MangoKorat

On 4/21/2025 at 3:43 AM, JonnyF said:

I've done it three times, although each time was a couple of years apart.

 

It's a great road, but do it in the dry season. No fun and pretty dangerous in the wet. Last time I did it on my MT09 in constant, torrential rain and it put me off touring for years. 

Yes but is it beautiful in the dry season?  I was up around Nan and Chiang Mai a couple of weeks back and the place just looks brown and desolate. Nan to Uttardit via the Sirikit Dam was much the same although a lot of 'burning' had also been going on making it worse.  Apart from locals the only foreign bikers I came across on the entire trip was a couple of guys on CRF's that lived locally. 

That's the first time I've been around there - I need to go again when there's greenery around. I came to the conclusion that January to April isn't the best time to tour much of the North.

24 minutes ago, sungod said:

 

A night in a cell and going to court, versus 20 grand and sleeping at home and all forgotten. You sure you are not under the influence?

So you're one of those that thinks drink driving is OK?  Police corruption is also OK?

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Tyres are cheap here, I'd never bother importing them from UK. Garages call them copies but they are just cheaper makes such as Fujiama Kicker, not the overpriced Pirelli etc. 

 

Problem with buying on Lazada and Shopee is you then need to find a place that will fit, a little bit cheap charlie to save a couple hundred

I think you've misunderstood. I AM talking about major brands like Pirelli - like for like.  I saw a pair on Lazada today that are 4000 baht cheaper than they are in the UK. As for fitting, my local bike shop or Cockpit branch fit them for 100 -120 baht.

The lesser known brands you mention may well be OK but I'm always wary when it comes to tyres. We had problems with some of the Eastern European brands of car tyres in the UK a few years back.  Tyres were de-laminating, shedding tread, blowouts and all sorts of other nasties. A blow out in a car can be bad enough but on a bike, at the speeds I ride?? No thanks. So I tend to stick to the well known brands when it comes to bikes - although I have no doubt that I am being ripped off every time I buy them.

Hopefully someone will have tried some of these Lazada cheapies and can opine on whether they are genuine or not.

3 hours ago, Upnotover said:

That is the long term parking.  140/day.  Short term is still 250 (I think).

It says 'Parking exceeding 24 hours will be charged from the first hour again' - whatever that means?  I take it that it means you will be charged per hour from the start.

In any case, I don't think its really intended as Long Term.

22 minutes ago, jvs said:

If you live here you are supposed to have a Thai DL.

Please read my post fully - I stated that I am not resident. As far as I know I do not need a Thai licence unless I stay longer than 12 months.

25 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Shoulda paid the 20k, gone home with your wife and not have to go to court !

No, he shouldn't be helping perpetuate corruption, although I think he's been treated harshly, he shouldn't actually have been driving.

How the hell did we get on to Gazans? I thought this was about drink driving?

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Avoiding semantics - there is...   the 2 Year Temporary License (before we get the 5 year license).

Well that's not a provisional licence in the way that we know it - which is for learners.  To be able to drive on your own in Thailand, you need to have passed a test. Learners don't actually get a licence.

In addition, if I remember correctly, Thailand used to operate a licence exchange scheme - people from certain countries were allowed to have a Thai licence without taking a test provided they held a full licence in their home country subject to passing colour blindness and reaction tests. That was how I obtained my Thai licence.

My 5 year Thai licence expired during the Covid period and I haven't bothered renewing it yet because not being resident, I can use my UK licence and I don't want to go though all the palava of getting a residence certificate etc.  I am told that when I do renew it, I'll only get a 2 year one at first - so if provisional means learning, will I be considered as being a learner again for the ensuing 2 years?

56 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

 provisional license holders

There is no provisional licence in Thailand.

Up until now, I've sourced my bike tyres in the UK and brought them with me when I visit - I found decent tyres were cheaper in the UK than from stockists in Thailand.  However, I'm likely to need 4 or 5 sets of tyres this year so had a look around and jeez, some brands are less than half the UK price on sites like Lazada etc.  However, are they real of counterfeit? In other circumstances it should be a 'no brainer' - tyres are normally your only contact with the road and a bad choice might give you a different type of 'contact' with it - slam dunk right?  

Possibly but......... in the UK (and Europe I believe) bikers get totally ripped off by just about everyone connected with the motorbike trade on just about anything we want to buy. Far from being the 'poor' young man's transport it used to be, biking is very much part of the 'leisure industry' now and many bikers are in their 50's and 60's. with cash to spend. Bikes are our 'toys', can sometimes costs as much as cars and the manufacturers and parts stockists know it so they push us to the limits. Have the crazy prices we pay just become the norm? So much so that much cheaper prices just ring alarm bells?

Quick example, a couple of years ago I needed a lockset for my bike and due to potential language difficulties, I decided to source one at home in the UK. That was until a Kawasaki dealer in the UK quoted me over £400 (17500 baht).  No way, its not a complicated lockset - no chips or ECU codes, just 2 lock barrels and an ignition switch.  A member here took a look at the Kawasaki online parts catalogue and suggested I persevere with my potential language problems as the exact same parts in Thailand, from a Kawasaki dealer were £140.  Since then I've bought many other genuine parts for both bikes and cars in Thailand and saved literally 0000's. I got a genuine Honda (car) brake master cylinder for less than half the UK trade price.

People have suggested only buying from reputable bike shops and main dealers but does that guarantee no fakes?  2 years ago I bought some Amber Leaf tobacco from Doha Duty free that turned out to be fake - confirmed by a spelling mistake on the packaging, the makers JTI in London and me coughing my guts up.  There have been several cases of major High Street stores in the UK unkowingly selling counterfeit products in the news recently. Retailers often don't buy directly from manufacturers - they buy from wholesalers and distributors so they may be just as succeptible to fakes as the end user is.

So, are these tyres on Lazada and other similar websites genuine or not? Has anyone actually bought some and tried them?

I realise that different people/institutions interpret things differently but I don't consider 24 hours as 'Long Term'.  Anyone know if there's any actual long term parking AT the airport?

2 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Yellow is the 'go to' colour here on Samui apparently and only 390 per day

 

9 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The shop operated under the name “DREAM”, with online services promoted as “3 Wheel Scooter Rentals Phangan.

On 4/19/2025 at 10:50 AM, cjinchiangrai said:

Everything is available from little butanes to oxy-acetylene. Why are you trying to do gutters yourself?

Gutters?

On 4/18/2025 at 11:25 AM, snoop1130 said:

A viral video capturing a vicious brawl between foreign tourists on Phuket's infamous Bangla Road has ignited widespread online debate and criticism, particularly concerning Thailand’s visa policies and the presence of foreign gangs.

So what do they propose?

Later in the post they refer to Free Visas in a context that lays the blame at them.  The fighters, most likely entered visa exempt. Yes that currently gives some nations 60 days but most have enjoyed 30 days for many years. Do these young guys suddenly become more violent on day 31?

Charge for visas?  The problem is, young men, testosterone and alcohol - do they seriously think that charging for visas would reduce this behaviour - it might but the fee would have to be so high that it would put off the vast majority of tourists.

Best way is to catch such people, punish them severely and make sure that's well publicised. That won't stop it but it will reduce it.

Other than that, it goes with the territory, bars, beer, girls, parties - take any one of those ingredients away and many tourists will go elsewhere. I'd be happy to go back to how it was when there weren't so many young people visiting - would the Thai gov and the tourist industry?

This will no doubt, give fuel to the fires of those that think Thailand can become a select destination - aimed at the rich, those people live in cloud cuckoo land. As do those that think the country can be a quality, family destination - without the infrastructure.

8 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Thankfully I'll never need any of those, with all the new stuff.  Along with I don't work on vehicles any more.  No lead connections, melting or cutting in my future 

Everyone's different.  I still repair my own vehicles/carry out a lot of DIY and never intend to stop.

a). Because finding competent people can be difficult in Thailand.

b). Because I don't like being ripped off.

c). I enjoy it.

14 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Didn't think I had to specify different gases used.

No but we have been talking about/the OP is about blow torches , the gasses for which are very different/subject to less restrictions than gasses used commercially such as in the motor trade.

By the way,  Mapp gas was reformulated a few years ago, it is not the same gas you were using 40+ years ago.

6 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Also my cousin, his truck / auto repair shop I spent a good deal of time at, late teens, and he taught me all there was to know about vehicles.  He had all types of torches / cutting tools, used industrial size tanks.

Odd, I was in the motor trade for over 30 years and never used any form of Propane/Butane gas.  We used Oxy/Acetylene for both welding and cutting - no other gases in the shop.

16 hours ago, KhunLA said:

I was using mapp gas torches 40+ yrs ago.

I don't think you were using a torch like this 40+ years ago.

6 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

I got a MAPP torch, Shoppe Bt.390.00

 

I wouldn't want/don't need that torch - is the gas available on Shoppee?

15 hours ago, KhunLA said:

New generation ?

 

I was using mapp gas torches 40+ yrs ago.

Yes but the newer types run hotter, they will also run upside down and are self igniting. Unlike regular butane/propane blowtorches, they turn off as soon as you release the trigger. In any case, I didn't say Mapp gas was new, I said the new generation of torches.

Where were you buying gas 40 years ago? I don't remember ever seeing it where I see it now.

14 hours ago, johng said:

I'm surprised a veteran mechanic ignored his own safety perhaps a bit of laziness and complacency lead to his demise.

We are the worst to be honest - done it thousands of times but know damn well that I shouldn't.

A parallel - don't think that buying a used car that has been owned by a mechanic is necessarily a good choice. Retired mechanic - yes. Active mechanic - possibly not.  We get so sick of working on motors that we often neglect our own.  

Just updating this for anyone interested.  I will be bringing my blowtorch with me in June to do some work on my heat pump. Mine is one of the new generation of blow torches that use Mapp gas capable of reaching 3600f. Obvioulsy I can't bring gas on the flight so I checked online and found this company.

https://gggroupthai.com/product/bluefire-mapp-gas-premium-quality-wholesale-factory/

They are wholesalers but if they can't sell me a cannister, they should be able to point me in the direction of a stockist.  Clearly if they can do that, they can do the same for a torch.