jing jing

OP is very young and obviously has some issues with girls lying and cheating.

Common sense would tell you that if you're spending extended periods of time away from the sort of woman described above, someone will come along and snag her no matter who you are. She a beer promo girl, <deleted>. This is a line of work that offers an attractive young lady many, shall we say, networking opportunities.

Maybe not the best choice for someone who tends to be very suspicious.

Just look for expensive designer shops, I know there are alot of beautiful ladies in Siam Paragon, girls love shopping!

Can you say, "high maintenance"?

Khao San Road is a better idea

If you want to meet cute farang girls try L.A. -- Santa Monica or South Bay area. Bangkok is not the place if you're looking for a target rich environment.

Interesting... the guy in the shop where I bought my NSR said it's almost evenly matched for speed with the LS, which is my impression as well... as noted the NSR is way stronger in the midrange, but the LS being a featherweight bike is really, really quick once it gets on the pipe. The shop will probably let you ride them both and you can see for yourself. If the NSR is worn out and the LS is fresh it may not be a fair comparison, of course.

Then there's the issue of the RC valve on the NSR - which has been discussed a bit in another thread - that the LS doesn't have. Basically it's an electronically controlled valve that changes the profile of the exhaust port at lower rpm to give the engine more bottom end grunt. The problem is that the system is prone to failure over time, and then you end up (as is the case with mine) with a motor that won't pull on the top end.

As far as the Nikasil is concerned, I haven't pulled my NSR apart yet so am not 100% sure if the cylinder is plated or not, but all the Honda 125's I've worked on that were made since the late '80's have been Nikasil plated. It would still be theoretically possible to have the cylinder sleeved with an iron sleeve and then rebored to the proper size, but I really don't know if oversize piston and rings are available. To my knowledge, genuine Honda pistons and rings were not made in oversize for Nikasil equipped bikes but there were plenty of aftermarket manufacturers back in the States who sold sleeves and pistons, and that may be the case here as well.

In Surin we've got a motorcycle salvage shop that has just about every part you can imagine, dirt cheap. I'm hoping that if my cylinder is toast maybe I can find a decent one on the shelves over there -- same with the RC valve and a few other bits that need replacing.

Edit: I paid 24K out the door for my LS in Surin, probably overpaid about 5K but it's super clean, low mileage, and runs like a bat out of hel_l, and paid 15K plus tax and insurance for the NSR (Pro-Arm model) in Pattaya. I figure between motor work, paint, and other odds and ends I'll put at least another 10K into the NSR, maybe more because I really like that bike and will probably end up fully restoring it and adding whatever trick performance goodies I can find for it.

Having owned all sorts of watches over the years I've found that strictly for durability, keeping accurate time, and being comfortable on the wrist, for me nothing beats the Timex Ironman. Obviously it's not designed for impressing folks with my lofty social status and abundance of "f-you" money, but I no longer need to impress anyone and can't be bothered wearing a watch every day that I've got to worry about damaging or having my hand chopped off over.

That said, for special occasions I do keep a Cartier Panthere in the safe, just in case I'm invited to one of Heng's cocktail parties.

"I sold my CBR 1000 because I could see myself being killed on it in Thailand, perhaps the OP could see the same thing coming his way."

Pretty much spot on. As I've got older, had kids and been here a while I am much more aware of the massive dangers of motorcycling here, and as anyone who has ridden a big bike knows, the acceleration is absolutely phenomenal, and the average Thai driver cannot make that judgement about your speed, only being used to motorcycles approaching at 80kp/h. I have had pick-ups crossing the carriageway to make a u-turn, oncoming buses overtaking forcing me onto the shoulder etc while I am travelling at 200+. Yes, far too fast for the roads here, completely stupid but when I get on a big bike I just can't help but give it a handful, but the danger is always there in my mind, even when riding nowadays. My biggest fear was being crippled or brain damaged for a moments thrill, and myself and my family carrying the burden til the end. When someone on the forum was looking for the exact make and model I saw it as a sign and let it go. I also have a 100cc Yamaha that I have happily tootled around safely on for 15,000 km over the last 3 years, but for whatever reason I just can't seem to ride responsibly on a big bike.

I has it for 2 years and will miss the amazing performance of the blade, and probably in time will gravitate towards another larger capacity bike, perhaps only for track days, etc but for now I would like a 2 stroke that will be a bit of fun. I know there are plenty of people killed every day here on small bikes but riding at 240 in shorts and T shirt increases the odds massively.

Mike

Thats one possibility, although I would prefer a bike someone has got bored of and I can enjoy it without the hassle of building it myself. The NSR150SP seems like a good bet although I think it will be a challenge to find a good one. Do you know approximately how much it costs to rebuild a 2 stroke motor ?

Cheers.

Nice post. I've been riding motorcycles, on both dirt and street, since I was 12 years old and currently have a Ducati 900 SS back in California but you can never really use a big bike the way it was intended here in Thailand. The road conditions are simply too dangerous.

Over here I own both an LS125 and an NSR150SP. The LS was in excellent shape when I got it and is surprisingly quick above 8000 rpm, but the problem is below that it's gutless. My NSR is a bit tired, desperately in need of an engine rebuild, and has no juice at high revs, but I can tell it's much stronger in the midrange than the LS and once freshened up no doubt she'll be a proper screamer.

Both the LS and NSR behave like real sportbikes in the handling department - stable at speed - but are extremely light and nimble and manueverable in town. Even for a very experienced rider with seat time on seriously powerful machines these bikes are a kick to ride, and I think you'd be happy with either one (or both!) as I am. It's true that an SP in good shape is very hard to find, especially at a reasonable price, but if you keep looking eventually you'll find one in decent enough shape to work with. Mine was all original and complete down to the toolkit and owner's manual but needs some TLC -- a complete engine rebuild first and a fresh paintjob somewhere down the line are definitely on the to do list.

I've got 2 young sons and the older one (almost 2 now) absolutely loves to get on the bike and ride with me. I put him in front between me and the tank - he's got his own little helmet with faceshield - and we cruise the roads upcountry where we live with huge grins on our faces. Another bike freak in the making!

Edit: regarding the cost of rebuilding a 2-stroke, I believe a simple top end job would cost less than 1500 baht but if you want to replace the crank and main bearings that may double the cost, and if you need a new cylinder for the NSR that can be quite expensive - I've heard various numbers up to 10K baht - because it's Nikasil plated and not reborable. Clutches, chains, sprockets, seals and the like are all very cheap and locally available.

..... I can speak thai but will always be a farang and never fully accepted, ...

I think that is one of the biggest downfalls for people here... trying to be accepted into Thai society. It's probably the equivalent of trying to swim up a waterfall. The people I know who are happiest here, accept they will never really be accepted and just live life as they see fit.

Real happiness is inside you - and better given than received.

Well said. I would suggest that it helps to feel comfortable in the role of outsider, even to relish it at times, to best cope with life as a long-term expat.

Hmmmm...........I'm sat here in my office in the Uk & it's around lunchtime - all the lights are on - and I'm looking out of the window. It's not raining now, although it has been and everywhere is still wet. It's not really cold but the dampness in the air makes it seem really chilly. It's grey, the low cloud covers the sky and the greyness seems to suck all the colours out of everything.

The big thing is............it's going to get much, much worse........over the next few months it's going to get darker, greyer, colder, wetter and more miserable.

In addition, petrols gone up to over £1.00/litre, beer prices are crazy, public transport=highway robbery, taxes through the roof, crime and the fear of crime are horrible and if you go to a restaurant you get mugged in the pocket for indifferent food served by surly staff.

Of course I generalise, simplify and possibly even exagerate a bit, but.............

I think you can maybe guess where I'd sooner be.

I hear you, and thanks, I can relate and understand exactly what you are saying as I have lived there in the UK for 20 years - my worst line is "the grass isnt always greener" You have to remember also that whilst the UK is shit, yes it is, for many reasons and Thailand was my dream also, and I worked hard to try and make it here, but after a while I realised I never could really find a good job, buy a house or land, I can speak thai but will always be a farang and never fully accepted, I cant open a bank account without a job etc etc the list goes on, too much to mention, but its ok I wont miss it until I go home. I will miss Thailand so much, but I know like others we have to make the right decision in the end, come here and live for a while and you will understand things better.

It all boils down to having an income sufficient to overcome the perceived problems you've cited. I assure you that financial independence would make them all go away, including the feeling of not being accepted because you're a foreigner.

Come back after a few years with a bit more cash in the bank and your experience may be much different.

Unless you've got a skill set that's in very high demand here or work for an MNC with full expat package it's a very difficult place to find lucrative employment. That's why most of us earn our money elsewhere.

Best of luck to you back in blighty, and maybe after some time passes you'll again feel the urge to experience the unique things Thailand has to offer.

They sell glycerine suppositories for babies at the pharmacy... work almost immediately.

As buying property should of course also always be seen from an investors point of view, I would like to ask about your opinions regarding these locations. Most people expect the property prices to rise in the future. Is this only restricted to Bangkok or do you think the development will be similar in Pattaya? What are the most interesting locations from your point of view? I was searching the internet for a few days and it seems that the property prices in Pattaya are significantly lower than in Bangkok. Can you agree?

One can never predict with certainty what will happen in the future, and as investment disclaimers typically state, future results may not reflect past performance, but Bangkok and Pattaya have both seen considerable appreciation in property values.

I lived in Bangkok for about a year and though there are many things to like about the city, there are just as many if not more things that put me off. In my opinion the only persuasive reason to live there would be if work requires it, which is not the case for me. Chiang Mai has all the disadvantages, i.e. heavy traffic, congestion, and pollution, of Bangkok with virtually none of the advantages.

My preference is to live near the sea while maintaining some proximity to Bangkok. Hua Hin and Cha-Am merit consideration but in the final analysis, for me, that area is too sedate and the drive to Bkk is not so convenient compared with Chonburi.

Pattaya proper, meaning in the city itself, is out of the question because I have a family and the sleaze and congestion factors are way too high. Condos are out of the question for me because I need space for the kids to play and room to work on my toys.

The area I've identified after over a year of searching is located about 20 minutes south of Pattaya on the northern edge of amphur Sattahip known as Bang Saray. The terrain is hilly and many properties have beautiful views of the mountains or or the sea. In the year since I first learned about it, land prices there have risen 30-50% and show little sign of slowing down. I only wish I'd bought something a year ago, as a good friend of mine did.

To put it in a nutshell, I was looking for a place to build a very comfortable home I can enjoy for years to come and leave to my children when I'm gone. Prime real estate in a scenic area not far from the capital, located near the sea and surrounded by large, expensive homes, will not lose value over the long term and will most likely appreciate. People with money will always seek out such areas, and as such, they will outperform other, more ordinary properties as investments.

As the title of the topic states: location, location, location...

Hi, my non imm O visa expires on the 20th Sept. So as the Visa states must be utilised before 20th September am I right in assuming that in order to get another 90 days I need to do it on the 19th or before, as opposed to leaving on the 20th?

Or can I just get an extension? I can stay until the 23rd October as my last visa run was nearly 2 months ago. Do I have any options here or definately need to leave this month to get another 90 days?

Thanks

I was in the same situation as yourself (1 year non-imm O visa, enter before Sept. 12 but stamped in until October 21) and, not having read this thread yet, made my final 90-day visa run today - Sept. 12 - wondering if there'd be a problem or not. The immigration officer had a bit of a chuckle at my waiting until the last possible moment but cheerily gave me my 90 day stamp with no questions asked.

I'm not sure if this would be the case at all borders (I went through Chong Chom) or with all immigration officers... just reporting what my experience was.

No Thais don't comment on my wife's ethnicity. The crassness of treating women like chicken, "oh, I like the dark meat", "oh, no, I prefer the light meat", seems to be important to the farang predator crowd.

Apparently you don't know Thais very well. Skin colour is frequently commented on in general conversation, be it men's or women's.

Edit: bkks'pore, please take a chill pill. I wasn't referring to anyone in particular as fugly, so no need to take an innocent observation so personally.

There are indeed some Sino-Thai "lookers" out there but also quite a number of fuglies as well. Typically the Sino-Thai gorls are steered by their families in the direction of dudes of similar ethnicity, not particularly farangophiles, and certainly not bottom-feeding about for some pensioner to finance their new Mio and a 4 baht gold bracelet.

Anyone buy those bikes I pointed out

Not exactly, but this topic got me interested enough in the SP that I did go out and buy one :-)

I found it at a shop in Pattaya:

The bike is pretty much original and complete (even down to the owner's manual and tool kit). if a bit tired. It shows 31K on the clock and may be on the first set of piston and rings. The RC valve is there and moves when the throttle is cracked open in neutral, but the bike has no balls whatsoever on the top end, so I'm not sure whether it's because the piston and reed valve are fully shagged out or the RC valve just looks like it's working but isn't.

That valve, incidentally, is meant to give the bike more torque at the bottom end by blocking part of the exhaust port at lower revs and smaller throttle settings, then opening it up to full size at higher rpm.

My plan is to freshen things up mechanically first, ride it around a bit, and then work on the cosmetics.

Chubbly -- any luck yet?

Yep, I had the same experience coming down the mountain after skiing Snowbird and heading back to Park City -- very hairy conditions in a heavy snowstorm. Icy with almost zero visibility. We were in a (rented) automatic with front wheel drive; I was wishing for a manual box and rear wheel drive. Front wheel drive is great for going uphill but doesn't help much on the down side, eh?

Back on topic, it's true that for zipping around in Pattaya traffic a magic carpet may well be the hot ticket.... but for the occasional blasts up and down Pratumnak Hill I'd still take an NSR 150 SP if I had my druthers.

Seriously... I rented a Nuovo recently and couldn't stand it. A lifetime spent riding "real" motorcycles (clutches and gearboxes and such) has made it impossible for me to enjoy having so little control over how the bike behaves. IMHO a much, much better choice would be the new liquid cooled Yamaha Spark 135, available with or without a clutch, and also possible to fit a front basket to if grocery shopping is an issue.

BTW my rental Nuovo was emitting all sorts of grinding sounds and vibrations from the "gearbox" so obviously maintenance is still required even on a "magic carpet".

Seriously, how could you possibly comment on a Nouvo when you've only had experience on a badly maintained rental.

I've done my time on super bikes and have quite a few plates and pins to show for it. I'll leave it up to the "real men" like you to ride the "real motorcycles". As for me, I like riding magic carpets.

Just one man's opinion... and you are correct about the poorly maintained Nuovo rental unit -- it probably wasn't the best example to base an opinion on. My friend - a novice rider - was perfectly happy with his.

I also once rented a Mio on Koh Chang for a few days and it would barely climb the hills without a running start, which made things difficult when riding behind slow trucks. Then on the downhill side the bike would freewheel (no engine braking) unless, paradoxically, you gave it some throttle -- kinda scary coming down a very steep hill into a muddy hairpin turn. Having a gearbox would have been an advantage in those conditions.

No thanks, I'll leave the magic carpets to folks who see having to shift gears and decide how much rear brake to use as a disadvantage rather than an advantage.

I can't believe you blokes are getting so excited about a couple of girlie bikes.

If you're concerned about top speed, try a 7 year old LS 125 2 stroke -- good for about 130 kph in 5th gear with 6th still in reserve.

Seriously... I rented a Nuovo recently and couldn't stand it. A lifetime spent riding "real" motorcycles (clutches and gearboxes and such) has made it impossible for me to enjoy having so little control over how the bike behaves. IMHO a much, much better choice would be the new liquid cooled Yamaha Spark 135, available with or without a clutch, and also possible to fit a front basket to if grocery shopping is an issue.

BTW my rental Nuovo was emitting all sorts of grinding sounds and vibrations from the "gearbox" so obviously maintenance is still required even on a "magic carpet".

I've lived here full time for about 2 1/2 years and am far from fluent, but get by in almost all day-to-day situations living in an area where absolutely nobody except my wife and I can speak english. If I need to know a very specific word (such as for the bacteria used in a septic tank) I'll call my wife and ask her the thai word for what I want. After that the word will become part of my vocabulary.

My goal is to be nearly fluent within 5 years. I did start with 6 weeks of classes in Bangkok, 15 hours a week, which got me started reading and writing as well as speaking. IMHO reading is essential to learning how to speak thai properly, for reasons already stated by others. Writing thai - as in any other language - is much more difficult than reading, and it's hard to believe that someone could actually write better than they can read... that just doesn't seem plausible.

If someone is so busy working that they have absolutely no time to study is about the only scenario I can fathom a person living here full time for several years and not becoming reasonably proficient in the language. Not ever being able to understand what people around me are saying would drive me nuts -- sooner rather than later.

Since we have been given no details of either choice, how are we supposed to give any useful input? I guess that wasn't the point.

Hmmm, I've just read the OP & Poll questions (again) and it doesn't appear that GH is asking for our opinions on his decision (which has already been made).

He's asking what you would do in a similar situation. But yes, more information would be required in order to make such a decision. Each individual would have different reasons for making their decisions (wages, situations, family, etc).

I think the big question people would want to know, is if the job in Thailand (with the Full ExPat deal) is still open !

As GH seems to be no slouch, we must assume he's made the best possible decision based on the information he had at his disposal -- most of which information we are not privy to.

I do wonder whether the OP has spent time in SA already and knows for sure what he is getting into. Saudi is a far cry from Thailand or Italy in almost every conceivable aspect, which - who knows - may be part of the attraction for him.

For me, the prospect of living in an Arab country is a nightmare I'd rather not subject myself to, and if a "full expat deal" with a "very comfortable" compensation package was available in Thailand as an immediate alternative -- lacking any other extraordinary incentives to move to the closest place to he!l on earth my decision would be made in a nanosecond.

In any event, best of luck to you and your family GH, and let us know how it goes.

Blooody smug swamp loving self centred wannabe lawyer <deleted> faced bastardos.

Those are the nicest comments I have heard about a lawyer in a long time. Sorry but I think you comments are being far to kind to those scum sucking dregs of society.

True. But this one is a damned Stalinist wannabe lawyer... I'll get him.

Serves ya right for trying to be his buddy.

Not saying that these fellas had it coming, but they did violate a few of the cardinal rules of staying out of trouble in Thailand, to wit:

Don't get too drunk in public

Don't get belligerent with the locals

Don't start fights

... okay, maybe they did have it coming.

I can't decide between a CB400 and an RS125... I know, they're two completely different bikes, but maybe I'll get one of each . Problem is finding a used bike dealer in my area (located a couple of hours from Khorat) so if any BM can suggest a shop in that area that'd be most helpful.

No Ducati here, but back in SoCal I ride a '95 900SS SP (lightweight)... great bike for jamming through the canyons. A good mate rides a 900 Monster, which is better around town but not quite as stable in the high speed twisties.

I agree the one in RCA is for the average father and son to spend some time togther doing something.

Yep, all them clowns who think there the next Shumacher & go there with their own helmets, gloves, suits, neck braces make me laugh...

Its alright for a game of pissed up taxis with ya mates from time to time tho..

It's an indoor track, what did you expect... Superkarts at Nock Hill?

BTW, once a month they run races for whoever shows up with qualifying, heats, and a main, divided into A and B groups based on qual times. I'd be interested to see if any of you folks could keep pace with the usual bunch of Thai kids wearing shorts and sandals.

If you think you're fast and really want to see how you like karting Thai-style I'd suggest a trip down Pattaya way (they've even got an FIA standard circuit called Bira if you want serious racing), jump into the fastest rental kart available and see how you feel about the situation.

The most popular class for the over-35 crowd in Thailand seems to be that liquid cooled Rotax electric start deal. If I were to get back into karting that's probably the package I'd choose.

There is a karting scene here, with tracks in various parts of the country. It's most accessible in Bangkok and Pattaya -- Bkk has an indoor track at RCA and an outdoor track behind Seacon Square, and Pattaya has two outdoor tracks right across the street from each other, all of which have rental karts available. The indoor track only rents 4-strokes but the bigger ones have got decent power. In Pattaya you can rent some bloody quick 135cc karts but the maintenance levels and setups are a bit dodgy so be careful on your first few hot laps!