Nhscotsman

Your story is very similar to ones I have heard before. Three years ago as I was driving to Trat from Bangkok, I was driving a brand new car, a Honda. I was following a construction vehicle on the highway and I was going about 65 or 70 mph. Apparently the equipment on the truck wasn't tied down properly and secured, when suddenly things on the back of the truck started falling off of the truck into the roadway in front of me. To avoid hitting the equipment in the road, I had to go into the medium and and once I cleared the equipment, I tried to get the car back up onto the pavement, when more equipment fell off of the truck and ultimately the car went out of control and rolled 3 times and we landed in the ditch on the other side of the road. From what we were told, the construction truck stopped and the men in the truck gathered the equipment that had fallen off and left us in the ditch. Other people called the police/ambulance, but the police didn't come.

Ambulances came, that is if you want to call them ambulances. They were mini pickups with emergency emblems on the doors and though they were pleasant and helpful, the way they handles us was totally unlike they handle you in the USA. The car was laying in the ditch on it's side. My girlfriend was pulled by her out of the vehicle by her arms, as was I. They never used a stretcher or a backboard on us. We had a very elderly Thai man with us and they did a similar thing to him as well. He was complaining about his chest aching. Once out of the car, they laid us on the road and tended to us, but we never saw any emergency equipment or anything, they took our vitals and then put us on backboards and then put us in the back of the pickups. I am 6'4" and the truck was so small, that my my feet were hanging out of the truck. They took us to Bangkok Hospital in Chanthaburi we it was revealed that I had multiples cracks and breaks in my hips and broken ribs. My girlfriend had a broken back that needed immediate surgery and the older man suffered a minor heart attack and needed to be hospitalized. Bangkok Hospital treated us well and were very professional, but even to this day after living in Thailand for 5 years, the ambulance services never cease to amaze me.

During our stay in the hospital, the car insurance company contacted the police department and they came to the hospital to take a statement, but they never followed up on the construction vehicle who was responsible for the whole mess or did they seem even interested in doing much else than what had already had been done. The insurance company strongly suggested that I make a monetary donation to the police department, so the whole situation would disappear on paper. They felt as long as the bills were paid, which my insurance did pay and that no one had died, then it was better to clear the record.permanently. I had lived in Thailand for two years before this accident and had visited more than 8 times before I moved there, so I knew how things worked, so I wasn't surprised by their recommendation. I was a bit surprised by their lack of interest in such a serious accident though. I ultimately ended up making a small donation and thus nothing was ever mentioned again about it and my record was totally clear.

I love Thailand and always have. I love the people, the food, the whole environment, but as with everything that has surprised me living in Thailand, I always end up thinking........WELCOME TO THAILAND!

Anytime my wife has gone topless, which is quite often she has NEVER had a word said.

Usually she has a bunch of admirers walking back and forth looking at her, but she has never had older people or police ever mention a word about it.

Hi,

I am in the process of trying to decide whether to move to Chiang Rai or not. I am an American and my wife and two children are South Korean and she is curious is she going to be able to find Korean friends there and she is also a Korean teacher (both language and math) and she is curious if she will be able to find work teaching other Korean children. Currently we live in Bangkok but the city is getting to us both and we need a change. If anyone can give me information regarding it, I would appreciate it.

Cheers,

Nhscotsman

Are you both mad. Embassys are telling people not to go to Thailand never mind Bangkok and you are arriving soon.Braindead comes to mind

Embassies are always telling people not to visit Thailand becase of this or that. Most places are very peaceful. I'm not sure that is such a good reason.

I'm an American living with my Korean wife and kids in Rama 3 (Narathiwat) and they claim that Sathorn and Silom are not good places to go, especially ANYWHERE near Central World, but I have friends who live off of Sukumvit and they said that they have been told to stay off the streets and seeing soldiers with machine guns have become an everyday thing.

Lastly, it was reported on the radio that the Red Shirts, or someone associated with the Red Shirts was going to blow up a department store, so officials on the radio said to stay out of the malls yesterday.

My best advice to people coming to Thailand......get in a taxi and head to Pattaya or somewhere other than Bangkok until this whole mess comes to an end.

I really am amazed though, I live on my quiet soi and I NEVER even see a Red Shirt or a soldier, yet I know 3 miles away they are shooting each other. Simply amazing!

Which Ford dealer did you get your truck? Sounds like you did well on your deal. Nice looking truck too!

I have called a few Honda dealers this week and have found a few better deals than what I had initially had gotten. I am planning on visiting a few dealers on Sunday and hopefully I will be able to finalize a deal by Sunday and get the new Honda soon there after. Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I do hope to make this a easy process and (fingers crossed)also hope and pray that I will be soon driving a new Honda City in a week or two.

Nhscotsman

I bought a Ford Ranger Wildtrak last week, list price is 693k but I got a nice discount and paid only 644k and also got 1yrs free 1st Insurance and lots of extra's too. Mitsubishi offered 10k, Toyota 55k discount plus free insurance but that wasn't on the new Smart-Cab model, no discount on that! And when I enquired about the new Honda City and Honda Civic they offered no discount either. But after driving the Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max, Toyota Vigo and Nissan there was only going to be one winner regardless of the discount, the Ford was a much better all-round package and much nicer to drive, so with the discount it was a no-brainer. It's also nice to drive something different than everything else on the roads and my Thai friends are impressed with it too, like many here they have been sucked in by the huge marketing campaigns of Toyota, Isuzu etc and would only ever buy a Vigo or D-Max...until now!

Come to think of it, they did say they were giving me some rust resistant treatment for the body and sealant/guard on the seats. But what car ever rusts anymore?....hahaha Only in <deleted> Thailand!

Nhscotsman

I did get a quote on a 2008 Yaris 2 weeks ago and they did offer me the 20,000 discount and the free insurance but the Honda was ZERO, ZERO, ZERO!!!!!! Shame too because I REALLY like the new Honda City too.

Nhscotsman

bought a yaris this week no discount or extras ,did get full insurance and a tank of petrol though

Hi,

My wife and I went to the local Honda dealer this afternoon to look at a new Honda City and they have exactly what I want. But when I questioned the salesman about discount or any extras, they said they weren't giving any discounts at all and they weren't even giving the usual free first year insurance and then to top it off, they demanding at least 40% minimum down payment for any sales to a foreigner. I was pretty much shocked by the salemans attitude of "We don't have to discount anything because the car is new." I figured he was just a flunky so I asked for the manager figuring I might get a better deal from the manager, but when I spoke to her, her attitude is exactly the same. They are nice about it, but they made it quite clear. If I wanted to buy this car, then I am going to pay full price with zero extras. They aren't even offering the usual free insurance like everyone gives.

Are they just an odd ball dealer and I should go to another dealership or is it true, if you want a new 2009 I'm going to have to pay the extra to get it. I'm still in shock over the attitude of these salespeople. I have bought many cars when I was in the United States but I have never gone to a dealership and pretty much been told "Pay full price or there's the door.......GOODBYE!"

Nhscotsman

but maybe the Honda dealers should learn from the Toyota dealers. They might sell more bikes. Thanks for the comments though.

Nhscotsman

And Yamaha and Suzuki.

Maybe they should put the girls on commission, then they might pull themselves away from the desk and deal with the customer. I also wish that they would put prices on the bikes in the showrooms.

I guess with the Phantom they are concerned that you might not buy the bike, or even turn up at the shop again, so then they would have to send it back again. If you are really going to buy a Phantom, then I can't see the problem with dropping a 10,000 Baht deposit and then paying the rest later.

They just want some assurance that you are serious and not just wasting their time and money.

I agree, when I was in Trat last week at the Toyota showroom, three girls who were simply adorable were sitting at a desk, doing thir makeup and hair and it would have made my day PERFECT to have dealt with one of the three, but they were too interested in makeup tips than in selling a car. I told the people I was with that I bet they make so much baht and hour/day and don't work on commision or they would have been more agressive. But they are eye candy too, I know that. It works too, it keeps people in the showroom, LOOKING!

With regards to offering to put a deposit down. I told one Honda salesman on the telephone 3 weeks ago that if he would arrange for me to try a Honda Phantom, I didn't mean a ride, I mean one just to sit on to see if I would fit. He said he would try and arrange something. He then said I would have to pay the $85,000 when I ordered it and that BLACK was the only color available and I told him I would put 20% or 25% down, but not the full price and that I would prove to him that I did have the full amount. He said fine and said he would be in touch with me within a couple of hours. That was 3 weeks ago and I'm still waiting and after 4 telephone calls, I'm still waiting.

I believe what a few people have told me, getting a Honda Phantom is a chance thing. On the chance you might see one, you might get one. My workmates said to me yesterday....."Forget about the Phantom and by the Yamaha Nouvo instead" and they stressed that I will be much happier when I get into heavy Bangkok traffic that I did.

Nhscotsman

Hi,

Does anyone know of a dealer in Bangkok that has a new Honda Phantom for sale now. I have looked everywhere and no one has one. You have to order one to get one and I am shocked as popular as they are, no one has one for sale.

Thanks,

Nhscotsman

How long does it take with an order? The Honda garages seem to work together and if you are buying they should be able to find a bike for you. But if all you want to do is look at at one, then they are not going to be too helpful.

Here out in the sticks Honda takes three days to deliver from BKK. In BKK itself they should not take longer than a day.

The ones I have spoken too here in Bangkok have all said the same thing "Give us the $90,000 baht and we'll try and get you one". I don't think so! I even looked in Trat last weekend and they too said....Can't find one! The used ones I have looked at were junk, so that's not going to be an option at all. In the USA, if you went looking for a bike and they didn't have it, other dealers would find out and you would have 20 of them calling you trying to sell what they had. I had a Toyota dealer last week call me here in Rama 2, he had heard from a dealer in Rama 4 that I was looking for a 4 door 4x4 Black pickup truck and he wanted to know if he could sell me something he had. He didn't have what I wanted (Black 4x4), but maybe the Honda dealers should learn from the Toyota dealers. They might sell more bikes. Thanks for the comments though.

Nhscotsman

I have noted the same thing and speculated on it occasionally. I think that since the pricing of motorcycles is somewhat fixed, making money with a dealership has to do with inventory and overhead, ergo the reason these shops are small with a very limited selection. You will probably find that a dealership is required to have a minimum count, not a minimum value, and the natural response would be to buy the cheapest models for flooring. I have seen very few phantoms in stock in my wanderings.

Having said that, I have been half in the market for a few new ones and keeping my eyes open for any shop that might carry one. I have run across a few and will take a look for you to see if they are still around. We also have some Phantoms with extremely low mileage (under 5000 kilometers) that are reasonably priced.

I have even looked for low mileage ones too, but because I can't find a new one, I will probably just buy a new Yamaha Nouvo, I am tall (6'4") and thought the bigger bike might be more comfy for me, but considering I can't even find one to sit on, let alone buy, I figured to hel_l with it and if I can't find one in the next week here in Bangkok, I'll be headed with my 55,000 baht to the local Yamaha shop for a new motorbike to ride around on.

I have lived here in Thailand for awhile and I truly love this country and its people, but the salesmen here really do amaze me. They have the poorest selling skills and beliefs I have ever seen anywhere in the world. Trying to buy anything here is always a chore!

If anyone knows of a dealer with a new Honda Phantom or a really good Yamaha dealer in Bangkok. let me know, ok.

Thanks,

Nhscotsman

Hi,

Does anyone know of a dealer in Bangkok that has a new Honda Phantom for sale now. I have looked everywhere and no one has one. You have to order one to get one and I am shocked as popular as they are, no one has one for sale.

Thanks,

Nhscotsman

I don't know but it is only September and March is 6 months away. If you're looking now they I'd presume you don't want to wait 6 months ?

The 25th Thailand International Motor Expo 2008 @ IMPACT Bangkok

29 Nov - 10 Dec. 2008, Challenger 1-3

Ticket Price: 80 THB

Mon. - Fri. 12.00-22.00 hrs.

Sat.-Sun.and holidays 11.00-22.00 hrs.

Thanks for this info on the show at IMPACT Bangkok, I will surely check it out when they come. The show I had gone to before was at BITEC. In regards to the other poster who asked about why wait until spring to buy a car. I live in Bangkok and actually right across the street from where I work, but I thought a car might be nice to have to get away on the weekends with, but over the past month, I have been looking for car and found it to be an utter nightmare. When I have found one I liked, they either won't discount it very much or when I get the deal I want, they can't either get the car or they have an issue selling the car they have. My frustration level is high after dealing with car salesman in Bangkok. At least with the "saleswomen", they have all been beautiful (always a perk) and they seem to go out and put the added effort into closing the deal. When we have come close to closing a deal, a male manager has always come along and screwed it up. So for as long as I have lived in Thailand, I have been without a car and it hasn't been a huge issue, but having one might be nice too. If I have to wait until spring to get a great deal, so be it. I am all about price, nothing more. If I have to buy a cheap motorbike to buzz around the Soi on for 6 months and then buy the car, that would be fine. I would just take the bike up to our other home in Trat afterwards and leave it there for when we go up for holiday. Many people I work with suggested the auto show buying idea, but none had actually bought one from there, so this is why I was asking here. Also, if anyone has had great dealings with a particular Toyota dealership, please let me know. The ones I have met so far are all a waste of my time and I always loved dealing with Toyota when I was living in the United States.

Have a great week and thanks for the comments.

Nhscotsman

Hi,

I have been looking to buy either a new Black Toyota 4 door pickup, either 4x4 or 4x2 or a new Honda Jazz or Toyota Yaris and I have been having an impossible time finding the exact pickup I wanted and when I did speak to dealers about the smaller car, no one wants to discount much because the cars are in high demand. I have had a few people tell me to wait till March and buy the car when the car show comes to town. Is it worth waiting for the car show? Can I get a great deal at the show? I did go to the show this year and I saw some nice ones, but I didn't price them seriously and I was curious if anyone here has bought a car at the previous shows.

Thanks,

Nhscotsman

The pickup I am looking at is a gold colored one they presently have in their showroom but they have told me if I wanted a black, blue or Silver (they have a silver one too), they could get me one. The black one would be in one weeks time, the blue one would take 1 month. Initially the salesman came down 40,000 from the starting price, then I told him he would have to do much better than that if he wanted to see me the truck. This is when he started going on about the scotchguard type of crap and the insurance and the bedliner. I told him the bedliner and the insurances were "Freebies" as far as I was concerned anyway and that before I would even consider buying it, he would have to be closer to 700,000. Two hours later and many many trips back and forth to the salesmans manager, we were at 703,000 and I told him I would let him know by Monday. On my way home, some woman was calling my cell asking what I could do to finalize the sale and I told her, come down more on the price and I would speak to them on Monday. This was with 20% down and payments for 48 months.

I hate Bangkok taxis and the thought of riding a motorbike in BKK is frightening as well. It's not that I need a vehicle badly (I walk to work at my international school), having one would be nice though to get away on the weekends with and with the 4 door truck, I am thinking that in a few years if I decide I want to sell it to buy something else, I would be able to sell it easier than if I had a little 2 door standard pickup.

Thanks for the replies by the way.

Nhscotsman

Hi,

I recently looked at buying a new 2008 Toyota 3.0E 4WD Double Cab Pickup in Rama 4 and we initially started at $768,000 plus the usual freebies such as bed liner and insurance for one year and other little things. I haggled down and got the dealer down in overall price down to $706,000 as a final price. Is this a good price for this pickup or is it still too high. I have looked everywhere online for a place to find out what the dealer is actually paying for the pickup but I can't find any listing anywhere that will tell me. In the USA you can find the books that will tell you right to the penny what the dealers pay, but not here. The dealer was reluctant to go down past $40,000, but when I got up to leave, he started to come down further but he flatly refused to go further than the $706,000, even when I pushed for $700,000 flat.

Initially I considered buying a motorbike to get around on, but the vehicle seems more logical especially considering I have to go to Trat occcasionally for my wife to see her family. Lastly, with regards to extended cab versus 4 door, will I get the extra money back when I do decide to sell in 4 or 5 years or is it lost money?

If you could give me some insight on this price, I'd greatly appeciate it.

Thanks,

Nhscotsman

Hi,

I hadn't thought too much about Kawasaki's but would be willing to look at one. Can anyone suggest a decent Kawasaki dealer here in Bangkok and what models are generally available in Thailand.

As for an update in the search for a motorbike/motorcycle, let me put it this way "the salesmen of Thailand still cease to amaze me". In the United States, if I went to one dealer asking about a particular model, I would have 10 dealers calling me, BEGGING ME to come to their dealerships see what they have. If I wasn’t mobile, you would have dealers offering to bring me to the dealerships. Here, I have cash (no financing at all) to buy TODAY and I can't even get a dealer to get off his duff to meet with me. UNBELIEVEABLE!! I truly love living in Thailand and have no desire or intentions of ever moving back to the United States,( my wife wouldn’t leave anyway…haha), but some salesmen here, be it Tesco Lotus or the local Honda dealer still cease to amaze me.

As for yesterdays experience, I have a teacher friend that has dealt with a particular dealer here in Bangkok and he suggested I contact him regarding a new Phantom. I had my wife call the man because his English is limited and she explained I was looking to buy a new red Phantom as soon as possible and that if possible, I would like to see a new 2008 model. The man said what the price was for it and that he didn’t have one for me to see and that red wasn’t available this year, but that he did say he has a friend that had a black one but he “wasn’t” willing to show me unless I ordered it first. At first I thought my wife misunderstood him and she questioned him on his last statement and she had heard him right. I told her to forget it, I was so angry that if I had seen the guy, I would have been blatting off at him (he probably wouldn’t have understood, but I would have felt better…haha). So I am still on the search for the mysterious Phantom motorcycle or any sizable motorcycle…haha

The comments you have all made are enjoyable though and I appreciate the time oyu have taken to add to the thread. Have a GREAT weekend.

Nhscotsman

As you already found out in the CBR150 thread the girl doesn't know what she is talking about.

Many dealers have the bikes in stock. Otherwise max 1 week to get from factory.

"Imported" bullshift.

Hi,

This is what I figured, it was just nonsense from the girl. She was just trying to sell something she currently had in stock. Even the owner or the manager of the shop, who was there speaking briefly with my wife never offered to find me anything other than what they had in stock. It's a shame they aren't willing to a little work finding me what I want, it would be an easy sell.

Thanks for the reply and have a GREAT weekend to all of you,

Nhscotsman

If you are not going far and most your riding will be in traffic or on back Soi's, then an auto scooter/bike would be good. If you are going further, you are probably better off with something bigger like a Boxer or a Phantom. I'm 6' and I've been very pleased with my Nouvo Elegance 135 cc. It's a bit bigger than the normal Nouvo and has larger wheels than the Air Blade or the Fino, which helps with the poor roads and improves stability.

It has great breaks as well - nice balance and with good feel in the wet ... which is a big bonus in traffic. Suspension is surprisingly firm which suits me, but it is a serious jolt if you hit a road hump at full chat. The under-seat storage is big .... enough for a full face lid and shopping - but it gets really hot in there, which is odd as it's a water-cooled engine. You could cook a chicken in there, and my bike lock is too hot to hold after a 10 min ride.

It's quicker than most other commuter bikes on Thai roads and easily beats cars in the traffic light drag race, but runs out of puff at higher speeds - as expected for a 135cc two-valve single.

I went to Yamaha Square (passed Mo Chit opposite the Elelphant Building) because the manager (Khun Preuk) speaks good English and was very helpful. The service team is also excellent. There are many closer Yam dealers, but none spoke enough English to sort out the deal and the paperwork ... and they have a coffee bar/internet cafe in the show-room where you can look at shiny new bikes and chat to the store team.

The list price on the road with the alloy wheels and theft insurance is 57,000. If you don't want credit you can haggle a bit on the price or (more likely)get some extras thrown in.

But ensure you get a good helmet (not a 150 baht job!) and some gloves and strong shoes or boots. Sooner or later you will get knocked off by an uninsured Cambodian pick-up truck, skid on a steel plate in the road-works, drop it in the wet, get rammed by another bike, torpedoed by a Soi-dog ... etc, etc

Hi,

Thanks for such a nice reply. I agree with your feelings on the Nouvo. I looked at one near where I live, a little "Mom and Pop" shop and was impressed with its size and overall feel. I do want to look at a Honda Phantom before finally making my overall decision. I have decided that the Honda CBR150 is too Ninja like for my aching body/back and my long legs. One of the people I work with has a Phantom and he is kind of tall like I am and sings the praises of the bike and says for a small cruiser, it's very comfy just as I suspect the Nouvo would be. As I said previously, I just want something to run around the local area with and though I would like to be able to go to Don Muang or out of town, I suspect with the road restriction, it's a difficult task.

If anyone has further information, please feel free to add to what has already been said.

Thanks again,

Nhscotsman

Hi,

I have a Thai drivers lic. and will have all required paperwork, and though I don't have a Thai motorcycle drivers license, I will get one as soon as I can. Plus with this motorbike, I am only getting it to run around my Rama 3 neighborhood and not cruising Sukhumvit like some do. I am a firm believer in that if you present yourself to the local "boys in brown" repeatedly, they will soon have the opportunity to grab you. I used to live up on Sukhumvit Soi 1 and I used to watch the local police grab drivers all the time. My thai wife and I would sit at the entrance to the highway and watch them grabbing people in both cars and on motorbikes and we also saw the money being passed back and forth too, so I understand what you people are advising. Trust me, I don't plan to go anywhere near where they inhabit. I know the local back roads where I live, so I can zoom in and out/up and down them pretty well undetected.

I did look at the Yamaha Nouvo and the Honda Airblade tonight near where I live at a small shop and was impressed with the Yamaha Nouva, but I was given a price of 52,000 for one and the Honda Airblade was 56,000 which I thought was high. I fit nicely on the Yamaha and the Honda both, but the Fino which I had originally was interested in, the handlebars were hitting my knees when I turned the handlebars, so that won't work and I have crossed that off my list. Is 52,000 for the Yamaha including a jacket and a helmet a decent price or is it to high?

I also inquired at the motorbike shop about a larger Honda dealer because I was interested in seeing a Honda Phantom and a CBR 150 and the girl told me that Phantoms and the CRB's are only available if you import them in, that no one has them in Thailand, let alone in Bangkok. Now I understand she may have been trying to save a sale by telling me the bigger bikes are not available in Bangkok, but I knew I had the option of finding out here. Are there dealers that have them here in BKK? If not, I will probably buy the Yamaha as I fit really good on it and I need something right away. If they are available, where then? The clerk at the small shop tonight kept pushing the fact that the Yamaha was 135cc and because the Yamaha has great storage too, but she knew I was paying cash too compared to the locals financing a new motorbike, my wife agreed that she just wanted to keep my sale there at her shop, this is probably why she was telling me the bigger bikes aren't available. If she wants 52,000 for the Yamaha, what is a reasonable price to pay for it. 52,000 might be reasonable, but having lived in Thailand for awhile, I know no price is final and a lot depends on how bad they want to sell it. If you people give me an idea, I will go in with say 45,000 or 50,000 in cash and cash usually gets a better deal compared to going in with promises of coming back. The helmet and jacket are a nice freebie, but considering I need 2 helmets, they will at least give me 2 helmets and not just one and usually the selling company (Yamaha or Honda) is the one giving the freebie, not the dealer. Lastly, many people discuss insurance they get when they buy a new motorbike, how does the insurance process work here. My wife doesn't even know and she said she forgot to ask the girl at the dealership.

Any advice on the large bikes or the prices I was quoted is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Nhscotsman

Hi,

I live in Rama 3 and I am looking for a Honda dealer that would have a good selection of accessories and selection of new bikes. I am looking to buy a new bike this but am having a hard time finding a big dealer where I could go in, look at a selection of bikes and decide one way or another what I want, pay and drive away with a new bike. If someone can suggest this type of dealer in Bangkok, please let me know.

Thanks,

Nhscotsman

Hi,

I will only buy a new bike, not into someone else problems and my wife has no interest in driving anything anyway, she would rather ride, so size isn't an issue with regards to her. Finding a large Honda dealer here in BKK that has a good variety of bikes is what I am looking for. I hate to just get into a taxi and ride around looking for a large Honda dealer, I pay those taxi thieves enough money now as it is without paying them more...haha.

Thanks for the suggestions and info too,

Nhscotsman

Hi,

I have been looking through all the letters and you all offer great advice, but I am looking for some specific questions. Let me give you some background. I am tall (193cm.) and I rode a bike (full dressed 750 Honda) 20 years ago and not any riding time since then, but I have decided I have tired of dealing with taxis here in Bangkok and I am going to buy a bike for my Thai wife and I to get around town on. Not a bike to go too far, just to the market or around Bangkok in general. I live in Rama 3 and speak no Thai at all but I did find a small Mom and Pop Honda/Yamaha dealer ride down the end of my soi, but it's a small place and when I inquired about a Honda Click or a Yamaha Fina, I was given the price of 45,000. My wife hates bartering for things that she has no idea about, like a motorbike. She can barter a price for a tuk tuk and have it almost to the point where the ride is free, but ask her to go to a motorbike dealer and barter and she gets very frustrated, so I tend to do it myself. Now I understand from living in BKK that no price is fixed, so I continue my hunt for the best buy. If I get quoted 45,000 for a Click or a Fino, what is a reasonable price to pay for the bike? 40,000, 42,000, 44,000??????? The smaller dealer I went to offered no perks either. It was 40 something thousand for the bike, period. No freebies at all, so I was figured I am better off going to a large dealer, one that can do the perks and give me a deal too.

I have done a GOOGLE of dealers in BKK and all the pages are in Thai, I can't even get addresses in English...haha. So can anyone suggest a Honda or a Yamaha dealer near Rama 3 or in Bangkok that they have had a great experience with?I'm a 48 year old guy with a terribly bad back and the idea of getting on the Honda CBR150 with my bad back, didn't seem like a pleasant experience. Then I thought maybe a Honda Phantom might be a wise choice because I might be able to stretch my legs out and have a bit more room, but after not riding for over 20 years, I am rethinking that too. I know many of you have favorite bikes, Honda CBR150 being one of the more popular choices, but I have read too that many like the smaller ones for getting around town too. I personally haven't set my mind on going small or big, I'm more interested in comfort and being able to fit on it...haha. I was pondering this yesterday and it was then that a close friend told me to ask on this forum. He said that you people ride nearly everything that's available in Thailand and you would have some great suggestions. So here I am, hoping you can help me, I want to be riding something by next week, so suggest away!

Any help you can give me is GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks,

Nhscotsman and Tuk

Hi,

I am looking into flying to Buriram from BKK and I was curious what options I have to get from the airport in Buriram to the Farang Connection or to Surin?

The owner of the Farang Connection has a service in which I can hire a car and a driver to get me to Prasat from his establishment which I'm wanting to see anyway, but I was curious what was available for taxi's from Buriram to Surin and how far it actually is. The owner of the Farang Connection has been great answering questions for me just as you people have, but I didn't want to message him again.

I haven't actually decided on flying as of yet, I have had some very nice people mention going by train, but the 4am arrival time is putting me off a little bit and I have done the Surin to BKK by bus route before too and though it wasn't bad, 8 hours on a bus is a long ride. So someone mentioned flying but they didn't know about getting to Surin once I landed at Buriram. Also, does PD Airlines fly out of Don Mueang or out of the new airport? I'm guess Don Mueang where it is a domestic flight, but figured I'd ask anyway.

Thanks for the help,

Nhscotsman

Hi

First of all PB air flies out of the new airport. Also it does not fly every day.

But have you thought of getting a taxi from BKK to Surin. Door to door for about 3,500-4,000 baht. Not as quick but can't be much in it by the time you take getting to & from the airports into account. You also get the opportunity to stop and stretch your legs whereand when YOU want to.

Just an idea

TBWG

Hi,

Actually I was thinking the same thing. By the time I pay to get into the airport, then the airline ticket fare, then paying for a cab to Surin from Buriram and then to my GF's home in Prasat, I'm going to be paying more than 4,000 baht. I'm no even sure I can get a ###### cab to Prasat anyway. The owner of the Farang Connection said he will take me home for a fare, but then it's an issue of hoping he can do it once I get there.

I looked into the train and again, it's an issue of getting a taxi from Surin to my house. Where I'm surpising my fiancee, it's not like I can call her from Surin and tell her to come get me with her uncles truck. So I am forced to look into a good option and on a positive note too, I can leave early for Prasat and get there later in the morning.

Our 4 year old little boy is in school and I can go and pick him up at school at 4pm and he will be soooooo excited to see me after being in the states for the past 3 1/2 months.

Thanks for the advice..........it's VERY much appreciated!

Nhscotsman

Hi,

I am looking into flying to Buriram from BKK and I was curious what options I have to get from the airport in Buriram to the Farang Connection or to Surin?

The owner of the Farang Connection has a service in which I can hire a car and a driver to get me to Prasat from his establishment which I'm wanting to see anyway, but I was curious what was available for taxi's from Buriram to Surin and how far it actually is. The owner of the Farang Connection has been great answering questions for me just as you people have, but I didn't want to message him again.

I haven't actually decided on flying as of yet, I have had some very nice people mention going by train, but the 4am arrival time is putting me off a little bit and I have done the Surin to BKK by bus route before too and though it wasn't bad, 8 hours on a bus is a long ride. So someone mentioned flying but they didn't know about getting to Surin once I landed at Buriram. Also, does PD Airlines fly out of Don Mueang or out of the new airport? I'm guess Don Mueang where it is a domestic flight, but figured I'd ask anyway.

Thanks for the help,

Nhscotsman