or Malaysia.

phuket Mike

hi pongster,

As already mentioned the main nightlife in Patong is centered around Bangla Road. This area is just beer/girlie bars, restaurants and tourists. The prices are pretty standard (expensive) 70baht for a Singha, 80baht for Carlsberg and probably 50ish for Chang. Very few Thai's go to this area (except girls) because its full of farangs. In terms of Bars a lot of people thing Kangaroo Bar is good with good music, personally I don't think there's a lot to choose between any of them. You can walk the full length of Bangla and all its Soi's in about 20 minutes anyway so its easy to take a look around first.

There are also a couple of discos at the end furthest from the beach, Tai Pan (right at the end of Bangla on the other side of the road) and I think Star Wars although it may of changed its name, its just at the end of Bangla on the right corner. Tai Pan is certainly the busiest and is quite lively although drinks are expensive 100baht upwards for beer. The other one doesn't get busy until late.

The other place in Patong the maybe worth a try is Safari disco although I haven't been myself. Rumour has it that it stays open until 4am, I was told this by some of the local girls who go there after work. Its located just outside Patong on the Karon Road, if you go watch out for rip-off Tuk Tuk drivers who charge a small amount to take you there and your life savings to take you back to Patong.

In terms of other places, I don't think Karon or Kata are worth bothering with unless you have your own transport. The bars in Karon are very similar to Patong only there are a lot less of them.

My advice would be to go to Phuket Town for a night. Its a lot more normal with some quite cool bars and restaurants. There is also a lot of live music, a lot of Thais and generally lower prices. Jammin' is one place that is good, others are dotted around town. There are also a number of discos. We quite like it mainly because the are not hundreds of bargirls trying to extract cash from you. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of available women if you want them its just that there not so obvious as Patong. One thing to remember is that if you go with Thai's they will need their ID card to get into some of the bars.

Anyway hope this helps.

Have good trip.

phuket Mike

Pongster

Sorry mate I'm not going to be much help this time, I don't really know much about Bann Thai. I've asked around and I can't find anyone that's been there.

All I can say is the location looks nice and Patong is definitely the place to stay at the moment because its where all the life is.

If there's anything else that I can help you with give me a shout.

phuket Mike

Next time you're in Phuket...

Don's Cafe for a beef steak. He [ Don ]has cold rooms and hangs the beef for 40 days, or so. Tender, sweet.

After 2 years already in Thailand, I was used to the tough steaks. What a delight to visit his place. Only problem is, I don't live in Phuket.

Sorry Mackerel to disagree but I live just round the corner from Don's Cafe and have found it very inconsisent with below average service. The only thing now that I will eat there are the ribs with bbq sauce. The steaks are sometimes tender and tasty but most of the time they overcooked and tough.

We took our American neighbours there for Thanksgiving and it got to be the worse meal I've ever had. They obviously had a lot of Turkey in the freezer that was going off so they got it out and steamed it to try and get some flavour/moisture in it, but what actually happened was it turned out very salty.

If you want a steak in Phuket for a good price there is a German restaurant on the road from Chalong circle going towards Rawai called Loma. His fillet steak is excellent and very cheap, plus the service is good.

Also in Phuket Town there is a Korean Barbeque place that is 89 baht all you can eat, but be warned if you take too much from the buffet and don't eat it there is a service charge/fine. Its a great place that is alway full of locals.

phuket Mike

Julian

There are a lot of day trip type things here, I must admit I haven't done many myself. There is canoeing, Elephant trekking, diving, trips to islands - James Bond Island, Phi Phi Islands and many other isands, fishing trips etc.

Just avoid the ones where you are taken to some sort of retail outlet pearls, tourist shops etc. they tend to be a rip with special tourist prices.

There is also a shooting range, which I have heard can be fun if your into that sort of thing.

There is a Zoo which in my opinion should be avoided, mainly because they charge foreigners about 10x more than Thais for entry and its rubbish anyway.

There is quite a lot of dual pricing down here now, so be careful, also don't ask a tuk tuk driver to recommend a bar/restuarant/shop etc. they will take you to one with special tourist pricing and also get a commision. The best thing to buy when you get here is the Phuket Gazette's local guide book, its cheap and has some very good information about the whole island. It has just been updated so should be ideal.

If you have got the time the old part of Phuket Town is also worth a visit with lots weird and wonderful shops its also cheap.

Cheers,

mike

I found some information on symantecs web site on how to remove this virus, they are very long winded to say the least, the url is below.

Virus removal instructions

The first thing to check is that Norton is set to delete or quarantine infected or virus files, it may be just set to detect. I'm saying this because the notes on the Symantec site seem to suggest that Norton will get rid of it.

If that fails, its down to the instruction in the url I'm afraid.

Good Luck

mike

Hi,

I will try to give you an insight into life in Phuket. First of all let me tell that I am not retired but I hope I can help you.

I have lived in few areas of the island and now live in the very south in an area called Nai Harn which is really part of a bigger area called Rawai.

There are a lot of retired people living in this area as well as other expats. Its a less touristy area than most of the island and has some very nice housing as well as nice bars and restaurants. House rental/bungalow rental probably starts in in region of 7000 baht per month up to 15000 per month for a two bed bungalow/house.

The area although dominated by farang houses, still retains a Thai feel and locals that do live here are very friendly, unlike other areas of the island were foreigners are just seen as walking cash machines. We have made some very good friends including the village head man.

Of course we also have some very nice beaches less than half a kilometre away, although swimming from these is not safe from May to November because of a very strong rip tide. If your into Windsurfing or want to have a go Nai Harn is one of the best places in Southern Thailand.

In terms of learning Thai there are many language schools on the island and also some very good freelance teachers who will teach you in a more informal environment. Obviously mixing with a lot of Thais is also a good learning and that is not difficult down here people are very friendly. There are of course also many girls in the bars that will only be too glad to help you with your Thai!!!

The social scene in Phuket is probably very similar to other tourist areas of Thailand there are a number of social groups that have regular meeting in various parts of the island. In terms of social life down here its very easy to get into it because it is a relatively small community so as you get out and about you see the same faces around and very quickly get to know a lot of people. I've only been living in this part of the island for about 8 months but I already know more people than I did in London in 6 years there.

The weather is probably hotter than most areas with the dry season lasting from November to April, then there is the wet season which is still very warm but some rain mainly in the night and then the true rainy season when it cools down a bit and tends to rain and flood for days at a time. So if you rent something here make sure it has either good drainage or is on high ground. Actually I quite like the rainy season, there are a lot less tourists and its easier to get a bargain.

You said you were looking at exploring the rest of Asia well Phuket is well placed for that with good direct to flight connections to Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Korea and Australia (plus some others depending on the season).

Plus if you do get down here and need a guide I can let you have the wife for a very reasonable rate, only joking, she's very expensive. No really I can always spare a day if you need someone to show you around.

Good luck

phuket Mike

It is certainly one of the best hotels in Patong Town itself. It is close to the beach and away from the main night life (Bangla Road) but within walking distance. I have never actually been inside but I have driven past it hundreds of times and it certainly looks very nice.

A friend of mine stayed there last year and didn't really get on very well, mainly because he was a single guy and they were not very happy when he wanted to bring late night "friends" back to his room.

The other thing to remember is that food and drink in such nice hotel will be at premium prices.

The weather in August in Phuket can be a bit unpredictable, if often rains at night and last year we had few days of rain. The temperature never really changes day or night its always above 28 degrees C. Care needs to be taken when swimming in the sea in August because it can be pretty rough. If you plan any trips to other islands the sea conditions can make it difficult.

August is not a bad time there tends to be more Europeans here because of the school summer holidays.

So in summary if want a holiday where you plan to spend a lot of time in your hotel and money is not a problem the troppicana is a great choice. But if want to get out and about and will only come back to your hotel to sleep its probably a bit on the expensive side.

Have a good trip, and any other information you need don't hesitate to ask.

phuket Mike

Reformatting your hard disk will certainly get rid of the problem, but it is a bit drastic, its like burning your bed to kill a flea.

One thing that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense is that Norton is picking up the virus when it tries to email itself out but not when you scan your disk. Are you sure you initiating a full scan of your hard drive ? This should take about 2-3 beers depending how many files you have and of course how many many beers you can drink in 30 mins.

Norton doesn't constantly scan for viruses but it does scan outgoing emails. Check the options in Norton and make sure it set scan everything.

Anyway if you do reformat your disk don't forget to install all those microsoft patches for Windows XP Pro.

Good Luck

phuket Mike

geroreilly,

Well if we are talking about the BAT.Mumu.A.Worm virus, which we are not sure yet if this is the problem, as far as I am aware none of the mainstream virus packages will get rid of it (although I am sure someone will prove me wrong on this one). A fully up to date version of Norton will detect it but thats all.

Anyway, Norton have produced a specific removal tool which can be downloaded from their website for free. If you follow the link from my previous post, down at the bottom is a link to the removal tool.

I don't think this is a new virus it just seems fairly prevalent here.

Cheers,

phuket Mike

Actually the worm I was talking about was BAT.Mumu.A.Worm, no wonder I couldn't remember its name.

Anyway more information can be found at BAT.Mumu.A.Worm Info

It is very common in Asia and especially here in Thailand. I have seem it in 3 different offices infecting about 30 machines in total. Once installed on your system it not only degrades performance but also installed a load of batch files, services and user accounts to allow hackers into your machine.

They then can install an email utility that will use your machine to email the virus to other people.

phuket Mike

First of all you are assumming that bonsaimax is using Windows XP because System Restore is a feature of XP only.

Secondly as far as I'm aware system restore doesn't work like that. All it does when enabled (which it should be) is create Checkpoints i.e. system copies that you can go back to should something fail.

So if you install a new driver or make a significant change you can roll back if it causes a problem. So the only thing it does automatically is make the back ups not restore anything.

Hey I maybe wrong, because fortunately I have never had to use it but all I go by is some testing I have done and the Microsoft documentation (which I admit is poor).

So maybe the next step would be to tell us all what version of Windows you are running and which version of Norton.

Good Luck

phuket Mike

Sounds to me your system has been hacked !!

Instead of testing Norton with the LiveUpdate feature check your virus definition date and make sure it says either today's date or one very near. It is possible that once your system has compromised that Norton has also been changed so that LiveUpdate alway says everything is upto date.

I have had a machine with exactly the same problem you have described. Try the following.

From a different machine download the latest virus definition files Symantec Website and manually install them on your machine (it normally very easy just an executable file).

Rerun a full virus check.

There is one worm virus which I can't remember the name that Norton cannot get rid of, but you can download a special program from their website that will get rid of it. If the updated Norton reports this it will also tell you where to get the removal tool.

If you are running Windows 2000 or XP Pro check the users and groups and make sure only the account you are using and the Administrator account are enabled. One of the main hacking tools creates a new account called admin, if its there disable it.

Check your SERVICES for a service called ntservice, this is a hacking service, if its there stop it and disable it.

Check your windows system is upto date, this won't stop the hacker if he is already in, but it will bolt the stable door and stop anyone else.

If none of the above makes any difference, I would remove your antivirus package completely and re-install either a later copy or a different AV product to see whether it can detect a problem. There are a few free ones around on the internet.

There is often no definitive fix for some of the problems often multiple viruses and hacks can make it difficult to identify the culprit. Its just a matter of trial and error.

Hope this helps. I would be interested in knowing which version of Norton you are running and version of Windows.

You may also want to consider installing some firewall software to stop people getting into your system in the future. There are some free ones around if you go to www.download.com and search for firewall.

I actually use Norton Internet Security which is not that much more expensive that the AV package and includes a Firewall, AV, ad blocking and site blocking.

Good luck and if I can help any further please PM me.

phuket Mike

Bangkok Bank will allow a farang a savings account with a visa/debit card. They require a deposit but the amount is up to you, I gave them 500 baht.. The debit/cash card will cost you 300 baht.

You will need your passport and an address in Thailand. This address can be anything even a hotel room.

I know because I did it in December without any problems. They will also give a nice little typed note with all the details your bank needs to transfer the money.

phuket Mike

40 year old Englishman (from Yorkshire)

First came to Thailand (BKK only) in 93' on my way to OZ spent two days there and didn't really like it. Met my Thai wife in England and then came back on holiday in 99 and liked it.

Sold up in 2002 and moved to Phuket, made a few mistakes but haven't really lost a lot of my capital. Now working as an IT freelancer and making a living.

Previously worked in Saudi for 4 years, also in IT.

I really love Phuket it has everything I want. We live in the very south of the island about 500m from a very nice beach. Made some very good friends both Thai and farang (more than I ever did in London).

phuket Mike

There is quite a good book/2 cd set available from most book stores called Thai for Beginners by Benjawan Poomsan Becker it cost a few hundred baht.

The principle of book is that you learn to read Thai first because it is all phonetic so reading will help you with pronouciation. I must admit learning to read is difficult but it does work.

There is also a follow on book for intermediate level.

good luck

phuket mike

Bangkok Bank seems to be the easiest to open a savings account. All they require is to see your passport and an address in Thailand (can be anything even a hotel room). You will get an account with a Visa debit/cash card. I did it just before Christmas and it was very easy they even filled out the forms (good because some of them were in Thai).

From what I understand from an article in the Phuket Gazette many of the other bank require farangs to have a work permit before allowing them an account.

I also transferred some money from the UK via the swift system.

BKK Bank even gave me a typed note with all the details required by my bank to complete the transfer.

phuket Mike

Patong is one of the few places on Phuket where ADSL broadband is available. There are a number of internet cafes that have ADSL and they are not difficult to find so you shouldn't have any problems.

I was there last night and saw a couple with big ADSL signs outside on the road that runs parallel with the beach road.

phuket Mike

It appears that a numbers of forum members have broadband internet connection here in los, IP Star, ADSL etc. I was wondering what security measures you are using to protect your systems from external attacks.

The reason I ask is that I recently worked on a site with IP Star that had been totally compromised by external hackers. All machines on the local LAN had a number of viruses as well as various hacking tools installed (ntservice.exe etc). One machine was even being used as an email server by a hacker to send spam.

When I installed a freeware firewall package I found the machine connected directly to the IP Star connection was getting something like 200 intrusion attempts per hour, all from IP addresses based in Thailand.

Obviously I quickly inplemented a number of security measures to stop this and fixed the problems. In the end a hardware firewall/router was installed to protect the system.

At home I have always used Norton Internet Security, it would be interested to know if anyone else has suffered any problems from hackers.

phuket Mike

I don't know a lot about Northern Thailand but I was also in the IT industry back in the UK before I moved to Phuket 18 months ago. According to the Thai government they want to encourage IT companies to set up in Thailand, and have designated certain areas as IT hubs these include Changmai and Phuket.

From what I have seen down here its all talk and no action, although if you set up an IT company you can in theory get your work permit approved faster.

In terms of the job market there a few companies outside of BKK that can afford to pay western IT staff they prefer to rely on Thai's. Having said that there are openings, you just to look and put the word out. If you set yourself up as a one man band IT company and get your work permit (like I have done) its surprising just how much work you can find (sometimes too much).

Certainly down here in Phuket there are a lot of foreign owned business that all require IT services of some kind, whether its just a PC, a website or a whole full blown secure LAN with broadband internet access. Its often difficult and time consuming dealing with local computer companies. They are very good at putting PC's together but when it comes to more complex issues I find they struggle.

So, what I have done is expanded some of my skills to include more advanced web site design and broadband internet security aswell desktop and networking. With these I am now starting to find a lot of suitable jobs, from basic on call support, to setting up web sites, optimizing sites and even installinf webcams. For support services I just charge by the hour (cash) and it seems to work pretty well.

You have skills that they don't and I sure will a little effort you can have a nice easy little earner here and as it gets going employ a Thai pay them well and train them yourself.

I look at this way, you don't compete with them, they have to compete with you.

Good Luck

Mike

Hi, I've been living here in Phuket now for 18 months so I may be able to offer some help.

Karen beach is okay, its one of the bigger beaches although it is rather crowded at the moment and will be until March. The water is fairly clear but a little boring if you plan to do any snorkelling. The area around Karen currently looks like a construction site with a lot of new building going up. Personally I find the town a little on the seedy side especially at night, it seems to have a large concentration of ladyboys that hang on the street corners in the small hours. There are also a number of girlie bars.

Kata just south of Karen is nicer with a lovely beach although the town is quite commercial with a lot of gift shops and restaurant prices are nothing like Patong. I live in a small place called Nai Harn which is south of Kata, more or less extreme southern Phuket. The beach is without doubt one of the best on the island although maybe a little quiet with very few signs of commerce. Also next to it is Ao Sane beach which is a tiny beach that not many people know about. It has a nice little bar/restaurant right on the beach (rare because now building near the beach is illegal) here the snorkelling is excellent, also the winds are the best for windsurfing.

The village of Nai Harn is quiet with some nice cheap bungalows to stay in. The next town to Nai Harn is Rawai this is very Thai orientated with whole beach area covered in Seafood barbecue stalls, also its a good place to get a boat ride to thge other islands.

As already mentioned by someone else Phuket Town is worth a look with some interesting buildings, quaint little streets and some excellent local restaurant and nightlife.

Phuket Fantasea maybe worth a nightout, its a giant showcase of Thai culture in the small town of Kamala north of Patong. Shop around for tickets because prices can vary.

On the subject of costs be wary of Tuk Tuk drivers, they can be pretty bad here in the high season. Don't go anywhere they recommend because you will be paying through the nose. Make sure you let everyone know you are Thai because dual pricing is getting very common here. I recently went to nice little restaurant in Phuket down with the wife(Thai) and we were given different menus (mine English hers Thai not unusual), but the prices one hers were approximately half. So we ordered from hers.

Phuket is quite big and there is a lot to see so I would recommend some form of transport. The roads are good, but the driving standard is low. A lot of people hire motorbikes because they are cheap, that's okay if you feel confident on one. You must always wear a helmet because the police here now are strict. Renting a small car or jeep is probably the best way to see the island, these can be had for around 600-1000 baht per day. I have driven all over the island and south Thailand, and there is a lot to see once away from the tourist areas.

Lastly Patong !! Patong to me is a good night out, the wife and I often head over the hills to the discos of Patong and have a very good time. Its not a place for a lone female to go to, but if your in a group it can be good fun. Prices are not so bad and it can be very lively.

Anyway I hope this helps and have a good trip.

Mike