stevenl

I'm really wondering whether you're serious or trolling.

Neither do i. I ride a sidecar so can't afford those houses and the bars.

Ilyelol, what kind of car do you drive? Would like to know, so when i see you on the road i can make sure to harass you with the sidecar as long as possible.

Legal/ Illegal, doesn't matter as if you don't have enough dosh to drive a small mazda familia, maybe you should reconsider you life's choices.

And what if you have both, a decent pickup plus a motorbike with sidecar?

Really I see no point in having a samlor at all, that's why I use a motorbike to go within 1 k of my house, and the car or truck to go farther. Why would I want a samlor?

If you don't want one don't get one.

But why tell others there is no point in riding one, when you really mean 'for me there is no point in riding one'.

Legal/ Illegal, doesn't matter as if you don't have enough dosh to drive a small mazda familia, maybe you should reconsider you life's choices.

And what if you have both, a decent pickup plus a motorbike with sidecar?

When i had mine made, 8 years ago, i lived in ao makham so took it to the government office, next to the dl office, for yearly checks. That was the place closest by. These days i live in rawai so go to a local olace. Don't know if it is legal or not, do know i pay my taxes and registration every year. I think the claim 'always to blame for an accident' is just a load of crock.

As mentioned, for certain things a samlor is easier than a pickup plus cheaper, so will keep riding it.

The other claims, only 3 people on phuket riding them, only people with 20000 baht per month riding them, are a big load of crock and tell more about your own perceptions and limitited thinking capabilities than anything else.

Yes, he is a sponsor.

Still, for me these kind of posts are a reason not to buy there. make it a normal post and I don't mind, but this way

Well if it helps I can tell you that the Saling IS illegal here in Thailand and that if you have an accident (of any kind) it WILL be your fault I can assure you that the police will not even ask the other partys involved any questions, IT will be your fault and you will pay! there is no insurance! Thai or Falang, (and if you are falang you will be in BIG trouble) I know this as a fact!

Thanks. Can you support your claims, or do we just have to believe it because youmclaim it?

Phuket Provincal Police Commander Major Pekad Tantipong agrees to make public parking in Patong public again, and has recently started to crack down on criminal tuk tuk drivers.

He is grasping the big picture, just like LivinLOS and I do:D

Good that is going to happen, but I don't believe it until I see it.

No connection with scamming or overcharging though.

I don't think they are disobeing any traffic laws worse than motorbikes, but their riders do tend to forget they are much wider than a motorbike, so the effects of them disobeing traffic laws are more profound. Plus there are less of them, so one notices them more.

Thanks, but that is no answer to any of the questions. You're guessing about legality and you're guessing about the insurance.

looking at one you can not decide if its legal or illegal, neither can police, reg book needs to be checked.

Of the 27 I spotted the other morning, my rough guess is that they were all illegal. The Highway Police or Phuket

Provincial Land Transport Office should be able to answer that question without even checking their records.

I wonder if there is even one that is legally registered here in Phuket and I'm not talking about professional sidecars

with brakes i.e. HDs etc.

And how did you come to the conclusion they are all illegal? I am wondering, what is illegal about them? Mine gets a new sticker every year plus insurance, is it still illegal?

I have noticed an increasing number of farangs driving them.

I have too and can't understand why. Either ride on two wheels, or be safer and legal in a car/truck. What's the big draw about riding one of these dangerous illegal vehicles, and might I add, the wrong way quite often?

I can tell you why I ride one. I prefer to go to work by motorbike, so by having a sidecar I can do that and leave the car at home during the day if I think I don't need it. The sidecar is at the shop overnight, so if I need to transport something, equipment, tanks, I have transport available.

In addition, the sidecar drives a lot cheaper than the truck.

You can't deny that it is very common for locals (Thai's) to over charge non Thai's 20+ baht.

Yes, I can, simply not true.

Thais that overcharge do exist, of course they do, but i don't think it is common, and I think that where they overcharge they do or try to do the same with their countrymen.

Forgot,

Yes, they are an annoyance, but I also have one.

7. A very convenient mode of transport as the poor man's truck.

They are here, better accept them.

gekko is nice if you want basics, I use that for my backup. Also have D6 as a primary. I'm very happy with the D6.

The Gekko has been replaced by the Zoop.

Rubbish!

Check the link.

Corruption by country. Definition, graph and map.

First of all your link is about corruption, your quote also about many other things. Second of all in the west is a different kind of corruption, accepted by lots of people. Think about the big meetings for MD's organised by pharmaceuticals, and there are many, many more examples, big and small. Or do you think the lobbyists in Washington are just talking and not conveing arguments like: 'vote in favour of this bill and you'll lose a big part of your electorate' or 'vote in favour of this bill and that plant with 100 employees will be built in your state', etc.

Wish I'd said this:-

"The behaviour of corrupt and dishonest police, politicians, business leaders and people in authority etc... sets an example to the general population that teaches them that there is no reward either financial or otherwise, for what we in the west would call "doing the right thing".

Unfortunately the same could be said of the west:

"The behaviour of corrupt and dishonest police, politicians, business leaders and people in authority etc... sets an example to the general population that teaches them that there is no reward either financial or otherwise, for what we in a civilized and humane society would call "doing the right thing".

i really don't think the west is any better.

If you don't own a dictionary, you can look it up on the internet. :)

I just did, and in none of the definitions I found price fixing and scams are connected.

But there really is no point to this discussion: I and some others disagree with you and some others. We have been over this again and again here on the forum, and the result is always the same.

I must say though I am a bit surprised, only (at the moment) about 60% saying they have been scammed here and it is worse than in other countries. I would have expected that percentage to be higher on a poll on Thai Visa.

Other thoughts..

Case 1

Is it a scam when a Thai mother demands huge ransom money to allow the farang father to see his own child ?? Even when the guy is fully prepared to support the child and mother ??

Case 2 (different people)

Is it a scam after being paid a large sum to take the kids to the west for the summer she contacts the police, says he kidnapped them, and the man now cannot return to where he owns property and business without threat of imprisonment ??

Would we call those kind of action scams or just plain nasty ??

Those things are just nasty. For case # 2, to avoid this he should have gone to the Amphur with her and get a consent form. Where are the kids now?

it's crazy, but unfortunately, he's there. he's never thrown his "business" at me, but he has attempted to throw it at a friend. he's been reported to the chalong police for whatever it is worth. thought i'd add in my two cents so ladies continuously remember to be aware!

Really crazy, I'm very tempted to pass by one of these days/evenings and check this out myself.

I dont know the answer thats why I asked.

I just find it surprising that the Oz government back up global Westpac AUD deposits ?? Usually those kind of Government deposit guarantees are for domestic deposits only, yet you seem to maintain thats not the case.

Of course he should have no problem opening the account tho.

Just read LOS: "Is WP Singapore incorporated in Singapore or just a branch of the Australian bank, i am sure KB will check

I do not know and have no interest in opening a account there, if i was interested i would check"

Are Phuket tuktuks's a scam, overcharging or simply expensive?

I would say a tuktuk driver claiming the Grand Palace is closed but he will take you elsewhere is a scam (never heard of that happening on Phuket though), a tuktuk asking 600 baht for Patong-Kata is overcharging, and a tuktuk asking 400 baht for Patong-Kata is simply expensive.

As always a very good answer from one of the best posters on this forum. Common sense and logic a plenty.

Thanks, glad to hear that.

It's called "COLLUSION." Thus doing away with competition, in this case, with threats of violence etc. Look the word up in the dictionary. It's what makes the tuk-tuks a scam.

You can see a scam in anything if you want. And you're doing a good, sorry marvelous, job with that.