moonoi

Why the hel_l would I care what happens in the Midlands when I live in Bangkok?

Goddamn brummies

No idea for the Focus, the Mazda 3 was behind the front grill and as its the same engine I would expect a similar layout on the Focus too.

Easy enought to find out, just pop the bonnet and have a look at the airbox and where its feed it rooted from

Had the chance to try out the 4-doors triton and Toyota Vigo.

Although polls are more for the Vigo, i should say that The Triton is ###### a great pick-up. My feeling is the top high end version was like being in a real SUV. However, in the Toyota Vigo, i still felt being in a truck.

My voting would be

1. Triton

2. Vigo

3. Navarra (don't know when it'll reach Thai shores! Siam Nissan is doing hel_l of bad job here i feel).

4. D-Max (for truck lover)

I stopped by the Nissan dealer yesterday to get some information on the Navarra. (I like Nissans) I was disappointed that the salesman knew NOTHING about that model. If I were to buy a new 4X4 today it would be a Chevy.

You mean an Isuzu D-max

But seriously interested to know why you would choose Chevy over Isuzu as the are both the same vehicle made on the same production line...the Isuzu holds a better price over the Chevy come time to sell (due to most Thai not realising that in fact the Colorado is a D-max so assume the parts are more expensive!)

Thats the reason I looked at the Focus last year. The equipment spec is higher and its considerably cheaper than the 3. But the main reason was the gf didn't like the interior of the Focus If I'd bought the Focus I'd have had to add a WRC replica bodykit though

Hate to disappoint you but Ford doesn't own Mazda. They have a seat on the board and own around 33%....not a controlling interest

I used to own the Mazda 3. I thought it was a better handling more fun to drive car than the Focus, the Focus having a softer ride and not quite as quick turn in. The old Focus was much better as a drivers car.

And yes you will notice an increase in fuel consumption using gasohol over 95. At best a 10% increase at worse 30%.....I stopped using gasohol and went back to 95 in the end as it worked out cheaper. The other issue is that gasohol fuel quality varies from station to station even from the same brand, try to find one that has a high use at the gasohol pump to improve chances of relatively fresh fuel. Then I sold it and bought a MU7 diesel so don't have to worry about fuel quality so much anymore

You really are quite naive Brit. Define "safe". Plenty of pilots would take off in planes that by IATA standards isn't "safe".

As for "when your times up it's up..... when it's not it's not" - I guess you run around blindfolded on Sukhumvit, right? I mean, if it's not your time you won't be hit.

IATA don't have standards that you suggest. Its a body run by the airlines for the airlines

Your probably thinking of CAA/JAA/FAA who set the standards for airworthiness.

You may also want to avoid splashing the Prickly Heat or any cooling talcum powder around your genitals. For 20 minutes or so, it feels like your genitals have been packed in dry ice or squeezed in a vice. Rinsing with water will only make it worse... Ohhhh the pain....

Forgetting all your problems through meditation is NOTHING compared to this.

READ THE LABEL!

I find its quite a nice cooling feeling not painful at all don't get any up your arse crack though that really is uncomfortable

for lowering the tone

TerryLH,

This is very interesting point that you make and very important.

Anyone else can confirm that?

As this forum is sponsored by expatmotors professionals, that would be interesting if they could provide some answers and expertises as well. Am i asking too much?

Cheers

I have my car financed and its in my name but with the finance companies address. They also hold the blue book and sent me a copy of it to keep with the car.

Maybe because no one would be seen dead driving something that looks like that

Looks like a crappy old car chopped in half and a flat bed added on the back.....ergh!

Well time to go home...so I shall now enjoy driving back to Ram Intra road in this weather...should be fun

Yes there was a small power cut only affecting some buildings.

It's raining quite hard here at the moment still though. (The Ascot) South Sathorn Road.

I'm at U Chu Liang on Rama IV road not far from you......city looks really strange. Must be the combination of the weather and that power cut you mentioned

and just as I respond the lights reappear on all seasons place and the big wheel at suanlum...maybe it was a power cut to that area!

EDIT: Correction the lights on the big wheel are still off !

My missus has just called from BKK... she said it's been raining heavily and it's taken 2 hours to get from Pratumnam to Bang Na via the expressway...

I saw the rain but that ended around 2pm....been some showers since then but not heavy rain! Wouldn't have thought it affected traffic this much later.......or maybe theres a new storm on the way in? Its so dark I can't tell !!!!!

I'm sat in my office overlooking Lumpini Park at the moment and everything in the city looks eerily dark, kinda spooky Anyone else notice this? traffic is heavier than normal too! Is it just the weather or something else...............

assumption definitely has the better reputation, both here and abroad.

my source might be biased though, my gf did her undergrad at ABAC.

I don't think ABAC is that highly rated at all except by those who attend there. According to my collegues in the office here (including one who studied at ABAC for bachelors but got masters elsewhere) its where you go if you can't get in anywhere else..........and if they don't let you in then its Bangkok University

But will the fingerprint actually be linked to the travel documents?

As long as there is no biometric information stored in the passport, I don't see how they can do that?

Will it stop people from buying passports from village people who have no intent to use it themselves?

Or will the fingerprint only be linked to some sort of national database of (un)wanted people?

Don't forget there are other agencies from other countries there that I am sure will help the Thais with this techology and the database issue. The US has the FBI, DEA and other agencies there for example. Thats open source information on the US Embassy website. Will also help catch known pedophiles coming in an messing with the Thai children. Can't say I blame them. Wait until they introduce the iris scan..... Its VERY effective...

Iris scanning technology is not very effective at all....just try doing a bit of research on it. They did a trial recently in the UK as part of the UKID scheme. Although they pronounce it a success you should take a close look at the figures for false positives and failure rates.......if it was every rolled out fully it would crash and burn

For fingerprints, I have no object at all if the fingerprint is stored on my passport. The way to protect privacy is to not have the print stored anywhere else, all that is required for ID verfication is that the biometric information is read from the passport, my fingerprint scanned and compared with it and then discarded.

But this isn't really about ID verification is it?

forgot to add all new Thai passports already contain fingerprints and picture as biometric identifiers, European passports only have the picture

The weirdest story that I heard about the reason why red plate cars could not be on the road at night was because NEW cars were more likely to be stolen at night.

When I bought my car I was told them same by the dealer. Cars with Red plates aren't registered yet as the registration is in process, so when get stolen you have no insurrance. No Book, no cover as its hard to show you are the owner. You will get the dealer book with the red plates. Thats why they say to avoid driving at night or parking in dark area's over night.

So I dont know exactly what the truth behind red plates and driving after 7pm is.

Well according to the Expat Motors' website there are no restrictions on driving a car with red plates in Thailand.

I also asked my gfs' dad (Thai) and he said the same thing, no problem to drive anytime with red plates

Thanks very much. I don't know where the handbook is but I always thought all those motorbikes that are smoking was because they were using 91 instead of 95.

Seems the two strokes do that a lot more then the 4. Not a motor person so can't explain why, perhaps different compression ratios.

The reason a 2 stroke engine smokes more than a 4 stroke is because you have to mix oil with the fuel for lubrication.......most of these machines have a seperate oil tank and the mixing is done automatically, back in the old days you had to mix it by hand Anyway thats the reason for the smoke in most cases......and you only see it when the engine is under stress (hard acceleration etc)

I remember riding my NSR125RN round the M60 in Manchester (before it became the Manchester ring road) happily cruising along at 90mph and creating a huge smoke trail behind me.....ahh them were the days oh btw its was derestricted with a race exhaust thats why it could do 90mph.......could reach 110mph on the flat with no wind

Thanks, otherstuff. I assume I'd still have to master right foot braking and left foot shifting, which would be totally new to me. Remember, I'm a retiree. "Old dogs and new driving techniques"?

I don't drive motorcycles, but I'm pretty sure you shift gears with your (left?) hand not your foot. Can someone confirm?

I apologize for any confusion caused if I'm wrong.

Sophon

Your wrong Apology accepted

Your thinking of the clutch..... the clutch is operated by the left hand, throttle and front brake by the right hand, gears with the left foot and rear brake with the right foot

My Thai friend in the office said that a strong earthquake in Myanmar was reported last night. Can't find anything on a quick internet search though so can't confirm that......but if true perhaps it was that, that was felt?

Try the Raja's Tailor that is located on Sukumvit soi 4 oppisite the Nana Hotel. I'm sure they are not associated with the Raja's on Sukumvit. I have used them for a number of things over the years and never a complant.

130 Sukhumvut is around Soi 4 they are all there around the Nana Plaza / Landmark Hotel thats why you have to get the exact name and address to make sure you go to the correct one

They why during a news broadcast, did they say that Thailand only acknowledges one citizenship, and then go on to blast thai women who travel abroad while pregnant to try and gain dual citizenship for their children?

They further went on to say that the new id card would help fix this problem.

Don't know but my understanding is the same as Maizefarmer. No need to keep quiet about it to the Thai authorities as they now accept Dual Nationality and have done for sometime.

I know several Thai people that hold Dual Nationality btw, mostly OZ/Thai but a couple of UK/Thai and US/Thai as well and they don't have any problems.

I'd try Rajawongse Clothier. Its at 130 Sukhumvit road. Not the cheapest place but very good quality.

There website is here Rajawongse Clothier

and there is an article about them in USA Today

Almost all senior management at my office get there suits/shirts and trousers made there and I don't know anyone who has been disappointed by the service or quality.

If I had 2 neat cars like those I would post picture too, just to make you guys drool, and think what you can't have.

Well maybe you can't have them, but if I so chose I could afford to buy an SLK or S Class merc or a BMW 5 series however I refuse to pay the huge sum of money required because of high import duties and besides that I already owned several high performance and luxury cars back when I lived in the UK and France so I don't need one here (mind you that said I've changed my car 3 times since I moved here over 18months ago, might have been cheaper to just buy a BM from the off )

I don't really like mercs much anyway I'm more a BMW fan......I'd love to buy the new M5, but its stupid money....can buy a Ferrari/Aston Martin or Bentley etc back at home for the kind of money it costs here.

However if he had a Mercedes SLR McLaren then I might drool

A great program, and he seems to work very well with Clarkson. One program i never miss

I always miss it. I missed it too many times that now I really miss it.

It used to be every Sat at 23.30, but then it disappeared, appeared again and so on. Once it was because they hit a tree and someone sued them for it, but why it is so irregular now I have no idea.

Do you never miss it?

There's also a book "The world according to Clarkson", but it's unavailable in Thailand, sadly.

They used that rocket-car once to to completely blow away some little Toyota or something, just for the fun of it.

And sorry about Richard, almost forgot.

I have that book here in BKK if you want it. Its ok, but its just a collection of all the articles he wrote. Good if you haven't read them before