It's my own fault for reading the Daily Mail, I know, but sometimes there are some useful articles in it hence, it gets a read now and again. The article that caught my eye this time was one entitled "A Taste of Thai Life" at the bottom of the property section in the Overseas Property Section.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/property/articl...-hot-spicy.html

I read through the piece and finally came across the following statement about the property market in Phuket which reads, "It seems set to continue on an upward trend - and Thailand appears determined to put the country's recent hardships firmly behind it". Now that seemed to me to be a slight exaggeration so I penned a reply setting out what I though was a more accurate assessment and pressed the send button. A few minutes later the first readers letter appeared and thinking it was mine I took a peek. It seems Carol from Essex, someone who is not the worlds best speller, really enjoyed her holiday in Phuket and will visit again. As for the more accurate assesment, well, I tried sending it two more times and then gave up. It seems that only comments with a favorable bias are allowed so I pity the poor Brits who will read the piece and start to make plans to buy in Phuket on that basis. News or advertisement? Methinks the latter.

Did the developer really say this AND want it to be published:

'So at the Village, Gordon's Thai-based company owns the land on behalf of foreign buyers.'

Not sure I'd be parting with 1/4mil - 1/2million pounds for a 30year leasehold.

Yes, and my comment was rejected aswell! Maybe, Gordon has shares in this Newspaper too.

It's my own fault for reading the Daily Mail, I know, but sometimes there are some useful articles in it hence, it gets a read now and again. The article that caught my eye this time was one entitled "A Taste of Thai Life" at the bottom of the property section in the Overseas Property Section.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/property/articl...-hot-spicy.html

I read through the piece and finally came across the following statement about the property market in Phuket which reads, "It seems set to continue on an upward trend - and Thailand appears determined to put the country's recent hardships firmly behind it". Now that seemed to me to be a slight exaggeration so I penned a reply setting out what I though was a more accurate assessment and pressed the send button. A few minutes later the first readers letter appeared and thinking it was mine I took a peek. It seems Carol from Essex, someone who is not the worlds best speller, really enjoyed her holiday in Phuket and will visit again. As for the more accurate assesment, well, I tried sending it two more times and then gave up. It seems that only comments with a favorable bias are allowed so I pity the poor Brits who will read the piece and start to make plans to buy in Phuket on that basis. News or advertisement? Methinks the latter.

Slanted certainly,

paid for probably,

but be thankful;

every little bit to promote Phuket and tourism and property sales is good for the economy and eventually for us.

Real Estate Agents Glossing Over the Facts?

I don't know about you blokes, but I'm shocked!

Where's that bloody prozac?

It's my own fault for reading the Daily Mail, I know, but sometimes there are some useful articles in it hence, it gets a read now and again. The article that caught my eye this time was one entitled "A Taste of Thai Life" at the bottom of the property section in the Overseas Property Section.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/property/articl...-hot-spicy.html

I read through the piece and finally came across the following statement about the property market in Phuket which reads, "It seems set to continue on an upward trend - and Thailand appears determined to put the country's recent hardships firmly behind it". Now that seemed to me to be a slight exaggeration so I penned a reply setting out what I though was a more accurate assessment and pressed the send button. A few minutes later the first readers letter appeared and thinking it was mine I took a peek. It seems Carol from Essex, someone who is not the worlds best speller, really enjoyed her holiday in Phuket and will visit again. As for the more accurate assesment, well, I tried sending it two more times and then gave up. It seems that only comments with a favorable bias are allowed so I pity the poor Brits who will read the piece and start to make plans to buy in Phuket on that basis. News or advertisement? Methinks the latter.

Slanted certainly,

paid for probably,

but be thankful;

every little bit to promote Phuket and tourism and property sales is good for the economy and eventually for us.

Why ??

My money comes from overseas.. The less people there the further it goes.. And way beyond money terms the more I like it..

Slanted certainly,

paid for probably,

but be thankful;

every little bit to promote Phuket and tourism and property sales is good for the economy and eventually for us.

Even if it is blatant misrepresentation?

So, Thai scams are ok if presented by falungs

Real Estate Agents Glossing Over the Facts?

I don't know about you blokes, but I'm shocked!

Where's that bloody prozac?

If an article in an English daily newspaper carries the heading, "Paid Advertisement" or similar then whatever the article contains is fair game. But if an article portends to be the view of a "travel analyst' or similar there is a duty of care that needs to be exercised. Clearly in the case of this article it is a "paid" advertisement, without the caution being applied and that is fundamentally wrong in my book.

Whether or not every little bit of positive spin from the West helps Phuket is a different story and not one that I personally agree with. Over development has already stretched Phuket well past its limits hence persuading more people to buy real estate here does little to improve things for those that live here.

Not sure I'd be parting with 1/4mil - 1/2million pounds for a 30year leasehold.

Yes, and my comment was rejected aswell! Maybe, Gordon has shares in this Newspaper too.

Maybe the newspaper doesn't want the Thaivisa style doom mongers commenting with the usual dribble & nonsense about something they know very little about. The sort of people who only talk down on Phuket because their last holiday involved getting done out of a couple of hundred baht from a tuk tuk driver !

Great article, lets hope we have more of the same from the UK press !

Not sure I'd be parting with 1/4mil - 1/2million pounds for a 30year leasehold.

Yes, and my comment was rejected aswell! Maybe, Gordon has shares in this Newspaper too.

Maybe the newspaper doesn't want the Thaivisa style doom mongers commenting with the usual dribble & nonsense about something they know very little about. The sort of people who only talk down on Phuket because their last holiday involved getting done out of a couple of hundred baht from a tuk tuk driver !

Great article, lets hope we have more of the same from the UK press !

so in your vast experience the article is not absolute fantasy?

Not sure I'd be parting with 1/4mil - 1/2million pounds for a 30year leasehold.

Yes, and my comment was rejected aswell! Maybe, Gordon has shares in this Newspaper too.

The sort of people who only talk down on Phuket because their last holiday involved getting done out of a couple of hundred baht from a tuk tuk driver !

And the opposite can be argued also - the only people who try to talk up Phuket (within the context of real estate) are those who have a vested interest. Frankly I look to newspapers to provide a balanced, fair and accurate view of things and not a view that is slanted either way, clearly that's not possible with the Mail although I think I already knew that!

Its all true, business is booming, thats why so many agents have gone to the wall or downsized and thousands of properties remain unsold

And the opposite can be argued also - the only people who try to talk up Phuket (within the context of real estate) are those who have a vested interest. Frankly I look to newspapers to provide a balanced, fair and accurate view of things and not a view that is slanted either way, clearly that's not possible with the Mail although I think I already knew that!

thank you. Well put.

After yesterday's power interruption, I wonder just how much more strain on the fossil fuel powered electrical grid Phuket can take? The infrastructure isn't in place to allow for more development.

The infrastructure isn't in place to allow for more development.

The public water supply on Nanai hillside has been in chaos for the last 6 months, with no solution to the pipeline problem even in plan or progress.

The infrastructure isn't in place to allow for more development.

The public water supply on Nanai hillside has been in chaos for the last 6 months, with no solution to the pipeline problem even in plan or progress.

I was caught up in that from pre christmas in Kathu..

I presume you know all this, but they fitted a new pipe section down near the Kathu country club road that restricted the pipe bore and lowered the throughput rate, hence reducing flow and peak pressure when too many use it. Basically they bottlenecked the system either by accident or on purpose when they did that work.

Until they redo that work the low pressure (flow rate) to the rest of the supply chain will not be fixed IMO.

I presume you know all this, but they fitted a new pipe section down near the Kathu country club road that restricted the pipe bore and lowered the throughput rate, hence reducing flow and peak pressure when too many use it. Basically they bottlenecked the system either by accident or on purpose when they did that work.

Until they redo that work the low pressure (flow rate) to the rest of the supply chain will not be fixed IMO.

Yes I know. Trouble is that no-one wants to take responsibility and all the officials just hope that the problem will 'go away'. TIT at it's worst.