DBath

11 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Keep your Nose out

I can see it now...all those flights packed with passengers coming to check-in for their 14-day quarantine and pick up their GPS tracker bracelets, then eventually going to dinner at a nice restaurant where they'll be allowed NO ALCOHOL! After that they'll head for the bars and a massage shops, which will all be closed.

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

Buy gold chains and wear them to spain.

 

My arms are almost as big as his, but my stomach looks more like Jackie Gleason's????

22 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

"I suspect that per KM ridden there could be a higher risk of death in area’s where the traffic speed is greater..."

 

Yeah, right. And I suspect there is more speed on the streets of BKK than HH.

22 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

"...but I do not know this, which is why I would like to see some genuine statistics."

 

I would too, so why don't you see if you can dig some up? I suspect you won't like what you find...

2 hours ago, Gandtee said:

But only about your road skills, how tough and how smart you are. That's enough for anyone.

Okay, so I may have embellished a little, and while I’m not really sorry if it bothered you, perhaps you will one day wake up and realize some of what I said was in jest. I get it though, you just don’t share a sense of my kind of humor. Would it bother you less if I said I have balls the size of boulders? I know I’m neither the toughest or the smartest guy in the room, but I have been riding motorcycles since I was 8 years old (back when you were about my grandpa’s age) and have never been in an accident. I attribute this to a combination of luck, skill and lots of practice. I’m sure you and I will be friends now. ????????????

5 minutes ago, Nemises said:

Not sure how much BKK bank want to charge you, but it only cost me 1,200b in bank fees to transfer 11 million baht from my Krungthai bank account direct to my US bank account. 
 

 

 

I didn’t get a chance to call them today, but will do tomorrow and try to report back to this thread. Thanks! 

19 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

Does sound iffy. Although, I do believe I've read a couple of report of people somehow managing to get 5 years straight up. Worth a shot given your predicament, depending how much you really need to drive yourself in Spain, might be worth talking to an agent, throwing money at problems does seem to make them go away in a lot of cases.

Thanks, maybe I will check into that option. I’m meeting with my accountant/agent tomorrow, so perhaps she can help, she’s normally pretty reasonable, cost-wise. 

26 minutes ago, kynikoi said:

Go to the AAA site and download the form and everything you need fill it all out.

 

Send it to a friend or family member in the United States let them enclose a check and then mail it off to the address that is on the website.

 

I had to think about doing it this way some years back for trip to New Zealand but ended up not doing it anyway.

 

It's a very slow process and I doubt that you will have enough time before your trip but I think that's the only way that you can send a check and I believe it does need to be a check.

I’m going to get on the phone with AAA and AATA tonight and see if I can work something out via express mail. I have about 1 month, so maybe I can get a BofA or Chase check expressed to me here that I can add to the application I’ve already filled out and is ready to go, then pay the $85 int’l shipping fee (I think only AATA has this as an option). And yes, according to both AAA and AATA’s websites, they both will only take a check.  
 

My fallback is to see if I can get my agent to help me get a Thai license and IDP somehow, but that may become a very expensive option.

8 hours ago, Salerno said:

 

You won't as I understand it. Based on the above you will only get a 2 year Thai licence; from memory, you need a 5 year licence to get an IDP.

I was at immigration today to get the proof of residency for this and to sell a vehicle and the woman there told me I could try going to the license office in Cha-Am as they will sometimes convert your hone country license into a 5-year, but that seems a little fishy to me and will probably end up being a wild goose chase. 

4 minutes ago, mikebike said:

There are indeed accredited Notaries in Thailand. Not all lawyers are notaries. Ask for credentials.

I have to meet with my accountant/agent tomorrow and her brother is an attorney, maybe he can help me. 

3 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

it certainly looks like a notorised translation is acceptable, however there are no actual notoriety’s here in Thailand, lawyers normally carry out the role or the actual person who does the translation.

Of course that’s all well and good until it’s not acceptable to the operative at the rental desk.

I’ve rented cars from Avis in Europe just using my Thai license, though not in Spain. 

Yes, I’ve seen where sometimes it just depends on who you encounter behind the service desk. Sometimes you can even show them a copy of their own T&C’s and get, “well, those T&C’s don’t apply at this location…”. 

5 hours ago, Gandtee said:

We didn't know smart and tough in the 1950s. And even if we were, we would never brag about it.

Well, you're really showing your age now, aren't you? I'm also of grandfatherly age, but I would never brag about it. 

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Apart from you making up your own facts...   It would actually be interesting to see some real stats accidents / fatality rates on motorcycles by city (as a percentage of bikes)..

 

I ride and drive in Bangkok - in general the congestion means we can’t ride very quickly, I suspect any accident is more likely to be a bump’n’spill rather than a impact at speed. 

 

 

And what facts would those be, exactly? I'd love to see your 'facts' regarding bump and spill vs. accidents that occur with people drag racing thru the city with reckless abandoned. IMO, one would have to be a 'moron' - to loosely use your terminology - to not be able to see with your own eyes how different it is to ride in a place like Bangkok vs. Hua Hin. I don't need to see any stats to know the difference, smart boy.

6 hours ago, colinneil said:

Always makes me laugh reading comments like the one above.????????????????

You can be the best bike rider in the world, but when a local big wig official drives the wrong way down the road and wipes you out, being a rider with vast experience counts for nothing.

Well that's true and I wouldn't try to dispute that, and I was being a little facetious - but only a little. My point was more that one would have to be a total moron to not know from simply driving around in Bangkok and observing the craziness of car and motorbike drivers there, that it is obviously more dangerous to ride a motorcycle or scooter there than it is in Hua Hin or most other smaller cities and towns anywhere.

5 hours ago, theoldgit said:

Did Avis quote their T&C's?

 

Do I need to bring my driving licence with me?

Yes. All drivers must bring all parts of their valid driving licence with them. They must bring both their driving licence and either an international driving licence or an official Spanish translation, by a notary, of their driving licence if:          Could you get a translation?:

a driving licence was issued in Europe and you are renting in a country outside Europe

Or a driving licence was issued in a non-European country, and you are renting outside that country This could be an issue

Or a driving licence was issued in a non-roman alphabet like Arabic, Greek, Russian, Hebrew or Japanese. Thai driving licences are in English

Is there a minimum length I must have held my licence for?

Yes. All drivers must have held their licences for at least one year. If a licence does not show the driver has held it for the minimum period, then they must provide evidence, such as:

Previous driving licences

Or a letter from their driving licence authority stating that they have held it for this minimum period.

They didn't quote their T's & C's, but the woman I spoke to also didn't seem to have much on the ball, so I'm not so sure she even referenced them. I've read several passages from people who've been refused rentals for not having the proper IDP and other documentation, and it usually seems to be with those who're trying to rent from the bigger players, like Hertz and Avis. I have President's Club status with both Hertz and Avis, but not sure that will matter. If I've read and properly understood the T&C's you provided, it looks like getting a notarized version of my US drivers license translated into Spanish could be an option, correct? If so, is there anywhere in Thailand I can go to get this kind of notarization or would I be better off trying to get that done in Spain when I get there?

5 hours ago, impulse said:

Who even writes checks any more?  Especially on a US bank account to pay for something in Hua Hin.

 

Surely, there's a digital payment method available.   They can't be that far back in the stone age.

 

15-20 years ago when I did write checks, I quit ordering them from the bank and started printing my own on blank stock sold specifically for that purpose.  It was a PITA to set up the dedicated (cheap) software program, but I never ran out of checks.

 

Agree, I thought the same, "how can they be that archaic to not consider any other forms of payment". I also can't believe I was so dumb as to not bring any checks with me to Thailand, just in case.

6 hours ago, Smokin Joe said:

If you don't already have a Thai License getting a Thai IDP is not an option. Your first Thai license will be a 2 year "provisional" license and a Thai IDP will only be issued if you have a 5 year license.

 

I have a US bank with checking account and wrote a check for someone in a similar situation so they could get their IDP from AAA. You might ask any American friends in Hua Hin if they have a US checking account.

I know is going to sound pathetic, but I don't know anyone from the US here in Hua Hin that I could ask to do this, if I did I would though - it's a great idea.

6 hours ago, Salerno said:

 

You won't as I understand it. Based on the above you will only get a 2 year Thai licence; from memory, you need a 5 year licence to get an IDP.

I did not know this, thanks. At immigration today, I was told I should go to Cha-Am licensing office as they are sometimes willing to convert the license from your home country (US in my case) to the 5 year Thai one, but I need to research this more. 

I'm a US citizen living in Hua Hin and I need to get an International Driving Permit (IDP) for my trip to Spain ASAP. I've checked with Avis in Spain and will need the IDP to rent a car, which is critical, so I can transport my luggage from Madrid to Pamplona one week after I arrive there. I only have one month, but at the moment I only have a US driver's license issued out of Illinois.

As I see it, my options are:

1. Apply through AAA or AATA in the US via express mail, so I can get the IDP back in time before I have to leave Hua Hin for Bangkok (middle of July). The problem I'm having with this approach is AAA and AATA only accept a check as payment and I'm not sure if there is a way for me to get a certified check from Bangkok Bank in Hua Hin. The last time I had to get a certified check issued I had to go to BKK to get it.

2. Apply for a drivers license here in Hua Hin, then get an IDP from here shortly after.

Would prefer to get the IDP off my US driver's license, but I'm not sure I can make it work as I have no check stock from my US bank with me (BofA or Chase Bank). Everything I've read indicates only IDP's issued by AAA or AATA (for US IDP) are safe/valid for use in other countries.

If I try to get Thai DL, then an IDP here in Hua Hin, I'm not sure if I'll have time.

I'm going to contact the AAA and AATA later today to see if they can offer any advice regarding the check method of payment. I've also scheduled a meeting with my account who is also my agent here in Hua Hin to see if it's possible for me to get a Thai license in time.

By tomorrow, I should know which alternative is possible or not possible. Am hoping some of you here have other thoughts or experiences that might help, thanks!

47 minutes ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

they might ask you why you carry so much cash with you, and ask you for receipts.

but generally it is no problem, you only need to declare it.

 

you can consider to use your ATM for withdrawls of your money from bangkok bank

while in spain. the exchange rate will not be bad and you only have to worry about

ATM cimision. sometimes there is no comission at all - not in thailand and not in spain - this way you can withdraw your money when you need it. bangkok bank does not charge

commisions for keeping the account, so why not to use it and use the account as a vault.

just make sure to ask them for the master card ATM card. the UNION one does not work so well.

Good point, thanks. And I do happen to have the MasterCard version, so that will provide another decent option, especially if I decide to wait until I get to Spain and setup a bank account.

4 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

Tough and smart? As my mother used to say "I've heard ducks fart before!"

Well now, there is a difference between just smart and tough and street smart. Were you one of those sheltered lads?

6 hours ago, bobandyson said:

 

Riding too slowly? I was forced off to the side of a road. I was slowing down trying to come to a complete stop and only managed to slow down to about 15 kph when I came off trying to get back onto the main road instead of hitting a parked food cart. 

 

The next time that I ride at 15 kph through my mooban and get close to the play area where kids obviously abound, I should speed up then should I?

 

Hmmmm... Having had two accidents in the space of 3 months does sound bad doesn't it? And yet the previous 31 years of riding in Thailand which included 5 years of riding 6 days a week to work on Soi Thonglor and back to my home in the north of Bangkok, plus travelling to and/or through 76 provinces out of 77, also riding along all the outermost roads along Thailand's borders and coastlines (except for Trat), not forgetting 12 years riding back in the UK..... and yet somehow I didn't have any accidents in all that time. Unbelieveable I know, and yet some people only claim they've only ever had the one accident. It goes to show that you can have accidents at any time or frequency or none at all if you're very lucky. 

 

Your chances of dying on a motorcycle, while riding in BKK - with a helmet, are way higher than me riding one without a helmet here in Hua Hin. And I - with my vast riding experience - would never consider riding a bike in Bangkok, period.  You'll also notice, I'm not going to say anyone who does so is 'stupid' or is a 'moron'.