Stocky

This one is over 800km south of the 2004 epicentre, and in no position to propagate a wave that would affect Phuket.

Presumably the shock would pass through 500km of land on west sumatra and create a wave in the straits of melaka on the east.

Errr, no.

Phuket's safe, trust me I'm a geologist.

There's a need some basic geography lessons.

How does an earthquake 50km off Padang Sumatra propagate a wave that could come anywhere near the coast of Thailand?

Rendezvous Hotel

Stayed at the Rendezvous with the family last month, our third stay there, good hotel, good location, price isn't cheap, but as pointed out hotels in Singapore aren't.

There are currently some 310 reported cases in Thailand, mainly in Bangkok and Pattaya.

There are so far no reported cases in Songkhla/Hat Yai. Though there's nothing to panic about anyway, the AH1N1 flu virus is no worse than normal season flu.

There's been no charge using Bank of Ayudhya ATM machines either.

I'd vote for the Sofitel Centara Hua Hin too. We took my sister and family there for a week when they visited and they thoroughly enjoyed it.

The last car I owned was nearly 20 years ago. Locally I use tuk-tuks and taxis, if I'm traveling further afield I simply hire a car with driver.

It depends where you live. I've had no problems with TOT, I pay Bht590 for a 2Mb connection and just checking it now I get:

Download Speed: 1725 kbps

Upload Speed: 456 kbps

Latency: 183 ms

The best advice is to check locally, as ISPs vary radically from area to area; all I can say is TOT get my vote in Hat Yai.

From my experience and that of friends, the service supplied by TOT is extremely variable. My experience of TOT, like several other posters in this thread, has been positive, with good and reliable connections, helpful and responsive customer support and engineers that will turn out within a couple of hours. But as with the poster above I'm aware that TOT elsewhere in Thailand is worse than useless. Just shows it's important to ask locally before you select your ISP.

I'm with TOT in Hat Yai and have no complaints, Bht590 for 2Mb, I usually get around 1.7Mb which, for Thailand, is near enough.

In the last eight months at our current address availability has been 100%.

I can recommend the Pavilion Hotel in Songkhla town, handy for the bars, and it's sister hotel near the beach, The Rajamangala Pavilion. Both are comfortable, though the Rajamangala is a little more out of the way. Not very familiar with the Songkhla bars so can't give any recommendations.

We live in a house, it's my wife's, I've never had much interest in condominiums and I don't think there are many in Hat Yai in any case. There is the big high rise Napalai Place development, but that, after five or six years, still isn't fully occupied.

With so much in the way of low rise housing, particularly gated estates, Thais aren't interested in buying a pricey condo in Hat Yai, and there aren't many expats around, who wants to buy a condo in Hat Yai when rental space is cheap and easily available?

We tend to use the Sikarin Hatyai Hospital, fairly inexpensive, short waiting times, clean efficient and with modern equipment like a CT scanner.

You want the west side through Perlis not east through Kelantan, this will avoid the three southern Thai provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani where the troubles are. Coming up the west coast and entering Thailand through the crossing at Padang Besar you'll have no problems. Note that the border isn't 24hrs. The fastest route is up the main North-South highway, not very scenic, the main thing to watch out for will be the trucks and buses.

Good luck!

Most of them lie on Thanon Thamoonwithi, the road away leading from the Railway Station into town. There are around 20 shops within a 500m strip, I can't recommend any one in particular, they're all much of a muchness.

Try Home Pro at Carrefour in Hat Yai on Thanon Phetkasem, there are is also a Cotto showroom across the street to right.

About flood not a big problem in HY, 2 weeks ago some school or other places close, but you dont need to swim.

Bank and other big store prepare sand bag, but was not needed. And now rain is finish.

Not in my part of town, it's still pissing down, I haven't seen the sun in a week.

But I can confirm there are no problems in Hat Yai.

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Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh,

Thats more like the sort of wishy-washy evasive answer I was expecting.

Ever thought of going into politics

Was today a trial run??

It's pretty painless, just download the example from the British Embassy website and fill in the details; as already said they only need the form, your passport and the fee, they don't need proof of employment or income. Take it to the embassy for signing, you can pick it up next day.

Just down from the embassy at the junction of Wireless and Pleonchit there are several shops that offer translation services, for an additional fee they will also take the affirmation and translation to the ministry for validation. You can get the paperwork done within 4 days. The affirmation is valid for three months, you can go to any Amphur to register your marriage.

The bus swerved sharply and Jesse woke with a start.

Reaching for his wallet he realised it had all been

just a bad dream.

Except the last bit, Mommy had said he'd grow out of

it but his throbbing groin and the sticky wet patch

suggested otherwise.

...suck his eyeballs out.

..'park a tiger', which she/he did with aplomb,

all over the feet of the short hirsute girl,

with the split lip, standing by the door.

Coughing up the last of her lunch Oy felt better.

Kicking the hairy troll in the head she made it

through the door and down the stairs.

meanwhile , canadian jesse , now at the bus station , "ahh this must be the koh phangan bus" he murmured confidently , as he climbed aboard the night bus to aranyaprathet.

Finding a seat on the bus Canadian Jesse

had just sat down when a pretty Thai girl

sits next to him, smiling coquettishly,

she looks at him and asks, in a slightly

husky voice, "Hansom man where you from?"