TMM punched the snores out big time last night, the fireworks on the beach which sound like Beirut on a busy day don’t wake him. I reckon he slept most of yesterday and last night. He’s on the mend this morning but only firing on four cylinders, although he’s up for breakfast so that’s a good sign.

Breakfast as usual for me, cereal, allbran, fruit, yoghurt, pancakes and English B Tea, TMM has pancakes and Earl Grey tea (f…g yuppy tea!). But at least he’s eating and not snoring. A bit more colour in his face.

We find Oz and head for a drive south to Karon Beach, then Kata Beach where a surfing contest is under way. These areas are quiet, lots of shops and apartments closed, a bit depressing so fingers crossed it will pick up.

First stop is Maybelle’s Coffee Garden, back of Kata Beach, over looked by The Big Buddha. A lovely garden setting. The story, I discovered Richie and Maybelle on Youtube when checking out how things were on Phuket, he is English 40ish and Maybelle is Thai and 30ish, lovely couple and after Youtube I feel I know them sort of. They have a thriving little business, Maybelle runs it, Richie is PR and public relations. Service great and food and coffee excellent. Maybelle meets us at the gate, shows to a table  then Ruchie comes over and had a chat. Seem to be very nice people. We chat to the young woman (late 20s maybe) on the table next door, she’s been in Thailand for 3 months working remotely for a Melbourne recruitment HR company. She is heading home to WA next week. Travelling alone and comfortable in her own skin, good on her. Check out Richie and Maybelle on Youtube.

We head to Rawai Beach, Oz pays a local “taxi mafia” kid 5 baht (20c) to park. On the beach side the stalls sell live seafood, on the other side the restaurants will cook what you buy for a small fee, cheap as Oz says “velly cheap”. The long tail boats are anchored behind the stalls in the bay. We walk down the RawI bay shopping area, it looks nice, quiet, lots of the same sorts of shops as Patong only less and smaller. I think lots of nice restaurants for fresh seafood in this area.

Back at Patong we retire to the pool to cool down. TMM heads for a massage, he must be improving by the hour? Next job is our 5pm appointment with Mr Siam, the boss tailor man who used to run Hilfiger Fashion, now seems to run Tommy Fashion, mover and shaker, I think he’s Dave’s ( the guy at the tailor’s ) uncle?

At 5pm Sharp a Whatsapp message from Mr Siam, he’s in the carpark waiting for us. We drive north to Kamala Beach past the Muslim fod markets on the sea side just past Diamond Cliff. The street in Kamala is very quiet, Dave is waiting outside Tommy Fashion (check it out on Facebook), fitting is sorted, a few adjustments needed, next catch up is Monday, we’ll get a text on Whatsapp to tell us. A couple of Singha beers an discussion, then Siam’s sister comes in with his neice from Burma, she’s a smart cookie, very good English, a degree in IT and heading to Canada to study for her Masters. She was considering Australia but Canada won the day – our loss I reckon. Siam tells us the story of the tsunami, he was in the shop outside the Banthai the day it hit and abandoned the shop and money in the till when the water got to waist height, he felt it was coming again, and it did, one of his good friends died because he wouldn’t go up the stairs with him. Siam has a few orons in the fire, his main business he says is exporting cosmetics into Burma, but at the moment hes have a little trouble with the junta running Burma – thats a surprise?

Siam insists on shorting TMM and I dinner, at the restaurant next to Tommy Fashion, its name is Blue Manao, Siam insists the food is super good and fresh. He’s right, Dale (aka TMM) has chicken fried rice (no further comment) but he’s impressed. I have a Chicken Mussaman, I ask for a little spicy – it is delicious and the spiciness is right on my limit, the chilli is dancing on my tongue and my lips are tingling but not numb, there is a little sweat on my cheeks near my nose – they limit was close but not over.

Mr Siam returns us to Patong and we walk up Bangla Road, because we haven’t done it at night yet. Its definitely picked up from the Youtube videos I’ve been watching, its thumping, the bars are humming, the go go girls are go going in their next to nothing mini skirts and pouting lips, the ping ping shows are advertised every 5 metres by dodgy looking blokes and pretty Thai girls but not enough to tempt me, although I ducked into one bar to find out if they were televising the rugby from Argentina on Saturday night – they were and it was on at 2am, not sure if I’ve got the stamina for that!

Tomorrow is a quiet day, a bit of shopping maybe. Sunday we are going to Phuket Town markets in the old Portuguese part of the town. Monday I’m getting my teeth scaled and cleaned for 1500 baht ($60) at a place that is reputable and used by a lot of Aussies, I checked it out. At home I pay about $300 after they take the Westfund money, so its worth a try.

Ciao from Phuket – Pauolo