lumply

R.I.P Neil. I truly hope that someone as enthusiastic as you were about promoting sport and recreational flying will take over the reigns at the Airpark. And to his family and close friends, my deepest sympathies.

Thailand's future, becoming reality.

Phuket will not be alone for much longer.... It is the future of most places in Thailand where there are numbers of Westerners.

So... you are saying it is the tourist's fault that the taxi driver(s) concerned had no respect for the laws and regulations? Interesting argument....

I think it's more to do with the fact that they understand they won't be caught as 99.999% of people will not lodge a complaint - so no fine....

I did interpret the last comments in such a way that suggested that it is the fault of tourists. Anyway, taxi drivers in most countries appear to consider it their right to rip off tourists/foreigners. It is a regrettable fact of life.

I've noticed that there are more elderly couples here now, than before,

together with all the Russian speaking tourists who are mainly families or

couples also.

The sex tourists are slowly in decline, not surprising when you look at the

prices for a night out in the tourist areas.

So where have the so called sex tourists moved to I wonder?

Eat for free every day by becoming a balloon chaser (make sure you only order a coke and nurse it for two hours).

Get money for your happy hour beers by rummaging through other people's rubbish to collect cans, plastics and cardboard (best to go at sun-up so you can beat the professional scavangers to the bins).

Save on laundry bills by turning inside out your T-shirts shorts and underpants (using a stiff-bristled brush on the underpants is recommended), a great conversation starter as numerous people will inform you that you have them on inside-out. Feign ignorance.

Flowers for your sweet-heart? Don't buy them, there are loads of magnificent Calla lillies that grow in the storm drains. Absolutely free!

Screen your face with a free base-ball cap. You'll see one lying in the road at least once a week

Free flip-flops.....as above, though you might have to wait a bit to get a right and a left.

I had no idea that people were so hard up in Phuket. That's me in a couple of years time when I pack in full time work, so please don't think that I am gloating. Good tips and a Happy New Year to all!

I raise my hand and wave them off whenever I sense them coming close to me. I can't piss with someone touching me like that. At the sinks I just cheerily go about my business and proffer a "mai aow krab" if they offer me anything. Unless its a nice hot towel, which is worth at least 10 baht when you're reeling.

I'm with Trembly. I can't pee with some bloke massaging me from behind.

Turn the tap on, hand me a towel, give me a mint...but don't touch me while I'm watering the horses. Spooks the horses.

Getting a massage from the front is OK then? At least you can see what's cuming....sorry coming

Ah the lovely Dak. Many happy hours up front flying over the Arabian Gulf as a child. Beats the birds I flew many years later as a grown up.

Who said anything about not showing respect? I'm simply doing what they would be asking (ie emptying my pockets) before they ask me. Maybe you've never been scammed in Thailand but a lot of the time the police can be complicit. I'm simply covering my back.

Again, how is it covering your back? If the police lie about saying they found something in your pocket or lie about saying they found something you took out of your pocket?

Up to you if you want to be paranoid and create self fulfilling prophecies but in my opinion it is not a good idea to suggest people not follow the directions of police and to tell police how to do their jobs or dictate to them how you will comply to their lawful orders while they are in the middle of an investigation. I can only imagine the reaction you would get in LA or NY if you tried to tell a cop in English not to put their hands in your pocket and that you'll reach into your own pockets and pull out whatever is in there yourself and yet you want to do this in Thailand were the cops probably have limited English and where they have a right to search you (even in your pockets) if they feel suspicion.

Telling people to: "Don't let them put their hands in your pockets, if they do want to though ask to see their hands." is asking for problems and accomplishes nothing and could result in getting somebody thrown in jail who otherwise may have been on their way in a couple minutes.

No it is not enjoyable to feel violated but if you got nothing to hide then in 99.9% of cases you will be on your way if you just grin and bear it and show respect. In fact, even if you do have something to hide, chances are you can still easily be on your way if you show respect but almost always a bad idea to challenge authority just for the sake of challenging authority as would be your suggestion because it certainly isn't going to stop a cop who wants to say you were carrying drugs from saying you were carrying drugs regardless if you took the ghost drugs out of your own pocket or they did.

I'm with Welred on this one

I recall a general hardware shop in Sukhumvit left hand side just before Robinsons as you walk up from Soi 11. Lots of this kind of stuff, widgets etc.

"Visit Pattaya Walking street at your own peril."

Indeed. If you dont have things thrown at you then you will surely be overcharged within an inch of your life, or indeed just be bored to death.

Beats me why anyone goes there.

Because it can be fun.....maybe?...when in the right mood.

So where's the pic of him dangling?

Best stick with the Rotax petrol engine made in Europe. Extremely reliable and I've never been let down by one over many hours of flying microlites. I wouldn't touch a 2 stroke with a barge pole or an engine of dubious background in order to save money.

So not a potato field and not a paraglider.

Still an interesting little news snippet, I am actually thinking about having a go at that Paramotor malarkey, looks fun.

I used to fly paragliders for many years which is why I'm particular about what the aircraft is called. I used to see the microlight involved in this crash flying over Jomtien on many an evening and I'm sorry to see that they've crashed. Also glad to see that the occupants survived relatively unscathed.

The paramotor malarkey is surprisingly popular up in rural Thailand where many small workshops make them using engines salvaged from crashed motorbikes. If you're going to have a go you might consider using one that has a tricycle undercarriage frame, rather than using your own legs as the landing gear. I takes longer to fix bones than aluminium. Trust me, I know.

I am very sad to hear about this loss of life. As an instructor Tom would have been aware of the "gliding distance to land rule". Speculation is never good but luckily there is a survivor to help the investigators. One area they would almost certainly be looking at is the possibility of structural failure, in the absence of which a sudden loss of altitude during a steep turn to get back to the beach. Whatever the actual cause RIP Tom.

With reference to post 19, I have seen youtube pictures of an middle eastern airline, think Man city, who picked up a new A380 and totalled the aircraft before take off, always best to read the maunal before you think you can fly/drive.

With reference to post 19, I have seen youtube pictures of an middle eastern airline, think Man city, who picked up a new A380 and totalled the aircraft before take off, always best to read the maunal before you think you can fly/drive.

That was an AIrbus A340 Not an A380. The difference amongst others is one has 2 floors the other has just 1!

Yes you are right. It was a brand new Etihad A340 before which jumped its' chocks at full power, mounted a concrete barrier and broke its' back. Don't know if the airframe was written off or not-most probably yes.

This is a shocking incident; one that this man will regret for the rest of his life. I hope he gets the right kind of phsychological help. His girlfriend might also need a spot of help.

Whoa there! Don't knock the Oldies, of which I am not a million miles off qualifying. Just like many others, I have good pale skin with money in my pocket and I am quite capable of not having to pay for sex, either in BKK or anywhere else (if you are to exclude the normal expenses of 'running' three girlfriends and a separated wife, none of whom are Thai). So c'mon chaps, have a bit more respect for your elders.

No harm done presumably so what's the fuss? He looks a nice boy anyway.

Does anybody know the flight paths involving these aircrafts?

Congrats to TG. You are inferring that the 'flight path' should be different for the A380. Apart from higher separation distances between the A380 'Heavy' on approach and landing (wake turbulence) compared to the lower mass catagories, it is unlikely that the path would be any different. Maybe a pilot with more recency than me would be able to confirm this.This might be of passing interest to avaiation minded people, whilst piloting a lighty with an intended landing into one of the UAE airports not far from Dubai, I was instructed by approach radar to maintain a 15nm separation as number 2 behind an Emirates A380. I declined and diverted. There was no way I was going to mess with the wake turbulence of an A380 monster at that stage of its' proving flights even though I was higher. However our approach paths were directionally identical as it was the same runway we were aligned to.

Many of us have stoked too many fires to bother about what colour it is down there. I'd rather not know most of the time, thanks very much

Wow, this all a bit of an eye opener. I have been to Thailand many times (3 so far this year from the Middle East), and plan to hang my hat there. somewhere, for three months a year when the big 65 arrives. One of the places I was considering was Phuket. Apart from the scams which one finds all over Thailand to varying degrees, has anyone anything positive to say about Phuket? Back to plan A, Hua Hin methinks.

A late contributor. Masturbating is a pretty harmless activity whether done in public or (normally) in private, with or without someone else in attendance. Being in a moving car and therefore perfectly safe in this instance, I can't see what all the fuss is about. The longer one has been on this planet the more resilient one becomes to such sights. My sympathies to Amy but believe me, there are far worse things in life than seing a couple of drunkards standing on a roadside having a jodrel.

I'm now totally confused and reluctant to give any advice to anyone about anything or anywhere.

There can be no better example of a property bubble bursting than in Dubai. Oh for the days when people bought property to live in. Greedy b$#*ards who get their fingers burnt through over speculating in property get absolutely no sympathy from me. However, all to their own and one hopes that Pattaya will not pop.

Doing a recce is good advice and should be regarded as a worthwhile investment. I followed this route in Saudi, Hong Kong and Dubai and as a result decided not to stay in HKG because of the shoe box accomodation and appaling pollution (despite just having started a good job). Currently taking johnnyk's advice and checking out north side HH.

Thanks all for your encouraging responses.

Jonnyk, good idea about the motorcycle. I have a UK m/c endorsement, can I use this for short stints in Thailand or can I transfer it to a local license fairly painlessly?

Thanks