Hans Lankari

Happening now:

The lawyer talked to the head of the Pattaya police station and this captain was surprised of some things that had happened to Mr. Kid and he promised to start investigating the actions of the woman police officer involved here.

We were asked NOT to let her know that her captain is looking into her actions and some obvious mistakes she had done.

Then Mr. Kid called me that this woman officer is calling him continuously asking him to go to the station. We told him that he should NOT go there as also the captain had said this same.

The woman officer continued calling Mr. Kid and repeating how he should come there and come ALONE. No lawyer! The case had now started to stink more and more.

Mr. Kid called me again and again, and I again and again convinced him NOT TO GO THERE. This woman officer was now working on her own. Without the knowledge of her superiors.

Also the Swedish embassy had contacted police captain in Pattaya and Banglamung plus police supervisors in Bangkok.

These actions of embassy had obviously entered in the knowledge of this woman officer and she desperately tried to convince Mr. Kid to go to the station. Again and again.

We called to the woman officer, and she refused to talk with us. Hung up the phone.

Mr. Kid called me in desperation what he should do. AGAIN we convinced him NOT TO GO. I also offered him a place to stay if he is afraid this woman officer to come to look for him.

We finally managed to contact this woman officer by telephone and we wanted to know why she needs to meet Mr. Kid now. No explanations. She only stated that lawyers cannot help Mr. Kid and lawyers only "want big money from him".

This case is getting pretty obvious now...

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I'm no constitutional expert but I was under the impression that our passports were the property of the state or Queen or whomever and not actually ours. I was also under the impression the state or Queen can request the return of their property. This is my favorite excuse not to surrender my passport to anyone ever. I just say it's not mine...

True or false?

I don't know if in all, but at least in most, passports of this world, there is a disclaimer printed somewhere stating excactly this. It is the property of the state that had issued it. Not the holder's property at all. Just "borrowed" to him/her as a proof of his/her identity and nationality.

Happened today so far:

The lawyer got things moving and there is hope now. He used his contacts and IF everything goes as he and his contact in "upper levels" has let us know, we will be much happier in 2 days time. Let's see. I am not very confident but who knows. I wouldn't like to disclose too much now.

We are working on this case at the moment and updates are available in short time.

If we wouldn't have been there, Mr. Kid hadn't received anything for sure.

Seems to me he was better off before receiving any documents. Now he's signed a bogus confession.

IT IS NOT TRUE and police IS NOT ON YOUR SIDE.

How long have you been in Thailand? 2-3 weeks? Everyone knows the Police in Pattaya have one of the worst reps in all on Thailand; extremely corrupt.

Your friend needs to get a competent lawyer NOW. You are in over your head/knowledge. It may however be too late as I suspect he has signed his way into a huge payday for the girl/police.

"Seems to me he was better off before receiving any documents. Now he's signed a bogus confession."

Obviously you cannot read beside your amount of idiotism.

READ AGAIN and maybe you understand that he had signed these papers LOOOONG before meeting me on this case. Yesterday we got A HOLD ON THE PHOTOCOPIES OF THESE SIGNED PAPERS. Did you understand now or should I try make a cartoon model of this?

"How long have you been in Thailand? 2-3 weeks? Everyone knows the Police in Pattaya have one of the worst reps in all on Thailand; extremely corrupt."

Only 8 years. And you?

"Your friend needs to get a competent lawyer NOW. "

He has had one since I heard about this case. A thai lawyer, 20 years in business and very reputable man who is familiar with these things.

"You are in over your head/knowledge. "

But with MUCH better knowledge than you. I can READ!!! And that's a lot compared to you, gentleman who never brakes the law and never get himself in problems. Continue with your life and get out of this matter. YOU are not needed here!!!

I contacted today the Swedish embassy and they were curious to know WHY the police had not informed them of the passport thing. This is the duty of police IMMEDIATELY to let a foreign mission know about confiscation of a passport. They have now documents on this matter and we also with the lawyer are today on this case full time.

In the meantime: the girl-friend had asked Mr. Kid for 10 000 baht. I dind't get an answer where that was supposed to go.

Hans Lankari:

I've read your last post.

3 points:

1. Mr. Kid's daughter, and a girlfriend of hers, were present when the incident happened (at least the slapping by the so called 'victim).

Why on earth didn't he (or you) bring those girls -in their early twenties as you said- with him to the police-station? A couple of testifying and maybe a little crying faranggirls most certainly could have helped ?

2. I think it was unwise to bring in Mr. Kid's girlfriend into the policestation !

3. I understand he was afraid landing up in jail...BUT signing something, written in a language you cannot read is asking for (more) trouble.

Seems to me you guys hire the best lawyer there is; someone who has 'connections' with high police-officers in Pattaya.

The whole case stinks and is most probably a set-up of some weirdo girl who wants him to end-up in jail.

But......maybe it's best to have someone negotiate with this 'girl' to drop the charges in return for.............. something......

LaoPo

1. Police convinced the daughter and the friend NOT to come to the police station as this was going to be a very short visit only and Mr. Kid would join them in 2 hours maximum. "Not a big deal at all." The police insisted them that their presence is not necessery. So the girls were convinced and didn't go there. A mistake from their part!

2. FOR SURE! I didn't know about her before I saw her at the station. Another mistake from Mr. Kid's part.

3. MAJOR MISTAKE!!! But as I said: Mr. Kid is a simple man and was terrified at the police station. He has NEVER had any problems with authorities anywhere in the world before and he signed all to get out from that situation as soon as possibile. And the police mislead him by telling him these signatures would ease him out of this agony.

BTW: At the police station when having our conversation with this woman officer, she was very uncomfortable of our presence with Mr. Kid and avoided the eye contact all the time. First I thought that this is just me: In European cultural backround when a person behaves like this it is very obvious that she is not telling the truth and wants to avoid this situation. I kept very strict and penetrating eyecontact on her just to try to frie her more and she if she explodes:-)

I afterwards talked with my secretary, who is a thai, and she had excactly same impression. It was VERY obvious that the police woman was not talking all truth.

Also Mr. Kid had not received ANY documentation about this matter before yeasterday when the police woman handed them to us.

If we wouldn't have been there, Mr. Kid hadn't received anything for sure.

Strange thing. In civilized cultures police takes also care of the rights of the culprit.

After eaxmining all these papers we see that Mr. Kid has signed the full confession of grabbing her genitals. The finger inside her.

Also a power of attorney where Mr. Kid accepts the police to act as his solicitor.

Mr. Kid had NO IDEA of this and remains stunned what he has confessed. ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE!

He was asked to sign all this to get his freedom that night, and not ask questions. He did not understand a word of what he signed.

Now, this documentation is very bad thing to us and I hope we can do something about it.

All you out there who have ANYTHING at all to do with police in Thailand: DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING if you do not understand every word written there!!!! No matter what the police tells you there to be written. IT IS NOT TRUE and police IS NOT ON YOUR SIDE. Even if the police is threatening you with jail. Spend the night in jail if it is necessary for not signing. Wait for your solicitor and ASK FOR HIM!!!!

This one night in jail might save you A LOT OF nights in the jail in the future.

I remain stunned how incomptent the Thai police is!!! This is a banana-state and definetely much more third world than I have thought!!!

I will today contact the Swedish embassy on this and ask if they have any word to say or is it Mr. Kid alone here.

Today at 13.00 Mr. Kid was asked to go to meet the police at the station and he asked me to be there.

I speak fairly well thai but just to make sure everything is understood I took also my secretary with me. She is familiar with problems between farangs and police and knows basics of litigation and law even though she does not have any education on this. Our lawyer was not able to attend since the very short notice the police gave us.

My advise, before going to the station, to Mr. Kid was NOT to sign ANYTHING if he is not 100% sure what to sign. I.e. anything in thai, we ask the copy of it and sign it tomorrow, after reading it carefully first. One day will not make things any different now and if the police or the other party is in a hurry to get something signed; we can be sure not to sign...

I also empasized that if the other party is there, we carefully tranquilly listen what they have to say and only then consider what we say. We have now very little to lose anymore.

The reason to go to meet the police was according to the police to appoint Mr. Kid a lawyer. We also agreed beforehand with Mr. Kid that if this lawyer is clearly appointed by the Swedish embassy, we happily listen what the lawyer has to offer us. If appointed by police or anyone else, we thank you but stick with our own lawyer.

We also had prepared the doctors certification of the wounds to Mr. Kid from the attack and the witnesses on that attack: daughter and her friend. Swedish girls in their twenties.

At the sation proved not to be any lawyer at all.

Mr Kid and his girlfriend who had joined him from Phuket.

The police officer was a woman and from the beginning was very nasty on her attitude and clearly had already took her side in this case.

I and my secretary kept our mouths and listened mostly. Very carefully.

Now the "woman" who accuses Mr. Kid has declared the police that Mr. Kid entered his hand under her skirt and into her genitals. This is VERY different from the story of Mr. Kid.

Now it is of course impossibile to decide from my part where the truth stands on this. I just know Mr. Kid fro some years and I believe that after living in many countries, being involved with many different kind of people: I believe to have some eye on the characters. I also happen to come from Finland and this means that we, with Swedes are very much the same kind of characters from very similar cultural back-round.

I try to be objective on this and questionise all the time what Mr. Kid has told me.

Mr. Kid is a simple man and has always been very kind and honest with all the matters with me. I am grown-up enough to see through him and hard-boiled enough to see when a person is lieing. And I can tell you all that Mr. Kid IS NOT bending the truth here. Nor was he too drunk when this happened.

I am sorry to tell this Mr. Kid: but I am too clever for you to fool me.

The problem is that the night when this all happened, Mr. Kid was very scared and terrified about going to the jail and was very easy to be leaded. The police asked him to sign some papers that night at the station and one is his confession of touching the genitals of the ... woman involved here.

This document of course is all in thai except his name. He signed that. To get himself out of this trouble and not going to jail.

He has been a law-abiding citizen all of his life and NEVER ever visited a jail-room. He was absolutely terrified of the idea of having to spend a night in JAIL!

So this is now very bad thing to him: He has confessed on written of something he has never ever admitted to have done.

We with my secretary kept ourselves quiet and only thing I told to the police is that we are losing now our time since the parties have very different pictures on what happend and the police also has taken clearly the part of the other side. We asked to leave.

Before that we asked if they would accept Mr. Kids report of assault by the "victim" and the woman officer involved was not interested in doing it. I didn't ask twice. Off we go.

Now, the girlfriend of Mr. Kid started to "help" Mr. Kid and asked the police to call the "victim". She obviously also immediately swallowed the sotory of the "victim" involved here and saw her boyfriend as a filthy bastard who tries it with all the girls within vicinity. She was cooked and ready. Her help obviously would not help here.

She started to press Mr. Kid to "sit down" and wait, "shut up" while she was negotiating with the woman officer and the "victim". They had whispering conversations and their faces told immediately that they were getting along very well. The woman officer also loudly stated how she is tired of these farangs who think they can touch all thai women and do what ever they want. (I have met some women activists in Europe who resemble her very much...) She did not understand that this woman police officer CANNOT help us in his matter even if she wanted. All the papers for the court were prepared and initial hearing was set to the 16th of Oct.

The victim didn't want to talk too much with the girl-friend and she tried to call some friend of hers which obviously was not needed here. The police officer tried to convince Mr. Kid not to use any lawyer since "lawyers only want your money and no help".

We had a small negotitation outside all 4 and I empasized to Mr. Kid that I will never accept a one baht from him of this. This is only from my heart since I empasize very much what is happening to him.

Our lawyer surely will charge if this thing continues to the court but he is very reasonably priced experienced lawyer and there is NO commision to me from this particular matter.

There was an argument between my secretary and the girl-friend and we told her that she IS NOT helping him anymore by believing the other party blindly and we should wait untill tomorrow to meet our lawyer and contact other police to file the complaint against this "victim" who attacked Mr. Kid. Only one who can clearly help is the "victim" by "thoon khaa dee" i.e. dropping the case.

I told Mr. Kid now to clearly state if she wants our help, or the girl-friend's help. If our help, it means that we leave now and continue tomorrow with our lawyer, If the girl-friend's help, he is free to enter back to the station and join her.

He decided to leave.

The girl-friend is furious and stayed at the station.

Now.... this evening....

Well; let's see if I am still on this case tomorrow ar if there is a "new Mrs. Kid on the block instead"

"I'd say vast majority of bg(s) aren't like that, "

It only takes one. You in a wrong place at the wrong time: BANG!

"it would be like shooting themselves in the foot - customers would stop coming if that sort of thing becoming a routine occurrence."

Very few of them is thinking nothing else but themselves: to get the money. That is a sad fact. And they are NOT thinking the reputation of bar-business or Thailand. Or the next generation of bar-girls.

BUT: My experience is that many bar-girls, as also A VAST MAJORITY of other, ordinary thais, are genuinly good people and could not bring ahead that kind of a scam.

No he shouldn`t have patted her backside....but if the facts of what we have so far read are correct then it seems that the police are allowing this woman to take this event to a level that is out of proportion to what has allegedly happened.

A quick reasonable settlement is what is needed here for the benefit of all the parties.

Believe me: the Swede agrees you that he shouldn't have done it. And it has to be one hel_l of a kind of a woman before he does it next time!

We are working on this matter and let's see. We have now one "ace in our sleeve" and hope to use it wisely... Cannot tell more now.

I'll keep you updated.

And yes: I do have a wife and I can imagine if someone slapped my wife on her bottocks.

My reaction might also be anger but VERY PROPABLY NOT.

IF, for some reason, I would be having an awfaully bad day, and react with anger, a sincere apology from the "womanizer" would be sufficient.

My wife, nor me, would NOT act violently and this is because I am a grown-up person.

I have done years of muayi so I could do easily involve myself in a fight. But I am not SO STUPID!

My wife then would never use this slapper to squueze hundreds of thousands out of him. She is a reasonable person and could not live with this kind of blackmailing.

Has anyone of you, throwing shit on this Swede, occured on your mind that MAYBE this "victim" was there just to wait for something like this to happen, and is using this to get everything out of this situtation?

As an insidet to this matter, all the details of this, make me think more and more that the "victim" is very pleased to be a victim here and was actually "fishing" this to happen.

Wow. Great advice. In other words it's okay to slap a girl's ass you don't know.....just not THIS girl.

If my wife had gone to the toilet or whatever and some <deleted> slapped her ass....I'd be going to jail.... I'm tired of these farangs coming here and doing stupid $hit like this; makes those of us who try hard to fit in and be respected look bad.

So you agree that the sanctions compared to the severity of the crime are in reasonable measures? 2 years waiting for the court case + possibile (short) jail/term after that + all these financial compansations and expenses + a damaged eye?

Well, go ahead and live in your world with your attitude which seems to be severely rotten. I would like very much to see you passing a street on a red light and doing some similar aftermaths with that. I would ENJOY maling similar comments on you and who great a-hole + <deleted> you are to commit such a crime and how TIRED I am too such idiots in Thailand!

The Swede admits of course that it was a bit of an act of idiotism to be too friendly towards an unknown woman but from his part it was an act of friendship. He was NOT trying to do any "move" towards this ... woman: merely trying to make his way out of the toilet as he was getting back to his daughter and out of this bar.

There is the crime: no-one denys it. But there is no common sense in the sanctions.

The Swede is at the moment without his passport and it might be so for the next 2 years. The "victim" has not dropped the case and at least at the moment is not asking for money. This might change since it is very propable that she is playing this game to get EVERYTHING possibile out of it. More the Swede needs to wait, more he is willing to pay to get out. So 100 000 or 200 000 is nothing. We might be talking millions in a few weeks here.

LoveDaBlues: Take a look in the mirror and say again the same you said in your previous posting! You will agree that you are JUST the same IDIOT as you claim this Swede to be!!!! (Yes; I am an idiot also but the difference is that I KNOW it. So I'm a step ahead you.)

Maybe I am just paranoic but there are ALL the details of a BIG scam in this.

This another friend of mine happened to be attracted to a singer girl of Lucifer, who very much is like the girl in the pictures, and was scammed to pay the girl some extra compensation out of services not provided... Claims of abusing and harrasment etc...

Then again, it might be that this girl has nothing to do with that.

It is just not very normal how she reactes to this "assault" of the Swede.

The girl look rightly pissed. I don't blame her for being upset as most non P4P girls do their utmost to distinguish themselves from those that are in the game. This physical *abuse* may just be a culmunation of dozens of flirts and suggestions over the years on the job at Lucifer.

To the Swede, SOMNAMNA! (serves you right--in Thai).

I happen to know this case very closely since this Swede is a client of mine and I have now helped him with this case also.

1. The news report is incorrect stating the "small fine" etc. The case is that he was pressed to pay the police 200 000 baht in cash. Out of what he got a receipt of 100 000 and was then the next day rightly returned the extra 100 000. The remaining 100 000 baht is the bale sum out of what is deducted what ever the "victim" (now the "victim" is not very clear in this case... read ahead.) gets her compensation.

2. Mr Kid spent all night and half of the next day in jail. After what he was released without his passport in order to stop him running out of the country. (This is pretty normal way to keep the "criminal" within reach. Actually the only normal in this case...)

The "victim" does not want money and wants to carry the case untill Mr. Kid is convicted to a jail-term. These are her words. After these 3 days of the happening she still wants to get him in the jail.

This means up to 2 years of waiting for the court case and this time Mr. Kid cannot go out of Thailand.

This "victim" also attacked viciously immediately after the "assault" on Mr. Kid causing him damage to his eye. She was of course never accused of this since she is the "victim" here.

Mr. Kid himself describes that he touched the girls bottom; yes. 2 times very softly and friendly slapping to have room on the alley while exiting from the toilet. A gentle touch with a smile but obviously not too gentleman-like behaviur and this of course he regrets.

I have also a friend here who claims to have more or less nasty experiences of a very similar looking "lady" and from the very same premises.

So all you out there near Lucifer: take care to be far enough of this singer girl!!!

I bought a used motorbike 12. December 2005, and with the seller we decided to give the paper-work for Mityon motorbike dealer in South Pattaya. They take care of the paperwork, insurance and tax with a reasonable price.

Paid Mityon 1456 baht including paperwork, tax and insurance.

Left the paperwork there and I told Mityon to bring certificate of my address from the immigration the next day.

That I did. 13th Dec I gave them a fresh new certification of address, drawn by immigration 30 minutes before that.

Time passed.

I went Mityon in about one month to ask the situation. No, not ready yet.

Time passed.

I went there again in 2 months. They asked me to bring a new certificate of address since "these documents go old very quickly" quoting the EXCACT words of them.

I did not believe that it is out-dated in 30 minutes which it took from me to drive from immigration to Mityon.

The girl promised to try do something about it.

Contacted them again in 1 more month and they asked me to bring a new crertification of address.

I refused and asked them to return me the paper-work since I had decided to use some other dealer since I don't consider it my fault if Mityon did something wrong to delay the process so much that the certification went out of date.

I asked them the tax and insurance tags for my bike since I had paid for those. They did not find them. Asked me to contact them again.

Time passed.

Went there again a couple of times and finally they decided to get me back my money and documentation but I needed to come again tomorrow since it is all at their "head-office".

Today 30th August 2006, about 8,5 months after we started the procedure at Mityon, they refunded me 1000 baht. No insurance tag, to tax tag, and 456 baht less than I paid them.... FOR NOTHING! Plus this I had 1 fine of driving without the tax-tag during this 8,5 months.

I did not bother to start raising my voice since the normal arguments did not seem to get any understanding. They did not know how to explain what happend.

This 456 baht + the hassle was just the price for me NOT TO NEVER EVER ANYMORE have anything to do this with this company.

I, as a business man, regard this a very cheap price from Mityon to sell it's reputation.

Just my experience.

I also asked for a cost estimate for tomorrow’s procedure. She told me the gastroscopy would cost ฿13,000, plus medicines. I then asked her to commit to a total figure: she would not. She just confirmed that the gastroscopy would cost ฿13,000, plus medicines and anything else that might be needed.

It will be interesting to see what the actual bill comes to tomorrow…

So this was part of the medicines? 28 900 - 13 000 = 15 900 baht for medicines only today? An awfully lot of medicines or awfully expensive medicines?

And as others stated already; we are holding breath for your tumor not to be anything serious. I have my thumbs up for you.

I am actually replacing a decent and honest "Jack" working for me for several months, due to his return to the Isaan for marriage and family-life. (No, it was NOT an excuse since I know his family and the wedding will REALLY take place rahter than me being bad employer. I know that I am a good employer and working for me IS an easy job.)

Now, I am not looking for very skilled engineer or smthng; just a normal "wife's brother" who is at least a bit honest, not too much for drinking, and ready to work for his bahts. The work I offer is very simple things and does not require so much professionality; painting, small repairments, moving furniture, etc. Anyone with a head, 2 hands and 2 legs can do it.

All special-skill-requiring works I always offer to specialists; e.g. electrician to do his work, plumber for those things, etc. (MUCH cheaper and easier for me to ask an electrician to move the breaker-cabin place than to pay the Jack's hospitalization for 3 weeks and THEN get an electrician to repair the exploded wiring...:-)

So, don't forget guys: This offer is valid now and also in the future. I have, and will have, several of these kind of Jacks working for me continously.

Sorry if this hits the wrong forum but trying anyway:

I need a "jack-of-all-trades" for a permanent employment in my company in Jomtien:

A 25-45 y.o. thai man who can make small repairments, basic construction works, etc. No special skills required; just a trustworthy and hard-working healthy man who botheres to show up every morning.

Wives' brothers and other miracle men of the jungles; wake them up!

You can PM or call me (I do speak also thai so the "jack" can call me himself): 06 99 100 13.

A bank account should be in your local area or every ATM or other transaction will be subject to an extra charge. Although the charges are not that much they do eat up passbooks very quickly. And spending an hour or more in a Bangkok Bank queue to obtain a new book is not my idea for a fun day.

Yes, you are somewhat right. Although my opinion is that it is better to sometimes travel a bit (since it definetely is not that often) and pay some small fees than NOT to have an account at all.

I repeat; on MY opinion and in MY situation.

And as I already said in my earlier posting; it would be of course of everyone's interest to have thai banks a bit on this century with their policies.

Just another update:

Yesterday a dear friend of mine went to BKK Bank of south-Pattaya.

He opened an account by showing his passport (with TR-visa) and giving them his address (just on paper, no rental contracts or such required). 300 baht for an ATM-card and he walks out happy with a shiny new bank account and the card.

Now, this raises a question in my mind: Why, oh WHY, you, who live within 100 km of south-Pattaya, even CONSIDER battelling with other banks? Just go to BKK Bank of south-Pattaya and open yourself an account.

No, I have nothing to do with this particular bank and as a matter of fact I am not even a client of them. Which I regret more and more every time I speak with my friends about their good experiences of BKK Bank confronted with my old and all-diffilcult Krung Thai.

If not going for any of these mods I hope someone at least enjoyed the short introduction to the thai engine tuning scene.

You made me drawling!

This actually is a very propable option for me; to buy Triton 2,5 and swap the engine. Or modify the original engine if it can give me 200+++ hp.

Yes; transmission and many other parts need to be done also and this is a compless task all in all.

I am not an expert and I would LOVE to find a shop which I can trust. Do you know any good modifier? I am in Pattaya -area but no problem to bring my car e.g. to Bangkok for this.

Thanks for the info BTW!

Here in Pattaya -area it can be done with whatever visa or even without one:

I myself and several of my friends have bought motorbikes on our names on 30-day stamp; no visa of any kind.

(Though I also know that some people here have been refused to do it without a proper visa.)

No bribes, no special connections, no black-magic; nothing. Just some kind of a rental agreement to immigration + photo to obtain certificate of your address in Thailand. Then passport, this certificate and money to the dealer. Voilá; bike is on your name!

Towing is an interesting issue on what I would like to find out more info.

In Europe all kinds of trailers are very common to make small and big transport using your family-saloon instead of buying a pick-up truck. But here in Thailand I have very rarely seen any decent trailers except the boat hirers using their VERY home-made "constructions".

Are the trailers required to be registered as in Europe (if you intend to exceed the speed of 60 km/h)?

I have some links to people who might know but just tried here first.

I have never ever seen here a licence-plate on a trailer of any kind.

This information is from a friend who works as a higway police:

Red plates are temporaly plates for the dealers, garages, etc. to move vehicles that ARE NOT REGISTERED. And use of these plates is allowed ONLY between 06 - 18 hours as there is no reason to move unregistered vehicles night-time. Also distances from a province to another is not allowed. (Night-time driving and cross-province moving is allowed ONLY on a particular and specila permision from Department of Land Transport.)

These plates should not be given to clients who buy cars to use them while the car is being registered.

A dealer can obtain the regular white licence plate easily in one working day and the story of it taking weeks is just bulls***ing the clients since the dealers don't want to waste their time on this byrocracy but only when it suits them the best. Usually because they save time and effort by collecting several registrations to one single visit to the authorities. Which af course is efficient for them.

So remember; you are not entitled to USE the vehicle with red plates but merely to transport it temporarily; e.g. from the dealer to your home.

But as we all know: Very low risk the police will ever bother you.

An act of idiotism:

Talking about this matter with my girl-friend now: Her car up-country is now 2 years old

and she admits that her father got the white plates and PAINTED THEM RED!!!

The 2.5 engine is far from a moped engine. Most likely you have absolutely no need for the extra 700 cc. If you have read my posts about tuning the 2.5 you would see. You just beef it up and it will outrun the 3.2 easily and I really mean easily!

You also want the 2WD which is much lighter which is another reason for why there is no need for the 3.2.

Lets say you are spending the whole difference in price between the 2.5 and the 3.2 on engine mods and you will get even much more hp compared to what I said in my post. If you are using 100-150 k on engine mods and you will see way over 200 hp!

My advice to you, buy the top spec 2.5 2WD and do some mods. I guarantee you will not regret.

Thanks for your opinion!

Having dealt with racing cars, and all kind of cars, back in Europe; my idea was that surely 3,2 is much tougher built engine and takes much more modifications without problems than the smaller 2,5. Am I wrong in this?

(I don't have any specs or reliable info on these particular engines and this is just my logical conclusion. I would appreciate if you have some links on this matter to provide me.)

Could you give a link also to your posting about modifications and maybe contact infos on some PROFESSIONAL chipping garage who has the technology and the skill to do the work right?

My intention is very soon to buy either of these 2 cars, and get it chipped and done some other mods also. Beeing used to do it in Europe to my cars I just cannot drive a standard-engine car. It just is not me

Just now also facing the exactly same dilemma: Triton or Vigo?

My conclusion is that it will be Vigo for me.

Triton is on my opinion ###### gorgeous looking car, and it is a shame that other facts speak for the boring Vigo. But Vigo it is because I want, 4 doors, manual gears and the biggest engine available but 2 wheel drive. And Mitsu cannot offer me that choice; they have the 4x2 only with the moped-engine: 2,5 liter.

I don’t want the 4x4 because:

-it consumes more

-it costs more

-it has more potentially breaking and expensive parts (although the warranty seems good so this shouldn’t be an issue.)

-it for sure loses some performance (weighs a bit more and transmission loses a bit of power)

It is pity that Mitsu is not able to offer me a model which is 4x2 and 3200 cc.

Just another update:

I was with my client last thursday in BKK Bank of South Pattaya to open him an account.

He had only 30 days permit of stay and no visa at all.

We opened him an account without a proplem. What the bank asked was copy of his passport. NO OTHER DOCUMENTS REQUIRED.

And now he has an account and ATM card for it.

It has always been the same with BKK Bank on my experience and nothing seems to have changed. I am sorry to hear that some of us have problems but my experience speaks completely other story.