stevenl

Don't take a stick to soi dogs, or any dog for that matter, it will only serve to attack you. Just go where you want to go, if they approach you continue and make in behaviour very clear to them you will not be attacked.

According to my dealer about 2 months.

I have never been stopped without reason and never been fined outside of Phuket (where I live). And yes, have been driving on the highway a lot and also in other places, never a problem.

most ladyboys are ok until they get drunk then the man comes out i have seen it happen there f@@ked up in the head with yaba and drink,.

Glad to see you counted them all and watched them all to be able to come up with this statement. Somebody had to do it, I'm glad it wasn't me.

I agree. 2nd hand cars in Thailand are ridiculously over priced. it also amazes me how many 2nd hand cars are for sale. They're bloody everywhere.

This may or may not be true but I remember someone telling me the 2nd hand car industry in Thailand is controlled by the car industry itself. Keeping prices high.

Getting loans is pretty easy and in many cases as soon as someone secures a reasonable job they'll go out and buy a car. Only problem is they have to make monthly repayments. Therefore a lot of repossessions.

This actually happened with one of my staff. Secured a well paid job, next week turned up in a new car. Only problem is she had no license.

Oh yeah, good on you for raising this topic. I don't understand that some people think that whenever someone raises a question about Thailand they should go home. Long live freedom of speech.

I don't understand why people keep saying 'overpriced'. The prices of second hand cars are determined by cars on offer and people looking for cars, so the market. If it is overpriced it won't be sold.

GF got her IDP today, very easy. Well, apart from the photo that is, which needed to include just below the shoulder rather than a standard passport style photo. As she said, "Why they need to see my nom?"

Documents required were copy of Tabian Baan, Passport and Driving Licence. Issued on the same day.

Now I need to find a way to tell her my insurance company (eSure) has refused to add her to my policy!

They would insure her if she had been in UK for 3 years or more.

However, Aviva looks promising so maybe I will cancel my current policy and take out a new one with them but I will wait until I am in UK to sort it out.

So why did you get an IDP for her, since a Thai DL is all that is legally required?

2 reasons really: 1. Her licence is all in Thai 2. As it was so easy, why not? It can only help in any given situation.

Ok, thanks.

GF got her IDP today, very easy. Well, apart from the photo that is, which needed to include just below the shoulder rather than a standard passport style photo. As she said, "Why they need to see my nom?"

Documents required were copy of Tabian Baan, Passport and Driving Licence. Issued on the same day.

Now I need to find a way to tell her my insurance company (eSure) has refused to add her to my policy!

They would insure her if she had been in UK for 3 years or more.

However, Aviva looks promising so maybe I will cancel my current policy and take out a new one with them but I will wait until I am in UK to sort it out.

So why did you get an IDP for her, since a Thai DL is all that is legally required?

A Thai/Thai relationship ends with one of them trying to take their own life and the majority of postings on here are sympathetic (and quite rightly so) that a human being should be so desperately unhappy as to try to take their own life.

Why is it then that if the relationship had been Thai/Farang and the Farang jumped we would most likely have had a majority of postings saying it was their own fault for being stupid enough to fall in love?

No, the majority would have said it is not suicide but murder. He must have been pushed.

Still I have no exact idea why 2nd hand cars are that expensive.

The arguments above are not convincing (not only import cars have a low impairment).

One explanation I heard:

1) Only very few buyers are able to pay cash

2) Of the majority, many buyers are not able to get a bank loan for a new (or used) car (bank loans not available to peasants, small businesses etc., available to government officials and white-collar employees)

3) 2nd hand dealers offer loans to those buyers and abuse their financing power for ridiculous prices and terms of loan.

You might be better understanding this if you turn your question around: why are 2n hand cars back home so cheap?

I agree with other posters BTW, there really is no point at all in comparing prices between Thailand and back home.

I have a different theory. After the bamboo and nurses disappeared from Phi Phi, I surmised that an enterprising Thai divemaster, once learning the regular spots which the sharks could be found, sometimes 2 or 3 to a hole, decided to cash in. They are so docile you could literally swim up to them and grab them.

I am convinced the same thing is happening on occasion to e.g. seahorses, except that they go to aquariums.

I have a DC in Kata, so 5 minute drive from Southern Karon. He/you can always contact me.

Hmmm, bit light on the likes for 2000+ posts,<snip>

That's because I'm honest and straight forward, not everybody likes that. Also quite outspoken, and not everybody agrees with me.

This is the compulsory 3rd party insurance. Without this no tax renewal, so you really have no choice but to take it out.

I have a DC in Kata, so 5 minute drive from Southern Karon. He/you can always contact me.

Hi Margaret,

I was also considering sending my son to Darasamuth. But because of the distance and thereby also social aspects decided to invest more and send him to Palm House in Rawai.

This won't help you with your transport issue, but I would if I were you consider some of the alternatives in the area.

The hotline number from the website. The English menu does not work, but when I talk to the operator I get connected to an English speaking lady from customers relations.

When are you moving?

Might be important: take into account delivery time of parts.

I was involved in an accident, nothing outrageous but car could not drive anymore, and have to wait 6 weeks!! for the parts to be delivered from Nissan Japan.

My latest phonecall to HQ has had positive results. The lady was very surprised I called again, after Isuzu Andaman Sales (Phuket) did not do as promised, and promised to sort things out straight away.

A few hours later the sales manager calls, perfect English, and tells me: sales guy has been sacked, delivery of car will be next Monday. Very, very sorry for the inconvenience.

So all fine for me, I was just on the way back from Mazda (enquiry only) when the phone rang, so I'm a happy chappy now.

Yes, 1 day will normally not be charged.

Your date of departure is deciding for the overstay BTW. not the day of checkin/clearing immigration. So earlier opening of the counter should not have made any difference.

3,5 months ago I ordered a new D-Max. I was told a delivery time of 2 months, but it still has not been delivered, and all the dealer can tell is 'we'll call you as soon as it has been delivered to us'. Isuzu HQ is trying to help me, but with an unwilling dealer there is only so much they can do. They did tell me present delivery time for an order placed now is 4-5 months though.

I just called Mazda, and was told a delivery time of 2 months (I'd be looking at BT 50 double cab 2.2 AT).

Anybody have any insight in whether the information I received is true? Would like to avoid a discussion on the cars or alternatives BTW.

Anyone who thinks they are safe or safer in a pickup truck is simply deluding themselves. Have a look in your local Police station compound at all the smashed up ones. I looked at a black Vigo 4 x4 double cab recently in our town, it was doing a good impression of an empty LEO can that had been stamped on.

So? Compare it to another car in the same impact and you know something, a statement like yours is meaningless.

Much about oil consumption, not much about fuel consumption.

Don't know about chaining up. I simply don't park, but stop on the side of the road at the back and get my bread. Takes me about 30 seconds, so not enough time for them to do anything.

They have now erected a sign indicating a temporary change of motorbike parking.

Here it's more than 2 months later. Seems they are permanent temporary signs.

Unfortunately, yes. If I just go to get some bread at Sacs I simply stop there, let the security guards blow their whistles and ignore them.

Basically the same both drive on the left should be ok when somebody is pulling out from a side road in front of you just flash your lights that your coming through whatever and it will be fine no problem.

not true...... flashing your lights in the uk means 'come on through' not I'm coming through.....

Actually your both wrong... Flashing your lights according to the Highway code serves only as a warning to other motorists that you are there..

but I do flash lights to let people out of junctions in UK, but the concept of doing something nice or being courteous when driving is a concept that is alien to Thais.

yeah i know it s not in the highway code einstein but a thai person flashing their lights in the uk and then just driving through as they do in los will cause problems in the uk, where it is universally accepted as a signal to pass on through by the 'flasher' whether in the highway code or not

Not true, in the UK the meaning depends on the circumstances. It can be 'watch out, im coming thorugh' or 'go ahead, I'm waiting'.