TomTom55

Cannabis is used as a medicine against cancer. The real cancer in Asia are the middle-aged laws. Perhaps the judges should try some smoke.

How many countries have legalized cannabis?

Argentina Illegal (decriminalized)

Australia Illegal (decriminalized in some states)

Belgium Illegal (decriminalized)

Brazil Illegal, but mostly tolerated

Cambodia De facto legal

Canada Illegal (Legal for medical and industrial use with a government issued licence)

Colombia Illegal (decriminalized)

Costa Rica Illegal (decriminalized)

Croatia Illegal (decriminalized)

Czech Republic Illegal (decriminalized)

Ecuador Illegal (decriminalized)

Estonia Illegal (decriminalized)

France Illegal (legal for medical use^[44])

India Illegal/Legal (Regulated by Government)

Iran See 'Notes' Regulated: Legal, Unregulated: Illegal Regulated: Legal, Unregulated: Illegal Legal

Italy Illegal (decriminalized)

Jamaica Legal (if "Grown wildly and harvested

Mexico Illegal (decriminalized)

Nepal Illegal (But not regulated)

Netherlands Illegal (decriminalized)

North Korea Legal

Pakistan Legal/Illegal

Portugal Illegal (decriminalized)

Spain Illegal (decriminalized)

Switzerland Illegal (decriminalized)

United States Illegal at the federal level (but legal at the state level in Colorado andWashington) Decriminalized in 14 states (at the state level) and in Detroit Uruguay Legal/Illegal

You can either get a couple of extensions, then start doing visa runs or just do visa runs, which you could do almost indefinitely (the Laotians don't seem to have cracked down on visa runners yet - I met a Vietnamese guy at the border late last year whom I drove across the bridge who was living and working illegally in Laos on 30-day stamps - he would hop on a bus down to the Friendship Bridge every 30 days to renew his stay).

But a better option would be to get employed where you can easily qualify for a business visa that allows work - I have no experience with those visas personally as I've never worked in Laos (only done business there) but my understanding is it's easy to get a 3, 6 or 12-month renewable work visa with a company sponsoring you.

Thanks for the information Tom, so Laos is like Thailand was 3+ years ago with regards to visa runs. Literally hop out in and back in again. Is this every 30 days or can you say get a 30 day tourist visa and then extend it to 60 days?

I would love to apply for a business visa, my talent is within graphic design but I do not know if that will be much use in Laos to be honest. What would be the best trade to get into as a foreigner in Laos? Also, I have only heard this as hearsay, but is Laotian somewhat similar to the Thai language, because if that is the case I will already have a head start with learning the language which could help business wise.

Hello all. I have done a bit of research about getting a visa for Laos. It seems to me that you can get one arrival if you have a valid passport and 2 passport photographs. I am more interested to know about long term stay as I am looking into leaving Thailand where I have lived for 4 years and maybe moving to Laos as I can speak Thai and Laotian isn't too different to my knowledge.

I have read that you can extend your stay at $2 a day or something, how does the system work and what hoops would I have to jump through to stay in Laos for an extended period of time?

How long do you reckon before this is banned because of the damage to Thailand's genteel reputation?

Are you joking? Have you ever left you place of residence in this country or are you blind in some way? How many lady boys are super stars on TV and how often are they openly doing their thing on the streets? It is just widely accepted in this country, and personally I have no problems with that. I do not share in their activities but I accept them for what they are and the culture they come from. I have seen sexy pancakes videos from time to time on facebook as they appeared on my timeline after Thai's 'liked' them, and some of them were quite funny.

I am looking to buy some scales that weigh to 0.01 grams, something like the link related. However, I have not looked into how much they go for in Thailand and was going to just buy them from ebay or amazon. I live in Hua Hin by the way, but can anybody give me some price ranges? Cheers in advance

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-100g-0-01g-Digital-Jewelry-Scale-Weight-Electronic-LCD-Carrying-Pouch-/190689966188?pt=UK_BOI_Medical_Lab_Equipment_Lab_Equipment_ET&hash=item2c6601f86c#rpdId

Hmmm, thanks for the reply even though it makes my suspicions a reality. I guess the only way to get around this would be to grow everything yourself on a smaller scale? I would like to know just how dangerous all of those chemicals used are, I mean I have seen photographs where the sprayers are wearing gas masks and even bio hazard suits <deleted>.

Can anybody offer any information on how crops and meats are produced here in Thailand? I refer mostly to GM produce and also the use of pesticides and chemicals. I would grow my own vegetables and fruit if I had the resources, but I don't. So does anybody have any insight please?
-Tom

Methamphetamine is not a narcotic drug. Stop using the word "narcotics" to refer to drugs in general, whether illegal or legal, as it makes you look stupid and/or ignorant. Narcotics are sleep-inducing and/or pain relieving drugs. The word comes from ancient greek for "benumb". There are many legal narcotics around, such as Hydrocodone and Oxycodone.

Call drugs "drugs", or illegal drugs "illegal drugs", or by their specific identifiable name, e.g. "methamphetamine".

This too pisses me right off, the US police and drug agencies stared it off by referring to all drugs as narcotics, when in fact it was established as the heroin busters but then spread to now even weed being a 'narcotic'. it is just ignorance and I assume it has gone too far to change now, people will continue to refer to drugs as narcotics and drug enforcers as narcs.

#1 if you speak fluent Thai you are very unlikely to get ripped off and can probably do better than the GF. #2 no matter how good a bike you have or how good a driver you are there is not much you can do when you are going 80 plus kmh and some body crosses 10 metres infront of you. This happened to me 2 months ago. I just thank the higher power I'm still alive.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Man yesterday here in HH we had the first rain in maybe 3 months and boy did it rain. I was riding home with my GF on the back and we were coming down this main road into town which was quite a steep hill. I think I got up to around 90 and I could see a few cars and bikes ahead so went to slow down a little. I then realised there was a pickup truck totally stationary and I broke hard enough to stop but not to skid but it was still not enough so I veered to the left and nearly hit a bike to the left of me. That was a close call and my GF was not happy to say the least.

@His Masters Voice yes well we are all going to die one day, if I die by the wheel, by a knife, cancer, heart attack, whatever it may be, we all will go through it. I am not scared of death and I am TRYING to ride slower when I have my partner on the back. I may look up if there are any track days close by.

I'm all for high-performance riding in a suitable environment (even on the street in the right spot), but you're talking about a bike that is miles south of 'high performance'- even if you upgrade the suspension (and, hopefully, the brakes- you will need to work on your stopping distance) it's still going to be a small-framed scooter that just wasn't built for your intended application (on a track in short bursts in one of the scooter racing series, maybe, but certainly not on public roads)- wait until you get the money together for something more suited for how you want to ride- as a former racer, you should know this already (and, frankly, your seeming love of close calls re: trucks and cars combined with improper equipment is a recipe or disaster no matter what you're riding).

I use to rave motoX so it is slightly different to road racing/driving, but the principle is the same I guess. I was thinking on the way to work today that I want to go and get my brakes tuned when I next change my oil. Do you know of the price range for tuning/upgrading your brakes? Yea I understand that my bike is pretty much a city bike that gets you from A-B but I still cannot help myself when weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds, it is just something innate. I will TRY and curve my yearn for the rush and drive a little safer I guess.

We have had a Smash up the village for the best part of a year. It's a plain as mashed potatoes short range commuter bike. So my question is: Why the he11 would you even bother!

Yea I get your point, but I would still like to get a new suspension fitted though tbh. I don't care about flashy mods or 'bling' and yea I am saving up for the ninja 600. The thing is, because I come from a childhood where I raced motorbikes, as soon as I get on one I can't help but, well race. I have not had a serious accident in the past 4 years and I don't make silly errors or moves. if I know I can over take a car/truck before the oncoming traffic gets to me, I will go for it. I am a bit worried because I know myself and if I had 600cc underneath me, god knows what will happen.

Ok, your got an over active adrenalin gland!

Maybe hehe, I try my hardest to drive slower and more 'responsibly' when I have my GF on the back, but oft4n she will start to tap or slap me on the back and has even cried once. However, I feel confident in my skills and am very alert on the road even at high speeds, although I am ware all it takes is one idiot to not look and pull out on me. I feel a rush for sure when I for example over take a truck at 80kmh or so and a car is oncoming and I know I have about a foot either side of my bike.

If the answer is yes, how the hell would that work in this backwards country?

I am curious to know why the OP thinks Thailand is backwards because as a non-national of Thailand they want him:

1. to get an appropriate visa/WP to operate a Thai business

2. Pay taxes in Thailand for operating a business from Thailand

Well that depends.

Suppose a businessman goes to Bangkok for a conference. He obviously goes to that conference as a tourist, is it wouldn't make sense to get a work visa to spend 2 or 3 days here while at a business conference. While he is staying in his 5 star hotel, he obviously will check his work emails (work), possibly make a conference call or two (work), and maybe actually complete a few tasks he brought with him (work). Is this man subject to then pay Thailand for the money her earned during his time in the country? And is this man breaking the law for opening work emails while in his hotel room? If the answer is yes to either of those, this is a backwards country.

A graphic designer working from his private room (or hotel) who is paid by foreign companies to a foreign bank account, is getting ripped in the bum if he has to pay Thailand tax on that income for no other reason than he is sitting in Thailand at the time. However, if that money is paid to a Thai bank, then yes, I would say it makes sense Thailand would want to steal some of it, as would any country.

I don't know the law on this, I'm just speaking from a logical viewpoint. Given what I do know of Thailand, they would in fact arrest the businessman if they could for no other reason than to fleece him for as much money possible.

BTW... I know you can't work in Thailand at all without a work permit, or even play music for tips. It was a post based on logic, not reality. However, I do not know the details of the law.

Logic says in the case of the business man attending the conference, he gets a temporary WP which is good for 14 days and then no dispute as to whether he is legal or not....this is what the temporary WP is for...

5 star post, some logic in this forum is a rarity. But yes lets say hypothetically speaking I was a graphic designer and all of my clients were off shore, my earnings ran through a friends bank account in my home country and then western unioned to me monthly, that would be breaking the law? If I were then to have a website to advertise this service, would that be breaking the law furthermore, hypothetically speaking of course

This was @poodmaiDai by the way

Cheers for the advice Jonny, Omega and BlackArtmis. I don't know if I will invest in a new bike yet even though that is not a huge amount at all, the fact is I am moving next month and have a few other priorities financially speaking, so I may just go with a new suspension setup for the meantime, keep saving for a ninja and see where that goes.

Do you guys ever buy fuel from vendors and not a station?

That's fuel?

No, not unless it is a complete and utter emergency.

Yea I always wondered what percentage of that stuff is actually fuel. Anyway just ridden my girlfriend to work and filled up with 91, sounds different and feels differently already, in a good way that is.

We have had a Smash up the village for the best part of a year. It's a plain as mashed potatoes short range commuter bike. So my question is: Why the he11 would you even bother!

Yea I get your point, but I would still like to get a new suspension fitted though tbh. I don't care about flashy mods or 'bling' and yea I am saving up for the ninja 600. The thing is, because I come from a childhood where I raced motorbikes, as soon as I get on one I can't help but, well race. I have not had a serious accident in the past 4 years and I don't make silly errors or moves. if I know I can over take a car/truck before the oncoming traffic gets to me, I will go for it. I am a bit worried because I know myself and if I had 600cc underneath me, god knows what will happen.

Op. If it is a Suzuki Smash then Gasohol 91 or Benzine 91.

Your choice.

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

Cheers, I will go for 91 then from now on and see how it turns out. Do you guys ever buy fuel from vendors and not a station? Sometimes if I am lazy I do but rarely.

heheh..... ask about buying a BB gun & they all tell you that you will shoot your eye out

I can't help either but do know companies like YSS make all kinds of shock upgrades for scooters.

Then companies like

DBS do pipes, cams, bore kits, ecu's etc for scooters

http://www.grim-dbs.com/product.php

If you go to a magazine shop & even though they are in Thai there are scooter dedicated magazines

In them you will see many ad's & websites

You can basically figure them out I'm sure

I am fluent in Thai but can only read and write a little, but yea I may try that out. I know of 2 people personally who I could ask to have a go on their bike, but they are not in my town and live in Bangkok. @apetley LMAO, funny you mention shiny, me and an English friend use to say that a lot of Thais are like magpies in the sense they are so attracted to the shiny things!

I will never go into a dealership or garage myself even though I can speak Thai because as soon as they see a farang, often they only see a ฿ sign coming their way. So I ask my girlfriend to go and sort anything out such as changing the oil and stuff like that,

It's not worth it- you'll basically destroy the bike's main function, which is to be basic transportation.

Ok thanks for the blunt answers people. What about a better suspension cost wise? After this brief insight I will most likely at most change the sprocket on the back and invest on a new suspension. The ninja can wait a year or so, I have other things in the pipe line that are more important at this present moment in time.

yarg! so 91 or 95! lol...

Thinner tyres will destroy the handling so why bother with the expense of changing the suspension when you will feel no benefit.

Boring the engine out will do little for top end power as it will only be by a few cc. Just not worth it.

Putting a bigger sprocket on the back will get you to the next traffic light half a second quicker and waste some fuel.

Putting a smaller sprocket on the back will get you to the next traffic light half a second slower and save some fuel.

Mods just aren't worth it imho.

Get a proper sport bike if you want one and can afford it.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Ok scrap the tires, but you didn't exactly answer my question. I thought about this because yesterday a similar bike to mine whizzed by me and I was quite astonished the speed of it. (I do ride fast myself but have great control, not being big headed but I was put on a bike from the age of 5 and raced moto x). I know a crash is pretty much inevitable though. So,

suspension how much for a decent upgrade to standard?

What else can I do apart from totally rebuilding the engine to up the top speed?

​I am going to get myself a 600cc ninja like I said, but at the moment I have other expenses that are more important, so that is a distant expenditure.

I'm in two minds re this as 1, - If Offshore oil workers and retirees can spend all their time in Thailand, why can't those wanting to work?; but on the other side of the coin as you've mentioned before you're open to any Tom, Dick and Harry with their laptop coming over.

But offshore oil workers are not working in Thailand, for the most part by virtue of the rotations they do most are working 28 day swings, therefore they are "tourists" on their time off a and those that are working Thai waters are required to have a Thai WP, this I do know as fact because I am one of them.

As regards retiree's they have to prove they have cash in the bank - THB 800k or the monthly pension coming in, so ok lets go down this line and say "on-liners" would be allowed in Thailand provided they can show an annual cash amount of say THB 1.0 million in the bank to immigration and pay income tax at say 35-40% on their incomes derived from on-line activites while operating their business in Thailand and from that you will get a long stay visa in Thailand based on "business"...is this viable ?

I would consider this to be 90% viable yes, maybe the tax is a little too high IMO. The other issue would be (as I have pointed out) hiring Thai nationals..

Not considering the ongoing argument between a couple of members which is not to do with me, most of the other posts have been full of anxed, bitterness and what I assume to be old men living in the past. I have had some great help and some kind words, often blunt but blunt in the right way, so thanks to those of you who know who you are

I have come to some conclusions with regards to starting a business thanks to the PMs and I know it is going to take a lot of time and effort on my part due to my personal situation. I personally do find that here the government have made it too hard for people to start up a business, if I need to employ 4 Thai nationals for example, what are they going to do for my online business? Open my laptop, bring me coffee (which I don't drink anyway), advise me on what I have a vast amount of knowledge anyway? It is ridiculous. Online businesses are here and here to stay, they are a great way to work and to buy services, so those of you stuck in the past, grow up (yes that maybe hard considering your age and stubbornness I know).

About the alcohol and drug abuse, yes I have had issues with both in the past, but I have drank twice in the past month, one of those times being my girlfriends birthday and drugs, no I only use medication for a diagnosed disorder now. A lot of you cannot accept change in more ways than one, change is inevitable in one way or another. So if you could, those of you up there on your high horses, get down and pipe down maybe?

I am saving up for a Kawasaki Ninja 600cc but that is not what this thread is about. If you have not read my other thread I have a 4 speed 4 months old Suzuki Smash, no clutch as you all know. I was contemplating the following:

>Thinner tires
>New suspension
>Maybe boring out the engine (I know this may be risky for a fairly new bike)
​>Changing around the sprockets

At the moment I can max it out at 110kmh and the dial only goes up to 120 if I recall, if I make said modifications, what kind of top speed could I get and how much would the acceleration differ?
Cheers

This is my dilemma as well, on my fuel gap it has a 91 sticker, but I think I have heard it ping slightly whilst using 91. Then I have conflicting opinions from friends, people in the trade and now here Also, when using 95 it does seem a little more of a noisy bike considering it is pretty new and as it has been said it noticeably runs out quicker.

A no brainer, 91, which is what the bike was designed to run on and what it specifies in the owner's manual.

My bike has that.

But it pings when running 91, just like most others who have the same bike. (2011 Honda). 95 it doesn't.

What's the no brainer about using 91 again?

So I have had a new 4 speed, no clutch and have had it for about 4 months now. I am not certain what is best for it petrol wise, 91 or 95? I have asked a few vendors, people at the petrol station and a few Thais, I get conflicting answers. When I use different types you can feel and hear a difference that is for sure, so what is best for it do you think?