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Kai island, still a popular destination despite rain and cloudy skies

Singapore Tourist Collapses on Speedboat, Dies After Phuket Day Trip

Wednesday, August 12, 2015
PHUKET: A tourist from Singapore died late yesterday in emergency at Mission Hospital in Phuket City after collapsing on a speedboat trip back from a day's outing to Kai Nui island. Sean Chin Nin, 55, told his wife and daughter he had gulped in sea water but doctors believe a heart problem was the cause of his death.

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Nice Beach Chairs and Umbrellas!

Posted by farang tourist on August 12, 2015 13:12

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farang tourist

The view of the beach is absolutely UGLY: after visiting Phuket for 35 years(OMG!) you just lacks sense and understandings what is a nice beach.
Have you been to Out islands of Bahamas,BVI or Anguilla is.?

Also sunbeds design is terrible,it reminds me like some people goes to the beach in underwear instead of swimming suits,and consider that normal.

Posted by Sue on August 12, 2015 13:58

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Sue, you ever heard about a thing names sarcasm?

Posted by Georg The Viking on August 12, 2015 14:47

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Sue,
Whats wrong with going to the beach wearing your thongs?

Posted by MoW on August 12, 2015 15:31

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George The Viking

not only heard,but also able to distinct a plain meaning from a connotation, incl. a sarcasm : the fellow commenter "farang tourist" seemingly in a plain meaning advocated on numerous previous discussions a grand presense of sun beds on Phuket beach,so if those were also grand effort on a sarcasm line,then I should apologize for misunderstanding.

But as Ed and one other regular poster have come to a conclusion some timeago that sarcasm is mostly manifested by means of verbal communication, thus it is not always can be expressed and detected in a written form,then I may be have no case to apologize.

Posted by Sue on August 12, 2015 15:36

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Thanks Sue,
I got the response I expected EXCEPT I thought it would come from the editor!

I agree with you though that the design is terrible they should be the nice plastic loungers that used to adorn Patong Beach.

Posted by farang tourist on August 12, 2015 15:57

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It is not really that Khai islands (3 islets) are popular but most tourists on the way to Phi Phi island, Krabi or Koh Yao Yai have NO CHOICE. 90% of speed boat operators drop their customers on these islands where the tour guides and boat staff will tell their passengers to stay in a "designated" area to rent chairs, order drinks/cocktails or snacks because they will get good commissions from the vendors. The longer the clients stay, the better, hot days = buy drinks and ice cream, most of the time the speed boat will be pulled away from the beach so that the tourists can not access to the free drinks they paid for, available all day. And of course on these islands, jet-skis, para-sail, banana boats... for more profits and commissions. Same deal with Naka island and its huge number of day trip boats, Lawa island almost there... Some people in big positions are making money it is obvious but how to stop them ? Who can stop them and who wants to stop them ?

Posted by Phuket119 on August 12, 2015 16:55

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Get Sue onto it! (sarcasm intended).

Posted by Sue Yu on August 12, 2015 19:37

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MoW,

of course I went thong-less.
And you know well why: since you haven't sent your last design. Are you still testing it?
As soon as, and then I will head straight afield!

On other developments, on the day when the island of Phuket have been mostly submerged by consequences of published meteorological releases, to balance it out, while being in Western Phang Nga, I took a day at Thai Mueang beach and surroundings:

albeit it was raining , lightly-to-insignifacntly, but being equipped with a moderate size umbrella provided so much desired hedge against that kind of hazard,
so I took an effort to acknowledge myself with an area:


The Beach road - Thanon Chayhat Talay - extended well into LamPi - Hat Thai Mueang National Park, and 15m protected beach forest strip provided a great cover against strong wind blewing off ThaiMueang seas.
That was actually a prefect weather to take a walk along the shore up to NP HQ(=ticket office), as it was not hot, perfectly breezy weather.

Setting is absolutely scenic - beach lasts for almost 14km to the North, and few kms Hat Tai Sai to the South.
However no coconut trees for perfect picture - all of them across the road - that "protected beach forest" have mostly casuarinas and alike trees
In green season whether it is rainng or not, any bathing at Hat Thai Mueang is strictly No-No as there is sharp drop almost at the coast line, and green season means here always some stromy conditions.

The land is virtually farangless, hardly anyone even ins ervice scetor speaks English, the best EN skills were of Burmese waiting staff, who didn't speak Thai well.
Atmosphere is serene, people around are those classic mild and tender in communication, friendly Thais, it seems like Phuket is in another country.

There is a huge number of stary dogs - almost like of monkeys in Kuala Lumpur - BUT not a single dogs is barking at all,
even more, not a sibgle dog exhibited a drop of agressivness whatsoever - obviously , reflecting psyche of their Soi feeder, as it often happens.

Single story residental houses are lined up long the road other side of the beach strip - it means like 50m from the door to a high tide mark. Many of them for rent. There are few guest houses and "resorts" with facilities liek one-night places in Patong - but giving the perfect natural setting and general positive vibe, for me it would be absolutely OK in high season, no need for a pool at all, if you ahve good sea to swim.
Nearby there is a kind of sport facility, and I 'm sure there are some gyms around.

There is cluster of seafood restorans, some of them are open also for lunch, also in green season.
In general they serve absolutly great sortment of seafoods Thai style, exactly what I wanted: in Phuket you often struggle to get regular Goong Che Nam Pla(Raw Shrimps Marinated in Fish Sauce) served in a correct manner, here you get not usual customisation Pla Muek Che Nam Pla (Squid Marinated in a Fish Sauce), that , on top, is served on par with a fine dining establsihment: each circle of the cut squid, holds inside a piece of garlic and chille peper, accompanyed witha dedicated sl;ice of goard,all that perefctly arranged around the plate; just 120THB.
The freshly squeezed juice - that was a JUICE - not half of ice , and half of crushed half-rotten fruits w/sugar syrup, was a mixed juice, with a pineapple base - didn't get to know all ingredients, but that was on par of few teh evry best establihment in Phuket that serves qaulity fresshly pressed mixture, some of them for 400++THB, this one was "nett" 30THB. In general, you will hardly find a place that will b eoK to press out of a pineapple a juice..
Sof-shell crabs - 170THB, whole-fish (have tested) not that dumping - 300THB per one , and variety of other fabulious foods cooked in a manner that is easy nowadays to find on Phuket.
That all with great seaview (along the road).
And very clean toilet, Thai style.

There is turtle & fish conservation center on the Beach Rd.- they hatch Dtao Lek there , and raise them and then realease in high season into the sea right over there. There are pools with adorable turtle-babies and turtle-kids, playng one with another.
Also they raise ther variosu fish, like Nemo, to release to Similans.
People who work at that facility, except bureacrats in the office, speak no English. They were really happy when I shown them a video taken by me on an island near Madagascar, of realease of just hatched new born turtles from teh sand right to the sea - they told, that they don't do here like taht, still new-born turtles should grow a bit at facility, adn only then they would release them into the wild.


Vistas along the Beach Rd. between the border of NP and its HQ are beach forest and coconut forests on the oppoiste side, perfect for taking pics.

Kids in Ramkhamhaeng University PhangNga Campus enjoy a jelious setting - teh uni is just other side of teh Beach Rd., in the beraks ,and in general, they can go bathing, swimming, fishing, cayaking and whatsoever right there and right away.
Pics of their hotel-dormitory on site looks like at least 3* place.

An alternative media outlet inn Phuket some time ago covered this Thai Mueang area, however, they are definitely gastronomically handicapped, since they suggested the worst place to eat - anmely Burger-Sandwich-Pizza place taht is the first restaurant when you reach teh Beach Rd. from the town - I observed they put alla round ads advertising terrible foods - something like burger/sandwich for 60THB. I just ran away from that place as far as I could, as those burger images poison that atmosphere so much.

Later, for a dinner, I just followed PW's dining advise - Poo Dam restaurant on the Road 402 to Phuket in the middle of Khok Kloy town, and that again a meal that perfectly matched my expectations.
Will add menu and experince details at the appropriate thread.

It was fabulious day there,a nd it was so strange to read about introduction of boat trafiic inland of Phuket is.

In regard of your advise to go by taxi to Khanom not from Si Thamarrat but off Surathani, yes, I agree - it seems to be shorter route, but I am afraid of 'Phuket sindrome" of Suratthani taximeters, sinec it seems to be more touristic place than town of Nakhon Si Thammarat or vicinity.
Actually, I was planning to go for a day to Surrathani - never been there,and there are few sefood restauarnts, that look great, well referred for a visit and suprisingly open during teh day - weather was not so inviting last week for such trip, may next one - then I will find out details about atxi fare.
Still, it would be highly helpful to get to know a current quote Nakhon Si Thammarat , say, airpot or bus staion, to Khanom - say, up to that cluster of hotels there.

Posted by Sue on August 13, 2015 00:48

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In case you all forgot what this article was about, RIP the poor gentleman from Singapore.
PS. We did a speed boat trip to Phi Phi a few years ago and stopped off at Kai Island for an hour or so. It was a beautiful day and I quite enjoyed sitting under the umbrellas having an ice cream and a drink and then going for a snorkel. It wasn't horrible as some people say.

Posted by pete59 on August 13, 2015 06:53

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A request ED.

Please limit posters comments to 200 characters.
If you can't say what you need to say in 200 characters, then you are not qualified to comment.

Please, please with a cherry on top.

Posted by Sir Burr on August 13, 2015 07:15

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Sue,
the mowkini will be released soon. We just have a few stitching up issues to sort out.

Posted by MoW on August 13, 2015 08:59

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Note to ED. Please close this thread of comments as they are becoming quite derogatory.
The article is about the death of a tourist.

Posted by Robin on August 13, 2015 10:35

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Sir Burr, that won't stop Sue as he will sent 5x200 characters or even more...

Posted by herbert on August 13, 2015 11:26


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