phuket

[yinyang]

Originally Posted by mgking17

Metered taxi still available after midnight? No surcharge?

Sign says metered taxi. But in reality (high season), you'll be 'quoted' a rate and take it from there. You had range -so you know. Find out, and live to tell us. For goodness sake, you are on vacation -neither will you be ripped off from public taxi stand. And benchmark from what your hotel has to offer on transfers.

[SEAJ]

Just a reminder as its getting closer!

High season in Phuket centers around the Christmas holidays and only tapers off towards the end of the Chinese New Year holidays; this high season coincides nicely with the drier weather - but unfortunately, also higher prices for everything; including and especially accommodations which can be as much as triple the rates for the low season - overcrowding at many attractions AND very sharp practices/hi-pressure tactics etc and even criminality etc.

Please keep this in mind when trying to gather information on Phuket for a sojourn there during the high season - prices, recommendations and general information gotten should be calibrated to take into account this approximate two months period my friends and I jokingly, but quite correctly, term as being Phuket's Winter madness!

Just a little heads up!
And still wishing you all a great time there!

SEAJ

[SEAJ]

Just another little heads up.

The Mafia-like taxi/Tuk-Tuk services in Phuket has long been a blight on it's great reputation as a tourist and sex destination. This and the criminality of the jet ski operators have been THE regular topic of discussions at the monthly meeting of foreign countries' consul generals, as problems with these two items regularly befall their visiting nationals.

This being so, I routinely recommend to visitors to Phuket to arrange for their own self drive car rental, which can be as low as thb 1,000 per day all inclusive during the low season for a nice smaller air conditioned car like a Honda jazz; cheaper jeeps and even motorcycles for those of you more adventurous and willing to negotiate a two-wheeler amongst the crazy drivers of Phuket are also available. You should arrange for pick up/return of your vehicle at the airport (several good car rental companies at the airport).

This negates the need to take the overpriced/rip-off transportation offered by the con artist sharks preying on tourists at the airport - which invariably also necessitates the very unwelcome, practically forced detour/stop to go shopping at some over-priced joint or even having to attend some high pressure time-share sales pitches; a truly appalling and irritating welcome to this true island paradise.

And of course, do also try to stay away from the temptations and joys of getting on a Jet Ski in Phuket!!
Yeah, seems like a nice, exciting thing to do whilst there - but when you try to give back the jet ski to the operator, don't be surprised when the guy then claims that you've incurred some scratches or cracks on his "Pristine" craft; followed by some quite menacing moves unless you pay up!

Just to illustrate how serious this problem is, a couple or so years back, some lads from the British Special forces got trapped by this con and guns and knives etc were even produced.....but our Angmo brethren eventually paid up, even after intervention by the British Consul himself.
LOL!

SEAJ

[zeusfist]

Thanks for the heads up bro. heading there first time nxt mth.

[hosayboh]

Originally Posted by SEAJ

Just to illustrate how serious this problem is, a couple or so years back, some lads from the British Special forces got trapped by this con and guns and knives etc were even produced.....but our Angmo brethren eventually paid up, even after intervention by the British Consul himself.
LOL!

SEAJ

Hey is this the one ep in 'big trouble in thailand' series?

[SEAJ]

Originally Posted by hosayboh

Hey is this the one ep in 'big trouble in thailand' series?

Yes, I saw the same TV program too.

Great portrayal of what happens and highlights how bad the nefarious operations of these Phuket jet ski operators.

SEAJ

[hosayboh]

15 hours fire at Phuket Supercheap

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_...DEO-22519.html

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_...rno-22526.html

[Burberrybrit]

Thanks bro SEAJ and bro hosayboh for the info during vegetarian season.. Maybe plan go there during the season and see the procession..

[SEAJ]

Originally Posted by Burberrybrit

Thanks bro SEAJ and bro hosayboh for the info during vegetarian season.. Maybe plan go there during the season and see the procession..

Errrr.... exceptin' its already over by now. LOL

This year's Vegetarian festival was Oct 4 - 14!!

Next year??

This tells all about the festival - http://www.phuket.com/festival/vegetarian.htm

SEAJ

[SEAJ]

Originally Posted by hosayboh

15 hours fire at Phuket Supercheap

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_...DEO-22519.html

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_...rno-22526.html

Tragic - in the past, visits to SuperCheap had been one of the highlights of my trips there. Its a shopping experience that has yet to be replicated elsewhere. Truly unique.

Even if they rebuild, I seriously doubt that they could recreate the old total lack of rhyme or reason for the total chaos/squalor that their sales floor had been. And talk about size and variety of goods/services chock-a-block next to each other!! Higher end computers/electronics next to smelly/oily cooked food stands...which are also next to the cosmetics counters!!

Amazing how SuperCheap was - and the fact that apparently, things just work so very well for so many people. Even with a pretty state of the art check out system...under bare neon lights and leaking tin roofs!!

I'll miss that dump!

And of course my condolences for those who've lost their lives/gotten injured in the inferno

SEAJ

[indianmagicoil]

I didn't know this place called Super-Cheap despite going to Phuket several times in the past. How could I miss it? Read news report its at Karon Beach? Oh well sad to say will never experience the original anymore! R.I.P.

[TonyCheong]

Originally Posted by indianmagicoil

I didn't know this place called Super-Cheap despite going to Phuket several times in the past.

Late Jan 2014 you got go Phuket or not?

[hosayboh]

Originally Posted by indianmagicoil

I didn't know this place called Super-Cheap despite going to Phuket several times in the past. How could I miss it? Read news report its at Karon Beach? Oh well sad to say will never experience the original anymore! R.I.P.

Its between phuket town n bypass road, along thepkrasattri road

[hosayboh]

Originally Posted by SEAJ

Tragic - in the past, visits to SuperCheap had been one of the highlights of my trips there. Its a shopping experience that has yet to be replicated elsewhere. Truly unique.

Even if they rebuild, I seriously doubt that they could recreate the old total lack of rhyme or reason for the total chaos/squalor that their sales floor had been. And talk about size and variety of goods/services chock-a-block next to each other!! Higher end computers/electronics next to smelly/oily cooked food stands...which are also next to the cosmetics counters!!

Amazing how SuperCheap was - and the fact that apparently, things just work so very well for so many people. Even with a pretty state of the art check out system...under bare neon lights and leaking tin roofs!!

I'll miss that dump!

And of course my condolences for those who've lost their lives/gotten injured in the inferno

SEAJ

Sigh, there goes my 10baht kao kai jiao

[BlueDragon193]

Originally Posted by hosayboh

Sigh, there goes my 10baht kao kai jiao

Poor thing...never mind a new stall will re-open soon with a new price.