jbowman1993

I agree with all of those. (Even though I think that the lights on the underside are sort of cool, but I would pick purple).

A few more.

Those giant cow catchers on the front of pickups. Where do you think you live? Texas?

Any silver plastic crap that covers up the tail lights

Window tint that is so dark you cant see inside, to tell if the driver is looking at you

Aftermarket wheels - they just annoy me

Any car stereo that causes my teeth to rattle at 10 meters

Main Entry: iro·ny

Pronunciation: 'I-r&-nE also 'I(-&)r-nE

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural -nies

Etymology: Latin ironia, from Greek eirOnia, from eirOn dissembler

1 : a pretense of ignorance and of willingness to learn from another assumed in order to make the other's false conceptions conspicuous by adroit questioning -- called also Socratic irony

2 a : the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning b : a usually humorous or sardonic literary style or form characterized by irony c : an ironic expression or utterance

3 a (1) : incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2) : an event or result marked by such incongruity b : incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play -- called also dramatic irony, tragic irony

synonym see WIT

I only posted the topic as an ironic commentary on the asinine topic "Thai Women and Cleanliniess". These posts that single out groups of people, or races, or genders, as all having certain characteristics gets my dander up every time. You cannot judge by the race. Any one who judges by the group is an idiot. You take people one at a time.

In any event, Mom always said I liked to cause trouble. Peace

Sorry, maybe a strange question. I am seriously considering marriage to a handsome farang and although I would not change my mind if he did not keep a clean house, but I do want to know what to expect. For those of you who have experienced men from different cultures it would be interesting to hear your comments. I realize you have all sorts in every culture and I do not wish to be sterotypical, but I think in every culture there are some things that are consistent.

In general, do Farang men keep a clean house?

Amazing thing, Google.

http://www.openroad.com.au/motoring_carcar...ringyourcar.asp

I'm a lower rung of society? And all this time I thought I was part of the "disenfranchised middle class".

If by "u people", you mean "stupid people who keep wild animals as pets, until they grow to large, and then they set them free in their neighborhood, where they are a menece to domestic pets and little children", then yes, "u people" do keep them as pets.

Adopt a soi dog, leave the wild animals in the wild, where they belong.

I can't take any credit for the article. I just read it in THe Nation.

The answer to the Mosquito Question - Kill Em, Kill em All!

I have a lot of swampy standing water areas outside my home's fence. I seem to remember that if you add something to the standing water, it keeps mosquito's from laying eggs on it, but for the life of me, I don' t remember what it is. Dish Soap? Oil?

Does anybody know what I am babbling about?

Peace

Just got word my truck will be in on the 22nd. Then I can finally so you guys my ride!

But, Carry Boy called and told me I have to drive to Bang Na to have my sport cap installed. When you live near Pinklao, that just sucks, lol. Guess it will be a good break in for the truck.

Peace

I don't thnk you'll ever see a US pres. doing that. Stupid or crazy I can't tell.

I'm not sure that you should be using George Bush as an example for proper leadership of a country.

ROAD WISDOM: Dos and don’ts of driving pickups

The Nation

Despite their better image and design, improper use of pickups are to blame for most holiday accidents

The recent milestone of 1 million pickups produced in Thailand showcases their popularity here. Yet pickups were involved in most road accidents over the New Year holiday. Some think there should be more pickups involved in road accidents than passenger cars, due to their higher numbers on the road, while others feel that pickup drivers have a tendency to exceed the speed limit.

With their more appealing design and luxury cabin, today’s pickups are no longer bought solely for hauling purposes. Also, the engines in some pickups are more powerful than those found in some European cars.

This is why not only farmers and merchants, but also people who do not need to haul anything around very often in everyday life buy pickups.

Even though their image and design have undergone significant upgrades, pickups are not built for fast driving like sedans are, because their suspension is more rigid, the better to handle heavy loads.

Another feature that distinguishes pickups from passenger cars is the brake system. Rear drum brakes remain standard for all pickups, while most passenger cars use disc brakes in all four wheels, although pickup manufacturers always play this down.

It is therefore not surprising that some drivers handle their vehicles incorrectly, and so pickups are involved in most accidents during long holidays.

Nutthawut Charoensukkawattana, a leading car racer, says that most pickup owners today do not buy them for commercial use.

“It’s commonly seen at present that other people, such as corporate employees, have shifted to driving pickups,” he said.

He says ads for pickups mislead consumers; for example, 100-horsepower is good for heavy loads but not for fast driving.

“Let’s imagine what would happen with a pickup doing 180 kilometres per hour and not carrying anything.

“It would certainly lose control when braking in an emergency. I’ve been a car racer for almost 20 years, and all racing cars must have proper suspension, choke, spring and camber for excellent handling. Without proper suspension, we know what will happen when a pickup is driven too fast, same as in passenger cars,” he explained.

“Drivers must be aware of their cars’ capacity. Don’t think that 100 horsepower means you can do 200 kph; otherwise, pickups will remain the ‘accident champions’ every holiday,” he said.

Thanadol Rila

The Nation

Bangkok Post

Toyota wins 'Triple Crown'

Old pickup champ Isuzu overtaken

SANTAN SANTIVIMOLNAT

Toyota Motor Thailand Co has become Thailand's top automaker in all three key categories for the first time, with its Hilux one-ton pickup truck successfully overtaking Isuzu in the competitive light truck market in 2005.

Toyota also led all manufacturers in auto exports, breaking Mitsubishi Motors' dominance of nearly two decades. Toyota exported 151,867 vehicles last year worth 70 billion baht, with overseas sales of assembly kits and parts contributing another 46 billion.

With Toyota maintaining its traditional hold on the passenger car segment, the Japanese company took the "Triple Crown" in 2005 in what was a banner year for the Thai auto industry, with total vehicle production passing the one-million mark for the first time.

Domestic sales by all manufacturers totalled 703,432 units, up 12.4%, from the previous year and driven by pickup truck sales, said Toyota president Ryoichi Sasaki.

"We feel very fortunate to have achieved the success we did in 2005 that placed Toyota number one in the total industry, including passenger cars and commercial vehicles," he said.

Mr Sasaki said steady growth of 5% was seen for 2006, with domestic unit sales of 735,000. Pickup trucks will continue to lead overall sales at 471,000, up a modest 0.2%, while passenger car sales are expected to rise 13.8% to 214,000.

"Sales of commercial vehicles this year will grow at the same level as last year while those of cars will grow faster, as manufacturers launch new models this year," he said at a briefing yesterday.

Toyota has set a sales target of 295,000 vehicles this year, representing a growth rate of 6% from 2005. It has set a target of controlling 40% of the overall market.

Mr Sasaki said Toyota expected to export 230,000 vehicles worth 99 billion baht this year, up 51% in volume from last year. Exports of assembly kits and service parts are projected at 53 billion baht, up 15% from last year.

Toyota ended 2005 with total sales of 277,955 units, up 18.7% from 2004 and representing a market share of 39.5%. Isuzu ranked second with 25.1% from sales of 176,718 units, up 17.9% from the previous year, followed by Honda at 8.3% from sales of 58,515 units, up 22%.

In the pickup truck segment which expanded 27.3% last year to 469,657 units, Toyota took the top spot for the first time in 23 years with a 37.8% market share from unit sales of 177,627, up 44.2% from the previous year.

Isuzu, which has long dominated the light truck market, posted sales of 165,582 units, up 18.5% from the previous year, followed by Mitsubishi at 37,024 units, up 24.7%.

Passenger-car sales, meanwhile, declined by 10% overall in 2005 to 188,211 units, as consumers turned to trucks to take advantage of lower prices for diesel compared with petrol.

Toyota maintained its lead in the passenger-car segment, with a 48% market share and unit sales of 90,298, down 12.7% from the previous year. Honda ranked second with a 30.3% share from 57,121 units, down 19.2%, while Chevrolet ranked third with 8,347 units, up 31.4% from the previous year.

Meanwhile, Toyota yesterday opened a 200-million-baht "edutainment" complex at Siam Square developed in co-operation with Chulalongkorn University.

The complex, called "The Style by Toyota", covers 1,000 square metres in a four-storey building with multimedia presentations and facilities about entertainment, fashion, music, sports and art trends.

The centre aims to encourage teenagers to express creativity and talent through exhibitions, workshops and displays.

Sorry, couldn't resist

Drinking enough beers will make a soi dog is beautiful.

My wife and I went to several Toyota dealers, when we were car hunting. One of the main reasons I chose the one I did was the salemen. He was knowledgable, and had some solid insights into the vehicle that I hadn't heard before, and he seemed to be quite honest (as car salesman go). I remember asking him why I should by the car from him, expecting the usual bs about "service, etc..", but he told me it didn't matter if I bought it from him or not, but he recommended I buy from a larger Bangkok dealer chain, rather than an independent dealer, because they have more influence wiith the main office, when it comes to delivery dates and priority. That is just an example of the many quality answers he had for me.

The dealerships that turned me off immediately were the ones that had the airhead girl saleman (predominantly girls, there were a couple guys), who lacked almost total knowledge about the products they were selling. I knew much more about the Vigo, and its various options than most of them. Now, I made sure to do my research, but isn't that their job too? Too know more than me, about the cars and trucks they are selling?

Ill get off my soapbox. Have any of you had similar experiences?

Peace

The salesman I bought mine from warned me away from the bug deflectors for precisely that reason. Said that they caused reduced airflow into the intercooler, which was not a good thing.

Since I actually bought one of them, I suppose I should offer up my own reasons for doing it.

1) I live in suburban Bkk. I don't drive into town much, but I also don't go upcountry often either (aside from the occasional vacation. Since 99% of my driving is on paved, flat roads roads, didn't see the need for the 4wd. I understand that there are a lot of people who use them regularly, but I wouldn't have been one of them.

2) I like sitting higher in the air, since I've only been driving in BKk for about a year, I like that I can see my surroundings better.

3) I liked the look. Couldn't do the Isuzu because the headlights make it look like a giant insect. Ford, ugly. Mitsu - weak looking rear section, ugly. Chevy - As an American, I have a predisposition to hating Chevy's. I still remember all the crap vehicles they produced during my formative years (the 80's). Mazda - don't like the name. I like the look of the Toyota, but thought the tires on the 2wd looked undersized compared to the body. (Like an old guy with toothpick legs and a giant beer gut) If they were a little balanced I probably would have gone for the 2wd.

4) Im really tall (195cm), and I like not having to drop into the seat when I go to sit in it. Also, the tailgate is at a better height for me, when I load things.

So, those are my reasons. I'm happy with the purchase, and, I can't wait for delivery. (Sometime this month, Im told).

Peace

<font color='#000000'>Luma

Didn't expect to go to church to find some baccy. You sure we talking about the same thing? "Just a pinch between the lip and gum...it satisfies". We are not talking about the little brown powder that you stick up your nose...that is called scotch snuff. Copenhagen is a US product favored by loggers, fishermen and anyone that works with their hands in an environment where smoking is prohibited...oil platforms and etc. Highly addictive, but...it satisfies...Now if they got twist tobacco or rough cut then that would do.

all the best</font>

Perhaps the only reason it satisfies is because its highly addictive?

There are several wedding gown makers right near Khao San Road. My wife had her dress made there. An absolutely gorgeous pink number (she likes pink), that had all the guests talking. It was about 18,000 baht for the dress, and she had two fittings.

If you are standing at the Burger King at the end of Khao San road, facing KS Road, turn right and walk down the street. Several great shops right there.

Peace

Well, this thread is certainly dead.

For me, it would have to the the 1965 Pontiac GTO.

I can understand the feeling of freedom and fun aspects. But don't you ever feel scared that there is nothing between you and the tons of crazy drivers in LOS? As a teacher, it seems that all my Thai students have elbow and knee scars, and when I ask them the cause it is inveritably "motasai".

What do you think?

I found this quote about tire size and the speedometer/odometer

Change in speedometer accuracy –

Changing tire sizes can also affect speedometer and odometer

accuracy. These instruments work by measuring the number of wheel rotations, so larger or

smaller wheels affect their accuracy because they cover more ground or less ground per rotation

than the speedometer and odometer were calibrated for. The tire measurement that is important

here is tire revolutions per mile. Due to the tire deformation where it contacts the ground, the

static diameter is not accurate in determining the distance a tire covers when it rotates. In fact,

some tires with exactly the same static diameter differ in revolutions per mile because of tire

construction. Tire pressure can also affect the revolutions per mile. Tire manufacturers frequently

supply a specification for revolutions per mile at normal tire pressure.

Using the tire size example from above, the 195/55-16 tires typically have a specification of 854

revs/mile. This can vary from brand to brand and will increase slightly as the tire wears, but this is

an average number. The smaller 195/50-16 tire revolves 876 revs/mile and the larger 205/55-16

tire revolves 835 revs/mile. Based on revolutions per mile, if you switch to the 195/50-16 tires, your

speedometer and odometer will think you are going approximately 2.5% faster than they did with

the 195/55-16 tires. With the 205/55-16 tires, these instruments will think you are going 2.2%

slower than if you had the original tires.

There is some optimism built into most speedometers anyway, maybe 2 - 3 mph at highway

speed. Using the larger tires will reduce this to 1 mph or less, using the smaller tires will increase is

to 4 - 5 mph. These are not huge differences unless you go flying through a radar trap with your

speedometer showing 10 mph over the limit, thinking your speedometer is 5 mph high and its really

spot on because you upsized your tires.

I guess if you just don’t get it then it probably not worth trying to explain it to you

Actually, I think that is precisely the reason why you should try to explain it to me. My wife says Im a pretty good listener. Give it a shot!

I've always thought that people who have a choice and choose to ride a motorcycle must be slighty off kilter. Ive seen some horrific motorcycle accidents in LOS and the US, and would never travel anywhere without my personal steel safety cage surrounding me.

I suppose my view stems from the time I was 8, and watched a motorcycle rider in US, lose control, wipe out, and have his helmeted head run over by an 18 wheeler. Needless to say, he didn't pop back up, and wipe the dust off.

What is it about those machines that people want to risk life and limb? (when they have a choice in the matter. I fully concede that economics dictates that some people in LOS have no choice but to use them).

Peace