phuket

[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.

[hosayboh]

Originally Posted by BlueDragon193

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

Incredible, you're right!

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_...hes-22539.html

[indianmagicoil]

Originally Posted by TonyCheong

Late Jan 2014 you got go Phuket or not?

Maybe if I go Krabi I make a stop at Phuket see you?

[TonyCheong]

Originally Posted by indianmagicoil

Maybe if I go Krabi I make a stop at Phuket see you?

AirAsia is now having promotion rates to Krabi.
Dirt cheap man.
Ends 20/10/13.

[indianmagicoil]

Originally Posted by TonyCheong

AirAsia is now having promotion rates to Krabi.
Dirt cheap man.
Ends 20/10/13.

Yes today last day of AA promo. Total is $110 return w/o check-in luggage.
My last trip to HCMC costs the same on Tiger! So thinking shld make another trip there soon? HCMC VB buay pai leh

[TonyCheong]

Originally Posted by indianmagicoil

My last trip to HCMC costs the same on Tiger! So thinking shld make another trip there soon? HCMC VB buay pai leh

Boom boom nhieu nhieu.

[indianmagicoil]

Originally Posted by TonyCheong

Boom boom nhieu nhieu.

Boom boom khong co

[TonyCheong]

Originally Posted by indianmagicoil

Boom boom khong co

Your AirAsia booking has been confirmed.

Dear TonyCheong,

Your booking has been confirmed, thank you for choosing AirAsia. Your flight itinerary and payment details will be emailed to you shortly.

Want to check your itinerary immediately? Just use Manage my booking.

Your booking date is Xxx XX Xxx 2014.

[indianmagicoil]

Originally Posted by TonyCheong

Your AirAsia booking has been confirmed.

Dear TonyCheong,

Your booking has been confirmed, thank you for choosing AirAsia. Your flight itinerary and payment details will be emailed to you shortly.

Want to check your itinerary immediately? Just use Manage my booking.

Your booking date is Xxx XX Xxx 2014.

Steady! So when is XXXXXX ????

[TonyCheong]

Originally Posted by indianmagicoil

Steady! So when is XXXXXX ????

Will let you guys know in time to come.

Damn cheap. S$40+ all inclusive one way only!
No need to take coach for one leg of the journey liao!

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated 24 October 2013 :

AoT to raise airport departure tax


The Airports of Thailand board of directors has agreed on the need to raise the airport departure tax for both domestic and international passengers by 100 baht, AoT Chairman Sita Divari said on Thursday.

The departure tax for domestic flights would rise from 100 baht to 200 baht, and from 700 baht to 800 baht for international flights, Mr Sita said.

The increase still needs final approval from aviation and transport authorities.

The new fees would apply at all airports operated by AoT when approved.

The latest attack on tourists' wallets comes on top of the government's move to charge foreigners a new arrival tax at airports and land border crossings.

On Sunday, Public Health Minister Pradit Sintavanarong said the government is considering a plan to charge foreigners a 500-baht entry fee from January next year. He claimed the extra charge would lead to an improvement in the quality of tourists entering Thailand.

It would also offset the costs of state hospitals treating tourists who have accidents or fall ill and have no insurance cover.

Foreigners who arrive at airports would be charged 500 baht while those who enter the country by land would be charged 30 baht a day.

The foreigner-entry charge has been widely criticised on web forums, by tour operators and people working in the hospitality industry.

Malaysian tourists are the latest group to complain.

Withaya Lim, a tour operator in Hat Yai, said many tour agencies and tourists from Malaysia had contacted him to complain after they learned of the entry charge plan.

"This will increase costs for tour agencies bringing people to Thailand and they will have to pass the cost on to their customers," Mr Withaya said.

"I'm afraid this will result in a drop in the number of foreign tourist arrivals, particularly from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei."

According to the AoT, passenger traffic through Thailand's six main airports showed robust growth in the fiscal year to last month, climbing 20.4% from the previous year to 86.13 million travellers, both domestic and international.

The number of flights through these airports increased by 16.5% to 559,397 during the same period.

Suvarnabhumi, the country's gateway airport, continued to dominate traffic volume with 50.90 million passengers and 287,997 flights, accounting for 59% of overall passenger numbers and 51.5% of all take-offs and landings.

It was followed by Bangkok's second airport Don Mueang, which largely serves discount airlines, with 15.56 million passengers and 135,976 flights.

Phuket airport recorded 10.98 million passengers with 70,198 flights.

Chiang Mai had 5.17 million passengers and 41,295 flights, while Hat Yai had 2.47 million passengers and 17,056 flights, and Chiang Rai 1.05 million passengers and 6,882 flights.

Suvarnabhumi is served by 107 international airlines. The airport connects Bangkok with more than 150 cities around the world.

The top five nationalities of tourists arriving through Suvarnabhumi are Chinese, Japanese, Indian, South Korean and Russian.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]----- KatoeyNewsNetwork[/COLOR

[Bigkuss]

Bros. Any good currency exchange shops in patong? Any idea of current running rates would really be helpful. Thanks.

[dfusion]

Originally Posted by Bigkuss

Bros. Any good currency exchange shops in patong? Any idea of current running rates would really be helpful. Thanks.

if you are still in SGP, my experience will be to change here. last trip i've been never seen any good rates

[BlueDragon193]

Phuket Opinion: The meter of madness.
Phuket Gazette - Sunday, November 3, 2013 7:02:00 PM

METERED TAXIS: They look innocent enough. Photo: Gazette file.

PHUKET: After landing at Phuket Airport on October 7, I passed all the scam businesses and made my way to the metered taxi stand.

I’ve used it for years and know that despite the word “metered” in the name, the price is fixed, about 550 baht to Patong.

But with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) visits, it’s a new era. I asked the price to Patong. I was answered, “We only go by meter.” So far so good.

I told the staff that I wanted to go via Surin instead of over the dangerous mountain road in Kathu. They told me that it would be more expensive to go that way. I said fine.

Then I paid 100 baht surcharge and got a stamped receipt. This surcharge has been levied for years – legally or not, I don’t know.

Inside the taxi, the meter was on 50 baht. I asked why. No answer. 150 baht just to leave the airport.

No problem, I could afford it.

I told the driver the name of my hotel. He’d never heard of it. I said, “I can show you the way,” but he preferred to stop at his office near the airport to ask directions.

A woman came out to ask the hotel name. I said, “I will show him, just get me to Patong.” Pointing to the running meter, I said, “Let’s leave.” Then the boss came and asked about the hotel. I said, “The meter is running, let’s go now!”

“You are a crazy man,” was the only thing he said, several times. We took off. Before long, I told the driver that we had overshot the junction to Surin by several kilometers.

“Where are you going?” I asked him.

“I go Kathu way,” he answered.

“No, no, we agreed on the Surin way,” I said.

“No, we go Kathu,” he answered with a dangerous look.

I asked him to call his boss and they argued for a long time before he made a u-turn.

He was very angry by this time and I realized the threat. Thinking of all the stabbed taxi customers in Thailand, I tried to stay calm.

When we arrived, I jumped out of the taxi and asked for a receipt. He just shook his head, “No have.”

The trip was 635 baht on the meter. I took a photo and gave him a 65-baht tip to ensure that I could walk out of my hotel later that day without getting beaten up.

Metered taxis seem like a good idea, if they drive the shortest way and don’t mess it all up with wrong directions and stopping at their office and so on.

Not giving a receipt sounds like a tax scam. How many trips do the owners actually report? Does anyone dare to ask?