Disting

Avalon residence. 800 Baht on Booking.com.

Stayed there last year. Brand new hotel. Walking distance to the Cafe Chez Boune, longish walk but walkable.

Will be staying there agian this time.

Just done a successful 1 year multi entry based on marriage. Standard drills, just like mentioned above. In at 9 am, pick up at 2 pm the next day. 5000 baht. No financial proof needed.

Stayed at Avalon hotel. About a km from Café Chez Boon. 2 months old, very nice.

One word of advice, take an umbrella. The new consulate's waiting area and queuing area inside and out is in the direct sunlight and is blisteringly hot. Really cant see why they could not put a shaded area for queuing.

Price reduced to 800,000 THB.

Please contact by email as I will be away for a couple of weeks on my next work rotation.

[email protected]

2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring

18,000Kms

Bought from Ducati Nakhon Ratchasima. 1 Owner from new.

All servicing carried out by Ducati Korat or Bangkok. 18,000km service just completed.

Warranty remaining til September and 1st class insurance to the same date.

The bike is in excellent condition, 1 very minor scratch on the handlebars from a Satnav mount.

Fantastic touring bike, very comfortable to ride and amazing power. It is an absolute blast to ride. 4 Riding settings, fully active suspension, traction control, ABS etc. Full Leo Vince race exhaust which sounds awesome.

Am selling to buy a KTM to do more serious off road riding.

Fitted extras include:

Ducati LED spotlights

Ducati engine protection bars

Ducati Comfort seat

Ducati engine map upload carried out

SW Motech exhaust guard

Ravetech cylinder guard

Leo Vince full race exhaust with removable Db killer

R&G radiator guards

R&G bigfoot

Puig high screen

Pannier liner bags.

I have all stock items for the bike, exhaust, screen, seat etc.

THB 850,000 ono

Contact Mick on 0899466415 or email [email protected]

Hopefully yet further steps in crushing the countries chronic corruption problem.

Long may it continue.

Not sure how they work out that 11 BMW bikes are worth 6 million though

How about a bit over half a million each?

I am quite sure that any new BMW bike will cost you more than half a million. Unless it is stolen of course.

The cheapest BMW bike available in Thailand is the GS800. 530,000 Baht. Most expensive is way over 1.5 Mil.

Went into Ford dealership in Buri Ram at the weekend.

Old model Fiesta and Focus, 150,000 Baht off the retail price.

The Ex-demo cars were 250,000 Baht off.

Very good deals to be had.

Suzuki dealer in Korat quoted 39,000 Baht for leather seats. Ouch

Am in Mukdahan just now. Will do a run to Savanaket with the wife tomorrow morning to do a new Multi O visa. Will post with what occurs.

I am just as interested in finding a wheel straightening place. Warrimurf works with me and we bought the bikes within 8 weeks of each other.

We are still after any feedback from other Multistrada owners. There is definitely one other out there that has a dented wheel as Warrimurf spoke to him. If anyone knows a Multi owner, please ask them to check.

As an update, Ducati Italy have contacted Warrimurf and said they want a report done by Ducati Thailand. The report on my wheel has been done and waiting contact from Ducati. Will update as we get news.

I hate to think how much a new Ducati wheel costs....

Guess I will be finding out if they do nothing. Maybe we can get a cheap deal on a job lot.

The roads were not harsh. Normal Thai roads with a few potholes. Nothing that a bike designed for off road work should not be able to handle. I rode a Versys for a year and put 10,000kms on it on the same roads and not a mark on the rims.

Sat in Ducati showroom today watching the promo vid showing one being ridden at speed on rough roads. Is way more that what I have done with mine.

I really hope we get a proper response from Ducati Thailand. Then again, previous experience of getting Thais to admit to a problem...

Hi

I have a 2013 Thai built Multistrada, 4000kms on the clock. Normal road driving, few potholes, no kerb jumping etc. I checked the wheel and there are 3 dents in the wheel rim. One is visible, the others can be felt when turning the wheel with a finger held against the edge of the rim. I have a mate with a 2013 Multi with the same mileage and the same problem except he has dents in both front and back wheels.

Can any other Thai built Ducati owners have a good look at their wheels and see if they have the same issue. Its like the wheels have been made from substandard alloy or not heat treated after manufacture.

I have shown it to my dealer today and they have photographed it and are going to do a report to Ducati head office.

If there are more out there then it must be a defect. The more reports that go in, the better.

Thanks

Whereabouts on Vibhavadi is it.

For me living outside Bangkok, it would be great not to have to ride to Thonglor or the other one at Rama....

Thanks

Grip Puppies.

Quick and easy and relatively cheap. Can order off Ebay.

Bike is sold

2011 Kawasaki Versys in Black

Just under 10,000kms

Givi Panniers

Engine guards

LED hand guards

High Touring screen

Radiator guards

Grip Puppy grips.

Kawasaki serviced.

In good condition

B250,000

0899466415

Mick

Been to Thong Lor this week.The sales guy who speaks real good English says the Hyper will be there end of this year. no price as yet.

Had to get a taxi real quick before putting my money on the Multistrada. Need to wait a few months. God its a good looking bike.

Thanks Steve.

What is the rest of that road like. Am planning to stay in Petchabun for a couple of nights and ride the area. Any other good sections.

Cheers

Hi Arran

Bangkok vs Khao Yai.

As far as location, its easy, Khao Yai will win any day. With the temperature running high 30's to low 40's in Bangkok, the thermometer on my balcony in Khao Yai rarely gets above 33. That and the constant breeze makes it for me.

I cant comment on other schools education levels but my daughter has been at SIS for 8 months now and I am very happy with the level on education. Her reading/writing skills have improved no end. She is already getting a much broader view of the world than before.

I have written other comments on the SIS Khao Yai thread, please have a look at them.

PM me if you would like any further help or info.

The problem I have with places like this is the money. They charge an arm and a leg. What do you get? Sure, the foreign teachers are nice - they should be at least that for the money these schools charge! I'm not sure that families get in return for what these schools demand. Calling itself an "international" school just doesn't justify the expense in my books. St Stephens is just another example.

Hi overdog.

I get where you are coming from with the expense. Its not just the teachers that we pay for. The facilities and grounds cost so much more. I haven't seen any of the up country thai schools with the facilities that st. Stephen's has. Most of them have a very attractive concrete area to play on. No library, science labs etc. All that costs to set up. Plus luxuries like all the classrooms being air-conditioned. Plus if you want good teachers, you need to pay for it. I dont want her being taught by any old person with a one piece tefl teaching certificate. I want properly trained teachers.

When you put it up against other internationals, a lot of them seem to be in cities and don't have the space. At khao yai, its in such a nice setting, the air is so much cleaner. A much healthier place to raise children.

In my view the cost at the level my daughter is at is well worth a few sacrifices. The standard of education she is getting will set her up for life. Actually being taught using proven techniques rather than just copying reams of stuff from a whiteboard. She is also being taught about life outside of thailand which is sadly lacking in thai schools.

Not to mention the friends and connections she will make as she progresses through school.

Hi Sam

I was in just the same situation as you. Living up country and our daughter at the "best" local school. Class of 38 kids, one not very nice teacher. Not good discipline, lots of repeat style teaching techniques that were just learnt parrot fashion, not much actual understanding. She didn't like going to school.

We looked around and saw St Stephen's also. Went for a visit and thought it looked good. We also looked at one big school in Pattaya but had no want to live down there. Was a big decision leaving our area as all her friends were there and also the wife's family.

We took the plunge and started her in August 2012 at the beginning of the school year. Has been the best thing we have done as far as she is concerned. She is in the 1st year, has a great teacher and has made so much progress in the 6 months she has been there. Its a small school and has a really nice atmosphere. Totally unlike the previous one. She has made lots of friends and is so happy there.

There are 13 kids in her class so the teacher/child ratio is so much better. Lots of one on one tuition. Have met many of the other teachers and they are all a nice crew. School facilities are good, nice grounds, swimming pool, sports area, golf course right next door, science labs, library etc. Again, such a difference from our old school. Just generally a nice place to be. Our daughter now loves going to school again.

As far as living in Khao Yai is concerned, its a lovely area. Temperatures are 3 or 4 degrees cooler than elsewhere in Thailand and gets more of a breeze off the mountains. Tons of restaurants along the main road, big Tesco at Pak Chong, things for the kids to do, go cart track, 10 pin bowling at one of the resorts and the park just down the road.

All in all, its the best move we have made since moving to Thailand 12 years ago.

Hope that helps.

I need to go from Bangkok to KL in one day for a quick meeting.

Just out of interest, will I get a fresh 30 day stamp when I arrive back in Thailand. Bearing in mind I will stamp out that same morning and return in the afternoon.

If I get a fresh 30 day stamp then that will see me through to when this visit to Thailand is over.

Thanks

Me

Take a trip to VS motors on Thepprasit road. Have a word with Khun Samart. He has imported Raider, Warriors, Midnightstars etc before. May be your best bet to find one.

Many years ago I had a Honda Stream on rental from Budget in Bangkok. We were driving from Chiang Mai to Buri Ram in a day and were around Khon Kaen way when I rear ended a pickup.

I had rented the car on a UK driving license and did not have an IDP.

The Budget insurance man came out and photographed the cars and then asked for my license. I give him my UK license and he says, international mai so I pointed at the EU stars on the license and said yes, international from Europe. He photographs it and leaves. They then tow the Stream to Khon Kaen airport, radiator had split, gave me a CRV and we carried on. Have never hears a peep from them and it was maybe 10 years ago.

If there had been anyway that it was illegal for me to rent and drive on a UK license, that would have been flagged up and the Budget insurance would have not paid and the bill would have come to me. I have rented from them since without issue.

Subsequently I did get an IDP and have gone on to get both bike and car Thai licenses.