tattoodrob

i dont think it will even reach the lady concerned

Thanks for the replies.

I live here for 15 years, I am married with TW and have 13 year child with her. I have a thai company since 97 and I have bought several houses and have a guest house. All bought in my wifes name.

After all these years together and having a child together I guess I know where I stand.

By the way I came here with just my clothes and my wife knew I was a poor guy so she didn't take me for the money.

I do know the pitfalls when looking for properties, have learned my lessons......I hope.

rono

wow.....u will have to tell us your secret.......im sure many will want to know how you can come here with nothing and end up with a small empire

Maybe I'm out of line here but there seem to be two seperate issues involved.

1. Employee ripping off franchisee.

2. Said employee physically threatening the OP.

What you do about 1. is "up to you" and your social / moral conscience.

2. is easy. The employee threatened you. You report him to the police, no question. Why he threatened or assaulted you is by the by. The fact that he did warrants reporting him and pressing charges.

IMHO 2 is far more serious than 1.

1. happens everywhere here.......unless you stay there every open hour then this is inevitable and a shame

2.again happens quite frequently when they basically get caught out......lose face etc ....but have you ever tried to report a thai for something like this at the police station......."brick wall" comes to mind.

i agree........gettin a bit overrun with them but there are up and coming areas everywhere and money can be made but i dont think its a fortune!!!!!! if you think she will take proper care of the business for you then could do ok....as franchises go this is not a bad one.just my opinion

Hey folks, I got the pm and will make a call before I visit the area.

I have spent days looking at many websites dealing with pattaya properties but the info they gave on their sites is far from complete and I didn't have the time to visit all those agents, besides some of them took me to places I really didn't want to see, it was they were pushing me to visit properties they wanted to sell although I made my requirements very clear.

I have given up looking at websites and will visit the area for an extended time, maybe rent a room for a week or so and drive around every day.

thanks for the help, rono

i believe a lot of thais do not put there land for sale at estate agencies.......a lot use word of mouth to generate interest.i have looked at many websites and found them lacking in the land dept and have little to offer.i also spent many hours looking around and seeing land plots but not knowing whats for sale as many places dont have a sign up saying"for sale" and is quite difficult to find the owners number and also a lot of land for sale has no proper road so is difficult to find in the first place.i wish you luck in this endeavor.i have been shown many land plots also that arent wide enough to build a normal house or are such a funny shape that is not possible to do much with it.most of the bargain priced land is sold now or you have to buy a minimum amount of rais to get it at a good price.a lot of people want way too much for even a small plot of 60 tw or thereabouts.

Lets see if I can clarify a few things here as some of the numbers are wrong.

For about 3 or 4 years, Tony's annual gym membership, as painted on his building, ranged from Bt2999 to Bt8000 which I saw with almost monthly changes to the price.

In the 2nd quarter last year Tony went on an advertising drive for a month and then two with a lifetime offer of Bt14999 which included his rapidly growing number of facilities. The annual membership was Bt5999 but you had to pay a minimum of 2 years in advance and thus is was either Bt14999 for ever or Bt11998 for two years. After the two month window, the lifetime membership rose to Bt19999 wher it remains to this day.

About 2 or 3 months ago, Tony started to introduce a new series of television adverts on Sophon Cable. in the middle of one of these adverts was a say 10 second burst in Thai with the price of Bt2500 payable in installments of Bt500 a time. Obviously this is aimed at the Thai market and I seriously doubt they would allow a westerner to join on those rates.

Now I understand that Tony has been investing heavily in other projects but as we come around to about one year after he introduced the lifetime membership, now at Bt19999, I would presume many people have converted as they may be offered it at Bt14999 because they are current members or be faced with Bt8000 for one year or Bt11998 for two years.

It begs the question as to how they are going to cover overheads ? Now if you invested the Bt20k for each person then perhaps you could but if you spend it and your only income (other than anciliary items) is new lifetime memberships or Bt200 a day customers then I don't see how it can survive going forward after a certain point (perhaps 3 or 4 years assuming Bt20k / 4 ).

What would happen if it were sold ? would the new owners honour the lifetime memberships ? perhaps not. Now if the churn rate is high enough then perhaps people pay lifetime membership but then never go or go less because of less pressure to get their money's worth before their membership expires.

Anyone else come across a similar business which has traded successfully for a lengthy period offering a once only lifetime payment ? I know a number of gyms in the US and UK which have gone under offering far less generous terms.

Actually a lot of gyms do deals like this (cheap lifetime memeberships) just before they go under or are sold as obviously its a quick money earner for the owner...im not saying this is the case here but it is a concern as things that look to good to be true......... usually are.i wouldnt particularly want to lose 20k baht for nothing or just 6 months membership and if the gym was sold i can guarantee that those memberships will not be honoured.......its not viable.

as to english speaking staff(someone else posted about this)....when i go, there is not an english speaker or maybe sometimes there is.

just a bit more moan about the place......lights are on a bare minimum(like training in a dungeon) and air con off.........ok i go later than the average trainer but would be nice to be able to see the machines!!!

why do i go there then???? its open 24 hr and that is convenient to my schedule otherwise i would go to universe gym or maybe even the california sales office.....ooops i mean gym.

i would also have thought that he would presently like to be as competitive as possible with the recent opening of a larger more equipped gym ...instead of putting his lifetime memberships up.

it is discrimination and im sure they wouldnt like it if they went to britain and they said oh your thai so you pay more as they can afford to holiday there so must be wealthy.

i dont mind thais getting cheaper if they are unemployed etc as this is fairer but not just because its there country as the only reason.there are a lot of rich thais and foreigners but also some poor foreigners that might like to train for health reasons etc.

i agree that if you dont like it then train somewhere else but that dont make it right...does it?

also a foreigner pays more money but is probably in the country less than a thai due to visa reasons etc so surely it should be cheaper as potential to use the facilities are less.end of rant.

why not post it on this forum for sale or for free in the pinned notice board ???

i dont understand the family...they asked for a pup and got a pup!!!!!do they understand the concept that a pup is not yet the same as when fully grown...its personality and quirks grow with the dog.oh well

That echoes our thoughts completely! No pointed snout? Well it is a PUPPY and the pointed snout will be there! Not the same legs? Of course it is a puppy and has no straight legs. No tight skin? Pardon me, puppies' skin is a bit loose! (and we all find it very cute) Problem is: my friends are in the provinces. They originally had wanted to come to Bkk to pick up the pup (and bring back our old dog), but because our schedules coincided half-way we had a road-side dog swap. But I will tell them to maybe give it up for adoption.

I am also quite angry because I chose the puppy with my friend on the phone and also mailed pictures!

Just cannot understand why somebody who can love an old grey-haired dog cannot love a pup (and a very well behaved one, too).

wow......i thought u were jokin but i guess your not.....most people who like dogs of any breed would find any puppy cute etc but not them.....strange people for sure.

bira race circuit is on the outskirts of pattaya.

Baby oil for paintwork splashes also good for removing tar on your feet if you picked up some walking on the beach.

Daffy.

im confused.........................how does the tar get on the beach,have you gone mad daffy or am i missing something(a brain maybe)

I'm wondering why they had to make their emergency landing in Wales?

bit strange that one......as probably only another 20 mins to land at original destination,plus i didnt know there was a good place to land a big jet plane in wales!!!!

why not just subdue him till they got there.............he will have to pay costs of plane landing early etc....hope hes got a few bob.

i have some land plots for sale and have sent you a p.m. cheers rob

i was at threppasit market today and was a few for sale,dont know what area you are in but this market is in pattaya and is open fri nite to sun night(nightly 6pm to 10 pm ish)) i believe...prices are good,think the pits were about 5000 baht but dont quote me on that but whatever price they say then you can get it down a thousand or more usually.there was also some english bull terriers(expensive compared to pit) and rotties,german shepherds and assorted lap dogs.....no staffies.there are 3 or 4 stalls that sell dogs so usually a good choice.

why not post it on this forum for sale or for free in the pinned notice board ???

i dont understand the family...they asked for a pup and got a pup!!!!!do they understand the concept that a pup is not yet the same as when fully grown...its personality and quirks grow with the dog.oh well

it took over 2 yrs to get sentenced???????? just imagine how long it takes if theres a hint of innocence.

i presume your flying into utupao airport??? you do know this is a fair way outside pattaya......30 to 40 min in a taxi,not sure there is any bus service from there as is a very small airport.once in pattaya i suggest a drive up walkin st if you get into town before 7pm otherwise no cars in walkin st.....there are plenty of places to stay and im sure there not all fully booked as its gettin into low season by now...at the top end of walkin st(nr bali high pier) are a few nice places.im sorry im bad at remembering names,also there are rooms above some of the bars/gogos in the side streets of walkin st if you wanna be in the action...you dont have to walk thru the bar to get in and out!!! there is a street called soi bj(in walkin st) which has an ok hotel and internet etc ,on the left as you go down it but the one on the right is not good!!pattay is full of hotels etc.....there is a lot on the road that runs parallel with walkin st...some call it second road and some call it the beginning of pratumnak road,but is within walkin distance and has varied standards of rooms.sorry i cant be more specific as to names but if your in a taxi then just stop a few places near walkin st and check them out....im sure the driver wont mind if you give him a tip.i think you should find a nice room for between 700-1200 bt a night but there are some crap rooms for 400 to 600 bt a night.i have no doubt that you would find a room within walkin distance of walkin st but even if you find a place on the beach rd then it is a 2 minute journey on a baht bus(10 baht each or 5 baht if you wanna be cheap)to walkin st and then you would be near beach too although jomtien seems to be the better beach area.hope this helps.

Scott used to have them in Siam Motorcycles, outside the Bangkok/Pattaya Hospital.

But I thought that they were not road-legal in Thailand. OK on X-country, but not on the road.

Others will have more knowledge on this than I do.

i believe he has got a couple or would know where to get a decent one...but he has moved shop..it is now on sukhumvit but the other end....jomtien end ,just past tesco lotus on same side.....also i have seen them in car shop between klang and south pattaya .

im pretty sure they are not road legal in thailand but as we know ..some people can get away with it if you got some friends that like to wear brown most days.

also there is a good website called mocyc.com that im sure will have some but you will need a thai reader as its all in thai. ..but you might find one for sale in your neck of the woods and at a good price too.

Diesel fuel works quite well too and you don't have to worry about it exploding.

will petrol explode as you rub it on the tar spots then ..............only jokin!!

to op....im not sure scratch remover is ideal as im sure it is an abrasive and could take off laquer/paint if rub too much......but you have some good suggestions of alternatives....and again dont rub too hard,just enough to take the spot off.

Thanks to you all for the kind replies!

And Rob what bike did you purchase?

One of the funkiest bikes I had once was a Yammie RD 350 LC (two stroke) tuned and race exhaust. Another great bike I had was an XT600, great fore making wheelies.

For driving safe, yes I always drive very defensive and only do short sprints on a good clear and straight piece of road.

My first year here in Thailand I managed to get involved in two minor accidents, one car that cut me and brushed my bumper and a motosai that

crashed in the left side of my Altis, both not my fault.

Next week I am taking the Bimmer for a trip to the NE, good to find out fuel economy and to see if this car not make me as tired and feel cramped like when using the Altis, I am a bit too tall for the Altis I think as it always caused my legs, back and feet to hurt after more then a 2 hour drive.

Oh and by the way I was lucky today in the Thai lottery, ha ha!

Peace all!

Alex

i purchased a suzuki gsxr 1100.....a mean loud beastie with shattering acceleration.....ive always liked the idea of getting same acceleration of a supercar for a supercheap price ie buy any large new/secondhand big cc sports bike.

in uk had bikes but with the weather being so crap then it was too much hassle to take them out unless a nice day(doesnt happen that often!!)

had an rd350 in the old days and had quite a bit of poke if i remember correctly.

have you thought about taking your car to the bira circuit...im pretty sure they have days where you can take your own car round there international race circuit for a few hundred baht.....im thinking of takin the bike up there sometime....but dont wanna slide the fcuker if i take a bend to quick (especially in my shorts,flip flops and vest ) but would still be a laugh even if i dont go to mad......went past there the other day and see they have a go kart track....there a laugh as well so might do them when up there although i did end up in the pond at the small track on threppasit rd.....teach me to mess about!!! phone still worked even though it got a quick dunkin .

anyways if you want a race for slips then give me a shout and we can put your badboy to the test .

enjoy.

how much did you win on the lottery...bet it wasnt more than a tankful of gas

the bangkok bank link seems to be more correct as was at exchange places and banks today...other link is either out of date or a bit optomistic

i agree,get a lawyer...hes takin the piss.dont think you will get much joy trying to talk to him...but get a lawyer to write explaining problem and that it must be rectified or further action will be taken,but before you do that check with local regulators as to what is the law there .

Can anyone explain how they conduct the colour blindness test

i did it recently and there was a picture on the wall with lots of coloured dots on it and with a pointer they put it on different spots and ask you the colour....about 4 or 5 times,maybe different at other offices!

I am delighted that you are so happy. And especially with your new car ...new to you!

It is a refreshing change to read a topic that is about positive feelings.

Of late in my local forum its all doom and gloom, complaints about this and that not much happiness around I'm sad to say.

Thank you very much. You have cheared me up no end.

begs

No Problem,

It is so easy to look at the negative side of life.

But me always look at the positive side.

I mean I am healthy and feeling good.

Just helped the local lottery lady and buy a ticket.

Helped one of my people to achieve their objectives.

Gave a few Bath to a homeless person.

Buy a silly keyhanger from a girl on the street.

Gave another beggar a 25 Bath meal.

Gave my friend a big hug!

It is so easy to have a happy feeling.

Please all, spread happiness around the world.

Thank you Begs for pointing out!

you really are a very decent jolly chap ..........all these baths you are giving the homeless and poor....i like to do my bit but thats exceptional.....keep it up

im sure there would be a lot more happy people around if they had the money to spend 1.6 mill for a second hand bmw.nice car,enjoy.....dont go too fast as you know those mopeds like to pull out all over the place and could cost you a few bob if you send one to meet the great budha in the sky.

begs...... your easily cheered up.il cheer you up even more..............i bought a new bike(new to me),im very happy with it and its faster than his beemer .........................big cc sportsbike, thats an adrenaline rush for ya especially with the way people drive in thailand.....nearly have an accident everytime i go out and not my fault

Wow, thats a blast from the past.

I actually had a few beers with Mr C, Hammy, and the Stig at a corporate do about 3 years ago.

Clarkson really is as funny as he appears on tv, and most of what he does is adlibbed. But he is 6'6 and about 20 stones, so when he threatened me about revealing the Stig's identity, I took it seriously.

i think the stig has changed over the years that top gear has been on but i presume he wants the latest stig.

your not really scared of that clarkson are you.....or did he threaten to take you to the barber/hairdresser he uses ......im pretty sure he wont find you in thailand.

tell him who stig is and then can close this thread

i cant really see how your question is related to thailand in any way unless you think stig is from thailand so the mods might ban you

but in answer to your question.....i could tell you....... but would then have to kill you.

i suggest a google search or a more specific motoring forum

im actually flying back toTHE uk in April,but somebody needs the money asap! plus could i carry 50k baht back to the UK,and how much would i lose due to exchange rate??

thanks again

might be better off changing money here as exchange rates tend to be a lot worse in the uk.could some family member/good friend of yours give the somebody the money till you get there or go talk the bank and see what they can do in transfering it......or find someone here that has money in uk and they give your somebody and you give them in baht here.