Kimera

Lesson #8: Don't work illegally.

Lesson #9: If you must work illegally, don't docuement it online..

If cutting the grass around the house where you live is considered work which contravenes their visa then there are a lot of farangs who could end up deported. This question has been discussed in other threads (eg. can I paint my house ?) and is off topic here.

Maizefarmer, I recall your accident and followed the progress of your recovery on TV. Accidents are just that regardless of whether the injured contribute to their happening in some way. I was well aware of the potential for injury these machines are capable of. While using the machine the thought of "what if" had repeatedly crossed my mind. When "what if" became the reality I considered myself lucky that I my leg wasn't severed completely, which is entirely possible in a worst case "what if" scenario.

When I am mobile again I shall be visiting both the Si Maho Sot and Prachin Buri hospital emergency departments with generous donation cheque in hand.

Cutting the grass on the FARM, 100 mtrs from the house, you sure ?

The brain is not an equal opportunities organ, it seems. An imaging study of Chinese and Caucasian people has found that their brains respond less strongly to the pain of strangers whose ethnicity is different when compared with strangers of their own race.

"It's one of a string of papers that have come out in the cognitive neuroscience literature that helps us to understand some of the unfortunate ways in which racial group identity can influence our reactions to other people," says Martha Farah, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, who was not involved in the new study.

Previous research has shown that the amygdala, a brain area implicated in fear, responds more strongly to pictures of people whose ethnicity is different from the viewer's. But these responses aren't uniform; other research has shown that activity in other brain areas can dampen the amygdala.

To determine how ethnicity also sways the brain's sense of empathy, Shihui Han and colleagues at Peking University in Beijing showed 17 Chinese and 16 Caucasians volunteers videos of a person being poked in the cheek with a Q-tip cotton bud or a hypodermic syringe, while the volunteers had their brains scanned on a functional MRI machine.

In pain

The films sparked activity in a region called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which also lights up when people are in pain themselves.

However, for Chinese volunteers the sight of another Chinese person in pain prompted more of an increase in ACC activity than the pain of a Caucasian person. Caucasian volunteers, from the US, Europe and Israel, also reacted more strongly to sight of another white person in pain.

Such automatic neural responses don't necessarily translate into behaviour, cautions Farah. "Just because there is this difference in ACC response it doesn't mean that we are inevitably going to behave less empathically toward the other group."

Indeed, when Han's team asked volunteers "how painful do you think the model feels?" or "how unpleasant do you feel when observing the video clip?" Chinese and Caucasians volunteers reported that they felt each other's pain about equally.

Journal reference: Journal of Neuroscience, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2418-08.2009 (in press)

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1739...es-in-pain.html

Its predictable then, except when they were asked. was the study expensive then,

Well i have a non imm visa already.

I tried messaging a couple of time stating i could pay and that i know she doesnt want to talk. And again saying i need at least a yes or no answer so I know what to do, and if it was yes she wouldnt have to talk to me and just the buyer. No answer. I'm sure she will answer. Shes a good girl ad she still talks to my family and everything.

It is the vfr.

If nothing then how is it done that may get me in trouble. I'm willing to loose 10,000 baht off the price to sell it.

Are you in Thailand ?

Yes I'm in thailand, though today I did get contact with her and she said she would send some documents. I'm not sure how she knows what to send. I figure she researched herself when she got the message instead of talking to me. She really doesnt want to see or hear from me again.....

Ok... 60k for the vfr. Plus looking for a clean nsr...

just make sure you get a photocopy of her thai id. with that you can transfer title on the bike.

You will need more than that, transfer documents copies of her ID and Tabian all signed

Thanks for your help.

I should be able to get it unlocked without problems. It sounds like i should have no problems using data and gps (maps) as well.

Cheers

Please when you get here and set it all up give us a post I and many others Im sure would be very interested to see the outcome

Well i have a non imm visa already.

I tried messaging a couple of time stating i could pay and that i know she doesnt want to talk. And again saying i need at least a yes or no answer so I know what to do, and if it was yes she wouldnt have to talk to me and just the buyer. No answer. I'm sure she will answer. Shes a good girl ad she still talks to my family and everything.

It is the vfr.

If nothing then how is it done that may get me in trouble. I'm willing to loose 10,000 baht off the price to sell it.

Are you in Thailand ?

hi

i am coming from Samui to Phuket in a couple of weeks time for 3 or 4 days and am looking for inexpensive accomodation in the region of 600 -700 baht per night. ideally i would like to be within half a mile of the main beach and nightlife in patong, any suggestions?

thanks in advance for your help

Sunhill Hotel, they have a web site, 850b but pool and excellent value

Nokia N95, N95 8GB, N96 and other models contains a GPS. Recommended and have saved me on many occasions, including in big cities.

Really ! You have never used GPS in these phones for any length of time, GPS eats the battery and in the rain forest you would be lucky to get a position

I've been renting a house in the Sai Yuan area of Rawai for the past two months and every day, usually in the late morning and early afternoon when the soi is quiet, I can hear a farang neighbour literally whipping his dogs who are kept locked in kennels at the back of his house. Very distressing as the house is in quite close proximity to mine and there's no sound other than the thwacking sound and the whimpering of the dogs with no voice raised in anger, almost as though the neighbour were somehow enjoying it.

I really can't bear the thought of this going on for the duration of my stay, not to mention the odd and sadistic behaviour of the neighbour. If it were a one off with someone losing their temper with their pet, as people sometimes do, it would still be awful to witness, but this is daily and is 'creeping me out'.

What to do?

You need to see and hear, are you sure ?

I think this is great. I am sorry if this sounds harsh, but it is about time that Phuket sees the recession.

Funny how the local business owners are reacting. They are only making it worse.

Phuket has become a rip-off, from the moment you step off the plane.

I agree with HDRider. I am loving this.

And I don't drink in bars. I buy my beer from Tesco!

todd

Tesco ! way too expensive, i get my big leo"s from james wiskey in bang tao, saves me at least 20 baht per case.

20 Baht Falang Keenio

I went to the Gibbon rehab center in the center of the island about a month ago.

The guy at the gate told us (2 farangs, one Thai adult and 4 Thai kids) that we would have to pay 400 baht.

We showed him our Thai drivers licenses that proved we lived here.

He said we had to pay the farang price of 200 baht each (the sign also said Thai's 40 baht, kids 20 or something like that)

So, we figured, since his math was way wrong, it was negotiable.

We said, how about 200 baht for everybody.

He insisted on 400 baht even though the sign gave all the prices above.

We said, no thanks. Then proceeded to drive around (you can drive some back roads and get past the ticket booth)

I know we snuck in but didn't feel guilty as it was pretty obvious to us that he was going to pocket the extra money anyway since he wasn't going by the prices listed.

But usually, my Thai drivers license gets me in at Thai prices.

I talked to the man, went to eat at the nearby restaurant was told you could get in there after 3pm, free not tried it mind !!

Or the delayed reaction to the lights turning green, saying that the 'reaction' test for a Thai DL you could only really fail if you were dead

Good point !! but I took the test in Phuket a few years ago, the first man in failed completely, 3 times and was asked to sit on the side, he was far from dead but he will be driving now, I MEET HIM EVERY DAY Im sure

Cars, even produced in Thailand, are mostly not cheaper compared with European markets but lack safety equipment like Airbags (standard in Europe is now 4-6) and certainly ESP (which is as important as ABS).

Double standard, but this time the opposite way, as Thai's are cheated (and Farang residents as well).

I wonder whether anybody has a logic explanation for this? Imho, the producers know well that the average Thai customer does not care about this too much, so they won't throw the equipment in the basket. It's quite sad, especially when considering the number of road crash victims.

Cheers

Moo9

Many of the pickups marketed in Europe are manufactured in Thailand ie Triton / L200 in uk, just different spec. and cheaper here

I'm considering purchasing either a Honda Airblade or a Yamaha Nouvo Elegance (135). I decided to rent each bike for 2 days and see which I preferred. It might seem obvious that the more expensive Nouvo with a significantly larger engine would run away with it. The results were closer than I expected. If I were buying a new bike, no question I'd pay the extra for the Nouvo. However, I can get a "full spec" second hand Airblade with only 2,600 Km and a 2 year warranty from a reputable shop for 40,000 baht. That makes the Yamaha with mags about 15,000 baht more expensive. Thus the reason for my comparison. I'm not a professional rider or reviewer. Most of what I'm putting here is just my opinion. It is also important to note that both bikes were rentals. They both had about 5,300 Km, but I have no idea when they were last serviced.

There is already a thread (112156) comparing the Airblade to the Nouvo with a 115cc engine, but it has little information on the 135cc model and has gotten off topic.

Here is a link with information about the Airblade: http://www.aphonda.co.th/2006/promotion/page85.asp?id=758. I can't find any good Nouvo information in English, but even if you can't read Thai you can check out the pictures here: http://www.yamaha-motor.co.th/Product/?ProductID=62.

Performance - Yamaha

Obviously the Nouvo with a 135cc engine is going to outperform the 108cc engine in the Honda. They are both water cooled. The funny thing is, though, the difference wasn't as much as I expected. The Airblade easily hit 90 Km/hr and some. The Nouvo easily made 100 Km/hr before I backed off. It's clear that the Nouvo isn't working nearly as hard to get there. Also, cruising at 80 Km/hr it seemed like the Honda was working at it while the Nouvo was quiet, smooth, and had plenty in reserve.

Safety - Honda

I found the headlights on both bikes to be excellent. I'd say they were about even. The Nouvo seems to have better focused light whereas the Airblade has an odd reflected pattern that I'm sure you learn to ignore after a while. I think the Airblade probably lit up more of the road. The mags on the Nouvo will accept tubeless tires. One shop said it ships with tubeless another said it ships with tubes but you can replace the tires. I'm not sure which is true, but I've read that tubeless tires are a bit safer since there is less chance of rapid loss of pressure (something that hasn't happened to me in 7 years of riding). The reason I give the advantage to the Airblade for safety, though, is the brakes. I wasn't blown away by the Combi-Brake. I expected to be able to stop using just the left brake handle. While you can do that for normal braking, if you want to stop fast, you need to use both handles. Although I didn't do any actual stopping distance tests the Honda seemed to have noticeably better braking.

Convenience - Yamaha

The parking brake on the Airblade seems like a good idea. The kickstand sensor, though, is a pain in the neck. Fortunately it is easy to disable. The Nouvo has enough space under the seat to store a full-face motorcycle helmet. That's a huge plus in my book. The Airblade has lots of under-seat storage too (enough to hold 4 1.25 liter bottles) but it just isn't tall enough for a full-face helmet. The Nouvo also has a hook on the front pillar to hold your shopping bags which the Airblade lacks (probably because the gas tank is in the way). That said, you don't have to lift the seat to refill the Airblade. Since I only fill up about once a week but I go shopping several times a week (I like fresh food) this works out very much in the Nouvo's favor.

Comfort - push

The Nouvo seat was a bit more comfortable for me. I think the foot rests worked out better for me on the Honda. I really expected the Nouvo to win for ride with 2" larger wheels but I preferred the Airblade on bumpy roads. At speed, though, there is no question the Nouvo rode better.

Resale - Honda

I've been told several times that Thais prefer Honda and that the resale will be better on the Airblade. I've never seen a used Nouvo Elegance for sale, so I can't compare this myself.

Warranty - Yamaha

Both come with a 3 year warranty, but the Yamaha has a 5 year warranty on the engine. My Thai isn't good enough to understand what might or might not be covered.

Dashboard - Yamaha

The Honda instruments are easy to read and do the job but look like cheap back-lit blue plastic. The Yamaha, though, just looks elegant. The needles are clearly visible in the blue on blue color scheme. The digital odometer is nice. The big advantage here, though, is that the Yamaha has a water temperature gauge.

Appearance - Honda

Things like styling are down to the individual. I like the looks of the Nouvo, but I prefer the Airblade (especially the Phoenix Edition in red).

Honda has already announced a new version of the Airblade with fuel injection (the Click with FI is here already). I've also been told by a Yamaha dealer that the Nouvo will be getting fuel injection (probably next year) but that it will be expensive.

A good review, which one did you buy ?

I'm surprised the 'condolences to the friends and relatives of the bite victim' line hasn't been posted yet.

They will be in the (New) condolences forum,

As I understand the guarantor is responsible to find/help repos the car if not payed for.

Downpayment depends on type of vehicle and your credit. My Yaris I payed 15% down in 2006.

My Vigo 4x4 I payed 25% down in 2006. 4X4 has high risk of accidents and theft, so they want higher downpayment, since insurance covers max 80% of purchase price.

A thai policeofficer (12k/month salary) was only allowed to guarantee on one of them, and my girlfriend (50K/month salary) the other.

The guarantor is responsible to find/help repos the car, but if that is not possible. ie total accident, stolen etc then they have to PAY, simple really they guarantee the loan

A woman was sentenced to 18 years in jail Friday for trafficking women from her hometown to Italy, where they were forced to work in prostitution, court officials said.

The Criminal Court found Kularb Thongmisri, 42, guilty of procuring three woman from an impoverished part of Si Sa Ket province in northeast Thailand to work in the Italian sex industry three years ago.

The victims, aged 42, 40 and 31, were lured to Europe by Kularb with the promise of well-paid jobs as house maids. But she made them pay an advance sum of 500,000 baht (14,500 dollars) each for travel costs.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/14...man-trafficking

-- Bangkok Post 29/05/09

500,000 baht. Impoverished...............really!!!!

I seem to remember someone on here saying you can pay at the post office..tried searching for that but the search engine is bad.

Also heard you can pay the tax for 5 years in advance ( saw the sticker on some ones bike) but when I asked at the transport office in Chonburi ...they said the only advanced payment option is to pay 3 months in advance of the sticker expiry date and only for one year ?????????

To get the tax I believe you have to have evidence that you have the compulsary insurance, your green or blue book.

and the fee.

If your car is over 7 years old or motorbike 5 years old, to get the compulsary insurance you have to have the TorRorOr

( road roadworthiness certificate ) that you can get from a local garage with this sign.

They really should try and sort out the process of registering new owners, changing provinces paying tax etc

at the moment its a bureaucratic nightmare

I think the roadworthiness test is for the Tax, they issued the insurance without requesting to see the bike Phuket

And that one could simply "convert" a IDL into a Thai-License!?

You cant convert a IDL to a Thai license, as an IDL is actually not a drivers license, its only a "legalised" translation of a valid D/L from a particular country, an IDL/IDP needs to be supported by a valid D/L and cant be used on its own...

You sure! got my Thai license two years ago in Phuket and all I was asked for was my UK IDL

I meant I wanted to live in a quiet beach somewhere, and don't care even if I have to drive for hours to do shopping in town some time.

You will have no problem, you can live anywhere on Phuket and get to the shopping in one hour, best find the beach and house first......

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Well the problem is, is that I really cannot afford to buy one, I am limited on money as I am going to be starting school in Chiang Mai in June. So you don't think I can rent a sidecar? I was wondering the same thing. 8000 B is pretty cheap though and maybe I could afford that, but I would defiantly need to rent the bike. I am not sure what you mean by flexible? Would a side car be a bad idea for the bags (I think we have about 90 kilos in bags)

I know that the one I have is having a hard time with me just over 100kg and a 120kg chair. If you are talking about 2 people and 90kg of luggage I think you would be struggling to travel effectively.

I would not call the one I have real fun to ride though.

Well hmmm....maybe this is not such a good idea. My bf and I were planning on driving from K'buri to C'Mai, thought it would be a nice scenic route. However I am 45 k and he is about 80 k. I messed up on the weight of the bags. I said 90 kilos and no no no that is not right I think it could be around 80-90 lbs. sorry lol. So what would you think with that kind of weight?

PS thank you for this help!

You are correct I would think its really not a good idea, doubt you can hire one ! as they are illegal on Thai roads, I know, I know you see them everywhere, but insurance and an accident could be a BIG problem

I bought a N95 at about the same time, they tried their best to convince me it would be trouble, but thats the phone I wanted, works mostly! locks up at the touch of a button ah well !

By the way, which transport is best to use to travel around phuket? Assume from Patong to Kata, how much an average taxi will charged? Or is it better to rent a motorbike to drive around? Is it safe and how much does it cost??

Thx ya.. really appreciates your reply

Hire a motorbike its cheaper ! and no its not safe, 150-200 baht

Good for you, I hope your not to old this could take a year or two to spread the word in Thailand

A 5 year renewal you can not let it expire. You have to renew it within 90 days of the expiration. Lot's of topics covering this.

//edit - to clarify, you can renew it from 90 days before expiration up to the expiration date. It's only the 1 year to 5 year that has to be expired.

What a system !!

One of them must expire.. the other cannot expire.. You couldnt make this stuff up..

Its not made up... its simple really the law says you have to have HAD a 1 year license before they will issue a five year one, you understand ?

I'm wondering what I should be doing to my Ninja 250R's chain...

How often do I need to lubricate it?

Is there any special procedure that should be followed for lubricating it, apart from just putting the lube on there? Is there an easy way to do it?

Which lubricants (type or brand) are good to use and available in Thailand, preferably in Chiang Mai?

Any advice greatly appreciated, thanks!

Check the manual some recommend simple 90 gear oil, the chain will prob. have internal lube with 0 ring seals all you need is some form of external lube that does not degrade the 0 rings