Daewoo

LondonPete - Don't worry.... If you don't look down its not gay innit.. so I've been told anyway, know what I mean?

It is gay.

Dancealot is right... it's only gay if you do a reach-around...

For better statistics, the Bureau of Statistic reports opn Australian travel...

http://www.abs.gov.a...tures20Sep 2010

Thailand is number 6 short trip destination, after combining all of Europe...

Relevant to the article...

I don't think that the 'unknown' category referrs to Thai Authorities having no knowledge of the cause, but rather in not being captured by the Australian Embasy and reported to DFAT...

50% of all holiday trips from Australia are overseas born Australians, mostly returning home for a holiday... This would be less of a case for Thailand (and Indonesia) since they are relatively small emmigration countries to Australia

Then one needs to consider the demographics and activities that people are undertaking...

Lots of 'gap year' type travellers, undertaking risky activities - drugs, riding motorbikes, partying, adventures... this probably isn't so much the case for people going home to the UK to visit family...

More older men, drinking and riding motorbikes, partying like they haven't for 30 years... Also, more older men staying for longer periods on Tourist Visa's (because you can not get other visas or citizenship)... so their deaths are going to be captured as 'tourist deaths' rather than expat deaths...

Also, when an accident happens in Thailand, chances of quick access to good medical care is significantly less...

Then there is the simple fact that somewhere has to be Number 1, and I would be surprised if it wasn't Thailand...

<snip>

"because of the practice where the non-fault but richer party is often expected to contribute to a poor but at fault party"...

This seems a little ridiculous and totally wrong, I am not having a dig at you or saying you are wrong but if it was the percieved richer person to pay for the faults of the wrongdoer, wouldn't that open up a farang hunting season? Oh I need a new I phone so I will jump on my bike and deliberately run into a farang (who cares if I injure him) and get paid out big time. A lot of tourists who come here are probably no better off economically in thier own countries than the Thai at fault. A lot save for a year if not years for a dream holiday and live on a budget whilst holidaying. Just because you are farang doesn't mean you are dripping with gold and ready to be harvested by a low life scammer.

I am just saying that it is common practice in Thailand, and might explain why the cops asked The Aussie to pay compensation to the Thai guy, even if they did not believe he was at fault...

Of course they get a cut of the compensation, which they wouldn't get if they were trying to get the penniless party to pay...

Cops frequently negotiate payment to the poorer party, even if they were in the wrong... it is sort of the Thai way of fairness... I am sure that the cops would also do what they can to weed out any intentional scamming, or at least ensure they got a decent cut...

Just thinking out loud of reasons why they may have been asking the Aussie for money, without directly targeting or entrapping him, because he was a farang...

and while we are all showing concern for the aggrieved Aussie, in true A Current Affair style, you can also almost guarantee that he was paid for the story...

My hypotheses...

* When he was in the police station, it is quite likely that the cops had no access to the video tape (the first step in investigating a traffic incident is probably not to go looking for CCTV cameras...

* The Thai rider stated that the Aussie stopped then turned right from the left side of the road, as he was overtaking him, without indicating...

* The Aussie states that he stopped and then turned right... but doesn't really know what happened...

* The cops put more weight on what the Thai told them, because HE knows Thai traffic rules and practice, and can communicate with them... The Aussie can't even communicate his story, and doesn't know what he did...

* The cops take the Aussie's passport to prevent him from doing a runner... because they believe that on the balance of the information they have, he was in the wrong...

* The cops tell the Aussie that he can settle the matter without going to court if he wishes, as is often the case in Thailand for Thai's, not BECAUSE he isn't Thai... and also because of the practice where the non-fault but richer party is often expected to contribute to a poor but at fault party...

All sounds reasonable to me...

I too believe that running into the back of someone is almost always the fault of the following party, unless the front vehicle has jumped into their stopping distance... but the person making the major change (turning) has responsibility if they are in a position where two vehicles are traveling in the same direction, and they are being overtaken...

The overtaker still has responsibility if they have moved into the oncoming lane, and in most countries overtaking within a lane wouldn't happen... in Thailand, having more than one vehicle in a lane (or the extension of that lane being near the centre line in the oncoming lane) is common... and therefore would not necessarily means that the rider overtaking is in the wrong, if the other party turned into them as they were overtaking...

I can therefore see quite easily why the cops could assume that the Aussie was at fault (without jumping to a conclusion of discrimination or targeting the Aussie)...

This is the start of high travel season so would not expect fares to be lower with time so if ready to leave I would do so - the ticket can be used for your travels and return to Thailand with a valid visa for new stay of 60 days plus ability to extend another 30 days from any nearby Thai Consulate and you can do again later if you do not decide to spend some extended time in other countries. Both Malaysia and Singapore are easy 90 day access without fees (although Singapore can be a bit expensive if not careful).

Thankyou to you and everyone elses input.

End of day - get to Thailand by trying to bluff your way onto the flight, or buying a ticket online at the airport if you must, then once in Thailand you have 30 days to research how to get a visa that will allow you to do what you want to do...

Obviously not the best way to end up with 12 months travel opportunity, but what a great opportunity anyway...

Cheers,

Daewoo

You just print this out and show it at the time of check in for the air Asia flight...

Couldn't be any easier

You don't even need to print it... the ticket will be emailed to you, show the check in chick the ticket on your phone, or download the Air Asia app, and show them the ticket using that...

The requirement for entry to Thailand on a 30 day 'visa exempt' stamp is that you can show an onward ticket within the 30 day period... THey don't check in Thailand, only the check in counter for the airline, because if they let you fly to Thailand and you are refused entry, the airline has to pay a big fine...

This is what I would suggest -

* Arrive at the airport early, try to check in without mentioning anything... you might get boarded without any problem... see if you can bluff them by saying you have a ticket but haven't printed it, or that you will be going to Laos by road on a certain date...

* If they won't give you a boarding pass, go to an internet cafe (or use your laptop/smartphone) and buy a ticket online out of Thailand, within 30 days...

* I've had to do this before, just represented to the checkin counter and been boarded without problem... just arrive nice and early so it isn't too stressful...

Consider buying a flexible ticket to a country you wish to travel to, or just the cheapest ticket that will allow changes (for a fee) and then after you arrive change the dates to a time you do want to go there...

You will need to cross a border out of Thailand (probably to Laos) and can apply for a multiple entry tourist visa at that time...

I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but you can overstay your 30 days stamp... At the airport when leaving, the fine is (I think) 200baht/day up to a maximum that comes into play after about 3 months I think... the problem is, if for any reason you get caught outside of an immigration exit point, you can find yourself in a world of trouble...

In my book, I applaud their actions. Thailand is not particularly handicap-friendly when compared to some other countries, and any company that offers opportunities to bring handicapped citizens into the mainstream and able to lead productive lives is doing the right thing, altruism or purely self-serving aside.

This is actually a model that KFC have rolled out around the world - some restaurants are entirely staffed by hearing imparred... not just the counter staff, but all the cooks, supervisors, and managers... good work in countries where being deaf may otherwise leave you on the fringe of society, with tough employment prospects...

Whilst I am sure KFC accepts tax breaks where available, I would be surprised if that figured into their decision making process... this would have come from their CSR group... good on them...

Maybe not such a great deal. KFC in Thailand is the single worst fried chicken i have ever eaten. Even more so that the greasy bits in Japan.

Is the topic of this thread the quality of KFC food?

Quality and KFC should never be used in the same sentence.

Depends on what definition of quality you are using...

If you use the proper definition of a repeatable process for a consistent outcome, then KFC is right up there - as I McDonalds... their food may be crap, but it is consistently crap... "well THAT was the best KFC Burger I ever eaten" said no one, ever...

I've found a way to teach the dog to keep quiet,

I bought the air rifle (soft airgun)

Then I shout at the dog to shut up, if the dog does not, I'll shoot him in the ass.

next time I do the same thing,

but the third time, the dog shut up when I tell.

Works every time, but some dog I must shoot 4-5 time

(I DON'T Hurt the dog, it only feel a bit pain and uncomfortable)

I've debated about using this method on the neighbours cats when they come to crap in our garden. Neighbors completely tiled over their garden, so no place for their cats to take care of their business, hence they come to our home. Other option is to get a big Maine Coon of our own and let it kick the sh#t out of the neighbours cats.

Sent from my PC36100 using Thaivisa Connect App

Where did you buy the airgun??

The pellets of air rifles are small, and can definitely pierce the skin of a dog or cat, making wounds that become infected and cause lots of pain...

I have no problem with killing out of control or dangerous dogs (*humanely and quickly), and I hate cats... but I don't think injuring them, especially if they can't link the injury to their undesirable action is appropriate...

Since hundreds of potential first-time Phuket guests will be reading this - anyone have some advice on what transport to take when arriving in Phuket?

Assuming one doesn't want to rent a car that is.

You might ask your hotel if they can arrange a reliable airport pickup for you. I visited Phuket for the first time this July. Stayed at a hotel that hotel that included an airport pickup if you were staying at least three nights. Worked fine. The plane was late landing because of weather (thunderstorm) over the airport. Even so, the guy was there waiting for me.

I ran across the website of one hotel on Phuket that insist that they arrange your airport pickup if you reserve a room with them. They have had so many of their guests arrive at the airport, get a taxi and then be told by the taxi that their hotel is now closed, burnt down, and so on. And the taxi driver just happens to know of a really nice hotel for them! Even some that threatened the passengers.

The first time I travelled to Phuket with my wife only, everything arranged through a travel agent in Sydney, it included transfer to the ($250US/night) hotel ... The transfer was a minivan, full to overflowing, which stopped for 40 minutes at a souvenir shop on the way to Patong (Patong also recommended by the travel agent in Sydney)... pain in the @rse when you triple the journey length by a 40 minute wait, and then a tour of every hotel in Kata, Kamala, Patong as other guests were dropped off...

Second time, I confirmed it was a van dedicated for the hotel... travelling with my elderly mother, and my two kids who were only 3 and 5... get off the (direct international flight - 8 hours)... no van... call the hotel, "van broken" have to find own mini-bus... no-reimbursement, because the transfer was 'free' to start with... not to mention the hassle of trying to call the hotel, find someone with passable English, and then organise a van at 11pm after an 8 hour flight with 2 little kids...

Hotel transfers aren't all that... better to know what a fair price is, and organise it on the spot...

We

MY GF filled up the small rubbish bin in the toilet full of used toilet paper before I noticed.

First time we pulled into a service station for petrol she was amazed that I had to pump the fuel myself.

Not just the Thais. I know an expat lady that sat in a gas station in the UK for 10 minutes before realising nobody was coming

even into the 80's, when my cousins came down from the country, my aunt had to get my dad to go to the petrol station with her to fill up, 'cause they had full service in their town...

Smart investment would say that you need to earn money in the currency/location where you would spend it...

For $300,000 you can probably get towards 5%, which would earn you $Au15K/year in interest...

If you were to leave $Au200K Australia, and $Au100K in Thailand at 3%, you would probably get a lower rate in Australia, maybe 4%, and like you said, 3% in Thailand. $8K on the Aus portion, $3K on the Thai portion. so your total interest income may drop to $11K... If you can still get 5% on the Aus portion, that number would be $10K, and therefore the total $13K...

As the Australian economy succeeds, the value of the Dollar increases which means you get more baht for each Aussie Dollar... As the Thai economy falters, the THB decreases against the AUD... Which means you get more THB for each Aussie Dollar...

As the economy succeeds, the central bank increases the rate it charges retail banks to borrow money, the retail banks increase their interest rates, so people have less money to spend, which slows the economy... (the is how the central bank (Reserve Bank in Aus) controls inflation)...

Whether the economy is not doing to well, the interest rates will go down... also, the value of the dollar may go down... that is what is happening everywhere else in the world at the moment... Australia is a bit insulated, because all our exports are sent to China without any value add... as long as their economy is strong, we keep earning the same...

When the Chinese manipulation of their economy catches up to them, Australia is in for a very difficult time...

For your needs, you don't want all your income being earned in Australia, and your spending in Thailand... because you might find yourself without sufficient income to cover your immediate needs... that is why you should think of having enough in Thailand to cover you for the ups and downs of the market in Australia... the income in Thailand will be directly linked to the economy in Thailand...

If you already own to property in Australia, with rents as high as they are, you might better keeping the property and taking the rent money... property should do about 10%, which is double what the best cash rate is...

Smart investment would say that you need to earn money in the currency/location where you would spend it...

For $300,000 you can probably get towards 5%, which would earn you $Au15K/year in interest...

If you were to leave $Au200K Australia, and $Au100K in Thailand at 3%, you would probably get a lower rate in Australia, maybe 4%, and like you said, 3% in Thailand. $8K on the Aus portion, $3K on the Thai portion. so your total interest income may drop to $11K... If you can still get 5% on the Aus portion, that number would be $10K, and therefore the total $13K...

As the Australian economy succeeds, the value of the Dollar increases which means you get more baht for each Aussie Dollar... As the Thai economy falters, the THB decreases against the AUD... Which means you get more THB for each Aussie Dollar...

As the economy succeeds, the central bank increases the rate it charges retail banks to borrow money, the retail banks increase their interest rates, so people have less money to spend, which slows the economy... (the is how the central bank (Reserve Bank in Aus) controls inflation)...

Whether the economy is not doing to well, the interest rates will go down... also, the value of the dollar may go down... that is what is happening everywhere else in the world at the moment... Australia is a bit insulated, because all our exports are sent to China without any value add... as long as their economy is strong, we keep earning the same...

When the Chinese manipulation of their economy catches up to them, Australia is in for a very difficult time...

For your needs, you don't want all your income being earned in Australia, and your spending in Thailand... because you might find yourself without sufficient income to cover your immediate needs... that is why you should think of having enough in Thailand to cover you for the ups and downs of the market in Australia... the income in Thailand will be directly linked to the economy in Thailand...

Actually, I'm much more proud of the fact that Aussies invented the wine cask (box wine) ... a far more usefull invention and a gift that keeps on giving ... till it's empty ... .

I don't know, the empty one has often given me something the very next morning...

Great thread guys - amusing and positive... obliviously it is the Australian sense of humour

What do you call a fish with no eye ?

FSH !

What do you call a deer with no eyes ?

I have no I-Deer

What do you call a dog with no legs?

Anything you want, he's still not going to heel.

I'll get my coat.

What do you call a ...

A man in the pool with no arms or legs?

Bob

Are we really going to start this? Ok...

What do you call a man with no legs?

Neil

What do you call a man with no arms or legs, on your doorstep???

Matt.

Me thinks you are falling into the trap of thinking that price is somehow linked to cost, or something solid like that...

Price is linked to the market's ability to pay... Thai girls out with their friends, or there to wait for a freelance pickup can afford to pay 65 baht... if they charged them 200 baht they wouldn't go, and neither would the men that follow them...

Farrang men and women, and Thai girls out with a farrang, can afford to pay 200 baht... why would the bar not charge as much as you are willing to pay???

So the best answer is to do your drinking outside and not buy a drink at all in the club.

spend your money where you are happy to - if you aren't happy (or at least accepting) to pay 200 baht for a beer, you have plenty of choice of options... and the bar should be free to accept any pricing regime they choose...

Wondering if you are a sole trader or Pty Ltd company, or if you could be.

Maybe that way the flights are claimable by the company, where as a PAYE employee they aren't, but you need to pass the 80/20 rule etc.

You could even set up a Thai company, transfer the money from your Aus company to your Thai company, and the Thai entity pay all your expenses in Thailand (not subject to FBT etc.)

That way your Aus company pays only 30% company tax, and you only pay/declare yourself a small salary, which is taxable at lower marginal tax rates.

Reading this with interest as well, even though I am in a regular 9-5 job in Syd (with some travel).

Not that it is relevant to you, but if you earn ANY money in Australia (i.e. renting your house out) you are also liable for the gap between any overseas tax, and your Aussie tax, on earning overseas... about the only thing you can get away with is captial growth on foreign investments if you don't repatirate the money...

Whilst the cost of living in Thailand makes it seem attractive, even after not being able to claim airfares, you really need to do your own sums on that one... I've known some guys living in Thailand full time on serious coin who after 2 years have a shot liver and not a pot to piss in... If you are partying every night in Thailand, compared to watching X-Factor every night in Perth, I reckon you will get a shock at how much cash you can burn...

Don't know how flexible your employer would be about you changing your address to Th - them being liable for airfares - with a comensurate drop in salary... at least then it is coming out of pre-tax income... (and they aren't paying payroll tax on it)...

I do know guys in companies with multi-national opperations who had a portion of their salary paid by the Thai entity into a Thai bank account - never declared it and didn't pay tax on it... they did it mostly to reduce their child support liablility which is stupidly linked to their earning (capacity) rather than costs of raising a child they are prevented from seeing...

I also have many mates doing the 6 hour flight from Sydney to Perth (plus the trip to Barrow etc), paying Sydney rent on houses empty 50% of the time...

Read post #26,

"I might say beware of the Thai 'hostess' bars... while the girls are typically infinitely better looking than those that make their way into the farrang bar industry in BKK... bills can get expensive"

"Please clarify as to where they sell a 400 baht bottle of Chang."

You wont know the place, however there will be people on here know where I am referring to.

If you go to Harleys Bar in Prasat, look right across the road at the Thai place, thats where they serve 400 baht Changs.

Where you choose to socialize will determine the prices you pay, your problem is you dont know where to go or what to expect.

In order, upscale Thai hostess bars, karaoke joints, knocking shops, clip joits or whatever other various nom de plume they go by. Hotel bar and discos, farang bars, local Thai bars.

I tend to use local Thai bars, large Leos can be had for 60 baht, in some farang bars that will be 90 baht.

A bottle of Thai whisky (Sang Som or Blend ) about 350-400 baht plus mixers and ice in a Thai place.

Up to you.

"Your problem is you don't know where to go or what to expect."

Yes, I do know where to go, and what to expect: I go to the 7-11 for my signature two bottles of Chang for 85 baht rather than play stupid falang and pay 400 baht for a dam_n brew. I know to expect people holding their hand out for me to give them money, and I know that I am the last son of a bitch that would hand that over.

I do admit that my experience in Isaan is highly limited and admit that I only know about it from what I have read and/or heard from from those who have lived/visited there before.

And to those who are willingly going to Harley's Bar in Prasat, get your head out of the clouds. You want to spend money like that in a third world country? Please.

Thanks for the condescension, but I'll wait for some more positive feedback. After all, I'm inquiring about a potential trip to Isaan, not to "hang tough" or "look cool" in front of a bunch of 48 year old foreigners who are chasing eighteen year old Thai girls with Thai baht falling out of their pockets.

Nice attitude Ivan - glad I and others bothered to post anything up,aiming to help, when you asked for it...

Enjoy Issan, I hope it goes as well as you deserve...

Me thinks you are falling into the trap of thinking that price is somehow linked to cost, or something solid like that...

Price is linked to the market's ability to pay... Thai girls out with their friends, or there to wait for a freelance pickup can afford to pay 65 baht... if they charged them 200 baht they wouldn't go, and neither would the men that follow them...

Farrang men and women, and Thai girls out with a farrang, can afford to pay 200 baht... why would the bar not charge as much as you are willing to pay???

There are good things and bad things in Issan, as with all areas of rural Thailand...

There is one or two ex-pat bars in even small towns in Issan... some of the bigger towns like Loei have pretty substantial nightlife...

I might say beware of the Thai 'hostess' bars... while the girls are typically infinitely better looking than those that make their way into the farrang bar industry in BKK... bills can get expensive, and also I am sure many of the girls are underage, which isn't acceptable to me...

Don't discount Udon - you can have a blast there, and it is actually representative of a lot of Issan...

Cheers,

Daewoo

NeverSure - You arguments contradict themselves...

You are absolutely correct that the front brake does almost all of the braking when used aggressively... to the point that the rear tyre might well be off the ground... this contradicts your arguement that braking is the reason for rear tyre wear... since there is little weight, and therefore little force on the rear tyre...

The rear brake is for low speed, where using the front causes the front to spring around, and also weights the front and encourages it to follow cracks or deformities in the pavement... or sometimes to bring the bike in tighter if you are running a bit wide on turn in (trail-braking)...

I know that on my FZ1, the rear tyre is consumed much faster than the front due to enthusiastic use of the happy handle...

<snip>The work their children do contributes to the survival of the family unit. Secondly, a child working isn't necessarily cruel or even detrimental as other contributors have explained. To be clear: I don't support exploitive child labor and common sense should tell you which situations those are.

Nicely put...

I am not sure if the 'do-gooders' get it all wrong, or if it is just reported badly... I am sure that in their fields the 'do-gooders' are not only well intentioned, but also educated and skilled...

Some responsible US companies have set it up so that kids for instance have to attend (company funded) schooling to be able to work... best of both worlds for the kids, and usually well within the ability for gross margin per unit produced to absorb... unfortunately those same companies have to compete with other companies that don't have the same compulsion to do the right thing...

I agree that it went too far in Western countries, like Australia, where they put artificial barriers around school kids doing part time work... We even have this ridiculous situation where you are forced to stay at school until you complete year 12 (17 or 18) despite having no aptitude or willingness for schoolwork in the vain hope that you will miraculously absorb an education through osmosis, just by turning up...

My father left school at 15, as was the norm, worked full time, studied at night, and ended his working life at one of Australia's largest and most iconic (at the time) global companies... making him stay till 18 wouldn't have changed that one bit...

but this isn't about part time work, or providing access to quality education... it is about children being sold into genuine slavery by their parents, working in typically unsafe conditions, because it is cheaper to employ 3 children than 1 adult... unregulated capitalism at it;s best...

Good on US companies, either through government policy or for their own quadruple bottom line, for taking action on child labour... unfortunately it plays into the hands of other less scrupulous countries that have no such concerns (I'm especially talking about you, China)...

Unfortunately, manufacturing for the US market is only a small part of the problem... but I guess it is a start... It would be good if those kind of activities could be extended successfully...

Poverty is a genuine problem in Thailand... but it shouldn't be addressed by sacrificing future generations to poverty...