DualSportBiker

8 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Not driven on the Chonburi Motorway then?

One strip of highway doesn't make up for the rest of the country. Those patrol cars are there to steal from truck drivers. I used to tow a trailer behind an old Landy. I got pulled over on that stretch for a number of concocted reasons and was asked to pay 500 Baht. Never did, but my Thai colleague paid 100 a couple of times while I was asleep after a hard day's work. They crawl along the emergency lane and flash truck drivers to stop for no other reason than they are passing the cop. The ultimate in lazy muppets!

On 2/11/2021 at 8:56 AM, MikeyIdea said:

Why is no one posting about how safe Thailand has become over the last 30 years? I drove 35,000 km per year on a Honda Dream 100 in Bangkok in the early 1990s. Incredible difference

 

Incredible bike too. Drove 135,000 km on it. Now that is quality 

Maybe because the number of accidents and deaths goes up every year. Maybe because every goal ever set by the authorities has been missed.

There have been improvements. When I first started riding long trips up-country, very few cars or trucks would move out of the right-hand lane for a bike. Very few indeed. Now a significant portion of Thai drivers will not only move out the way, but signal beforehand. The large groups of bikes I used to ride with made an effort to thank any driver who moved out the way, I still do the same. When 100 BMW GS thunder passed you and give you a nod, you remember. Rewarding correct behaviour enforces it (like training puppies) so I always give a thumbs-up and a nod to any cage that moves out of my way. 

On 2/10/2021 at 10:25 AM, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

My wife and I have made this round trip twice, and twice to Issan provinces further out. Thank God we're still alive. We stay on the shoulder or outside lane, drive slow, stop frequently, and travel only in daylight.

Riding slowly is dangerous. Easy to get hit from behind, so have to pay constant attention to mirrors. Always ride at the pace of other users so you can concentrate on what is in front of you.

Who in their right mind wears shorts on a Busa? So utterly foolish. It's unfortunate they are hurt, but <deleted>, a helmet, jacket and kevlar jeans and he might have walked away. Given he was able to talk to police so soon after, looks like basic gear would have had a massive positive impact effect.

1 hour ago, canopus1969 said:

So, lucky then he was wearing full protective gear – flip flops, shorts etc

 

 

 

I get what you mean, but don't agree with the way you express it. Cops here allow accidents to happen. Causing accidents is wholly different.

15 hours ago, Andre0720 said:

Entirely wrong. Cops cause most of the accidents. If a police can stop someone from driving in a way that is dangerous, which could result in accidents and death, and this police does not prevent that from happening, as he is able to, then he is logically responsible for the results, which is road carnage and deaths.

Well, after 30 years riding here I would disagree. The vast majority of bike accidents here are some combination of lack of skill, low awareness, substance abuse, not following the road signs or the law. The severity of the accidents is not mitigated because for 95% of Thai bike riders, safety gear begins and ends with a poor-quality helmet. All of those are choices and therefore controllable.

I wear all that can be worn from head to toe. I never ride when tired, ill or in a foul mood. I practice my skills in car parks. I am already a highly alert and aware driver/rider. I follow the rules of the road and I avoid main roads at all costs. I ride with 3,000 lumens of LEDs to ensure I am visible and have a 120 bB horn. Truth is, I am anal-retentive regarding safety and being aware of my surroundings. And yet, despite all that, I accept there is additional risk on a bike (here or anywhere) and I accept that risk. 

20 hours ago, Surelynot said:

I understand completely....and have been tempted......but in Thailand you have minimal control over the risks you face......on balance (each to his own) I just don't feel it is worth the risk.....

Because it is enjoyable and the risk is manageable. It takes preparation, repeated practice, taking safety seriously and route planning. But none of the above are arduous.

On 2/4/2021 at 11:58 AM, Surelynot said:

Very true.....I can understand Thais, out of economic necessity, having to ride bikes, but why would anyone else put their life on the line, unnecessarily, to ride a bike in Thailand?

17 hours ago, rickudon said:

Yes, i estimated - and was pretty close I think. That table doesn't seem to have rajabhat separately. About 1.7-2.1 million on undergraduate courses so how many graduate each year? About 650,000 ?

That's what the numbers say...

On 11/25/2020 at 9:05 PM, rickudon said:

I think 'University' is a rather loose term in Thailand. It also includes the local Rajabhat's (which provide courses in catering etc.) and technical colleges. So i think 450-500,000 a year is correct.

My nephew graduated in March (technical college) and had a job lined up, government related, and was meant to start in June - still waiting for the job to start (told funds were delayed so recruitment on hold). Fortunately he has part-time work in the wife's shop so not desperate - yet. A niece will finish college in a few months, so will be one of the 900,000 as well.

Again, were you to look up the publicly available data and not simply think for yourself (and get it wrong) you'd see that they separate all the levels of education. Unis have their own separate count as do technical colleges, undergrads, post-grad and doctorate...

32 minutes ago, johng said:

Thailand 4.0   an app to tell you when you can burn your fields and forests !!!!

stop with the burning  buy the machinery to cut the harvest and  then plough the stubble back into the soil thus reducing the need for expensive fertiliser next year and greatly reducing the pollution...an app  phfff

Have you talked to a farmer about the 'plough the stubble' part? I have. For rice, it takes too long to decompose. They plant 2, sometimes three crops per year - there is not enough down-time.

I am not defending the burning, but your assumption is just that, an ass umption...

1 minute ago, bodga said:

ill  get a  copy  to help me sleep  then

happy to PM it to you!

Just now, bodga said:

That could be done elsewhere in 1  A4 sheet  no  doubt????

Might surprise you to know they cover a little more that how many graduates graduated... It's a study of who does what and what quals and experience (time) they bring. It's not a great read, but it does contain a bunch of facts that trump arm-chair opinions...

2 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Again, you're erroneously conflating what you believe to be right with what other people should do and think. The two aren't the same. 

 

What's the old expression, "You wanna be right or you wanna be rich?". 

 

 

The law here, in the UK and Australia agree with me. As for that expression, do I want to have standards and ethics, or be rich? That is a false dichotomy. I am successful, very comfortable and make an effort to be ethical in what I do and say.

1 minute ago, aroiaroi said:

It's pointless bickering about who is right and wrong. It's a "he said, she said" story, and the customer, with threats of jailtime over him, has been unable to fully defend or explain his position.

But we can look at the outcomes, and it's a lose-lose-lose scenario. The biggest losers are the hotel (the hotel shot themselves) and Thailands tourism industry (collateral damage via the stupidity of the hotel).

That is the difference between slander and defamation. A true 'he said, she said' is a verbal exchange. What this guy did was published globally.

2 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Sorry, do you think most people who read the headlines will be concerning themselves with what exactly was written?

Obviously not. You are proof that reading the headline, the story and understanding it are separate by slovenliness and intelligence.

2 minutes ago, DirtyHarry55 said:

It's a figure of speech and in his opinion maybe true.

The law disagrees with you. It is an accusation of a criminal act like not paying taxes or employing foreign staff (here) without without work permits. There are limits on free speech that are designed to protect people and businesses from damage to their reputation from unsupported accusations. He might also hold the opinion that white table cloths are a call to arms for white supremacists but without any evidence, calling it an opinion expressed because they have some right to express themselves is an excuse.

2 hours ago, DirtyHarry55 said:

Total 4 reviews you try make it sound like he wrote Hundreds and what was the fake comment exactly I don't get it?

"modern-day slave labour" or do you think that is justified in some way?