mikebell

'this is Thailand, where the driver got 2 weeks to put his life in order and leave before anyone gets a court order to arrest him.' This was before the mother offered a reward. Even Pattaya police would not turn up their noses at 100K.

'are proportional to the nearly 100% increase in jet fuel costs' - a single journey for a marooned traveller was 300% more expensive last week!

There is a charge to park there unless you spend money inside. (I think the 1st hour is free.) This means, in my case, having the parking ticket validated by going down two floors; finding the Information counter; two bored teenagers will validate the ticket and then you're good to go - back to the elevator; down to the basement car park. Just another over-complication and over-manning example of Thailand's proud boast of 98+% employment.

'approval from three committees before any decision can be reached.' Thailand in a nutshell. The Hub of Committees - every decision is 'mulled' through a variety of committees and they still manage to get it wrong and then have to do a flip-flop! Are there no people in post with brains?

So total gridlock for 3 more weekends! Another reason to not venture from the Dark Side.

Wherever you are in Bangkok, the BTS is close. Get to Ekamai there's a bus every 30 minutes to Jomtien bus station.

After months of tension; police coercion; Insurance indifference, I gave in. (I wanted my life back). The scruffy cop took time out to blackmail 15K out of my (then) wife by saying my next year's (annual) visa might be 'difficult'.

I had a similar experience waiting at a U-turn to turn right. 3 tear-a-ways ran into my stationary car at 90Kph - all seriously injured. A scruffy cop, turning up 15 minutes later, decided it was my fault! My Insurance agent was useless and prevailed on me to plead guilty or the victims would not receive 1st class medical treatment. I signed a paper at Sattahip cop shop - all in Thai - on the urgings of this agent. It cost me 90K to pay off the victims' family. I can recommend you don't use my Insurance company which starts with Than.

He was lucky it didn't deteriorate to the usual 7 - 1 mob beating.

I live on the Dark Side. I took motor bike taxis on Saturday & didn't enjoy the experience. I often drive into town to play table tennis now that The Ambassador can no longer pay its electricity bills. Mostly it's OK - I think this weekend was special.

I spent THREE pointless hours going nowhere on Sunday before I went home in disgust. Roads were arbitrarily closed & pointless diversions; eg after getting to 2nd Road on Klang, you were not allowed to carry straight on to Beach Road but had to turn right & go down Soi Sex. As always not a sight of one single cop during this mayhem as drivers got more desperate and parked in the striped boxes creating a denser logjam. Pattaya police must be the most inept force in a country of inept forces!

Thank you. Will heed your advice.

'The Ballad of Wallis Island' - another gentle, non-swearing movie with no soft-porn.

He usually enters on a 90 day tourist visa. Thanks for your response.

My son-in-law is hoping to visit in late 2026 when he hopes to buy a big bike. (He is an experienced rider all over Europe.) He has selected the make & model at Mityom Pattaya. They have said he can put a deposit down; make the purchase (when he arrives, paying cash/outright) and he will have to wait to get rid of the red plates before he goes touring in Thailand. He will be staying with me (to avoid the British Winter.) I rent my present house does this make a problem when applying for a Cert of Res? (I have been in the same house for the last seven years.) Is there anything else he needs to be made aware of in complying with Thai law?