Is August a good time to visit the island of Koh Samui in Thailand or will I be swept away by the monsoon rains? What's the best way to get there? I was planning on flying direct from Bangkok, but is there a cheaper option?
While the best time to visit Koh Samui is from December to February, August is pleasant, too. Unlike Bangkok, the island has its rainy season from September to November. Remember, though, that this is Thailand - it can get quite hot and humid at times, with an occasional thundershower to liven things up.
Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com) has several direct flights to Koh Samui daily. A return flight costs from 7,020 Thai baht (Dh846), including taxes. Thai Airways (www.thaiwairways.com) flies from 13,120 baht (Dh1,582) return, including taxes.
An inexpensive option is to fly from Bangkok to Surat Thani, a city on Thailand's south-eastern coast and a bus- and ferry-ride from Koh Samui. A return flight with Air Asia (www.airasia.com) to Surat Thani from Bangkok costs from 2,700 baht (Dh325), including taxes.
From the airport, catch a minibus or van (about 150 baht [Dh18] per person) for the one-and-a-half-hour ride to Donsak Pier, east of Surat Thani. Ferries depart from the pier every half-hour for Koh Samui (150 baht [Dh18] per trip, per person) and the neighbouring island of Ko Pha Ngan. The boats to Koh Samui sail through the Samui islands, so not only do you save money but you get to journey along an extremely scenic route. Book tickets at the Raja Ferry office (00 66 77 471 151) outside the Surat Thani Railway Station or online at www.rajaferryport.com. If you aren't planning to spend a night in Surat Thani, don't take an evening flight - the last boat from Donsak leaves at 7pm.
One of the best ways to travel to Koh Samui is by the overnight train from Hua Lamphong Station in Bangkok to Phun Phin in Surat Thani. At Hua Lamphong, you have the option of purchasing a "combined" ticket, which includes the train fare, a bus transfer to Donsak Pier and an express boat ticket. The journey by train takes about 11 hours; add another two hours for the bus and ferry to Koh Samui. Combined one-way tickets cost 1,200 baht (Dh145) for first class and 800 baht (Dh95) for second class (visit www.thairailways.com for more information and timetables). Taking a day train, of course, means that you'll end up missing the last boat to Koh Samui.
The cheapest - and longest - way from Bangkok to Surat Thani is by bus. It's around an 11-hour, 650km road trip from Sai Tai Mai, or the Southern Route Bus Terminal, on Borom Ratchachonnani Road. First-class fares cost 346 baht (Dh42) per trip. Non-airconditioned buses cost 192 baht (Dh23) per trip.
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The five pillars of Islam
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Name: HyperSpace
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Based: Dubai, UAE
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Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
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Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
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Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
The Gandhi Murder
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- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
2019 ASIA CUP POTS
Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia
Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand
Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam
Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
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Sunday's games
All times UAE:
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace, 4pm
Manchester City v Arsenal, 6.15pm
Everton v Watford, 8.30pm
Chelsea v Manchester United, 8.30pm
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 0
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5