banjanti

It's a huge rip off made by Thai banks, not by specific shops. There are ridiculous exchange rates made on cards transactions.

It happens to me when I paid for my wife new boobies The bill was for 115k bhat! On their exchange rate I loose around 300 EUR! I noticed the difference and insisted on cancelling the transaction. On you invoice there is an information that you can pay with local currency if you don't agree with fx. Unfortunately Thais don't leave you this option BEFORE making the transaction...so it's a little time consuming, but it's your RIGHT not to agree with it and proceed with the payment in bhat with the same card.

you can get a taxi for 400-500bt from donsak to the airport which is what i done before. thats the only other option

Do they have any fixed rate or I have to haggle to get this price?

Thx!

I've called them and they have only connection through Surat Thani town, so I have to change buses. My flight is at 15:40 and they said 9:30 departure! But it's only 1,5h ferry + 1-1,5 minibus ride! 11 would be more than enough. It's not a good option in my opinion, any other clues?

Hi!

I've tried to look everywhere in the internet, called several agencies and still have no clue how can I buy the combo ticket for ferry+minibus to Surat Thani airport from Samui...

They always try to sell me a "package" with transportation to Nathon for 500-600 thb pp

I have a friend who will drop me there so I don't need it, the ferry itself cost 130 so the price is outrageous.

Can you tell me how can I book combo ticket, or is it easy to get a minibus directly to ST Airport from Don Sak pier?

Thanks a lot!

Regards,

Banjanti

And speaking about the rip-off I would like to give you an example - a gym (the main reason I came here, I needed a place with a decent gym, quite impossible in town with a few farangs...), in Phuket Town - Fit Club - 1800/month+joining fee, aircon NOT working as 90% clients are Thais, I believe this is "winter time" and they just don't need it, other one 1500/month - no aircon at all...Patong - TaiLife 3200 thb/month - that's a <removed> joke, is more than in London....Patong Gym - aricon from 14.00, ended up in FitClub "aircon on both floors" as advertised, but working only on 1sth, "cheap" for Phuket standards 900thb - 20 EUR, I would get something much better in Europe for this price anyway...So for quality and prices just one big joke. There are 4 or more very nice gyms in Pattaya, all of them cheaper...

Great post!!! I have exactly same feelings, I don't know "old Phuket" at all, I just visited for a few days 2 years ago, now I'm in the middle of the way to Australia and decided to stay for a month. That was a mistake, you're right I'm one of those who would say "never more". The trafic is just insaine, I never thought that I will miss driving in Dublin, well...here it's much worse! I spend a month in Hua-hin, not comparable...

Overdevelopment - hel_l yes, well I knew from the beggining that Phuket is crowded and overdeveloped, but I never expected that it will be one big island-city! Buildings EVERYWHERE from south to north.

Phuket could be nice if you stay in one of those 10k bhat/day resorts with a private beach, the water is truely fantastic, but going anywhere outsite is just a horror.

And for famous sex-tourism - Pattaya is still much better! I didn't see any girls on the poles installed on Bangla (plenty of them 2 years ago), is local goverment playing "we Thais are not like this" old game again?

Paradise Island? A big joke, Tioman in Malysia is paradise island - only the reef, pristine beaches and jungle...not even a single road, and it's DUTY FREE!

If someone needs girls - Pattaya makes a lot more sense.

I daresay...there is little you could say that would destroy our "peace of mind." We know all the facts, we are intelligent, many of us are successful, and yet we choose to live here, rather than in some South American expat ghetto with wired fences and broken glass walls. What does that tell you?

I wasn't referring to you...but if you insist...

I know that it's a Thai thing to take everything they see in TV as reality, but you are supposed to be "intelligent and successful", so COME ON

Get your arse in a plane a travel a bit...I saw expats living in towns and rural areas in Ecuador and especially Panama (check out Boquete - biggest expat city there - show me wired fences and broken glass walls there - I DARE YOU ) and CR having their own piece of land and a house, not even a small fence!

I understand the reasons of most old men living a second youth here and I don't deny it, but please get real when talking about the world...

Buying a property in a country you have dubious right to be in is just stupid from an economic point, you are a guest - rent it, it can be a very painfull lesson for someone to find out that they are NOT residents. And that is the only thing I wanted to claim.

Every place has some advantages and disadvantages, for me as a young married male, Thailand is one of the last countries I wanted to live, but as I said I understand reasons of older, thai-married people.

I'm just saying that there are other places that give you much more and require much less, and yes people are nice as well, they smile as well and the language is definitely easier to learn.

Sorry for destroying your peace of mind, but you're totally wrong ;-) It is a fact for most Asian countries, but in South and Central America it's totally opposite, in some (Panama, Ecuador, Bolivia - maybe more) the only thing you need is to buy a property (yes you can BUY the land and house, no questions asked ;-) and you gain a residency status AUTOMATICALLY! In Brazil you have to invest 50k$, 50k/200k in Costa Rica (special sector like tourism/other activities) in Mexico 200$ real business, and YES - you can own your business - 100% shares ;-) 2-3 years and you can apply for citizenship. Simple as that ;-)

Even in Oz or Canada when you get through immigration process (a big pain in the arse) you are a resident with full rights.

Non risk-taking people looking for iron-clad guarantees in life should pick another place to live.

"Iron-clad"?! A right to having your own home and not being afraid that one day you will have to leave is a BASIC law in my opinion.

In South/Central America they can still scam you, kick your ass, play loud music that doesn't allow you to sleep etc. but at least they can not kick you out of your country (as it is YOUR country, you are a resident there, not a guest) and property. There is nothing "iron-clad" about it...it is just being sane.

I own my car, my condo up North, a house (not the land) in the center of Thailand, my furniture, my bank account and my life, enough?

But thanks for the parking tip about Utah, I'll bear that in mind the next time I want to fly up to Bangkok!

As long as the immigration will decide that they don't need you anymore and will not extend your visa. Simple enough? You are not a citizen or even a resident here, you are a farang guest, you will stay here as long as THEY want you to stay. You can still own your car, home, condo, furniture and bank account, just you won't be able to use them as you will have no right to be here.

Enjoy!

Confirmed, road unblocked, passed without problems at around 19:30.

Anyway I had to drive after a VIP double decker bus on those tiny hill roads, making the journey at 10-20kmh average

Blocked or unblcoked it's still a shitty road

Florin: if you can grow cannabis you can for sure grow tomatoes, just why?! Such a waste of energy!

I have some experience, but definitely not in veggies, so I don't know if I can be any help

Banjanti. Dont even go there! To infer what you might be inferring would be against the law of this land, and also the forum rules.

I'm also reasonably interested in hydroponics for growing my own produce. I miss salads. Sharp, crisp and fresh salads. Not the limp stuff you can buy on the markets here.

I wonder what the set up and running costs are to set all this up for the household producer. Anyone know?

It was just a little joke ;-) I'm fully aware of a fascist law of this country ;-) The cost of electricity wouldn't make it reasonable, it works out for weed, for veggies even Villa would be cheaper and easier ;-) 600W bulb for sqm would be minimum and you have to use it for 16h/day for growth period, don't know about flowering (12h for devil plant )

Florin: if you can grow cannabis you can for sure grow tomatoes, just why?! Such a waste of energy!

I have some experience, but definitely not in veggies, so I don't know if I can be any help

Forgive my ignorance, but can you please tell me what is all the excitement about Villa anyway?

I have visited them in Hua Hin (maybe a different experience thank bkk, don't know) and find them ridiculously expensive with nothing special on offer. Veggies more expensive then in Europe, give me a break, do I really need imported American potato for 150-200thb/kg?! (price of a chicken breast in lotus) And what about a THAI beef steak for 800/kg? Wines? Under a 800-1000/bottle nothing acceptable, Wine Connection and one other shop in Hua Hin had MUCH better prices and choice (3l casks of nice white for 600-800, yeah! , 400 for a decent bottle).

Now I'm in Phuket and just bought a 2kg tenderloin from Choice Foods, they go mainly wholesale, but as I LOVE beef I don't mind buying more...Whole piece goes for 1600, so 800/kg - same as Villa, BUT it's imported AUSTRALIAN and FRESH, NOT FROZEN! Just made steaks today and the rest is being marinated for a fine goulash I couldn't resist and ate some today, really soft real Australian beef, not as tasty as it will be in 2 days, but still so good! (so fresh it has to rest for some time to get to perfect, you know what I mean ) For the same price as Villa selling Thai beef bull-SHIT ...

So please explain - what is so special in this store? Not veggies, not wine, not meat...so what? Maybe I'm not an anglo-saxon and British cousin really doesn't make any impression on me (most of all is unedible for me to be honest), what are the things that make you pay for them more than in your home country?

Still bullshiet, payed normaly for my TV this week ;-)

And Thai Airways remains most expensive arline :-P

Thx ham ;-)

Well, is it expensive depends on what you mean by 'new' - is it a normal type 2-3 liter engine 4wd toyota, or old type 1.3. For the old type it's a bit too much, as you can get a pickup truck (like Toyota Hilux Tiger) on the mainland if you shop around well for that price.

Thx for ref boys and girls!

Hi folks,

Do you know how much I can expect to pay to rent a jeep for a month in Phangan?

I only found a day price of 1000thb...that's the price of a new and nice car in other parts of Thailand...AFAIK the old jeeps go for as low as 10-13k/month in expensive locations like Phuket...

How much can it be in Phangan?

Thx for advice

I don't need a Hilux or any pickup this time, I just took it as the price was right and it was fun driving something like this for the first time!

I will send an e-mail and ask for a monthly price, will see how it goes

Hi folks!

Do you know anything about the general prices of car rental in Phuket? I mean if they are on the same national level as other less touristy places.

I got a Toyota Hilux Tiger recently in Hua-hin for 18000/month and if I shopped around for longer I would get it for 15000 with no problem.

All the websites in Phuket quote around 25000/month for this type of car (or maybe I just can't find the right one ), so I'm just wondering if it's more expensive because it's in Phuket or because it's in the internet?

Is the price 15-18k for a car this type possible in Phuket, or I'd better rent it in BKK and drive? (I'm landing in BKK anyway...)

I'm looking for a car for a month or two....

Any advice will be appreciated