Valentine

There is an English speaking Rotary which meets every week in Patong, the International Business Association of Phuket (IBAP) which meets once a month is beneficial in terms of networking, both business & social, plus information on living &/or doing business here. Plenty of wives of all ages can be found at the Phuket International Womens Club plus there is another farang ladies club but the name escapes me just now. All of these clubs & others do very commendable community service & charitable works. There are also numerous golf & sailing clubs to meet & mingle. Also plenty of nice bakery, cofee shops, restaurants to meet like minded people.

A couple I know, in your age group, who own a home here but only visit once a month or so, organised there own social group by having some small parties where more people got to know each other.

I'd like some comments please......

I happen to know the cost of the stripping old tiles, channelling, high quality retiling, grating, and replacement of all machinery/filtration/piping/tanking of a (newly) overflow saltwater pool about 17m x 8m and 1.25m deep was 550,000bt recently.

It seems to me the only thing left is the foundation and concrete structure.

I read that concrete is only about 300bt/m3. Is that so it seems very cheap? Does it need ot be a special grade? Additives? Otherwise it seems that the concrete would be a very low cost a few tens of thousands. This would mean for the total a very generously sized pool like this would come way within a million baht wouldn't it?

In that case would someone like to roughly lay out the steps and costs in the basic foundation/concrete/steel structure please?

cheers John

In Phuket ST-240 waterproof concrete costs a little under Baht 2,000/m3 which is what should be used for pools. There is also a marine grade concrete which supposedly should be used when building a pool in close proximity to the beach.

After digging the hole & laying down 12mm 'D' bar steel, sometime two layers, install the waterstop before pouring concrete for the floor at a thickness of 20cm. Waterstop comes in a couple of different forms with the most common being rubber waterstop at 6" or 8". After that form up the walls & pour again. When the concrete has sufficiently cured render the structure before applying a waterproof membrane after which the tiles can be layed. Ensure a vibrator is used while poring concrete.

Depending on location of the pool, in original land, groundwater level, slope, there can be some variations in the structure such as the use of extra footings, beams, piles.

Many developers & homeowners make the mistake of using their house builder to do the pool & occasionally come unstuck as many builders do not take into consideration all the waterproofing features need during a pool construction. The end result can be lifting of tiles or ugly white calcification coming through the grouting which is impossible to stop & usually means stripping the pool back to the bare concrete. An expensive process which negates by a huge degree any savings made using the house builder. I have seen this on quite a few hign end projects which have used the hand made silver/black tiles which cost around Baht 2,000/m2.

(If you're reading this Bags), when are you back over? Last year you were saying June - evidently not now the case - but then you said later in the year. Have you got an approximate date in mind?

See post #465.

My next travel is dependent on some family matters so a bit up in the air. My TGF is here in Perth for the next few months (6m visa) so June was out.

Are you there permanently now Ping, or still in the process?

Wow! Just noticed Sir Burr fell through the thin ice he has been treading. Didn't always get on with him, but appreciated his humour at times.

Has Sir Burr been banned? I notice he has not been posting although I saw him on his motorbike yesterday.

As HB said if you are flying Thai all the way, no problem but if you are transferring to another airline I am not so sure although if it is a Star Alliance airline from BKK it should be OK.

I just received this dodgy email, the first time I have seen something like this which looks really dodgy & needless to say I did not click reply. Anyone else with experience of this?

YOU are seeing a truncated message.

You ARE seeing a truncated message.

By CLICKING your reply button now

YOUR full message will reach you only if

you REPLY to this email

LINK to the full message will reach you.

NEXT Send a reply to this message to receive full text of truncated message.

spell check test:

PRESSURE ON MAO'S SON TO MEET THE PM AND REPLY HIS LINK TO TIBET NOW.

My feeling is that everything about this flu should be made public so that people can make informed decisions about their health although it may cause some to panic.

Do you not feel your unconfirmed "rumour" adds to the hysteria (panic)?

I would prefer the thread title be changed, I think "Unconfirmed Flu Death Phuket?" would be more suitable.

Perhaps I should be more clear. The rumour mill is already in full swing so no matter what the authorities like to tell us now it will not make any difference to what people believe. I was trying to advocate full disclosure but it seems in this country that when the truth is preceived to be harmful to certain business interests then all sorts of half truths, denials & cover ups occur. Where the rumour mill can be advantageous is that it makes people more aware of the situation & so possibly take preventive measure to protect themselves & family although in the case of flu 2009 there may be no getting away from exposure.

Judging from this article http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianp...DkFZBk3vhcK4Tew there still seems to be no consensus on who is most at risk & the worrying aspect of this outbreak is that those who die seem to die fairly quickly after being dignosed. Being overweight I could be in the risky category as could my daughter who is not overweight but who can suffer from exercise induced bronchspasm. My father has emphysema so I worry he must be in a high risk category. Earlier I thought it better to catch it early while it is at a mild stage so as to have some immunity if it progresses to a more virulant form but now I am not so sure.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Security Act will have little impact on Phuket: Governor

Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop. File photo.

PHUKET CITY: Invocation of the controversial Internal Security Act during the 42nd Asean Foreign Ministers' Meetings to be held in Phuket in July will have little impact on local residents or tourists, the Phuket governor has announced....

Dear Bangkok people who pick the governors for Phuket.

Can we please have someone who actually looks like he's going to do something useful for Phuket, rather than the old blokes who are obviously filling in their last few years before retirement?

Yours sincerely,

Someone who wants Phuket to get itself sorted.

The previous one who only lasted a few months seemed to be a pro active type but I assume he was moved because he was appointed by the Somchai government. Most governors when they come here make all the right noises & then go on to achieve absolutely nothing. I really don't know their exact powers other than ceremonial & reporting back to central government. I am sure he has no power or say over security issues.

It seems like economics has prevailed over security at Tesco & Big C with no officers present at the entries, not that they were much use anyway but just having a presence helps. Sooner or later there will be an incident after which the gate will be locked but the horse long gone.

With due respect to the local culture I suspect this will make the suffering of some businesses even worse. Most tourists are not buddhist nor are they interested in local elections. Locals who need a drink will always find a way but tourists will not find it so easy. It does highlight a problem in our society where people think they need to drink alcohol in order to have fun, something I subscribed to for many years.

Yesterday my kids reported about 50% of their class did not attend school. There are many possible reasons for this. Some kids are actually sick, panic or hysteria on the part of the parents &/or children, fear of the unkown as a previous poster said & this could lead to tragic consequences if people are afraid to know their true condition. I recently heard about a child dying from dengue in a poor settlement in Chalong as the people were ignorant or fearful. The reported numbers in Thailand are most likely grossly understated given that many will not go to the doctor & some will die outside the system or the cause will be put down to something else.

My nephew reported a death supposedly due to flu 2009 at his technical college. Rumour or truth, who knows, but the fact the rumours are in full swing will make it very hard to find the truth considering the cover ups which the authorities here are fond of, such as the deaths on Phi Phi & countless others.

It is supposedly a mild flu but there is still much misinformation out there & not enough hard evidence to show who is most at risk. In the early days it was stated that those with healthy immune systems were more at risk, now you need a healthy immune system to fight it off which is the case for most illnesses. There are all sorts of excuses about the deaths in Thailand with the latest being the victim was too fat, well what the f..k, so am I, but not about to quarantine myself.

Lack of reliable knowledge, not reporting the truth, over reaction, under reaction, all will ensure this flu will become much more of a problem than it really is. It is commendable that BIS informed the parents, everyone else should follow suit backed up by reports of recovery.

Good news regarding chops with the rind on. I got a call yesterday and picked up 6 of them in the evening. Actually, they weren't chops, they were slices of loin - i.e. no bone. Ah well, better than nothing. The fat beneath the skin was surprisingly thick - about 1/3 the width of the meat.

So I cooked them in the oven and managed to get the fat to go crunchy and the skin to turn into crackling. Not perfect, but hopefully the next ones will be better...

Looks like it was worth the wait & good to know they are responsive to their customers even if it takes a bit of perseverance. I noticed they have vegemite in stock but I am still using the large jar I have from NZ but have yet to see the fabled Dr Peppers which I recall from many years ago as being really nice.

Sorry about the crumpets but they are pretty good. Two were still warm & crispy when I got home so I immediately put lashings of butter & blueberry jam which replaced my evening meal. When I was young I used to eat crumpets with butter & golden syrup.

My GF just returned home with some breakfast which she bought nearby Kajonkiat school which she said was closed for a big clean up. The rumour mill amongst the street vendors was that one child had died from flu. Consider it may be just rumour &/or the school has closed early for the holidays next week but .....

My twin daughthers go to school in Phuket Town & yesterday when I picked them up they were chatting about how they did not have to do any school work as many of the students in their class were sick. They also claimed that influemza 2009 has been confirmed at their school but it was being kept quiet.

I think we all realise this flu cannot be contained (I just heard on the BBC the UK has already stated this) with 5 confirmed deaths in Thailand which are probably in line with deaths from normal seasonal flu. However there are other possibilities such as others having died outside the reporting system (an example of this are road accident statistics which do not seem to include those from private hospitals), there is some type of cover up (Thai authorities did not handle the avian flu at all well when it first appeared & the PM stating vaccines will be available in a couple of months when to date none have been developed), being a totally new flu strain could mean there is quite a knowledge gap.

My feeling is that everything about this flu should be made public so that people can make informed decisions about their health although it may cause some to panic.

This card had some fantatsic reviews but now seems to be unavailable in Phuket with some vendors pushing to sell the 4850 although one admitted that for the price the 4700 was better value. Is the 4700 still for sale elsewhere? Will I have to wait for the possible release of the new 4770 or 4750 or are there any suggestions for an alternate card?

After waiting for four weeks for crumpets to reappear, I bought the last bag today (yipee!).

Does this mean another four week wait?

Try The Bakery - just north of Tesco Park, Chalong. He seems to be making them once per week on Wednesdays, but as my freezer is full of them, I haven't been there for a few days. I have a standing order for 8 every Wednesday, so I'll be there tomorrow to see if he's made some this week.

As I have never seen crumpets in Villa I tried The Bakery yesterday & picked up 7 of them. I hope they were not part of your order as the girl told me they can only make one at a time & only on Wednesdays. Have you tried any of their breads?

I too am confused. Has he been charged with dealing in drugs or not? If not then surely there is some kind of libel issue here.

I got my medical certificate at Mission Hospital for Baht 120 but I was not required to show it nor was I asked for an address confirmation from immigration. All they did was ask if I was still at the same address shown on my WP. There is a medical facility near Robinsons which would probably be relatively cheap if you really need a certificate as few years ago I got one there for Baht 50.

Here is my experience of renewing my 5 year licence, last Friday in Phuket, 26th June & the expiry date was 17th June.

I arrived about 10.30am & approached the information counter on the left as you come in the door. She muttered something about joining a group of expats who were watching a video which started about 30 minutes before but I was focused on ensuring I had the right paper work considering I left copies of passport & WP at home but I had the originals with me. She pointed to a photocopy machine & had the relevant copies made, 1st page & visa page in passport, 1st 3 pages plus page with relevant stamp in WP. I was then told to go upsatirs for an eye test.

The eye test proved to be a bit more. There were 4 tests in all. A reaction test on braking, a depth of perception test, check for colour blindness, a peripheral vision test (this involved placing your nose on a bridge so your eyes are in the correct position but surely has to be a brilliant way to spread influenza 2009 considering the number of noses which must have gone before).

It was now just before 12 noon & I was informed I had to come back at 2pm to watch the video which turned out to be 50 minutes long & I had to watch it by myself in a non air conditioned room. Had I been on the ball, as my GF took great pleasure in telling me (because I would not listen to her earlier), I could have watched it in the morning in air conditioned comfort & only would have had to see the last 20 minutes.

After the video presentation I went to counter 1 & was given a number which was called about 20 minutes later & I paid Baht 505. I then had to go into another room & given another number. It was called fairly quickly & had to pay Baht 100 for a photo. After a further 5 minutes I was presented with my new licence which expires on 17th June 2005, nearly 6 years.

I had doctor's certificate with me but it was not required. The new licence is solid plastic & looks quite different to my previous one.

1. I would attend, not sure about GF & kids.

2. Chalong

3. Any of the locations mentioned except Patong. Obscure Kathu, Sports club & Don's would be more suited to a BBQ, less formal & more cost effective.

4. Most Saturdays are OK with me considering my non existant social life & if Friday the 2nd Friday of the month is out as I attend the IBAP meeting.

I've posted before here, but in the Alice Bar murder, Alice and two young Thai men were charged with the murder.

I don't know what happened to the men, but Alice was soon seen walking the streets again......and the Police now owned the Alice Bar (where Scruffy Murphy's is now.) TIT.

The price of freedom???

Phuket Brewery is a good central location with both indoor & outdoor areas. At our IBAP meeting there last month the management were most helpful & all attendees gave the venue good marks.

Last week I attended a birthday party at an obscure bar in Kathu which has a swimming pool & BBQ. Opposite the old go cart track you turn off the main road & head to the new go cart track, then turn left on to a small section of dirt track which then leads on to a new concrete road where the bar can be found about 100m on the left. I am sure this would be a cheaper alternative to the brewery. It is open air but mainly under cover so not really a problem for the fickle summer weather but it would not accommodate large numbers.

The concrete road is interesting as it goes for a fair way before coming to another dirt track but it looks like some excavation going on further up at the side of the mountain.

I am in th epool business & I have always wondered why JD Pools, Desjoyeux, have to build their pools with a steep slope into a depression in the middle of the pool. It seems like an unsafe practice for a shorter person, who cannot swim, slipping down the slope & ending up over their head.

The thread may be about the standard of Thai teaching but one can infer from this that other teaching skills are sorely lacking such as encouraging students to think for themselves & actually question what they are taught. The fact is that a large number of schoolchildren have to take extra classes in order to make the grade, whether it be in Thai, English, Mathematics or whatever. Why all of these skills cannot be attained in regular classes along with homework has always left me wondeirng about the teaching standards.

12 years of compulsory education can become fairly meaningless when during those years everything you learn is by rote & all exams are multi choice questions. On the other hand teachers who inspire & make you want to learn are rare in any country.

In days gone by late July & August were known as Italian month so that could be a good time to gauge the reality of the numbers. Generally speaking about town nearly everyone is complaining of much lower business such as the building supply shop I deal with saying down by 50%. It could well be unpaid holidays will be the norm.

There are plenty of factors which may well deter people returning to Phuket which could account for a small percentage of the lower numbers but tourists visiting for the first time will not be aware of tuks tuks, dual pricing etc which should be rectified.

Was this Swiss guy in his late 50's or, older?

I would say in his 40s, boat captain, drives a blue Isuzsu.

I've just got to visit the Cum On bar and also see what's happening with the "circle"!

You are going to be severely disappointed with the Come On bar.

I have never been to the Come On bar but last year I sold my pickup to a Swiss guy who always frequented the bar as his preference for that area. Mind you there is a lot more choice now than last year.

I met a girl who was working in a shop in Central Festival, Phuket & was pleasantly surprised at how well she spoke English. During the ensuing conversation it transpired she was working part time while studying English language at Rajabhat University. Her ambition is to return to her village in Chiang Rai to teach English to those who have no access to such teaching.

Either she is quite gifted in language skills &/or there is a good English teaching prgramme at said university. It is also refreshing to meet a young lady who apparently wants to genuinely help her fellow villagers. Wouldn't it be wonderful if politicians had the same attitude. Hopefully she will be an inspiration to others.