fiddlehead

OK, so many adding their solutions, many good ones too.

I'll add mine: you want to slow down traffic? One thing works all over the world: Speed Bumps!
As much as we all hate them, if you put more in, the deaths will diminish because people will have no choice but to slow down.

Face it, Thai people are not going to stop at stop signs (even if they put stop signs at every needed intersection), the police are not going to pull people over for passing without a turn signal or going through a red light, Thai people are NEVER going to learn how to negotiate a traffic circle, too many won't wear helmets, law or not. And the tuk tuk mafia is NOTnot going to allow any baht buses to go to the beaches.

But, EVERYONE will slow down for the speed bumps.

And slower speeds WILL save lives!

Next time you are in the states, take a trip to one of the nursing homes.
Lots of people staring off into space, slobbering without knowing it, eating tiny amounts of food, and getting skinny-er by the day.
Many of them are in their 80s and 90s.
It doesn't look like much fun and they don't smile or laugh much.
So, whether technology advances, robots take care of us or not, no nuclear wars or radiation getting out of hand, I don't know if I will want to live past 85 or 90.

Like others said, just do all you can now and don't worry too much about who is going to take care of you when you're too old to take care of yourself.

I like Abdul's in Phuket Old Town.

'But do you need it? You 5 year Thai DL is in English and has a photo, for most US states enough and for car rental agencies in the USA enough."

No, it will not work in the USA.
I asked a state cop that question this past year in Pennslvania.
He said NO!
I tried to tell him that Thailand honors US's.
he said "the answer is NO!"

Not friendly about it either.

Bump!

I'm interested also in one of these.
Anyone know if they are available anywhere in Thailand yet?

Or if they will be?
Any info welcomed.
Thanks

I don't have the patience for it, nor the time.
But, my sister and brother in law are into bird watching big time and plan their vacations around their hobby.

I also have a rich friend who doesn't seem to enjoy much in life besides making money, and now he's 72 and retired.
I asked him what he's doing with his spare time and he told me he's into searching for arrowheads.
Sometimes spends days digging around springs and waterways and has found 5 or 6 whole ones in the last 6 months!

To each his own!

I like this family's attitude.
Really!

They decided to do a bit of exploring by trail instead of tuk tuk.
OK, they screwed up a bit and got lost.
Lesson learned: take a compass next time, but don't stop exploring.
And don't follow the sheep.

A man on foot, on horseback or on a bicycle will see more, feel more, enjoy more in one mile than the motorized tourists can in a hundred miles.” ~ Edward Abbey

“If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space.” ~ Anonymous

So now, I've found the proper additive at Tesco and driven the pickup 50 kms (put a whole bottle in when tank was half full)

No change.
Still running rough at start and idle.
I am going to try raising the idle speed up a touch as someone suggested.
I do appreciate all the advise guys.
But, it is really looking like I'll have to pay the big money and get the pump and injectors checked by a professional.

Thanks everyone.

I have a nexus 7 tablet, my Thai wife is now hooked on 2 of the games. (housework takes a back seat to THAT anymore)

I believe the Apple products MAY be slightly better, although they tend to want to charge you for more than the Androids (Nexus 7)

You certainly don't need a monthly plan with one of the phone companies here to get a smart phone.
Again, I have an Android (Samung duo) and started out with a plan but dropped it now that I know how to connect to WIFI when I'm sitting somewhere (it's in so many places now for free)

But, can your wife figure out how to do THAT???

I just prepay my minutes (do it online, through my bank), and it is much cheaper than if I had a plan (I think my plan was around 900 baht/month when I had one)

I bought my phone at Banana IT. I figured there I would be getting a real one. (opposed to the copies you see for sale at the markets and who knows what you get in the little kiosks downstairs of Big C)

I think if you ask, they'll tell you (copy or real)

Lots of choices in phones.
For a status symbol, I believe the I-Phone is tops, followed by the latest and most expensive Android you could buy.
Thai's seem to love colored phones.
I'm more of the: Just so it works, and works fast mentality.

The more you spend, the faster the processor will be and more capacity.

Many will take an SD card for storage.
What does your wife want to do with her phone? Play music? Take videos and pics? Send emails? play games? Or just talk on the phone.

By the way, a tablet is NOT a phone. but a smartphone does everything that a tablet will do. Just smaller screen, Plus it is a phone.

I hope that helps you somewhat.

Yesterday I was approaching the circle from Home Pro and too many tourists, so, I passed on the drainage blocks all the way to the left.
Looked up and there were 4 cops pulling people over.
I thought: "Oh Sh1t they got me."
And the cop just smiled at me as if we knew something the others don't.
Pleasantly surprised!

OK, I had already replaced the fuel filter

And I drained that little bit of water out too. And changed the air filter.
These werre all my first thoughts too.
So, today I went to a gas station and asked about the injector cleaner for diesels .

He didnt have any but told me to just mix a litre or 2 of gas into the tank next time I fill up.
What do you guys think of that trick?

If I decide to try it (gas) and it doesn't work (and I live through it), I guess I'll have to spend the big bucks and have the injector pump checked.
Apparently it's over 10,000 baht.

The problem ONLY seems to be when starting.
It runs fine once it's warmed up and on the road.

I've had this truck a long time. (7 years) and bought it 2nd hand, but it's been good to me and I take care of it.

So, there is definitely something wrong.
A friend of mine also suggested it could be the injection pump.
But, that's expensive (even just to check I believe)

I'll have to try to check the glow plugs.

What's the cost of replacing this injection pump (sorry, I am not too familiar with diesel engines as all my other vehicles have been benzine)

Thanks everyone.

I remember when this place opened. Rumor had it that Thaksin was one of the owners.
If true, that could definitely have something to do with any fire.

Yes, the problem is much worse when it's cold.
That's why I think glow plugs are faulty.
If I check them with a meter, what should it read? (measure AC,DC or Ohms? )

Oh sorry, It is a Toyota 2.0 Hi-Lux 4 cyl diesel.

Seems the way my truck is starting rough and running a bit rough until warmed up, that it may very well be "glow plugs" need replacing.

My questions:
1/ How hard is this to do myself?
2/ How much should a garage charge me?

3/ Is it a fairly easy (inexpensive) changeout?

Thanks in advance.

I poured a sidewalk for my brother in law more than 30 years ago.
About 30 minutes after the cement truck left, it started pouring down cats and dogs (heavy rain).
To this day, there is not a crack in that sidewalk, yet all his other sidewalks have cracks that were poured later.
I've also done some pours under water in places where you just couldn't remove the water.
I believe it's better for concrete to harden slower for a longer life.

Wow! I've never seen Mimi corner so busy with cops and tourists waiting in line to pay fines.
Just got back from a holiday and saw at least 15 cops ticketing tourists (all 6 ways you could go there)

and a long line of people waiting to pay their fines.

So, at least 18 cops in on this one. and a lot of sad tourists.

After 12 years here, that's the worst I've even seen it.

Oh well, welcome back. (and note to always wear the helmet)

Check out the Westin if you want quiet.
Or: the Radisson at Panwa

Six Senses at Ko Yo Noi

Vijitt (Rawai)

Renaissance or the Sala Phuket up at Mai Khao

Possibly they are all booked but, I have my doubts.

There are so many more on Phuket too.

Good luck.

Friendship Beach in Rawai usually has traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Yes, I would try being nice first, and maybe tell him there might be more work ($) for him if he can help figure out the best way to install them now that they were made too big.
Too big usually better than too small .

ps pictures might help us to determine how to fix your problem.

Does anyone here know a reputable relief agency to send money to that would be trustworthy enough to know the money is going to actually get to the people in need?
I have been researching it and it seems the Salvation Army seems to be the best I can come up with so far.
I know when the tsunami hit Thailand, many of my friends and family in the states sent me money and I actually handed it out to folks that I saw their houses destroyed.
I don't know anyone in the Philipines good enough to do that, so gave to the Salvation Army.
If anyone knows a better way, I (and lots of people) would like to know.
I see that the leaders of the Red Cross and similar agencies just make a fortune in salary, so, don't want to add to THAT.

Ideas?

Since most of the tourists anymore are Chinese and Russians, I don't think they care about litter.
Especially in China.

Reminds me of a trip I took from Bejing to Chengdu on the train and refused to open my window to throw out my garbage like everyone else (all Chinese people except my friend and I),
I waited and eventually found a garbage can at the other end of the car.

3 hours later, a floor-sweeping woman got to the can, opened the window and emptied the can out of the window of the moving train!

They don't care!

Russia wasn't nearly as bad when I travelled across there on the Trans-Siberian train, but it was dirtier than western Europe or America.

When I travel with my family (Thai) in the states, and they see litter, they always say: "Look daddy, Chinese people must have been here"

But yes, I agree with the OP. It is a problem. I care.

I think the answer is to install garbage cans along the beach and somehow get businesses to pay to have them emptied by advertising on them.

I've said this before though and the work permit problem always comes up.

I do see paid workers cleaning up around Nai Harn lake the past few years. and it's made a huge difference.

Even better, I sometimes see school kids in large groups cleaning up. This is what really will help as the adults (THai) don't seem to know it's a bad thing to litter)

"I just checked it out. It sounds like they put a gay meth-head in charge of the elevator music."

Quote reminds me of something my father said when the Beatles came out back in 62: "You call that long haired shit music?"

The thing that strikes me about this "drum & bass" (I just listened to a bunch on youtube) is there are plenty of instruments, certainly not just drum & bass.
Much better than some rap that's popular today. (I don't dislike rap music in general, just some of the words.)

Creativity is what's good. In this day and age, you don't have to be a musician to make music.

"Apart from the Gambling Casino's Vegas is a dump... "

I certainly didn't want to change the thread to a Vegas thread, but there are some good shows in Vegas for kids. We saw a good one at the Excalibur and there are some amazing food choices (AYCE Alaskan King crab and Maine lobster for example) Great free shows here and there too. (fountains at Mirage, pirate ship show at Treasure Island, etc)
So, I don't consider it a dump.

But I was totally surprised to find many more timeshare touts in Vegas than I've ever seen in Patong. They seemed to be everywhere: inside casinos, at bus stops and at that downtown covered street.
That's all I was trying to compare.
So sorry to the OP for having this turn into a Vegas bashing thread instead of his (or her) point about Patong.