Valentine

I believe psycopath might be an apt term to describe this sub human & animal torture is a comman trait amongst those who later become sadistic killers.

I thought the water park was going to be at West Sands in Mai Khao.

There have been many waterparks planned over the years but the one near the dam is actually going ahead, currently.

Do you mean the construction going on just to the left of the dam breast?

I thought they were just putting steps in.

They've been working there for a few months but i have a feeling you are talking about something else.

Where exactly is this water park going to be?

Turn right at the CPAC concrete plant on the road heading up to the dam.

Does anyone have any feedback on the Tharmachart Restaurant in Phuket City? I've read reviews that this is a place for good food at reasonable prices. (plus the out of wack ambience).

Appreciate if someone can advise.

Thamachart/natural restaurant is excellent. Been going there for 7 years and still great food at good value prices. Service is good, but at times a little slow but hey TIT. Highly recommended.

Yes there is lots of strange food for the eyes & well worth a visit.

The meeting was well attended, 80 people which filled up the room. The usual issues of land ownership were discussed & there still seems to be no concise answer to length of lease & how well it can be enforced.

With the recession upon us queries were put to the panel regarding lay offs & severance pay. A Thai came up to the microphone & it seemed to me he thought there was conspiracy to lay off all the Thai staff. I would tend to think foreign employees would be first to go considering their salaries are generally higher but one must consider that most staff in this country are Thai so if layoffs do happen then yes Thai people will be effected. However laying off staff is a drastic measure & is a sign that business is not good & even then I would think most employers would try & find a way to keep their workers.

Next month the meeting will again be held at Phuket Brewery as there were only favourable comments about the location. Topic & speaker yet to be finalized but a couple of very interesting ones have been lined up.

A couple of years ago I got passports for my two daughters at Central when the passport office visited Phuket. The whole process was extremely efficient, after the initial mad scramble, & only took 30 minutes to process the paperwork. There about 20 officials each with a computer which took a thumbprint & a camera to take the passport photo. The fee for each was around Baht 1,000 & passports were delivered to our home within 7 days. The officials were there for 4 or 5 days.

PG usually announces when they visit although I hear news of the Foreign Affairs Ministry opening an office in Phuket which could mean that the passport service will be available all year round.

The spoiled milk problem has been around for a while & my initial reaction was one of surprise that this problem still exists but upon reflection nothing should surprise me as to how far some will stoop to line their pockets. Amoral is a word that comes to mind.

When I was young back at school in the land of the long white cloud we used to receive free milk every day in a half pint glass bottle & there were times in the summer when the milk would spoil & some kids would throw up after which the caretaker would dutifully attempt to clean up but always leaving sawdust to sock up the residue vomit. In those days the milk was only pastuerized but UHT has a long shelf life even in warm conditions so this spoiled milk must have been well past its use by date.

I agree. It's not based on your skin color.

I don't remember the last time I went to the Universal Studio in L.A. but last time I went there was discount for the California residents.

And what about state colleages and I am not talking about the foreign students.

If you don't like the double pricing, then, just walk away.

Bit contradictory and i think you may have missed the point. Universal having a discount for residents of the state is one thing....having a broad broom that says 'foreigners' have to pay more, is quite another.

It's discrimination based purely on the assumption that foreigners have more money than locals, and that it is condoned by the Government.

Discrimination on THAT basis is completely wrong.

Walk away? yes indeed. And in fact, last year when the government put up the prices for national parks, a great many tour companies did indeed walk away from it..................

As pagalim and other posters have said, it's not the size of the fee that is in dispute, it's the principle of the matter.

I earn an average salary in Phuket. Why assume i'm rich and charge me 10x the fee because i m white?

And it certainly is about colour. A friend of mine who has English parents, was born here, and has lived all his life here. He has a Thai ID card and passport (as well as a UK passport), he obviously speaks, reads and writes Thai like a native - he IS a native, except he is white. At one national park they questioned him extensively, called his ID a fake and asked him to sing the national anthem. He sang it, got back in the car and wheelspan out of there. He was very embarrassed.

Not based on colour? My arse !

I think in many cases it is purely racist. My recent experience when going to Phi Phi on a day trip, related to my business, highlights this. At the port in Phuket my foreman purchased the ferry tickets at a cost of Baht 150 each. When he went to buy the tickets coming back my ticket was double the price with the excuse that all tourists pay this price. I protested further & produced my work permit at which point the ticket seller exclaimed "I don't care, you are not Thai".

Junkceylon is the name the British gave Phuket when they were empire building.

The current spelling used by the company is Jungceylon hence my confusion & assumptions on why you spelt it with a k.

http://www.jungceylon.com/

I have never seen any of the staff try the card rip off at Big C but there are many instances of short changing all over & no doubt will increase given hard economic times. In many places the cashier is ripping off the boss as seen by nothing being charged up in the till & so they must pocket the money at a convenient time.

Good Article, hope the locals keep on demostrating.

Crime is definately on the up and up.

Speaking from first hand experience on Sunday night when my house and my thai neighbours house were both broken into (Kathu). My neighbour suffered more loss than me as his house was first. When they got to mine and broke in the alarm system scared them away without loss other than a damaged door.

It shows that the scumbags are getting bolder so I reckon it's time for an electric fence and razor wire on top of my wall.

Speaking of which, anyone know any good companies to install these?

I believe Security Safe Stop have advertised electirc fencing.

Maybe the rental prices in Junkceylon are higher than Big C & Lotus?

Does "Junk" refer to the mock up boat in the centre of the complex or to the goods onsale?

As in Patatya any venue here is not named although at this stage it does not matter as the virus is out of the box & spreading rapidly. Unless you want to lock yourself indoors for the duration & have no contact with the outside world then everyone is at risk. Yesterday I was in Central & sat down to enjoy some ice cream in one of the shops where it was obvious one of the ice cream girls was suffering from a cold or flu as was the only other customer.

Years ago I was an offshore oil rig in Australia where over a period of time 30 to 50% of the crew came down with a virus which put them on their backs for 24 hours. Another time in the Gulf of Thailand at least 50% of those on board came down with severe food poisoning & I aways remember this particular comment from a Scottish chap, "at times I thought I was going to die & at times I wished I did die". In both cases I was lucky & was not infected but the reality is that most of us will be exposed at some stage & how mild or serious or even nothing happening, will depend on the individual & the circumstances at the time.

When Desjoyaux & JD Pools first started operations together they used specially designed casings which meant the pool could be shaped anyway you wanted it. The floor was reinforced concrete which was also poured into the casings. I assume Desjoyaux still use this method although it seems JD Pools have taken a different route since the split. With either option you are left with a vinyl liner & I assume a selection of colours.

If the liner tears it can be repaired but after so many repairs it will need replacing which can be expensive & unsure if this is covered in their 10 year warranty & I am sure it will not as it will be hard to dispute the liner tore without reason. I suppose it could easily last 10 years if no one swims in the pool. I feel the 10 year part of the warranty will only cover the structure.

Being able to build the pool quickly & the fact there is no exterior pipework are good selling points but having a big white box jutting out at one end of the pool may or may not be pleasing to the eye. The fabric bag used for the filter has to be hand cleaned on a regular basis & will need replacing occasionally, possibly after one or two years.

The fact you have an electric motor encased in the box, below water level, could be cause for concern no matter how well built the box is or the supposed reliability of the pump to quickly shut down or burn out in the event of water intrusion. In the meantime the conductivity of water could be a potential danger to anyone who happens to be in the pool at the time.

And NOBODY talking about CHIKUNGUNYA FEVER in the South...now spreading quickly north, with thousands affected in Phuket as I write this.

VERY high fever, tremendous body pain, very long term recovery(up to ONE YEAR! from severe Arthritis-like symptoms and joint pain and stiffness, no vaccine, no cure.

I live in Patong and I am in my FOURTH week of this shit!

The silence is deafening!

Check the Phuket forum as there are a couple of threads on this topic.

I feel this whole issue needs to be taken seriously given what appears to be exponential rise in the number of cases which can be seen in places like Australia. Up until a couple of weeks ago there were more than 13,000 confirmed & probable cases in the US with 27 deaths. For one poster to infer it is not such a big deal as only the young & elderly are more vulnerable is callous to say the least & may not necessarily be true because when it first appeared it seemed that those with strong immune systems were more at risk.

The Spanish flu ravaged the world for two years, so the swine flu is still in its infancy.

Thai officials stating the Hong Kong man could not possibly have caught the flu in Phuket may or may not be true but there are already confirmed cases in Thailand of human to human transmission which can make their statement seem suspect. There are already accusations against the Domincan Republic of covering up the real numbers so as not to damage their tourist industry. Sound familiar? There is a long line of cover ups in this country including the recent deaths on Phi Phi.

The management at Phuket Country Club cancelled the booking for IBAP's meeting this coming Friday so the venue has been shifted to Phuket Brewery, opposite Lotus. It will still be the Legal Eagles format & same start time of 6.45pm. So come along & have your legal questions answered. One of the firms represented said they will have extra reps there to answer private questions after the panel discussion has ended.

There used to be a Hard Rock Cafe in Bangla - about 20 years or so ago. But no, it was not the real McCoy...

There still is.

Mac moved the Hard Rock into Soi Seadragon years ago. He's in the 3rd, or 4th place on the right-hand side. Still has the best music in Patong.

I agree but is named something else now.

Not sure if this should be here & is really a bit of nostalgia but whatever happened to Patong? Bangla was a two way dirt road, you could count the number of katoeys on one hand, after 2am the Kangaroo bar was a shining beacon in an otherwise fairly dark Bangla with revellers spilling out on to the road, tuks tuks were 10 Baht anywhere in Patong (I even had one come back & collect his fare the next day when I spent my last Baht at the bar).

Advertising in the local Thai & English language newspapers might help otherwise direct approcahes to some of the top restaurants. PG used to have a guest chef column along with a recipe. I really don't think you will get much joy here.

i have received an offer for a pool, 6x12m. 25cm concrete walls with steel. Lompang tile.

Here are more details. I would love some advice on the quality of this pool.

victoria self priming pump from astral pool

aster sand filter from astral pool

grating 25 CM abs (i dont know what this is)

1,5" eye ball inlet (cycolac)

Maindrain 25x25cm

เครื่องผลิตคลอรีน อัตโนมัติ (Salt Chlorinator)

Christian

The grating covers a gutter which goes around the pool for the water to flow into & back to the surge tank from where the pump will suck the water & return it to the pool after passing through the filter. The tiles are possible L-Thai which are handmade. Eyeball inlets will go in the walls & are preferable to floor inlets.

Which brand & model of saltwater chlorinator are you being offered (this is important & needs to be correctly sized for your pool as does your pump & filter)as the Thai wording just means chlorine automatic.

Hi

As somebody say, get some big signs up. maybe it will help maybe, and i have hears the same thing about red flags, a lot dont know what it is, but maybe the signs is not good for the Summer Season, very bad this, make me angry......

This is the second time you've referred to "the Summer Season."

THIS IS NOT THE SUMMER SEASON.

Summer in Thailand is March through May. This is now Monsoon Season (or the rainy season) which features turbulent weather with heavy rains and high seas.

Sweetheart, you're not in Bristol or Malibu any more. The fewer times to you refer to "summer season," the less the tourists will have the impression that this is just like summer back home where the seas, rivers and lakes are at their optimum for water sports. No so in Southeast Asia.

As previously mentioned there are some tongue in cheek referrals to the "summer" season but yes the issue of drownings is a serious business.

Back home means different things to us all, depends on where you come from. In previous postings I have mentioned about the shows on TV featuring well known beaches in Australia & New Zealand which can be far from safe during their summer season, mainly because people ignore the warning signs.

Scubabudda has taken a good step by contacting the Phuket Surf Lifesaving Association which is a very new group but with community cooperation & funding could provide a viable alternative to the woeful safety standards which exist on our beaches. If we all feel strongly enough about this maybe something positive will come from it.

Hi

Can see somebody deleted my last comment, i wonder why, would be nice to know

Yeah.......me too.

Its the "summer" conspiracy.

Atsumi & Friendship both in Nai Harn/Rawai are detox centres & have yoga every morning & I am sure would welcome casuals for yoga without having to be internally cleansed beforehand.

I too know the Canadian lady, never considered her to be mad but rather a compassionate person.

Years ago you could get a membership at Patong Resort which I used for swimming (25m pool) but could also have use of the tennis courts for 30 Baht an hour (30 baht for 4 people). It will have changed by now but could be worth checking out.

Hello fellow expats in Phuket,

I moved to Phuket 2 months ago and wanted to know if there are any weekly/ monthly meetings or get togethers so we (newbies) can get to know our neighbors personally instead of only virtually.

Let me know if anyone is up for a beer or some curry ok?

Cheers !

Check the IBAP posting in Phuket News & Events for their meeting details this coming Friday. Although business orientated it is also a good social gathering.