Trip Hop

Unless you buy your way out at the roadside? The slammer and magistrate is a lot cheaper though!

The last time I got done they wanted 800B for no IDP (had my international license) and 800B each for no helmet, although it was just post lockdown so the tea money was most probably running low? Upon the advice of the win rider I didn't go inside the station, waited around the corner and let the Mrs sort it. She managed to barter it down to 2000B all in on the basis that she only had 2400B and had to pay the win. When they asked where I was she told them that I was back on 3rd road with the bike. Still a bloody rip off but I was flying out the next day so had no time to argue and had only ridden 300m to a clinic to get a Covid test so I could transit through Doha.

As far as corruption in Ukraine is concerned I think this stems from it formerly being part of a communist country where there will always be a black market etc. However having worked with quite a few Ukrainians over the years I have always found them to be decent hard working respectable people. I’m sorry that I can’t say the same about my experience of Russians.

Yep, just use the lane nearest the beach and avoid eye contact. Dolphin roundabout/Terminal 21 can be a little bit trickier though!

Not in my experience. Last time I got fined for no helmets and IDP they stopped us on 3rd road, confiscated the keys/bike at the roadside and sent us off to Soi 9 on a motorbike taxi, 3 up with no helmets. 🤣

Agreed, normally reserved for in town on a Saturday night!

I totally agree with you and never seen the attraction myself. It's hardly just this generation though as MCs have had their part in some European music scenes since the late 80s?

Nothing missing at all, he was French, had a big mouth (spoke fluent Thai) and refused to back down, so the Bib refused to lose face and done their worst. The woman concerned is actually my sister-in-law.

On the face of it to someone like yourself, he undoubtedly does stack up quite well. However if you had family that are familiar with the under workings of the capital and you visited them fairly regular, you would see and hear not so white a picture.

This is Thailand, the police can and will do basically what they want. A know of a Thai who used to run a small garden centre. She came back from the wholesalers one day and her farang boyfriend of several years at the time proceeded to help her unload a few things from the pick-up. A plain clothes officer took a photo and demanded 30000B hush money for him allegedly working even though money was obviously never going to change hands. He refused and got locked up in IDC before being deported at his cost and blacklisted for 5 years. This despite the best efforts of a lawyer. Admittedly he didn't help himself with his big mouth but testimony not to assume that the law has to be followed in the same way as it would be in farang land. MC stands for Master of Ceremonies and is basically someone who hypes the crowd, ad-libs to the music and forms part of the overall performance of the DJ. Their roots in Europe trace back to the rave/hardcore scene but are common in both the Drum & Bass and UK Garage scenes.

I don't think that they would be quite that naive but most probably never thought it would ever get to his stage either? The most probable reason for it actually getting this far being the bar was doing well and jealousy caused someone else to file a complaint, so the BiB had to act. Especially if any subsequent hush money claims were refused.

At a guess I would say that it was possibly the Drum & Base night that I've seen promoted on one of the Ao Nang facebook pages over the last month or so? That genre of music being common with their age group.

I'd accept that his principles appear to be a lot higher than the rest. Far from whiter than white though!

As someone who advocates its use providing it is in a controlled and respectable manner, I have to agree with you. They have done themselves no favours in the way that they have allowed it to be openly promoted.

Nope, just a load of tree huggers, ecologists and environmentalists to keep happy plus OTT compensation to those affected. Then there's the contractors that appear to be treating it like an open cheque book with specifications that make you feel like we've all been doing it wrong for the last 40 years and maybe longer. Plus I ain't cheap you know!