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Jose

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Posts posted by Jose

    Share Your Favorite Restaurants In Phangan

    in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao

    Posted

    5. Roast Sunday lunch/dinner at John the Piemans new place just 50m further up the road on the same side from Masons is great tastes, great value and ample portions that even he wouldn't complain about. Has all the trimmings and a variety of deserts, apple crumble, choc mousse, creme caramel etc. Does good blackboard menu for the rest of the week.

    Hear, hear... luvly food and great service to boot. :o

    jose '-)

    Problem With A Resort In Bantai, Ko Pha Ngan

    in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao

    Posted

    I don't know who you are Jose, but I know that you would like to make me in the trouble….

    No trouble at all, Steve. I'm just reporting the other side of this story - giving the resort owner a chance to reply to what she justifiably perceives as an attack on her integrity and good reputation. And believe it or not, she would have liked to reveal more details about this story but I advised her against this.

    And as per our private correspondence, I followed your wishes and didn't mention your name at all in my conversation with the resort owner. Obviously she already knew who you were, so there is nothing I can do about this.

    Steve from de Thong Sala (Phangan-guide.com) and Jose from........?

    Jose from Bantai.

    jose '-)

    Problem With A Resort In Bantai, Ko Pha Ngan

    in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao

    Posted

    4 days ago, a couple with a child asks to us if we know an available room in a hotel.

    We drove them into a place which we know well but the following day, the couple informs us that during their absence something has been stolen in their room.

    The door was closed with a padlock and only the person who does the housework entered during their absence.

    They spoke with the owner about this disappeared but the owner didn't appreciate and after that she asks the couple to leave her resort.

    The following day, the owner called me at my office for threatening me to do something with her friends and also with the local police, if we inform the tourist police and the T.A.T. or if we create any problems to her.

    Here's the other side to this story from the resort owner (her thoughts, my words):

    "On Tuesday 8th January French Steve arrived at our resort with some friends, a couple from France with their son. They said they were looking to stay long-term, so I offered them a generous discount on one of our 1-bedroom houses (fully furnished, air-con, hot bath, cable TV, pool). That evening Steve approached me asking for a commission on the booking, but since I had already offered his friends a 20% discount I could not help him.

    In the morning the new guests complained about our restaurant prices, saying (for example) that they usually have free breakfast included, and that they've never paid more than 30 Baht for coffee (we offer real, not instant coffee). This was not a good feeling for me, as I try my best to do what I can to make my guests feel happy, comfortable and relaxed.

    Later that morning our guests left the resort for a while, and our maid took the opportunity to service their house. The guests arrived back before the cleaning was done, and were asked to wait just five minutes or so until their house was completely serviced. A few minutes later, they returned to the restaurant and claimed that the maid had stolen their son's Game Boy, and that they needed 300 Euros (13,000 Baht) to replace it. I kindly told them that I know my staff very well (and consider them family), and I would be very surprised if this were so. I also asked them why they did not use the safe provided in their house, and they just shrugged their shoulders at that point.

    In the middle of this uncomfortable situation I had in mind to replace their son's Game Boy just to keep the peace and avoid any ill-feeling, although I knew too well that the toy was unlikely to have been stolen. I called a friend who after a quick search told me that a new Game Boy was available in Thailand for half that price, and a guest also did an eBay search to find the most expensive there at US$150 (4,425 Baht). I offered the couple to replace their child's Game Boy, but they insisted on wanting 300 Euros in cash, and made the remark that I was making a lot of money from my resort (not true) and therefore could easily afford to pay the money. The couple also refused to let me speak with their boy about this matter.

    At that point I begun to realize that something was seriously wrong, so I called the police and asked them to come and investigate this problem. When I told our guests that the police were on their way to search my workers' house for the stolen toy, they said that they did not want any trouble with the police and promptly decided to check out immediately - I certainly did not in any way ask them to leave.

    The next day I phoned Steve and asked him to please not to bring anymore guests to my resort, as I did not want any more trouble of this kind. I thought that was the end of this matter, and it is a surprise for me to see this matter being brought up in the Internet. I feel it is specially unfair since I don't use the Internet much at all.

    I often go out of my way to please my guests, and many return year after year. I also go out of my way to avoid any trouble, and I feel that perhaps this is why I may have been targeted in this way."

    What do you think about that ? :o

    I personally think that no amount of discussion here will resolve any of this matter, specially since the accused is not really able to defend herself here.

    For what it's worth, those who know the resort owner also know her for her reputation as a very kind and extremely fair person.

    There are always at least two sides to any story. Please take care when dealing with people's livelihoods.

    jose '-)

    Brace Yourselves In Bophut

    in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao

    Posted · Edited by Jose

    We live in Bantai KPG, over 18Km away across the sea, and could hear the music from Bophut thumping away until 3:15am.

    My sympathy to any locals trying to get some sleep.

    I find this practically impossible to believe.

    Yes, as incredible as it seems, sound travels over still water (i.e. damp air) at night like you wouldn't believe. For example, the sound of fireworks in Samui usually arrives here in Bantai about 45-60 sec later.

    Even in the middle of the day, we can clearly hear the Lomprayah and Seatran boat engines churning away until they've gone almost half way across the strait, about 4-7Km away.

    jose '-)

    Brace Yourselves In Bophut

    in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao

    Posted

    Honestly, Jose, I did not hear it at all. And I am just down the road from you. Of course, we are in a sort of a corner here, so perhaps that slowed down the sound waves.

    Or maybe the breeze direction at that time had something to do with it, SBK. Mind you, it's so quiet on our part of the beach at that time of the morning, one can almost hear a pin drop... :o

    jose '-)

    Kho Phangan

    in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao

    Posted

    and yes, there are loads of drugs around. coke, ecstacy, MDMA, speed (yaba), opiates, weed, and mushrooms.

    Ecstasy and MDMA are different names for the same drug.

    where do you think koh phangan gets it's reputation?

    Assuming this is not a rhetorical question, my answer would be that the majority of visitors come to KPG for the Full Moon parties and beach lifestyle. I've yet to meet any travelers who can say they've come all the way here for drugs.

    This island is equivalent to taking your youth population out of many western towns and dumping them in one place...then providing music, lots of alcohol, lots of sex and no mummy and daddy looking over your shoulder.

    dam_n... now I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of fun - maybe I should consider moving to a livelier place. :o

    jose '-)

    Lomprayah

    in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao

    Posted

    BTW, Seatran has been running a special price promotion - 12 trips to Samui for 1500 Baht (125 Baht each vs 250 Baht for Lomprayah).

    Where have you seen that ? It's still ok ?

    Yes, Steve, as far as I can see the half-price promotion is still available at the main Seatran office on the pier at Thongsala.

    All the best for a Safe & Healthy 2008 to all.

    jose '-)

    Kho Phangan

    in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao

    Posted

    there is a big drug problem on koh phangan, and the police don't seem to go after the thais much, it's mostly the foreigners they target. this is too bad because a good deal of the local population (especially aged 20-35) on the island is utter scum

    Sounds to me like you're hanging around the wrong crowd, GirlX.

    I've lived (and kept my eyes open) full-time on Koh Pha-Ngan for over a year now, and I've seen much less of a drug problem here than you'd find on any Western town. Matter o' fact, I have yet to see any local Thai nodding off on heroin, and seldom see anyone on yaa baa (methamphetamines). My feeling is that 99%+ of local thais are too busy with living their lives to bother with recreational drugs.

    jose '-)

    Lomprayah

    in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao

    Posted

    Thanks Steve - I wish I had read your warning post before tonight, as the wife and I went all the way to Bangrak this evening before finding out that Lomprayah had shifted again. By the time we found out, we only had one other choice left for our return to KPG.

    Lomprayah has to be one of the most unprofessional outfits anywhere:

    Poorly-maintained "courtesy" buses that can only pick up passengers two hours before departure (leaving them stranded on Maenam beach for an hour and a half), and that is if you are lucky enough to be picked up as arranged in the first place;

    Diesel fume leaks to augment that loud Thai-style heavy rock "background" cabin atmosphere;

    Constant and regular fare increases for services where they have no competition (7am & 5pm).

    Makes the old Haad Rin Queen look like a dream boat by comparison. :o

    BTW, Seatran has been running a special price promotion - 12 trips to Samui for 1500 Baht (125 Baht each vs 250 Baht for Lomprayah).

    jose '-)

    Share Your Favorite Restaurants In Phangan

    in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao

    Posted

    Last night I was in Had Rin and heard a rumour about a great Italian hidden away. After a bit of traipsing we came to Pinos pizzaria behind Tommy's Resort. We had the best pizza either me or my friend have ever had outside Italy....period. And 180 baht each too.

    Having tried Pino's pizza several times now, IMO it is definitely the new standard for KPG. Well-made delicious pizza with real Italian mozzarella cheese and tasty herbs - highly recommended.

    Also went to Xmas Eve dinner at M'e'nu for their fabulous four-course dinner, and found their delicious gourmet servings better than ever. Looking forward to their special seven-course dinner on New Year's Eve - I believe there are still plenty of seats available for that night.

    Five-star dinning with a great atmosphere puts M'e'nu at the very top of my dining list in KPG - very much recommended!

    jose '-)

    Samui And Koh Phangan Tides

    in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao

    Posted

    Below is a graphic representation of Samui/Pha-Ngan's 2007 tide prediction data from the Royal Thai Navy's Hydrographic Dept.

    post-9505-1196682561_thumb.png

    Blue: day's high

    Red: day's low

    Green: day's median avg

    Dark green: month's median avg

    Yellow: full/new Moon day signals

    For the KPG Bantai/Bankai areas, deduct about 0.8m for actual tide heights there.

    Interesting to note that tidal range is greatest on high tide periods.

    And with few exceptions, high tides tend to coincide with full/new Moon periods.

    jose '-)

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