stevenl

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'.

well its all about perspective

to me people who drink chang and singha are no better than those looking through garbage

You really deserve your nick.

Anyone with common sense knows that you do not get on a Thai dive or speed boat without first verifying safety measures and whether or not the operator is reputable.

Highly unlikely any tourist has ever done that...ever. Do you mean they should count the life jackets? Check to see all permits and training are/is current? Give the crew a breathalyzer? GK, I'm confused by that statement.

Maybe Vladimir gets analyzed himself and won't be allowed on board

He was at fault, his insurance company is paying.

What you should have done is call your insurance company and let them sort it out. Don't get involved yourself, don't talk to the cops. Let the insurance guys do that.

But the end result is ok, why a ticket? That would not help anybody. Or do you really think a 300 Baht ticket. maybe even paid by the company, would deter any driver from fast/reckless driving?

Good to see another option.

I would not classify Phuket Town as North Phuket though.

How do any of the complaints listed (except for the airport taxis) justify the outrageous prices asked by the tuk-tuks and taxis compared to the rest of Thailand?

It is these very same cooperatives that force tuk-tuks and taxis to make the return journey empty as they are not allowed to pick up passengers outside "their area".

Yes, I was thinking exactly the same.

Not exactly what she said. She said 'the bottom looked rusty to me', 'some of the life jackets were broken' and 'there was no life raft'. She concluded 'this boat was not fit for purpose'. She could be right, I very much doubt she is and I seriously doubt she is able to judge this.

She said there was only 12 life-jackets onboard which was just enough, though the dive instructor had to wear one of the 12 that didn't buckle up. The boat is meant for 25 persons.

Sounds cut and dried to me. She's right.

That is what she said later.

She is for sure not right in some of the things she mentions:

A rusty bottom, which is very strange for a wooden boat.

Other boats did not go out because of inclement weather, even the most safety conscious boats went out yesterday.

The sea was already very rough at the start, no it was not, very normal for this time of year.

My information regarding what happened exactly is different from what she mentions. I was not on the boat though, but on the other hand she is not an experienced boat person so would not know exactly what was happening.

Regarding life vests etc: can't comment on that, if it were really the case there were not enough life vests on board that would be bad.

Dear Stevenl

Jolly Roger didn't lost any dive platform, and have no damage. All 58 passengers and staff were safe always. Yes it was rough weather and we have some things fall down, but our boat is of good strong design. Please feel free to contact our office should you want true information. Our thought's go out to all those at Kamala dive centre.

Aoy - Jolly Roger

Good, glad to hear it, thanks for the correction.

Interesting comment on PW from survivor she said the boat was in bad shape to start with and that a lot of the life belts were broken.

I thought there was a "clampdown" on the safety of dive boats after the one that sank a couple of years ago killing people.

Oh sorry just another Thai style clampdown.

I sailed for many years and I would not set foot on most of the heaps of scrap here.

Not exactly what she said. She said 'the bottom looked rusty to me', 'some of the life jackets were broken' and 'there was no life raft'. She concluded 'this boat was not fit for purpose'. She could be right, I very much doubt she is and I seriously doubt she is able to judge this.

Agree with the previous post.

He probably could not sell your car for a big enough margin to one of the second hand shops. So go there yourself.

Ok, get it now. Fairly extreme thing to do at sea.

Yes, very. I'm sure the people on board were not too happy with being exposed to the elements, but the alternative would have been even worse.

I also heard of a speedboat that cut of its roof to prevent it from being launched.

I just don't understand this sentence.

Is it a second language thing or is it me?

The speedboat apparently cut of its roof because the roof was catching too much wind, threatening to launch the boat into the air.

In the other thread, a well known poster here who has gone by a number of nics claims as "fact", you are always going to be cheated by these companies. I can tell you after 3 years of paying 40K a year for my plan, I ended up having some surgery that cost close to 200K (THB). Not sure if said poster can do math but that debunks his "fact".

Uhuh, that is not what was said there. According to that person in that thread you have just beaten the fruitmachine. But he is right of course, it is about the numbers, and the insurance companies always win because of the big numbers. But that is no argument to an individual.

Ok, never heard of this so did google.

From Wikipedia:

"Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Pueblo where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla). The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day—the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico—which is actually celebrated on September 16."

It seems that every year there is the same problem: no life guards at the start of the monsoon season becasue they started the process too late. Maybe time to start this up a bit earlier?

There was a mechanical problem with the Kamala boat, so they had to run it aground. While doing that they hit the rocks, but it did not sink.

Yes, South Siam took on water and evacuated but did mot sink, Jolly Roger lost a diveplatform. I also heard of a speedboat that cut of its roof to prevent it from being launched.

The big winds coming up around 15.30 surprised everybody, but no personal accidents.

im thinking Insurance here. what if this underage driver has an accident, and God forbid a fatal accident

what happens then ?

3rd party insurance will still be valid, just like in other countries with a compulsory 3rd party insurance.

But he has only confessed to an accidental death.

Then shoving her into a bin and keeping her body in the house for two years while he enjoyed his life playing on his motorbike, moderating on Thai Visa forum etc etc.

What a sick, sick individual. Wonder what skeletons in the closet others have on here.

So, do ''YOU'' know who actually put her in the bin ?

FORGET what you have read AND KBB's collateral damage valuation regarding the best course of action.

Right, we have to ignore all evidence including confession and just listen to you .

But he has only confessed to an accidental death.

Then shoving her into a bin and keeping her body in the house for two years while he enjoyed his life playing on his motorbike, moderating on Thai Visa forum etc etc.

What a sick, sick individual. Wonder what skeletons in the closet others have on here.

It may look like he enjoyed his life, but we'll never know how he really felt.

Main advise: don't trade in at the dealer but sell to one of the second hand shops. The dealer would do the same, so you might as well collect his profit margin on this, quite often around 40,000 Baht.

GOD it's difficult for the hang em high brigade.

No, very easy, he has confessed. Just accept he has done it and get over it.

I think it is pretty standard in Thailand that if you confess & plead guilty a death sentence is commuted to life.

Also if plead guilty to a crime then the normal prison time is reduced by 50%.

Yes, so I think he'll plead guilty to man slaughter, murder can't be proven so the prosecutor will settle for that as well.10 years sentence will do it for him probably.