GarryP

There are some classsics here. "....and won't go down on him". Dolls don't do that, do they?

You are going to try mounting a bear? Your wife/gf won't be happy about that. I'd leave that to the dog actually.

And now for somthing a little more serious. Get a bolster (the long pillows), and some hard wearing fabric. Rub the fabric on the tush of a bitch in heat - if it will let you. And then cover the bolster with the fabric, tying off both ends. Problem solved. A dog friendly humpillow.

That is interesting, we got a house 2 weeks ago, my g/f has yet to get a thai health card, when she does and I go to get the yellow book, do I /she have to ask for the thai health card or is it just given to me? What access does it give you?

It will give you the benefits of the former 30Baht (now free) health care. Don't expect to much care though.

Misconceptions abound. The care provided with the "health card" is sufficient to treat you for what ails you, with no frills. With private care (paying) the queues are much shorter, the service much friendlier and there is a greater choice as to the actual medicines available, however, the underlying treatment for the most part remains the same.

I do believe, however, that those people who received cards when they received their Yellow House Registration Books (Tor Ror 13) were just lucky and the cards were given out by mistake. Universal Health care is for Thai citizens. Once you get citizenship, Thai ID card and are recorded in a BLUE house registration document, then you would be entitled to a health card.

Saw a fellow in light blue and white open toe brogues the other day, but what really caught my attention was that his trousers seemed to be intentionally half mast - stopping at least 4 to 6 inches above his ankles. Perhaps, he was, perhaps he wasn't!

I am a shoe person, in that I do notice people's shoes. I would say it is a reasonable indicator but by no means infallible. Personally, I think those pointy shoes of court jester proportions ridiculously silly, but we have men on both sides of the divide who wear them at our office. I think in many cases you would need to look for other indicators - not that I know what they are - to be sure one way or another.

My son's bike is a Suzuki (Hayate bing the model). Alloy wheels with inner tubes. Yesterday I spoke to a few office messengers and they all said that the problem was with the tyre, not the inner tube. They said once a tyre starts "biting" the inner tube it will be a never ending story (yang nok kat yang nai - ยางนอกกัดยางใน). They all said I should bite my tongue and replace the hard IRC tyre that came with the bike with a Dunlop or Michelin.

It's only done 8,000 kms and looks ok to me tread wise but I'm willing to put on a new one if it will solve the problem.

Has any member gone away from the factory fitted size and fitted a chunkier style with more weight bearing capacity on their Click?

Forgot

Chunkier - I have not gone up on a Click but I have done it on other bikes and it helps nicely

Tread looks OK - Flat tires started to come more often before tire was worned out tread wise

if it will solve the problem - new wider tire of a non sporty brand and 40+? psi will clear the problem - yes, I believe it will

If you regulary drive around with 150 kilos, then try to get 110 wide or the inch equivalent - cannot divide with 2.52 to get it, you must look at the actual widths and compare.

Dug out this old thread for a reason. My son's Hayate has had four or five flats in the past two months. Prior to that never a problem. The tyres are still in reasonable condition, not having yet done 7,000kms and still plenty of tread. The first flat was caused by a metal shard which was removed and rather than patching a new tube was used. Since that time another three flats, which involved tow more tube replacements and one patching. My son is 80 kgs and maybe once a week I am on the back of the bike so it is carrying 160kgs on those occasions. It has got to the stage that when riding the possibility of a flat is constantly on your mind which is ridiculous.

The Hayate has mag wheels so spokes aren't the issue. One mechanic said the tyre needed replacing but three others said it was still good for several thousand more kms. Apart from changing to tubeless, any suggestions as to what I should look for. My son is assiduous in checking the pressure. Today, he got home from Uni without a problem but after two hours parked outside the house the tyre had gone flat. A real pain in the derriere.

I am one of those who will start using the train at Punnawitthi (spelling?) station instead of Onnut. It should cut down my travel time quite a bit. However, the boys in orange (win motocy) are going to suffer as they will no longer be used as a shuttle service to Onnut. I expect a 20 to 30 percent reduction in their numbers in Soi 101 over three or four months.

People who are not regular bike riders do not know what the correct sized bike is until it either battters their knee caps or bites them in the nuts. However, have any of you ever thought that the average Joe renting a bike does not want the right sized bike, most often opting to rent something smaller, and in fact would refuse to rent the proper sized bike. When I found out for the first time what the correct sized bike was for me (very recently actually and I am nearly half a century old), I couldn't believe it. It looked way too high and intimidating. This was after riding for years on cheap and cheerful push bikes.

As with many leisure activities, we do not read up on them unless we get really serious about them and thus, never learn that we have been doing something the hard or wrong way for years - or even dangerous way. I include myself here. I have only quite recently got into cycling more seriously for exercise and the enjoyment I get out of it, and found out that for the past 40 years or so I have been riding bikes that are supposedly too small for me (luckily no aches or pains for the error and my nuts and knees are fine thank you).

I promise when I upgrade from my shopper, I will buy the correct sized bicycle. I'm looking forward to it actually.

After driving to work from Thonburi to Asoke everyday for 3 years - I told myself I did not deserve the aggravation. Sold the car, bought a bicycle to commute Thonburi to Asoke. Lo and behold, my travel time was cut in half. I felt really good overtaking buses, luxury cars and taxis, although I did have to use a mask to protect myself from the fumes. Did this for the next three years until I had a chance to leave Bangkok forever. Was it dangerous? I would say no more dangerous than driving a car. Was it Liberating? TOTALLY! Would I do it again? Without a doubt!

Although I only ride around the outer Sukhmvit area at weekends, I have never felt in more danger than on the back of a motorycle. It is great fun. I too get a kick from overtaking buses and cars, being first off at the traffic lights. My bike is far from special, just a 6 speed shopper type thing, so I may look an idiot, but when the traffic is not so good I can easily get from Bang Na intersection to Prakanong faster than any four wheeled motor vehicle.

Fingers crossed, so far nothing worse than being cut-off once by a car turning into a filling station. Never any threat from motorcyles either. And this includes riding on Bang Na Trat.

Earllier this week I filed for an extension of stay and was greeted with yet another surprise. I am working in Thailand and have the requisite work permit, however, my extension of stay is based on marriage not work.

Last year, for the first time in 22 years of extensions, I was requested to provide a copy of my house rental agreement. Supposedly, this is because my wife's house registration document is still linked to her hometown but we live in Bangkok. Okay, so I have the document in hand and a copy was again requested. No problems. But this year I was also asked to submit photos of my place of work. This has never been asked for before so I was not prepared. Also my extension is based on my wife not my work. The officer was very nice about it though and mentioned in passing that document requirements seem to change every time a new chief is appointed. It is as if it is at the discretion of the new boss.

Anyway, the missing photos will be submitted in the next day or so.

I noticed in a local English language newspaper (not The Nation) a small article on this bi-monthly market located at the TOT headquarters on Chaengwattana. Has anybody been and do you reckon it is worth a visit? The reason I ask is that it is across town from where I live and quite a trip only to find it not worthwhile.

I think the frame looks really good - electric/fluorescent green or pink may look good too or how about glow-in-the-dark paint. Also, I prefer the naked look of this bike to the D-Tracker. Was considering buying one at one stage but have put that on hold, until other obligations are cleared. Any way, by that time a few more will have passed through Tiger's doors and, hopefully, all exisiting problems cleared.

Burgdawg, all those rides sound just my cup of tea. Pity I live in BKK and only have the odd Saturday or Sunday to ride. I will not be doing anything like 80kms until I upgrade, bonus permitting.

I used to be terrified of the idea of cycling in Bangkok, what with all the traffic and non-existent traffic rules, however, you quickly get used to it and now I really enjoy riding in Bangok at the weekend - Udomsuk, Sukhumvit, Onnut, Srinakarin, Bang Na Trat area.

Pass many Thais going to and coming from work, especially up near Pravet.

When stopping off at shopping centers, if they do not have bicycle dedicated parking, park in the motorcycle parking section. Never had any trouble and so far it has always been free. Probably the parking attendants are too embarrassed to ask for the parking fee.

I have not been involved in any accidents so far. I have noticed that most locals do not seem to use hand signals. Something I always do when turning, whether in a small soi or on the main road. Rarely get a motorist tooting his horn at me, and even then never in a very aggressive way. As I follow the rules of the road, never had a problem. Get quite a few smiles in fact when belting off at traffic lights, pedaling like a twit on a shopping bike, but beating cars and motorcycles off the mark.

I am still comparing models and prices with a view to upgrading my six speed shopper to an urban speed/dual sport/hybrid thingy. While my current bike serves its purpose, I want something a bit lighter, quicker and more responsive. Once so armed I intend to travel a little further afield, be it still in Bangkok. Some of those back streets and sois prove so interesting and well worth exploring.

Yesterday I visited all the fishing parks between my home and Pravet (5). I found some that I had never known about before and would never have found them if I had not been on my bike.

There is quite strong belief in black magic in the northeast, and the Khmer variety is the most feared. It is black magic although parts of the rituals may have some animist links (I really don't know). But I think you will find that in most cases, only those who truly believe are affected by curses etc. They are pretty much self fulfilling. That is, the results would have happened whether or not a curse was involved.

As another example, if one of the wife's relatives said they had put a curse on me, I could not care less and nothing would happen. On the other hand, if I said the same thing to a few of the less educated members of her family (claiming I knew voodoo or such), they would be very frightened and this fear could cause them to become ill if they believed the curse enough. Obviously, I know jacksh*t about the subject and yet they may still fall ill. If you study the subject enough, you will find research showing that people actually died because they were cursed and the death was a result of belief rather than any underlying illness (I believe I must die so I give up the will to live, blah, blah, blah.

Actually not weird at all and very common. If blowing on the head it is called pao kamom among others. Blowing on other parts of the body would be called pao piang, om piang, etc. And it is done to blow away the pain or sickness. Originally it was done with a ritual chant but nowadays the chant part is not so common, unless done by monks.

When a little kid falls over and grazes his knee, he/she may run to mum or granny in tears and they will then blow away the pain for the child.

So what's the spitting all about then?

Often the act of blowing sounds like spitting but is not. The practitioners purse their lips and give a quick blast but only air comes out. The length of the blow varies from family to family from being very perfunctory to deliberate and thoughtful.

On the other hand, when being blessed by a monk, often the monk will blow a mouthful of blessed water (holy water) over the sick person and sometimes their family members. This is done after chanting (blessing) and seems to be only common out in the sticks. In Bangkok and environs the monk would dip a small bamboo brush in holy water and flick the water over the sick person and his family members. This latter activity is also done at other religious functions to bless the congregation. Having said that, many years ago I saw old people also orally spraying their grandkids, nephews and nieces with mouthfuls of water. It should be noted that the water was always blessed water brought from the temple. Many families in the sticks will have a bottle of holy water tucked away somewhere in the house for this and other blessing purposes.

Actually not weird at all and very common. If blowing on the head it is called pao kamom among others. Blowing on other parts of the body would be called pao piang, om piang, etc. And it is done to blow away the pain or sickness. Originally it was done with a ritual chant but nowadays the chant part is not so common, unless done by monks.

When a little kid falls over and grazes his knee, he/she may run to mum or granny in tears and they will then blow away the pain for the child.

Owners of many large factories are screaming blue murder about the proposed increase in minimum wage but the fact remains that the owners of many large businesses here in Thailand operate on very large profit margins. Much higher that in more developed countries anyway. If margins were more reasonable, increased wages could be paid without the need to increase the price of the goods. But the owners would never accept making less if it was still possible to take advantage of their workers.

On the other hand, small businesses often work on much smaller margins and these could be significantly impacted.

I beleive the above inflationary figures of 50 percent were thrown out facetiously.

I thought the requirement to take on a Thai name had been dropped.

In today's issue of a newspaper that shall not be named, there is a picture of two Thai snooker players who appear somehwhat follicly challenged.

Went grey down below first so now the head matches.

Funny you should mention that but on my way home from work I popped into that place in Amarin Plaza (Bike Zone) and the salesman there suggested exactly what you both have, a mountain bike on road tires. I had just never thought of that before although it makes sense. Oh well, back to the drawing board. At least I am learning something through the process.

Went to Pro-Bike today just to take a quick look. They have a Trek FX for Baht 22,500. I don'y know if they would discount that price or not because I was totally ignored by all the staff apart from the security guard who let me in.

The Jamis Coda looks interesting too but do not know if it is available in Thailand or not.

I am a little bit concerned whether these bikes are suitable for BKK with the state of the roads here. Perhaps, I should be going for something more dual sport but am concerend about weight and speed. Any other suggestions?

Go for the TREK Navigator "2.0"

Great bikes that dont tire you out!

Actually the Trek 2.0 women's bike looks very much like the LA shopper I already have. Mine is a comfortable ride as is, but way too heavy and sluggish. I want something, lighter, nippier and more responsive if you will, as I enjoy sprints (racing motorbikes when the traffic lights turn green, seeing how far I can get before such and such a vehicle catches up, etc. )and generally bombing about the streets and sois. For some reason I am never satisfied with just sedately pedaling around and invariably end up trying to race around like a deranged idiot. Probably a bit foolish for a 48 year old man, but I really enjoy myself so am not going to give up. The bike also needs to be strong too with all the potholes and deteriorated road surfaces, not to mention the various sized sleeping policemen you see in most sois nowadays.

Okay one month has passed since my last post. Hopefully, by now you will have had a chance to get out and about on the bike and developed an opinion.

Sheldon Brown has a great website and I have done some reading there. The problem is that you end up with information overload and no nearer to knowing which model is most appropriate. Anyway, I shall peruse the fdmike kindly suggested, to see what pointers are given there.

As to visiting the market to check out whether my stolen bike is there, it will be long gone. Also, when you factor in traveling expenses that can add another 1K or so to the bottom line.