Jose

For quality Thai food try Boat Ahoy...

Next door to Boat Ahoy is Somtum

Quality? Hmmm... Well, let me tell you about our experience dining at these two prominent eateries.

The first time we ate at Somtum back in 2004 resulted in myself with a bad case of diarrhea. I put that unpleasant experience down to bad luck, and knowing that it is owned by the same person, decided to try Boat Ahoy next door in 2007.

On that second visit, my wife ordered a sticky rice which came served in a tastefully presented bamboo stick (kratib). Her first bite at the sticky rice almost resulted in a broken tooth when she bit into some very coarse sand embedded within the rice. We put this down to bad luck or lack of care from one of the kitchen staff, and asked the owner politely if she would replace it, which she did grudgingly.

When the second lot of sticky rice arrived, the rocky sand was still there. At first the owner refused to even look at the rice, saying that it was just hard rice. Then when we begun to take out the rocky sand from the rice, she claimed that we had put it there.

We kept our cool, and asked for a third and last serving of the sticky rice. When it arrived, we asked the waitress to stay with us at the table as we proceeded to take out the sand stones from the sticky rice. The owner stormed to our table, and in a very ugly manner told us that all rice in Thailand have these stones, and that if we have a problem with that we should take it up with the farmers.

We paid our bill (including the uneaten rice) and left quietly, never to come back.

Living locally, I eventually found out that the restaurant owner pays her Isaan staff some of the lowest wages on the island (2,000-3,000 Baht per month), and that does not include accommodation or even food. If she is prepared to cut corners with staff, it's no surprise she will do the same when it comes to food quality.

Mai Pen Rai bungalows. A bit too far from Thongsala maybe for some, not for us!

Than Sadet - great little beach.

It's a pity my favourite secluded beach next bay (5min walk south) has been destroyed - it's now littered with broken asbestos tiles all over the rocks, paths and beach.

This is how it looked before the vandals (last bungalow owners) had their way:

I'm surprised the sea water isn't running downhill in the pic above...

Great shots - thanks John.

They've managed to pull the boat out of the sandbars around 7:30am, but I didn't see it resume service this morning.

BTW, it takes that old tug one full hour to sail from Thongsala to Bangrak.

And it was only last month that the 11am Lomprayah to Maenam came to a full stop 1km out of Thongsala, and passengers had to be rescued then...

Ahhh... where are the Thunderbirds when you need them!

Anyone know how the 8am Seatran boat (from Thongsala to Bangrak) managed to hit the KPG sandbars and get beached this morning?

It was high tide at the time. My guess is that it was captain's error, but maybe the engine failed and it drifted into shallow waters. Hopefully it hasn't hit the reef.

There won't be a higher tide until next Sunday 1am, so it will be interesting to see if they can tow the boat back to deeper waters in the meantime.

Seems we will book either Grand Sea Resort or First Villa.

You'll really like First Villa if you don't want any animals of any kind around - they put poisoned bait around the place on a regular basis.

You'll also like that resort if you find the sandy beaches a nuisance - they've got rid of their pesky beach years ago by replacing it with large rocks.

Nevertheless, if you don't mind a dog or cat around, and you like beautiful clean beaches, and you prefer a higher quality resort at a similar or cheaper price, I recommend Rung Arun Resort, about 400 metres west along the beach.

Immigrant backlash:

Financial/economic crisis -> tourists stop coming -> the local money stops flowing -> possibly resulting in the uglier side of the Thai mob mentality (e.g. red/yellow shirts) targeting all "rich" falangs.

Just compare Samui Windguru-Samui and Windguru-Chumpon.

Looking at the broader picture, Samui/Phangan wind stats look a lot better than Chumpon's. There is not one single month of the year where Chumpon's average wind speed is higher than Samui's.

I think I'll stay put in KPG.

You only needed to ask for it...

Wow... another one!

I'm currently doing a kite boarding course (also 11K, avg 6hrs total) with Sam at One2Kite (Bantai, KPG), and there is no time limit there. Depending on the available wind, it may take longer than three days to ride a kite board proficiently. Sam also offers the option of 2K/hr if your time on the island is limited.

Once you get flying on a kite board, along with a big wide smile any thoughts questioning value for money disappear completely.

Ew Jose. I did not need to see that photo

Gee, and I thought it would make a nice advertising poster... "Let it all hang out at KPG".

Big A has had a few gems over the years. I wonder if the "pressing of the advertising" also applies to the transparent kind...

Has anyone seen the "gasooline for rent" sign about? How about "bike for rant" and "bike for Rene"?

Pity the "Land for Seal" sign is gone.

You are not a rocker, aren't you??

Of course I am... I just remember him with longer hair. Who could forget classics like "Do you really wanna hurt me" and "The crying game"?

latest hip fashion scene in KPG...

George... who?

Yes... transparency appears to be a big problem in Thailand...

I think I saw Revolution in the Vets Jose. They had Frontline and something that started with an R, I wasn't really paying attention, but its behind the front counter. I think it was Revolution.

Thanks, SBK - I may try that next.

Yes, it's a bit of a dilemma, SBK.

For our younger dogs, monthly Ivermec injections (and the resultant load on the liver) may be more preferable than the E. canine parasite. Apparently it is not effective against fleas & ticks, so I don't know...

Anyone know if Revolution for dogs is available in Thailand?

More on pet drugs here.

For weeks our 2yo dog (Simba) had been lethargic and quite sick at times, with high fever bouts up to 105.5F (106F is quite dangerous). We had tried all kinds of injections to combat the fever and unknown disease, but nothing seemed to work. We though Heartworm may have been a possibility.

Thankfully Dr Pong recently opened her new veterinary clinic nearby in Bantai Koh Pha-Ngan, and she suggested a blood test. Simba's blood sample was sent to Dr Somsak at Samui Animal Clinic, and the results came back that same day: Canine Ehrlichiosis. Apparently this tick-based red-blood parasite is quite common in dogs, but it seems to hit some harder than others. This alone would be one very good reason to keep ticks at bay.

We've tried Frontline (both spray and back of the neck type), but it only seems to work for about three days. I don't know much about monthly Ivermec injections, but this is our next choice - hopefully it will keep the tick problem down.

More on Canine Ehrlichiosis.

Maybe it was a trial for a new kind of visa run... probably safer than the minibus version.

Anyone know what the new roundabout near the pier in Thongsala is all about?

Gee, i forgot panels, worst than roof top. How can i recognize them?

Asbestos/cement tiles and panels are fairly easy to recognize. They are thinner than normal (the asbestos fibers strengthens the cement), heavier, and quite brittle. You can clearly see fibers along the edges wherever a corrugated tile breaks - be careful when handling, as the microscopic needle-like fibers are quite sharp and very difficult to remove from flesh.

With all the rain on the island i think asbestos is deadly more for construction worker....

Rain is a good thing - it helps keep dust (and asbestos fibers) down, and makes it less likely for it to become airborne where it does its terrible harm.

More on Chrysotile asbestos in Thailand:

Asbestos in Thailand - Ministry of Public Health, Thailand.

Asbestos can cause cancer but 'it's cheap' - Official sees 'no reason' for more expensive substitutes.

Thailand: highest per capita consumption of asbestos in the world - 1.9kg/person.

Thankfully more and more builders are now using the non-asbestos variety of corrugated roof tiles. These are not as brittle and are easier to work with.

Unfortunately, the existing tons of asbestos tiles sitting on Samui and Pha-Ngan roofs will break up with time, and continue to do its deadly work for generations to come.

The exporters (Canada, Russia, others, banned there of course) of this hazardous material insist asbestos is safe if used "correctly".

The first "correct" use of the asbestos/cement roof tiles around here, is to drill them onsite in order to fit U-bolts and attach them to the roof structure. Not happy with creating this deadly dust, the tiles are also often cut and shaped further using an angle grinder, releasing kilos of this potent carcinogen cloud into the local atmosphere. Then after a few years of use and abuse, these tiles are then thrown around and left to break up into even more deadly asbestos dust. A favourite use of old asbestos tiles is to fill and cover pot holes on dirt roads with them, creating more hazardous dust each time the tiles are broken into smaller and smaller pieces by passing traffic - who said Thais don't like to recycle?

Asbestos dust lays around everywhere, and takes a long time to become safe - thank goodness for asbestos-eating mould.

The only effective way I've found to "educate" locals on the use of this dangerous material, is to refuse any dealings with them outright. "Say, that's a beautiful bungalow on your beach, but too bad it has asbestos tiles and panels - sorry, but cannot stay here..." It seems the pocket hurts more than one's health for Thai (and some expat) locals.

Give Me Liberty, Or Give Me Death...

It's official: crime is protected in Koh Pha-Ngan.

"PROTECTION OF THE CRIME CENTER"

It's because they went out public and criticize the threatment of the elephants.

No - a different issue is involved, but it doesn't help PAC at all to discuss this in public. If we were part of a volunteer organization with little local support and no protection whatsoever, we would also be careful about was being discussed in public.

seems dr prong has come out of this well.

Nope.

Dr Pong was in the process of setting up her veterinary clinic at PAC, when the fire and subsequent threats made it too dangerous for her to stay there.

It took considerable (additional) effort and funds to set up this alternative clinic in Bantai.

Update on the PAC situation.

Unfortunately, locals (which cannot be named) have threatened PAC again, and the volunteers are now considering closing down the centre for good.

PAC volunteers are still taking care of strays at temples and Haad Rin for the time being, but PAC remains closed for veterinarian services.

The good news for pet owners living in Koh Pha-Ngan, is that Dr Pong (formerly PAC's Vet, being the only qualified Veterinary Doctor on the island) has just opened her new Veterinary Clinic at Bantai.

The clinic is located on the main road between High School and Samui-Bangkok hospital, 3rd shop on the right past the school if traveling from Thongsala.

Please spread the word, specially amongst local Thais.

Open Monday-Sunday, 9am-12noon, 3pm-7pm

084 447 0944

Please call prior to visit, as Dr Pong may be away on house calls at any time.