DocBarrington

Getting Car License in Phuket is quite simple, if you have a current drivers license from another Country. I got mine three days ago only a reflex test using a simulated brake pedal with stop pedal, and coloud blindness test were require. I had my license within a few hours, get there early or you have to wait. There were 100 odd people trying out for their License, and I was there in the que at 8.40AM, and had my Car License in hand by 11am

Getting a Bike license is another matter, I hold an Australian Drivers License issued in Victoria, I am 58 and have held the Victorian Drivers License for 40 years, over that time I drove some 2.8 Million Klm as a rep. The License is also endorsed for for me to ride a Motor Cycle of unlimited engine size, that endorsement I have had for 35 years. I have been riding ever since in Australia. In Australia only one Drivers License/Card is issued, it is then endorsed with a code for every type of vehicle you are able to legally drive or ride. Try telling that to the girls at Phuket, they said I could only have my Car License even though I have a Bike License from Australia, and if I wanted a Bike License I would have to sit through a Video on Driving in Thailand, to my amazement I went along with this and went to the Video room. The small room was filled with Farang, the video was in English but the sound quality was shocking, I would say at lease a quarter had no sound at all. The video was if anything entertaining, most of us were laughing at the irrevelant information we were being given that is when we could hear what was being said. After the video we were told we had to do a Bike riding test I was realy getting annoyed by then I tried again to tell the head girl that my Australian License is for both Car and Unlimited Bike, but she said I only have a Car license I needed to Show her a Bike License ( she wanted another Card with Bike on it) so I decided I was going to go along with their request and was one of the first down to the Driving Course. Thats when it got realy silly, as I drove their in my Hilux I did not have a Bike with me, you can rent a bike from the instructors at 50tb per try, Some other Farang were there and on the 50thb bikes going around and around, one guy had clocked up about 7 trys before I stopped watching. There were Thais and Farang going around and around with no sign of anyone passing the simple driving test. I asked where I was in the pile of applications and found out I was near the bottom of the pile. I could see that this was going to take forever and decided to leave. I was told by the head girl I could come back she would hold my application for my next visit. My Thai wife said a Guy approahed her and said if I paid 6,000 thb I could get the License I was not going to give them the pleasure of ripping me off and have decided to go back on myown Bike next week that way they don't even get bike rental from me as it is free to take the test if you have your own Bike.

I have just seen a 10ltr Sausage Stuffer at Makro Cash and Carry, all Stainless Steel Vertical ram, includes four different size SS filling nozzels small up to Salami size, a very well made machine and food quality Stainless, around 13,000 Thb. Smaller ones available 9,000Thb for 5ltr but you need to order will take a week to get in from their supplier.

Hi guys,

any idea what Fenugreek is called in Thai , my Thai Girlfriend does not know what I am looking for. I want to make Pastroma the Turkish Style Pastrami.

Hi Guys,

I moved to Phuket a few weeks back on a Retirement Visa.Living in Bang tao for the next year or so.

I have been looking at Toyota Vigo's for the last 2 weeks and decided on a second hand June 07 built 4x4 3ltr G, in Black micra, it has 105,000klm on clock, fully optioned leather etc, aftermarket wide alloy wheels and new tyres, body lift kit, and every conceivable extra on the outside you could immagine, a couple of small dents in one door that can be pushed out, and a small dent in rear bumper that is almost invisable. The price we have agreed on is 745,000 thb, with 12 months rego and 6 month Warranty, a little more than I wanted to spend but It was the nicest one I have looked at and has full service history and a one owner.

Does anyone know of somewhere that does paintless dent removal here in Phuket,on on the main land, also the interior dash paint has a blemish due to a Buddah being attached with double sided tape and removed, it lifted the paint on the top of the dash. Do they do Vinyl repairs here like in Aus as this is a small problem to fix over there but not sure if it can be done here.

I would also like to know if there are street directorys of some sort available in english, as I want to drive to Sisaket next week and have no idea how to get there fron Phuket. Or would a GPS be more advisable. I would like to remove the CD/Radio in the car and Replace it with a TV, GPS DVD , Bluetooth Unit but cannot find any Audio shop that may be able to assist.

Any help greatly appreciated

Hi Guys,

I just purchased a June 07 Vigio 4x4 3ltr with plenty of aftermarket options, and 105,00klm

On a slight tangent to the main topic - can anyone explain why my Toyota dealer in Roi Et is having apparent difficulty finding this model (Vigo 4x4 G)? When we ordered it a month ago, we were told it would take a month. Now they are saying they only have one car in this model and black colour available, coming in next week, and three buyers who want it -- the implication being that two unlucky buyers will have to wait longer (how much longer i don't know yet).

I know there's a process involved, but I would have thought (hoped) that after a month a branded Toyota dealer in a provincial centre would be able to obtain any model they requested. Presumably the factory (in Pathum Thani I believe) is churning them out on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, a Toyota dealer in Khon Kaen tells us that they could fill the order for this model in 5 or 6 days, (I'm tempted to go with them, but it would involve going through the financing process all over again.)

Call the finance people and they easily swap the finance to another dealer

Toyota LOS has a 45 days delivery guarantee to the LOS dealers and usually manages that, thus Toyota needed to move assembling of export Fortuners recently to Indonesia to fullfill domestic demand of Fortuner/Vigo.

If you dealer has one black and 3 customers, the reason is that they havent ordered your truck as you have ordered with them, or they have 2 new orders for the same truck.

45 days pluss transportation 1-14 days should do