barney42bb

Excuse me if i'm wrong but there have been bomb attacks in the south pretty much every other day or so for the past 5 years. Unless I'm mistaken, Surat Thani isn't really a Red area either. Is there any actual evidence linking the Red Shirt protests to the bombings?

Deputy PM Suthep Thuagsuban comes from Suratthani.

Now I see a bright Red.

Come on Red Shirt Buffalo's...Do your worse...Many far-rang hoping you will smash your own countries credibility...Even more.

I will wait until late Monday to change some money up...hopefully your actions will push the baht back to 95 to the ££££.

You have been ripping tourists and ex -pats off too long.

Don't be so ...Far rang cannot own Jack S**T in Thailand.

Not let any swanky salesman tell you otherwise.

Come Thailand.... enjoy,Rent pay and Go always.

Better to invest in a western economy where you have rights Freehold purchase ability..and be protected by law that not only looks after the Indigenous population.

If your friend cannot live in Thailand on $120 k Aussie...he must be doing something seriously wrong.

Do not even contemplate starting a business here,trying to buy land property etc etc.....you WILL get ripped of.

People think you can own stuff here...YOU CAN'T...NEVER FORGET THAT>

Just come here live rent and Invest your money in a safe western style Investment.Just spend to enjoy and keep a bolthole in OZ.

Do that and you will not suffer the demise of any foreigner that's gone that road before you.

Best wishes

Very slow now. I haven't been down Bangla in a couple weeks, but I drive by it often. There are people there, but the crowd is thin. I refuse to get out of my car in Patong anymore because the touts have gotten so desperate and aggressive. Everyone from the massage girl, tuk tuk driver, restauraunt host, and ESPECIALLY the "Indian" (read: paki, bangledeshi, etc) tailors. I know it's not your question, but related I think. One of them started yelling at me when he asked me where I am from. I said "I live here" he went off on me, "I didn't ask where you lived! I asked where your from!!!" really yelling. I wanted to deck him. The questions come at you so fast that if you chose to respond, there is not time to answer one before the next one is posed. I end up just laughing it's so crazy. God I hate Patong. I don't understand why anyone would want to holiday there. It's a million times more enjoyable walking the relatively calm streets of Kata and Karon.

So good to hear the lot are struggling big time...just reward for many of these ripping off tourists...to wit... over priced beer, meals, sunbeds street food and of course check bin scams...should be really fun in High season...when it's just as dead. whoooopeeee

Scams scams and more scams from thes short sighted dishonest people.

Mark your own card with your initilas..and point this out to the greedy scamming idiots...and how much you have spent,with your receipt in hand.

It's fun seeing these people lose face.

Do the same when they forget the 1 or 2 baht change for gasoline at the pumps when filling up.

same as with the frequently wrongly totalled bill.

Chalenge them repeatedly and vote with your feet.

Asmall markup is acceptable...not 10 times the amount.

OK pensioners and children get concessions at home...but not this differential.

I witnessed a coachload of tourists getting back on the bus to a similar tourist attraction...as they were discriminated against.

The irate ticket man tried to agree a cheaper price...but was rebuffed...and rightly so.

Surely then well heeled Thai folk can pay the full whack..or am i missing the point.

Nope...it's another form of Thai greed ...and a policy that will see this countries tourism and fortunes decline.

Thailand may have finally admitted there is a recession...shame they cannot adjust their business practices to attract more custom.

Perhaps Thai Airways can reduce their prices to Bangkok to fill planes rather than cancel flights and orders for the A380 Airbus.

I love it when this topic raises it's head, as it does frequently, because I'm always the the only person in the thread that doesn't have an issue with duel pricing, and everyone gets very feisty. It's obviously something people feel very strongly about. To me it's quite logical. Phuket is in a poor country making a living from tourism and national parks are one of their best natural resources. Why wouldn't they try to make a few quid from them. You need to look at it the other way round. You're not being charged more than Thai people. Thai people are being charged less, because they, on the whole, are poor people. The prices are fairly proportioned with the two different incomes. Nobody has a problem when kids and old people are charged less for the very same reason. Once you have stopped worrying about other people, you need to ask yourself is this good value for money. As far as I'm concerned a couple of quid to spend a day in beautiful national park is fantastic value for money. If your argument is that you live and work here, then maybe you have a point, but on the other hand, nobody asked you to leave your country and come and live in a country where the economy is much worse. As far as Thai people are concerned you are still a Farang who has the ability to be very wealthy by Thai standards, so why should you pay less than any other Farang.

So that would basically mean that if this was the other way round and we employed the same tactics in the UK unless you are arian and can speak perfect english you have to pay double for any service you use. I can imagine how well that would go down.

When they complain we could then say...well nobody asked you to come here, go back to your own country!

How much does it cost?

....it costs 400 baht airport to Pa tong...includes 50 baht excess to the cab stand,

DO NOT USE FREELANCE CABS OR PODIUM STANDS AROUND TERMINAL.

walk outside terminal building turn right and head for the YELLOW TAXI METER stand

All the others will rip you off.

Hope this helps

Land purchase through Thai spouse forbidden: Land Dept

PHUKET CITY: The director general of the Land Department has reiterated that foreigners using Thai nominees to buy land anywhere in the country will have their land title deeds revoked if caught – even if the nominee in question is a lawfully wedded spouse.

Land Department Director Anuwat Meteewiboonwut made the comments during a recent stop in Phuket as part of a nationwide inspection tour of 30 provinces.

The tour is aimed at improving public services by land officials in three areas: dress, conduct when dealing with the public and working harder to eliminate a backlog of work.

Many members of the public have complained that it takes up to a year to complete a transaction that should only take one day, he said.

Mr Anuwat, a former governor of both Phang Nga and Samut Prakan provinces, said he was satisfied on the first two points, but rated the general level of success among land officials nationwide at speeding up their work rate at "only 30%".

The next round of inspection tours will come in July, after which time personnel changes will be considered if service does not improve, he said.

"We have to keep pressure on them, otherwise the work will not get done," he said.

As for foreigners seeking to buy homes in Phuket, they can do so through the Condominium Act, which allows foreign ownership of up to 49% of any project, he said.

Foreigners cannot use a Thai spouse as a nominee to buy property in Thailand, however.

"If the Thai spouse has enough money to buy the house that is fine, but if the Thai has no money and uses money given to him or her by a foreigner to acquire property, that is against the law. If we check and find out later that a Thai person has been using money from a foreigner to buy land anywhere in Thailand, we will revoke title deeds," he said.

Mr Anuwat said the provisions of [Ministry of Interior] ministerial order 43 makes it difficult to issue land documents quickly, as it requires action from a number of different agencies. Desire for land on the island has also led to encroachment problems here, he said.

As a key market for property companies, Phuket is a constant source of problems and complaints to the director general's office, he admitted.

"We will try to resolve these problems and develop our personnel continuously in order to provide high quality services. Fortunately the governor of Phuket used to work in the Land Department, so he understands the procedures and can help co-ordinate all the agencies involved," he said.

Mr Anuwat was speaking of Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop, who served as Land Office director in Nakhon Pathom in 1997 and as deputy director of the Land Department nationwide in 2003.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-05-27

Simple solution to all this.

Go Thailand...enjoy, have holiday and fun.

Rent your abode...do not try to buy.

Do not marry a Thai woman...it's a big sweet shop out there.

and remember 3 things...

Thailand is a Nationalist country for Thai people...far rang are just tolerated with no rights....YOU CANNOT OWN JACK S**T IN THAILAND

Adhere to the above...and you should stay safe... enjoy...and not be out of pocket.

Am so glad Phuket is hurting...despite my love of the place having been a frequent visitor for the past 10 years.

Bar prices across the board rediculous.... as with the club night spots.???

Why is street food 300 - 400% more expensive than Issan... where many of the folk come from to work.???

Why do the Thais adopt to policy of increase prices when a recession is on...rather than "do a deal" and compete.???

Why are Thai Airways cancelling flights to lucrative long haul destnations like London???

Why stupid 200 baht prices for beach chairs ???

Why overpriced and numerous noisy jetski polluting beaches and irritating folk???

Over pricing on beachside restaurants with the obligatory mistake on the Bill BY THE STAFF

Why are folk choosing other far east destinations to enjoy similar food climate and fun???

Why is building going on in Spanish type proportions in holiday spots.???

PERHAPS IT'S BECAUSE THE DAFT THAI'S ARE CONSUMED WITH GREED LIKE UK MP's

Enough said....Phuket R.I.P....UNLESS YOU GO BACK TO YOUR CORE VALUES

Hi,

I'm will be flying to phuket next month and would be glad if someone could help me out on some matters.

How much does it cost for transportation from airport to my hotel in Patong??

Between my stay in Phuket, I'm planning to stay at Bor Saen, Phang-nga Bay, how do i reach there? & how much is the cost??

Thank you very much

get taxi meter turn right out of main terminal doors its on the corner...400 baht includes 50 baht levy...IGNORE THE SCAMMING LOCALS WITH THEIR OFFERS OF LIMO ETC.

This is a huge "lose face" to Thailand...but it seems Son kran is going on as usual....with alcohol,that was said to be banned for the festival.

Looking at the army in patayya allowing the Blues n Reds to run amok...well they made our young English new recruit coppers look positively ancient.

Why is the PM so Impotent to act and disperse these thugs.

The Police and Army just stand by and look on bemused by events...may as well not be there!!!

Imagine if our security services had allowed the recent G.20 Summit to be abandoned because of 200 thugs wanting to impose there will on matters.

GET A GRIP THAILAND..I THOUGHT THE UK WAS BAD...AND WHILE YOUR AT IT...DEVALUE THE BAHT TO SAY 60-65 BAHT...YOU MAY WELL SEE TOURISM COME BACK...OTHERWISE YOUR DOOMED.

Hi I am having a debate with my collegue..

I know the airport no longer has the tax booth.

However I think that ALL the airlines add the airport tax for flights outta Phuket but my colleague says that SOME airlines don't add it and you must pay it at the counter when you check in.

Does anyone know FOR SURE ?

Thanks in advance.

It has been scrapped across the board for some time now..over a year at least.the airlines pay a levy to the government so you not have to worry.

Plenty of parking space in Utah...especially the Salt Lake Area,...Oh and no speed limit also... to test your car out.

Face it folks....Many Thai's are doing there best to <deleted> all the farrang off from Phuket...and many other places ...It was great there for many years... but has long since had its glory days...2005 i think was the sell by date.

Plenty of more Thai money making scams to come....in order to fleece folk ....and ultimately make it un undesireable place to dwell or visit.

Just remember Farrang have No Rights in Thailand....and you can't own Jack S**t there either.

Enjoy

Does anyone know any decent stockists,with a decent range of beer condoms?

Have tried a few places along nanai/sai nam yen,but nowhere seems to stock a selection.

Thanks in advance.

PST.

Carrefore Pa tong has them as do some stalls in open market outside jungceylon on 3rd road

Also super cheap warehouse has them near Phuket Town

Went to LA, got my Non Im B visa, went to Phuket Immigration and they told me that I have to do a visa run across the border.

I bought this visa to avoid this process, and now I curious if I am being lied to or what?

I went to the Chalong Immigration and this is where I learned this.

When I arrived in December, I got a 3 month stamp, now, I have to go to KL and back to get another one?

The visa company said all I had to do was check in.

~a~

you have not been lied to...you must exit every 90 days and you get another visa stamp for 90.on this B visa class.

also you do not have to go as far as KL...you can do a 1500 all in visa run to Ranong via Bangkok legal services.

Before the hall monitor crowd kick in with the backseat modding, I have been posting here for years and I did search and I couldn't find current info on this topic - though it's possible nothing's changed from the old info. Thus, my post.

What's the latest deal on getting from the airport to Patong? I've lived and worked in Bangkok for several years and speak enough Thai to get around okay, but I haven't been to Phuket yet, so I remain unprepared for whatever localized version of the airport scam is en vogue at the moment. From what I've read via posts from the last couple of years it sounds like there are airport taxi/limo services that charge a lot of money, vans that charge less and metered taxis that charge a lot. It's really difficult to tell because in one thread some moron starts referring to airport limo taxis as metered and then the whole discussion derails (with him refusing to admit that metered taxis have to have and use meters to be metered, oi). Apparently, one of the options tries the old tour shop scam and forces you to stop at their favorite tour operator's shop to go through the "WHERE YOU STAY?" routine and another of the options will take you to other hotels that pay them a commission and actually won't take you to your hotel (whatever it may be) - if I'm reading all this right. It all sounds like a giant cluster%#@$ and I feel genuinely sorry for you guys who have to deal with this kind of thing living there (though the view there sure looks nice!).

Is my best bet here just to book a hotel and take their airport transfer service and be done with it? Or can I reasonably expect to make it into town without an hour of frustrating sales pitches and paying through the nose to an angry taxi mafioso? Heh. I know it's not going to be as cheap and orderly as Bangkok in the taxi department, but I would like to avoid being completely scammed and annoyed to death after a day of taxis, airports and airlines.

All advice is appreciated, sincerely!

Go outside airport and avoid all the annoying car touts tuk tuk's etc.

Turn right and go to the Taxi meter stand.

Cost 400 baht to Pa tong includes 50 baht booking levy.

You can get his card or go to to tourist office and pre book return car...should be no more than 550 600 baht,includes tip.

Bangkok airport also has taxi meter outside similar system but they run on the meter...never go with Limousines unless you can haggle a decent price...there all greedy scammers.

It appears the AXN channel has disappeared from the cable TV band. At least my TV set can't find it when I tried to re-tune.

Does anyone have any any information on this (I live in Chalong if that makes a difference)?

I'm gutted, that was my favourite... missing out on CSI!

you can buy whole series Box Sets from all reputable Nepalese snide distribution outlets...works out under 50 baht a disc ..very good copies.

Sounds like something the UK Parliament does..only its a Special Select Committee.

Hmmmm...... will take more than 15 years to sort Phukets irreversible problems.. to wit

Corruption..Scams..over development...over pricing...irritating polluting jet ski beaches beset Phuket over the years...and been overcome.

How exactly does one replace natural beauty to the acres of cut land,making way for for characterless condos hotels etc.

Many catastrophes have beset Phuket over the years...and been overcome. ...but the greed and fast approaching credit crunch effects will kill off this once lovely Island.So sad.

PHUKET...R.I.P.

try Home-Pro or Index Malls...if they not have they will surely point you in right direction.

Hi, how much is the visa run to burma....Ive saw 1800baht advertised, but some website said 1000baht so wasnt sure if could get for 1000 or not?

Or has anyone drove by motorbike? How much is stamp, boat etc?

Thanks

You cannot get it for a 1000.....1500 all in is the cheapest...and best service daily runs in nice mini-bus

Bangkok legal services

Call 08 10803414

Everytime i try to call my Thai friend's mobile phone from any of local public phone, it seems to be having a lot of problems.

if his phone is +66 8972XXXXX

how should i press the number?

I tried 08972xxxxx but it doesn't work...

come to the end, i need to use my mobile which is roaming from overseas, it costs a lot...

Are you in Thailand??

If so

Buy a 1 ..2 CALL Sim card 100 Baht starter pack....you can later purchase 50 100 150 300 and 500 baht top up cards most outlets 7-11 family mart etc.

If you are using a public phone outside of Thailand YOU DIAL..

00 66 8 xxxxxxx

I'm popping over to Phuket for a few days which could run into a week or so and I need somewhere to stay. I haven't been for a few years and my experiences outside the 4* and 5* places are very limited.

Taxi touts really upset my day so somewhere where I don't have to deal with their mafia practices is ideal. Looking for a few options from cheap and cheerful to something decent. The decision will be a value for money judgement not an absolute price decision.

So please post up your recommendations. Thanks.

Yes your right...Touts are a real pain...so...

Exit airport front doors look right and follow your nose to the TAXI METER STAND a few yards down.

The system is the same as Bangkok airport.Its Fixed price to get to the main Resort Pa Tong = 400 Baht INCL 50 Baht surcharge.

I do not know what the charges are beyond that...but they are legal and far cheaper than the touts and Tuk Tuk style guys that hang around.

I would suggest you stay along Nanai Road Which is dead central and you can dispense with hiring a bike if you do not venture too far.

I do hire a bike and i stay on the mountain...Guest House at a very good all inclusive monthly rate with WI/fi Internet in my room

15000 per month high season 12500 low season. Divide by 30 to give you the pro-rata rate per day in any event.

I would suggest You use apartment rooms at 69 Nanai Road...BANPAILIN.

A friend of mine has been using one for 3 months...very clen well furnished maid service air co en suite 10k per month + electric.You can also purchase wi/fi vouchers at various rates.

email [email protected]

tel 0 7634 3007

0 7629 6448

Remember whatever you decide...you can haggle on prices here as the credit crunch is starting to kick in here as well as the rest of Thailand.

I hope this helps with your plans...feel free to email a reply if you believe i can assist further.I have been staying here on various trips the past 10 years...so my knowledge is better than most.

Hi Folks

Where can I find good quality p*rn DVD's in Phuket?

Thanks in advance

Rather than disclose on here..you only have to say DVD on any of the markets where the Nepalese Indians operate stalls.They all have back rooms as show rooms...where you can view at your ease their copies.

Personally i do not purchase...but have done with many of the snide films James Bond etc etc...they are very good copies 100 baht a throw unless you buy a sackload..then a deal can be done.

Should they be a be bad copies...they gladly refund/exchange.

Hi

looking to head over to Phuket Town for a night out in the next week or so. Would be good to hear from any of you with some good recommendations?

Looking really for the best clubs with live bands and the best for dance and R&B music?

Cheers

There is a good bar called "walk in" bar Phuket Town Live bands.

Also for a dance there is a good bar in Merlin hotel.

I think you will struggle to find R n B Out here....Thailand is light years away from being in touch with western music.

In either event you will be best to be accompanied by a Thai...reasons are obvious i feel