Gandtee

I have just been told that there is no Santa Claus, and now this! I am not sure if I can handle it.

I think the driver is totally stupid , the car is still there and I dont think it will take long time for the police to find the owner of the truck .... hard to face responsibilities , specially when you just murdered a young boy who had all his life in front of him ... sad ...

How can you say the boy was murdered? A similar case to the boy killed a few days ago while turning right in front of a bus. This time it was the car turning right and the motorcycle going too fast maybe. Almost an everyday occurrence.

He introduces you to restaurants? He gets a commission maybe? That is why you got the silent treatment. You broke his rice bowl. 'There are non so blind as those who will not see'.

Is this a wind up? The old lady seem to have a remarkable knowledge of Thai language and Real Estate. Nigerian per chance?

You can bandy this about as much as you like, but the fact remains that the boy was underage, and three on the bike. How many times have I as a driver, had to take action to avoid motorcycles swerving from left to right without the rider checking behind them? The kids lack any sense of danger and can be reckless, and too young to have learnt any road sense. I see them here in Sattahip every day heading back from school, three, sometimes four on a bike and racing each other. When overtaking motor cycles I tend to beep my horn to let them know I am there.Sorry for the boy. A wasted life. RIP.

Another slightly off topic regarding a lack of information. My wife and grandson were flying with Orient down to Phuket where he was competing in the Kings Cup Regatta. He needed to carry his own sail which is a 2 metre by 15 cm diameter tube. When booking we were told that it was no problem up to 4 metres. We rechecked later as I was a bit doubtful of the 4 metre bit and was told no, up to 2 metres. I emailed orient head office asking for confirmation of what is the correct information. Needless to say, no reply. The sail was taken to Phuket in a friends pickup to avoid any last minute hiccups at check-in. Trying to get info by email from a company here is like trying to get blood from a crab as they say.

Like I said on another thread regarding the Farang running to support dogs. I hope he has access to anti rabies treatment and a deterrent against the soi dogs. The dogs will love him. Meals on heels.

Who do the cheapo hotels I use, always have a tap ( faucet for our American cousins) that when it is turned, the whole shebang turns?

I hope he has ready access to anti rabies treatment and carries some sort of deterrent. The soi dogs are going to love him. Meals on heels. Good luck anyway.

Twenty seven years ago while in the Wat in Wimbledon I met a fellow Brit, married to a Thai. He said that Thais have either cold or hot temperaments. While your wife is blowing hot, forget any rational argument. I have been married for twenty six years and most of them have been happy, but when the hot rears it's head I keep quiet. Fortunately in my case things are back to cold and normal in half an hour. Normal married life I suspect. Regarding Benalibinas' problem. He seems to be between a rock and a hard place. I doubt that this can be settled over the phone. Perhaps you have independent friends who can report on her situation. Good luck for you and the kids.

hahahahaha, mate, welcome to Thailand. My wife drives exactly the same way, I am forever telling her to change gear, taking off in second or third and wondering why we stall, overtaking with the car chugging as she accelerates from 30 kph while in top gear etc, etc.

You will get used to it, well maybe, I still hide my face after 2 years........

He should spend some time in Vietnam and experience the drivers and driving there.

Back In 1992 / 1993 I rented a car for business purposes and I had 6 different cars and 7 different drivers in one month when I had made a contract with the car rental company specifically explaining I wanted one 4 door car and one good driver that was from Saigon ( Ho Chi Minh ) that knew his way around the city.

What I received was 7 different drivers in 1 month and 6 different cars and not one of the drivers was from Saigon while none of them knew where they were going.

I had to shout at them using my newly aquired Vietnamese language skills telling them: "go right", "go right", "go right" while I put my hand on their shoulder and squeezed their shoulder a little and forced them to understand to "go right", go right" ...or "go left" , "go left"....or "go straight"..... in Vietnamese.

I knew my way around the city better than any of drivers.

All of them drived their stick shift 4 speed cars the way that the OP was explaining in his post.

From bad to worse with the clutch burning away while they revved the engine in 4th gear at the stop lights when the light turned green...then stall the car 2 or 3 times and then realise they had to down shift ...to 3 gear .....and try it again while I can smell the clutch burning until finally downshifting to 2nd gear and then accomplishing the task.

Going up hills in 4th gear at 10 MPH with the engine severly "pinging" loudly and the engine shuttering and the car almost stalling...but not downshifting ......as the top of the hill is almost there anyhow.

Just as the OP said: 1st gear to second gear at 5 MPH then 2nd to 3rd gear at 10 MPH and finally 4th Gear at less than 20 miles per hour and basically leave it in 4th gear as long as their moving...then coming to a red light and having to stop and leaving it in 4th gear and not disengaging the clutch..rather let the car stall at the same time as coming to a stop.

Then disengage the clutch and start the motor and leave it in 4 th gear.

Some tried to start the engine with the clutch still engaged while the car was lurching forward until realising they had to push the clutch peddle in to stop the car from lurching forward.

When the light turns green, dump the clutch and it stalls..oooops ..start all over again...oooops, stall it again...start all over again...hmmm ..oh yeah ..revv the engine some more that will help...oooops not working...Oh..I know.. down shift to 3rd ...ooops stall it again...hmmm...try 2nd gear.....hmm that seems to work but never mind the you can smell the clutch burning..just keep on revving the engine as that seems to be working.

Each driver had his day(s) when he bumped off someone on a motorcylce and sometimes several times in one day.

Nothing serious but simply bumping them out of the way if they were not going at his pace and speed while the driver was mere inches away from the back end of another vehicle or motorcylce or cyclo.

I was shouting at my female Vietnamese assistant telling her to tell the driver to drive safely and learn to use the clutch and stick shift correctly.

Neither of them could understand my concerns while I was telling her I would be the one held responsible if the stupid driver kills someone or maims someone for life while also informing her if the driver keeps on driving the way he does he is going to break something or burn out the clutch and guess who will be paying for that ....not him . not you... but the foreigner.

Did not make one bit of difference as the both of them carried on as if I was not there.

When passing through crowded areas people had to scatter and jump out of the way while the drivers never used the horn to forewarn anyone...just plough right on through as if they were more important.

U turns in the middle of the road and nearly crashing into everyone in the immediate area.

Stopping suddenly without any thought at all about the traffic behind him or around him.

Just pulling out into traffic as if no one else was around and almost causing accidents several times per day while driving around the city and around the outskirts of the city to various factories I had to visit.

After 1 month I cancelled the contract and luckily I had the sympathy of a Vietnamese women who was married to an American and had lived in Texas for 15 years and Singapore for 5 years before coming back to Saigon and she spoke English perfectly.

I was lightheartedly complaining to her about the woes I was having with the car rental company and the various stupid drivers and she was amused by all of this.

Then one day she told me I could rent her car and driver for the same price and assured me her personal driver was great and would do as I instructed him and if I had any problems she would make sure they were fixed.

Well..she was true to her word and it was smooth sailing after that and no more stupidity on the drivers part.

Anyhow..just part of the many frustrations I had to endure while trying to conduct business in Vietnam back in 1992 , 1993

We don't need your life story.

Snore

Welcome to the Land of Smiles. I would suggest that you insist on driving if you have a U.S.A. license. Any problems that you may have with the police or insurance company will be better than the problem that you may have with hospital bills. As you are one of the 'good ol boys from Texas', I suggest that you shoot him. I've seen on TV and the cinema that that is the way Texan problems are solved.

The only thing a new election will probably achieve is that it will increasing the bargaining power of smaller parties. The slippery eel might even become prime minister again.

God forbid! Was he not the man who said "If you see an Indian and a snake in you path, kill the Indian" It would make a good TV production. 'The return of the War Lords'.

Maybe the School Admin person was a George Thorogood Fan?

Maybe, they were encouraging the young child to get an after-school job and contribute to the household income?

Chop! Mahk! Mahk! I like it. Nice one. Brings it all into perspective.

By the way. Now that Passport renewal and visas are 'Outsourced' what does the Embassy actually do. Perhaps the role of Ambassador should also be outsourced.

I would suggest that the Ambassador looks towards his own country, which also happens to be mine. I am surprised that the British public have not taken to the streets to protest at the way its citizens are being treated as third class citizens. I would also suggest that he points out to Her Majesty's Government the deep resentment of British pensioners who are existing here on frozen pensions, when expats in certain other countries do not have their pensions frozen. This inequality is happening while thousands of people in the UK, who have contributed nothing to the country, are receiving massive handouts. The political disruption here hardly affects the expats one iota. but the dismissive attitude of the British Government does. I suppose we old codgers are deemed superfluous now we cannot vote and are now not important enough to be wooed.

Ron Martin

When people talk about Thaksin and PTP "buying votes" they are merely showing how "dumb" they are.

All political parties all over the world "buy votes".

For example in the UK the Labour Party will always give away more "benefits" to anyone and everyone - because free money via benefits buys votes.

Abhisit and the Democrats done the same thing in 2009 with their "Economic Stiumulus" - in effect buying the civil servants and government workers by giving them 2000 baht free. ( http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/ginola/2009/01/25/entry-1 )

When people realise that Thai's take the 'gifts" from the Dems and PTP and then they vote for who they want to. So if the Dem canvasser comes around and hands out 500 baht, they take it. Then if the PTP canvasser comes around and gives out 500 baht, they take it. And then they vote for who they want.

This nonsense that Abhisit or the Dems never attempt to buy votes is stupid - they try - but most people hate them.

I think you are wrong when you say 'They vote for whoever they want'. There is always someone at the polling booths ensuring that they vote for the donor, or should I say crook.

If/when the protesters occupy Dusit Zoo and stop the zoo workers from working, who will feed the animals? And I am not referring to the homosapiens.

I would add that the nephew at that time was almost fifteen years old and nearly six feet tall, not a child.

A similar thing happened to my nephew. He was told to get his haircut, which he did. The director told him to get it cut again as it was not short enough. He then got it almost shaved but the director continued to harass and humiliate him in front of his schoolmates. eventually my wife made an appointment with the director and a meeting was held with his farang teacher in attendance. The outcome was that my wife dressed the director down, the teacher was sympathetic and the director was dismissed a few weeks later.l. Maybe not because of the haircut issue, as other parents had issues with directer but I feel sure it may have led to it.By then the nephews mother had removed him from the school.Fortunately my wife is not cowed by authority, as is the case often here. I would suggest that you heed the advice given by some of the other contributors. Arrange a meeting to sort it out, but as a farang keep your cool. Let your wife do the talking

Why are we still discussing soi dogs? In my area soi dogs are either run down or slipped a mickey and not many people seem to bat an eyelid. I don't like to see dogs suffer but that is the situation here. Like it or not.

It looks more like an Oriental whip snake to me. It has a pointed head. The Golden Tree snake has a more blunt head. Whatever it is, I like the video. I have watched Golden Tree snakes capturing and eating Tokaes and large frogs. Fascinating.

I used to have two buffalo. I took them to graze. One swung his head and his horn nearly punctured my thigh. There is a lot of power behind a buffalos head. I hope the boy recovers quickly.

Mysteries of the orient??

If you have a village Headman ask him to intervene.