BikeThailand

Good thing they banned alcohol that day

There really is no other way to see it. If you are undercharged and you notice it you should point it out just as politely and as helpful as you would if you were accidentally overcharged. I have traveled this country from top to bottom and left to right many times and have seen it happen both ways. I've often wondered if it was on purpose when I was overcharged but can usually tell by the way they act if it was intentional or accidental. Bottom line, do the RIGHT thing. Pay for what you ordered/received and don't pay for what you didn't order/receive. Sizzler or local Thai food stall, it really shouldn't matter.

fitness gym?

yes, he used to go to the @Letic fitness gym in Hua Hin

Do you think I could get the remaining time on his membership for a discount ;~) ? Wow, I have been here (in Hua Hin) 5 years and don't recall meeting him but I guess I can't meet everyone in town. Makes you wonder if his now "ex-girlfriend" has some money to spend.

Are you an ambulance chaser?

No, but sometimes I do follow beer trucks.

fitness gym?

yes, he used to go to the @Letic fitness gym in Hua Hin

Do you think I could get the remaining time on his membership for a discount ;~) ? Wow, I have been here (in Hua Hin) 5 years and don't recall meeting him but I guess I can't meet everyone in town. Makes you wonder if his now "ex-girlfriend" has some money to spend.

Anybody want to buy my lifetime membership? The card is still in good shape ;~)). I feel I got my money's worth before I finally moved out of Bangkok but was bummed to see them close down. They were definitely scumbags through and through but the equipment was good and lots of hotties to look at while working out ;~))

Yes, she did well. Good for her, stupid of him. Only person that should be even slightly trusted with that kind of money is mom, and she's likely to wind up forgetting where she put it ;-). He obviously could afford to lose it.

By the way, this kind of stuff happens all over the world. You can't only blame it on Thai women. American women often take much more than half a million!

Sent from my HTC Desire X using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Sure was nice of Interpol to give the guy a free trip to Thailand as well as a much better chance of escaping long term (Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, etc.). What a muck-up!

I've lived here for 11 years and I've had my own company and continuous work permit for 8 years but my wife just let it expire accidentally, though I am getting new one tomorrow. People talk of Thai Residency but I haven't found any real benefit to getting it and from what I have heard you can be expected to prove one or more of the following:

• Considerable Thai Language Skills - I have a lengthy vocabulary that gets me by but not much when it comes to full conversations.
• Married to Thai National - My girlfriend of 7 years married me last year so, check.
• Sometimes substantial "Tea Money" - Can't do that.
• Work Permit for 8 years or more - Not sure if this is true and if so whether or not I would have to start over again since it expired but my visas have been consistent
• Still requires a Re-Entry Visa when leaving the Kingdom?

Anyone know the real deal with it and what, if any, benefits there are? Requiring a Re-Entry Visa doesn't sound like you are a resident but maybe that is true in other countries too.

Thanks for any information you may be able to extend.

Life is Dangerous but I would say that Thailand is one of the safest places I have ever traveled to or lived in. I am a U.S. Citizen and have been living in Thailand for 11 years now and though there are many dangers all around, I have never felt safer in my life. It does help to have a bit of previous travel experience and to be aware of the obvious people who may try to take advantage of you (Tuk-Tuk's, taxis, people charging more, etc.) but that happens everywhere in the world. Keep your wits about you and it doesn't hurt to read the overly protective site that you posted just so you know, but for the most part you will be fine if you just follow these simple rules:

• Look in ALL DIRECTIONS MULTIPLE TIMES before crossing the street. That's right, stepping off the curb can be deadly if you are looking the wrong way as traffic is on the opposite side of the road from the U.S. and many times traffic will not be following the laws and could be coming from just about any direction - you could even get struck from something above like a dangling live electrical wire. Stay Alert!
• If you are going to have sex, USE A CONDOM!
• Stay away from motorcycle and Tuk-Tuk taxis as motorcycles are extremely dangerous (everywhere, especially without helmet) and the Tuk-Tuk's are primarily looking to scam you. Stick with air-conditioned Meter Taxis and insist on using meter. If they won't use meter politely get out and find another taxi.
• Don't say anything negative about the royal family. Just to make it a non-issue, don't discuss royalty at all - simple. Occasionally you will get some idiot that thinks he knows about the politics, cultures, or other sensitive matters of a country and they seem to find themselves getting into trouble (usually while drunk).
• The Deep South (past Nakhon Si Thammarat on the East Coast and past Krabi on the West Coast) isn't advised but really hasn't been an issue for tourists. You'll find all the enjoyment you need in the rest of the country without having to go that far South anyway so it's really a non-issue.

I love living here though there are down sides to every place you go in this world so I can't say it's perfect, but I can say that being a tourist here is absolutely awesome in my book and you will enjoy freedoms you have likely never experienced elsewhere in the world. The trick is to realize that along with freedoms comes responsibility and you will need to look after yourself a bit more here and there. For example, there won't be a recording telling you to hold the handrail on escalators and most bartenders/waitresses won't say "hey buddy, I think you have had enough" if you are drinking too much. ;~))

Honestly, I think it would be really interesting to see what the warning message would be for visiting Washington, DC (if it were truly unbiased). Keep in mind that DC was the murder capital of the world for more than 10 years running a while back.

Safe Travels!

<br>There must be a goverment department of usless statistic's which is next door to the ministry of silly walks....<img src="http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif" class="bbc_emoticon" alt=""><br>

<br><br>Actually there a department for statistics, my friend is a statistician for the government. As for being usless... I doubt it.<br>

Really? I have so many questions. Is it possible to contact this person? I always want to know things like:

How many people get shocked to death in the shower by their hot water heaters?

How many people each year die from accidentally touching live electrical wires that are dangling over sidewalks?

How many babies fall off of motorcycles?

How long does it take the average Thai man to leave his high school girlfriend after she gets pregnant?

How many people die in car accidents simply because they weren't wearing a seat-belt?

How many transportation vans don't even have seat-belts?

How many students buy 10 liters of alcohol or more between the hours of 2pm and 5pm just to get past the silly no alcohol between 2 and 5 unless it's 10 liters or more?

How much alcohol do Thai owned "mom & pop" shops sell between 2pm and 5pm when 7-eleven and other corporate owned stores aren't allowed to?

I have often wondered if there were people keeping statistics on some of these things. None of these questions are meant to be offensive to Thais, I'm just a curious guy.

Regards,

Chris

Mr Hippo 45 psi should be fine for a MTB. (nothing to do with a road bike)

Use a Kenda not Kenda light as they have similar problems.

Many years ago Vittorio inner tubes had the best reputation, however, looks like they took them of the local market for some reasons. (they are made in Thailand)

Same with Continental (made in Thailand) good stuff but difficult to find.

4300 should be double walled bontrager stuff. (with blue/white stickers on it?) Had problems with these rims myself.

Change the rim (Alex double walled) for around 500 baht and use the same spokes to rebuild the wheel, should be around 750 baht in total.

750 :150 = 5 innertubes.

While you are right about the mountain bike tire inflation for most, I (along with Mr. Hippo) need a much higher inflation on my mountain bike as I am more than 105 KG and will get pinch flats.

Now, to get back to the main problem, I have to say that though Geox is usually a decent brand the Camel and Vee tubes are complete $#i+ and to only be used in case of emergency. It does look like there might be some excessive movement when pumping the tires which will cause many of the cheaper tubes to tear or become unattached at the valve a little quicker than normal but the bad luck of one decent tube going in addition to using many $#i+ tubes doesn't help. I'm assuming this mountain bike shop is a LA Bicycle shop? They are perfect for what they are, but often my drivers know more about changing flats than they do.

Best of luck with it and don't give up on the cycling just yet. Wish I was nearby so I could do some trial and error along with you.

By the way, Vittoria and Continental are both made for export only to qualify for certain tax breaks and for them to sell into Thailand they have to export them first and then re-import them paying an extremely high tax so most bicyclist won't pay that for something made in Thailand. They can do it all without moving the tires in and out but still have to pay the taxes that they are sheltered from as an export only item. At least that is what I heard when I was in the tire business.

Safe cycling to all!

Cheers, Chris

Thanks for tips guys.

I joined the Sunday morning cycling group today, 8 am @ Thapae gate. Lots of cycling advocacy spirit there, planned a 62 km round trip ride to a Wat (can't remember which now, shamefully).

Lovely group! I will surely join them more often.

If you are based up in Chiang Mai then please consider coming out on the morning of December 8th to ride with the 8th Annual Tour de Thailand Charity Bicycle Ride as we head to Chom Thong on our way to Phuket. Of course you are more than welcome to join as a full-fledged registered rider and take the vacation of a lifetime while seeing more of Thailand than you likely have before, but if you simply come out to show your support riders are welcome to ride with us all or part of any one day of our event for free and we usually have some promotional items that we get from sponsors to hand out to those that do join us along with complimentary water and electrolytes. The only catch is that we cannot provide transport back home so many will ride with us about half a day and then turn back. For more information please see tourdethailand.com and you can reach me by email if you have any more questions. Glad to see that you're looking for cycling events and especially advocacy. Cheers, Chris

Here is what I have:

• SURATTHANI

1. Sunthornwanit

293/29-30 Tlatmai Road, Tlatkaset 1 , Suratthani Tel. 077-273-950

2. CenterBike [Khun-ManTana] Mobile:081-9700486 E-Mail:[email protected]

58/9 Moo 2, Sriwichai Road, Muang, Suratthani Tel. 077-221-883-4

3. Surat –Mountainbike

46/50 Donnok Road, Muang, Suratthani 84000 Tel. 01-968-0111,676-9226

There used to be a Cannondale shop called "Red Bike" on Samui but they closed. The owner thought that maybe one of his mechanics might have started their own shop after he left. Maybe try to Google it. Please let me know if you find anything I don't have.

Cheers,

Chris

What are your interests? I organize charity bicycle rides through Thailand that benefit two worthy causes. Would you like to see Thailand, help others in need, and get some good exercise at the same time?Visit My Website Our beneficiaries are; Operation Smile Thailand - helping children who were born with cleft lip or cleft palate, and the Foundation for the Blind under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen.

Cheers,

Chris

Thanks everyone.

I will try the local airlines, but was hoping to spend a little less than what they normally charge.

I would love to ride but have to work straight up to the 9th and need to be there well rested by the 11th.

I tried to get any train ticket I could but they were completely sold out. We were more than happy to squeeze in with others sleeping on the floor in 3rd class, or even standing. It wouldn't be my first time. Any idea how people manage to get on the train if the seats are all sold out? If we just show up a few hours early is it likely we can squeeze on? We were planning to try that at Hua Lumpong and possibly Mo Chit Bus Station too.

Thanks,

Chris

I did not manage to secure overnight train tickets or bus tickets in time, but my friend and I need to get to Nong Khai by the 11th of April with two bicycles. Does anyone have room in their vehicle or have train or bus tickets to sell? I know that Songkran really takes a toll on the travel arrangements, but thought I would give it a shot. Happy to sit in the back of a truck with livestock or distant relatives, and we will pitch in for gas too.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

chris

I have no idea where the Silom BTS station is, could it be next to the Sala Daeng Station?

As for performance enhancements, BEER seems to be the best I have found, especially for biking.

Cheers,

Chris :D

I couldn't help but notice your request. I am happy to give flying lessons. We could meet at the Vertigo Restaurant on the top of the Banyan Tree Hotel. I would offer you a package deal for only 5,000 baht! If you survive the first lesson all other lessons would be free

But seriously, if I were going to learn to fly I would want to be as far away from Bangkok as possible! I can't imagine that Sukhumvit would be suitable for landing should there be a mishap or something. That Sky Train would be a huge obstacle!

Good luck!

If someone is ashamed of their girlfriend they really shouldn't be with them. Be proud of yourself and whoever you decide to spend your time with. If you are not proud of yourself and the woman you are with then maybe you are doing something wrong. If you think that you have to wear a woman on your arm as a trophy then you sadly misunderstand relationships to begin with. Yes, my girlfriend is 14 years younger than me and I could find the same in just about any other country in the world if I were looking for some beauty queen or young woman. It just so happens that I met her here and fell in love with her. I have had many girlfriends from many nationalities (both younger than myself and older) but never found someone as wonderful as the woman that I am with now. I am a large man and I forget to realize this sometimes, so when I see the two of us together I will sometimes laugh at the size difference. None-the-less, I am never ashamed of the incredibly intelligent, hardworking, and lovely woman that I plan to marry. If you have a problem with this then kindly jump in front of the next passing bus.

Usually I recommend (and use) the following techniques when it is not such a fast and unexpected attack. Have a water bottle with a squirt valve on your bike so you can pull that out and squirt them. This does not cause any permanent damage to the dog but they usually don't want to get squirted since it resembles bathing. The other bicycling gear that can come in handy is one of the compact bicycle pumps that will extend as you swing it at them and usually scare them enough from pursuing you. Once again, this is meant to not harm the dog but scare them instead. If the dog continues to chase then you may have to show them who is the Alpha Dog and whack them with it. Another thing that frightens them is simply skidding the back tire. If they are close enough it will surprise them and distract them to the point where you can pedal away, usually.

I would avoid the use of a gun at all cost. You may very well get shot because someone misunderstands your intentions or thinks it is something more than a BB gun.

Gee, who suckered you into taking your family to Pattaya and staying at the Hard Rock Hotel. Are you trying to get a divorce or just leaving it up to fate? I'm sorry, but downtown Pattaya is not the place to take the family. Next time try Jomtien at least. Fortunately your child is only 1 year old and probably won't get confused as to why some women on walking street look more like men (because they are) than women.

Please don't think of Pattaya as "Thailand", it is far from the reality of Thailand. Think of it as their version of "The Wild West in the 1800's", except Judge Roy Been can be bought. The entertainment is amazing, but most western women will not approve.

Good luck and have a great trip!

You can take a little vacation/scouting trip and start in Phetchaburi heading south along the coast. Skip Cha-Am and Hua Hin and you can start again in Pranburi, then Prachuap Khiri Khan (my personal favorite) and even further south. Bang Saphan Yai and Noi are both nice, then try even smaller towns further down. I have a friend that is in a small town just south of Bang Saphan Noi that is very happy down there and he definitely has internet capabilities, just not sure how fast. Keep in mind that these places are also along the train line and if you need to get back up to BKK or CNX you can do so quite easily. They all have bus stations too.

Even if you don't find exactly what you are looking for you will have a nice time looking.

Cheers!

Thaksin says he has no intention of re-entering politics, but how can we believe that? Does anyone else remember the very international and clear statement that he made when he finally realized that the Coup was successful? When he was asked what he would do now, he stated that he "was going to take some time to focus on doing charity work". Is he still focusing?!?!? Because you know if he has ever done any charity work in his life there would be news of it all over the world. He was trying to buy a football team, did he plan to have a charity day where everybody that was considered needy got in free? Come on, I know he kept the education system to the Middle Ages Standard for a reason, but we aren't all blind and stupid.

I really worry about Democracy the way it is. If the majority of the people elect the leader it seems fair, but is it really the best solution when the majority of the people are uneducated and desperate to believe anything. "Those that want to be in politics should automatically be banned for life!"

Whatever happens, I hope it can remain peaceful. I know it's not my country, but if it was I would put the Temasak/Thaksin deal funds into complete education reform. Why is it he had to hire a U.S. lobbyist, and why were most of his advisers while in office of Indian decent? Makes you wonder...

I often wonder if the Thai people admire someone with money so much that they really don't care how they got it. I used to date a very nice young lady that worked at the J.W. Marriott on Suk. Soi 2 and she would tell me the stories of what some of her co-workers would do to make extra money. She described them as "Crafty" and almost seemed to admire them for it. I would be very upset and try to explain that "yes, they are crafty but they are untrustworthy and in fact complete scumbags". The things that go on behind the scenes here are unbelievable!

Of course, Washington, DC isn't much different. The only thing they do better is they hide it well and use better lies. We are all just a bunch of dumb cows I guess! Mmmooooo!

How about the positive impacts?

I have one....

We no longer have to put up with bright lights coming from gas stations after 10pm

Wow, I never imagined I would find someone that agrees with the closing of gas stations at 10 PM. I thought that was one of the most absurd energy saving ideas I have ever heard of. I come from a rather "developed country" and I would never imagine leaving people who need to travel at night stranded in the middle of nowhere and having to curl up in their compact car (to save gas) on the side of the highway waiting for the gas station to open. I also think that it probably doesn't help daytime traffic any if people can only drive during the day. Sure, we can plan ahead but what about long drives? Closing local innercity gas stations may be ok, but the ones on desolate highways should have some options. The other night I came home from Sydney just after midnight and realized that my gas was low and it was after 10PM. Fortunately I was able to communicate enough with a motorcycle taxi to cyphen some gas from his bike into my car so that I could get home. Of course he charged me 100 baht a liter.

I know they had good intentions, but the 7-elevens that sold the gas are still open and extremely lit up. The only difference is that they say no to you if you ask for gas. Flourescent lights don't use much energy anyway. Of course this wasn't even an issue before I had to buy a car for my work.

On the other hand, I would suggest that they stop making doors that lock open for all the office buildings and shopping malls throughout the country. It is amazing to me that you can walk past an office building or shopping mall and feel the air-condition from 30 feet away because someone pushed the door open far enough to have it stay open.

Happy to meet someone who thinks differently on the subject. Contrast is always interesting.

Cheers,

Bikethailand

Thank God for the Skytrain!!! Avoid the subway!!!

Did you hear that there were problems with the subway? I would be very interested to know how they deal with water levels of 50 to 80cm.