wilsonf

All the suggestions of how you rope or cover your load are superfluous. Doesn't matter how good you've done it, if they want to fine you they will find something wrong, as most times they are making it up as they go along.

Today (Thursday 19th March 2014), a new shop has opened on the corner of Soi 12 on Pattaya Klang, Its called 'Pattaya Glory Real Estate Co.' I'm wondering if this has any connection with the person arrested as given the name it is rather a coincidence.

Just posting as a warning or heads up.

I was driving through Bangkok on my Honda Silverwing when I came across a police check, for their safety they had closed off the inside two lanes of a four lane road. I was in the left hand lane when approaching this barrier, but had to move out to the third lane to pass it. Whereupon I was pulled over for not driving in the left lane!!. When I pointed out that I was only negotiating the obstruction that they had put in place, I was just met with a smile. I handed over 200Bt without getting a ticket and was on my way.

Thats absolutely outrageous! When I encounter one of these roadblocks, I just ride through the coned-off area and sayonara.

IOne of the worst I've encountered recently was the last 80 Kilometres of the road to the Burmese Border at the Three Pagoda's Pass

Which road? The 323 from Sangkhlaburi?

Suzuki GSX-R1000 L3 182 hp in-line 4 Superbike

Yes thats the one went up there in mid May this year (2014)

Some of the surfaces I was below 20KPH it was that bad, and some of the hairpin bends - not so bad going up - but coming down!.

Been riding bikes fifty years (was founder member of the 59 Club so that should give you some idea !!)and still a bit quick !! Have ZZR1100 in UK

I heard recently that it is now possible to take your own motorbike touring in Cambodia, Laos and Burma.

Is this now the case, and what documentation is required to take your bike into the countries above.

I was driving through Bangkok on my Honda Silverwing when I came across a police check, for their safety they had closed off the inside two lanes of a four lane road. I was in the left hand lane when approaching this barrier, but had to move out to the third lane to pass it. Whereupon I was pulled over for not driving in the left lane!!. When I pointed out that I was only negotiating the obstruction that they had put in place, I was just met with a smile. I handed over 200Bt without getting a ticket and was on my way.

When out on the 'open road' I either use the narrow 'Motorcycle lane' or on a dual carriageway the outer right hand lane. I do so because usually these have a better surface, less potholes etc. and as the left hand lane carries the bulk of the truck traffic and so it suffers the most damage. Touring on a big bike can be a nightmare given the road surfaces in Thailand. One of the worst I've encountered recently was the last 80 Kilometres of the road to the Burmese Border at the Three Pagoda's Pass

I tour in Thailand on a Honda Silverwing, I always have to 'fight' my way through Bangkok because the 'Ring road' that would enable me to drive around Bangkok like the M25 round London. is partially Motorway, which I can not use. I also find that being unable to use some flyovers is inconvenient too. Especially when the sign that prohibits you from using the flyover is situated past the off ramp that you need to take to avoid the flyover itself !!

for years Thailand has had 100cc motorbikes that very obviously cannot and should not ride on fast motorways and other high speed routes - I completely agree with this and the rest of the world in most places agrees too setting a limit on cc for certain classes of roads.......but

Motorcycles/ mopeds over 50cc allowed on UK motorways.

I have been 'High' so many times in my life I've lost count, but I'm proud to say not once was it as a result of taking drugs.

Only a 'competitor' knows the 'High' you get from sport and particularly from winning.

Quote

"The influence of the Catholic Church is no longer anywhere near as great as you suggest."

Thank God for that, considering all the abuse and atrocities its been responsible for world wide

And that's from someone who doesn't believe in God - But I do believe there is 'Something' but I don't know what

Go over any bridge in Bangkok clearly labelled no motorbikes and you will see hundreds going down the middle between lanes of cars.

On the rare occasion the police set up a check point mid bridge, they bikes simply turn around and leave, only to return later in the day, next day etc.

Solution: Block them from taking the bridges : permanent placed at the bridge entrance but that would be too much work or even better just haul them all off and impound them for 10,000 baht.

No, the solution is to allow motorbikes on these bridges, and for that matter motorways. As well as my Honda Click for round town I have a Honda Silverwing for touring. The difficulties these 'no go' area's for motorbikes create when trying to navigate from A to B, through a major city are immense. What does this ban on where motorcycles go do?- Nothing. Those Ex pats familiar with the law back in the UK will know that there are no such restrictions on motorcycles there, except your machine must be over 50cc to go on Motorways. I have actually been on some of these bridges that motorcycles are not allowed on, beacause the sign that prohibits them is after the exit ramp to avoid going on the bridge ! !. And of course with central reservations you have no option but to continue.

I am thinking of purchasing a pick up in twelve months or so. I did read recently that some rules had been relaxed for foreigners purchasing on finance, I don't know if this was correct or not.

Assuming one paid 800,000Bt for a vehicle does anyone know what the current finance terms would be in respect of deposit, term of loan and interest rate. Also in this two tier country is it any different for a Thai person.

Many thanks in anticipation.

(currently own Honda Click for round town and Honda Silverwing for touring)

One thing I forgot to mention, if you do need to book a taxi to collect you in the early hours make sure you book it at a reliable place, somewhere if the taxi doesn't turn up you can contact the people you booked with.

One scam that runs is that you book a taxi to pick you up early and pay a deposit, the taxi doesn't turn up, you can't contact the people you booked with, you need to get to the airport so you make some hurried arrangements with another operator.

The original people you booked with have your deposit, you can't contact them, and what do they care, you're on your way home and they have your deposit with little chance of come back from you

You don't have to be staying in a hotel on their list to book from Pattaya, I always go up to the office at the North Pattaya bus station the day before I travel to book. I live in an apartment so my building is not on the list of hotels in their computer, I've had no problems giving them the Name of the building and the Soi it is located on. They have always picked me up on time. On my inbound trip at the end of March this year (2014) when booking at the airport, they couldn't print my ticket as again my building wasn't in their computer, so I just gave them the name of the nearest hotel, and on arrival at North Pattaya Bus station I just told the Mini Van driver where I wanted to be dropped off. No problems at all.

I've always found that the bus usually takes between 1hr20mins and 1hr30mins. Nice New bus too.

I suppose like most westerners living in Thailand, I have been reading many of the postings on many of the threads out of natural concern about the situation. The vast majority of posts are from Westerners, like myself (westerner not a poster), and I believe who we regard ourselves as level headed and reasonable sensible thinkers. Given that I notice that that from these posts there is support for both sides of the argument Red shirt or Yellow shirt. If we as Westerners who consider our views, common sense, and approach to dealing with complex situations to be superior to that of the Thai mentality, and we cannot agree on the solution to the current unrest - how on earth do you think the Thai people can.

Just look for the sign MTH posted in his reply between Pattaya Tai and Pattaya Klang on the Sukhumvit Road same side as Honda Big Wing.. My girlfriend taxed and insured our Honda Click (registered in my name) when it was due for renewal at a time I was back in the UK. On my return I taxed and insured my Honda Silverwing there as both licence and insurance had expired. Take the documents in (green book (for bike) etc. pay the fee, collect documents, licence and insurance next day. Far better that going all the way to the government offices by the regents school, no hassle, smiling faces, and a parting comment of 'see you next year'. no problem about tests, and both bikes were over five years old. Great service.

I need to beg or borrow a metal detector to pass over an object to ascertain if it is metal or contains metal. Happy to come to you and let you give the object the 'once over'.

Please only respond if you have or know someone that has a metal detector.

Suggestions like pass an electric currant through it,

or use a meter to check continuity are not helpful as materials other than metal are conductive.

Many thanks in anticipation

Twelve months ago I broke one of my front crowns. The problem with this was that it was a support for my partial denture on that side. I went to the hospital in Sri Racha just down the coast from Pattaya.

The dental facility was first class, I was told the crown could not be repaired, that the root would need extracting and after the gum had healed, an impression would have to be made to produce a new denture, the new denture would be ready one week after the impression had been taken. So three appointments at the hospital, extraction, impression made, new denture fitted. Cost 10,000Bt give or take a few Baht. The denture fitted perfectly and in fact I could forget it was there, I'd go over a week sometimes without realising how long I'd had it in.

I would recommend treatment at this hospital dental facility to anyone, in fact recently my last crown at the front broke through biting on a block of chocolate, so I need to go through the whole process again and have another denture made with an extra tooth on. So I'll be making another appointment there myself any day. I couldn't fault the service, care and attention, the excellent fit of the denture made at what I would suggest a very reasonable cost for the number of visits and the denture.

I'm looking to rent a property in Chaloem Phra Kiat which is just outside Korat on the 226, if anyone has any information on property to rent in this village can they mail me on <snip>

edit: email address removed. Please use the PM function instead.

When you renew your retirement visa, the renewal is from the expiry date of the previous one, so that your 90 reporting date will stay the same. However if you leave the country for any reason, your 90 reporting starts from the day you re-entered the country, and got a re-entry stamp date in your passport. It could be possible if you left and re-entered the country a number of times throughout the validity of your retirement visa, that you might never actually have to make a 90 report.

We've all heard of some of the horrific experiences some foreign men have had at the hands of Thai ladies, or their husbands, brothers or other relatives, of the property the've bought and lost as well as the money and other property such as motorbikes/cars that have gone the same way, some of us have been lucky enough to only suffer emotional damage, and it seems to me that whether the lady is a money grabbing bar girl, or a respectible lady in a well paid responsible job, they all seem to be able even after living together for long periods, to leave you at the drop of a hat, and with no explaination as to why, then proceed to issue threats against you if you should dare 'disrupt' their lives, when in fact they have devastated yours.The latter being my own experience. As a writer I thought these experiences should be in print and serve as interesting reading for some, but as a warning to others. So if you have a horror story of your own, want to get it off your chest, and out there in print, please contact me and I'll get back to you for more information.

I am expecting (hoping) for a full email 'inbox' relating your experience, your pain, and your anger, Email me at < email address removed per forum rules >

I don't know what the definition of 'Medical devices' is but I've seen a number of pictures of this 'crushing' and what appeared to be 'monitors' with digital displays were shown, if they've crushed any kind of equipment that could have been distributed to small hospitals and clinics in rural area's, and could have benefited less well off Thais, shame on them !!

And what nationality would such a park be aimed at, Russians?, English, German?, etc. etc. virtually all of the shows, animations and the like would probably be in Thai, can you imagine an English, Russian or German family sitting through a show that was in Thai and they couldn't understand a word? Some Dutch friends once took me to Eftaling, which is a big theme park in Holland, everything was in Dutch as one would expect, and I was taken to several 'shows' and I was at a loss to understand what was being said. Its not possible unless you provide everyone with headphones to cope with a multiple of laguages, the whole idea is a none starter.

I have made exhaustive searches via the internet and failed to come up with any sources for Trikes, this was why I posted in the first place, in case any members had specific information