galoubet

As someone who has ridden a large bike in many countries, it would seem that they were both at fault:

(a) The sidecar driver who should have a helmet, but they never do. Also, he probably did not look for traffic before changing lanes

( The Kawasaki rider who, by the look of his gear, was riding at excessive speed and probably showing off

Never rode anything but BMW's overseas and would have my BMW here but for the ridiculous private import duties..

Make do with my trusty Yamaha 125 here sadly.

If you have an accident you are always partly to blame. I got rear-ended on my brand new BMW R1150R whilst stopped at a red light in London 10 years ago. If I'd have positioned myself next to (or in between) the adjacent waiting cars instead of out in the open in a lane by myself I could have avoided the prang.

I reckon riding a bike in Thailand makes me a better rider for when I'm riding in the UK or Europe. There are so many more potential hazards in Thailand. You really need to keep your wits about you and not relax even for a second. Treat every other road user as an idiot who is out to kill you! And always wear good protective gear no matter how short the trip. That doesn't make bike riding in Thailand any less enjoyable. It's great fun.

Sorry you had to leave your Beemer behind. Import duties are really expensive and so are new BMW bikes. Twice the price of the UK! But you can pick up a second hand bike as I did. My R1200C wasn't my bike of choice but it's a good machine and plods along nicely at 100km/h and will even do 160 if I need to get out of a tight spot. I bought all the extras for it (leather seats, carrier frame, top box, etc.) in the UK and packed them in my hold luggage.

I can't imagine what mods I could possibly do to my bike to make it look better than it already looks.

I have done mods of course but only for practical reasons. Fly screen keeps my cockpit clean, GPS tells me where I am, carrier frame and givi box for carrying my bits, 12v socket for charging the battery, leather seats for riding comfort. What more could I want?

I'm really new to this so I hope some folks can help correct any identification mistakes I've made.

Thanks for any input of the subject.

Cheers

Ollie

I'm taking you at your word. Your identifications are rather dubious. What you need is a really good field guide. I recommend the "Birds of Thailand" by Craig Robson. Excellent book with accurate drawings and descriptions making identification a breeze. The newer editions also have bird names in Thai script.

Your "Giant Black Crow" is most likely an Asian Koel. It's a very skulking bird, as big as a giant crow but hides effectively in the trees. You can't miss the raucous "koel, koel, koel" call all over Thailand. Your best opportunity to see one is when they fly from one tree to another (as I suspect that's what you saw). The giveaway for me is your picture has a bird with a pale beak not a black beak like a crow. If you get close enough you'll see it has vivid red eyes (as do several other big Thai birds). I took this bird in my garden in Kanchanaburi.

I started bird watching up here in Sukhothai about 10 days ago and took this photo of a green bee-eater last week.

Just an additional note on your cuckoo. It definitely is a plaintive cuckoo for two reasons. Firstly the rusty breasted cuckoo is only found in the south of Thailand and even there is quite rare. Secondly the rusty breasted cuckoo has an orange breast all the way up to the throat whereas the plaintive cuckoo continues it's grey head colour a third of the way down its breast. Otherwise, I agree, the two birds are quite similar. But not in their call. You'll never mistake a plaintive cuckoo. Sounds like some child trying to whistle, badly and out of tune!

And btw I bought Dylan's album "Bringing It All Back Home" when it first came out in 1965. Still have it. Great record.

I started bird watching up here in Sukhothai about 10 days ago and took this photo of a green bee-eater last week.

http://www.surfbirds.com/community-blogs/obroadie/files/2013/09/Not-sure.jpg

I also started a wee online journal of Thai birding here.

http://www.surfbirds.com/community-blogs/obroadie/

I'm really new to this so I hope some folks can help correct any identification mistakes I've made.

Thanks for any input of the subject.

Cheers

Ollie

Your cuckoo looks like a plaintive cuckoo (see my pic taken in Sriracha). Your "Indian Pond Heron" is a Chinese Pond Heron.

I once seen a Hoopoe a few years ago,are they migratory

as well ?

Hoopoes are resident in Thailand. They are migratory in Europe. I see them often in the South of France. And as far north as central France. Loads around my place in Kanchanaburi. I took this one at Bang Phra, Chonburi.

Bee eaters are pretty much around all the time. But they don't much like this wet weather!

This fella likes my bananas!

One last note on online bankiing. Last week when i downloaded the statement of my savings account with SCB which pays me a generous 0.5% pa rate of interest, i noticed an "annual fee" charge of Bth 5,000 for internet banking.

Mmmmm. That's strange. I've had an SCB savings account for over 10 years. Had internet access right from the start (SCB Easy). Never had a problem. Never been charged a fee for internet banking. The only fee they charge is the 200B/year for my ATM card.

I'm having difficulty understanding exactly what your request is. The road you mention is certainly where all the farangs home into and where there are indeed many guest houses. But you say you have been there before and know all this. So what exactly are you asking?

BTW - you can rent a room in a guest house there on a monthly basis for around 3000 baht.

The same goes with BMW bikes (and I guess all imports). The R1200GS basic model in the UK is £11,650 (582,500 baht at 50 baht/£). The Thai list price is 1,222,000 baht.

Guess I'll be sticking to my old 1998 R1200C in Thailand for now.

Have fun on your new machine!

9k sounds a lot, in the UK it would be so much more!!

You reckon? My insurance for my BMW 1200cc bike in the UK is 7,900 baht (at 50 baht/£). And it's insured with BMW's own insurance scheme. Fully comp cover for the whole of Europe.

I get my Thai BMW insurance at the same time as I pay my road tax. It's very cheap but I can't remember the actual figure. I get my car insurance at the Thai MOT station. That's cheap too.

In 30 years I can only remember being asked for my passport twice, both by traffics cops.

The first maybe 10 years ago near Khao Yai when I was "accused" of speeding in my car. I wasn't, and the cops had no way of checking anyway. It was just a tea money stop but I negotiated a large reduction. All smiles and was quite fun really.

The second around 5 years ago near Chonburi on my motorbike. The cop was checking for stolen bikes. He didn't want any money. Seriously!

Having said that, I always carry my actual passport with me unless I'm just popping up the road to my local market. I thought it was the law (about 5 years ago?) to make farangs obey the same obligations to carry ID as Thais have to.

Even cheaper with EVA Air from around £570 economy. (£2070 business but £2550 with BA).

EVA' s business class knocks spots off BA's (apart from the luggage allowance).

Sorry? What?

I don't think EVA even had fully flat beds until recently. I've been flying in BA Club Class with fully flat beds for years.

I think it's only EVA Royal Laurel class that has flat beds. Are you guaranteed to get that with Business Class on the London to Bangkok route with EVA now?

EVA have just installed flat beds on the LHR-BKK. I've already booked a return flight for £2079 (actually less as I used up the remainder of my loyalty points). BA is still £2550. The Royal Laurel seats are good as they are only 4 across meaning everyone has unhindered access to the aisles. The service on EVA is far superior to BA that I flew last time and the cabin crew more pleasant and provide better service. The coffee is also much better as they have a genuine espresso machine and make coffee almost as good as I do back home. I drink lots. I never minded the old Premium Laurel class as I rarely sleep on planes but I'm looking forward to the new arrangement as I now have a window seat with direct aisle access. Super!

My bill is 1500 to 2000 with little to no air con.

That makes me feel very good. My Thai lady sleeps with the aircon on all night and sometimes during the day. We run an electric heated shower, a fridge, a CRT tv that always seems to be on in my granddaughter's room and cook with electric half the time too. And we get away with around 1000 - 1300 baht/month. I thought that was rather a lot. I clearly don't now!

Even cheaper with EVA Air from around £570 economy. (£2070 business but £2550 with BA).

EVA' s business class knocks spots off BA's (apart from the luggage allowance).

I'm doing exactly the same thing as you albeit from Bangkok to KL and with Malaysia Airlines. I've done the return day trip to KL several times before with Air Asia and at other times I've had a day or two in Penang before coming back.

I agree with previous posters that you should go through immigration as it's hardly a long process. And there's another point. Even if you have already printed out your return leg boarding pass before you fly you still have to get it endorsed by Air Asia staff at check-in in KL which you can't do airside. Air Asia is a point to point airline, there's no transfer desk.

At my last visit to Penang I forgot to get my boarding pass endorsed and was turned back by security. It only took me 5 minutes to return to the check-in desk to remedy the situation. If you are already airside you could have serious problems.

What I should like to see is the ability to go airside in Bangkok and return to immigration without flying at all. Would save a lot of time and money. Even better would be to go to a local immigration office with my unused visa entry and get a stamp for another 60 days. This whole idea of having to leave Thailand is just crazy.

Do you not have any family or friends that can come and look after your house to see everything is ok, possibly staying a night or a few days? That might qualify. Have you thought about renting it out for the period you are away? If you live near London you'd have no trouble.

You say you are going to try 6 months in Thailand this coming winter to see if your like it or not. You will indeed. The weather will be mostly dry and sunny and relatively "cool" from November onwards. Pretty much perfect. I think you'd be better advised coming for 6 months over summer starting in April with the hot season at its peak with sweltering days in the 40's followed by the wet season when it rains a lot, the roads are covered in mud and mosquitoes abound. If you like it then, you'll have no problems.

Thanks, we were married in the UK so we have a British marriage certificate but it sounds like it might still be a problem, I think we'll skip it this time and put it down as a lesson learnt.

Thanks for your replies.

Jimmy

That's just as well. Because you have to return to Bangkok to apply for a Schengen visa for your wife. Crazy I know. Please correct me if I'm a bit out of date with the rules but when my Thai lady came to the UK with me on a 6 month visitor's visa back in 2004 we were told very firmly by the French immigration people in London and Bangkok that she'd have to apply for the Schengen visa in Bangkok. No can do in London.

I've had lots of problems trying to grow plants in Thailand from seeds brought in from the UK. The only plants that seems to grow ok are marigolds. I'd stick to the Thai seeds for tomatoes. My toms in Thailand grow perfectly well.

On a slightly different tack, the datura (big purple/white trumpet flowers) seeds I brought back from Thailand grow wonderfully in my conservatory in London as do the orchids and euphorbias.

Mate, make sure you prepay the extra luggage online before you get to the airport. It will be heaps cheaper.

I flew Sing to Bangkok with Mrs and even though we paid for 45kg (25+20), I was 3kg over and got stung $65 sing. Online would have barley been $10.

They are harsh and unforgiving.

I've just booked a return flight Bangkok - KL - Bangkok with Malaysia Airlines. They are a bit more expensive than Air Asia (7,200B v 5,500B) but convenient as they fly from Swampy. But here's the rub, they give you 30kg free hold luggage allowance in economy and they feed you with a proper meal.

Maybe Air Asia isn't so cheap after all?

We have the same arguments in the UK with RyanAir who charge extra for absolutely everything whereas British Airways have everything included and are often cheaper. Plus RyanAir fly to wierd out of the way airports. But I won't accuse Air Asia of that.

I used to regularly travel from Sriracha to Kan and went through Bangkok via the elevated expressway and off at Victory Monument and across the Krungton Bridge.

But since the southern stretch of the 9 highway was completed a few years ago I go that way. Far quicker. I now live in Kan and use the same route regularly to go to Suwarnapoom airport.

So from Pattaya I'd take the 7 motorway to Chonburi then the 34 elevated motorway to just past the southern end of the airport to join the 9 highway. Then turn off left soon after the final toll booth to the 4 highway to Nakhon Pathom and shortly after Nakhon Pathom take the 323 to Kan.

It takes me about 2 hours from Kan to the Airport in the early hours (no traffic, no red lights) and 3 hours door to door to Sriracha.

If you have a Garmin device I can post a route for you. My taxi driver (who picks me up from the airport when I fly in from London) sometimes comes off the 9 highway when it is very busy onto the 35 highway to Samut Sakhon then up to Nakhon Pathom on the 3097. I've also done that route when the 4 highway was flooded a couple of years ago. It's considerably longer but quite fast.

Wonderful cartoon! Thanks for that.

I don't eat frog legs or any other animal bits as I'm a vegan. I always buy up the live frogs on sale at my local market and set them free in my large pond. At least they have a fighting chance there. My way of doing merit.

Pairoj Thanundonsuk" <[email protected]>

All great responses, thanks very much. I have checked out the links, and done more reading on Trip Adv, Agoda, etc.

Funny, I remember a mate of mine stayed on a river years ago and mentioned loud disco/party boats at night. Read similar comments today on Trip Advisor, seems the U hotel is within the disco boat zone but overall, the reviews are good.

We'll book in there for the first day or two and see how things go.

Galoubet, thanks for your post, very happy to read resident's info/perspective. GPS coors great too. We'll be driving down & over from Korat, will jot them down, thanks again.

B/R All,

J

A pleasure. Noise is an ever present menace in Thailand as I am sure you are aware. I find it amazingly peaceful when I return to London! Several large hotels in Kan have thumping discos that ruin any chance of sleep. But the big problem for which many have sought a solution for decades are the nighttime disco boats. I nearly bought a riverside house opposite the Chong Kai War Cemetery (N14.00250 E99.51184). The owners said they wanted to sell because of the location (the spirits or "phii") but I now know it was because of the noise. No peace for the poor deceased allied soldiers despite a sign on the river landing stage requesting it. My home now is several hundred metres from the Kwae Yai river but still the noise at night, particularly at weekends, means I need earplugs to get to sleep. The base noise from the discos penetrates everything even earplugs (you can see why the military wanted to use high volume base noise as a weapon!). It drives me quite scatty.

One of the best views near Kan town is from the Wat Khao Pun temple overlooking the Mae Nam Kwae Noi (N14.00014 E99.50352) where you will undoubtedly see (and hear!) many disco barges. There are nice limestone caves too at the temple.