mr_hippo

Now as you can't or won't answer the 'going for a beer' question, some forum members will draw their own conclusion - that you are a control freak. You say buying a car involves the two of you whereas going out without her does not?

<deleted>??

No need to call me names. If you can not understand that the question you gave does not have the same weighting as a major purchase does, well then I'm sorry for you. Two very different situations with different degrees.

"I will try to be nicer if you try to be smarter"

What name did I call you? I said that some members will draw the conclusion that you are a control freak. Where in the post did I call you names? So the conclusion that I draw is that you won't answer the question. The size and amount of the purchase is irrelevant. If you want to change the question to "Zeak, you are not going to buy (something the equivalent value of a new car), I forbid you." Now that the playing fields are level, try to answer that but not with 'It will never happen'

As for your parting quip, it is you who ought to try to be nicer and smarter.

You may print this out but in bigger letters, you may use your finger to point to the words as you say them, If there are any big words, split them up into smaller pieces and say each part. There are teachers on this site to help you with reading and comprehension,

Now as you can't or won't answer the 'going for a beer' question, some forum members will draw their own conclusion - that you are a control freak. You say buying a car involves the two of you whereas going out without her does not?

I am her COMPANION, that is why I have a right to say what I think. Because I will be the person to help her if/when she is is trouble, and I know that a car will cause her trouble, and I know where that leads to. I feel I have a very strong say in the matter, would'nt you?

I thought that you two were boyfriend and girlfriend, not companions. We do not doubt that you have the right to say what you think. What you don't have is the right to forbid her. Let's put the boot on the other foot - what would your reaction be if your girlfriend said to you "Zeak, you are not going out tonight for a few beers with the lads, I forbid you." What would your true reaction be?

If the set price of a limo to, say, the Conrad is 1200 Baht and you are charged 1200 Baht, tell me, where is the scam?

It is shameful that a tourists first glimpse of the kingdom is tarnished by lies and deceit.

I personally can not accept this behavior as "normal". I don't care how many other examples of this crap occur in the world, It should not be tolerated. But what are you going to do about it?

People accepting this sort of behavior only perpetuate it's existence. - But what are you going to do about it?

But I think of people like my 83 year old father who came to visit my wife's family last year. He would feel safe in an international airport, amongst uniformed officials and police. Didn't you or a family member meet him?

srirachjohn thinks its a rip-off. Solution - don't use it.

pumpuiman -"I worked 10 years as a bouncer, and I still have nightmares about having to have resorted to violence because some moron wouldn't listen to logic." You are the one not listening to logic.

"I love her very much and would never want anything bad to happen to her, but I have forbid her buying a car."

What gives you the right to 'forbid' her doing anything? If you are concerned about her safety, why don't you buy a car/motorcycle and pick her up?

It just happened yesterday. I took of a CD from the drive and closed it without putting another disk inside. After that I am unable to open it anymore. Clicking on an injection push button just activate the drive (the led is flushing) and nothing happened.

What could be done? (except throwing it out)

Please disregard/delete this post. It was a temporary failure, a slight blow and the drive is working again.

If it happens again - most CD drives have a small pin hole at the front, unbend a paperclip and insert it, it will open the drive.

I think I have found Utopia - Boston, Mass. where no-one is ever swindled!

There are touts at all airports and tourists attractions worldwide

What a f*****g liar you are. Give some examples to proof your point.

I've been in service management for almost 30 years and have seen more airports than hotel rooms cos very often I would leave a country the same day I'd arrived.

Looking forward to your selection of airports.

When you can learn to talk to people properly then I will answer your question. Is there any need to swear? You say that you were in service management for almost 30 years, with your foul mouth I find that unbelievable!

I've read a few posts of you b4 and couldn't help to realise a certain pattern by you trying to display others as inexperienced or potential fools. If you are trying to say that I don't suffer fools gladly then you are right, I don't suffer them at all!

If you think that making a statement like you did has to be taken at face value cos it's from you then think again. I never implied any such thing

BTW I didn't say "I were", I said "I have been". Not quite the same. If you wish to correc t mistakes, please start with your own! You asked me to 'proof'(sic) it. Now do you want me to test it or prove it?

jasreeve17 - I am sorry if you misread my question, I will simplify it for you. 'If you were Thai and a low paid worker who was offered 'commission', would you accept it?' I am not defending this practice but pointing out that it could be happening.

pumpuiman - No, this does not happen in my neck of the woods' Have you ever thought about being a stand-up comedian? Please take off your rose-tinted glasses. Please feel free to quote me but never, ever use my quotes out of context, read the whole paragrph where the 'put it down to experience' quote comes from.

There are touts at all airports and tourists attractions worldwide

What a f*****g liar you are. Give some examples to proof your point.

I've been in service management for almost 30 years and have seen more airports than hotel rooms cos very often I would leave a country the same day I'd arrived.

Looking forward to your selection of airports.

When you can learn to talk to people properly then I will answer your question. Is there any need to swear? You say that you were in service management for almost 30 years, with your foul mouth I find that unbelievable!

Yes, I looked online and found a place with 39 reviews of that bike and they all got 4-5 ***** and 5 was max. Sounds like a great bike for the $. A friend bought one here in Surat and I test drove around school - I didn't want to get OFF it. I used to race bikes in the past - and when I felt that burn in the quads again it was like kissing my high school sweetheart...

The one problem was the rims were said to be a bit soft. I think for a medium weight rider doing not-so-tough stuff - good enough.

You got your 3900 for 8500!!!??

That's great to know. Perhaps I'll pick it up at probike too. Gotta look for that shop online, they must have something online.

Thanks for your help...

Vern

I can recommend the Trek 3900 and ProBike. I paid 8500B for mine and the only change I made to it was to change the knobblies for a pair of Michelin City slicks (26x1.5) I am not a big fan of MTB's but bought the Trek as a city hack; my road bike is equipped with Campagnolo which I can't get here and on my last visit to the UK, I priced up new wheels for it - £750 so the road bike goes out occasionally.

The Trek 3900 is a reasonably priced, reasonably equipped bike. I can't comment about its off-road capabilities perhaps other forum members would like to comment.

I've had no problems with the wheels and I'm definitely on the 'cuddly' size - in fact my eldest daughter has suggested that my next bike ought to be built with scaffolding tubing!

I recently bought some in boots, regards

Wouldn't it be better in bottles? It will come out of the lace holes!

I can recommend the Trek 3900 and ProBike. I paid 8500B for mine and the only change I made to it was to change the knobblies for a pair of Michelin City slicks (26x1.5) I am not a big fan of MTB's but bought the Trek as a city hack; my road bike is equipped with Campagnolo which I can't get here and on my last visit to the UK, I priced up new wheels for it - £750 so the road bike goes out occasionally.

The Trek 3900 is a reasonably priced, reasonably equipped bike. I can't comment about its off-road capabilities perhaps other forum members would like to comment.

pumpuiman, I will write this slowly as I know you can't read very fast. A tout does not tell the truth because he wants your business. By your analogy, all salesmen are scammers. Uniformed officials possibly get a kick-back, what would you do in their position? This happens all over the world. Doesn't the same thing happen in your neck of the woods?

OK, now you have taken the limo home and you find out you could have got a taxi cheaper, what can you do? You can report it to the Tourist Police but then you would have to wait for about 30 minutes for them to stop rolling on the floor and laughing or you could just put it down to experience.

Any one out there using a life ex. degree or knows about them any advice you have would be gratefuly recieved.

There may be some but I don't think anyone will publicly announce the fact!

A lot of posters here seem to think that they are still living in Podunk, Massachusetts or Podunk St Mary, Wiltshire or Podunka Podunka, NSW, still tied to Mummy's apron strings and expect services to be of the same standard. Before these posters read any further, please go to your coffee pot, pour yourself a nice hot cup of coffee, smell it and wake up!

OK, you are now awake. There are touts at all airports and tourists attractions worldwide and not just confined to BKK airport. Want a ticket for the Superbowl and can't get one? You can buy one off the many touts outside the stadium - illegal? Yes, it is but you are prepared to pay over the odds for it.

Let's say that the fare from the airport to your home is 900Baht - you have previously phoned a limo company to find out or your friends have told you. On arriving back at BKK, you are touted by a limo company and he says "900Baht". Tell me how have you been conned? You haven't, you have paid the going rate.

For the posters who use the word 'scam' for what these touts are doing, look up the word in a dictionary. They are touting for business, not taking part in a confidence trick.

Someone mentioned about inexperienced travellers not knowing the exchange rate or how to get from the airport to their hotel, these people should not be let loose on the public! Haven't they heard of the internet, guide books or travel agents? Do they just decide to have a holiday in Bangkok, book the flight and a hotel without finding any information about the place?

I am upset by the use of the word 'limo', some companies use the Toyota Camry as a limo. It is a good car but, by no stretch of the imagination, can it be classed as a limo.

Perhaps I am wrong, but I think most people would do a bit of research on where they are going and what to expect, especially when it comes to transport to your hotel. I think you are making things harder than it really is.

You are not wrong but some posters here do not have the sense that they were born with!

Brit, is that the best you can offer???

I can politely say no in Thai and move on. But the old couple trying a once in a lifetime Asian trip will fall for it and will get scamed That's why we have regulations, controls, police, etc etc in society. Not to help the super know everything enlightened ones like yourself, but to protect the masses, from amongst other things - scams.

Scam? Surely you mean touts. There are laws against touting in the UK but touts still exist. The same applies to US, Canada, Australia, NZ; need I go on? How would you stop touting in your own country?

Did anyone complain about touts at the old airport?

I bought a bag and belt for my wife for Valentines Day - The vacuum cleaner works great now.

Reading the comments here, one would think that it is only in Thailand that tourists get scammed. fleeced or whatever word you want to put in here.

NEWSFLASH

It happens the world over - just one example -http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1442976.stm. Do your own searches for more examples.

"They probably don't even know how expensive it is because they are not aware of the value of the local currency (Thai baht)" That is a load of small round objects! When I travel to other countries, I may not know the exact exchange rate but I have a rough idea -£1 = 70Baht. It is not exact but does for quick calculations. I also look on the 'net and travel guides for rough information; if I read that the taxi fare to downtown Bangkok is 300Baht and someone wants me to pay 1200Baht then alarm bells ring in my head.

"Arriving international tourists are often tired " You don't say but does this make them stupid as well?

I just want to remind and make sure you warn your family/friends/customers or who ever is coming in to Thailand, that when arriving at the arrival meeting hall, you will be approached by lots of people asking if you need taxi. They will actually tell you yes...yes..taxi..but instead they are Limos..which is a rip-off. Tell everyone just go to the lower floor and you'll see the local taxi meters.

For curiosity I asked for the price to Conrad Hotel....1,200 baht......Town in Town 900 baht. Crazy uh!!! Sometimes they even have those black (maffia Limos).....hope you know which ones I mean. Some are the old Volvos..hahaha.

You can also tell everyone not to buy milk at Big C, it's cheaper at Tesco

You can also tell everyone not to buy T-shirts in KSR, they are cheaper at the weekend market

You can also tell everyone not to........... what is the point of your post?

If you think that the price of an airport limo is a 'rip-off' then don't use them.

Surprise, surprise, some airport limos are black and some are Volvos

Are you trying to say that everyone who drives a large black saloon is in the mafia?

I would agree with you croc in that part of our function working in Thailand...........

Phil, are you confusing a crocodile with a hippo?

Repeat the simple instructions a few times to see if they understand and ask them to repeat, if not resort to pidgin. One hopes, with this method, that their level of comprehension will improve.

What are you on about, Blades did not play last night, next game is on the 24th, Hope they can cut down Liverpool!

Have you tried speaking English and not Thaiglish? "Is email still not work?, Yes?, No?" How would you say that to an English speaker? Do you normally add yes or no to the end of questions? Why use the German/Yiddish word 'kaput'? You said it was to settle your own confusion but it added to his!

Please do not use pidgin when talking to non-native speakers as they will, rightly or wrongly, assume that this is the correct form.

Most excellent. I didn't get it and then I showed it to my wife who, after a few seconds, gave me a big kiss, saying I love you too darling!!!

Please do not give the answer just yet!