joe84330

i wouldn't shop at nathon tesco or any small thai shop when there have been floods. nathon tesco always floods.

better stock up, looks like 4th or 5th we're in for the next round

Where did you get that info joe? I've told by three or four different people itd light rain and drizzle until the 5th then sunshine.

there's a pretty nasty storm off the coast of vietnam headed this way. a few days out at this point. intellicast has pretty good satellite images. i use those to temper the rampant imaginations of my captains and staff who believe this next one will park itself right on top of us for the remainder of april.

better stock up, looks like 4th or 5th we're in for the next round

i grow several different varieties of cukes here. they love(d) the sun but in spite of the constant rain for the last week they are still giving me about 10 a day. just saw the weather forecast and the rest of the month is definitely not looking good.

as long as the sun i'm currently seeing isn't an april fools joke...

i've been in the same boat a few times, never had to replace the lock set though, they've always just recreated a new key. the places i've used however are all around the laem din market area and it's under water now so you'll have to look elsewhere. i'm pretty sure any key maker will be able to make one for you. tell them its a yamaha *insert bike name here* and they have a standard key by which they will recreate your new one. it won't have the security lock tab from the factory though, that you'll have to get from...the factory.

amazing, was looking for some stats. that's impressive.

vip on raja is like spinners on a pinto.

wed. is the best guess now for the current system to show signs of slowing down. thurs or fri should be seeing regular sun again.

haven't ever taken a bike over, i wouldn't imagine it would be more than 2 or 3 hundred baht for a weeks coverage but that's just a guess!

would tottally agree on your post Rob, well written, and puts most of the ' why we dont like samui ' into prospective

Ta duck - but I would add one little extra, and it's a highly personal note - there's a certain breed of ExPat here that makes my flesh crawl. Not wanting to single out tattooed post office robbers from Essex (I've met a couple of pleasant ones) there is a whole strata of mid-to-late 30s people, all of when seem to be from the same mould, shaved heads, lots of tats, loud when drunk, coarse, belligerent, overbearing and usually each with a tiny and stilettoed mini-skirted Thai girl in tow. And they all seem to collect together in one set of bars and all knock around in bunches together. And they are usually the ones seen wandering around Tesco in their swimwear, in groups or with lady attached.

Things like beaches, construction, bars, roads and all the rest - to my mind - are distracting. There are good and iffy ones in every town. What makes a place precious is the beauty of it (Samui has it in spades), the climate (ditto) and the day-to-day interaction with the other people around. All other aspects are knitted into these basics and either make the overall experience better or worse.

But nobody's talked about balance, yet!

Put it this way. I HATE the roads and the way people drive here. I hate it when Thais in a group refer to you as 'the farang' instead of using your name. I despair at the bewildering way that Thai logic works and they way they can never admit to being wrong. I detest needing to have to make any kind of appointment here. I'm ashamed that the police system is what it is and there is no access to a legal system unless you are a millionaire. There are probably another 50 reasons why I hate this place, if I sat and spent a week noting them all down.

And then I look at the complete freedom to whack up a house or garage or shed without months of inspections paperwork and permissions. To be able to shrug sheepishly and say "sorry officer, it was my fault" knowing I can then get it over with instantly with a fine. I'm overjoyed that my car doesn't need a microscopic test every year which costs me thousands to keep it on the road if I can afford the staggering insurance rates. I love the location, the climate, the mountain, the beach, the sand and the sea and the fluffy clouds. I am free to let off fireworks to express my appreciation. I adore the handful of genuinely lovely Thai people I know and politely keep away from those with an evil glitter in their eyes. I treasure the few ExPat friends I have (all of them totally different from me as far as background, education and work goes, but each of them considerate, open-minded and informed). I really appreciate the standard of care at the (Ampur) hospital in Nathon and the low cost of it. And I worship the overall cost of living in Thailand - I'd be renting a one-room bedsit back in England.

And then the balance happens. It's like two lovers who make out a list of good and bad points about each other. There are a hundred things they don't like and only a handful they do like. But they stay together because all the negative things are vastly outweighed by the three or four good bits. And that's me and Samui.

And that's why I'm still here after 13 years!

R

game, set and match.

hi jimmy, you just need to have documented ownership of the car or bike that you plan to take over the border. you'll buy insurance at the border. in a case where you are renting/borrowing etc, you can get by with a letter signed by the owner authorizing you to take it over.

I used to be a gynecologist. I' retired now but I like to keep my hand in from time to time.

hi, whats your name?

ben dover

hi ben, nice to meet you

people still stop for these?

you'll never have any decent local news to read when there is no respect for the rule of law. accept it for what it is and find enough sources to enable you to properly read between the lines.

i understand that Chef Dil from Haveli is starting a weekly saturday night special set, traditional Indian/Regional foods that are not on the regular Haveli menu. menu will change each saturday night. starts tonight 6pm.

The gas station in Maenam is coming along quite well, new covered area looks almost complete.... no sign of Macdonalds or 7-11 being built....

A 7-11 would be really useful

i was hoping they would tear down that gas station and replace it with shop-houses.

As I was brought up on a farm and there are no other neighbours to upset a cockerel wouldn't be a problem. The last place I lived in Plai Laem had some kicking about and they were crowing at all hours.

Got a bee hive coming when the rain stops to add to the country feel

nice, where did you get the beehive? i need some bees around my garden

Gee, there have been several farang that I helped rush to the emergency room because of the little bee stings that come with the beauty of the beehive....

However, I do preserve several beehives around our properties but they are quite a few kilo from civilization.

i'm allergic to bee stings but that has never stopped me from working outside. my fruits and vegetables that need pollen didn't ask me if i was allergic anyway...

As I was brought up on a farm and there are no other neighbours to upset a cockerel wouldn't be a problem. The last place I lived in Plai Laem had some kicking about and they were crowing at all hours.

Got a bee hive coming when the rain stops to add to the country feel

nice, where did you get the beehive? i need some bees around my garden

dont worry Goldilocks left a picture she had taken getting change after the shower

sure it wasnt something you picked up at Green Mango while a little bit drunk with SUPER beer googles on ?

you can not un-see that.

If not three bears, most certainly one BARE!

ha! i'm going to imagine her as a very lovely girl until we have photo evidence proving otherwise...

crazy! i'd have to have a word with the owner about that.

hope you didn't lose anything of value. set up a web cam and give us a link to the shower! (when you aren't anywhere near it haha)

i want one for my house!

Cheers Roo I will nip into town now and check him out.

Joe I will let you know how I get on with him fixing mine.

i need a battery replaced as well as having the watch face removed, cleaned etc.

please do Rooo, i've got a watch that is out of warranty and needs a few minor things done.