Khonwan

I do not celebrate her death…not now, after her 23 years of retirement from public life.

I would certainly have celebrated her death had it occurred whilst she was the Prime Minister so comprehensively rejected by my country, Scotland. Her death, at this current time, is of no significance…other than to remind Scots of the need to vote for independence in order to prevent another Thatcher controlling our lives despite any democratic legitimacy, in a way so contrary to our own culture and our views on the nature of our society.

At 6’4” (194cm), I’ve weighed 95kg for most of the past 25 years (I’m 54 this year). Following a road accident last year, my weight increased to 101kg. I decided to reduce my weight to around 90kg. In fact, I got it down to 86kg relatively quickly and quite easily – been there for a few months now. People often ask how but are disappointed with my answer: eat less!

I was used to drinking around 7 litres of beer per week, which I cut out completely until I brought my weight down; probably now average around 2 litres per week. I continued to eat most of my usual meals but reduced the quantity, eating only 50-60% of previous quantities. To kick-start my weight loss, I jogged around my house for around 15-20 minutes each day for the first couple of weeks, then just walked a little more often.

I am now used to the smaller portions (meals and beer) and feel filled by them. I can now enjoy occasional treats (cake, ice-cream, chocolate, etc.) and moderate alcohol without gaining weight.

All that was required was a little will-power. Unfortunately, that is lacking in my 17yo daughter who weighs in at 82kg despite her height of only 5’3” (160cm).

<SNIP>

But a Thai would never be that stupid to let other Thais observe her transgressions in the first place.

Then I wonder how I know about the many sexual transgressions in my village and surrounding villages (all Thais).

Okay, done that now, thanks. I'll let you know tomorrow if it has worked - seems logical that it should.

George, I had to follow-up upon unchecking the box with deletion of the ThaiVisa cokies again but this has now totally resolved the issue, thanks.

Croom64, with a FIL that interested and that good, I'd be supporting him to get into breeding pigs too, which will further maximise your profits.

I don’t trust the headline – I don’t see evidence of anyone having been asked if they approve of bribery. The fact that people participate in bribery and corruption does not equate to their approval. I know several murders in Thailand – I know of none that approve of murder. I believe fewer people would engage in bribery if they had confidence that systems here were simpler, fairer, and trustworthy.

Better 10k for a recon than 22k for a new part I reckon. Also suggests to me that my wife was probably told by Toyota that it was this part indeed that needed to be replaced - the difference in price had caused me to wonder about that.

10,000 bht means a reconditioned rack.

Yes, that's what I expected but the mechanic said it would be new (after quoting the price); it could be that he didn't quite understand my attempt to ask him if it was reconditioned, though I speak Thai reasonably well. The repair shop (it's in Nakhon Sawan province) had to order it from Bkk.

Cost me a total of Bt11,450 (or Bt11,550 - I've already posted the cost earlier, somewhere) for the rack, steering fluid, and labour. Of that, 10,000 was for the rack. My wife could easily be wrong about what she was told a week earlier at the Toyota dealer (she knows even less than me about mechanics!!) but she believes that she was being told it was this same part that required replacement and that the part would cost Bt22,000 (before labour).

I am still flicking between myself and my anonymous self.

Wish i could post anonymously sometimes!

Any ideas please?

No need - you are anonymous to me!

I found this in a product advert on the Internet before reading your post above, which clarifies things; I appreciate that there is one at the back too.

• Type: Universal Joint
• Position: Front
• Car Make: for TOYOTA Hilux Vigo

Fair enough criticism that I've already confessed to - mea culpa, mea culpa. However, the noise WAS up front! You tell me that the u-joints are from the back - news to me since the first I saw of them was in the back of the pickup. I've no idea what they are attached to or where? I'm a very knowledgeable person in many spheres of life...but mechanics is not one of them.

Okay, done that now, thanks. I'll let you know tomorrow if it has worked - seems logical that it should.

Tony, I’m sure that there is not one person on this forum that has not gone through some crisis or other at some time but we do not choose to make it as obvious as you are doing in recent weeks. Other posters tried to calm things down in this thread only to see you jump in again with another attempt to turn up the heat once more.

As for the drum that you are beating for Jim: I personally agree with his banning. I think it is completely wrong and indefensible to try to “out” a person for something they did many years before in their youth (no matter how bad) and who has paid the full legal price already. The fact that the subject of Jim’s attack is another member only makes it worse. The fact that that member also sponsors this site made it not only an ethically correct decision on the part of this site’s action against Jim but also an inevitable commercial decision. In any case, Jim has hardly been lost since he is easily contactable by anyone and all with access to Google (to Jim should you be reading this – keep up your excellent farming contributions over there; I read them regularly. To the subject of his attack: congratulations on turning your life around and best wishes for the future).

I feel sure that you are going to want to rise to my “challenge” but I would ask you to please sleep on it and do so tomorrow morning if you still feel you must.

Rgds
Khonwan

The steering rack was changed because…. I’m not sure! All I know is that the steering fluid needed topped up every day due to a leak and that leak was determined to be at the shaft. Both the Toyota dealer and my independent mechanic advised that it needed replacement.

As to tyre pressures – I can’t get as excited about this subject as others. I just reckon that multi-billion dollar manufacturers of vehicles might just have a better understanding of the right tyre pressure for the tyres that they fit to their vehicles…and I see no point in try to second guess them. I choose to overinflate by 1psi since I find that my tyres squeal at 29psi and don’t at 30psi. Ace of Pop, please forgive my reliance on empirical evidence.

No gold stars for anyone: I told the mechanic that we thought it likely to be the cv joint but also to check the suspension but when he heard the clunk, he reckoned it was the universal joints. He has replaced these (2 u-joints), which has indeed resolved the issue (1,100 baht parts plus 300 baht labour). No digs intended towards anyone’s suggestions since I appreciate how much harder it is to diagnose such a problem remotely – thank you all for your efforts.

I’ve attached a pic of the old u-joints to satisfy anyone that may, with good reason, wonder if I’ve named the replacement parts correctly this time!

Whilst driving the 60km to the mechanic, I realized that my initial concerns on instability after the replacement of the steering rack were proving unfounded. It must have just been in my mind, and my spoken concern had also influenced my wife. Checking with the mechanic, he confirmed that the wheels had been correctly aligned. So Lickey earns himself a gold star in this regard since he rather annoyingly stated that of course the replacement would feel different.

Cheers
Khonwan

P.S. I’ll leave Ace of Pop to enjoy his hot air – he must be so very happy to be so easily amused; whatever gets you through the day, I suppose.

George, I was signed-in all yesterday since I had an active topic on the go so couldn't test your solution properly, i.e over a reasonable time; signed-out last night and found myself signed –in again this morning despite having cleared the ThaiVisa cookie as per your advice. Signed-out again this morning and have been away from home all day (leaving the house empty and the PC left on), just returning minutes ago: the website still showed me as signed-out until I clicked to return to the main forum menu whereupon I immediately found myself once again signed-in despite not physically doing so.

Any further ideas?

<snip> (because there is a continuous line whereby you cannot "legally" turn right...).<snip>

Where is it stated that you cannot legally turn right across a continuous line?

^ Yes!

Thanks for that explanation, Jitar. I must admit that I'm very fond of the Pajero. I normally select 4H on wet surfaced roads, and dry or wet dirt/grit/laterite roads/tracks. It is very rare that I'm required to use 4L but it does happen on the farm sometimes. I select 2H otherwise as I believe it to consume less fuel.

Jitar, unless I’m misunderstanding something (highly possible given my track record on this thread!), Fortuna is constant 4x4 but Pajero is not: my Pajero has a 4L, 4H, and 2H selector similar to my Vigo.

Kwasaki, from day 1 there always was a slight noise and obvious resistance when doing a U-turn on dry surfaced roads, where I had forgoten to disengage 4wd, but this clunking is not that. It sounds like something is going to come apart. I also have a 1yo 4x4 Pajero Sport but this has never shown any resistance or noise whilst U-turning on dry surfaced roads.

I will let you all know what the mechanic says. Still very happy to read any further ideas in the meantime.

Edit: I keep my front tyres at 30 (they squeal at 29) and back tyres at 30-45 depending on load.

Changes to the Immigration Rules relating to family and private life

7.31 The following minor changes and clarifications are being made to the Immigration Rules relating to family life:

• To clarify that the transitional provisions for further applications made by those
granted entry clearance or limited leave to enter or remain under Part 8 of the Rules before 9 July 2012 can only be accessed by persons in the UK and subject to the requirements of Part 8 for such applications.

• To provide that a person may apply for further limited leave to remain as a partner under Part 8 within a period of 28 days of the end of their last such leave.

• To provide that the partner of a Points Based System migrant not on a route to settlement cannot switch into the partner route under Part 8 and amalgamate their leave as a partner under both routes towards the qualifying period for settlement.

• To ensure that references to the UK National Recognition Information Centre are correct. (UK NARIC is the agency responsible for providing a comparison of international qualifications against UK qualification framework levels).

• In respect of the financial requirements for partners and dependent children under Appendix FM and Appendix FM-SE:

• To clarify the basis on which non-salaried employment income at the date of application is calculated. This will be done by calculating that income on the annualised basis of the gross monthly average in the period of 6 months prior to application.

• To clarify that those working in the UK at the date of application can include earnings from employment in the UK and overseas, where they are required to show the amount of their earnings from employment in the 12 months prior to application.

• To clarify that, where the applicant’s partner is self-employed overseas at the date of application, that partner may also rely on a confirmed offer of employment in the UK for the purposes of meeting the financial requirements.

• To clarify the evidence of self-employment to be provided.

• To clarify the company-based evidence to be provided by directors and/or shareholders in companies in sole or limited family ownership.

• To provide greater flexibility in meeting the financial requirements for those who are, or have in the previous 6 months been, in receipt of maternity, paternity, adoption or sick pay. To provide flexibility also for those who are or have been on parental leave.

• To provide that relevant cash savings held at the date of application by the applicant, their partner or the couple jointly can have been held by them as investment funds within the previous 6 months.

• To add Personal Independence Payment to the list of benefits and allowances received by the applicant’s partner which mean that the applicant has to meet an ‘adequate’ maintenance requirement. A joint review by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Home Office of the treatment of disabled people and carers as sponsors under the financial requirements under Appendix FM is ongoing and will be concluded shortly. An applicant who relies on this provision for ‘adequate’ maintenance cannot expect that they will necessarily be able to do so in any future application for leave to remain under Appendix FM.

• To clarify that, where the applicant and their partner are resident in the UK at the date of application, rental income from a property in the UK cannot be counted as income if that property will become their main residence if the application is granted.

• To confirm that cash income on which the correct tax has been paid may be counted as income.

• To confirm that, where an academic stipend or maintenance grant is or will be paid on a tax-free basis, the gross equivalent amount may be counted as income.

• To confirm that the UK Border Agency has discretion to contact the applicant to request further information or documents before making a decision on the application.

Copied from PDF pages 188/189, http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/statementsofchanges/2013/hc1039.pdf?view=Binary

Thanks for this clarification, WarpSpeed. I'll have all these points examined by the mechanic, probably tomorrow. As an additional piece of info, I just tried it in 4wd slow, minutes ago, and still got the clunking as expected. So clunking in 4wd normal and low, but no clunking in 2wd.