Peterocket

9 Floor Patong and Le Versace are pretty good!

where is 9th floor patong, ? tower or appartments, hotel what please, Le versace, ? restaurant, quiet, music?

thankyou please add more.

9th Floor is an upscale restaurant at the top of the Sky Inn Condotel in Patong. It's on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pii road (2nd road), sitting back from the road a bit. Don't know if they have live music, though. Check their website: the9thfloor dotcom.

I've never seen live music there

@ Peterocket

Nice try, but what is on their website, and what happens in reality, are two very different things. In any case, they have a long list of flat fares.

If we took a poll of TV members and/or tourists, how many would say they can regularly, and easily, flag down, or phone a taxi, in which the driver automatically turns the meter on and takes you to your nominated destination?

Best to keep this thread about Live Music...think everyone is bored of the taxi conversations.

Unfortunately travelling to Phuket town in the evening and then back to Patong negates the whole experience due to the cost of the taxis.

Of course, the main thing keeping western tourists away are the sun beds and umbrellas on the beach - right?

The difference being that taxis are readily available and beach chairs are not

Please post the phone number for the Government regulated Phuket taxi service in which a METERED taxi arrives, you inform the driver of your destination, he turns the meter on and conveys you to your destination.

Surely, Phuket has such a service, being a "World Class Tourist Destination" and this being 2015 and all.

Why not "park" it in one of the Marinas...seen a few there

Unfortunately travelling to Phuket town in the evening and then back to Patong negates the whole experience due to the cost of the taxis.

Of course, the main thing keeping western tourists away are the sun beds and umbrellas on the beach - right?

The difference being that taxis are readily available and beach chairs are not

"a quieter open area bar with music" - if you are talking about live music, this will be difficult. For some reason, live music in bars on Phuket is not as common as elsewhere in Thailand.

Thai's can't sing western songs, fact.

They import the philipino's for that.

Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. For some reason, not much live music here.

Or if you don't want to travel so far Phuket Town.

Paradise Pools

Not far from Tesco Bangtao:

http://www.paradisepoolsphuket.com/

Koh Yao Yai?

Yao Noi

Here:

https://goo.gl/maps/vhFIe

not available anymore...

Previously I have enjoyed being able to rent some cheap bamboo bungalows around Phukets beaches.

To name a few Koh Rang Yai, Kalim as you come down the hill into Patong and also some on the south end of Koh Yao Yai.

All of them have deteriorated and are now un-rentable.

Does anyone know of any other rustic bamboo beach front bungalows on Phuket? (I'm not referring to concrete bunker style accomodation with aircon)

Rang Yai Bungalows:

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Isn't there a new British Consulate Female Person in Phuket? Might try contacting her and seeing if they can offer help.

There is a new female Australian honorary consul.

Who's a Canadian..whats up with that, anyone know?

Because no Australian fit the criteria supposedly.

It pays nothing, just a small allowance for staff etc and you have to put up with the worst Australia has to offer. There is also the notifying families of deaths. No thanks.

The lady only took it on to boost her lawyer firms business. All these law breaking Australians need legal representation once banged up.

She is married to a Thai lawyer who is very in the know.

Personally, I wouldn't go to them for any help if needed and take my own representation which goes by the name of baht.

Oh! You know Khun Baht too...

<snip>

Makro french sticks aren't too bad.

Really ... you think not too bad ? I consider inedible. An insult to the French. And I have bought more than one time just to be sure. Can say the same about their bread rolls - terrible.

I think I might be getting the Makro ones confused with the Tesco Lotus ones?

Makro french sticks aren't too bad. If not there is Les Diables and The Pantry in Boat Lagoon selling good bread.

There really isn't much you can't get in Tesco, Makro and Villa market combined.

Can anyone here actually use it?

It can create big power in highly tuned cars. It's octane levels are high. Something equivalent to 112 Ron.

The two issues being there are very few highly tuned cars on the island plus they need to have their engines modified to use it.

Can't imagine they sell alot.

Thalang Town is really quiet with rural people.

Near the junction or next from Lotus you will find condos in the 3.500-7.500 Baht price range.

A Gym is also near the junction. You will see the big advertising.

Nightlife nil.

Lotus is ok for coffee/restaurants.

Makro/Lotus in Thalang don't have the farang stuff like in Town.

Only a few clicks to Villa Market in Boat lagoon if there is something obscure you can't find in Makro or Tesco.

Can anyone here actually use it?

You're asking for comparisons from people with experience in both places. I haven't been to Kunming, but can offer some thoughts about Phuket while you're waiting for someone with that experience.

You are comparing a city in China with more than 6 million residents, to the Island province of Phuket which has only a fraction of the population. (I'm presuming you're not specifically talking about the small capital, Phuket City)

And I'm guessing you're asking about lifestyles in the two places and not teaching conditions.

The people posting on this forum generally live on Phuket and, with one or two notable exceptions, do so willingly and like the place. Most of the detractors have never lived in the Province and their venom against the place probably stems from their own shortcomings.

Of course there are some problems here with transport issues, criminal corruption and some opportunistic crime. Expats know how to avoid most of these problems.

And, in keeping with it's high profile tourist destination status, it is also one of the more expensive places in Thailand, particularly if you don't know how to shop and eat like a local. Accommodation can be expensive, particularly for someone on 50,000pm, but does depend on where in the Province you live.

Personally, I would rather pluck out my eyeballs then live in a large Chinese city, but only you can decide what best suits you and your current lifestyle.

Good luck.

Aren't there 6 million Chinese in Phuket?

Probably only 4 million but some people( usually with vested interests) still portray it as a beautiful paradise island.

They must not have left their houses for the last few years me thinks

There aren't even a million Thais in Phuket let alone 4 million Chino-thais

I dont believe this survey either. $146 average room rate means the "normal" tourists rooms were not included as norm tourists pay from 1000-2000 baht a night and that top end for them. Also, I Dont understand the Thai baht depreciation comment of 6%?? If I compare exchange rates last year to today its exactly same. Either way im confused

It's not a survey. C9 Hotelworks manage a number of generally high end properties and these figures will be based upon their experience.

Are you sure?

Is it not based on 750 licensed establishments within Phuket and Market-wide occupancy.

Is that not what the OP was requesting?

@ stevenl

Wow - none of the things you mention address who is actually at fault in the accident.

Even you are suggesting the farang will be deemed to be at fault, due to the things you mention?

Yes, that's about as far as the investigation into the accident will go.

Well, of course the first thing is: in principle he who is at fault will be blamed, but we had passed that stage already in the discussion. The second thing is, that sometimes there are exceptions here: in the rare occasion that the foreigner (not farang, nothing to do with skin colour) is blamed the end result will depend on "tourist or not, own insurance representative on the spot, Thai speaking yes or no, Thai society changing in this respect, guilability of the persons involved to sign something they don't agree to, etc."

All a far, far cry from "Farang always in the wrong, and must pay for everything and everybody".

So, tell me, Somchai with his somtam cart crashes into you - automatically, who do you think the police are going to look at getting payment from, whether rightly, or wrongly, knowing Somchai hasn't got two baht to his name?

Call insurance and let them deal with it. Up to them if they pay out or not.

There seems to be other visitors as well. <snip>

This one is a regular visitor...

DSC00080.JPG DSC00135.JPG

Seems to "park" in the same spot each visit.

<snip> Noted a low flying helicopter today at the east coast.<snip>

Yes. Dämn thing was scaring the monkeys up Khao Toe-Sae.

Yeah Royal Caribbean doing the Singapore-Penang-Patong loop...they should put a Thai embassy onboard...would be packed

The army did stop the car park charges. Not sure if they are back though...

Completely different beach to Surin anyhow.

A quick google revealed this website and story.

10 of the world's most expensives beers.

http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2014/03/10-of-the-worlds-most-expensive-beers/

There's some interesting brews in there. The article is near a year old, and the most expensive beer the was Vieille Bon Secours ale, Belgium – £700 ($1,165), 12-litres.

I'm off to buy some Tactical Nuclear Penguin

Once the world could see it was a peaceful Coup...well that hasn't happened yet.

Current Australian Travel Advice:

• We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Thailand due to the possibility of civil unrest and the threat of terrorist attack, including in Bangkok and Phuket. The security situation remains volatile. You should pay close attention to your personal security at all times and where possible monitor the local media, including social media, for information about possible new safety or security risks.

I have been getting this warning from the NZ embassy for years. It has nothing to do with the coup.

Whether it has or not a large number of people last May - July changed their travel plans to avoid coming to a country with a curfew and pictures of tanks rolling down it's main roads.

@ Peterocket

Europe declining 9.49% and Australia declining 12.67% - this is "the western tourist market" I am referring to in my posts.

Down for Thailand, and most certainly down for Phuket.

If both figures are correct then numbers pre-coup were up and post-coup they must have been down significantly.

The coup was in May 2014 - approximately 9 months ago.

Sure, the coup may have initially effected tourists numbers, but once the world could see it was a peaceful coup, there was no reason for people to stop coming to Thailand, but around 10% of them have.

The TAT can only blame the coup for so long.

@ Peterocket

Europe declining 9.49% and Australia declining 12.67% - this is "the western tourist market" I am referring to in my posts.

Down for Thailand, and most certainly down for Phuket.

If both figures are correct then numbers pre-coup were up and post-coup they must have been down significantly.