JimsKnight

What complete and utter crap.

Those "tests" prove nothing at all and there is still no way I'd use a Thai helmet. I'll stick to my Shoei that has been properly designed and tested and has a Snell racing rating.

A helmet is not only supposed to NOT break, it should also have been designed to protect and cushion the head/brain within it with padding designed to decelerate and reduce impact forces. The helmet "tested" in the video does none of those things.

I'd like to see you break a Shoei that easily with a stick . . . lol

If you send me the one you masturbate on about I'd be glad to put it through it's paces

You might be suprised

The tests proved that Thai helmets are stronger than the helmet-nazi's first reckoned that's for sure

Latest media reports seem's to harken a strengthening of the £.

BUT, that's not really going to do much against the Thai baht!

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/Forex-focus-sterling-turns-tele-3345900371.html

If the £ does strengthen then expect (imo) it to hover at the 48 - 52 baht mark.

If not then a correction to the 45 - 48 mark...

Ok, the lowdown on how tough a thai motorbike helmet really is!

A typical, open-face helmet is put through its paces and tested to destruction!

The results may surprise you

Lived there for a bit when I was travelling up-country a few years back.

There's hardly any farangs living in the city, The Chinese have a sizeable community here. Apartments are not that good and are like something from the 1970s. That's the ones that are available for rent. The only one that had internet looked like something out of a thai jail!

You need to rent a house ideally, something like a townhouse should suffice.

It's got a pretty decent nightlife scene though, the one-way system is a bit of a pain but doable.

As far as the drug-dealing goes, any Thai city has that to one extent or another.

I will say it's one of the few places outside of Bangkok where hookers (ugly ones at that) ply their trade opposite the 7-11 store!

I get what you are saying and I occasionally feel the same way -- but on the other hand, just because I'm of the same ethnicity as someone doesn't mean I necessarily want to know them any more than I do soeone from another ethnic group; I obviously don't greet every Thai I see so why should I automatically get a greeting from a falang?

Having said that, it does seem sometimes -- especially if you are somewhere where there aren't a lot of Falangs around -- that a friendly nod or whatever would seem appropriate...

Some of the time I'm sure it is that odd phenomenon of expats getting all snobbish about how long they have been here compared to the other guy (it cracks me up when I run into that -- so often its some guy who's been here for a year or less trying to act superior to me based on that -- and I've been here since he was still a teenager)...

Yep, I had that from some pond-life photographer who seemed to think that because 'he' was working without a WP from his apartment anyone else was a 'tourist'

so you said even during the probation, I should have work permit which the company should provide me ?

but the company said they will do work permit only if I can pass the 6-month probation period. so in this case should I go to work in this company?

it's kind of illegal? don't provide work permit for me during probation?

Yup, looks like they want to 'swing rider' you on in and hope no legal entanglements come your way. If they do, you could find yourself between a rock and hard place.

So it's up to you what you do now.

Either step up, stand and deliver or step out. Your call...

It's a lotta wonga!

Don't spend it all at once, stash it in the bank, get some interest, then get making your 2nd and 3rd.

Having asked a simple question, and watching the three ring circus assemble as the result, has been quite enjoyable. All manner of responses, from constructive and insightful to mean spirited to ridiculous to plain old asinine. The most anti social coming from long timers who I would have thought to have shown how living in this utopian environment, (thats why you all came in the first place, right?), calmed your raw western nerves, smoothed away all your jackarse edges, and turned you more like those around you in the land of smiles. But dam_n... If this is your happy place, some of you must have been the most miserable cusses on whatever continent you came from. Remarks made in jes ?t are cool as hell. Remarks that are never constructive but rather cynical and abusive and derisive and just plain negative, perpetually flowing from the same individuals as their common mantras in response to all topics, all the while telling everyone to chill out cuz it's all in fun, are most likely the same dill weeds who do all the snubbery discussed here. Your unsavory attitudes about EVERYTHING are just a freakin bummer. I would suggest steering away from the alcohol for a while and maybe check out something in the opiate family. God help us all if you were nice guys before you came here and it is this place that does this to people.....

What was I then? Contructive? Insightful? Mean Spirited? Ridiculous? Asinine? Anti-Social? Cynical? Abusive? Cool as hell (please say this one)? Unsavory? Derisive? Negative?

<deleted> 61 you certainly know your adjectives.

This 61 dude knows his groove!

He tells it like it is and shoots the misery machines down like the dross of farang they are...

Wire cutters in the middle of the nite should solve the problem

+1

This song suits the thread

Nah, just saying that if your contact with Thais is limited to prostitutes and Beach Road t-shirt vendors that you will unsurprisingly be stung by the gawking of 'falang falang falang.'

I have never felt offended by the word farang. When it is said here in my village it absolutely has no bad meaning at all. I do feel that Thais in the tourist area's are much more out to get you then over here. Its not even that far out of Bangkok. I like it here.

There's actually a way of embracing that 'farang' gawking they do but you need to know Thai language and your (real!) ancient history in order to respond to it.

Once you do that, the 'farang' label becomes a badge of honour.

Yeah but haven't they been saying 'We must weaken the baht' for years now?!

It hasn't had a sizeable, visible effect as far as I can see.

Western civilisation is overcrowded, mostly white farang males want to escape it and so are in a phase of wanting space and distance. This has been shown throughout history, if you do your research.

In the previous decades there was a lot more independent-minded farangs in Thailand, with the advent of the mainstream tourist hordes you get, shall we say, the lowest common denominator showing up more and more for 2 weeks then going home.

This is basically why there's a 'coldness' between other farang.

I mostly disagree on the ethnic / racial lines being drawn.

In fact I think other races, ideologies come closer together while in Thailand. I've seen jews (Israeli one's at that!), aryan-germans , saxons etc getting close and mixing it up in bars without fights etc. Not saying there isn't clashes, but I think, once you're away from the capital area farang's get on fairly well to an extent. Part of this is because, in an asian country, being a farang is first and foremost and then it's your ethnicity etc.

If the Burmese don't like, they can always go home. The law does not prevent them to leave Thailand.

If that was your country there would be outrage.

More's the pity when I've seen what the 'immigrants' have done to the construction industry in the UK.

Wake up and smell the coffee...

It is about to fall again with the announcement that GDP was down 0.5% the last 3 months, double dip here we go.........

Also, Quantitative Easing II soon to set sail. Here she is in all her glory.

On a more positive note, manufacturing is showing signs of resurgence.

A trashed Pound is exactly what is needed to rebalance that economy away from government and 'services' whatever they are. A trashed Pound will act as a natural protectionism without import duties and other direct mercantilism which may offend some Asian governments that have been doing it to the UK for years but hold all our debt.

Trash the Pound! You know it makes sense.

Are you kidding me?

The economy was doing fine before 2008 and the credit crunch bs.

Mining is my gig and that's trashed enough thank you very much!

I'm all for protectionism (we need a leaf out of LOS' book) but not by trashing the pound. Can you say 'Forced to join the Euro' with a smile on your face? I sure can't!

If the Burmese don't like, they can always go home. The law does not prevent them to leave Thailand.

Burmese also deserve to be paid decent wages for the work and be treated like humans, irrespective if they Burmese or Thai.

I personally know a few Burmese in Thailand and the ones i know are hard workers, 7 days per week, 12-14 hour days. Their salary is 4000 baht, thats half of what Thai gets for half of the hours

Yep but this is the key tactic of a corporation who outsources for cheap labour.

They are getting the jobs Thai people would do for a bit more money. Unfortunately that comes with a hidden agenda they are now having upon them.

In this day and age I wouldn't work for 4000 baht p/m as a Thai man or woman.

The cheapskate employers can find cheap labour though!

I disagree, I think if you've got secure storage having gold is the way forward.

I carry thai gold around with me and it never leaves my side.

You lose a tiny tiny amount but compared to the fact that gold is leaping up like a rocket against near-worthless fiat currency then gold is golden folks

Indo-Siam, how much do you charge for such services that you have outlined here?

If your fees are high then I think most people will simply remain working illegally.

I presume that you would only want high income clients.

That's the second thing that sprang into my mind.

The first was, what's the benefit for the would-be WP farang who comes in from the cold?

I do like what Indo is proposing though, it's the first real attempt by someone to try and bridge this crazy gap between 'employee from overseas company' and 'Individual who doesn't fit into the narrow scope of the crazy WP restrictions'

Having a WP does, off the top-of-my-head, mean easier ways to open a bank account and I think easier driving license application?

I have to admit that the legal arguments seem sound and that as long as all of the T's are crossed and all of the i's are dotted. It looks to be completely legal and meet all of the requirements of the law.

For those who are freelancing or exploring business opportunities in Thailand, it seems like one way to explore the issue without jumping all the way in and opening up a business.

It seems to offer a way to "test the waters" and still doing it legally with a WP.

As many have said, there has not been any serious crack down on people keeping quite below the radar, but if there was a crackdown many may find themselves a whole lot more interested in this type of service.

The risk is, if the business is very successful, you could always just fire the foreigner and start running the company your self. As you are the employer and the foreigner is the employee, what safe guards are in place that would prevent this? Not saying you are not ethical, but I don't know you, so I can't say you are ethical either...

The reason there's been no crackdown is because there's nothing visible to crackdown against.

If there's no target there's no crackdown. All farangs who've been caught on WP machinations tend to be sitting ducks and 'above the radar'.

Thankfully Thailand hasn't been going down the big brother route that Euroland is lamentably following.

Hello all!

I've tried to read as much as I could on this thread, but I have to say, I've lost myself after a while.

What Steve offers, in my opinion, is what is called in Europe an "umbrella company" (société de portage, in French). This is a perfectly legal system in France, and from what I've heard, in Belgium and in the UK, to work as freelancers.

Basically, for translators or interpreters like myself, ie, a one-man show, we are usually reluctant to going through the hassle and complications of setting up a company (after all, we're not looking to expand or hire people, it's just to be able to work as freelance translators and interpreters).

So the government came up with the idea of developing specific companies, called umbrella companies, that would take care of taxes, payroll, etc., in exchange for a fee, while freelancers employed by this company continue their work for their customers. This way, freelancers can dedicate themselves to their work and enthrust the umbrella company with all the accounting, invoicing, payroll, taxes, etc.

It's almost as if the accountant turned into your employer. And this is perfectly legal.

Now, after reading quite extensively on the subject, it seems that Thailand is not looking to make the life of expats easy (and judging by some expats in Thailand, that's understandable), but for freelancers who want to live and work in Thailand, because, yes, it's very nice to be in Thailand, then what can we do? Again, for one-man shows, it's just unfeasible to hire 4 Thais and come up with a XXX M Bahts in the bank account to set up a company.

I wish this system of "umbrella company" existed in Thailand, but from what I've read on this thread, it seems it's not.

I would be extremely glad to be corrected if I was wrong with the above assumption... ;-)

I totally agree with you. I've used this system in Europe and it's very good indeed (when there's work).

People who are self-sufficient (money-wise) are very much pushed aside from any notion of umbrella company in los.

This is a shame because these types have a lot to offer Thailand. I know more than a few expats who have skills in engineering, invention and innovation that could be put to good use here in Thailand. BUT THE LAW WONT LET THEM!

These guys have the years, experience and maturity to enhance and improve Thai company's via advising, observation and consultation / instruction.

I've said it several times now but I think there's an element of 'we are thai, we don't want the white man (farang) telling us how to do it.' mentality to this problem.

This is the main reason there's no push for any 'entrepeneur' 'slot' in the Thai law.

Also, to the poster who seems to have a problem with for someone working freelance I've got news for you. They do exist and farangs do do it.

The Irish deserve everything that is coming to them for voting for the Lisbon Treaty (well the majority who voted for it), for a nation that was desperate for independence they see very quick to go begging to the British taxpayer.

There is such thing as being duped by politicians you know

In Dublin they might fall for that garbage, but not in the countryside...

Ireland's on the move again, where will they go this time?

For long range riding I don't normally tour or travel at night.

Too many drunks and maniacs out with their mates racing. Cool for them, but not cool if they whack into you.

For around town it's game-time as usual...

Inflation is never a good thing, even if it leads to higher interest rates. Over time it erodes the value of your savings and it's doubtful your income will keep up. And if interest rates don't go up, then you really have a double whammy -- low interest and higher prices.

Personally I would rather have higher interest rates and higher prices than zero interest rates and higher prices.

Value of my savings, tell that to the BOE, crap interest rates and inflation, lets sort out the wheat from the chaff, get interest rates up to 10 or 12%.

That would be the quickest way to destroy the recovery and, ultimately, the value of your savings when trying to spend them in Thailand for sure.

No it wouldn't, just make sure you've savings to ride the waves

The 'woman' was part of a violent ladyboy gang of pickpockets working the crowd.

...she walked by and lifted his wallet...

No 'she' didn't.

It should be remembered , it is not speed that kills , it is the mentality and lack of skill that is the basic cause of the majority of accidents which is an oxymoron in itself , an accident is an unavoidable occurance , collisions are an entirely different kettle of fish , many operators of vehicles should be renamed from driver to motivator , that is all many do .

What you talking about DUMBall? We're NOT talking about Le Mans! No 'skill needed' JUST SLOW THE HELL DOWN.

'Driver to motivator'? <deleted>? You pissed?

Probably not, but he's just good at winding up the frothing-at-the-mouth numptys who want Thailand to be like a 2nd Europe.

This is hot air and thankfully will pass off as just more dreams that will pass away when the year progresses.