General Discussion

[slackula]

Filipina gals are the prettiest in S.E.A........

LOL @ denture fetishism!

/nttiawwt

[Ping]

I'm not quite sure that I follow you there, slacky.

Pete, as to x rate, as I said before, the current value of the ThB is unsustainable. I think there will be a significant adjustment in the very near future (within the next two or three months).

[Zpete]

Hard to imagine, Ping, it is afloating currency, bank could do something, like cut the OCD, but that as low as already.

Ditto.... PH peso

[Ping]

Or the Thai Gov't could deliberately pursue inflationary measures (eg 'print money' and spend on capital works and acquisitions), but their balance of trade figures should be starting to get shaky, which should slow things down as overseas importers look to other markets for their rice and rubber.

[Zpete]

If tourists stay away, something may give, but the baht seems to be attached to bungy cords.

[Ping]

I'm not going to bother looking it up, but I recall from a thread some time ago that tourism is an insignificant industry in terms of Thailand overall. Of course, it has to be a fairly major factor for certain areas, though (I would think), such as Patong. In general terms, I would be suprised if tourism (or lack of it) had much influence on the baht at all - but someone will correct me if I'm wrong...

Dim sims (from another thread)? Can't you buy the bags of them over there? I don't suppose you eat them with Vegemite, do you (rather than soy)?

[Zpete]

We are only able to buy mini dim sims, Emperor brand.

Made by Makmur Industries in Richmond.

They taste OK, but not as moreish as the large ones, steamed with soy sauce of course.

No way deep fried.

[Ping]

That really surprises me. The large ones are readily available here (as you know) and come in a number of different brands. I like to steam them too, but I don't mind them deep fried as well. I go through a bag of them every three or four weeks - a lovely little snack if one is feeling peckish during the evening. Next you'll be telling me you can't get Chiko rolls in NZ!

[Ping]

If they ban Vegemite in Oz and NZ, I wonder if you'll still be able to get it in Phuket? (Joking - no way they'll ban it, and despite my tongue-in-cheek thread in the Pub thread, I would be surprised if they try to whack a big tax on it either.)

[Zpete]

Wot's Chiko rolls?

I buy a big bag of frozen to take back to digs.

For fresh hot ones, I usually go to a place on Swanson St, along from Bourke when in CBD, make their own, yummy..

I stay at Green Backpackers in Flinders Lane. (I thinx...lol) know where it is.

Costs about $NZ10.00 for 100 minis, a kilo.

[thaiwanderer]

I'm not going to bother looking it up, but I recall from a thread some time ago that tourism is an insignificant industry in terms of Thailand overall. Of course, it has to be a fairly major factor for certain areas, though (I would think), such as Patong. In general terms, I would be suprised if tourism (or lack of it) had much influence on the baht at all - but someone will correct me if I'm wrong...

Dim sims (from another thread)? Can't you buy the bags of them over there? I don't suppose you eat them with Vegemite, do you (rather than soy)?

IIRC tourism revenue is circa 6% of the GDP

Obviously in real terms ancilliary revenues would probably increase that a little and localised dependence (Phuket, Pattaya, the entire Isaan region etc. etc.).

Also not clear how long stay 'expats' contributions are factored in.

[Ping]

Thanks for that info, thaiwanderer. I have just confirmed that for myself (2007 estimate was around US$30 billion). That's an extraordinarily high figure, so tourism is a far greater economic consideration than I had realised.

Pete, Chiko rolls: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiko_Roll

Surprised you haven't come across them. Very tasty. Almost as trad as the Aussie meat pie! If we remember, I'll tell you a very interesting (unreported) story about Chiko rolls when I see you next... Are you still planning on November?

[Zpete]

Yeah Ping, have to see how our dollar is going.

Will possibly need 2 tickets.

Saw Emirates promo, $NZ846.00 - $A669.00 return to Bangers.

Gotta be cheapest eva.

Edit: OOOPs, that is from Christchurch, nearly forgot.

Edited February 4, 2009 by Zpete

[Ping]

So you've never tried a Chiko roll? Don't think you can get them in Phuket, either...

[Zpete]

I well remember getting fab chicken rolls from a Chinese in Kew.

Really had chicken and nicely seasoned, not all greasy.

Some of the best dim sims too, closed now.

[Zpete]

Just wondering.

Are ther bushfires on Phuket at anytime, or is it too wet?

......anywhere in Thailand for that matter.

[Ping]

Never heard of any in Phuket. Can't recall about Thailand generally (main natural problem is floods, particularly across the north, from west through east). Of course, there are numerous localised fires due to electrical wiring/faults, and electrical substation/transformer explosions when rain comes after a dry spell.

[Zpete]

Doubt LoS would have floods like Nthn Queensland is enduring at the mo'.

[Kan Win]

Just wondering.

......anywhere in Thailand for that matter.

Reporting from Kanchanaburi:-

Yes we sure did, but that was years ago and now they burn off the sides of the roads under controlled ways in December and early Jan each year here in Kan, dry as 'ell right now and a few fires up in the hills, but nothing to write home about. We do have "forest fire stations" around here and lots of signs as well. Most fires are started with folks chucking out empty bottle onto the verges of the roads year round, hence the burn-offs.

Yours truly

Win reporting from Kan

P.S. lots of sugar planations here also burn their own grounds under supervision

[Ping]

Well there you go Pete - thanks Win. As to flooding, Pete, yes they have some fairly diabolical ones up north and they are not uncommon. (Good place for paddies then, hey?) Other areas get flooding too, though not to the same extent as up north. (I've seen cars floating in Bangla quite a few times over the years.)

[Zpete]

Blotty deep, paddys, Ping, like cupla metres........LOL

Thai people too short.

I have seen on Sky news, pix of floods, the odd tree sticking out of an ocean.

[Ping]

Yes, as you said in an earlier post, it is a bit like Q'land. Ten or fifteen years ago, I was coming back to Melbourne from skiing up at Buller and there were massive floods, with the tree-sticking-out-of-an-ocean theme well in play. Up there now is like Tony Grieg sticking his keys in the wicket.

It's amusing sitting in a bar and watching the locals trying to ride down Bangla during a flood. They usually get forty or fifty yards down the soi, feet off the pedals and in the air, before the motocy coughs, splutters, dies and they end up pushing. You could understand it with farang, but you'd reckon the local would know better...

[Zpete]

I remember when about 10 years old, riding my bike along a street and the bike being totally under water....... was fun for us kids.

Put locals on pushbikes..............

[Ping]

I don't see why there are not more pushbikes around Patong. It's a small enough town. The exception might be those who have to go up the sois on the hill behind Nanai, or up 50 Pee.

Ever been to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh? Pushbikes everywhere. Most of the locals in Patong are only going one or two kilometres max - could easily be done on a pushbike. (Of course, now I'm getting images in my mind of mum, dad and the two kids hanging off one standard pushbike...) Then the other side is that a lot of them will attach those illegal sidecar box thingies to their pushbikes. Oh well, just a thought. Unfortunately, for the kids, their little motorcys are minor status symbols for them, so they wouldn't be caught dead on a pushbike.

The problem will come if and when the economy improves to the extent that many more of the locals can afford to replace their motorcycs with those dinky little Korean and Japanese cars. The roads can get bad enough as it is, but imagine the impact if they all had cars... Think of the dramas it would create in Phuket Town; think of peak hour at Chalong Circle.

----

Saw some vid of the floods up Queensland recently. You were right - far worse than I had understood them to be.

[Kan Win]

Was that not why they called them Push Bikes Must be those "RollsKanHardly" models, rolls down hill and Kan hardly push them up the hill, I say

I never had one at that early age of 10, had to walk all the way

So what is new "down under" in Phuket? since I am in Kan.

<deleted> quite here, hot and getting hotter by the day. The River looks great, nice and clean.

No fires to report, but 'eard up North they are on the watch for them.

So ended me weekly report from Kan.

Have a good one, one and all.

Your truly

Win in Kan

Edited February 19, 2009 by Kan Win

[Zpete]

Loved my pushbike, ya no idea what we managed to get up to.

Kan, ya dunno wot ya missed.

Fitted foot steps on both front and back axles for standing. 2nd wooden seat carrier behind normal seat.

Most on bike and able ride was 6 stoopid kids........LOL

I dream of a 4 wheel mobility scooter, gunna love that, great for local shops and driving around malls.........wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!!

[Ping]

Mobility scooter? Is that something like an electric wheelchair? I can just imagine you in a souped-up electric chair ripping down the aisles of Central at 30 miles an hour! I really can!

(But you'll spend most of your time in it going around Chalong Circle, trying to find out what they did with the fountain. I'll bet that On even organises a wee parking space for it outside her bar.)

Edited February 20, 2009 by Ping

[Kan Win]

Loved my pushbike, ya no idea what we managed to get up to.

Kan, ya dunno wot ya missed.

I dream of a 4 wheel mobility scooter, gunna love that, great for local shops and driving around malls.........wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!!

Mobility scooter? I can just imagine you in a souped-up

mobility scooter

ripping down the aisles of Central at 30 miles an hour! I really can!

Sorry to upset you both, but the "4 wheeeeeeeeeeels scooters" are illegal in Thailand on normal roads that is, however for shopping in and around "The Malls" etc., we do have this model for you, Kan carry most things

Enjoy the ride boys

Now what was that song again, ohh yes,

"Three wheels on my wagon,

And I’m still rolling along

The Māoris are chasing me

Arrows fly, right on by

But I’m singing a happy song

Yours truly,

In Kan, Win

[Ping]

Spot on Win!

[Zpete]

Kan....... Ping.......

Maoris and 'arrows'.... ? ? ?.......... where ya cumming from.......NOT N.Z.

Ping, I reckon ON or EH would save me permanent park.

If need nbe, lotsa 3 wheeler mobility scooters around,,,....... wheeeeeeeeeee !!!!