richard_smith237

The InLaws used to own a factory - they had a number of illegal Burmese labourers because Thai's didn't want the job. The pay was very likely extremely poor (minimum wage). The issue was that Thai's didn't want to do a minimum wage job for a minimum wage. Every year, they'd spend Money to try and legalise their labourers but the process was intensive and time consuming (completely impractical), relatively expensive and as soon as some of the staff got their work credentials some of the labourers disappeared !!!... It got to the point when even trying to do things right, the reality was that it's not made easy. There are standards of nurses... the lowest probably don't get paid much at all. I've just had an Op... - On the 'sterile side' (surgery side) of the hospital the nurses were outstanding. - On the 'recovery side' (residential) side of the hospital, the nursers are remarkably average ranging to outright stupid. Agreed... Extremely shameful.... I've heard that before and believe it to be true of some establishments, but the rumour is a popular one to convey amongst expats highlighting how they've scratched the surface of this land.

Thanks for sharing your OCD tendencies, but this thread is about curry sauces. Do you have anything to add to that? A clean and hygienic kitchen is hardly OCD... its simply having basic standards !!! Mistakes are made in a messy kitchen... less so when your cooking simply involves throwing in a jar with some meat and bringing it up to temp (no criticism there, some of the sauces discussed are excellent). But, making curries from scratch requires space and organisation, measuring out the recipes accurately is key... mistaking a tablespoon for a teaspoon can have drastic consequences and those error surface in a messy kitchen.

Thought it could have been you !!!... I'm wondering why so many Swedish traffic drugs...

I'm not so sure thats true... It seems the Opposite for me. My first licence ontained in the 90's shows no endorsements for any motorcycle (see below) The renewal, obtained in 2015 clearly has endorsements for smaller MC's (50cc scooters etc). Exactly this... Agreed... its definitely worth giving it a try, just to save the time and hassle. Not so much as an eyebrow was raised when I showed my UK licence (when applying for MC and Car licence at the same time).

This is my UK licence below. - Endorsements for AM, A1, A1, A which are cr_ppy little moped 50cc thingys or a trike [A 71(3)]. At DLT Area 3 (nr Sukhuhumvit 99 in Bangkok) I received a Thai Motorcycle License based on my UK car licence. I processed / applied for both MC and Car licences at the same time at the same time and had to do the basic 'transition' tests, i.e. watch video - colour blindness, peripheral vision, reaction & proximity (2 sticks) tests (no exam or outdoor practical etc). I don't think the DLT know about or care about the endorsements on the UK driving licence. I think the DLT simply see the 'Silhouette' of a motorcycle and thats good enough for them (or was). Thus: IF your overseas DL is in English and it has picture or Silhouette of any form of motorcycle on it, it may well be good enough to obtain a Thai MC licence.

There you have it 5davidhen1.... the scientific explanation to the issue your are facing is 'sux'.. As you rightly pointed out, the issue is likely to be the smaller wheels and quite possibly a steeper rake compared to the previous model you are familiar with. Both contribute to greater manoeuvrability, the pay off is a loss of stability - as another poster mentioned, you'll get used to it.

You’re convinced that you’d be such a poor parent that there is a strong probability your offspring would kill someone ????

So do you, along with most Thais, believe that the left hand lane, hard shoulder is a motorcycle lane? (My comment was tongue in cheek)…. But, no. You described a hard shoulder it’s not a driving / riding lane & its something I avoid because I consider it more dangerous… it has debris, gravel, sand etc, poor visibility of cars & bikes pulling out & they do so without looking. When on such a highway, I ride in the main driving lane at the same speed as the traffic around me on a bike capable of those speeds. That said, I hardly ride on highways as we use our car for any reasonable distance, it’s just more comfortable. MC is used In town for convenience, if not traffic / lane splitting I’ll stick to the middle lane, but that’s also very ‘situation dependent’.

… and that exactly the way those in power like it… Cheap labour for the wealthy factory owners & real estate tycoons….. Who I wonder….

That was quick…. Feather in the cap for the PM…. …. Thing can go back to normal now !!!

Wasn’t anything to do with the constructing of an offshore pipeline in Chonburi by any chance ????

Depends on the circumstances. Drugs are a concern, youngster get up to silly stuff. I do my best to educate, but we can’t be there to watch our kids all the time. We’re a while away yet, but at some point my son will want to go out with his mates at night. If he were caught with drugs or as part of a group some of whom had drugs etc and was facing charges, I’d do everything in my power to get him out, that means pulling strings, getting him on a flight that night etc (depending on severity etc). In the circumstance described in the Op, I’d certainly not lie or perjure myself, but I’d pull strings to ensure leniency assuming I haven’t failed as a parent & he’s a lost cause already. But really, if my son ever behaved like that in the future, it’s because I’ve failed as a parent today. Our job of course is to do a good enough job as parents to ensure these things don’t happen. I’d like to think that IF anything horrific were to happen it is a pure accident and I’d do whatever I can legally to assist him (things like DUI etc are not an accidents).

Because Thai’s don’t want that sort of work…. Factories, building sites, construction, restaurants etc…. There is a huge availability of jobs for migrant labourers because Thai’s won’t do those jobs (in so many cases)…. Authorities know this so have to turn a blind eye while playing the game and also getting some payouts too. Our previous maid (Burmese) was ‘caught’ on her day off outside of the district she is registered. We had to go & get her from the Police station, it cost me 2000 baht for her to be released. When I collected her there were about 30 burmese all sat on the floor in a room. Quite the earner. If there are no foreign labourers, there are fewer opportunities to extort them & or their employers.

‘Tis just a racket…. The police want to extort businesses. BiL has a relatively successful restaurant that employs a number of foreign staff…. BiB visited & wanted some money, BiL politely told them to piysh-awf…. A few days later a handful of BiB rock up ‘after hearing complaints of foreign staff working illegally’…. BiL had paperwork for all his staff, police left empty handed. That was a couple of years ago (pre covid) I don’t think the BiB have bothered him since.

@BritManToo..... Can you please post that Poll you mentioned ???????

And a well cropped photo so no one can criticise the state of your counter-top or table !!!

I was wondering how long it would take for the 'just have a shag' (or w@%£) responses to come along (no pun intended).

A helmet isn’t necessarily going to save someone from getting killed, though it will no doubt will reduce the chances. IF involved in a motorcycle accident a helmet is the single most effective way to reduce fatalities and severe injuries. According to the CDC, IF involved in a motorcycle accident wearing a helmet cuts down the risk of dying by 37% IF involved in a motorcycle accident wearing a helmet cuts down the risk of a brain injury by 70%. As you mentioned 'it will no doubt reduce the chances'... and helmet wearing is proven to significantly reduce the severity of the outcome.

I think this issue comes from being professional and caring about your work. It's a good sign IMO, but obviously your stress levels are interfering with you. Recently I've started struggling with the 'in-between phase'... that point at which I am dropping off to sleep and the mind starts wondering... Just as I've nodded off, for whatever reason, I start worrying... I worry about retirement (20 years away), I worry about work, what happens if I lose my job etc.... I'm not a worrier at all, so its surprised me that this started happening. Obviously drinking helps to sleep, but that is far from practical and while I do enjoy a drink I hardly want to drink every day just so I can sleep. I have tried some sleeping tablets and '.....azapams or some '....zines' and they work well for a solid nights sleep, but again, completely unsustainable and most definitely not for repeated or long term use. The Marijuana... I've never enjoyed smoking weed, so have been slow to consider this, but, I've tried the edibles (gummys) a couple of times and they have helped with sleep and taking the 'edge' of worrying. So the question begs - Are these worries you are having, at night time (i.e. stress dreams or as you are dropping off and your imagination drifts), OR, is it something you worry about even in the middle of the day time when your 'logic centres' have better control over your thoughts ???

We can ask LL what speed he was going to outdrive his headlights and not be able to stop in time... He knows about this stuff...

Those are some incredible statistics. To put that in context there were 1,695 fatalities in Great Britain in 2022 on the roads. The stat looks damning... Of the 303 male and 130 female foreigners who died on Thailands roads on motorcycles in 2022, it would be interesting to know how many... - Did not have helmets. - Were drinking. - Were speeding. - Had ridden anywhere else before.

No such thing as a 'fast lane'. It's an 'overtaking lane' Pedantic much ????? Fast lane is a colloquialism and every one knows it means 'right hand most lane' when referring to left hand driving roads. ... but if you want to really get juvinile and pathetically nit-picky... it could be argued that 'every lane is an overtaking lane in Thailand'.... Or that when in Thailand passing on the left is 'technically under-taking'... But to continue any debate when it's clear to any reader with a brain exactly what was meant would be as pointless as the comment you have made.

Utter speculation, apart from the speeding. Can't believe you also missed this bit of speculation... It's quite astonishing that you have not also argued that this probably doesn't repeat nightly in every province across Thailand.

Must have been something utterly wrong with those lights (or your eyes) if you couldn't see driving at only 31mph! Well, I don't have any links, there is no dash-cam footage and I can't offer you unequivocal proof of the speed I was traveling... The speed may have actually been 51kmh or even 60kmh, possibly even 80kmh at intervals.... I can't even remember if it was exactly 9pm or if it was closer to 8pm or perhaps even closer to 10pm... ... I can't offer anything quite so specific as to meet your 'out there on the spectrum' needs..... I can offer my point which in your 'Asperger's-esque' haste to criticise within the narrow-minded confines of your inflexible rigid little mind, you missed... ...I had to drive at a speed I felt was slow because it was so dark and driving any faster felt dangerous... meanwhile, there were other vehicles which shot past at speeds far greater than I was travelling... ... And guess what LL.... I have no dash-cam footage or proof of the exact speed the other vehicles were passing at either... its just an estimate... ... Sorry, no links to news sources either...

You never know.. anything could happen, but the story seems rather tall. Driver could have simply been chatting with his missus and justifying why he'll be 'away' for so long. I've been in taxi's where the driver takes a call and he talks about me, where he picked me up, where he's taking me (its not actually that uncommon). That said, it could have been a planned robbery and the driver was attempting to liaise with someone else to rob the tourists of their belongings.