Macx

A visa cannot be transferred. If you have a multiple entry visa you will need to use both passports until the visa expires. If you actually have an extension of stay issued by immigration you will have to go to the office that issued it to have your stamps transferred to the new one.

I have no idea about agents near Trendy that can do the passport application.

I have a 1yr Non O (issued this month) in my current USA passport which expires in 7 months. Can I get a new passport at the US Embassy in Bangkok and then just carry both passports through airport immigration when I leave and come back to Thailand? That is, can I use the 1yr Non O in the old passport to enter Thailand on the new passport?

Thanks, Ubonjoe!

About 4 yrs back, I took my bikes on Nokair 6 times. I got the bicycle boxes from the local bicycle shop (normally free, 50b a couple of times). No problem. I've also sent it via post and taken it on trains as well as shoved it unboxed into the baggage compartment of buses. Some minor scratches because I didn't bother wrapping up the frame. Good fun traveling with the bike as it forced me to get out and get some exercise. Good luck.

speargun available in LOS for about 50-100% markup

recommend bring speargun sans spear, fully disassembled in checked in baggage

smile and walk fast through custom

Super simple to set up. Never mind that it will clog the current lousy infrastructure worse than BK traffic. Would love to see WHO got these lucrative contracts. Certainly can make good guesses though. Woohoo! Money tree.

>

>"But this is not a normal situation. This is not natural. Someone has to take >responsibility for this -- someone has to take the blame."

>

Agreed.

One writer wrote this about America, but it seems quite applicable here:

"Many are to blame, including all voters who sell their votes, all citizens who pay bribes to police and corrupt officials, all the wealthy who do nothing while the strong suppress the weak, all the poor who mistake wealth for integrity, all parents who cheat and lie before the eyes of their children, and all who know better but chose to ignored their conscience." --Andrew X. Pham

Hey, thanks for the link. Some nifty info gathered in one place. OP is straight forward on his blog, doesn't seem to be trying to push a product. Not into fowl farming myself, but good info to know. BTW, how noisy are these quails?

Wishes for speedy recovery of those unfortunate victims.

All these border runs for a stamp is just so silly and unnecessarily dangerous. Either give them the visa or deny them entry.

When will these policy makers grow up?

I raced a BIB here, both of us laughing, howling, trying to outrun the storm.

Don't imagine that happening in the states

So basically, the taxis got exactly what they wanted.

First handouts are to the politicians.

On that map, you will see several cafes and guesthouses catering to farangs. They usually have boards full of motorbike/cars/houses for rent. Once you're in Nong Khai, check out the real estate agents, many of whom are also leasing agents as some properties sit on the market for ages without buyers. Good luck with the move. You're heading into rainy season and cooler weather, rather pleasant.

My friend who is a former mailman swears by the taser, one of those 500-1000baht things sold all over the place. He hasn't actually zap a dog yet. Just the "unearthly" sound scares them off.

Pepper spray is good too, but be careful about the wind.

Nice pickup! Good buy, perfect for loading bikes and other toys! My friend bought an older model and loves it.

Thanks for auction write-up. I've been curious but never went myself. Good to know.

Cheers

Ask around the village. There usually is someone who will be glad to get rid of them for you. They either sell them or raise them at their own house.

The nose at the end of a pole is the usual method for catching them.

Latest toy for ripping around the farm. Hehehehe

(grabbed pic off net, not my exact model, but you get the idea)

River dinner cruise, drinks at one of the many bars/restaurant on the river.

An art flick at House Cinema, go-cart at the indoor track below, stroll along the street outside, many Thai bars/clubs.

Buy an expensive box of chocolate in one of those specialties shops at Siam Paragon, go up and eat it in the Imax, sneak in a bottle of champagne.

Hump it down to Ad 13 on Soi Samsen near Khao San Rd, and go all bluesy, show her you can play it cool and hip as well. Join the band for a set if you have some skills.

Go see a play. Check out listings in one of those freebie BK rags.

Walk Chachuchak after 6pm, lots of interesting young people trying to make a baht selling knick knacks.

Have a romantic Italian dinner and talk into the wee hours, looking deep into her eyes, and asking a thousand brilliant questions.

Whatever you do, make her laugh

Good luck!

Delifrance, about 2 blocks from Saladeng BTS, is my favorite.

Oh, just thought of some more options:

1) Have electronic counter outside gate. Every time she yells out "Jom", the counter goes up by 1 count.

2) Call her mobile, while sitting comfy in your house, to say "Jom not home!"

3) Come to the gate in your Bday suit (G-string, if you're the shy type) and deliver "Jom not home" message personally.

4) Stand at your window and shout "What?" for every "Jom" from her.

5) Turn up the music, and do a Tom Cruise "I'm so happy" dance in your undies.

6) Drag her inside and get her to wash the dishes!

slow night

Will check for your report in the morning. Good Luck

Options:

1) Record her own voice calling Jow and then play it back to her (at, say, 90dB) when she come hollering.

2) Have Jow hang a big sign outside the gate/door when she leaves. Sign might say something like ... "Jow Not Home! Go Away!"

I'm bored today

Good luck and please report back on result.

Not obviously swimming around, nor eating the fish. But been there a couple of days so must be happy. Or spawning? This one about 5 inches long. How did you kill it? I'm thinking of long tongs, into a pot and a dose of caustic soda.

chas

Was it swimming on top and under the water? Going after the fish?

Killed one recently, about 8inch long. Tough, nasty bugger.

Heard the wife screamed. Look down, saw it crawling out from under the car. I was having a cup of coffee on the patio. I grabbed the closest thing which was a spade. Very fast bugger. Chased it all over the place. Gave it a hard whack, but couldn't severed it in half. It took a six or seven hits before it stopped moving. Yep, I mangled up the cement pretty good

You could put it into a bottle of whiskey and serve it to the village macho boys. Probably want to drop it into a jar of rubbing alcohol first, otherwise it might be hard to get the squirming thing through the small mouth of the bottle.

Thanks for the pic. Informative. Good to know.

Was it swimming on top and under the water? Going after the fish?

Killed one recently, about 8inch long. Tough, nasty bugger.

Yep, that's the one.

To be fair to Probike, they do have most of everything you need, right down to the bearings and so on. I guess with the hi-so clients, comes the profit and the expected "attitude". Goes with the territory in any country. Plenty of stuck-up, bad attitude, high-end bike shops where I'm from as well. And I find that Probike mechanics (while aloof and curt) are better than the ones at Worldbike way out on RamIntra.

I'll check out PH's rec of bikezone next time.

Ten years ago when cycling wasn't popular in LOS, I used to frequent Probike, chatted with the owner, bought lots of stuff, got my bikes repaired, and generally had a great time with very friendly staff and owner.

Then as they became successful, their attitude changed and I found myself not really enjoying the experience of shopping there anymore. The owner didn't remember me despite that spent plenty there over the years (2-4 times per year, about as often as I pass through BK) and wasn't as nearly as friendly as before. Prices I thought were high, often much higher than normal retail prices in the US.

Funny as I used to buy stuff here and bring back to the states. Now I find that I buy stuff there to bring here

IMHO, I'm afraid Probike has gone hi-so.

Very sorry to hear about your loss, Mr. H.

I've always admire your gumption cycling around BK. I hope you're taking your favorite bike back with you for the good memories. Your cheerful cycling outlook will be missed on this forum.

May the wind be at your back and the sun on your face.

I think most bike riders view this whole dog chasing you type of thing the wrong way…….(Glass half full mentality)

I have been snapped at by; dogs and geese, chased by water buffalo and struck at by a pissed off cobra.

I now view all these as having my own personal trainers. I now have different routes I ride depending on what type of training I’m doing……..Sprint, endurance, hill work or fast off road downhill. Note; I’ve not yet incorporated cobras into my planned training schedule…..Nor do I plan too.

Yes there’s nothing like a ‘pack’ of personal hairy trainers to improve your sprint time over the quarter mile, or get you out of the saddle and makes you grind your way up a hill that feels like the north face of K2.

Funny that you should mention that. I was thinking the same thing. Earlier in this thread, I hated chasing dogs. Now I kinda miss a few of the more nasty dogs on my routes (killed by local Thais with poison and cars/trucks, from what I heard).

It's just fun squirting them with a bit of rubbing alcohol. Gets the adrenaline flowing a little.

As for the getting off the bike to chase or stare down dogs, I think it would be disruptive to my rhythm and throw off my course time. But I'm all for someone else getting off the bike and doing it

I'm with you on the cobra. Only saw one on my ride. Used to see lots of rattlers when I ran mountains in CA. A couple of month ago, I came across a 4-5 meter long python crossing the road. Two days later, the villagers had killed it and flattened the carcass on the road as was the local custom

I know a couple of Thai bike clubs. They really "take care" of the dogs on their bike routes. So if you want trouble free rides, find out the local club's route and try them.

May the wind always be at your back!