JeffreyMcCollum

And I thought after working 10 - 12 hours then driving another 800 km after work was why I got tired with no sleep. Good to know . . .

I live here and work here just like any Thai but with my white skin they want me to pay more. Though I make the same as my Thjai co workers and pay Tax that they do not as well as work permit fees and immigration fees.

Love thailand so I put up with it. Hawaii did it too

Are you talking by driving ? I drive it a few times a month. Highway 11 out of town, Catch Highway 1 south through Tak. Signs will have you join into Highway 32 that is quicker than sticking on Highway 1. I take the Toll route (in my car or truck, you can not on a motorbike) Highway 9 to the new airport and Route 7 from there. Good ride with plenty of fuel and food stops along the way. The quickest I have found. 50 KM north of Tak watch out for the Pirates that try to rob you. All dress in uniform who want whiskey money to help them keep their strengh up all night robbing motorist for no reason.

I have a "Non B" visa. I submit over 400 pages of documents to get my work permit. What amazes me is that Immigration does not accept the paperwork from the Department of Labor and I have to submit 400 new pages of copies to them.

Was a mistake leaving out premium economy. Not all large people are wealthy.I've been lucky enough to go business class before, but if the new business class is dearer, I will have to change airline for good as I won't fly economy.

Would love to try the 380 some day. wonder if all the people will be a problem with overhead luggage and eating and such. I can not afford first class or even business so it would have been premium economy for me. Seems like that is not an option.

Maybe they will do away with the expensive and meaningless letter for those that use the monthly method and just go for the actual proof.

I'm assuming that bank statements indicating receipt of pension are now required, certainly more meaningful than a letter from the embassy.

Maybe Thai Immigration will update their website to show the "new rule".

the expensive and meaningless letter

How right you are. I told Thai Immigration years ago that this Embassy letter was a farce. A person could tell the embassy any amount - even under oat which absolute doesn't mean a thing because a person is allowed to change its mind. Under oat doesn't mean it is poured in concrete. Then when I told them that the letter in question cost a person Fifty Dollar ($50.00) the immigration officer nearly fell of its chair. My suggestion at that time was to have the account statement of the pension being deposited in the bank. A person could bring in several account statements as proof to show it was on a perpetual basis.

If you wait long enough things finally dawn on the Thais. But don't hold your breath while waiting because you will turn blue around the gills.

Wish it was that easy. I don't have a Pension, and won't for 17 more years. Have Thai wife, and support her child. Have work permit and Non B but would like to retire. I rent out my home overseas and get a payment once a year. It is nice and allows us to have cars, trips, nice home and school, So harder to show a montly pension being deposited.

I send Airmail to America usually 1 week and 27 Baht - 30 baht depending on weight

My advice, if you want everything just like home, stay home. I am here because it is different, it is an adventrue for me.

I lived in Oregon, Colorado, California, and Hawaii. in every location, some things were more and some things were less.

Same here. I love the weather, I love to ride motorcycles without always worring about the police around the next bend, I like the adventure living here brings to me and makes my life more interesting.

I recently went through this .... (last month)

First go on-line to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate depending if your north or

south

Down load the affidavit to marry certificate (make 2 or 3 copies)

Then on-line set up an appointment. It is usually 10 days - 2 weeks out.

Arrive with the form filled out and your passport as well as your appointment paper

Don't sign it (I did and that is why I was happy I had extra copy with

me)

pay about 1550 Bt. and they give you a stamped affidavit to marry.

Next step, have it translated to Thai

They will have it sent off to be stamped in Thai.

This usually take a week or 10 days for it to be returned to you

when you have this paper you go to the local Amphor and get married,

Bring your Passport and she her ID card

all in all a little over 4000 Bt. But good for US and Thailand

If you want it registered in US, then those papers have to be translated to

English and registered at the Embassy or Consulate

Easy, but a few hoops to jump through

I live and work in Thailand, and I love it. But the weather at the moment is awful. I don't even wanna be here right now. It's low season for a reason.

Sunny, clear skies, 32. Where are you ? It kust wonderful up in Chiang Mai. Just wish I didn't have tp work and I could go riding

Having a home up north as well as in Pattaya, I always hate driving there in the city. On the bike I car just zip through traffic and park anywhere, When I have my car, Nissan March, small and easy to drive and trun, I hat sitting in traffice sometimes through many lights waiting my turn. The only week I like driving my car there is Songkran ! It your a true biker you will hate it. My truck is even worse. Always waiting, and some of the narrow roads

My biggest problem driving here is the signs. 80% are in English except the ones I need. BKK seems worse at this then other area.

Good luck

Almost 20 years older than mine. make me feel younger and keep me active. My worries are the little white lie and the met on line. Be smart and enjoy I never worry what others think, I live for me

In feb 2010 last year, when my father was here on his death bed, Immigration required me to leave the country, apply for a new visa and return 3 days later, Even when the hospital next door to Immigration as well as the doctors pleaded. He did days after I returned.

Former racer both bike road racing and drag racing (2 years on Honda's payroll) and cars for Dodge as I got older. Fast forward and I do more adventrue riding, less racing. But I find it funny all the mods made. Never to top quality tires for the increased speeds, shocks, or brakes. What good is speed if it doesn't handle or stop. Should be a balance. If the bike is 20% faster or more powerful, then hand in hand should be braking and handling. Rothmans racing, back in my days, or repsol now days deals with tires, handling, and breaking long before developing the motors.

Almost 22,000 on my PCX and still lovin' it.Got a complement today, one yesterday also. Have ridden the click and the scoopy, the PCX is a much smoother ride. I have to go to the gas station almost every day on the chicka's scoopy, about once a week on the PCX. Don't worry about theft, just get a brake caliper lock for the bike and close the ignition. The thieves would have to pick the bike up and put it in a truck to steal it. It would take at least three people to pick it up. I'm glad there were five people helping me when I moved.

DON'T buy the Yamaha! I know someone who did and they had it in the shop for a carburetor adjustment three times. He only had five thousand km on it. Not my idea of quality.

I've admitted here many times that the PCX is a great bike but I think you are doing everyone here a disservice by your very advising people not to buy a Yamaha. You have a database of precisely one bike that according to you had carburetor problems. I've had one Yamaha Nouvo for three years with no problems and my present Elegance for 2 1/2 years now with no problems. My friend Ross has put 30,000 km on his Elegance with no problems. I tried to convince two American friends to rent PCX's because both of them weigh around 300 pounds but both wound up renting Elegances which they were very happy with. Neither even considered renting PCX's.

Now let's take a worse case scenario of your friend filling his carburetor with mashed potatoes and gravy. He could replace the entire carb for a pittance based on my very recent experience renting a 250 CBR. Got out of the hospital yesterday after being operated on for a broken clavicle. Took the rental to the Naklua Honda dealer to replace a few parts and the total bill was 2900 baht. (I'll be calling my forthcoming article on my web site "Jack Corbett Crash tests Honda's new 250 CBR"). My point is repairs can be ridiculously inexpensive compared to repairing the human body.

I find the PCX / Elegance feud amusing. There will always be some Yamaha fans, and there will always be some Honda fans, as well as others. Some facts you can not dispute, and that is there are many more Honda shops for repair and service than Yamaha. Value and price is up to the consumer to decide what they wish.

AP Honda sent out a crew when I hand a question about my PCX, A crew. Yamaha, and yes I have a new Yamaha also, would not answer my E-mails and even when I went to the BKK office would not answer my simple question. My 2 American friend rode my PCX and traded their Elegances in, but I am sure some will like the other too. However after the lack of assistance and help from Yamaha when I did have a problem, I will not be buying theirs again. I can only vote with my baht when I make my next pruchase

My husband and I are just starting to wonder about this, ourselves. We're in our mid-twenties and we've been here a month. Outside of the other TEFL course graduates (most of which are leaving CM, actually), we wonder how to make friends. (I've no interest in making friends at work - I like to keep personal and work life separate.)

I'm just not into sitting at bars paying twice the price of a beer at home. I wasn't in the States and I'm not into it, now. /sigh/

Wow - maybe it is personality or something. I don't drink or get near a bar or pub of any kind. I work 7 days a week and 10 - 12 hours a day in a office and I find many friends or they find me. And it's not co worker friends, it saying hello to someone at the market. Smiling at someone and if they smile back saying hello. Don't lock your self in your home and car, walk, get out say hello. It works. I have many more friends here in just a short while than years back home.

As for internet, depends on company and locations, but mine is lightning quick

More photos . . .

Tire size and brand ?

Top speed ?

KM/L

Livablity, Love my D-tracker for 100 Km at a time never over or my but is screaming for mercy

congrats with a stunning bike

I found my D-tracker 250 a bit underpowered, whats the xroad power like?

Only Mod I did to my D Tracker was some handy work to the ECU - A guy in Chiang Mai and 1 hour time did the work and was a wonderful transformation of my D-Tracker with no loss of fuel economy. Wat a fun city and back twisty road bike, but now to do something with that seat . . . There is more info if you look for the thread in here some where

Where do the rides start ? And is it truly CBR250's only ??? Always up for a ride, but don't have my 250 honda yet, was waiting when they really sell for what they should

Help to say what kind of bike and what kind of rides you like to do . . .

Best words I've seen here is go rent one for a day and try it our yourself.

I have a PCX now for 9 months. Have taken it to Nong Khai. Khon kean, Chaing mai - Pattaya and BKK all 2 up.

I get 48 km/l on mine and the big tank of 6 L means I don't have to worry so often. Yes it is slightly bigger but much more stable and well worth the extra 20K

2 of my friends tried mine and went same day down to the dealer to get their own (Both had Nuovos)

I get free service for mine and paid 70,000 but the red one I know is more, (I got white with brown seat. One of my friends paid 69,500 guess he is better haggaler.

I do have thieft insurance, but honestly my key is left in it most of the time and I have never had a problem. Just be smart as with anything.

When I use my wifes MIO or the extra Suzuki step they just seem small and unstable.

I would buy anothor one in a minute, Honda did a wonderful job on this one and it shows

More photos . . .

Tire size and brand ?

Top speed ?

KM/L

Livablity, Love my D-tracker for 100 Km at a time never over or my but is screaming for mercy

Yes we can do this, but need more information. location, size style, etc....

PM me

I am an expat living here in Thailand and a few times a year fly into BKK (Domestic) And all the meter taxis tell me a price 2 - 4 times the normal price. No one will do it for meter any more. Been told high gas prices knowing they us the low price LPG. I now use a privite driver who charges a fair price in line with what it should be, talks good English, Has a Volvo, and is helpful and thoughtful. Door to door even carries my bags 5 flights of stairs to my condo

Prior to Thailand I lived in Hawaii. Now have Thai license and never have had a problem. I do not have an international license