SDM0712

Not sure about limits but been overtaken by Toyota minivans going at least Mach 3.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Superb.

They do don't they. My business partner believes its because they've all been driving 125 scooteys all their lives and are overwhelmed by the power of these commuter vans. Are they 3.0 Litre turbo ???

I always wondered about the speed limit for bikes too. I occasionally take the odd potter from Phuket to Krabi with some like minded pals and have hit up to around 200 on the straights with no U-turns. Boys and toys and all that. I wonder what the fine would be if any of us were caught, actually I wonder what the rozzers could use to catch us anyway, I'm not sure if a DMAX or 125cc Scoopy would be up to it !!! Maybe a Toyota Minivan slowing down from light speed !!

SDM

“So, how many leases has he turned over in recent years? NKM

Without talking specifics I have know this person around 15 years and this is the first lease outside the original in all that time. So, to answer your question, I would say one former, and one new one. SDM

"No doubt you have looked at my profile so know what I do for a living" SDM

- no, I haven't looked at your profile. Why would I? Why would I even care?” NKM

Indeed. However if you would have looked you would have noticed that I am involved in this kind of work professionally, not bar work, but the disposal of these kinds of leases and assets. So, I can see why you would not care, and why should you, but it is relevant.

SDM

"doesnt exactly reek of desperation" - wouldn't be the first guy to bring his offshore money into here and lose it. " NKM

Incidentally, the person I have referred you and you have remarked in is a Thai person with no off shore money being involved.

S

Bars are being sold and bought every day, and houses, villas, condos, apartments, hotels, guest houses, apartment blocks, land. No doubt you have looked at my profile so know what I do for a living, so no, I don't wonder why. I believe it's just a natural cycle rather than a soon to be arriving economic apocalypse.

SDM

“Phuket is not in Thailand - it's a different country. :)

As for your bar owner friends "doing very nicely indeed" - I wonder why they are selling. “ NKM

Again if it is me you are quoting, I fear the actual meaning of my statement has been lost. In actual fact I wrote ;

“but this is Thailand so who knows”

My meaning was that I was not so naïve to believe everything I was told in Thailand. I did not make any reference to Phuket being a different country.

Also, when you ask why my “ bar owner friends” are “are selling”, I am not sure where you get your information from, but none are. There are certainly many bars being sold but the ones I am aware of are, one former bar owner of Soi Eric, who has acquired a much bigger duplex bar on Bangla Road itself (doesn’t exactly reek of desperation), a new bar that has been refurbished as an investment but not yet opened, and I am also aware of several bars being sold by their Landlords.

Regards

SDM

“Maybe, but let's just say I got it from more than one source, and all directly involved in Soi Eric as was. So let's say that my information is that your information is incorrect. But this is Thailand so who knows or quite frankly cares. If the tourists want to come and spend silly amounts of money having a great time then good luck to them. “ SDM

“These are Phuket prices, not Thailand prices. Apparently, these prices can be demanded because Phuket has "nice beaches." NKM

My dear NamKangman, if you want to quote me, please don’t distort the context. But to be clear, when I said “ but this is Thailand so who knows” I meant that one never knows what to believe here, I was making no reference to the prices charged here which are admittedly higher than anywhere else in the country.

Also, in answer to your question;

“Do you know anyone who has admitted to losing money here????

I am please to report from bar owners that I know professionally and personally that they only “lost money” during the period that the Soi was closed. Now that it has re opened they are all doing very nicely indeed. Following on from my earlier statement, even if I didn’t believe them their busy bars are testament enough.

Regards

S

................ However everybody has missed the actual POINT being that NO ONE learns ANY language in a school. Language is taught by MOTHERS to their children and THAT without any books whatsoever. .......................................

That's a fairly sweeping statement. My Thai is not bad, but I have English friends who speak perfect Thai including reading and writing and their Ma's don’t speak a work of Thai. My wife speaks word perfect English, but her Mother can't manage more than a " Hello", and she probably things that’s Thai as that's how she answers the telephone. We all learnt in School.

S

I didn't know that. I have a good English friend who has with his Thai wife one the best language school in Patong, and they do have corporate clients. I think it just boils down to money.

However my wife has a few friends that are pilots for Thai International and one I know speaks really mediocre English. I told him that I was surprised that he didn't speak better English. He responded by reeling of in perfect English, accent and intonation, " doors to automatic , cross check, crew to landing stations". He said that's all they need to know.

I'm sure my leg was being pulled, but he was a pilot (not a captain) and this tale is absolutely true.

S

I think Eric is Austrian, but I could be wrong. I've only ever heard him speaking Thai.

S

The Soi Boss or Landlord of Soi Eric. The bars were leased from him.

S

I don't think you have any choice other than to go in and hope for the best.

Did you get the visa yourself, or company or lawyer ?

My point is they should have told you, not that will cut any ice with immigration.

S

PS, Unless you're on a marriage or similar visa shouldn't you have been leaving the country every 90 days anyway ?

I haven't really followed all of this topic but I'm hoping this is in keeping.

If often mystified me with the level of English speaking peoples in Thailand why big organisations don't spend some time to get their signs right. I can almost forgive the small restaurants etc, but big companies and official organisations really should get it right.

I saw this sign in Robinsons, actually there were many in this vein.

I did try to find Vivienne to ask her why I would only get one if I bought three. But she was not available, so I thought I would ask some " informations " from " Couter", but Couter was not around, no doubt fixing the General Lee after the boys had had another run in with Boss Hogg.

Perhaps it's something to do with the 300% mark up on luxury goods.

S

Assuming you mean the kind of cleaners that clean rooms, as opposed to the other type (who I would be very nervous around) I once had a very unusual experience in a BKK hotel. Actually I had a few unusual experiences but they would take me way off topic.I had come in wearing a 5 baht hold chain and went out for lunch without it. When I came back to the room I went to my safe to get the chain out and it wouldn't open. I then noticed that my three suitcases! all with combination locks were still showing the opening combination, all the same but only three digits. The safe was four digits and when security came to the room they accused me of forgetting the combination as the safe had locked up because the incorrect combination had been entered three times.

Now I know I didn't enter the wrong combination. It's impossible to forget your sons birthday, wife perhaps. I always wondered if anyone seeing the same three digits on all three suitcases might assume that they would also be my safe combination and had tried randomly to find the fourth digit. In fact if anyone had assumed this they would have assumed correctly and it was my luck that they never got it. Impossible to prove anything, but following Occams Razor........

S

Normally 25 but the problem I have is more of fresh air movement rather than temperature. When the system gets to it's desired temperature I find the air a bit stale, so push it down a bit. Really I must get a fan and then I could probably not bother with the ac at all and save a fortune on the old power bill.

Actually the OP reminded me of when, as a tourist, I used to stay at the Westin Grande Sukhumvit. For reasons explained above my room was the coldest place I knew on Earth. Prior to this the coldest place I had experienced was Amsterdam in November, but let's not go there. If the system wasn't cooling the air was so stale that I got a headache. So I would set the temp to 18 and get the thickest duvet. Seems crazy but it worked.

S

" You've already lost the customer by midnight or 1. He is already out dancing with a freelancer in a nightclub, or back in the hotel room having "fun."

Who is going to sit around looking at the time, waiting for a particular girl, when there are so umany available, at that very moment?"

I'm guessing that a bar has more than one customer and that they come at different times. I'm also guessing that there is a relationship between the number of ladies (not the titled kind), and the number of customers (possibly the titled kind). So it seems clear that the less ladies (again not the titled kind) a bar has that the less customers they will also have. Also, I am pretty sure that the bar owner is more interested in selling drinks at 160/200 a go than taking part of a 500/1000 bar fine, and bearing in mind that once a bar fine is paid, the bar is down a ........let's say sales person, as it seems more appropriate. Especially if it's a "good" salesperson, with good selling....skills and assets.

But having said that NKM I'm not a bar owner and never have been so I'm only applying common sense. Are you a bar owner ? I'm interested if you are the voice of actual experience or like me, a bystander making assumptions.

S

Actually it didn't. I just got bored.

I've never done a survey of who goes to the bars, but tourists do come here from many countries. At last count I think there were 150 of so different independent states in the world. So not so many Russians, or Chinese or Indians as others go to bars . Boo hoo.

S

"If the tourists want to come and spend silly amounts of money having a great time then good luck to them." - yes, the Russians, Chinese and Indians spend ridiculous amounts of money on alcohol and sex. Good luck to them.

Yes good luck to them and the guys whom run the bars.

S

"how are they resorting to make more money on sex" - in recent times, bar fines went from 300 baht, to 500 baht and now some are asking 1000 baht. I would say that is "making more money from selling sex."

I think it was explained that most places changing 1000 baht do so only to put customers off taking the girls out too early and this is halved after midnight or 1. And also an increase from 300 baht to 500 baht. Are we really talking about an increase of 200 baht when this is the cost of a drink ? Or a Tuk Tuk ride?

S

"My information is that your information is incorrect "

Maybe, but let's just say I got it from more than one source, and all directly involved in Soi Eric as was. So let's say that my information is that your information is incorrect. But this is Thailand so who knows or quite frankly cares. If the tourists want to come and spend silly amounts of money having a great time then good luck to them.

S

"Bars do not wish to loss there Sexy Staff/Dancers to some horny bloke. Bar fines have gone up because people are taking girls to early in the night. In effect the bar losses business as a result. Bars do not want to release their staff, hence a higher bar fine." SA

"Exactly, the bar owners have had to resort to making more money selling sex, than alcohol, because their drink prices have become expensive. Hence, bar fine goes up, and the girl puts her price up as well, because she is not getting the lady drinks like she used to. " NKM

I think the point has been missed. If the bars do NOT want to lose girls too early, how are they resorting to make more money on sex? Surely if that were true the bars would want the girls out servicing as early as possible so they could come back for a few more ?

S

"With regards to the prices if people are willing to pay them, which they clearly are" - which they clearly ARE NOT - why do you think the Soi closed in the first place????

Actually I do happen to know the answer to that.

The former owner of Soi Eric, a chap conveniently called Eric, sold it after many profitable years for a small fortune when all the individual bar leases came to an end. It was bought by a Thai chap, who I'm not sure but I don't think is called Freedom, but I will call him that because it's easier. Anyway Khun Freedom refurbished the Soi and has started re letting the bars, many to the same bar owners as before. This would seem to indicate to me that people were spending money.

S

PS it has been pointed out to me that Familymart do not sell slush puppies, that's 7/11. I am exposed as a fraud.

Wow 3 posts from a new member and all avidly in support of the rip off prices in the "New" soi. Welcome to the wonderful world of Patong my mountain friend - hope your new bar does well.

I think our mountain friend was explaining the rationale from the other side of the bar, rather than " avidly supporting" it , and the explanation makes sense. From memory I think most bars drop the bar fine price after midnight to 1am, trying to keep their best salespeople in the bar as long as possible. Bars are businesses after all.

With regards to the prices if people are willing to pay them, which they clearly are, who is anyone else to judge. Personally I'm happy with a slush puppy and bag of crisps from Familymart. Haven't asked about Bar Fines yet, but you never know.

S

I'm afraid that unless you go to Avis or similar very few companies (and I use that term in its loosest sense) will let you hire anything. However I used to say I needed the passport to change travellers cheques every day and offered then a 100 USD deposit. I always got my full deposit back and always kept my passport.

Stephen

Friends of mine have Lucky Bar in Soi Freedom (formerly Soi Eric) and their lady drinks are 180 baht, mixers (vodka tonic etc) are 160/180, local beer 100, bar fine 1000 before midnight and 500 after.

Stephen

I don't really know the answer to this, but if this chap got a Thai passport and ID card, ( so would be a Thai citizen) would he have to do National service as he would not have done when he was 18.

Also, and this has come up elsewhere, it seems that a Thai male with dual nationality might have to make a choice at 21 over when country he wants to be a citizen of. I will try to dig out the piece of legislation but at the time I never got a satisfactory answer. I have a 7 year old with dual nationality and just wondered what the future held for him !

Has a anyone else heard of this ?

Stephen