stevenl

Is it just me or do you guys find Matthew Marsh's commentary a bit like Steve Slater's? i.e. very irritating. I much prefer Mark Gallagher and Tim Harvey.

Great qualifying session yesterday too. Schu may well spring a surprise!

Karen Chandok yesterday was good.

Innacurate speedos seem to be the norm in LOS. My Navara reads about 8km/hr faster than the GPS from around 90kmh and up.

Would not be permitted in the west but hey who cares how fast you drive here anyway?

As somebody else said fittting different sized wheels/tires can fix the problem if you are worried about it.

Would do you mean, would not be permitted in the West?

Between 5-10% higher on speedo than actual seemed to be the norm for all the cars I've ever driven back home in Europe.

20-22 April is the new date for Phuket bike week, gives you some more time to get the repairs done.

Frig!! Thanks. Seems the phuketbikeweek.com website has different dates on the main page and the "activities" page!! TIT!! Should be good to go then!! Please ignore OP or not!

Yes, they are not communicating the change in dates very well.

Where on Phuket are you staying?

I would not worry about getting charged for damage you did not cause, as LIK has said, make some photos and you'll be fine.

Also, theft (or scammed theft) is a far smaller problem IMO than sometimes suggested, but a more realistic issue than getting scammed for damage.

Ok. So, there is your original post. Once more, "also, theft (or scammed theft) is a far smaller problem IMO than sometimes suggested" - NOT SCAMMED THEFT DOES'T EXIST, AT ALL and "a bit more realistic issue than getting scammed for damage." So, it's a REALISTIC ISSUE but now you are saying the "issue" doesn't exist, at all. <deleted>????????

Again, reread what you wrote and my reaction to that. Nowhere did I say the issue of theft does not exist.

But reading and reaction to what has been written seems impossible for you, you only react to what you think people wrote.

And you can write here what you like, I won't bother reading your posts anymore, let alone answering them.

You have stated that "theft (or scammed theft) is a far smaller problem" - so, it does exist, by your own admission.

So, a tourist rents a bike, the shop "steals" it back one night and then demands you pay 50,000 baht for a new bike. You either refuse to pay, or can't pay, they call the police, you are "detained and arrested" until you pay - this means you are not leaving the country until you pay. You have admiited the "problem" occurs - so, it's a risk to the hirer. You have contradicted yourself.

Are you a native english speaker????

I give up, you even can't read or remember your own posts.

Where on Phuket are you staying?

I would not worry about getting charged for damage you did not cause, as LIK has said, make some photos and you'll be fine.

Also, theft (or scammed theft) is a far smaller problem IMO than sometimes suggested, but a more realistic issue than getting scammed for damage.

Do I need to remind you of your post????????

"Also, theft (or scammed theft) is a far smaller problem" - so, you agree, there is a "problem." The only thing that remains to be debated is the size of that "problem" but now you are saying there is no "problem" it doesn't exist. You are contradicting yourself.

No, I am not contradicting myself. Reread my post in which I ask for examples of the problems you claim exist. I claim those problems, for which you can't give examples, for which the Australian government does not warn, do not exist.

You claim things happen, I think they don't. If they were to happen they would be all over the internet, but they are not. No stories, nothing.

That leaves only one conclusion: the 2 dangers you gave simply don't happen. You're just parroting everybody else. But that's ok, lots of people do that.

I do not personally know anyone who has been held at the airport to pay an outstanding bill or fine. Although, the imfamous "beer mat theft" by an Australian women at a large Australian theme bar on Bangla Road comes to mind. I draw your attention to paragraph No. 8 in the below article, and that was only for a 1000 baht fine. Imagine if you killed or seriously injured someone whilst riding a motorbike here. The fine, and mediation to the victim, or their family, would be thousands and thousands of dollars. Slim chance of a foreigner getting bail under those circumstances, so you are definately not leaving the country.

I believe this is why hotels, guest houses, car/motorbike hire etc take the number of your arrival/departure card. In the event of you not paying, and making a run for it, they contact police, who contact immigration, and you are held at the airport until you pay. Obviously, someone not paying has done the wrong thing, so, why would they contact the media about it?

If the motorbike hire shop is holding your passport, you are definately not leaving the country, unless you go to Bangkok and get another one. I suppose your advice to the OP would be, "Don't listen to posters who say don't leave your passport with them. You'll be fine. Just take a few photos."

The selling of ones house, or the house of a relative, would only occur if a large amount of capital is needed to be raised to avoid a lengthy gaol sentence, or pay a massive medical bill. Of course, it would depend on the individual's wealth.

There was a German guy, bashed by tuk-tuk drivers late last year. He was in a coma in ICU for quite a while. The medical bill would have been huge. You could easily sustain the same head injury riding a motorbike here. That bill may cause the sale of a substantial asset back home to cover it.

There was a British girl who was riding a jet-ski last year. She came off the jet-ski and the "fail safe" didn't work (no fault of hers) The jet-ski ran into rocks. She had to pay 180,000 baht for the damage. Imagine if it crashed into a decent yacht, instead of rocks? Or, crashed into someone and killed or seriously injured them. Thousands of dollar damage bill and/or "mediation" bill now. You could come off your bike and it slides into a BMW, or some other expensive item. Many would have to sell, or mortgage (as good as selling) their assests to cover the bill.

I believe we are allowed to quote the PG on here, so, you can view the above cases I have mentioned below.

http://www.phuketgaz...ticle10896.html

http://www.phuketgaz...ticle10208.html

http://www.phuketgaz...rticle7389.html

The below is an excerpt of current travel advice provided to tourists from the Austrailan Foreign Office. I draw your attention to paragraph No. 4.

Motorcycle and other road accidents are very common in Thailand, including in resort areas such as Phuket, Pattaya and Koh Samui. Under Thai law, motorcycle riders and passengers are required to wear helmets, but they are often not provided by hire companies or motorcycle taxis. For further advice on road safety, see our bulletin on Overseas Road Safety.

To legally hire a car or motorbike in Thailand, you need a valid international and Australian driver licence of the correct class. Be aware some rental companies will try to tell you otherwise.

If you intend to hire cars, motorcycles, jet skis or any other motorised vehicle, talk to your travel insurer to check if it is covered by your insurance policy and seek advice on any restrictions that may apply (such as insurance cover if you are not licensed to ride a motorcycle in Australia).

In addition to the jet ski incidents noted above, there have been a number of serious accidents involving jet skis and motorcycles in Thailand. Foreigners are regularly detained and arrested by police following jet ski and motorcycle accidents until compensation, often thousands of dollars, can be negotiated between parties. Many vehicle hire companies do not have insurance and any damage, loss, or costs associated with injuries to third parties will be your responsibility to negotiate or pay. In addition to checking that your travel insurance covers hospital and other costs associated with motorbike, jet ski or other vehicle accidents, also ensure that the hiring company holds comprehensive, including third-party, insurance for the vehicle you are hiring.

Australians have reported cases where hire companies have demanded large amounts of compensation for pre-existing damage to motorbikes. There have also been reports claiming that hire companies have arranged for motorbikes to be stolen from the hirer, and forcing them to pay thousands of dollars in compensation, including the value of a new motorbike plus lost earnings.

The full warning can be viewed here. http://www.smartrave...Advice/Thailand

The OP can make their own mind up, but the risks on the road here go far greater than just being scammed 20,000 baht for a scratch that already existed. Thus, it's my advice, "DON'T DO IT."

So all in all, what you're warning for does not happen. You're simply repeating what some others are claiming on the net, but it just doesn't happen.

No, theft of a beer mat has nothing at all to do with motorbike rental.

Huh????????

The Australia Foreign Office warns tourists about it. The travel insurance companies have it in their policies. You asked for a case where someone couldn't leave the country until they paid their fine - I gave you an example. All of the above are well documented cases - IT DOES HAPPEN. It could easily happen to any tourist who comes undone on a motorbike here. A scam involving an existing scratch to a rental motorbike could pale into insignificance if you have an accident here. As a tourist, it's not worth it.

You gave examples of a German man in ICU after an altercation with tuktuk drivers, of an Australian who was not allowed to leave the country after she stole an beermat and of somebody who was forced to pay money to the jetski maffia.

No examples of any of the problems asked about.

Sorry, but it just does not happen.

Warn about dangers on the road, fine, but don't tell BS.

All I want to know is does EVA Premium Economy entitle you to fast track at Bangkok ?

No.

20-22 April is the new date for Phuket bike week, gives you some more time to get the repairs done.

Looks like an autopsy is on the way, so nothing to say yet.

What can the hotel, police and embassy do, make up stories when there is nothing to say?

I do not personally know anyone who has been held at the airport to pay an outstanding bill or fine. Although, the imfamous "beer mat theft" by an Australian women at a large Australian theme bar on Bangla Road comes to mind. I draw your attention to paragraph No. 8 in the below article, and that was only for a 1000 baht fine. Imagine if you killed or seriously injured someone whilst riding a motorbike here. The fine, and mediation to the victim, or their family, would be thousands and thousands of dollars. Slim chance of a foreigner getting bail under those circumstances, so you are definately not leaving the country.

I believe this is why hotels, guest houses, car/motorbike hire etc take the number of your arrival/departure card. In the event of you not paying, and making a run for it, they contact police, who contact immigration, and you are held at the airport until you pay. Obviously, someone not paying has done the wrong thing, so, why would they contact the media about it?

If the motorbike hire shop is holding your passport, you are definately not leaving the country, unless you go to Bangkok and get another one. I suppose your advice to the OP would be, "Don't listen to posters who say don't leave your passport with them. You'll be fine. Just take a few photos."

The selling of ones house, or the house of a relative, would only occur if a large amount of capital is needed to be raised to avoid a lengthy gaol sentence, or pay a massive medical bill. Of course, it would depend on the individual's wealth.

There was a German guy, bashed by tuk-tuk drivers late last year. He was in a coma in ICU for quite a while. The medical bill would have been huge. You could easily sustain the same head injury riding a motorbike here. That bill may cause the sale of a substantial asset back home to cover it.

There was a British girl who was riding a jet-ski last year. She came off the jet-ski and the "fail safe" didn't work (no fault of hers) The jet-ski ran into rocks. She had to pay 180,000 baht for the damage. Imagine if it crashed into a decent yacht, instead of rocks? Or, crashed into someone and killed or seriously injured them. Thousands of dollar damage bill and/or "mediation" bill now. You could come off your bike and it slides into a BMW, or some other expensive item. Many would have to sell, or mortgage (as good as selling) their assests to cover the bill.

I believe we are allowed to quote the PG on here, so, you can view the above cases I have mentioned below.

http://www.phuketgaz...ticle10896.html

http://www.phuketgaz...ticle10208.html

http://www.phuketgaz...rticle7389.html

The below is an excerpt of current travel advice provided to tourists from the Austrailan Foreign Office. I draw your attention to paragraph No. 4.

Motorcycle and other road accidents are very common in Thailand, including in resort areas such as Phuket, Pattaya and Koh Samui. Under Thai law, motorcycle riders and passengers are required to wear helmets, but they are often not provided by hire companies or motorcycle taxis. For further advice on road safety, see our bulletin on Overseas Road Safety.

To legally hire a car or motorbike in Thailand, you need a valid international and Australian driver licence of the correct class. Be aware some rental companies will try to tell you otherwise.

If you intend to hire cars, motorcycles, jet skis or any other motorised vehicle, talk to your travel insurer to check if it is covered by your insurance policy and seek advice on any restrictions that may apply (such as insurance cover if you are not licensed to ride a motorcycle in Australia).

In addition to the jet ski incidents noted above, there have been a number of serious accidents involving jet skis and motorcycles in Thailand. Foreigners are regularly detained and arrested by police following jet ski and motorcycle accidents until compensation, often thousands of dollars, can be negotiated between parties. Many vehicle hire companies do not have insurance and any damage, loss, or costs associated with injuries to third parties will be your responsibility to negotiate or pay. In addition to checking that your travel insurance covers hospital and other costs associated with motorbike, jet ski or other vehicle accidents, also ensure that the hiring company holds comprehensive, including third-party, insurance for the vehicle you are hiring.

Australians have reported cases where hire companies have demanded large amounts of compensation for pre-existing damage to motorbikes. There have also been reports claiming that hire companies have arranged for motorbikes to be stolen from the hirer, and forcing them to pay thousands of dollars in compensation, including the value of a new motorbike plus lost earnings.

The full warning can be viewed here. http://www.smartrave...Advice/Thailand

The OP can make their own mind up, but the risks on the road here go far greater than just being scammed 20,000 baht for a scratch that already existed. Thus, it's my advice, "DON'T DO IT."

So all in all, what you're warning for does not happen. You're simply repeating what some others are claiming on the net, but it just doesn't happen.

No, theft of a beer mat has nothing at all to do with motorbike rental.

What I am taking about is hurting yourself and requiring hospitalisation and/or an operation. No bike licence in your own country, means no travel insurance for riding a bike here. You could get a bill for thousands and thousands of dollars and they will not let you out of the country until it's paid.

Then, if you cause the accident, and sometimes even if it's not your fault, and seriously hurt, or kill a Thai, which is not hard to do when there are young kids or babies on their bike, well, then either you, or your mummy and daddy will be selling their house to keep you out of a Thai gaol by "mediating" the cost of a human life or permanent disability.

Yes, that is what is claimed.

Do you also have any examples of people being prohibited from leaving the country, the press would love this, so if this is really happening it would be all over the papers.

And also any examples of tourists having to sell their house after a motorbike accident?

Agree with the initiative, many cats on Phi Phi at the moment, too many, so something should be done.

I always thought Shell had higher gasohol content than the others, so would have though PTT would be better for you than Shell. But probably the dealer know best.

wishing him a full recovery isn't something you should do. wishing him to live is great but going further you're just asking for a dangerous person to be put back on the road. Hopefully he recovers just enough to not be able to drive ever again. The only way this could of been not his fault is if the car had no lights on which is impossible on a captiva

I'm glad to see somebody knows exactly what happened and how the culprit should be punished.

Your in LOS now.

Does not change the principle at all.

Insurance company likes to save some money and be guaranteed of good quality by sending insured to preferred repairers. Main dealers don't like that because they are no part of that 'chain', because they are too expensive. At the same time insured likes to go to main dealer because a. he knows them; and b. perceived higher quality.

Therein lies the tension.

I'm not going to argue your point about local shops versus dealers as you have some valid points but not in all cases, there is very often a difference in parts quality coming from local shops over the dealers including often times a much thinner metal being used and not even rust proofed for just 2 small examples as well as fit. If mechanical parts are involved the quality can really be a significant difference.

I've sourced and bought countless parts for "stock" based race cars from both dealers and aftermarket and have also installed them as of course when racing, accidents are large part of game so repairing goes along with it and when budgetarily restrained you get the one that looks the same but costs less and frankly is also much lighter which is what you often get with aftermarket parts and lighter gauge steel, I have a full roll cage for protection the skin is just that, a skin..

Yes, and often times the dealer does not do his own bodywork but commissions somebody else (the insurance company pays, easy commission for the dealer so who cares this is costing more money), sometimes the dealer gets his parts aftermarket because that is cheaper for him than buying from Toyota etc., and many more things happen in this process.

But whatever happens, in the end the consumer pays. So we all have an interest to keep the costs as low as possible and services as good as possible while keeping the quality up or even improving on it.

If it was a mistake then why did he have to go to consumer affairs to get it resolved?? If it was a mistake, they felt it was in their favor, tried to play dumb still tried to go along with it assuming the customer was ignorant and weak minded and would just give into them, that defines dodgy to me..

A reputable, upstanding company that recognizes and accepts their error doesn't operate that way..

With cases like this I think it is very simple: based on one story, without having looked at policy, I reserve judgement. So that is why IMO it too early to judge. They make have acted dodgy in this case, they may have made a mistake in this case, they may simply have given in because it was not worth the hassle, or it may be a dodgy company.

All seems to be possible, and I'm sure there are more options possible as well.

Please don't edit my posts, let the reader read all. Please.

If you want me to continue about what l know and have seen, l will, but it seems you don't like other folks posts, just your own.

Looks like we don't agree on this and some other things

Best wishes to the victim, hope he makes a full recovery.

I was just wondering, do all regional forums on Thaivisa report about every Thai motorbike accident in their region or is it something peculiar to the Phuket one?

I know we have several English lanquage newspapers/blogs on the island who sensationally report these prangs all the time and we seem to follow up with a thread in the news section. It makes life on Phuket seem much more hazardous than it is.

Do the other regional forums do the same or do they only report expat news?

Don't forget that also Phi Phi and Phan Nga news is reported on the forum here as Phuket news.

Your in LOS now.

Does not change the principle at all.

Insurance company likes to save some money and be guaranteed of good quality by sending insured to preferred repairers. Main dealers don't like that because they are no part of that 'chain', because they are too expensive. At the same time insured likes to go to main dealer because a. he knows them; and b. perceived higher quality.

Therein lies the tension.

Not going to argue the point <snip>

Bit late for that, isn't it.

Easy way out, 'you obviously don't know ...'.

Your in LOS now.

Does not change the principle at all.

Insurance company likes to save some money and be guaranteed of good quality by sending insured to preferred repairers. Main dealers don't like that because they are no part of that 'chain', because they are too expensive. At the same time insured likes to go to main dealer because a. he knows them; and b. perceived higher quality.

Therein lies the tension.

A bit off topic but when we were building our house a two week old 6 wheeler backed into our truck giving it rather a big dent.

Well the driver owner dealt with our insurance company and all seemed fine.

Later heard that 6 wheeler dealership took his 20 odd grand insurance money and never forwarded the cash to the insurers.( think it was someone in the office at the dealership who was guilty) I guess it was all sorted in the end but geesh cannot trust anybody it seems...

We are insured through what was called AIG ...forget the new name....they directed us to a private body shop not Mazda ...makes sense if the costs are that much higher in the dealerships ..there is no reason to believe alternatives are any less skilled....personal choice though I guess..so long as it gets fixed to the owners satisfaction...

Some non main dealer repairers use parts from right offs or pattern parts where as the main dealer ''should'' be using new genuine parts.

The main dealer charges more for the same service/quality because they can get away with it, the clients will come because they prefer to be serviced by a main dealer, looks/feels better. The non genuine parts is just a story from the main dealer to justify their higher prices.

Do you know what a ''pattern part'' is ?

Do you know what happens to salvageable parts from wrecks ?

Cos l do.

So do I.

I set up a system of preferred repairers back home for an insurance company. So I know exactly what I'm talking about, in contrast to some others on here.

A bit off topic but when we were building our house a two week old 6 wheeler backed into our truck giving it rather a big dent.

Well the driver owner dealt with our insurance company and all seemed fine.

Later heard that 6 wheeler dealership took his 20 odd grand insurance money and never forwarded the cash to the insurers.( think it was someone in the office at the dealership who was guilty) I guess it was all sorted in the end but geesh cannot trust anybody it seems...

We are insured through what was called AIG ...forget the new name....they directed us to a private body shop not Mazda ...makes sense if the costs are that much higher in the dealerships ..there is no reason to believe alternatives are any less skilled....personal choice though I guess..so long as it gets fixed to the owners satisfaction...

Some non main dealer repairers use parts from right offs or pattern parts where as the main dealer ''should'' be using new genuine parts.

The main dealer charges more for the same service/quality because they can get away with it, the clients will come because they prefer to be serviced by a main dealer, looks/feels better. The non genuine parts is just a story from the main dealer to justify their higher prices.

A reef as a whole can recover, but the individual corals are and will remain dead.