February Fishing in Phuket

A Fab Feb to all you Fisher Folk.

There seems to be a massive increase of police road blocks recently which I assume is the Thai’s response to the horrendous road accident figures, but considering the amount of howling ambulances screaming by my door I don’t feel this approach is working, especially when you consider how few tourists there are, the folks who traditionally take the blame for this national disgrace. Or is it possible that this lack of visitor numbers also means there are less of the customary sources of  income supplements “tea money” and an alternative, no matter how damaging to the already beleaguered tourist industry, had to be found. I also find it bizarre how the noisy motorbikes with no silencers, another big tourist grievance, seem to go unnoticed as the “Brown Bears” target their, what seems to be predominately “foreign” victims.

Fishing – The unusually windy conditions that plagued us throughout January continued to restrict the amount of trolling lines we could put out, but with the possible migration of the Sailfish, GT’s (Giant Trevally) seem to have taken over as the top predator, not as spectacular as the Sails but a serious fighting fish all the same, with lots of power. Pity there are not more guys here to catch them.

As I move into my second decade here in the Land of Smiles I can only wonder where things are going from here, with this new Chinese Flu and the outrageously high Baht all the local tourist reliant businesses are feeling the pinch and I predict many will not see the end of the year, as regular visitors plump for cheaper destinations such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and even Myanmar (Burma).

While I realize tourism is not a major part of the Thai GDP (Gross Domestic Product) that should not mean that visitors should be treated so shabbily by the authorities in general, even starting at the airport where welcome to the “Land of Smiles” is a complete misnomer.

On my Facebook site I started a “Begged, borrowed & stolen” photograph section which has proved quite popular so I am including more pictures in this blog which I hope you enjoy and for more please see Facebook:- Jimmy’s Drift Inn & Big Game Fishing.