richard_smith237

This has to be one of the broadest questions asked on this forum ? At least its limited to the half a million restaurants in Bangkok !!!... If the Op can't be bothered to post a specifics... area, food type, budget etc... why should anyone make the effort to offer a sensible response ? Answer: there's a good chicken rice shop in Bangkok thats worth trying.

Which should also be banned... Why does any member of the public need a handgun (or any gun) ???... (rhetorical - stupid gun lovers need not answer).

I was going to argue - but the silliness of the above argument is so ridiculous it doesn't warrant a response. Even those using such a ridiculous argument can't be so unhinged that they believe in their argument.... And if they do, that such people exist is the exact reason that 'all guns should be banned' (unless specifically for hunting in specific areas).

Guns are the problem, only an idiot does not understand this. .... the complete miss-read highlighted by this response...... some folks are impossibly literal...

I don't disagree with this... But having ridden in Bangkok for over a decade I don't see the risks as quite as significant as some make out (still riskier than a car though, obviously). That said, I don't ride in the dark, as you pointed out - too many drunk drivers, but also so many vehicles with an extremely dark tint and people with terrible eyesight, also never ride in the rain where possible as some of the surfaces are often so greasy). This I disagree with - when taking a moto-taxi we just dont know who we are getting, some are young with little experience, many are often drunk or amped up on something, they take chances I never would - I avoid moto-taxi's as much as possible and each time I have taken a moto-taxi in the past I've felt far less secure than when riding myself. ... Added to which moto-taxi's rarely have a proper helmet etc. Good insurance yes - but that should be advice for anyone here, motorcycle rider or not. Licence, of course, that goes without saying, but a Thai MC licence doesn't make anyone a better rider...

Absolutely agree..... I have the Rev'it Airwave (with back protector - it also has shoulder and elbow pads)... and use in Bangkok... Its still too damn hot though. Boots also.... though I must admit to using boots less on a scooter, I used them every time with a 'real motorcycle'. A good protective 'AC Jacket' would be an amazing invention !!!...

How to get to the Sky Train ????.... Take a Taxi ???... what about the gridlocked traffic ??... Take a Moto-taxi ??? Want to put your safety in the hands of an uneducated someone who hardly values their own safety ????

Well, you certainly have more experience than I... So I may have been riding incorrectly, but having the bike stall and then stall again as I'm gently pulling away makes riding in heavy stop start traffic somewhat tricky.. so yes, feathering the clutch... (yes, facetious answer). You perhaps misunderstand what I mean by feathering the clutch... I mean using the clutch to prevent the bike stalling when travelling at very low speeds... slowing to a stop, picking back up to walking pace, slowing to a near stop, picking up speed to jogging pace, slowing back to a stop etc... all requires clutch control - easy enough but a hassle. Riding a auto scooter is easier than that hassle regardless of how many countries you've ridden in, and riding a scooter in heavy Bangkok traffic is easier than riding a 'real bike' in Bangkok whatever your experience level... Some may think differently because of an ego-imbalance that prevents them from accepting that scooters are better suited in certain circumstances - heavy Bangkok traffic is most definitely one of those circumstances... IMO of course !

Thats not corruption.... Its simple incompetence combined with a 'couldn't give a f...' attitude.....

It does make you realise... half of the people in the world are bigger d!<k heads than other half !!! I also agree... Its good to know what people are thinking, but we have to be careful when using information on this forum to project what people are thinking in general life, as many 'out there on the fringes' views on this forum are from those who otherwise have no audience and are perhaps ignored or have isolated themselves from those around them (either through their own volition or because they really are fruitcakes and people avoid them !) For example, there are plenty on this thread who are just not normal - I recall having breakfast (in Mae Sot) and another Westerner wanted to make best friends with me... 'another farang'.... this guy was a fruitcake and I had to make my polite excuses and leave - I sometimes get the impression that a lot of the folk on this forum are like this guy... but the reality is, many of us probably walk past each other, sit in the same restaurant or pub etc without noticing.... I've very met few people who are so outwardly objectionable as some appear on this forum - I think thats a good think... I think even Bob Smith himself could be good fun.... perhaps an outright liability after a beer or two, but he certainly doesn't come across as some of the overly aggressive morons who sometimes post here. Its good to know there are such different people around us, but we should not allow them to 'influence' the rules of 'generality' as we are often reading the unfiltered extreme fringes of the 'bonkers' spectrum.... we certainly are in this thread !!!!

Not everyone wants to live in a tiny studio !!!... Those prices are very normal for reasonable places in Bangkok. Some folks really have no idea outside of their limited range of exposure.

There is a requirement for all children travelling overseas without both parents to carry parental permission. Having been overseas before does not negate this. That said, Thai immigration officers are notoriously inconsistent and are often unaware of their own requirements, thus having previous travel history 'may' tip the scales for some, while others may not even be bothered to check at all, but for those immigration officers who are more fastidious the letter is required. Ultimately - does anyone really want to take the chance that their travel plans could be disrupted because they couldn't be bothered to sort out a simple letter ???.... Its the notarising of the letter at Amphur office which I think is safe to leave out - It would be smart to get all other ducks in a row.

Agreed... That said, I'm sure many people would be quite different in person. The barrier of a keyboard allows some to start triggering people with dumb comments... Goat managed to kick that off in typical fashion when shoe-horning a 'brit-bash' out of thin air on the first page. The Op isn't far from the truth either... people everywhere voice their opinions about things they dislike or find unacceptable, some nationalities and cultures fit slightly varying stereotypes about how confrontational they are when addressing these complaints, with some nationalities and cultures ill equipped to handle direct complain and criticism, while others handle it better.

It has dates on it... Thus, presenting a year old consent letter would look rather questionable IMO, if the Immigration officers spot that, it could raise quite a red-flag.

Depends on the bike... Stop start traffic, there's definitely a need and in Bangkok there is a lot of stop-start traffic at busy periods, especially approaching junctions. I remember having a new BMW and my left hand ached after riding in traffic. ABS has brought huge improvements with safety. If someone prefers a clutch, then fair enough... But for city riding (and driving) and auto is undeniably more convenient and easier.

For many... Getting to and from the BTS is not easy.... I'd need to take a 10-20min taxi journey.... Or if wanting to be quicker, take a moto-taxi (something I'm not going to do). Not everyone lives on a convenient BTS / MRT route.... Someone mentioned 'learn the busses' !!... they have no idea... I used to take our maid 15-20 mins to get to us on her bike. When her bike was being fixed it took 1.5 hrs on busses - extremely impractical.

Agreed.... While there is no doubt that riding a motorcycle is more risky than driving a car, its riskier in any nation. When people look at the 25,000 road fatality stats (80% of them motorcyclists) - they think the roads are lethal, but those stats are made up primarily of motorcyclists who take chances (ride drunk, without helmets, speeding, racing, jumping lights etc)... For a safe rider those stats are less applicable - that doesn't remove risk, recent incidents involving forum members (Kwasaki and BritManToo) highlight that... BUT... we need to evaluate other factors... - How much riskier is it to ride our own bike than take a moto-taxi ??? IF someone is happy sitting in traffic *(in their car or a taxi) then thats fine, doing so is definitely safer. I haven't ridden my motorcycle in over a month, because I haven't needed to - but its there when I needed and that adds an excellent level of convenience which cannot be surpassed if we are someone who is ok with the elevated risk. What I do find ridiculous are the comments such as "riding a motorcycle in Thailand is a Death wish" - those are simply emotional comments which don't really consider the individual factors versus the aggregate stats.

I've done both.... Scooter, then up to a larger bike, then back down to a scooter. The reasons... 1) I never took the Big bike out of Bangkok enough, so no real need for it. 2) A scooter has better storage (more practical in the city). 3) *Gears on a real-bike were a bit of a PITA... *I get your point, ride enough and changing gears is hardly noticeable, but just like an Auto vs a manual car, auto just makes life easier... Plus, feathering the clutch while filtering through traffic is also quickly wears thin.

Advice to Op. As you have never owned a motorcycle before. You don't really want to be learning how to ride a geared bike in the middle of Bangkok, it is of course possible for a novice, but there really is too much other stuff going on. Buy a decent Scooter with ABS and and 'combo-breaking'... If you still want a larger bike, evolve into it. Ideal bike to start with: I'd recommend a Honda ADV 160 (opinions of others will vary of course). Further advice: - Full Face Helmet (decent brand) - Gloves - Proper footwear - Jacket (with back protector)

Having worked in both Israel and throughout the Middle East the 'one strand of DNA' comment rings very true - for two such opposing groups of people there has never been more similarities, not only in physical appearance, but culture and language.

If your rants are evidence of the outgoing attitudes and image you present then they've perhaps been avoiding you !!!... There are plenty of decent people out there in Thailand, Thai and non-Thai..... BUT, people reap what they sew and if they are presenting a wholly negative outward attitude the response they receive will be less than favourable. Those very same folk will struggle wherever they are.

Chopper - our 9 year old son (British Father / Thai mother) attends an excellent International School in Bangkok, yet we are in the same situation regarding the Quality of Thai education he receives, which is 2 rather basic Thai lessons per week - we supplement his Thai with extra curricular classes outside of school. A lot of children at international schools end up doing this. Having a native grasp on the Thai language becomes particularly important if the child wishes to follow a medical, dentistry or a legal career in Thailand where its simply not possible to do so without attending Thai University (in Thai language) these skills are often supplemented with an overseas education, however its not possible to secure positions in Thailand in these professions without a Thai Accredited qualification in that discipline - hence, keeping optoins open although we fully expect that our Son will attend a reputable Western University.

... Or argue that with lights the difference is irrelevant, as is your pile of ridiculous bumf above..... unless of course, you plan on driving around in the dark or poor light conditions without your lights on.

If you think this forum has a preponderance of Thai bashers, you should have a trawl with the trolls that spend their day posting "comments" on the newspaper that can't be mentioned here. That collective of sadness makes this forum look like a long weekend in Blackpool in October. For some any opinion which casts a shadow over any aspect of Thailand or Thai's will be termed a Thai Bash. Then for others, any defense and opposition to a negative opinion is 'wearing rose tinted glasses'. For the vast majority of us there is the balanced middle ground between the two extremes - Thai Bashing and Rose Tinted Glasses, where normal life here yields the same normal observations that Thai's themselves have, whereby through exposure and experience its obvious that not everything is perfect, there are fair and reasonable criticisms, while at the same time, not everything is as negative as some make out.

Then there are these quotes which provide some food for thought.. "If someone is an a55hole, they're an a55hole, if everyone is an <deleted>, you're the a55hole" or "If you run into an a55hole in the morning, you ran into an a55hole. If you run into a55holes all day, you're the a55hole."