SDM0712

anything salvageable?
 

Spray some WD40 on it, be as right as rain in minutes.

SDM

PS How are you feeling now, have you been back behind the wheel since? I've been in a few high speed smashes (M25 before it turned into a car park), it's not always easy to get your confidence back.

Got a Garmin in Tesco nr Kathu a few years ago, couldn't do my job without it now. It's the Thai version but I just changed the language to English, something the chap said in the shop couldn't be done. But the map and search index is in Thai, which is not a problem for me as I use the raw coordinates. Cost about 4000 baht.

SDM

Well, do you see any on the beaches?

Yes, but they are cowering at the back and their owners are approaching people on the pavement.

SDM

At the risk of upsetting all the current CBR 250 owners........ I was very disappointed with mine. It looked the business, but the performance was really lacking. I had mine for about 6 months (the newer model bought from new) and I had a real problem selling it because so many identical ones were on the market, which makes me think there was a lot of other disappointed riders out there. I bought a Ninja 650 which I am delighted with. I think my point is if you are now thinking about spending 138K on a 300, have a look around and see if you can get something in the 600s a bit older. Just because the extra power is there doesn't mean you have to use it, but you might be grateful for it if the need arises.

SDM

Depends, what's your idea of fun?

Hua Hin's not as "party " as her Patong and Pattaya cousins.

SDM

I got a Galaxy Pocket, or Neo as they are known here to run as my second work phone. The processor is far too slow once you ad LINE and What If, it quite often take literally 30/40 seconds to do anything The screen is too small and the keyboard takes up most of the space. After a few weeks I put it back in the back and bought a Galaxy Win which I am very happy with. My personal 'phone is a Z10 which has a slightly faster chip speed, but you wouldn't know.

SDM

PS if you want my Neo you can have it for 2000, still in the box !

In my experience this behaviour is quite normal for some girls. In the "dim and distant " with an ex I was expected to pay at least 5000 to the Ma and do at least one trip to Big C where I would see other confused farangs pushing a trolley surrounded by extended family trying to tot up mentally how much was going in the trolley!

If you're not happy with this then time to move on Charles.

SDM

Right in town, there is the Chiang Saen Riverside Hotel, where I am always staying.

I used to spend a lot of time in Chiang Saen and then this was the only hotel in town. Nice rooms, an ok breakfast. I was always happy with it.

SDM

I got so many varying quotes that averaged out around 80,000 baht. In the end I used the firm that did my UK site and it's all hosted from there too. I just couldn't get any straight answers here.

SDM

Where are you looking ?

As the others, I strongly suggest you don't laugh at these Thai Landlords less you want to invite a bigger problem.

Ask for a Thai contract, with English translation, full inventory signed on check-in and only pay two months deposit. If they say no, just politely smile and say you will come back to them and have more to see.

SDM

I think it's fair to say that if you met your girl in a bar/special massage shop, and you have gone home to the other side of the planet, that there is a pretty good chance that she will be doing what she was doing to you when you met her, even if you are supporting her. She won't see it as "cheating", she is just working. Anyone who knows Thais in this industry will know there is no malice involved, they are just doing their work. If anyone is in this position and you wants to avoid this, make sure your girl goes home when you do.

Anyone who says they suspect, they already know. As soon as they leave Thai territory and retrieve their common sense from "left baggage" they know. As we say here, "kit mak", don't think too much, you will only drive yourselves mad.

I was going to repeat a true and recent conversation that I had with an engaged lady bar that I have known for many years on this topic, but deleted it after writing it since I live here and who knows. But, you all know the gist already.

SDM

Paranoid ?

Not at all, 15 plus years actual experience knowing the people I'm talking about on a personal basis and the people that they work for. But really, it should be common sense. The point is that the girls I am talking about do not think they are doing anything wrong, and I'm not sure they are either. They have come to places like Patong & Pattaya to work in the sex industry which is exactly what they do and exactly where they meet their boyfriend who usually starts off as their "customer", it's a very common term. If a "customer " can becomes a boyfriend and hopefully a husband in the final stage it's good for both parties. But until they are at the final stage they will continue to work to support their families and children. Also at any stage the "boyfriend " could disappear, which quite often happens, and the money stops. If they can have a sponsor and continue to work it means even more money, and that's it what's it's really about.

SDM

I think it's fair to say that if you met your girl in a bar/special massage shop, and you have gone home to the other side of the planet, that there is a pretty good chance that she will be doing what she was doing to you when you met her, even if you are supporting her. She won't see it as "cheating", she is just working. Anyone who knows Thais in this industry will know there is no malice involved, they are just doing their work. If anyone is in this position and you wants to avoid this, make sure your girl goes home when you do.

Anyone who says they suspect, they already know. As soon as they leave Thai territory and retrieve their common sense from "left baggage" they know. As we say here, "kit mak", don't think too much, you will only drive yourselves mad.

I was going to repeat a true and recent conversation that I had with an engaged lady bar that I have known for many years on this topic, but deleted it after writing it since I live here and who knows. But, you all know the gist already.

SDM

For value I always stay at the City Lodge on Soi 19, just by Asok BTS. Good location, clean rooms, reasonable price.

SDM

I'm on the roads every day and I probably drive a little more aggressively than the average Thai. And if someone has a problem with that, they are welcome to go have sex with themselves.

Same here, if anything I think that hesitation causes more accidents then anything. I used to a lot of driving in Central London and I'm really not sure if the average Thai is any worse than the average black cabbie or white van driver.

SDM

I got a nice pair of size 50 calf length waterproof boots in this place for 7500.

http://www.paddock.co.th/2011/index.php

Boots are also good for preventing your foot from being torn off if you come off at speed.

SDM

Would the new device import them? Usually the point of a memory card is to create extra storage rather then import to the devices own memory. This is how is works on my BB and Galaxy devices. The device just tells me a card has been installed and that's it. No importing involved.

SDM

Ha ha, yep I'm definitely rusty. We are now so far off topic we know what's going to happen!! S

if.... ....of mobiles......

Unfortunately the power of a mobile telephone transmitter is not that different from a flight data recorder beacon (black box). Usually around a maximum of 5 miles. So if they can't pick up one, they won't pick up the other. I'm not a physicist but I'm pretty sure that multiple signals in close proximity do not lend strength to another.

S

now I've never done this myself, but let's say I was stranded in the centre of Australia, way outside any chance of Mobile coverage...

... I can dial 000, and it will get through ( the same goes for 911 / 991 etc - depending what country you're in.

The mobile signal is picked up via satellite. Apparently this algorithm is available if a phone is not connecting with it's Service - whether that be network signal level 0, or the phone is even out of it's Contract.

We had an Army truck accident years ago, way way out of range of any tower network, but the 000 (actually a 991 in malaysia) went through...

Never heard of that, but don't doubt you. But I think the point was you actioned the call rather then the 'phone realising there was a problem and attempting to call for help. Mobile 'phones in an aeroplane at the bottom of the sea would still need someone to make the call. Having said that if the 'plane is at the bottom of the sea and the batteries are still in them the circuits on the ' phones would probably be fried anyway.

Also, I'm pretty sure a mobile phone handset can only transmit for about 5 miles, maybe 10. Any satellite would be at an altitude of at least 200 miles. Are you sure these weren't satellite phones ?

I know if you dial 112 on a phone it will connect to the emergency services in any country that you are in, whether the sim is in service or not, on any available network, and even if there is no sim in the phone. But definitely only to terrestrial based cell towers.

S

Tony aka Anthony Vito Corleone was the son of Michael and Sonny's given name was Santino not Santiago

Yep, quite right on both. Tony was Michael and Kay's boy, became a musician or something. I clearly need to bush up my Godfather.

S

Whats the tattoo ??

I agree. So we can make a qualified assessment, can we have a snap ?

The only type of tattoos I've seen of this size are dragons. I quite like them.

S

if some small-fry mafia-like wannabee family has enough punch to be able to locate your exact location, then it would have been a piece of cake for the Infinitely more powerful world govts to be able to find an airliner full of mobiles......

Unfortunately the power of a mobile telephone transmitter is not that different from a flight data recorder beacon (black box). Usually around a maximum of 5 miles. So if they can't pick up one, they won't pick up the other. I'm not a physicist but I'm pretty sure that multiple signals in close proximity do not lend strength to another.

S