4 Feb

4 Feb - Call it becoming a fashion victim, call it the influence of western civilisation, call it a sad attempt to blend in with hip young backpackers . . . but I actually saw a local fisherman wearing fisherman's pants yesterday. What's wrong with 99 baht polyester football shorts?

Best Western, the traveling salesman's choice of expense account accommodation, will soon be opening 3 star resorts on Koh Chang and Koh Kood, according to recent reports.

A few months ago I mentioned that Jim and his 42' schooner 'Remington' were heading to KC to offer adventurous types liveaboard trips around the archipelago. Jim's now here, with his yacht, which can be seen moored off Lonely Beach. For info on charters and the boat in general see www.sail-remington.com

First it was 'The Times', then 'The Independent' and now 'The Observer' has printed a full page article on Koh Chang which, as with he two other articles, is little more than a thinly disguised advertorial for the Amari Resort and Kuoni holidays. Surely it's time for a few other hotels to get together an organise a press junket?

There are a few good lines in the article. A nice contradiction to begin with: "There is little resort-style development on Koh Chang . . . because it is a protected marine national park - although not protected from earth movers on every corner helping to throw up new hotels."

And proof, if it were needed that travel journos don't really have clue where they are when they're enjoying the freebies on offer from the likes of Amari & Kuoni Corp.: "A seven-night stay at the Amari Emerald Cove resort costs from £756.50 per person. This includes international flights with Thai Airways to Bangkok and onwards to Phuket and transfers to and from the resort" That's a hell of along transfer from Phuket to Koh Chang :-)

Fortunately the write up does a pretty good job of not going overboard on the tourist brochure bull that is usually associated with this type of write up.

San Miguel beer is now brewed in Thailand and San Mig Light and San Mig Pale Pilsner are available in V-Mart supermarket, Klong Prao for 55 baht per 640ml bottle. The latter tastes particularly good, it's very smooth and far superior to Thai beers in the simple fact that it's drinkable. The former has no taste but being a Light beer I guess that's the point. And, using that reasoning, it must be good too, although it still tastes like piss to me.

Samui's tourist arrivals from the UK were down 30% in January following the murder of a good looking young female visitor a month ago. Koh Chang's arrival figures were unaffected following the murder of an old bloke a month ago. The lesson from this is that if you're old or ugly, then no-one cares if you get murdered abroad. Unless it's a particularly bizarre death, 'Bob Thompson, 59, died after inadvertently swallowing a parrot fish whilst snorkelling off the paradise island of Koh Chang, Thailand.' -this stands a change of being considered newsworthy by sub-editors.