London Lowf

Well, it's run by the same guy that was CEO of Nok Air, and did you see the way they painted their planes - I didn't know whether to laugh or worry when I first saw my flight parked at the terminal. It'll be interesting to see the graphics they choose - around here on Phuket they seem to have a strange obsession with Bob Marley/Rastafarians (even before the weed revolution) so maybe they'll follow that route?

In a couple of photos the CT is on it's side - with no oil being picked up by the pump if the engine was still running it would not take long for the main and big-end bearings to run dry. I'm just guessing and maybe barking up the wrong tree as some bikes have an automatic cut-out to stop this happening. Anyway, a moot point as you got it fixed under warranty. A brilliant story with great photos and the CT is a funky looking bike - I'm impressed that it has a rear disc. I'm almost 70 and these days my maximum in the saddle at one stretch is about an hour before I need a pit (ice cream) stop and when I first started reading I thought you would be a young whipper-snapper but clearly you look after yourself better than the vast majority.

"A truck has brought down at least six power poles....." and the very next line.... "..... a truck hooked electric cables and brought down at least four power poles." Okay, the statements aren't mutually exclusive, but it's rather poor reporting. Why didn't someone just count them - how long would it have taken? I reckon that there were seven.

The event finishes at 10pm and so plenty of drinking time available elsewhere afterwards.

Never read about that on here, although it did happen during an Isle of Man TT race a few years ago. Tragic!

From the Wise.com website:- "Wise isn’t a bank. We hold different regulatory permissions in various countries that enable us to provide our services to you."

I don't have a Thai bank account (yet) but I have long holidays here and withdraw B50,000 a time (B100,000 when I paid my rent) from my fee-free UK Halifax Clarity card over the counter at my local Krungsri Bank. No fees whatsoever, no interest as I pre-load it the day before, I get the MasterCard ForEx rate and it takes as long as the time for the clerk to copy my passport, get a couple of signatures from me, and feed the notes through the counting machine. If I did have an account I could then deposit this cash. The only problem I can foresee is if I needed proof of the import of funds for a long-term visa.

And the guy in to OP has had his status improved immensely amongst his peers by this - he'll probably get a blown-up framed picture from that photo and brag about it when he gets home.

A lot of bystanders ARE impressed - I've sat in a bar on the main Kamala drag strip and the bar girls (and a few of the punters) get all excited when an Xmax shows off when the lights turn green - assuming that he bothered waiting for that!

We all know that this will never be enforced, just like so many other laws. That's the reason everyone, both Thais and foreigners, take little notice - your chances of being caught are effectively zero.

In this example, the guy is a petty cheat, but cheats tend to conduct their entire lives in that way.

It would seem that Thailand still has a way to go!

So, a chocolate teapot! The guy is the Phuket Vice Governor - what power does he have to threaten the airline bosses? And that's taking into account the (not obvious) fact that this news story only relates to internal flights.

Hang on - you start by giving an eye-witness account of the whole incident and then end up by taking guesses. Were you there?

Been a few years since we've had an algae bloom thread. Whatever next? Water shortages? (Probably not after the rains last October)

The Thais do love to party - every week it seems that they have a cause for major celebration and photo opportunity at the airport.

What's that - a photo of your funky graphic equaliser? No scales, no information, no source. Here's mine:-

One month? A very selective argument. Now try the same comparison for one year, i.e. from the start of the "war". A slightly different result: +18.96%.

I don't want to fly to Dubai but from LHR to HKT I have to make one stop so, if the flight timings are okay, I'm not bothered about where I transit. Also, Thai have dropped the Economy luggage allowance from 30kg to 20kg - emirates is 25kg. Having said all of that, if Thai started flying direct LHR-HKT like they did briefly for the 2021 Sandbox then I would be the prodigal passenger.

When I flew to Buriram a few years ago for a long weekend I left the bike in the designated area in front of the domestic terminal - it's a bit rough and ready as it's open to the elements and not really hard surfaced, but there's no charge and I had no concerns about security, particularly as it is staffed - one of the benefits of TIT is that folk don't nick stuff the moment your back is turned, unlike in my home country! The alternative would be one of the (mainly car) storage places on the main road outside the airport, but you'll have to pay (peanuts). Google maps will show them, e.g. KK. CAR PARK (not used them, so not a recommendation)

A long shot - is the switch exposed to dirct sunlight and getting heated up as the day warms up? It shouldn't make that much difference but this is straw-clutching from afar.

That's a bit harsh! Have you ever spoken to her? Substitute "muscular" for "masculine" and you're spot on. She's not my sort but, compared to the English ladies football team, she's an absolute cutie.

At least once on every visit to Phuket I ride up to the Sarasin Bridge as I enjoy the journey and find it an attractive landmark. However, it is looking decidedly neglected and is rather a sad sight. I arrived mid-afternoon on a fine day and I was the only visitor there. Things do deteriorate very quickly in this climate and it reminded me of the countless hotels in the backstreets of Patong that have simply been abandoned, stripped of anything worth salvaging, and left for nature to eventually reclaim. Even if the developer has gone belly-up then surely some-one still owns the land and shoud be forced to tidy it up or else face losing it. Sarasin Bridge used to be a tour-bus destination and I suppose that, if that business is revitalised by the return of the Chinese, then they will invest in a fresh lick of paint. For the hundreds of abandoned properties in Patong that will not happen as it appears to me that most are beyond saving as they have been damaged during the salvaging. When I first visited Phuket, the huge abandoned resort at the southern end of Nai Yang beach was a unique curiosity - now the island is covered in them. However, on a positive note, although many part-finished new developments outside of Patong seem to have been permanently abandoned, I have noticed numerous new start-ups around the Layan area, literally in the last month or so.

Eh? How is this news?

While I'm on this thread - on my last two visits to Bangla (Monday and Wednesday) I noticed a huge improvement in the traffic and parking situation, and also the availability of bar stools in the prime spots along Bangla. Maybe things are starting to die down a bit? Even the football juggling guy is easily managing to clear some space to do his show. One interesting point - I understand (kind-of) why guys get all excited by the attention of the bargirls and empty their wallets. That's fair enough if they are needy and are getting some company and maybe some cheap thrills, but it annoys me when the girls try to solicit drinks for me when I've shown absolutely no interest in them - it's just shameless begging! It's mainly the newbies as the more experienced staff know that, although I tip, I very rarely buy a LD. However, if I am genuinely entertained then I am happy to pay - I give the football guy a tip, and also the pole-dancer at Smiley/Tiger who I remember from many years ago and who is a very open and friendly girl - maybe because she knows that I am not trying to get into her underwear.