teutonian

If you cant live in Thailand there is no way you can live in Canada. I spent most of 2014 working there and it was ridiculously expensive. Even Immigration told me the money changers at Calgary airport rip you off.

But if you think it is cheap then please go back and live there. This topic has been thrashed and abused beyond belief. Lets move on to something else

Well, I can't live in my own country so I have to live in Thailand. I'm forced out basically. Living in my home country is like living in a country full of rich people. I'm definitely not rich. I can afford an apartment for $100/mo or less. Can't find that in america anymore. They want billionaires and millionaires living in america who can pay $1,000++ for rent and $250k plus houses. I can actually live in Thailand whereas in my home country I'm stuck living with my mother.

No wonder Thaland's government wants to tighten visa rules all the time. It's hardly beneficial for Thailabd to be a refuge for economically challenged hobos.

Not economically challenged at all. 20,000 baht/mo in Thailand = middle class.

Middle class of what. Nakhon nowhere? Middle class in Thailabd is not under 40-60k baht per month. Unless middle class to you starts at level of 7/11 cashier and ends at office receptionist.

What kind of visa gets someone to live in Thailand on 20k per month? I thought it's 80k or 40k minimum.

If you cant live in Thailand there is no way you can live in Canada. I spent most of 2014 working there and it was ridiculously expensive. Even Immigration told me the money changers at Calgary airport rip you off.

But if you think it is cheap then please go back and live there. This topic has been thrashed and abused beyond belief. Lets move on to something else

Well, I can't live in my own country so I have to live in Thailand. I'm forced out basically. Living in my home country is like living in a country full of rich people. I'm definitely not rich. I can afford an apartment for $100/mo or less. Can't find that in america anymore. They want billionaires and millionaires living in america who can pay $1,000++ for rent and $250k plus houses. I can actually live in Thailand whereas in my home country I'm stuck living with my mother.

No wonder Thaland's government wants to tighten visa rules all the time. It's hardly beneficial for Thailabd to be a refuge for economically challenged hobos.

Every single day the currency is down. It is quite depressing to watch actually. I was planning on buying a condo when dollar was 31 instead of 25. It's a $8000 difference on 2mil baht condo.

Feel like crying.

isnt that more like $15,000 difference?! I have 50 million baht in condo purchases due over the next 18 months... I stopped crying about currency a long time ago. Often it works out well the other way. For instance if I wanted to change Thb to Canadian now it would be quite a bargain. Rental and other income from Thailand looks good on paper when comparing to Canadian Dollar at the moment my Canadian salary looks like crap compared to THB of course. . The trick is to earn money in about three different currencies and things should balance out.

Live in Canada and find a Canadian GF/wife?

Possible, but it would be an ass thing to do.

The bigger issue is that I have nothing in common with a typical Canadian woman.

Not judging, but it is what it is.

Understand. Most "normal" Thai girls would much prefer to live in Thailand. It's the screwed up ones from dysfunctional families that want to leave. So at least you have a normal one--that's good. Tough situation. If she's making a decent salary, the two of you should be able to make a go of it in Thailand, even if your job doesn't pay all that well. Unless you have some great career prospects in Canada. I've always felt that working/slaving away in the west and retiring in Thailand was the way to go. But hey, you would know best your own circumstances.

First of all, things will start getting more expensive in Canada if the exchange rate stays around 1.25 to 1 USD. So at the moment, the THB is a good currency to earn.

Secondly, I find my wife loves living in Canada as long as she gets to fly home to Thailabd every few weeks. With 6-8 trips a year I have it covered. Works for now, later will see. It's been nearly 10 years of this commuting lifestyle and I haven't grown tired of it yet.

Thirdly, don't you work in Thailand also? Wages in Canada aren't that grewt. Rents are high and you have to pay for heating (no such thing as fan only in winter).

Take your State tax and Federal tax out and you have nothing left. If you can afford your g/f - wife to return to Thailand every few weeks then it shouldnt be a problem living in Thailand

Provincial and federal tax aren't as bad as property tax. I pay almost $10k per year in property tax on my condo in Canada which cost $450k less than ten years ago. Plus condo fees of another 15k per year plus special assessment on the condo of another $800 a month. Haven't leased a car, heated the place, turned on the lights and its already &3k a month. In Bangkok: no property tax (yet), low cost of maintenance and condo fees. Investments in real estate over here return 6-12 percent p.a. Which is completely unachievabe in Canada.

That said I don't want to be stuck here on a 365 day basis. If I d don't already fly back and forth every month I would do it at least three or four times a year anyways.

Everyone has different criteria. But living on 30,000 baht would put you below the poverty line anywhere in the West. In Thailand it lets you enjoy life. (I think. Never tried to live on 30k per month but it seems doable)

Live in Canada and find a Canadian GF/wife?

Possible, but it would be an ass thing to do.

The bigger issue is that I have nothing in common with a typical Canadian woman.

Not judging, but it is what it is.

Understand. Most "normal" Thai girls would much prefer to live in Thailand. It's the screwed up ones from dysfunctional families that want to leave. So at least you have a normal one--that's good. Tough situation. If she's making a decent salary, the two of you should be able to make a go of it in Thailand, even if your job doesn't pay all that well. Unless you have some great career prospects in Canada. I've always felt that working/slaving away in the west and retiring in Thailand was the way to go. But hey, you would know best your own circumstances.

First of all, things will start getting more expensive in Canada if the exchange rate stays around 1.25 to 1 USD. So at the moment, the THB is a good currency to earn.

Secondly, I find my wife loves living in Canada as long as she gets to fly home to Thailabd every few weeks. With 6-8 trips a year I have it covered. Works for now, later will see. It's been nearly 10 years of this commuting lifestyle and I haven't grown tired of it yet.

Thirdly, don't you work in Thailand also? Wages in Canada aren't that grewt. Rents are high and you have to pay for heating (no such thing as fan only in winter).

the only ridiculouse conclusion is that byou saw the scoot earlier in the vidoe and of coarse that has no bearing on truck enconter duuh.look at the 1.33 point and think about whose ridiculous.yes thoough the video is weell done.we can agreement to that.

Try not to loose the plot Mr. Thrills!! Ridiculous conclusions: 1. That I am a "riding buddy" of the guy in the video; and 2. That I condone his pace in that video; 3. That the proximity of the bike to the scooter earlier in the video somehow affects the situation between the bike and the truck. Those would be the definition of 'ridiculous conclusions' without basis in fact.

Regardless of how the rider got himself in that situation, do you have any comment, that actually relates to my post, on what, if anything, the rider could (or should) have done differently once he was in that position?

donnot get off a youre bike, mike.calm down.point [3] you say That the proximity of the bike to the scooter earlier in the video somehow affects the situation between the bike and the truck..look at 1.33 not earliey in the vid as you keep mistakenly drawing attenshen to but look at ONE MINUTE andTHIRTY THREE and you can inform me that this crazy outa control jo- doe didnot near take out the scooter when he at the last moments LUCKILY swerved around the pickup..are you kidden or blind he was just so LUCKY to miss the pickup and not hit the scooter.he was inches awy from that rider at a breakneck speed.LUCKY again.PS sorry for imsinuating youre a riding buddy,i would also deny knowing someone so out of control.other than that no much else to say isthere

Some of the exchanges here make me embarrassed to be part of this forum. Can't we keep it half civil?

I watched the video. Seems to me just another day at the office with fun and foresightful riding. I Didn't see any particular danger points here although in western countries this kind of weaving and passing might be considered aggressive. In Thailand other drivers don't mind being buzzed by bikes, and as a result tend to not move out of the way.

I would avoid driving far left. I prefer to have as much room to my left as possible. It gives me more time to react and usually keeps people approaching from the opposite direction from passing in my lane.

Two things I hate: u turns on highways and people passing against traffic on two lane roads.

Just back from a 10 day 3,000+ km ride, safe and sound, glad to say. Didn't check the forum much while on the road, was doing the next day's route planning instead.

I see the usual suspects are still active on this thread which is good as I believe this thread would be useful for riders new to Thailand roads.

My top registered speed on this ride was 163 kph, as recorded by my GPS. This was on the AH123 / Route 323 from Thang Pha Phum towards Kanchanaburi. Any of you who have ridden this road on a big bike will be laughing at how slowly I went. I reckon this must be the longest stretch of road where one can travel at a fairly brisk pace, safely.

@wilcopops - I appreciate your contribution to this thread but in all honesty, what are your "points"? You have countered me and at least one other poster for not replying to your "points". As far as I can recall, you made, 4 points - protective clothing, road conditions, emergency services and leaving behind loved ones. I had responded to all the above. Your other posts merely state that we are ignorant of safety and that you are a safety expert but you don't actually give any examples nor suggestions. I really would like to hear what your experience and studies have taught you.

no you haven't and you've made some very rash assumptions too.......

"Your other posts merely state that we are ignorant of safety and that you are a safety expert" - no they don't.\however this statement is lot more revealing about yourself than anyone else.

Why ask about me? it's the mesage that's important - as I said before.

Still have no idea what are your "points". Care to do us a favour and reply without deflection?

He is tantamount to a troll.; stop feeding him. He is too cautious to ride, has nothing to add to the subject at hand other than to tell everyone bikes are too dangerous, and probably just wants anyone getting pleasure out of riding to be a miserable gimp like himself...

There is a simple answer to the OP: a safe speed is that at which it is optimized to safety, comfort, surroundings and equipment. There is no finite "safe speed".

Have done that - don't underestimate someone's riding experience either......i learned from experience, study and reason - something that seems to have eluded some bikers here.

I too have 'learned from experience, study and reason', yet I have come to a conclusion diametrically opposed to yours; for myself, accepting a calculated risk is part and parcel of being a passionate motorcyclist - something I expect to be and do until they have to pry my arthritic hands off the bars!!

"I too have 'learned from experience, study and reason',

All your posts would seem to contradict that.

as for you risk assessment skills I think you will eventually find they are not up to par.

So based on experience one should ban motorbike riding.

This thread is asking about safe speeds. Not whether riding is safe or should be banned.

It's a risky hobby but risks can be mitigated, although not eliminated by taking appropriate measures.

It's a nice bike- I've been eyeing touring bikes, and it's on the list, along with the new MTS and KTM. Of course, then I'd need to find the time to actually tour...

It's for sale. PM me if you are interested.

^

Which bike do you ride?

I ride BMW 1200 GSAs on both sides of the pacific

I got my first motorbike when I was 7 years old, and have been riding ever since....however in Thailand I limit my bike ownership to a 110cc step-through.

The reasons?

one - I don't like riding unless I can wear full protective clothing. Although I could splash out on the latest carbon-fibre technology, the cost and other reasons add up to not getting involved.

The other reasons? - roads here are extremely badly built (surfaces,potholes etc) and designed (junctions, camber, curves etc.) - in Thailand billboards obscure vision at junctions trees overhang bends etc etc - the chances of other motorists not seeing a car are bad enough but the chances of your m/bike not being seen are in my opinion unacceptably high.

Then there's what happens if you DO come off - the final and overriding reason for me however is the Thai (emergency) healthcare service. If you have an accident in Europe there are specific times by which an ambulance and paramedics will get to you. ........ and once in hospital you get the best treatment, no questions asked.

NONE of this is available in Thailand. What happens is a lottery - an "ambulance ca be just about anything from a pickup to a van that resembles and ambulance - is it equipped? Are they properly trained paramedics? I and others have witnessed accident victims being shoved and pushed and loaded - NO SIGN OF A NECK BRACE!!!!! please! In a country where the chances of coming off are considerably higher than my home country why would I ride a bike when the emergency services are in the dark ages - in fact they probably wouldn't have cut mustard in the days of the Great Plague itself!

With all due respect

1/ proper big bikes are quite a bit safer to ride than when you were 7 years old. ABS. ASC. Amazing suspension, good tires, brakes and lots of horses to pull you out of trouble.

2/ a 110cc step through isn't a motorbike. It's a local soi toy.

3/ it would appear you have neither technical nor experiential authority to even comment on the issue of speed and the nuances of when speed is safe and when not.

I said it before and say it again. The reasons I feel safer to ride in Thailand is because for the most part, drivers respect big bikes. People driving stupidly makes one have to pay attention. And some of the roads are gorgeous nobody has ever tried to push me off the road in Thailand. I can't say that for North America.

Riding 60kmh on an open road in nice condition is dangerous. Can we keep discussion about those two wheeled motorized fisher prize toys out of this?

Tip - Firstly why not address the issues I posted about? - secondly don't make assumptions, present the reasoning behind your 3 statements (which in your case, are quite irrelevant to anything I posted) - I think you should read the reports....you don't appear to be able to formulate a coherent argument - concentrate on the message first, eh?

Unfortunately, it's fairly clear though by the assumptions you make and illogical conclusions you come to that a coherent argument is unlikely to come from you. If your ability to have a rational discussion is anything to go by I don't rate you abilities to read the road and ride a bike. I suspect like many motorists your grossly overestimate your own abilities and believe that it is in fact everyone else who is to blame...sound familiar?

Indeed I do. You are right. That's why I ride the safest bike money can buy. And stay away from traffic as much as I can.

Now. If those pesky scooters would bother looking in the mirror before crossing the road...

Update. The plot thickens. Got the scanned Green Book. It's in some Thai man's name with an address in Phuket. ** Wait a minute, some farang is selling someone else's bike? Mmh.

The book is new but a "replacement" and the numbers seem to match or at least be all from Honda.

Verifying the book requires accessing the computer at the DMV. This can be accomplished, since I know someone who knows someone who is working there or some other bike import related ministry.

That Er6n looks mightily tempting with a 100% green book, 2 years warranty for only THB 75,000 more. Just thinking aloud here.

Thank you for all posts, I will re-read them a few times.

Have fun!

Chris

It's common for people not to register the transfer and keep the pre-signed documents to hand to the next buyer. As long as the original seller ID card hasn't expired, you just register it in your name.

Why do people do it? Because it reduces the number of previous owners shown in the green book.

I think some posters here need to read the aptly named Hurt report. Published in 1981, it is to motorcycling what Kinsey was to sex.

There have been studies since but none so thorough or wide-ranging.

It should be noted that in the States, the general trend for motorcycle deaths has been upwards over the last 2 decades, only in the last couple of recorded years has there been a slight drop.

There are some interesting observations on speed in the report too....... although "Injury severity increases with speed, alcohol involvement and motorcycle size", low speed is little to no protection against death or injury on a motorcycle..

(to get an idea imagine falling head-first of a small step onto concrete - that's at ZERO mph!)

The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph, and the one-in-a-thousand crash speed is approximately 86 mph-

Whereas the actual figures may have changed slightly now, the principle was established by this report..

a glance over this and the MAIDS report (EU 2000) might also give the lie to some of the nonsense posted on this thread

+1

I got my first motorbike when I was 7 years old, and have been riding ever since....however in Thailand I limit my bike ownership to a 110cc step-through.

The reasons?

one - I don't like riding unless I can wear full protective clothing. Although I could splash out on the latest carbon-fibre technology, the cost and other reasons add up to not getting involved.

The other reasons? - roads here are extremely badly built (surfaces,potholes etc) and designed (junctions, camber, curves etc.) - in Thailand billboards obscure vision at junctions trees overhang bends etc etc - the chances of other motorists not seeing a car are bad enough but the chances of your m/bike not being seen are in my opinion unacceptably high.

Then there's what happens if you DO come off - the final and overriding reason for me however is the Thai (emergency) healthcare service. If you have an accident in Europe there are specific times by which an ambulance and paramedics will get to you. ........ and once in hospital you get the best treatment, no questions asked.

NONE of this is available in Thailand. What happens is a lottery - an "ambulance ca be just about anything from a pickup to a van that resembles and ambulance - is it equipped? Are they properly trained paramedics? I and others have witnessed accident victims being shoved and pushed and loaded - NO SIGN OF A NECK BRACE!!!!! please! In a country where the chances of coming off are considerably higher than my home country why would I ride a bike when the emergency services are in the dark ages - in fact they probably wouldn't have cut mustard in the days of the Great Plague itself!

With all due respect

1/ proper big bikes are quite a bit safer to ride than when you were 7 years old. ABS. ASC. Amazing suspension, good tires, brakes and lots of horses to pull you out of trouble.

2/ a 110cc step through isn't a motorbike. It's a local soi toy.

3/ it would appear you have neither technical nor experiential authority to even comment on the issue of speed and the nuances of when speed is safe and when not.

I said it before and say it again. The reasons I feel safer to ride in Thailand is because for the most part, drivers respect big bikes. People driving stupidly makes one have to pay attention. And some of the roads are gorgeous nobody has ever tried to push me off the road in Thailand. I can't say that for North America.

Riding 60kmh on an open road in nice condition is dangerous. Can we keep discussion about those two wheeled motorized fisher prize toys out of this?

I think there is a huge difference between big tourers and small crotch rockets as well as scooters.

Different purposes, designs, and driving styles.

I hate being on a small bike. Get no respect from other vehicles at all. Once I climb on my 1200 GSA, the world is a whole different place. Cruising speeds keeping well ahead of traffic and avoid being passed by any but the most ardent racers, means 130-180 km/h. More than that and I find it's hard to react to nasty things like pickups crossing four lane highways etc.

I like riding with my alert wife as passenger or co-rider on her own big touring bike. 4 eyes are better than 2.

Left lane riding is nuts and dangerous. Slow riding is dangerous, and drunk riding is suicidal. I have a zero alcohol policy when I ride. No exception. And top quality gear (BMW branded gear is very well put together).

Pot holes and chickens are no match for a GSA, by the way.

Save riding to all

PS:

I find in Thailand drivers aren't gunning for you, something I can't say for North American drivers who seem set on running you off the road (same bikes, but obviously tamer riding style in Norh America). Thailand is riding nirvana.

Thonglor is a bit far.. Soi thonglor is suk 55. 20 is more like asoke. Bit too close to the touristy hotel areas to name the correct area. Makes you doubt the report straight off the bat. But that's probably all we will hear of the death. Poor bastard too young to die -rip.

Sukh 20 belongs to Thonglor Police Station district. That's likely why they call it that.