pgrahmm

Just the weight and possible shifting with a top heavy load moving is enough to impair the vehicles ability to track correctly. About any over/under steer would invite tragic results......

RIP - many families affected undoubtably......

Life is short - spend it where ..... and with who you love ..... you DON'T know how many tomorrows are in the bank.....

You know that you have who you love in LOS - you do not know how she would adapt/react to the UK especially if she is entrenched in small village LOS.....all the $$$$ in the world will do you no good if it creates an unhappy wife or a wide rift - more so it your job takes you away for long hours in what for her would be a completely foreign/unfriendly/boring/lonely/isolated environment.....

Personally I enjoyed the banter of the post.....I also enjoy the uniqueness of "Thai" lessons and of the deferential politeness along with underlying intelligence that makes you sort thing out at a different prespective.....being from the US where it's all in your face I'll take this - and the lessons - any day.....

Well - since I'm not allowed to edit - there are a lot of special forces retiries here.....some tend to "brag/invent their own history" - until there is substantial proof that, in FACT, this is true - - - - don't waste your time speculating.....

Hopefully, the facts will sort themselves out and justice will be served.....

Sorry if I offended any of the TV "special investigators".....who should have better things to do with their days.....(enjoy the nights though).....

Good topic and a question I have often pondered. I just had my motorcycle stolen and, yes, it would be nice to have a patron in your corner at times like that. However, I doubt the "friendship" would be all one way and reciprosity would be expected. Like the OP, I don't want to go there. So for that reason I'll never have a police general on speed dial and be able to have people deported. Ha!

(But how many foreigners really are powerfully connected in Thailand? Not many is my guess...)

Better tone down the fancy words if you really want results......

Some are just too linguistically gifted for our own good here.....huh? - yep!

Waste of time......

You will receive a 5 year licence this time and you need to watch the one hour video - more like 40 minutes. So you need to get there about 09.00 as the video in English is only shown about 09.30 each day. Arrive later and you will told to come back 09.00 the next day. Also you will need to take the reaction test, depth perception test, and colour blindness tests. Takes a few minutes before you sit down for the video. And you will need original passport and WP to support the photo copies.

I renewed my licence a few weeks ago. Handed in my paperwork, paid the fee, they took my photo and gave me a new 5 year licence. No video, no reaction test, depth perception test or colour blindness test. I did a colour blindness test the first time but that's all I've done.

I arrived late morning and was in and out in about 40 minutes.

I agree - just renewed mine - no video....called out the light colors and walked over to sit and have the picture taken - again about 40 minutes - if that.....

It's a drive I always enjoy - drove up and back a few days ago. The road has some spots where it's been washed out but should be patched by December. You just have to respect the road - it's a common sense drive......

I'd rather drive and have the car to explore the side roads ..... scooters aren't my thing .....

All in all safer than a scooter....at least you have some armor around you and 4 wheels on the ground.....

All in all I think it's safer than scooters - you've got some armor around you and 4 wheels on the ground.....

I always fill up & watch the meter....I like the tank full and they don't like to top off here but it makes about a 55-70KM difference per tank......got ripped in the Fil's but not here.....

Sometimes it worries me more to make sure I get Diesel - you'd think they'd hear the engine and know but there has been some confusion at times.....

I stick to 2 brands so I know the lay out and what to look for when traveling.....

I have never noticed any problem .....

Get a fish hook you can straighten - straighten it out & push in along the key - the barb should "catch" the key and allow removal. I imagine with both ends of the key a locksmith can duplicate.........

Of course the police is not interested in asking why the female Taxi driver felt she was entitled to patrol the streets on behalf of the police? I think we all know what would have happened to the Australian had he not been armed.

If 'we all' read the article 'we all' would know: he would have walked away without any harm done. How do 'we all' know? Because that is what already happened, but he decided to return and to do that armed.

Maybe maybe maybe. It's one foreigner against a pack of Thais, regardless of their occupation, gender, earned income status, age, status, what they're wearing, etc.

We do not know any facts, simply because it is the Phuket Thai version, and that is always (yes, always) the editedand abridged version, or else it is a complete pack of outright lies.

Did he return? Are you sure? If so, (and it really isn't important) then maybe he returned because he has a right to return. Maybe the jealous Thais set upon him again (yes, again, as I am certain they left out the first part as well). Is that possible? Is it possible they could lie about that? Do Thais lie as a part of their culture when the heat is on? Is it possible that they say he returned, but then leave out the part where they stepped up his second time around to pick up people, and that really incensed them, and they provoked him; maybe even pushed him or got up and personal in his face? Do Phuket Thai taxi, tuk tuk and minivan drivers do that sort of thin

I rarely if ever am moved to accuse a foreigner of outright pulling a knife or a gun (fake or real) on Thais who describe their behaviors in a manner which I have never seen in like conditions.

These idiots do not realize how transparent their lies are, as the lies describe the Australian as a lunatic who pulls his knife and then goes to fetch a gun (or facsimile of a gun) to threaten such very very nice people, who are so tolerant and polite to him over the matter of taking away their business; moreover violating the Laws of the Land and badgering and harassing a foreigner for loading and unloading passengers or packages.

Finally, maybe this man has been badgered and harassed to the point that he feels compelled to resort to some sort of bluff. Maybe there is a sound reason that a foreigner would feel the need to even remotely behave such as this, if any of it were true. Maybe he tries asking for police enforcement. We can all guess how that might play out. My guess is he was all on his own, and he knew it, and he was facing an angry crowd of nutless bullies who, singularly, would not have the courage of a gnat to have an ancounter with him.

My vote remains with the Aussie. The alternative is too disgusting to contemplate.

You must have an interesting life.....

NO fertilizer sex....stabbed to death because he couldn't stab her in life....something smells (fishy) about this whole thing.....

RIP - not sure whether a good wife (husband) or not but - RIP

What? Denied bail because she posed a flight risk?

I thought all Thais get bail here regardless?

She must have skipped bail in a previous life......... .....

Well - gotta admit - the red har & full red beard had me fooled ..... thought for sure he was Thai when I saw that .....

Don't know how they spotted him from the other drivers - couldn't have been the behavior .....

Nice to look at when dressed up - - - - - if they only felt more natural.......

When eating on roadside stalls, just witnessing how they clean the dishes is a horror! Possibly a few buckets of soapy water the for whole night!

One time I was not driving but a passenger. We came to a stop & I watched a roadside vendor pluck a plate out of a garbage can - wipe it with a rag & place it on top of the stack of plates waiting to be used.

Shortly after that bought food as a take away - bit something and removed a spiral piece of metal about 1" long (looked like a lathe shaving but probably something from a worn out piece of food processing equipment). Have stayed away form them since.

Since then have not used the roadside approach too much.

Diet wise I much prefer the Thai approach. My wife if filipina and persists on a combo western/fila approach and I've not been happy with that or the weight gain...may have to make some changes.......

Most of my working life I had to wear the requisite suit and tie......

Now , here in LOS about 90% of the time I wear pressed walking/cargo type shorts (never short) along with a freshly pressed casual shirt (have made/tailored) when out and about. Early evening casual would usually be about the same if out and about when dinner time shows up (live in Hang Dong - not driving back and forth to change). Always wear presentable sandals when out and about. Later evenings smart casual is the way to go with slacks and shirt. I'm not into plaids and checks so matching or contrasting colors works fine for me.

I do have suits and a tux in the closet for dressier occasions - haven't needed them here very much.

At home a Tee shirt and loose rec type shorts work for me and I do have flip flops but only around the house and yard. When playing sports & riding the bike jersey/tee with athletic shorts.

I think someone can look presentable if they dress to match and are in reasonable condition while wearing shorts. I thnk personal grooming coupled with presentable attire can work if some thought it put into it.

There are some great examples around town of some folks that didn't think about it. On the flip side I do notice when someone has taken the extra time/polish/thought to look smart as they do stand out in the crowd - nicely.

Apparently he lived life the way - and where/how/who - he wanted....he might have been able to carry on the party for a few more years without the cigs and alcohol - but some just like to run on the heavy fuel.......

I was one month overdue on my 1 year and was thinking they might make me start over for another 1 year license. But I was issued a 5 year.....

I like it because for hotels, banks, airline tickets it works like a passport + it is identification showing where I live which my passport does not.

I do like getting into the parks at the local rate.......

Just entertained some friends that were asian but not Thai. At 6'4" and white like a light bulb I would go to the window - show the license & point to them - - - - smuggling THEM in for the Thai rate....kind of fun for a change.....

In CM it took me 3 weeks to get mine...when I first submitted the papers some guy cut in to the right of me and was being a mouthy pushy jerk....somehow I think the girl associated my paper with him and after many visits (when told to come back) I finally got it......300 or 400TB

The next time when I was in a hurry I went to the consulate and paid for the nortarized copy......$50 but instant...

Found out the the immigration paper is good for 30 days - the consulate paper good for 90 days.....

I was told by a Thai purchaser of a new vehicle that his 5 year payment was the same amount (full) whether he paid it of early or right on time......

I think once you've committed to it it's a full ride to the "ending" price.....

I'm not sure what happens if you decide to sell the vehicle.....

Hope he knows it's being driven by her many "brothers"

Being bald is a sign of virility in the west??????? What west - where? The Mr Clean look died out decades ago and is not to flattering here either....

I've heard guys asked if they're on chemo - and when I looked I could see why the question.....

Kind of like in the states with the young guys running around with their pants around their ass - thinking they look somehow different than every other guy doing it......

Just the reverse here...we have a bunch of guys running around making their heads look like their ass.....thinking that somehow they look better/different than the 1,000's of other guys that look just like them...Oh - maybe the ear ring helps....or maybe the wife beater shirt....or maybe the flip flops.....like it's somehow going to disguise their age/wrinkles/beer bellies/white tans/bad clothing taste.....

Most of those guys would look better in a wig or showing some hair and dressing in a nicer manner.....instead of looking like they just came from the same assembly line......