richard_smith237

I'll be there.

Yes. Never had an issue and travel frequently with laptops.

While I don't condone his actions he was an easy target for the authorities.

I saw numerous incidents on the news of Thai's burning tires (many in front of policemen). Surely these incidents are far worse than an idiot mouthing off ?

I think the Carrefour on Rama IV (End of Sukhumvit Soi 26) is a good supermarket and I'll be disappointed to see it go. It has a wide range of imported products that are not as over prices as similar products at the Gourmet Market at Emporium, Paragon and K. Village.

Tesco Lotus is Simply a zoo and I try and avoid it as much as possible - it always seems to be loaded with families on a day trip, pushing an empty trolly around the nice aircon.

Carrefour on Rama IV seems to be a happy medium where I can make a choice and find good quality imports or local produce. I'm not sure what the other Carrefour's are like but after reading the threads it appears that some are run poorly and target a different market than the Rama IV branch.

Its their road you are wrong for being on it.

Yeh...If there is an accident it will be your fault and yours alone because you are the farang

and if you dont like it, you should reverse your car back to wherever it was you came from

:lol: :lol:

Have you been in an accident in Thailand ? I have been in 3 accidents in Bangkok over the last 12 years and none were considered my fault (my insurance paid for my own car only either because the other vehicle was not insured or there was a disagreement about fault).

Nothing is automatically 100% the foreigners fault and I don't know any examples other than the one posted on this forum. In this case it appears to me as though the guy just gave in and accepted fault rather than stick to his guns and maintain their innocence.

I do not know of anyone who has been treated any differently to a Thai in the same circumstances.

This idea that the 'Foreigner is always wrong' is a delusion of the paranoid.

I'm in.

This is the result of a 120 km blow out on my left rear... It took quite a bit of effort to locate 255 / 55 / R19 and get 4 of them sent out to Mae Sot (I could only locate that size in Bangkok - As I'd just had a blowout I didn't trust the remaining tires although they looked ok).

I would otherwise be rather paranoid that with poor quality rims in the same situation the wheel rim itself gets destroyed making the car far more difficult to control and causing more damage.

How would you feel If this was organized by the consulate themselves?

Many people get fast tracked through immigration on arrival at many airports - They have paid a premium for it. Simply because this is widely accepted as normal does it make is any more fair to those in the non-fast track cues ?

Is it disrespectful when someone is in a nice and comfortable car when others have to take the bus?

Surely the issue here is about the legality of this ticket selling? While I agree with you and see this occurrence as disrespectful to those already in a cue we all live in a global society that is set up towards favoring those who consider time and convenience a commodity.

The confusing thing with the Speed Limits are that on the Bangkok Express ways the Limit is 120 kph. Go past the speed camera heading out of town on the upper stage expressway towards Chonburi (past Bangna) and they will stop you and fine you for speeding if going faster than 120 Kph. However, the illuminated signs always read 80 kph.

I speed regularly too, and think nothing of driving on the expressway / tollway / Motorway at 140 kph to 160 kph when the roads are quiet and the weather is good.

OK - I think we all agree that this ticket selling business is wrong and that someone has found a way to take advantage of us Westerners.

I'm not sure anyone has pointed out that many of us Westerners come from a country where our B50 can be earned in minutes.

We can chose to stand fast to our principles because we have the financial means to.

Others chose to be realists and recognise that world is not perfect and chose not to concern themselves with the smaller issues.

Others are saying that its these smaller issues that are the thin end of the wedge and lead to many of the major issues facing many developing countries.

Unfortunately as all of our morals differ from the 'black and white' crowd to the 'varying shades of grey' so will the opinions and tolerance of other peoples opinions vary.

So, is it wrong to sell the cue tickets at the consulate? I believe so, but also believe it is not really damaging to anyone in particular. IMO it falls into a category of it being morally wrong, but not particularly harmful to anyone so I'd tolerate it and if in a particular rush participate.

I have had trucks do it at night cos to lazy to go and do a U turn or perhaps save some diesel , crazy.

yepp, any vehicle on the wrong side of the road is my main reason for not doing fast long distance after dark any more.

Its been to close to many times, even with my lights being very bright they are hard to see when theyr not using any lights.

so bette find a nice hotel, have some beer and a good meal in the evening and continue next morning when the maniacs are more easy to spotB)

It is for precisely the same reasons I make the choice to avoid driving a night as much as possible.

When involved in an accident, holding ones temper and remaining calm is the best and only response. The car driver is not always in the wrong when involved with an accident with a motorcycle and police will listen to reason if reason presented reasonably. Police will not pay attention to an irate angry driver of any nationality (unless they are higher up in the pecking order).

The foreigner is not always at fault if he politely sticks to his guns. Police are lazy and chose the path of least resistance. i.e. blame the foreigner, if he has a car he can afford to pay for the poor motorbike riders damage - Problem solved for everyone, except for the small matter of 'Principle'.

So, if you can afford it, pay the B5000 or whatever and move along quickly. OR, if you prefer it (as I do) politely hold your ground and you will be treated fairly, or at least as a Thai would be treated in the same circumstances.

Have you tried Au Bon Pain ?

Make sure you check the dates on the tyre, some are kept in storage for a long time and if over a year or two old can degrade easily once on the car.

If the tread is not less than 3mm, there is no need to change.

There is no need to change the wheel / rims if there is no damage and you are still happy with the look.

Are you sure the garage are not being economical with the truth so that they can make a sale ?

I was exactly the same as you 6 months ago. After buying a 46" Samsung 6 Series LED I'm still the same and know nothing really.

But, I am very impressed with the picture quality even on some of the True Visions channels.

One thing that I have read about is that LED uses 40% less (or of) power than the LCD equivalent, and that on LED the Blacks are more black and vivid giving a more realistic picture (if one is to believe the literature).

In all likelihood I doubt that there is much discernible difference between LED and LCD but videophiles will know significantly more and be able to notice a difference.

What I do know is that plasma is old technology and that the LCD and LED screens are much better.

Not much help I know... but I'm glad I chose an LED Tele.

I can't see that passion has much to do with who is manager.

I would like to see someone who can educate the players on more technical aspects of the game.

It is clear England were technically flawed against Germany and that we had not broken down and studied their play. Where as it was also clear that they had studied England's weaknesses and found holes in our every play. The way they dragged Terry out of position etc...

If England are to succeed we need more time before the WC to gel as a team and we need a coach who can sit with the players days before an important match and go through tactics and counter-tactics and breakdown teams strengths and weaknesses.

It has become apparent that many of the England team were bored in the daytime - this is the time they could have been analyzing their opponents.

So for Manager - Someone who can research and read their opponents:

Manager - Hmmm.... Who'd want it at the moment ?. IF England want the world cup, part of the Footballing culture in the UK has to change.

I nearly got hit by one the other day....

Totally my fault: 'Always look both ways when crossing a one way street' - I've read that many times on this forum.

I was getting in my car parked on the side of the road (legally) while popping into the Market. Upon returning to my car I looked right to ensure it was clear to return to the drivers door, stepped out, then WOOSH a motorbike just missed me from the left heading against traffic. It would have hurt and gave me quite a shock. It was night and he also had no lights on !!!

IDIOTS - Expect them everywhere and triple check everything.

What to do ? Your best to avoid them without causing an accident with someone else yourself.

I wonder when I'll get hurt by a motorcycle on a pavement and wonder if they'll be blamed for hitting a pedestrian, this nearly happened last night but after my fright last week my 'alertometer' is at a refreshed high.

I work overseas, so no CC in my name. I accept that I am probably high risk for the CC companies here.

I am the second card holder on two of my wife's cards which was a simple method around this issue.

I simply use my SCB debit (electron) card for most of my transactions and find myself rarely using the credit cards.

You're welcome...

For whatever reasons, Bang Rak Amphur office appear to be far more familiar with handling mixed marriages than alternative Amphur offices in Bangkok. Either that or my wife and I simply went to the wrong place at the wrong time.

As such, I've always advised friends who are due to marry soon that even if it involves a little more travel, with the correct documentation the Amphur office at Bang Rak make it a simple process.

They are simply being difficult and applying the letter of the law precisely.... Only alternative is to go to a different amphur and hope they are less obstructive. In Thailand when faced with anything new or different the usual first response is to try as hard as possible to do nothing so that no mistakes are made.

My wife and I legalized our marriage a few months ago and after a rather large wedding party a month earlier decided to do the simple thing and head down to the nearest and most convenient amphur office (With all necessary documentation, and forms completely filled out, including income). They made the process very difficult and were rather tricky, it soon became apparent that we had found ourselves in one of those situations where someone for what ever reasons doesn't like the look of you and will use everything in their power to make the process awkward.

In the end they just flatly refused to marry my wife and I. I took the name of the duty manager (or equivalent and left), but not before we had been left with a rather sour taste in our mouths after such negative treatment and being tarred by the same brush as a (sorry to say it) 'whoremongering sexpat and his latest sexploit'.

30 mins later we had driven Bang Rak Amphur office near Silom, 30 mins after that we were legally married and congratulated with a Wai from the officer who had been very helpful and polite throughout.

Two days later we received an apology phone call from the director (or whatever the 'boss guys' position is) at the Amphur office asking for forgiveness and what would we like to be done to have the situation remedied (we'd told my FIL about what had happened at dinner that night and straight away he was on his phone).

My response was that it was too late, the insults have been made, we are already married, so just hang or fire the silly cow who treated us like that...

Fortunately my wife had taken the phone call and suggested that he takes better care and educates his staff to less obstructive.

What I learned that day: When things look like they are not going to go our way, walk away and try somewhere else, although I now know of one more amphur office in Bangkok now who may be a lot more respectful of Thai/Western couples than they had once been.

A very intelligent woman I used to know, works for Air Traffic Control in a senior roll although she was relatively young at the time called me up and asked if it was real that she could win some money in a draw she never entered !!!!

Yes - the people who assist the pilots with landing our planes can fall for something this obvious...... It really does shock me how unsavvy some folk can be.

Talking to some of the guys at Shell over in Kuala Lumpur this morning on pay rates,they are reputed to be the top payers at the moment,seems $1200 tops for a day rate is all that is on offer,and that's for senior management consultants,still who am I to doubt it?.Have invited one of the guys to join this debate from there so specifics can be debated,I have given him the Thai Visa web site details so hopefully quite a discussion will take place on just what is on offer.The guys there were in disbelief also that supposedly (inflated) pay rates were being discussed openly as well,personaIly I have never seen anybody bragging how much they earn, let alone in the oil sector,one for the tax man I should think!!

Houston was my bag in days past,not Singapore or Thailand, sub sea stuff,now there was a nice earner

Day rates for consultants (Geologists / Drilling Engineers) is somewhere between US$900 low end Wellsite Geologist to US$1500 top end Wellsite Geologist with the norm currently being US$1200/day (+per-diem, door to door, business class flights if more than 4 hrs) / about US$1000 low end Co.Man onwards and upwards to an Est. $2000 or even $2500 for a top end Company man)

Oh... and I waved at a few queens in Changi Village in Singapore by mistake... so I ran off to Thailand to avoid my embarrassment in front of the Oil Field Hoi Polloi...

The report suggests that they rented the Jet Ski at 5pm and the Police officer was called at 7pm.

The photo of the unknown renter was clearly taken at night (close to 7pm).

The report suggesting they rented the Jet Ski at 5pm seems quite inaccurate and is perhaps an attempt by the owner to protect themselves for having broken a law and renting the jet ski out after a certain time.

That's my guess - Is there any such law that states the jetski's cannot be rented out after a certain time (i.e. 18:00 hrs) ?

Tragic events, but taking a jet ski out in the dark is like riding a motorbike around country roads without lights...

Anyone that wares a 30,000 baht necklace out in public....what dunce.

Will someone be a dunce if the get their B300,000 watch stolen?. Will someone be a dunce if their 4 million baht car gets stolen?, or their nice looking house gets broken into?

Is a girl a dunce if she wears some attractive clothing and gets raped ?...

Crime is only ever a single persons fault, and that is the person committing the crime, the other party is simply innocent of everything except a little naivety when heading into certain areas.

I'm currently watching TV streamed from the UK.

I'm not sure that there is much more evidence of nationalism in Thailand than the UK.

After watching the UK news, TV adverts, football pundits etc it would appear that England is a more nationalistic country than Thailand.

Visa restrictions and regulations are more stringent for Thai's entering the UK than for British Entering Thailand.

I think you are worrying about the wrong things if your wife has a gik !