gomangosteen

1 hour ago, Cricky said:

I can't remember ever handing over my drivers/riders license for any of the vehicles (cars or bikes) I've bought.

 

The dealers has only asked for CofR

 

Neither can I.

But:

Latest motorbike purchase - 19 December 2023 Honda dealer had a checklist of documents for me to provide:

Passport, ID Card & yellow house book (or letter from Immigration), Thai motorcycle licence.

I changed dealer due to a better deal, but the first one (also Honda) had the same checklist for purchase.

As they will complete the new vehicle registration on my behalf I presume that's the current requirements. 

Last one I bought was 2013 don't remember what they needed back then.

Maybe like the new bank requirements things have changed recently? There does seem quite an obsession with proof of identity lately. As others have mentioned I don't see why an owner should necessarily hold a licence, but that was my experience two weeks ago.

The issue of the restaurant/ cafe and associated building has been resolved. All demolished and site cleared this week, I visited the site yesterday.

The whole construction was not legal, not consented / permitted and this could not be done retrospectively as was in breach of the minimum 12 metres from the clifftop requirements - it was built to the clifftop and in places extended over the edge, they were given until 30 December to demolish it all.

So maybe there was no 'winner' in the family dispute over ownership, and who paid for the demolition?

Beware the Drop (almost) it's loose stones near the edge don't get too close

There's now a coffee caravan and awning area for hot / cold drinks and food, set back towards the treeline. Signs for the (gone) Skyline Cafe remain at intervals on the roadside from about 3km away, but there's still the view to enjoy.

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

They were my immediate thoughts as well. And what on earth was a dive boat doing out in rough seas at 11pm?

It's a liveaboard dive boat, 3 nights at sea.

No need in our family, however - there had to be an exception - wife, her sister and grandma offer some support to a brother who is a sole parent, children 12 and 15.

Practical things, for new years they're getting full sets of new sheets, towels and some additional money for the son and daughter's new clothes,  though the daughter does ok for fashion clothes she gets our daughter's (18) hand-me-downs.

Small stuff, he's a good guy working full-time and appreciates the family support.

No difference culturally - I'd do the same if I had someone in a similar situation.

10 minutes ago, Smokin Joe said:

 

The medical cert is not the "5 diseases" thing. It is just a proof of life from a clinic. If you can see the clinic, walk into the clinic, and state that you need a med cert for a DL then you passed.

My 'medical' on 15 December entailed just height, weight, blood pressure and asked one question: 'any illness that could affect my driving?'

My NZ licence has an endorsement for "correcting lenses must be worn while driving" however that doesn't seem relevant here.

19 hours ago, Jing Joe said:

Gomangosteen discretely shared how a dangerous dog "went on a holiday".

"Relocation" also describes it.

Photo from when we lived in Sa Kaeo 2010-11, the canine holiday pickup, daughter was 5 then we'd tell her the 'holiday' story.

Those were the good old days?

15 hours ago, GypsyT said:

So has USA during Vietnam war. They just kept low profile but were free to build air force bases where ever they wanted. Smart move by Thais...

 

"At the height of the war, some 50,000 American military personnel (mostly Air Force) were stationed throughout Thailand. Thai entrepreneurs built scores of new hotels, restaurants and bars to serve the waves of free-spending American G.I.s, causing foreign funding to flow into the country."

 

So on that basis, you'd count New Zealand and Australia as being colonised as well? We have very different interpretations.

"At any one time between June 1942 and mid-1944 there were between 15,000 and 45,000 American servicemen in camp in New Zealand."

"The first Americans arrived in Brisbane on 22 December 1941, and by mid 1943 the number in Australia had risen to 150,000"

5 hours ago, Kinnock said:

"We all know how proud Thais are at never being colonized by the west ... ".

.... Ah, the old 'never colonised' myth.  There's just the inconvenient period when France colonised a large area in the East of Thailand (Chanthaburi, Trat, parts of Rayong) and it was the Japanese who forced them out, with some help from the Nazis who put pressure on the Vichy French.  Victory Monument was built to celebrate the end of the French rule, and Chanthaburi Cathedral is a remnant from the French era.   

 

Then after the Japanese were pushed out by the Americans and their allies, Britain managed Thailand for several years.  I also think parts of what was Thailand are still occupied by the Burmese and Cambodia?

So apart from the French, the Japanese, the Burmese, the Khmer and the Brits, Thailand has never been colonised.

 

Wow, where to begin with your creative fantasy. 

The French occupation of Chanthaburi involved a garrison of approximately 400 troops, some at Laem Sing (entrance to Chanthaburi river) the balance in Chantaboon on the site of the existing fortress in what is now the Taksin military camp.

Definitely no 'colonisation' it was a political statement.

The French were not forced out by the Japanese, or Nazis for that matter!.

The French departed in 1906 after agreement was reached over land borders.

The annual commemoration of their departure takes place at the 'peace chedi' in Laem Sing next month.

The impact of their time here - their barracks (Tuak Daeng) at Laem Sing - housing about 40 soldiers - still exists, it was the Laem Sing library but currently vacant. Their seven small buildings remain inside the military camp and were renovated between 2011-14.

The Catholic church was rebuilt in French gothic style in Chantanamit and completed 1909 on the same site as the previous four Catholic churches, the first chapel being built there in 1711; we attended their 300th anniversary 2011. That's  182 years before the French occupation.

There's an office of the National Archives here, adjacent to the Chanthaburi Immigration building opposite the military camp if you care to learn some real history.

Day and night at St Joseph church, Tha Mai, Chanthaburi

Eastern Thailand: Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Prachin Buri, Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Trat

Christmas at the cathedral, Chantanamit, Chanthaburi city.

The cathedral was completed in 1909, the fifth church building in Chantanamit/Chantaboon since the original chapel in 1711.

In previous years they'd held impressive sound and light shows in the week leading up to the 25th, but not in 2023.

Eastern Thailand: Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Prachin Buri, Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Trat

4 hours ago, ibjoe said:

My experience living in Chalong area of Phuket was not expensive. ~฿1200 / night for very nice hotel room. ~฿3000 / month for small apartment. ~฿250 / day for motorbike rental. Street food is cheap, less than ~฿100 for a meal. And of course Lotus, Super Cheap, etc. stores are all there. Beaches (Rawai, Kata, etc.) are typically less than thirty minute motorbike ride away.

Chalong - how long ago?

We've stayed in contact with owners of the bungalow we rented for 8500b until 2009 on Soi Yodsane, Chalong; current monthly rental 21,000b - big increase recently from 18,000 a year ago, a case of supply and demand in 2023.

I had a hired motorbike back then from a place in Rawai @ 3000b / month. 

7 minutes ago, xtrnuno41 said:

Just use a taser. Fast, simple.

I saw a taser used on my last trip to Wellington, New Zealand. Large man either drink / drugged or both, 'dancing' as if he was a boxer, challenging two police to a fist fight. 

On the third police warning a taser was fired, dropped him immediately, very effective on that occasion.

3 hours ago, BritScot said:

Really nieve thing to say. Many young guys get knocked out by men in their 50's or even 60's. New a real gentleman with only one leg knocked 2 young gus out who were throwing their weight around. Only one leg and 60. 

"throwing their weight around"

I hope he hit them with his false leg, throwing some of his own weight around?

Not big on gifts, though we've got our best yet tree and home decorations this year.

Family dinner on 24th evening then to see the local parade, central town streets get closed for an hour for parade from/to the church.

2010 we were holidaying on the coast and got held up getting back to our hotel by the Xmas parade, moved here the following year.

Monday  25th they're at school / work I'll be out for my annual Xmas day sea kayaking trip.

1 hour ago, sharksy said:

My girlfriend tells me, any girl who says size doesn't matter is lying.  Thankfully, I passed the test with flying colours.

Of course she has to tell you that ... to ensure you keep on paying 

1 hour ago, DUNROAMIN said:

Just imagine the reaction if a Thai was overseas on a holiday and visited a hospital that had 2 tier sytem. Norman price for locals, 100% price hike for foriegners. 

You mean like New Zealand?

Quoting from Manukau (Auckland) City Medical Centre: Enrolled patient 18-64 $18.00; Non-resident $80.00.

Fail to see why a country  should subsidise medical expenses for foreigners.

My experience last Friday 15 December; my Thai licences were long expired, not renewals, so started from new.

Took 55 minutes from arriving to departure, 310 baht total fee for car and motorcycle licences.

Provided documents: medical (100 baht); passport; ID card; yellow book; NZ driver licence; IDP International Driver Permit.

They took two copies of each at no extra charge.

Very brief tests took total about 3 minutes - braking coordination, colours, depth perception, peripheral vision. Paid fee then photo taken and two licences issued.

Really, not so difficult, an hour out of my not so busy day.

Provincial variations; a little further south, this morning for my motorcycle and car licences at Chanthaburi - I'd checked what they wanted by phone yesterday - requested my passport plus pink ID card and yellow house book as proof of identity/address.

Arrived ten minutes before opening and was customer #2. Didn't even charge for the multiple photocopies of those items  (two copies for each licence), a 10/10 for service.