Jamie's Phuket

Booking Phuket Hotels Online

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:13:00 +0000

As we enter high season in Phuket and the Andaman coast, visitor numbers increase dramatically compared to our low "summer season". Of course that's due to the weather. From November to April (on average) the weather is better than May - October. In particular, the Phuket Rainfall Averages show that December, January and February are the driest months of the year. Of course you can get plenty of good weather in the low season too, but in high season you'll get more sun. I don't promise no rain, hey, this is the tropics, but the next 6 months is the time to visit Phuket! Plenty more weather information on my Phuket Weather Blog...

Enough about the weather! I hope if you browse this blog you will find that Phuket is a wonderful place. Now, this blog is mostly about the "other" Phuket, not the main tourist beaches, tours, shops and shows. But whether you come here for the beach, a family holiday, a honeymoon, a quick trip or a erm... gentleman's holiday.. everyone has one thing in common. You need a place to stay. Phuket has it all. You can get a backpackers dorm for 200 Baht, you can rent a villa, and there are guesthouses and hotels to suit all budgets. If you care to search Google for "Phuket Hotels"... you get over a million search results. There are thousands of online hotel booking services. So how do you make a choice?! Might as well stick a pin in your screen and say "That one!"... well, I hope that Jamie's Phuket can help in making a choice!

Some people will always book direct with the hotel. Others prefer to book everything in a package through their local travel agent. But often, if you want the best rates and the best choice of hotels - an online hotel booking agent can be the best choice. Over the last few years I have experimented with several hotel sites, linking to them from this blog. The recommended Phuket Hotels section of the blog grows slowly and for each hotel there are a couple of options for online booking.

Agoda - not such a common name in Europe or North America, but in Asia Agoda is well known, being based in Singapore. The site is well designed, very easy to use, they offer rewards when you book (equivalent to a discount on a future booking), and guarantee lowest rates. Have a look!

• Agoda.com - Home Page
• Agoda - Thailand Hotels
• Agoda - Phuket Hotels

Agoda is also available in many languages such as German, Japanese, Russian and many more. You'll see a language picker at the top of the page.

LateStays - Part of the Asia Web Direct company that was recently bought by Wotif, LateStays specialises in last minute bookings - up to 28 days in advance. Website is very very easy to use, the discounts are often considerable, although you may want to check Agoda too - LateStays does not guarantee lowest rates, but for a late late booking, it's very very good.

• LateStays.com - Home Page
• LateStays - Thailand Hotels
• LateStays - Phuket Hotels

Have a look at these two - Agoda and LateStays. Plenty more out there if you want to look, but here on Jamie's Phuket I stick with them when it comes to hotel booking. High season is here! If you are reading, hope you can make it to Phuket soon!

Vegetarian Festival Procession Photos

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:21:00 +0000

Well, the 2009 Phuket Vegetarian festival is now over. As normal, wish I had more time to see all the different events, visit more shrines, but work and family do just about come first! During the week I had no time, but on Saturday and Sunday woke early and headed to the processions. The street processions in Phuket Town happened every day from the 20th to 26th October. I cannot recommend enough that, should you be in Phuket during the festival, you should make the effort to see something... something that you will not have seen before!

I managed a full 9 days on the vegetarian diet, eating food only from the restaurants and stalls selling the "Jae" food, no meat, no dairy, no garlic (it's smelly). Oh, and no alcohol - 9 days without a beer is something of a miracle for me! There are still events that I have not seen, not photographed such as fire walking, and the final night (which was last night) in Phuket Town, where the streets are packed with people and the air is full of firecrackers. The local TV channel was showing live pictures, it looks mad. If going on that last night, ear plugs and a facemask are a must. Taking photos would be hard work - camera would need some protection too. And feet in sandals would maybe get a few little burns. Next year....!

Talking of cameras, my Canon lens screwed up on the very first day of the festival, stopped functioning on wide angle - exactly what I need for festival photos! Oh well, I did manage to get some pretty good pictures anyway. Maybe by next year will have upgraded the camera again.

All the photos below were taken on the 24th and 25th. On the 24th I was at Jui Tui Shrine by about 6:30am and chased the procession around town for a couple of hours. The Jui Tui shrine is I believe the biggest in Phuket, and the crowds were considerable. I hope this big farang did not get in too many peoples way :).. On the 25th I went to Kathu Shrine, also around 6:30, before they all started walking. Some participants were still being pierced. I stayed with the procession through the village, but did not follow all the way to Phuket Town.

For more general information about the vegetarian festival and links to many articles on the blog and photos from previous years see here:

• The Amazing Phuket Vegetarian Festival

The photos below are just a selection - I have (so far) uploaded about 50 to my Flickr account - Phuket Vegetarian Photos - Jamie Monk on Flickr.

Saturday morning - Jui Tui Shrine is just to the west of the market in Phuket Town, in the old town area. The area is crowded all week with foodstalls - we went on Friday night and it was a battle to get along the street! Similar scenes on Saturday morning. I could hardly get inside the shrine, so waited outside the main entrance for the Ma Song to emerge. If you are at all squeamish, look away now. Too late :)

I believe the guy above is regretting his choice of piercing. How the **** did he get those in there??!

There were quite a few females this year with piercings but others stuck with smaller items. This was the only girl I saw with something extreme. But the colour matches her dress, how lovely.

There are many ladies like her, dancing along the streets. Many of them really do appear to be entranced.

The guy cutting his tongue was a favourite of mine. Good ol' fashioned purification by pain! The dude below him seems to be going for some kind of record. How many really sharp things can you stick in your face? Actually I think his record was beaten next day at Kathu :)

Some of the metal rods through faces were long - hard to move in a crowded space when you have a 2 meter long spike in your face. The piercings come in all shapes and sizes. I saw guns, model boats, a propeller shaft, bathroom fittings....

That'll do for now - as I say, more photos on my Flickr page.

Sunday morning - Kathu Shrine is only about 1km from my house. We can hear noise from the shrine during the festival. Sunday was their procession day. They actually walk from Kathu to Phuket Town, about 5km. Try that barefoot with a sword in your head! This is why they start early - doing this in the midday sun would be foolish.... Yeh, maybe foolish already, but anyway...

At Kathu, the crowds were much less, still pretty busy, but easier to walk in the temple grounds. The rituals start very early. I was there about 6:30am. I think next year will try for 5:30am. Ma Song were being pierced in the temple grounds. Entranced mediums were exiting the shrine shaking heads and shouting. It's all a bit surreal. Another world.

Maybe taking the name Vegetarian Festival too literally? The metal spikes and small knives are more traditional, but in recent years there is a tendency for more elaborate piercing. Bigger or weirder - more likely to get your photo in the paper!

Groups of friends often seem to do the procession together with similarly bizarre piercings. Would you like to see a close up? I thought not. But it's my blog, so...

Ah yes, this Kathu dude beats the Jui Tui dude hands down in the sharp-things-in-your-face contest.

The procession walked out through the village, the god statues being carried by groups of young men accompanied by thousands of firecrackers. You have to be right in the middle of it to appreciate the noise, the smoke, the feeling of tradition. This is something the local people believe in, this is no show, no tourist attraction. In Kathu, how many foreigners did I see? Just me and about 5 or 6 others with cameras - some were pro photographers. I would have liked to follow the procession to town, but of course had to go to work :(

Don't think I will ever get tired of the vegetarian festival. Phuket has beaches, nightlife, diving, great scenery, 5 star resorts, but for me it's some of the history and traditions that makes Phuket something a bit special. Might upload some more photos later. Meantime, just a few days until Loy Krathong, which is on Monday 2nd November.

• More Vegetarian Festival photos (Flickr)
• More information about Festivals in Phuket

Some Photos from Kathu Shrine - Vegetarian Festival

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:56:00 +0000

The vegetarian festival is underway, there have been a couple of the street processions in Phuket Town already, I have been eating the special Jae diet for 4 days now and driving home last night past the Phuket Brewery I was gagging for a beer.. but part of the festival is purification, cleaning the body.. so no beers until next week.

Would have uploaded a few photos earlier, but the Gremlins struck twice this week. Our wireless internet modem at home suddenly stopped working, and then.. as I was taking photos at Kathu village shrine on Saturday 17th October for the opening ceremony of the festival, my EOS 20D decided to **** up. I got some photos of the people as prayers were said, incense was burned and the Go Teng pole was blessed, and then just as I hoped to get some action shots of the pole being raised, I got "Error 99". Won't bore you with details... looks like a lens issue, so the lens will need fixing. Oddly, it was working just fine a couple of days later.. but can't be 100% trusted, so I have now been and bought a new 75-300 zoom which will see action at the weekend!

The opening action of the vegetarian festival is the raising of the Go Teng pole, a 20 meter high wooden pole - this happens at all the participating shrines. Later at night the gods are invited to descend the poles into the shrines. So here's some pictures around the shrine just before the pole was raised...

Images of the gods were being carried to the shrine as I arrived, and plenty of people were carrying large bunches of incense to say a prayer before the pole was raised.

The Go Teng pole is rather large - it's attached to ropes, and a long line of people were waiting to pull while others were waiting to help push with long forked sticks. Meanwhile the pole was blessed with incense and sprinkled with water.

I imagine the guy below to be one the "village elders". He said a final prayer at the small shrine next to the pole before the pole was hoisted to the sky. It's a big piece of wood - took a while to get it fixed into place... It's held steady by a wooden peg and guy ropes attached to several points around the temple grounds.

The festival is now in full swing - I will get to at least one of the street processions at the weekend, hopefully on Saturday (Jui Tui Shrine) and Sunday (Kathu Shrine). Been too busy this week to get to any of the early processions.

I took another walk in Kathu village and into the shrine with my daughter on Tuesday evening. This evening will take a walk in Phuket town near Jui Tui Shrine which is a very busy area compared to the relatively quiet Kathu. But since Kathu is our "local" it's convenient to head there to get some food and photos!

It was a rather drizzly evening on Tuesday as we headed to the village. Every year at festival time they erect a fancy entrance outside the municipality offices:

We just reached a little Phad Thai stall as the rain fell more heavily. Good place to stop - had a tin roof and tasty Phad Thai (vegetarian, of course). The owners little baby granddaughter kept her big dark eyes on the big foreigner...

Next stop - fireworks. I promised to buy some for the kids. We spent about 100 Baht on various firecrackers, fountains, small rockets etc... Guess we'll get some more today! All the very best in cheap Chinese fireworks. I am careful not to let the kids too close, but they are a bargain. Rockets for 10 Baht!

I find the Chinese shrines fascinating at this time of year. With firecrackers going off all night, everyone (almost) dressed in white, the incense and rituals, it's like another world. Plus for a week the whole area converges on the temple to sit and have a chat. All the old dudes sit on benches in the temple. All the kids throw firecrackers outside. And I love all the lanterns...

Candles and incense were still being lit and prayers being said next to the Go Teng pole...

Also outside the shrine is the burner - a place where people burn prayer sheets and "money" which is to wish good luck in this life and the next. If anyone reading knows more about why people burn things and say a prayer do let me know!

Inside the shrine, expect plenty of noise, banging drums, lots of smoke from the incense, if you are visiting try to keep out of the way of the locals who wish to pray. Oh and dress properly if you visit a shrine. It's not the beach. My daughter and I watched one of the Ma Song as he said prayers inside while kids banged away at drums and a black flag was waved around his body. It's in the shrine where the spirits of the gods are said to enter the bodies of the Ma Song. This guy (with no shirt, see photo below) seemed quite exhausted when he finally left the altar. It's all quite intense and is certainly no show. I mean, if it's a show, who's it for?!

I hope to be at street processions on Saturday and Sunday, plus find time for some firewalking somewhere in the next few days. Work does get in the way, though! For now, here are some tasty spring rolls (vegetarian).

Phuket Vegetarian Festival Schedule 2009

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:14:00 +0000

Updated - Festival is all done now - some of my photos here:

• Vegetarian festival 2009 - Street Procession Photos

It's nearly here! My favourite festival in Phuket - the amazing vegetarian festival. If you are in Phuket between the 17th and 26th of this month, you'll have a chance to see something special. BUT here's a hint.. you will not find anything much going on near the main tourist beaches. No, this is a local event with a rich history going back almost 200 years, this is not a tourist show. Want to see something? You need to make a bit of effort. The festival is centered around Phuket Town and the many Chinese Shrines in Phuket that reflect the Chinese ancestry of many of the people here. Most of the shrines are in or near the town, with a few around other parts of the island. The main processions take place early morning around the town - if you want to catch one, best to stay in town, or you'll be needing an early morning ride from the beaches, as processions start around 7am.

It all kicks off on Saturday 17th in the late afternoon when the "lantern pole" is raised at each temple down which the gods are said to descend. I'll be having a look at my nearest shrine in Kathu village a few km outside town. The street processions take place every morning from the 20th to 26th. There are events in the afternoons and evenings too and in town and areas around the shrines, food stalls galore selling the special food that is eaten during the festival. There are some stalls and restaurants doing this food at the beaches but not many. If you head into Phuket Town around the market area near the Jui Tui shrine, that would be a good place to sample the food.

This blog has featured the Phuket vegetarian festival a lot in past years, and there are many pages devoted to the processions, lots of photos, information about the shrines, the food... you can find a lot more information and links here:

• The Amazing Phuket Vegetarian Festival

Not too much happens for the first couple of days after the raising of the lantern poles, but any evening is a good time to visit one of the shrines. Things really kick off on the 20th with the first street procession. Here's a listing of the main events during the festival:

Saturday October 17th

All shrines, starting around 5pm - raising of the lantern pole. Events at the shrines will go on all evening. The lanterns are hung from the pole at midnight, signifying the start of the festival. There will be plenty of firecrackers and fireworks too. Well worth a visit on Saturday evening. Not sure if I will be awake at midnight, but I will be at Kathu shrine for the pole raising ceremony.

18th - 19th October - no big events, but you can visit any shrine at any time, and now the food is available too. I will again try to stick to the special diet for the duration of the festival.

Tuesday October 20th

Street procession starting 7am for Sapam Shrine - this shrine is a few km north of Phuket Town. Photographers and TV news always cover the first procession, as everyone wants to get the first photos for the paper, and local TV always covers the festival.

Wednesday October 21st

Street procession for Sam Kong Shrine - it's not far from my house - see more here: Sam Kong Shrine. They will walk from the shrine in the north of town down through the old town. I might try to catch the start of this procession, but note that the street around Sam Kong shrine is very crowded and if you go with your own transport you may need to park some way from the shrine.

Thursday October 22nd

Street procession for Ban Tha Rue shrine which is in the Thalang area of Phuket in the center of the island - this used to be the main town in Phuket a few hundred years ago and there are several historic temples in the area as well as a museum of Phuket history.

In the evening the schedule shows "Oil bathing and bladed-ladder climbing" starting 7pm at Kathu shrine. Now, last year we went to see these events but they were not being held.. and a brochure I have from the Kathu municipality does not show these events in the schedule.

Friday October 23rd

A big day! Street procession in Phuket Town for the Bang Neow Shrine, which is in the south of the town on Phuket Road, one of the biggest shrines participating in the festival. There is also a procession for Cherng Talay Shrine in Thalang district.

Later in the day the schedule has Fire Walking at several locations including Sapam Shrine, Sapan Hin (for Jui Tui shrine) and Sui Boon Tong shrine (couple of blocks to the west of the market in Phuket Town)

Saturday October 24th

Street procession for Jui Tui shrine, which is the biggest one of all, found just west of the market in Phuket Town. Since Saturday is normally my day off I do believe I will be in town for this one!

Later there are lots of events at various shrines including bladed ladder climbing at Sam Kong and Bang Neow shrines and something called "nail bridge crossing" at Sapam Shrine.

Sunday October 25th

Street procession from Kathu shrine to Phuket Town. It's a fair walk this one, about 5km from Kathu Shrine all the way to town, around the old town and ending at Sapan Hin. Kathu is my "local" shrine, I will aim to be at the shrine before 6am to witness the piercing rituals as I did last year. The procession then heads out of Kathu village around 6:30am.

Later in the evening - fire walking at Bang Neow and Sam Kong shrines.

Monday October 26th

The last day of the festival. A final morning procession for Sui Boon Tong shrine, then events such as firewalking at Kathu shrine at 3pm. Then, in the evening/night a big procession around Phuket Town, carrying statues of the gods to Sapan Hin. Lots of firecrackers and fireworks. Ends at midnight with the "farewell" to the gods. I do hope to summon up energy enough to be in Phuket Town in the night for this event - I have seen it on TV, looks mad!

Tuesday October 27th

Around 5pm the lantern poles are lowered at the shrines marking the very end of the festival.

Now, I would happily go to see all processions and events every night at various shrines, but of course have to work and have a family too.. If you are lucky enough to be in Phuket during the vegetarian festival, DO make an effort to see something. This is a special time of year. And don't be afraid of the food! I am (almost) looking forward to a week of tofu and beansprouts :)

Restaurant Tip: The Coffee Pot

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:59:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but .. as a long term resident here in Thailand I am still learning to appreciate different Thai foods. When I first came here, I think I ate fried rice or green curry about 50% of the time and was a bit scared to try new things especially anything too spicy. These days I love spicier foods and can eat just about any Thai dish. Nevertheless, sometimes my English stomach says "hold on, enough chili, enough rice, enough weird spices... I want proper food". No offence meant, but now and then I get that need for something from the old country, something simple, meat and veg, potatoes or a big English breakfast. I have touched on this before, and during the high season, the Pineapple Guesthouse near our diveshop does some good English food.

The Coffee Pot has been around for years, owned by an Aussie guy called Tony who can sometimes be seen outside fixing up big bikes. Somehow I had never been in there until a few weeks ago. Many people had told me that the Coffee Pot was good for big breakfasts, for steaks and for coffee of course. The restaurant is on Patak Road (the back road in Kata and Karon) just north of the PTT gasoline station on the same side of the road, just opposite the turning into Thaina road.

Inside there is a lot of space, room for at least 50 people. I have been a few times at lunchtime, but it's low season and there were never more than a few people seated. Tony says in high season, especially in the evenings, it can be pretty full, as his BBQ is famous throughout the land!

The decor includes photos of John Lennon, James Dean, Motorbikes and Marilyn Monroe. I reckon I will have to go sometime in high season for a meaty dinner. First time I had a late breakfast as advertised on the front of the restaurant - 2 eggs, toast, bacon, tomato, beans and fresh coffee - 120 Baht. I was surprised by the size of the plate and impressed by the use of proper thick crusty bread to make the toast. And the coffee was good too...

So having had this breakfast special, I had to try the Full Monty breakfast - 220 Baht including extras - orange juice (fresh), hash brown, mushrooms and sausage. Surely enough to sink a boat? And a very good cure for that well known Changover. I am not sure if the Full Monty was worth the extra 100 Baht, as the 120 Baht breakfast is very good value and very filling. Breakfasts are served all day. Here's the Full Monty:

I checked out the BBQ & Grill menu while I was there - click the photo below to enlarge. People tell me that Tony's steaks are fit for a giant, which would suit me, thank you... I reckon that after the coming vegetarian festival, a big steak at the Coffee Pot might be in order!

Check out that Mixed Grill - 2 eggs, bacon, mushrooms, onions, sausage, pork chop, lamb chop and a steak and chips and salad - 690 Baht. During the vegetarian festival I try very hard to stick to the special "cleansing" diet. I think this mixed grill might be the way to get all dirty again :)

Restaurant Tip: Mom Tri's Kitchen

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:37:00 +0000

Earlier this month I decided to write about Mom Tri's Villa Royale, which is one of the top rated hotels in Phuket, a really nice place to stay. I tend to write hotel recommendations based on their reviews on TripAdvisor or based on talking to customers from our dive shop about their hotels. As a resident of course I don't stay in the hotels here and being that this is an honest blog, I don't take any payment or freebies for writing about hotels either.

But I am glad to know some people in the tourism industry here do read this blog! Sylvie, who is PR manage for Mom Tri's contacted me with a thanks from the management for the blog article.. and would I like to have lunch at Mom Tri's Kitchen one day? Well, sure! I hate to plead poverty, but a place like that is rather out of my normal budget. Lunch for me is normally going to cost about 60 Baht, I guessed the menu at the Kitchen would be rather pricier...

Mom tris' Kitchen is part of the Villa Royale resort overlooking Kata Noi beach. I had a quick hotel tour before lunch. Rooms are "Olde Thai" style, there are several pools, a couple of seaview bars and then the restaurant. Tables are placed next to huge windows overlooking the ocean. It was a windy day on Sunday, the waves were roaring in to the beach, quite a spectacular lunchtime view...

Menu is extensive - you can browse it on their website. Actually that shows the dinner menu, not lunch, but you'll get the idea. All sounds rather good, doesn't it! The website also has all the prices. I decided not to be TOO greedy, did not order all the most expensive items. Started with a very good salad with Feta cheese and olives... There was also a bread plate with little dips made from olives and sun dried tomatoes...

Naturally there is a big drinks list too, but since this was a working lunch, I skipped on the wine and spirits. Also skipped on the Gazpacho :)

Main course for some reason I felt like a pizza rather than anything too fancy. The pizza with smoked salmon was very tasty, though I think if you want pizza you can find better in Phuket for sure. I maybe should have gone for one of the chef's recommendations but I do like a pizza.

Oh, and there was dessert too! Wasn't going to ask for it, but dessert menu was presented and the "Giant Profiterole" sounded like something suitable for a fat panda like me. Will need to diet for a few days to lose the 3,000 calories in the profiterole...

Many thanks to Mom Tri's for the lunch and even though nobody asked for a write up, I would say if you have some money to burn, Mom Tri's Kitchen is worth a splurge for the food and views. Or I guess for some people the menu seems quite cheap! Next restaurant on this blog will be a bit lower down the food chain :)

Luang Pu Supha Temple

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 05:21:00 +0000

On a grey and wet morning I awoke early for a visit to a temple which has suddenly become famous. Local news last week reported that the revered Monk, Luang Pu Supha could be the world's oldest living man, having just celebrated his 113th birthday. This has yet to be ratified by Guinness. Luang Pu Supha is a well traveled Monk having visited Laos, Burma, China and Europe. He returned to Phuket in his 60's and dedicated time helping the sea gypsies. The temple he resides at now was named after him by HM Queen Sirikit.

The main temple is still under construction. All activities for now take place in more modern looking buildings. The temple is not far from Way Chalong, up a side road leading towards the hills. There is talk that this road will one day link up with Patong.. Indeed on a mountain bike or hiking you can follow this road up and over the hill, but it might take a while before the real road actually gets built.

The main hall, where the birthday celebrations had been held just a couple of days earlier, houses a large Buddha statue and the floor is decorated with giant lotus flowers. Given the current fame of the temple, I was not surprised to see a fair number of people there at 8am on a drizzly Saturday morning. In the main hall prayers were being said...

Outside a number of mobile food and drink stalls had arrived. Passing them I headed to the other main building where the Monks were eating. A large table was piled with donations of food. The Monks were all seated as more people arrived with offerings. Just outside the hall, a row of poor people were seated waiting for their chance to eat. In fact anyone can eat the food at a temple, but must wait for the Monks to eat first. Phuket may be a relatively rich province but of course not everyone benefits from the wealth of the land.

I shall go back when the temple is complete. I have read that the decoration inside is quite special. As it was a wet morning and the sky was dark, it was not ideal for taking photos this time. I drove further up the road. The land up here is hardly built on, though there is a safari/elephant trekking company. With the low clouds and drizzle, plus some grazing cattle and the associated "country smells" it felt like England! Along the road, a small side track headed int the hills. The sign (below) attracted my interest, but just then the drizzle turned into a heavy downpour, so I will explore up this little road further sometime soon...

The Phuket Jet Ski Debate

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:44:00 +0000

I feel something should be written here about this weeks big story in Phuket. Jet Skis. Actually, it's an ongoing saga, but this week has seen some very interesting developments. The "Jet Ski" scam is well known, yet people get caught all the time. Not just in Phuket, I have heard the same from Ko Pha Ngan, and read about similar operations in other countries. You rent a jet ski for a bit of adrenaline on the water, bring back the machine after an hour of fun, and lo! The guy who rented it to you finds some damage. I think you know the rest of the story.

Now, I have no problem with jet skis if they are properly operated, insured, maintained and kept outside of safe swimming areas. I am not a "jet ski hater". A lot of tourists expect this kind of watersports activity to be available at a major beach resort like Patong Beach. BUT, caveat emptor. Most jet skis have no insurance, and you can normally see this in big letters on the machine "NO INSURANCE". Not put off by this? PT Barnum would have loved you.

Are jet skis unsafe? Well, no less safe than a motorbike IF you are riding carefully. Accidents do happen. Trouble is, ANYONE can rent a jet ski. No experience needed. And that is something I don't like. Back in 2003 there were at least a couple of deaths, one of them a 13 year old whose dad had rented the jet ski for him. That's a sad story.

• 13 year old dies in jet ski crash (October 25th 2003)
• 19 year old dies in jet ski crash (November 26th 2003)

Back in 2003, there was a bit of a debate and the (then) governor of Phuket Udomsak Usawarangkura vowed that laws covering jet-skis would be strictly enforced from then on – and that jet-skis would vanish from Phuket beaches within seven years.

• Governer vows to rid Phuket of Jet Skis

Of course it never happened. In fact there were even more jet skis registered, despite the governor saying "All jet-ski licenses will expire within seven years and we won’t issue any new ones". Now, any death is a bad thing, but every year there are quite a number of deaths by drowning at the beaches in Phuket, and you can't ban swimming. Drunken tourists crash motorbikes and die, a plane crashed in 2007. You can't ban mopeds or flights. It's a sad world sometimes. I have not read of any jet ski deaths in Phuket since 2003, please correct me if you know of any.

Actually, the jet ski had a bit of a revival after the tsunami. There was even a round of the Asian jet ski championship at Patong in 2006, see video below:

In 2007, the new governor backed down from the total removal of jet skis and allowed owners of registered jet-skis to replace old or inoperable vessels with new ones, but still there was mention of a total ban by 2011:

• Governor relaxes jet ski ban (February 2007)

But the scams continued, or maybe got worse, or maybe just got reported more. If you are a reader of travel forums, you will probably have read warnings. But nothing has ever been done. Here's another video, from 2008:

Suddenly, in the last week or so, jet skis have been big news again. It started on September 1st. There was a story in the Phuket Wan website about a Chinese tourist who, when confronted with jet ski operators demanding 50,000 Baht for "damage". She called the Chinese honorary consul who called the Phuket governor. The word had reached the ears of the right person:

• Chinese tourist refuses to pay jet ski demands

It seems word then spread to other influential figures such as the deputy prime minister of Thailand and the Phuket provincial police commander. The story below is from 4th September.

• Top Cop orders end to jet ski scams

At the same time, the Phuket Gazette ran a readers poll. What should be done with jet skis? Ban them, was the majority answer, though quite a few people would be happy with strict enforcement of the regulations. I personally believe, that if jet skis are properly run, are insured, kept to certain areas and there are no rip offs, then we can all live happily.

• Phuket Gazette readers favor total ban on jet-skis

Oh dear, then this happens. Now the sh*t has hit the fan, no hiding any more. It's on TV. Lots of people will see it, bad for Thailand's image, so suddenly it's a big deal again. There was this story on 7th September:

• British TV shows gun in jet ski scam standoff

A TV show on the "Bravo" channel in the UK called "Trouble in Tourist Thailand" aired last week. Part of the program shows the jet ski operators confronting some British navy boys on shore leave. Things get heated, they call in an MP Sergeant who accuses the jet ski boys of being crooks. One of them has a gun. And of course, the whole show was on Youtube a day later. I have not watched the whole thing yet. There are 4 parts below:

On the 10th, the guy called "JJ" who was brandishing the gun was arrested, though has now been released on bail. We will see where this leads. Will he be a scapegoat? Will anything actually be done to regulate the jet ski industry? The report in Phuket Wan below says that Phuket's Governor, Wichai Praisa-nob, has been urged by the Deputy Prime Minister and senior diplomats from Australia and Britain to crack down on the scams. Oh, and then there's the Chinese too...

• JJ (jet ski operator) arrested in Phuket

On the 11th, there was a "crisis meeting" in Patong with jet ski operators, the governor of Phuket, local municipality leaders, members of the navy and police... now, Thailand is well known for face saving measures, and the outcome of the meeting seems (for now) to be that jet skis MUST have insurance for damage. With insurance, there would be no scams. The story is not over yet... some of the operators said their businesses would not be economic if they had to get insurance. So.. hey, charge a bit more for rental, then! There is said to be another meeting due on the 18th to work out details for an insurance scheme.

• Phuket jet ski operators must get insurance

Meanwhile, with some people saying the TV show was a set-up, the Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand, the producer of the show tells his side of the story:

• Inside the jet ski scandal

The story will go on, a compromise will be reached, but it does seem that the current governor of Phuket, Wichai Praisa-nob, seems determined to clean up the island in more ways than one. We don't need rip offs, we don't need bad press. Unfortunately it's the bad press that people here tend to worry about more. I would hope that everyone can get their heads together and work something out. I will add more links to news stories here as they come.

Update 14th September - there are plenty more videos appearing on Youtube with uncut footage from the TV series "Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand" inluding a full interview with "JJ" and raw footage of the confrontation with British marines on shore leave. The Phuket Gazette reports that is now a new vid showing US marines also being fleeced.

A few links... (open YouTube in new window).. there are al kinds of uncut bits of video on Youtube now posted by the producer of the TV program.

• "JJ vs. Marines Uncut part 1"
• "JJ vs. Marines Uncut part 2"
• "JJ vs. Marines Uncut part 3"
• "JJ Interview Part 1 (uncut)"

Update 2: 14th September. I don't believe what I am reading here. Hide the truth? Phuket Wan reports the following:

The second episode in the controversial 'Big Trouble' television series is set to screen in Britain on Monday night - but Thai authorities are now preventing the eight-part series from being completed.

Producer-director Gavin Hill says the Thailand Film Office has sent a letter asking the British production company, Bravo, not to screen any more episodes.

My jaw dropped at that one. I'm sorry, did you want the TV to only show smiling faces, leelawadee blossoms and sparkling blue seas?

Phuket Wan writes "The Thailand Film Office has pulled all the releases and permissions that are required to complete the series.

So, when you signed all the releases, the name of the program "Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand" was not a hint as to it's content?

Let's just sweep it under the carpet. Let's make JJ Mayor of Patong, eh! Guess it will all be on YouTube anyway... How can the Thailand Film Office have any say over what is on TV in the UK? Ok, let's see how this develops...

Update 15th September:

Phuket Wan reports "The governor of Phuket, Wichai Praisa-nob, wants the Department of Special Investigations to probe major corruption on the holiday island.

He has also asked the Foreign Ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand to investigate widespread crimes and rip-offs."

• Phuket Scams: Governor Calls for Corruption Probe

Update 16th September

Phuket Wan reports:

"TALKS are underway among Phuket jet-ski operators to change their methods and eliminate scams from their businesses.

Insurance is not possible because under Thai law, the jet-skis are for sport only and cannot be rented to others, the president of the Bang Tao Jet-Ski Association, Anusorn Sale, told Phuketwan today.

The operators were given a week by the Governor, Wichai Praisa-nob, to reach their own agreement on how to operate legitimately and to put suggestions to him."

I have highlighted that section - Under Thai law jet skis cannot be rented to others. Let's repeat that.. Under Thai law jet skis cannot be rented to others. I am now shaking my head and wondering what is going on here. The LAW says that you can't rent a jet ski? So surely, surely they should not be at the beaches at all... or am I missing something?

• Jet-Ski Scams: Fresh Round of Talks on Friday

Update 18th September. And this is a good one! I mean how DARE the TV show footage that might show Thailand in a bad light? It must be all made up, right?

Phuket Gazette Reports:

"The Thai television company responsible for producing the Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand series, which featured footage of an alleged jet-ski scam on Phuket, is to be prosecuted... Director-general of the Office of Tourism Development, Seksan Nakawong, reportedly said the film-makers had violated Article 23 of the same law for making a film damaging to Thailand’s reputation"

I am gobsmacked.

• TV Production company to be prosecuted

Further update 18th September..

Good news. Good news. IF it happens...

• Phuket jet-skis: agreement reached on insurance scheme

The Phuket Gazette reports "Phuket jet-ski operators will have to get accident insurance for their vehicles or cease doing business on Phuket's beaches, it was agreed at the key ‘jet-ski summit’ in Patong today.

Inside the packed meeting hall at Patong Municipality today were Vice Governor Smith Palawatvichai, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong, Kathu Police Superintendent Grissak Songmoonnark, Deputy Mayor of Patong Chairat Sukhabaan, Director of Phuket Provincial Insurance Office Suwimon Saelim, and around 50 jet-ski operators – including the island’s now infamous Winai ‘JJ’ Naiman."

To be continued I am sure!

... Updated on 23rd September:

Phuket Wan reports "Patong Jet-Ski operator Winai 'JJ' Naiman went to court in Phuket City today and found his case has been rescheduled for October 5.

The island's jet-ski operators and local authorities are to meet on Wednesday afternoon to try to find a solution that will restore Phuket's reputation as a hospitable tourist haven."

• Jet-Ski JJ Case Delayed as Scam Plot Thickens

Final Update?... October 13th:

It's official. Following a deal signed at Phuket Provincial Hall today, Phuket jet-ski operators will now be required to get mandatory insurance for their machines.

Phuket Jet-ski Association President Anusorn Sahreh signed the deal with Saiwalee Sakornjit of Ayudhya Insurance Public Company Limited just before noon.

The event was witnessed by around 15 jet-ski operators.

Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop was also present at the signing.

The deal will be a relief to Gov Wichai, who has been told by the Deputy Prime Minister to end the island’s infamous jet-ski scam, in which tourists who rent out jet-skis are forced to pay out large amounts of cash in compensation for alleged damages to the machines.

The island’s 219 legally registered jet-skis now have until November 15 to sign up to one of two insurance schemes....

Full Story - Phuket Gazette:

• Phuket Jet Ski Operators Agree to Insurance Plan

Hiking to the roof of Phuket!

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:47:00 +0000

Hiking is not a popular activity in Phuket. Yes, you have places where people go to exercise such as Suan Luang Park or Bang Wad Reservoir, but in general Phuket is not a hikers paradise. There are few footpaths, too much land is privately owned and .. it's really really hot most of the time!

I had never given much thought to hiking up the hills in Phuket. Most of the big hills are accesible by road anyway (Buddha Mountain and Radar Hill for example), although I have been thinking of a hike up Buddha mountain for a while since a friend told me you can hike it from Karon Beach. I got more interested when I read a blog by an American expat who lives in Phuket. Glenn used to do lots of long distance hikes, and has been exploring the trails in the hills in Phuket. There are in fact more than I realised, many used by rubber plantation workers. Rubber is still big business here, most of the bigger hills are covered in rubber trees. Glenn has been working on a "High Trail" through Phuket, connecting all the hilltops. He writes about this on his blog "Fiddlehead in Phuket".

Now, like most people I always assumed that Radar Hill (Khao Mai Tao Sip Song), the hill with the radar dome on top, was the highest point in Phuket, but no! In fact, a hill behind Kathu Waterfall is higher, quite a bit higher actually. Glenn found this out a few months ago and wrote about the hike on his blog : Highest Point in Phuket. Now that rather caught my interest, I contacted Glenn about doing a hike with him (an easy one preferably!)...

Last Wednesday, I had a contact on Facebook - would I like to do a hike up to the high point on Friday? You bet! I arranged for a half day off work, prayed for no rain and met Glenn near Kathu Waterfall at 8:30am on Friday... Now, Glenn is 59, so I have 19 years on him, but he's a very fit guy, while over the last few years I have started to look like the Kung Fu Panda, only without the Kung Fu. Years ago I was a runner, cyclist, did lots of exercise, lots of traveling and could have handled a little hike easily. Glenn assured me it was not a really tough hike, but if you ever considered a hike like this, you better be in good shape. I made it, but it was not easy...

The start point, up a side road just before the waterfall, was just over 100m above sea level, meaning we had over 400m to climb vertically. Weather was good, rain had held off, but a bit more cloud cover would have been nice. The opening section of the trail was easy to follow and not too hard, but we then reached some very very steep sections, some was surfaced with concrete, some was dirt and rocks, some had water running down it. My legs did not like that steep section! I was soon drenched in sweat and had to take several little rest stops. Glenn would read off the altitude as we got higher. I think the opening half hour we climbed about 180m, and that was the hardest. I did think about abandoning, but the trail then got a little easier and my (ahem) "ex-athlete's" body maybe got used to the idea of hard exercise!

A couple of views near the bottom of the trail, looking back into Kathu...

Once the path flattened a little, I decided the top was a reachable target. Things became more enjoyable. The peace and quiet up in the hills is fantastic. We did pass a couple of rubber plantation workers huts and saw a couple of workers, but otherwise, the mountain was ours. Not many places in Phuket where you can be quite so peaceful, and yet where we started the hike is only 4km as the crow flies from Patong Beach! We had a 10 minute rest at a cabin where Glenn had stopped before. The owner was not around, though. He has great views from his cabin over the east of Phuket. The photo below looks NE, you can see the Naka islands and Koh Yao Yai in the distance. Would be about 20km in a straight line to the islands.

The path after the cabin was not so steep, but more overgrown. Not that far from the top, at around 470m altitude I think.. we lost the trail. Although Glenn had been up a couple of times, it was before low season, and the jungle can grow quickly! We were close to giving it up, when Glenn had a "hey! how come I didn't see that before" moment and the path was found. I mean, it's not obvious, not a well trodden hikers path at all, just used by rubber workers. We passed lots of rubber trees which grow in among the jungly trees. It's green and wild up here. The rubber trees here are not in neat rows like in the plantations in parts of Phuket, must be hard work collecting rubber up in these hills.

The last 40m of ascent were on a more open piece of land and we were surprised to find 2 guys working there, one of whom said he was the land owner and seemed to think we might want to buy the land. Well, views or no views, building regulations don't allow you to build a house at 400m above sea level! There is supposed to be a law in Phuket to prohibit building abover 80m, but ... No, unless you are a hermit, the roof of Phuket would not be an ideal spot to live. The views from the open land were great. Hard to get the feeling in a photo. Lots of trees around, so you don't have unobscured views, but hey, this is 500m above sea level!

The 2 guys had come up from Kalim beach (just north of Patong), by motorbike most of the way, they said. You can see a track on Google Earth leading to a point not too far from their land. Maybe try it that way next time! Now, Google Earth is a great tool, it even has an altitude reading, although it's not quite accurate. We topped out at 542 meters above sea level, though last time Glenn had recorded 545 meters.

And so, photos taken for the record books, we headed downhill again. Going down is hard on my poor knees. I used a big stick of wood for some support, and headed down at my own pace. Looked like rain might come, dark clouds were around. Rain would have made some of the path dangerous and slippery. Luckily, no rain came. I got very thirsty towards the bottom, and hungry, it had been a very hard morning. The steep sections were just as hard going down as going up! If I try this again, will carry more water, and some energy bars too. By the time we reached the road again, I was gagging for a Gatorade! The total hike had been about 6km (3km each way), with a total ascent of 440m (1,440 feet). Ouch! Fat Panda found that hard, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? I hope to do some more hikes in the future. I think the next will be up to the Big Buddha from Karon, an easier one I think.. after all, the top of that hill is only 400m above sea level. For now, I think next blog page should involve a beach and a cold beer :)

Hotel Recommendation: Mom Tri's Villa Royale

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:36:00 +0000

Mom Tri's Villa Royale has been mentioned before on the blog, as part of the Top 10 Hotels in Phuket. In fact, checking on the top rated hotels on TripAdvisor, I see that Villa Royale is sitting at number 1 right now. And why not, indeed! I have not stayed a night there, but have had a sneaky look around when I was taking photos at Kata Noi Beach.

The location of this small luxury resort (only 26 rooms/suites) is nothing short of perfect. Built into the rocks in between Kata and Kata Noi beaches, overlooking Kata Noi, secluded and yet only a few minutes drive from the center of Kata with plenty of dining options in case you get bored with all that fancy food they serve at the hotel... Villa Royale has some of the best restaurants in Phuket too. But please do expect to pay top prices for the experience! I would gladly eat there, but might have to sell something first. Mom Tri, if you read this blog, we'd love an invite :)

Mom Luang Tridhosyuth Devakul aka Mom Tri is a renowned architect and is related to the Thai royal family. His famous Boathouse Hotel opened 20 years ago and has long been one of the best known, best loved hotels in Phuket. One of these days (I might need to buy some nice clothes first) we'll go for dinner there! The Villa Royale was built on the site of his home in Phuket. His life history is quite interesting. Sure he was from a rich family, but he seems to have been a real pioneer in Phuket tourism. There is an article about his life (.pdf file) on the Boathouse website here.

Mom Tri's Villa Royale - Booking & Information Links

• Mom Tri's Villa Royale - Late Booking Deals at LateStays.com
• Mom Tri's Villa Royale - Rates and Reservations at Agoda.com
• Mom Tri's Villa Royale - Hotels Reviews on TripAdvisor.com

• More LateStays Deals on Kata & Kata Noi Beaches
• Phuket Hotels at Agoda.com

Mom Tri's Villa Royale - Photos

Online Booking - Hotels by Agoda.com - Let's Go!

Please Support "Jamie's Phuket" - Spread The Word!

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:30:00 +0000

It's been over 3 years since the first posts on this blog, and also over 3 years that I've been doing the Phuket Weather blog. The "Jamie's Phuket" blog started as a means of showing "my" Phuket. As a family we tend to not do the "touristy" things.. yeh, sometimes, but more often we prefer quieter places. I figure there are people looking for another side to Phuket, away from the main beaches, away from the tailors, tuk tuks, fast food and fast women. There's plenty of information online and in guidebooks about all the normal things to do in Phuket. I still try to focus on the other Phuket, although for sure there is some crossover, but recent posts such as kayaking in the mangroves and the Kathu village festival show that Phuket has way more to offer than the obvious attractions. It is my intention to keep the blog focused on the Phuket that exists off the beaten track, although it has been pointed out to me that a few posts on nightlife, ladyboys and bars might be welcome at some point... but,

I prefer this:

or this:

At some times, I get a bit stuck on what to write.. I'm normally working 6 days per week, so blogging time is at a premium, and time to explore even more so. Nevertheless, I have been encouraged over the last year by increasing numbers of visitors to the blog, a growing Facebook group and plenty of comments on the blog and emails to say thanks for the information. Keep them coming!

This little post is to ask your help. Please spread the word. If you like this blog, please do tell others, please do add a link onto your own blog or website, please do Digg or Stumble this blog.... Here's a bunch of ways to help:

1. Add a link to Jamie's Phuket or add this blog to your "Blogroll". The blog url is http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com, or you can use http://www.jamiesphuket.com. If you have a "Blogger" blog, it's easy to add a link. Maybe you know some html and can do it yourself easily, or if not, just follow the instructions on the Help page, or this useful Dummies guide. For Wordpress, all the information on linking is here.

2. Bookmarks! At the bottom of every blog post you'll see some links to social bookmarking sites - StumbleUpon, Delicious, Digg, Reddit and Facebook. If you have signed up for these sites you can click these links to share that page with other users or bookmark it yourself for future reference. Stumbling and Digging are apparently quite trendy these days!

3. Facebook - if you are on Facebook, please do join the Jamie's Phuket group - there are over 350 members already, there's an active wall and discussion board - please do ask questions! You can also post your Phuket photos or videos or add links. See you there! If you are not on Facebook, join! It's harmless, well.. mostly harmless.

4. Twitter - OK, well Twitter is something that some people just don't "get". Not sure if I do either, but personally I follow some bloggers and newsy people who post interesting things about Thailand. I tweet most days, maybe adding some links to the blogs, maybe commenting on the weather if I have not already updated the weather blog. More than 200 people are following my tweets already. So if you are a Twit, please do follow me! See here: Jamie on Twitter.

5. Help! If you really like this blog, found the information useful, discovered something in Phuket that you otherwise would not have known about... please do click on the Donate button on the left of the page and you can donate something via PayPal. Hey, if enough people do that, maybe this can be a full time blog with even more information!

6. Help to improve the blog! As I said, sometimes I feel a bit stuck.. what to blog next? I do intend to try some new restaurants in the next few months, I think tips on eating out are important, but if there is something you'd like to see on this blog, please add a comment below, or on the Facebook group.

7. Keep reading! There is normally something new here every 5 - 7 days. Wish it was more often, but... time is limited. Please do bookmark this blog and come back!

8. If you are reading this blog and you work for Lonely Planet or Rough Guides or the BBC or Nat Geo or the Travel Channel or if your name is Paul Theroux or if you are Michael Palin and you're considering a Thailand trip... do get in touch!

9. COME TO PHUKET!

:)

Cultural Street Festival in Kathu Village

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:50:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago there happened one of those local events that (for me) makes Phuket special. The area of Phuket where we live is called Kathu, located between Patong Beach and Phuket Town. It's a big residential area with lots of sub districts (Tung Tong, Ket Ho, Bang Tong etc). We live close to the Baan Kathu area, the old village of Kathu. A walk around this area reveals an older, traditional side to Phuket and a mixture of cultures as demonstrated by the Buddhist temple and the Chinese shrine in Kathu. The area was the center of the tin mining industry which was very important in Phuket from the early 19th century up until recent years.

Anyways, in the last week of July I saw this sign (above) in several places in the locality at main road junctions. I am sure many other people saw the signs too. So on 5th August in the early evening I headed to the village to see what was going on. The answer? Plenty going on. On that evening only, there was a street procession through the village celebrating the history of Kathu, in particular the Chinese influence and the tin mining industry that made the area rich. The procession started with some kids from the Baan Kathu school (see photo below), but then was held up as everyone was waiting for a visiting dignitary to arrive and officially open the festival.

While waiting I was able to wander around the painted faces and costumes of the people taking part, and I have to say I was not expecting such amazing costumes! There were quite a few people around taking photos, but I was very surprised that during the whole event I did not see one single other foreigner. I think probably most of the people from Kathu village were there, though!

Here are some of the faces. The elaborate Chinese style face painting and costumes are in the style of old Chinese opera. It was back in 1825 that a Chinese opera troupe came to Kathu and became sick. They healed themselves by strict adherence to a special vegetarian diet, and thus began the Phuket vegetarian festival.

We kept waiting for local top dog to turn up and set the procession on it's way. Meanwhile, dark clouds gathered and we all hoped it would not rain. Local kids were waiting too...

The long wait for the "official" start to the 3 day festival meant I had more time to take photos of the participant in the procession. Good thing I had gone that evening as the procession was a one off event. These local events are so easy to miss. You have to keep eyes open for signs and posters or just be in the right place at the right time.

This boy was trying very hard to be patient, waiting for the procession to start so he could put on his mask. The girl below was one of half a dozen dressed as "coolies" - Chinese tin mining workers.

(below) These costumes and painted faces were great. Must have taken a lot of time and effort to create the effect, which is quite stunning.

Finally the top brass arrived, by which time it was getting rather late. A couple of speeches followed and a ceremonial cutting of the ribbon. This local event had attracted a number of photographers and a TV news crew too. I think the photo below gives the idea. Lots of cameras for the opening ceremony.

And after all that.... the procession did not last long, only walking about half a kilometer past the Chinese Shrine and to a field at the local health center. Was getting a bit dark for decent photos. I was glad to have had the time to mingle with the people all dressed up. Planned to go back next day to see more of the street stalls, but had no time. It was rather odd to have the festival mid week!

I followed the procession along the road lined with food stalls and stalls with information about the history of the Kathu area. The local school band (above) were playing with dark skies behind them. The rain somehow held off. I love this kind of local festival, full of colour and history. Anyone who thinks Phuket has no culture... well, think again. When I started this blog 3 years ago, part of the idea was to show something different. The "other" Phuket, not just bars, beaches and shopping. Phuket has way more to offer, but you do have to get out and explore. If you sit on a sunlounger, the local culture is not going to come to you. It's "out there" waiting to be found. Sometimes not far at all... Kathu village is only 10 minutes drive from Patong Beach.

Kayaks in the Mangroves

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:08:00 +0000

Phuket is bigger than most people realise. The island of Phuket covers well over 500 square kilometers, is nearly 50km from north to south and, as I hope this blog shows, there is so much more to Phuket than beaches, bars, shopping and the usual tourist activities. Fair enough, some people do come here just for beaches and bitches; some come here to eat and shop and "go home with a tan", which suits me fine, since it means that many of the parts of Phuket that I like stay nice and quiet! But there are plenty of independent tourists out there who like to explore, and if you explore you can find places like Bang Rong.

Bang Rong is a small Muslim community in the northeast of Phuket. We have been many times to eat at a small floating restaurant, and also to get the ferry to the island of Koh Yao Noi. Last year at the restaurant we noticed they had some kayaks, and small groups of tourists were being taken on short trips up the mangrove creek as part of a trip run by Bang Pae Safari which also includes elephant trekking near Bang Pae Waterfall which is just a few km from Bang Rong.

Last week, on a nice sunny day, we decided to do a little kayak adventure (the word adventure being based on having 2 young kids). When you drive down to Bang Rong, there is an entry gate. You do not need to pay any parking fee unless you are getting the ferry. You can park wherever you find space, and then look around for monkeys that come out of the mangroves...

The restaurant is a short walk along a wooden walkway. We decided to kayak first and eat later. The use of the kayaks is very cheap. Just 150 Baht each, add 50 Baht if you want someone to paddle for you. I think that was an hourly rate - we had no plans for a long trip! My wife paddled one kayak, my daughter got a paddler in hers and I decided to get someone to paddle for me so I could take photos. Some friends were in another kayak, so we had 4 in all. The restaurant is already in the mangroves, with a view of open sea, but within 50 meters you are round a bend and in another world. Yes, this is still Phuket.

My kayak driver stayed with my daughters kayak. She enjoyed being a "big girl" (ie she did not have to sit with mum or dad) and our drivers kept close to the shore so we could see crabs and mudskippers. It was a very peaceful paddle upstream, not even any longtail boats up here. I think it was a National Geographic moment for my daughter.. and me too!

And here's the guy paddling my kayak. My wife said I was lazy, but honestly I just wanted hands free to take pictures. Maybe next time we'll hire the kayaks for longer and I will paddle myself. We went less than 1km up the creek, but checking on Google Earth I can see that (at high tide) you can go well over 2km and there are little side streams to explore too. Sure we're going to do this again sometime.

High tide might be best to go a long way upstream, but low tide better if you want to get out onto a sandbank, which we did. We all then proceeded to dig for shellfish and dug up a healthy supply which we donated to the local guys doing the paddling. The Bang Rong community is based on fishing, is still very traditional and is trying to make a bit of extra money with this kind of activity. It's all very low key, and with kayak rental being so cheap they are not making a huge amount of money.. but I appreciate the fact that they are not being tempted to charge rip off prices.

After messing around on the sandbank for a while, digging for shells, watching one of our kayaks floating off and waiting for one of the guys to retrieve it, we set off back to the restaurant (downstream with the tide) for some light lunch. They have lots of fresh seafood, but we often just have simple dishes. Fried rice might seem like a cliche, but the fried rice at this restaurant is very good!

The restaurant is family run and friendly. They remember us and remember the kids names even if we've not been for months. The friendliness and the peacefulness of the area appeals to us.. just do note that the restaurant does not serve alcohol as this is a Muslim area. A nice spot for lunch before or after a bit of kayaking. Just a few km away, as well as Bang Pae waterfall, is the gibbon rehabilitation center. Plenty to see in this part of Phuket.

Getting there - Bang Rong is along the road that heads east from the Heroine's Monument (road number 4027 on the maps). The side road to Bang Rong is on the right about 2km after the turn off to Bang Pae Waterfall. Here's the location on Google Earth. Best to have your own vehicle if you are exploring around the area, though I guess you could make a deal with a driver too. Phuket is out there waiting to be explored. Sure the beaches are nice, but there are many sides to Phuket. It may take some effort to get out and find these places, but (for me) it's worth the effort.

Hotel Recommendation: Pacific Club Resort (Karon Beach)

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:51:00 +0000

So, it's low season in Phuket right now, aka summer season or green season. Over the years I have been busy reporting on the weather, trying to prove that Phuket is pretty darn nice year round. Yep, you are going to get some rain sometimes, more likely in low season than high season, BUT there's a big advantage. You can book the best hotels such as the Pacific Club Resort at much lower prices than high season. You can stay here for just over 1,000 Baht per night at this time of year. And the weather is still nicer than "back home"!

The Pacific Club Resort is one I have meant to write about for some time and was just reminded of it by customers who came in yesterday who were staying at Pacific Club. This resort has something special about it. Must do, since it's rated as the best hotel in Karon Beach by TripAdvisor users, and is listed in the top 10 list for Phuket.

• Top 10 Hotels in Phuket

For me, it has several plus points. Firstly - location. It's on the hillside overlooking the north end of Karon, with the jungly hill behind and the Andaman sea in front. Some might say that's a poor location. Some people want to be right by the beach, but it's only 10 minutes walk to the beach, and the hillside location is quiet and gets plenty of fresh sea breezes. Second - it's not a huge resort. There are only 40 rooms, so it's not crowded at the pool, or the gym, or the sauna.. a lot of facilities for a resort of this size. Wifi connections in all rooms too (not free, but they only charge 18 USD for a week).

And then there's the food. The Pacific Club owner, Eric, is also a chef and ran the Karon Cafe and Restaurant for many years before opening this new resort. They specialise in steaks and lamb, fresh pasts dishes, seafood, texmex food. And it's not expensive either. In fact I think I will go eat lunch there next week one day and do a restaurant review here. Just been checking the menu online and can see that my diet is ruined!

Pacific Club Resort - Booking & Information Links

• Pacific Club Resort - Late Booking Deals at LateStays.com
• Pacific Club Resort - Rates and Reservations at Agoda.com
• Pacific Club Resort - Hotels Reviews on TripAdvisor.com

• LateStays Deals on other Karon Beach Hotels
• More Phuket Hotels by Agoda.com

Pacific Club Resort - Photos

Online Booking - Hotels in Phuket and Thailand

Phuket Flower Fair

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 07:17:00 +0000

Today is the last day of the Phuket Flower Fair which has been running since 24th July at Sapan Hin, a recreational area in the south of Phuket Town. There have been many events there recently such as the Halal Festival and the OTOP Fair. It's a popular place for locals to go running or for a picnic by the sea. The area has recently been tarted up to make some nice paths, lots of new trees planted, a raised walkway through the mangroves etc..

The Flower Fair includes many stalls selling orchids and other flowers, trees, garden ornaments and of course some local food stalls. This kind of local event is always interesting to me, great for people watching, great for getting a bit of local culture. A flower fair is a world away from the tourist beaches of Phuket! I did drive down to Sapan Hin after work on Sunday 26th July, but being that this was the opening weekend of the fair, and Sunday afternoons are the busiest time for people to visit Sapan Hin anyway, I found the place packed, nowhere to park the car and in any case it was getting a bit late for photos, so I went back again on Wednesday afternoon when it was less busy, although even on Wednesday it seemed like half of Phuket town were out buying flowers!

I am an orchid lover. My wife too. We have a fair selection in our garden. Orchids are amazing plants. The variety of colours and shapes is beyond belief. And at a flower fair, you can still find orchids that make your jaw drop, just when you think you've seen them all.

Some of the orchids had been entered into competitions - the one above had a 1st prize rosette beneath it, reminding me of the old flower show my grandfather used to organise back home when I was a kid. Prize winners were always very proud to have beaten all the local competition and very proud of their winning entries.

Some more orchids...

Even if you are not bovvered by flowers normally, you have to admit that orchids are bling, orchids are well cool, orchids are the kings of flowers.

Everyone was enjoying a sunny evening walking around the fair, I think many people were just out for a walk, but there was certainly plenty of business being done. I read that the fair was likely to generate 50 million Baht in income. If you are driving around Phuket, you'll find garden shops everywhere. I pass about half a dozen between home and work. Gardens are big business here! The report in the Phuket Wan website noted that the fair this year is much bigger than last year, with 70 flower stalls compared to just 20 in 2008. Economic downturn? Not for orchid sellers!

There are many small local events in Phuket, and it can be hard to find out when they are on, I miss some myself sometimes. The small events are not well advertised, though Phuket Wan does a good job. Otherwise, I keep my eyes open for roadside signs. Next week there is something happening near my house called "Kathu Street Culture". Not sure exactly what it means, but it's on from 5th - 7th August. Or you can just lie on the beach and enjoy the beautiful summer weather we're having in Phuket at the moment.

One last orchid. This was also a 1st prize winner.

Wat Sam Kong Temple

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:47:00 +0000

It seems to have been a long time since I blogged a temple. I have a vague plan to blog all the Temples in Phuket, though it could take for ever. A lot of temples in a small area! Some are important, some serve small local communities, some are easy to find, some are hidden away. A couple of weeks ago I visited Sam Kong Temple (Wat Sam Kong) which is only a few km from my house and we've driven past the entrance hundreds of times.

Sam Kong (meaning 3 hills) is in the North East of Phuket Town. The area is an older part of town, and like Kathu just down the road was an important part of the tin mining industry in times past. Like Kathu, many of the locals in this area are Chinese Thais who came to Phuket during the tin mining boom in the 19th century. There is a Chinese Shrine close by too. The Sam Kong temple entrance is about 200m along the bypass road from the Tesco Lotus junction (officially called the Sam Kong junction) towards the main airport road.

As usual for a small local temple, not much going on, just a few monks sweeping up leaves. The main building was locked up. A few dogs lazed around the grounds and then all dashed off at once to picked a fight with a visiting stray.

Not a big temple at all, but as always I felt that temple calm despite the 4 lane road a hundred meters away! Flowers had been placed around a tree. The monks had certainly kept the place leaf free. There was a nice lawn in front of the bell tower ("hor rakang" in Thai).

The day before I visited had been Asarnha Bucha Day, one of the most important Buddhist days remembering the first sermon of the Lord Buddha. A few people were still coming to receive blessings.

One of the older monks decided to stop sweeping and have a chat. I think he wanted to practice his English. I asked if he'd been a monk all his life. No! He had never even served as a monk when he was younger. Been too busy getting an education. As far as I could make out he'd worked in the local government in a town in the north of Thailand and now was retired. After working all his life he said he needed some peace and so had come to Wat Sam Kong for 3 months.

After a chat it was time to buy some new brooms from the broom man. Only 20 Baht each.. or maybe that was a temple discount? The temple at Sam Kong is near a busy road, a couple of hundred meters from a shopping mall, only a few miles down the road to Patong Beach. The quiet side of Phuket is never far away.

The Phuket Photo Walk

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:16:00 +0000

Saturday July 18th was the day of the "Phuket Photo Walk", part of the World Photo Walk, with groups of photographers getting together all on the same day to take photos of their town or city. According to the Worldwide Photo Walk website, there were 900 walks with over 30,000 participants. I had seen the walk advertised in the Phuket Gazette the week before, so logged in to the website to sign up for the Phuket walk. I am a total photo amateur, but I like taking photos and this blog is always quite image oriented as I am a firm believer that a picture is worth a thousand words. Although that might depend on who is writing. Maybe Wordsworth could compete with a photo, but my prose tends to be less poetic, so I rely on photos.

I had no idea what to expect on Saturday. All the photographers were to meet at Cafe 154, Royal Phuket City Hotel in Phuket Town at 9am. I was expecting a whole bunch of pros with huge lenses. I was worried I'd be feeling a bit inadequate, but was happy to see that most looked like normal folks who just like taking photos and I saw several familiar faces. Phuket is not so big, so if you've been here a few years you tend to know quite a few other residents. There were only a few really fancy cameras around. I have a Canon EOS 20D, which is now a few years out of date. I saw an assortment of Canons and Nikons and even a Hasselblad. I think most of us attending were hoping to learn a few things from this walk. This was the first time I tried using the RAW format for taking pictures rather than just recording jpg images. RAW images do not convert the data received by the sensor, so can be manipulated to create just the right photo. They also take up acres of memory!

The walk leader was Kim Khamzin, a proper pro photographer with a huge lens. He lives in Phuket and takes a lot of photos with models. You can check out his photos on Flickr: Phuket Photo Project. It took a while for everyone to gather and then we took the group photo, had a little chat and set off towards old Phuket Town which is always good for photography. It's a couple of blocks from the Royal Phuket City Hotel to the old town. Phuket town is not huge, easy to walk around, I never seem to get bored with camera in hand.

Once we reached the clock tower at the corner of Phuket Road and Phang Nga Road, we all went off our separate ways, although over the course of the next couple of hours we bumped into each other around the old town. It was a sunny morning, we were lucky with the weather as it had been rather wet during the week. Everyone took different routes around town. I think most headed directly to the old town, whereas I detoured a couple of blocks south to a street called Soi Taling Chan where you can find a Chinese Shrine, a Mosque and a Catholic Church within a couple of minutes walk.

If you have a camera and want to see something of the real Phuket, not the tourist beaches.. get to Phuket Town, take a walk. I had an enjoyable couple of hours wandering, crossing paths with other photographers, stopping for drinks in cafes (it was a hot morning), sampling temples, old Chinese shops and getting plenty of smiles...

A few of my favourite pictures from the walk... These doors are on Soi Romanee, a little street in the heart of old town.

(Update) The photo above has been reprinted in the Phuket Gazette hardcopy edition this week - see a photo on my Twitpic page.

Many more photos on my Flickr page. I signed up for Flickr a few years ago and had not uploaded anything for over 2 years until this week! Click on the second link for the group page on Flickr for the Phuket photo group, most of the recent photos are from Saturdays walk. There were about 40 people in all, some locals and some resident foreigners. There's a good mix of photos on the Flickr group - it's always interesting to see how different people view the same subject, the photos show what different photographers find interesting.

• My Phuket Photo Walk Photos on Flickr
• Phuket Photo Flickr Group
• Phuket Photo Walk Video on Youtube

After about 2 hours, a bit before midday, I was getting hot and headed back to Cafe 154. On a hot day in Phuket, I do like to see signs saying "Special: Draft Heineken 99 Baht". Yes, please!

As everyone drifted back to the cafe, there was a general passing around of cameras to compare photos and ideas, and it was decided to have another meet up on the 30th July at Cafe 154, Royal Phuket City Hotel starting at 7 - 7:30pm. If you are in Phuket and interested in photography or just want to chat with people who live here, do come along. Kim has asked people to bring CDs or USB sticks with their "best" photos to the meeting. It should be a good chance to learn something, or at the very least a good chance to drink draft Heineken :)

A few more pictures from Saturday...

And finally, I saw this little fortune sticker on a small shrine outside a house in the old town. I'll settle for happy.

Phuket Tourist Information by the Tourists

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:05:00 +0000

If you're thinking of a holiday in Phuket, or visiting Phuket as part of a longer trip, you will surely be looking for information on hotels, things to do, places to eat, the culture, festivals and so on. Every tourist wants something different. Some people are very happy to be immersed in Patong with all the shops and touts and fast food and bars. Some people want a quite resort with a less crowded beach. Some want the ultimate honeymoon getaway. Some tourists book tours, others explore on their own. This blog is open to anyone, but will certainly interest the more independent traveler/tourist. I tend to look at places a bit more off the main route and don't mention Patong much, or the normal tours (elephant rides, speedboat snorkel trips, Fantasea show, snake shows etc..). Hey, the idea of the blog was to show another side to Phuket rather than just the same old things you can find on any website.

BUT of course, this leaves a hole. This blog can't cover everything, so where to look if you want to know about Patong? Tours? Get a hotel recommendation from someone who stayed there recently? Well, you can try other blogs about Phuket (see some of the links on the left side of this page), but again, like this one, they are written by people living here. I think if you are coming as a tourist it's good to get a tourists point of view. Where to start?

I joined TripAdvisor some time ago and it has a very busy Phuket forum. New questions being asked hourly, and there always seems to be someone with an answer, be it a recent visitor or a regular visitor to Phuket or maybe one of the "Destination Experts" for Phuket. I recently got given that title, so now tend to look at the forum more often and help with questions, but it's often already been answered, as there are so many people using the forum!

• TripAdvisor Phuket Forum
• TripAdvisor Phuket Hotel Reviews

So, that's a good place to start, but it was through the TripAdvisor forum that I found several Phuket experts, regular visitors to Phuket rather than residents, and they have very good information to share. Have a look at these websites:

• Cathy and Gary's Phuket Pages
• Bob and Janette's Travel Pages
• Tina's Phuket Pages on VirtualTourist

The VirtualTourist website also has hotel reviews and a forum - I should take a closer look sometime. I see that Cathy and Gary also contribute a fair amount to that site. There's just not enough time to surf the whole web!

Also on the TripAdvisor forum I found Richard (using the nickname kiwilad37) offering to send people his Phuket Tips sheet. I contacted Richard by email. He's been to Phuket many times over the last 15 years and started making a tip sheet for friends or family. Lots of information, but it's not online. You can contact Richard by email (rfdunedin@ymail.com) and ask for a copy. Actually, rather more than a "sheet" - it's a 25 page pdf file, like a mini guidebook!

On the subject of guidebooks... now normally I would say a guidebook is likely to be out of date, maybe good for general information, but there is nothing like getting information right from the horses mouth. However, there are a couple of good Phuket guides, both updated in the last year. I have reviewed them on this blog. If you are coming to Phuket and must carry something on paper, these are worthwhile:

• Travelfish Phuket Guide
• Lonely Planet Phuket Encounter Guide

If anyone knows of any recommended websites in a similar vein to those above, please do add a comment below. I believe you can learn a lot from reading the experiences of other visitors and getting "insider tips". Having the right information can make a visit to Phuket much more rewarding. I hope this blog helps a little! :)

Paradise Beach

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:36:00 +0000

Finding a quiet beach in Phuket is not so hard really. Get away from the main beaches (Patong, Karon, Kata) and none of them are too crazy. Hey, in the summer season (May - October) even the main beaches are not too jammed! The busiest of all Phuket beaches is Patong. I tend to avoid Patong wherever possible. Not my cup of tea. But just about 4km away from the south end of Patong, over the little bridge and past the entrance to the Amari, along the winding road that leads past the Merlin Beach Resort, then over a hill on a narrow, steep path, wide enough for a car (just about!)... then you come to Paradise Beach. Slightly corny name, but we like Paradise Beach. The land is privately owned and I am amazed the owner has not sold out to a resort. It's been kept simple. Some beach chairs, some shaded areas where you can sit and eat, a small restaurant, a volleyball court and an old mooring buoy hung from a tree. My daughter loves swinging from that!

In low season, it's very quiet. We mostly go in low season. During the high season, they do have a deal with one Patong resort to bring guests over, but even still, since there is no busy road, no hawkers, no jetskis, no tuk tuks, it's nice enough in high season too. It's well kept, beach is always clean.. only the toilets are a bit lacking. If you want to rinse off after a swim in the sea there is a pipe connected to a tap hanging over a rock at one end of the beach.

We often go and meet friends there and a few hours pass quickly with some cold drinks. The food is decent, not expensive, although we moan that it could be cheaper! You can sit in the shade and the kids can play safely on the beach. My kids like to go hunting for little hermit crabs which they keep in buckets (and set free again later).

From Paradise Beach you can just about see one end of Patong across the bay. The water is normally quite clear, you can snorkel here. Swimming is OK, but you have to be aware that at low tide it can be rocky underfoot. At high tide, it's great.

• Paradise Beach Location on Google Earth

I hope they manage to keep it simple and inexpensive, there is always the temptation here for land and restaurant owners to cater to people with more money than brains. Tourist prices don't suit us - we are not on holiday here! So far, Paradise Beach has retained it's independence, they do things their way and I wish there were more little spots like this. Well, there are a few - here's some other quiet places we like:

• Layan Beach
• Ao Sane Beach
• The Beach Bar
• Bang Rong Floating Restaurant

Restaurant Tip: Nice Food Good View

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:58:00 +0000

Actually I am not sure of the real name of this little restaurant which is located along the quiet road leading down the west side of Cape Panwa towards the Novotel and Ao Yon where lots of yachts can be found. There are some signs along the road that say something like "Good Food Good View" or similar.. if we drive that way again soon I will pay attention and update! Anyway you can't miss the restaurant, it's a little thatch roof place with about 6 tables right by the road and with good, very good, great views over Chalong Bay.

Along the same road a bit further south is a place called The Beach Bar, but this closes during low season. I took the kids to Phuket Aquarium at the weekend and we decided to stop at the Good View restaurant for some simple lunch. I think I have eaten there once before, certainly the kids have and I know my parents have stopped there at least once. It's a simple family run place, no delusions of grandeur, which is the kind of place we like. Yes, it's right by the road, but that road is very quiet. The kind of road that local dogs sleep in the middle of during the daytime.

Now for a simple restaurant like this I was actually surprised to see the food prices. Simple places should have simple prices for simple folk like me. Fried rice is normally 35 or 40 Baht in a little restaurant in town. Maybe 50 Baht. So add a bit for the view, but 80 Baht.. really? It may sound petty and you are saying, hey that's only 1 pound 40 or 2 bucks or whatever, but .. yeh OK so I am petty, you pay a bit more for the view. And a coke was only 20 Baht so there you go. Not a place I'd go for a big meal, but a simple lunch while exploring the Panwa area, perfect spot.

Phuket Aquarium

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:13:00 +0000

I never seem to tire of Phuket Aquarium even after (about) 15 visits over the years, maybe more. We went the first time in 2001 when my daughter was a few months old and loved her reactions to the fish. We took her again a few months later and noticed how, as an older baby she paid more attention to the marine life. As she got older, different things fascinated her, and once she could start asking questions, well then Dad the Diver could start explaining all kinds of interesting fishy facts! It's been the same with our son who is now 4 years old. They always have new questions and it's always fun to visit the aquarium with them.

We visited again last weekend on another sunny low season day. Phuket Aquarium is located at the end of Cape Panwa, to the SE of Phuket Town. I like the area a lot, one of our favourite restaurants is in the Panwa area, and there's some lovely scenery, particularly if you turn off the main road down to the aquarium and take the smaller road along the west side of the cape with views across Chalong Bay. On the way you also pass the turn off to Khao Kad viewpoint.

The entry fee is not high, just 100 Baht for adults, 50 Baht for kids.. and yes it's a bit cheaper for "us locals", but not a rip off anyway. It's not a huge aquarium, but has expanded little by little over the years and there are plans for more. In the first room by the entrance are many small tanks, all kind of fish.

You then follow the passageway, with many different tanks and displays on your right. We found an Arapaima, which originates from South America and is one of the biggest freshwater fish in the world. Kids were fascinated by this one!

There's all kinds of species from moray eels to lionfish to angelfish, batfish, lobsters, scorpionfish.. most are found in Thailand. Also some oddities like electric eels. These are all in the smaller tanks. Also around the walls are educational displays about marine life and environmental awareness.

The walkthrough tunnel was not there when we first visited, it only opened in 2005. Not a huge tunnel to be sure, but still, there are some little sharks in there, eagle rays, jacks and more. Always a hit with the kids!

And my son has always liked the other big tank that contains several huge groupers, big enough to eat a 4 year old boy. I liked seeing a small tank containing several seahorses. I love seahorses. Beautiful little things.

When you exit the indoor section of Phuket aquarium, you'll find a little snack and drink shop and a souvenir shop - some of the items are tacky, some are pretty nice. The kids got some fish pens and stickers and we got a present for my wife and her sister too as they couldn't join us at the aquarium this time. I think she liked her turtle shaped ashtray!

You'll see some steps near the shop heading to a nature trail. There are lots of signs explaining plant names and with environmental information. There is now a hatchery too, but we found it's open only on weekdays. Further on you pass a little boat that the kids always stop to play on, then a long jetty which leads out to several boats including a research vessel. The aquarium is more than just a show, there is also a marine biological center here with an endangered species unit.. and my favourite part - the turtles! Here at the aquarium turtles are reared and also injured turtles are looked after. We saw a couple of big turtles with bits of flipper missing or chunks missing from their shells, no doubt as a result of contact with a boat.

We'll be back again. I want to see the hatchery, oh, and want to see the feeding show, meant to be 11am every Saturday or Sunday. Guess we lazy souls arrived too late last weekend. After the aquarium, we went for lunch at a little roadside restaurant with great views across Chalong.. and this little restaurant will be the next blog post :)

One Tambon One Product Fair at Sapan Hin (Phuket Town)

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:59:00 +0000

We seem to be visiting Sapan Hin quite often recently. The whole area has recently been tarted up and Sapan Hin is now a very nice place to come and exercise or have a picnic by the sea, and just a few minutes from the centre of Phuket Town. In early May we came for the Halal Expo, and at the end of last month we were back for the OTOP (One Tambon One Product) Fair, with handicrafts and food from all over Thailand. The "OTOP" program is a government initiative to encourage production and sales of local village (Tambon) crafts, ceramics, clothes, foods, household items... something that maybe typical of that area or is commonly made there. The OTOP program helps to promote these products.

This is a very local affair. We went twice during the week long event and I swear I saw only 1 other foreigner. The event was not promoted in tourist areas, we only knew about it because we happened to drive around town a few days before the start and saw promotional posters. I guess organisers may assume that only locals are interested. I beg to differ.. these kind of local fairs are just what I like!

We first took a walk around Sapan Hin, lots of people taking walks, jogging, enjoying the sea air or just sitting in the late afternoon sun. Sapan Hin has become a really nice place to come and chill out!

About 2 days before visiting this OTOP fair, we'd bought some new furniture for outside our house. And wouldn't you know it, there was plenty to be had here at very good prices. If we'd not just got some, we might well have got it here. I like this kind of rustic wooden stuff carved out of slabs of wood, natural shapes, big and chunky.

Meanwhile, my parents were happy to find a wooden mobile to take home. In the Central Festival mall a few days earlier they were quoted over 300 Baht for one of these. Here at the fair only 100 Baht. So they got two!

Plenty of food stalls around selling drinks, snacks, insects... I have never tried to eat insects. I suppose some people like it. Indeed some people were buying insects at this very stall. Not for me, thanks.

Another stall specialised in tamarind. I do like a bit of tamarind, either eaten alone or made into a sauce. One of my favourite dishes is Kung Pad Nam Makam - fried prawns in a spicy, yet sweet and also a bit sour sauce.

Another stall was selling a snack made from pork rind, what you might call pig snacks or hog lumps. Very good with a cold beer, just like back in the UK :)

We also found a stall selling wooden boxes.. you know, those kind of decorative wooden boxes which are sure to be useful for something, or at least useful as a gift. Everyone has something they want to put in a box, so why not an attractive Buddha box, ideal for "putting things in".

All our wandering up and down rows of stalls was bound to make us thirsty. And I was happy to find a Chumphon coffee stall. My wife is from Chumphon, a town about 400km from Phuket, about halfway to Bangkok. Good coffee. I will write something on this blog about Chumphon sometime soon. I've been there about 20 times. The coffee man was happy to hear I have a Chumphon connection.

Tasty coffee and even tastier fruit juice. This stall had strawberry juice, lime juice, watermelon juice. 20 Baht per cup. I had 3. It had been a hot day. You gotta love all the fruit you can get in Phuket!

The Amazing Phuket Vegetarian Festival

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 07:23:00 +0000

Over the last 3 years on this blog I have written plenty about the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. There are multiple posts detailing different aspects of the festival from 2006, 2007 and 2008. The Vegetarian Festival is probably my favourite event in Phuket. The face-piercing processions, the food, the mystical rituals at the shrines... this is a special time of year. The festival has been a part of Phuket's culture since 1825. It's no show, it's not made up for the tourists and not for the faint hearted. This is the real Phuket!

This blog post is mainly intended to tie up all the vegetarian festival related posts from the last few years. I never saw a procession until 2006 and didn't have a great camera then. There are better pictures from 2007 and 2008. Last year especially I posted many photos and also some videos, as well as posts about some of the Chinese shrines and the food. I am very much looking forward to the Phuket vegetarian festival 2009 - the dates this year are 18th - 26th October. The dates change as the festival is based on the Chinese lunar calendar.

Vegetarian Festival Photos and Blog Posts

Last year, for the first time I went to a shrine early morning (6am) before a procession to see the face piercing take place. Kathu Shrine is only a couple of kilometers from my house. Kathu has a largely Chinese Thai population and was the center of the tin mining industry in the 19th century. Watching the piercing was very interesting to say the least. Will try to get there even earlier this year. I want to see the Ma Song (devotees) becoming entranced in the shrine.

• 2008 Photos in Kathu Village - Face Piercing

The Kathu procession is one of the larger ones and they walk about 5km from Kathu into Phuket town. I followed them into town. Processions are in the early morning starting around 7am to avoid the midday heat.

• Procession in Phuket Town (2008)
• Festival and Procession Photos 2007

I experimented with some videos this year, but just using a simple Canon Powershot camera on video mode - not pro quality but some of these little clips give a very good idea of what goes on.

• Vegetarian Festival Videos 2008

The food is an integral part of the vegetarian festival. Locals who are taking part will only eat specially prepared food which is pretty much vegan, not only vegetarian. The Thais can do 100 things with tofu and sometimes its hard to believe you are not eating meat. There are "Jae" foodstalls all around the shrines, not so many around the beach areas. Phuket town is the best place to be especially around Jui Tui or Bang Neow shrines. Other shrines on the edge of town like Sam Kong are worth a visit, and maybe I'll see you at Kathu Shrine if you head in that direction.

• Vegetarian Festival - The Food

The vegetarian festival is mainly celebrated by the Chinese Thai community, most of whom live in and around Phuket Town, with others further north in the Thalang area, the older parts of Phuket. Not much going on around the beach areas, if you want to see something, head for one of the main shrines. I've blogged some of them, still want to write about Bang Neow which is on the south side of Phuket town. Jui Tui is the largest, and is near the market, easy to get to and the streets in that area are packed with food stalls during the festival.

• Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town
• Kathu Village Shrine

• A Walk in Kathu Village
• Sam Kong Shrine and Foodstalls

Kathu and Sam Kong shrines are both pretty close to my house, just 2 or 3km, so we go to get food from these areas in the evenings. I try to stick to the diet for the 9 days of the festival. It's very good for cleaning out the body.

The vegetarian festival is something special, and a million miles from the resorts and beaches of Phuket. If anyone wants a special experience, then October 18th - 26th this year is a good time to come to Phuket! The full schedule for the festival is already published at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival website. I will republish it here when we get closer to the event. Roll on October!

Koh Kaew Yai - Boat trip from Rawai Beach

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:03:00 +0000

Just off the south of Phuket there are a number of small islands such as Koh Bon, Koh Lon and Coral Island all of which have beaches and some facilities and accommodation. We intend to visit them all in the future, especially now that we have found a friendly longtail boat captain at Rawai Beach. You can get to all these islands from Rawai and will have to negotiate a price for the boat trip. We have meant to do this for ages, and have vowed not to be so lazy from now on!

We took a trip to Rawai a few weeks ago. Weather was a bit grey and some light drizzle fell during the trip, but the sea was pretty calm. We wanted to visit Koh Kaew Yai which is only about 1km south of Phromthep Cape or about 4km by boat from Rawai Beach. The island has a Buddha statue facing towards Phuket watching over the island. Aside from the statue we did not know what to expect on the island. On the way back to Rawai we figured to stop at Koh Bon, which you can see from Rawai beach.

At Rawai we parked the car and called a mobile number written on a "Boat for Hire" sign. There are plenty of them either longtail or speedboat. Mr Chin arrived soon after the call and we agreed to pay 1000 Baht for the return trip. We can recommend Mr Chin - his mobile number is 081 6072427. Friendly guy. His son came along to help him with the boat.

It's not a long ride, took about 20 minutes. There were some longtail boats out fishing between Rawai and Phromthep. As we approached Koh Kaew Yai the Buddha statue became clearer and we could see that we'd be landing at a small beach.

Despite the calm sea there was a bit of swell at the beach. Getting out of a longtail is not always the easiest of things for everyone when the boat is moving around. The little beach looked lovely, but there was a large and rather smelly pile of garbage waiting to greet us. This can only be garbage from the Monks who live on the island. Needs a clean up for sure.

We climbed some rocks at the north end of the beach where we found a shrine.

A path headed through the woods towards the big Buddha statue. We passed one of the Monks houses. Looks like the Monks here have quite a simple life... which is how it should be, right? Actually we had not known in advance that Monks lived here or we would have brought a donation of some kind.

The Buddha statue that you can see from Phromthep Cape is about 5 meters high standing on a platform over the rocks facing Phuket. I do like Buddha statues. This one looks very serene. My little boy always says his prayers. My daughter is similarly fascinated by the Buddha images.

The bodies of 2 Naga (mythical snakes) wind around the platform and raise their heads in front of the Buddha looking out over the sea.

From the big Buddha, the path heads through the woods (lots of mozzies - take some repellent!) to the north tip of the island where you find a Chedi and another shrine above some steep steps heading down to the rocks. Even though I say the sea was calm, the southwest swell was bashing on the rocks and you would not want to fall in. Some of the rocks looked a bit slippery. Not good for a nervous dad!

If you can reach the last slippery rock (my wife did) there you find the "footprint of the Buddha". Legend says that the Buddha visited Phuket and the island of Koh Kaew Yai was where he first set foot before heading to the mainland at Rawai - the name Rawai derives from Rao Wai, meaning (something like) "we pay homage". It seems this little island is a place for Monks to come for short stays as it's a significant place in terms of Buddhism. We stopped to talk to 2 Monks from Chiang Mai who were just staying a few days. They did not like the mosquitoes either. There was incense burning around their hut and they had a decent looking tent too!

There was more here than we expected! I had just imagined the one big statue. The light rain did not stop us enjoying a bit of exploration. Certainly worth the visit. Other nearby islands are on our list starting with Koh Bon, which is less than 2km from Rawai - you pass it when heading to or from Koh Kaew Yai. We had planned to stop there on the way back, but it was not beach weather... so, another time. As we left Koh Kaew Yai, a monk asked to hitch a ride back to Rawai on our longtail...

Hotel Recommendation: Kata Palm Resort

jjjjmonk@yahoo.co.uk (Jamie Monk in Phuket) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:02:00 +0000

Been a while since a Phuket hotel recommendation on the blog, so today I was looking at deals available for the ~~low~~ SUMMER season, especially on LateStays. At this time of year you are guaranteed availability, and LateStays is a great place to book a last minute hotel room. The website is very easy to use and you can book up to 28 days in advance. The prices right now are somewhat ting tong...

• LateStays late booking deals on Kata Beach Hotels

So I was looking for a hotel to recommend in the Kata Beach area. In the 9 years that I have been here, some parts of Kata have not changed much but along the road behind Club Med, many hotels have been built and indeed the south end of Kata is now (I would say) a better area to stay that the north end if you want a good variety of restaurants and bars. One of the resorts in that area is Kata Palm Resort (and Spa.. everyone seems to tack "and spa" on the end of their name these days!).

It's quite big with 180 rooms, but it covers a big area so does not feel crowded. About 5 minutes walk to Kata Beach. There are a couple of pools plus kids pools. The pools wind interestingly around the gardens. No boring square edges. There's a kids club too - looks like a good family choice rather than a romantic getaway if you ask me.

And in case I forgot to mention... for the next 4 months during the Phuket summer season, the rates go waaaay down. Compared to high season rates starting at 4,000 Baht you can book at Kata Palm Resort from 900 Baht per night. Deal or No Deal?

Kata Palm Resort - Booking & Information Links

• Kata Palm Resort - Late Booking Deals at LateStays.com
• Kata Palm Resort - Rates and Reservations at Agoda.com
• Kata Palm Resort - Hotels Reviews on TripAdvisor.com

• More Hotels in Phuket - More Phuket Hotels at Agoda.com

Kata Palm Resort - Photos

Online Booking - Hotels in Phuket and Thailand