Tapster

@Cake Monster

What beer do you drink, then?

No, it's 'Leo No. 8'

23 hours ago, stubuzz said:

Try this:

 

https://www.testingforall.org/product/day-2-day-8/

@stubuzz

Thanks for this. It looks good!

@trevoromgh

Looking forward to your follow-up. Thank you for all the effort!!

It's time to get an effective vaccine rolled out.

Thailand was lucky not to have a very large first wave. It needs to vaccinate hard and fast to stop Covid spread.

I've visited Tuol Sleng twice. It is a dark place which leaves you haunted by the deaths of the 17,ooo people who were murdered there.

Photos were taken of the inmates on arrival, and there are many of these photos on display at the museum. I can assure anyone reading that there are no smiles on those photos. The only expressions are of fear and worry.

I cannot understand what Matt Loughrey was thinking, by adding smiles to some of these photos. It's almost as if he didn't know what Tuol Sleng was all about. It's no surprose that his actions have been universally and rightly condemned.

1 hour ago, Tuvoc said:

Yes, when I see all those comments I wonder why they stay here if they have such a low opinion of the country and its people.

Indeed, Tuvok, but they do not share your Vulcan intelligence!

@Salerno

I swapped my UK licence for a Thai one and that was valid for two years. After that I applied for the 5-year one and it was granted, with no test or any extra steps.

I don't think the 2-year Thai licence is in any way 'provisional'. That was never mentioned, nor stated in any official blurb.

Ergo, whichever of the two possible Thai licences the OP has, I'm pretty sure he's OK to drive in the UK.

????

I'm not an economist, but I have been watching the fundamentals underlying the UK and Thai economies lately. 

I don't understand the Thai economy as well as I do that of the UK, but it's fairly clear that neither economy has recently experienced anything that one could call an upturn. 

The UK economy has recently reported the worst performance in many years and Brexit is proving to be much more expensive than forecast, with greater barriers to trade than were promised. 

Thailand of course is suffering greatly through lack of tourist income, though I recently learned that the latter is only 10-15% of the country's income. 

In short, this is likely to be a blip, rather than a lasting trend. We've just sold our house in Phuket and I'm happy not to panic and transfer the money to the UK. 

We'll see! 

@Jeffr2

No big things: hammerheads shagging whalesharks, being video'd by mantas.

I was hoping for all that stuff but it may have been the wrong time of the year, or too many liveaboards, or just the roll of the dice.

The dive sites were a lot better than those in any other area of Thailand (imo), so definitely worth the trip. As you know, you might be lucky and see all the big stuff at this time of the year. We last went in Feb 2016 and we saw everything!

????

Three days ago, on 19th February, we returned from 5 days in the Similans, on the Dolphin Queen, with https://www.similan-diving-safaris.com/

There was a surprisingly large number of liveaboards around; four at Richlieu Rock, and it was very crowded on one particular dive.

However, there were no speedboats/dayboats at any of the dive sites we visited on the trip, and a max of two liveaboards anywhere except at RR. 

There certainly are liveaboards operating. We saw The Smiling Seahorse, Dive Race, Summer Liveaboard and at least two others I can't remember. I can't recommend any of these but the Dolphin Queen was friendly, with knowledgeable guides, average food and average accommodation; not a problem for five days.

Good luck and I hope you get to dive.

????

Rawai has beaches east, west and south!

It has many bars and restaurants open, and discounts/specials all over.

Head south!!

????

Maybe ask someone who runs a bar?

Howard at The Green Man is helpful. The guys at The Islander might know.

There are many others.

Good luck!

????

@MarkT63

Well done for trying!

It's a bit sad, but those on here are a little hard-baked, cynical and world-weary; too much so for friendly get-togethers.

Does Thailand do this to the happy-go-lucky traveller, after years of strife? Maybe.

????

@huuwi

Thanks. I found them on Google yesterday and am going to give them a try this afternoon.

????

Thanks for the help. I'll start checking them out!

????

I went to get our bikes serviced at Chalong Cycles yesterday, but the shop has gone; just an empty unit now. 

Anyone know any decent bike shops in South Phuket, for mountain bikes, but any good shop would do. 

Cheers 

@beechbum

Thank you, and especially for the street view and map.  ????

I have used these guys once in the past. They were OK.

Problem is, and I should have probably made it clearer, the bike isn't running at the moment and I have the carb off the bike and in pieces! There's a jet stuck. I successfully unscrewed it but it's stuck in its access tube by gummed-up fuel. I've tried acetone, petrol and graphite releasing oil, to get it to come out, but no good.

Anyway, now I'll see what Dr Zak can do with it. He's on Viset road, more or less opposite the Best Western.

@stretch5163

Thank you. I know Bang, and he has helped me before. He's just a very long way away, and I only need help with a carb rebuild.

The guy I talked to this morning, Dr Zak, in Rawai, actually did turn up, but way later than he said.

He's taken all my carb parts and promised to make gold out of base metal!

We'll see, and I will report back.

????

I have a Thai chopper ... a bespoke machine, built in the finest traditions of Heath Robinson and MacGyver.
 

Here it is:

BUT, it's in need of some TLC. I have stripped the carburettor and it hasn't gone so well. I need help!

Does anyone know of a reliable bike mechanic in Rawai/Chalong, please??

The guy I went to this morning, promised to visit but didn't and I think the green leaves he was chewing might have led to his lack of reliability.

Seriously, I need assistance from a trustworthy engineer.

Thank you all!    ????