14 Apr

14 April - As a few of you found last week's business advice from expat expert Bob, author of 'How to lose your life savings in 30 days or less' useful. So, he'll be back later this month with some tips taken from his latest work 'The art of selling loss making small businesses to unsuspecting newcomers' which shot straight to the top of Koh Chang's best seller list recently.

Why do people remove their brains once they get onto an island? I met a girl who 'bought' a small business and now wants to sell it. She owns the fixtures & fittings but pays rent to a landlord for the shop space:

"How long is the lease?"
"I pay rent every month."
"Yes, but how long is the contract for?"
"As long as I want, I pay every month."
"So, what does the contract actually say? 1 year?, 3 years?"
"What contract?"
"Your rental contract."
"I don't have one, but the landlord is a nice guy so it's OK."

A new contender for the title of 'Best small plot of land currently for sale on KC'. Here's the view from a lovely bit of land for a house or small quiet resort. 9 million baht will get you 2 Rai of 'Chanote' titled beachfront land near Bangbao which stretches up a hillside with views over the bay and private beach below.

If bay views are your thing, a budget version, aso 2 Rai, but no beachfront is available for 1 million baht down in Salakphet. Farmland but with sunset views over the head of the bay. Email me if you're interested.

The Independent newspaper (UK) had an article on Ethical Travel the other week. Koh Chang got a mention as a good place to go in Thailand for the 'conscientious tourist'. So if you're the type of person who feels guilty about all the jet fuel that's used to transport you to Thailand, let me know and you can plant a mangrove tree at our house in order to say 'Sorry' to Mother Nature for only 1,000 baht. (Who said absolvence should be free?).

The lovely Lek, from the Project Department of the IMPACT Exhibition Center, would like everyone, or, more probably, only people with money to spend on yachts and condos, to know hat the 'First Pattaya Boat Show & Premier Living Exhibition' will take place between 29 April - 3 May 2006 at Ocean Marina Yacht Club. More details at: www.impact.co.th/pattayaboatshow.

'Bunting' - there's a word I haven't used for a while, and have only used now as Aana Resort today have put up the saddest example of bunting I've seen since my primary school's Sports Day in 1976, which took place at the height of a national strike by the Union of Bunting Makers.

Big thanks to Nick for making a phone call to enable me to get my 1MB ADSL hooked up in under 24 hours (after over 3 months of waiting). Next high season they'll be a free wi-fi hotspot at our place for any laptop carrying guests.