DualSportBiker

Can anyone confirm if the Suvannakhet consulate is open on Monday? Thank you.

Paranoid question... My marriage to my Thai wife was in HK. We have certified docs, stamped et al by the Thai embassy in HK... Changes nothing in Savannakhet right?

I am 47.

2 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

Could you not extend your stay on the basis of retirement instead of marriage? Or are you under 50 and/or don't have the required financials?

Many thanks. Does the board need to be fully/majority local?

2 minutes ago, lubfishin said:

You better have a board that you can really trust. Otherwise they can simply vote you out. Even if you were the one to initially found the organisation and funded it, they can get rid of you in a heartbeat.

Thanks guys. The org would do road safety workshops leveraging a motocross team based here to deliver demonstrations and discussions on road safety. Outreach at schools, taking kids to races, making sure they hear the message that racing is for the course, not the road...

I am drafting the charter and will see how lawyers react to it...

Cheers.

2 hours ago, Fithman said:

 

What 'hoops' does the lady think she has to dance through?   Her role, for all practical purposes is limited to accompanying you to the immigration office if/when you apply for an extension of stay.

 

 

We read the process docs together and her hackles went up at the requirement for extra paperwork, photos and potential visits... No biggie. I get to ride to Mae Sot every 90 days, have Moei fish, see my buddies up there, take two days off work and keep my bike from getting bored with me...

Well Wow! Blown away!

Outstanding news - guess I don't look around here enough!

Thanks Joe!

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Skip getting your visa in Singapore and go to Savannakhet Laos to get it with no financial proof needed.

Elviajero, Thanks for your input. I am not applying for extension. My Mrs refuses to dance through those hoops for me... can't have everything I guess!

Cheers.

Hi Joe. Thanks for your super fast response, again...

I am married to a Thai, my visa is of the Cat O Non-Imm marriage variety.  I do my 90-day exits/entries on the last day, and my visa ran out 80 days ago. I am on the last days of my 90 entry stamp. The last time I mis-read my 90-day stamp, I arrived 2 days overstayed and was given 14 days on reentry. This is what leads me to believe I can repeat that process without the overstay (or surprise at my mistake).

Also I could just leave for 2 weeks, but I'd rather not stay in a hotel, or impose on friends, in Singapore for that long... I have sufficient funds in a Singapore account, but last year when I applied I was told "you need the funds in Thailand next time." I don't see anything new to support that on the embassy site, but don't want to risk it without definitive evidence. I will call them tomorrow to confirm/deny that.

Thanks again.

I am considering opening a charitable organisation here. I'd like to know anything and everything about that. Is it harder than a Co., Ltd? What are the/any onerous requirements. Are there any other undocumented steps that are different from forming a Co., Ltd? 

I've seen it can take up to a year to get approval. If donations are made before official formation, is there a grace period? 

Could we apply, take donations, operate, and account for the monies received and dispensed as 'to and on behalf of the charity'. Obviously initial donors will prefer to make tax-deductible payments.

Many thanks.

My annual Cat O expires soon. I had to make a major expense inside the 90 day window for funds, so there is a two week gap between expiry and fiduciary compliance.

I know I could just cross a border and get a 14 day stamp. Is there an option that does not require travel? Can I get the 'same' 14 days at my local immigration office? Or am I forced to physically cross a border?

Many thanks.

Are you sure you belong on this forum?? You read and understood the OP!

49 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

Why is that?  As long as the driver is sober the rest can be as drunk as they like.

I think it is meant to put a designated driver behind the wheel. My read of this is that the sober passengers need to persuade the driver to relinquish control and let one of the sober people drive. You can't prosecute a taxi driver for having drunk passengers, so why would that extend to private vehicles?

This is about peer pressure; getting the "I'm not drunk, I am fine to drive" idiots into a passenger seat. Pretty sure that is what is meant by "Passengers who travel in the same vehicle as a driver who is found to be under the influence..."

6 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

This could kill off restaurant trade if nobody in the vehicle can have a drink. There's going to be some very dry birthday celebrations in the future. Crazy.

I don't doubt you for a minute old boy, but it was not done using a magnetic strip that has no power source. Tracking a car or a bike is not difficult. Both have sufficient surplus power to run a device and communicate with a network of some kind. They can store data when off the grid and fill in the gaps when reconnected to a network. That is mature and robust technology.

I've worked with electronic mapping, GPS and networks from the early 90s, and although I am not in that field now... This would represent bridging a significant gap. I'm open minded, but highly sceptical.

2 minutes ago, damo said:

 

 

Sorry bud, I don't want to be a smart arse, I was having my driving behaviour successfully monitored within seconds from remote areas of Australia. It's happening already.

 

GPS compatible strips? That sounds dubious. GPS radio signals are very very weak, receivers need to fix several sources before a location can be computed by the receiving device. You can't send a signal to a GPS satellite, it's technically possible but you would need to own it or hack it... and without a power source in the license it gets harder and harder...  Does it record track data in a 10 minute loop? Unlikely to get the signal through a car, wallet and interference without a fair amount of antenna... "Is that a Thai license in your pocket or are you just please to see me?"

However, I like the idea in general. Forces passengers to implore reason from their drunk friends - might make for great tv!

BBJ raises a key point - are you planning to stay clean and dry on the roads or venture off to Adventure Bike Country? Up were you are is pretty much heaven for trails and overnight camping trips... Initial advice would be to commit to going off-road, then shortlist your choices...

It's good to want to spend clean money here, but in general we all use Thai Baht... Welcome, and enjoy your riding!

I think we need to bifurcate the user-group! 

There are plenty of generally younger lads on small and noisy bikes that are a nuisance. They ride all hours of the day, make more noise than motion, and obviously don't care about safety because they wear flip-flops and light clothing. I discount this group because I am an unashamed snob and don't consider them bikers. They are people on bikes. However, people on small bikes with the gear and the mindset are most welcome in my definition of bikers... I digress.

The rest of the 'market' is not easily lumped together, but I'll do just that... Most 'bikers', being people who actively take steps to be safe, visible, ride mainly for the fun of it, or also for the fun of it, make conscious decisions about safety. Pipe efficiency and therefore noise is one of the decisions made. However, loud pipes are also a choice of those who just want to be heard. How do you distinguish? You pretty much can't unless you talk to them... Most bikers I know do not ride at night, and do not red-line in every gear. At night I am disturbed by as many modified pipes on Honda Preludes as on Honda Waves.

What does it all mean? Who knows, but most of you complaining are doing so to the wrong people. The bikes that wake you up and make conversation impossible when they pass are not represented here and they don't care about safety. Those here with loud pipes have a valid argument that they increase driver awareness of their presence. As for horns, I've been chased by cars for using my horn 'at' them, so I don't consider that a failsafe alternative... 

Until you naysayers have ridden bikes with loud pipes and witnessed a car react, you cannot definitively state that the claim is ridiculous. This is very much a 'live and let live' scenario...

I am undecided. When in my noisy Land Rover I can still hear loud bikes behind me, so I am not convinced that they are not audible where needed. It is clear that the loudest place to be is behind them, however in narrow or crowded streets sounds reflects forward. I have certainly heard bikes behind me on many occasions here...

My pipes are stock and not terribly loud. I chose to be bright instead, and all 4000 lumens go forward at the mirrors of those holding me up...

Lisa Thomas of the Simon and Lisa Thomas 2ridetheworld team swears by loud pipes. She has ridden 600,000 km over 12 continuous years in 80 countries. As she is both sensible, and smart as well as more experienced than most, I give her opinion considerable weight.

Dualsport and adventure riders stand…


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Riding my F650 GS. Heavier but lower than your Versys. Less momentum at 20 than 100+ for sure, maybe I was riding too slowly? 

I have 8 moderately large dogs, but that does not mean taking risk on their part. Any dog in the street is a hazard until in the mirror, and owners that let them roam are criminally liable in my book... Mine are locked away on my property and unfortunately lack proper exercise because walking 8 is a logistical nightmare. Don't need to lock the house though :)

19 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

 

Well l don't know what you were riding l was being explicit with my post l don't liked stray four legged shit machine dogs but l not want have to kill them in this way.

l was on a major road on my Versys coming out of my village and usually go faster and keep clear of car & trunks so probably 120 kph or more shut off when the dog appeared and traffic was coming from the opposite direction.

Not sure if I could have done anything about it either but l am not curious l am not gonna kill myself to save some proxy dog that an owner takes no care of and lets out on a OO licence to possibly injure or kill a road users, maybe dog lovers here agree but with some l doubt it..

 

Were you going fast when you hit the dog on your Versys? I was going 20 perhaps, the dog hit the rear half of my front wheel. Not sure if I could have done anything about it, but curious...

12 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

I always plod slowly in soy's on my scoot or Versys because of kids and dogs darting out from places,  last year on a main road caught a dog that dashed out from the front of a parked truck with my left crash bar,  the Versys a heavy lump so didn't affect it much,  glancing in the mirror saw the dog still,  was gonna turn around but thought better of it,  forget when but some years before hit another dog in much the same way in the car and it smashed the front spoiler 2000 baht to replace. 

My soi is a cut-through between two main roads - the coffee shop is on one of them, hence a bash-hat. I'd normally wear a jacket to go further than the coffee shop, and touring boots if I go beyond that.

Many years ago I took my nephews to the ER at a local hospital here. I asked one of the Drs to explain how many accidents he thought might have been walk-aways if the rider had been wearing shoes and/or gloves and/or a helmet. He showed them a few pics of missing toes, gashed heads, skin removed from hands... Did the trick. Also worked well as a reminder for me.

Boring, perhaps, even AR, but the simple facts are most accidents are local, and the injuries can be avoided by gloves, shoes and a bash-hat. "Too hot" is not an excuse I entertain...

2 minutes ago, robblok said:

wow... your smarter then me.. i use the bike a lot instead of walking to the front of the village.. but as long as i stay in the village i dont use my helmet. You did for a 400 meter ride.. well done it must have saved you a lot of grief.

I've always thought that a loose dog or a moped leaving a market would be my downfall. Market hours up-country require extra caution... Yesterday I was proven right.

Less than 100 meters from my front gate, lazily taking the bike for coffee rather than walking 400 meters in light drizzle, I was knocked off by a dog scampering out from under a truck. Lost the front wheel while standing on the pegs, went down to the right on my hip, side and head. My helmet did its job, the rest of me was not covered. 

I have a bruise on my hip that looks like half a ripe mango was grafted onto me, my ribs are sore enough that laughing, coughing and sneezing are not a laughing matter - certainly nothing to sneeze at! Bike is pretty much fine; crash bars did their job...AGV helmet needs replacing now.

So may I take this personal reminder to remind  y'all to watch out for dogs - they can be tricky. Oh, and slow down for markets between 4 and 6ish - seems like everyone leaving a market has to turn right or is going to make a u-turn in front of you...

Safer travels chaps! Bruised, but not Beaten!

No complaints on my stock seat - like Kwasaki, I had mine raised slightly. When I ride, which is rarer and rarer these past 2 years, I do 600 k.m. a day without a problem... get a bigger bike or a smaller butt! Or custom seat of course

So you prove that DUI is dangerous... hard to be sympathetic, and easy to discount your opinion on the dangers of bikes.

I rode to Rangsit today - had the chance for a beer after a little project was successfully completed. I won't touch a drop within 4 hours of riding - not worth it. I've ridden at night twice in the last 6 years; Bkk to Nong Khai on a Friday afternoon, and Hot to Samoeng. Again, there is no point to risk it. At least you didn't do yourself serious harm like this poor chap.

8 minutes ago, evilebxxx said:

To be fair I was most intoxicated  and slippery clay roads with deep holes, rice drying spread on asphalt roads, a sudden 80 degree curve after a long straight lime without any landmark, unlit roads and so on

Really? Your crashed once every 5 trips? Makes sense that you got a car, consider a stroller... 

I have perhaps 100,000 k.m. on bikes here, half in Bkk in the 90s when I commuted, and half exclusively up-country on 1-5K trips 2 days to 2 weeks in length... The 10K k.m. I clocked up in Singapore on a Vespa were more dangerous than here.

You pays your penny and makes your choice. I'd rather be outside, immersed, excited and exposed that locked in a cage. My choice. Most bikers don't need eunuchs telling us how dangerous it is - it's dangerous because of the cars on the roads, not the other bikes... more or less...

3 hours ago, evilebxxx said:

20 years ago when I reside in Bangkok I had a motorbike, I had on average 20% chance of an accident or or a minor mishap each trip