Dakling

Could be a safety issue with wind gusts on elevated tollways I suppose, but I see the boys in brown up there with there cbr150's all the time. Certianly no reason why larger displacement bikes can't be on the non elevated tollways.

Don't see what this bike has over a Kawa Z250 or a Honda CB300f, Is it significantly cheaper? If not I would pass.

PS: We took the ROPS off as it was to wide and kept damaging branches and fruit and we changed the wheels left to right to get a wider track as I had read the standard set-up is tippy!

PPS: I will be fitting a mono pole behind the drivers seat as a minimum safety precaution and to mount work lights.

Be careful operating without ROPS, had a neighbor killed about 10 years ago on a similar small tractor. He was cutting grass on his property and rolled into a drainage ditch, game over instantly.

My guess is the upstairs walls are the culprit, put your hand on the wall if it is noticeably warm then you are radiating heat into the upstairs from the walls and no amount of additional ceiling/roof insulation will help. Unfortunately most of the Thai 2 story houses have no insulation provision for the walls and on a 2 story house with limited overhangs these walls get a full blast of sunlight for most of the day. Getting the sun off the walls is about the only way to combat this once the house is already built. I am starting to see more houses with louvered latices covering wall area and this might be a good solution for your predicament.

Thanks all, gives me a place to start.

Anyone know what is the smallest 4wd tractor available that has a 3 point hitch and a PTO? Basically I want a small utility tractor that I can put a tiny push blade on the front and run a small grass/brush cutter on the back, maybe do some harrowing but that would be about it. Something small enough to be easily trailored behind my pickup. I don't have any experience with tractors other than a largish 60 hp 4wd Kubota that we had on the farm back in Canada. Any suggestions?

I recognise though that it must be an unbearable strain when there is a huge and unbridgeable gap between the expectations within a family of your resources and reality. I recognise also that the out and out loafer/spongers are a real pain. Luckily for me my wife has no truck with that sort and has run the main culprit out of the parental family home.

Sounds like you have things pretty well sorted. I agree that "helping" the family out is a real balancing act. In my family I fixed up the MIL's house, give her a bit of money every month and pay her electrical bill. In return she deflects most of the other requests that come our way. She also helps us out with child care and managing our land. If there is a death, birth, injury, illness or other issue that comes up I often get asked to contribute but usually it is a small sum and I often get much of my money back if there is a collection.

It can be tough to find that middle road between being a tightwad or a walking ATM but once you find it, your marital and out-law relations will go much smoother. Everything I have contributed has been greatly appreciated and it has also (surprisingly) given me a voice in family matters.

I will grant though that my approach only works then the wife's family are at least somewhat reasonable and I know some guys have the misfortune to marry into problem families where this is not the case.

It might be an easier transition for him to go into an MEP program (Mini English Program). There are a couple of MEP programs in Sisaket. At 13 I am assuming you are looking for a placement in Matayom 1 (grade 7). Here is a link to a facebook page from one of the schools.

A quick google search came up with this link.

https://www.facebook.com/epsiriket

There is a princess nagarinda school or (something like that) on the outskirts of town that has an MEP but it may only be a boarding school, not too sure on that.

If I am wrong and he is finishing up Pratom you could look into either Marie (catholic school but no MEP) or Anuban Sisaket (has some form of MEP but not too familiar).

For better info stop in at Frank's bar "Living in the Past" or Brian's bar "Cukoo's Next". You can chat with the proprietors, local expats and teachers and find out more info on the local schools. Both Frank and Brian are good sources of info when it comes to Sisaket.

Feb is not the best time to be swapping schools either, he will be joining classes that are almost finished.

I agree with Dilligad that Huai Thap Tan is going to be a long enough commute into Sisaket (likely 45 min each way in a van if you can find one), anything other than a boarding school in Ubon would be too far of a daily commute to consider.

I get asked to teach every time I go into my little guys school. Many schools won't care if you have the qualifications or not. It is true you can get in crap if you are caught out with no work permit but this seems to be a very rare occurrence. Oddly enough I don't think this law applies for Universities though so you might be able to get on at a Rajabaht without the degree. Be sure to go in well dressed and presentable when you go to inquire. Being ready on the spot to show qualifications and perhaps do a short demonstration is also a good idea.

Any of the 120hr Tefl programs are good to take provided they have critiqued classroom lesson practice with real students. I noticed in the OP you seem to be focused on Sisaket. Most of the jobs in Sisaket seem to be concentrated in The city of Sisaket or the smaller center of Kanthalalak though I have heard of people teaching in Khu Khan and Sri Rattana. Once you get into the area do the rounds at the local pubs and you will eventually run into some teachers who can help you out with more specific info.

Cuckoo's is a great spot for a drink or a bite. I frequent it often and enjoy the atmosphere and the food. Tends to be a mix of folks that frequent it which I like, some locals, some expats, some teachers, some tourists. The other spots mentioned are all good as well. Try them all and decide which one you like, they are all worth a visit. There are enough places that you will find one that suits your tastes, or just cycle through them so you don't get bored with only one hangout.

"Pizza 4 You", is also a nice spot to check out if you are near Kanthalalak, it is near the bus station, they have a proper pizza oven and good bread too.

To OP, it really depends on what the issue is with your back and but as to what will be more comfortable to you. I find the straight up and down position on a typical cruiser or scooter is worse for my back than a modest forward lean from something like a CBR250. Granted I also have issues with my wrists and fingers going numb and the forward lean is worse for that.

Good luck with whatever you choose. I think from your comments the CBR might be better for you than the ninja but maybe a cruiser style would be best of all.

Thanks for the reply everyone. I won't be waiting for the last day but I may have to wait until about a week before my current stamp expires. I should have a minimum of 5 days left on the current entry when I apply.

I looked through the forum but I didn't find the info I need, forgive me if I am asking a question that has been asked and answered.

I got myself in a bit of a bind and I can't get to immigration to extend my non-imm O visa until near the end of the allowed stay on my latest stamp.

Can I apply in the last week of my current allowed stay or do they need it earlier for processing or something?

I am on the last entry of my Non-Imm O and I don't want to have to do a border run to get another one.

If I am too late to apply for the one year extension, is it possible to get the 60 day extension and then apply for the annual extension while on the 60 day extension?

Anyone know what the rules are on this?

Better just to follow highway 36 to get to Rayong ASAP and then follow the beach road that runs along Hadmaerlampung, Suan Son and Laem MaePhim. I don't think there is a good route to get to Rayong from Pattaya, they are all high traffic,low scenery slogs. The best rides are all east of Rayong city. Follow highway 36 until it joins highway 3 and then follow highway 3 for about 5km and then turn right on the road that takes you to Hadmaerlampung (route1001).

I cannot promise much but one company that I work with is thinking of developing jeans trousers, and other denim clothing that would protect motorcycle riders more than the average clothing while not costing much more than an average jeans or jacket you by at any shopping mall.

 

I love to to hear what people think about this...?

 

To be clear this will never be a replacement of real motorcycle protective clothing, it gives protection to the average budget Thai rider...

I am all over it provided it provides some minimal protection, is not too hot, not too uncomfortable and it doesn't make me look like even more of a tool.Price is no object, I would pay 10,000 baht or more for pants/trousers that meet my criteria.

In answer to the thread title....rarely, yes.

I rarely wear my gear though I believe that yes protective gear does reduce the likely hood and severity of injuries if you are unfortunate enough to have an accident.

The reason I rarely wear my gear now is because of convenience/comfort and because of my own assessment of my accident risk and injury potential. Currently my only bike is a Honda click and I only drive it on back roads near our home at relatively low speeds (very rarely do I get over 60km/hr). I know about the stats regarding accidents and proximity to your home and I am aware that you can die or be seriously injured in low speed crashes but this is how I choose to do things. Personally I am more worried about getting killed by the stupid, slippery tile in the bathroom of my condo than I am about farting around on the click with no gear. I don't plan on wearing my helmet in the shower either.

I hope to buy a larger bike soon and once I do I will start to wear my gear much more often. I am not suggesting that my practices are good for others to emulate I am just stating what I generally do.

I actually got out of the ticket thanks to my wife arguing at length with the cops. I guess I should have titled the OP "almost got done by the cops..." I still have no idea what the real rules for the tollway are though. There will be a fixed sign saying 120 km/hr directly below a flashing LED sign that says 90 km/hr. Very frustrating.

I wish there was a more clearly defined list of rules but then again they seem to make them up on the spot. I remember once being stopped for 10 minutes by a cop in Burriram who asked to see my licence, tax sticker, passport, and even the blue book, and then clearly pissed off that I had everything demanded 200 baht. I asked what for and he said "you go too fast" which was utter bullshit as I wasn't speeding and he had no radar equipment anyway.

I have also been done on the 304 for being in the right lane. There is a stretch of road where the left lane is pounded out and they keep a guy off to the side of the road radioing plate numbers of the people who avoid the broken pavement by going into the right hand lane. Over the next hill they pull you over and give you a ticket. Trying to argue about the road condition is futile because that's why they are there in the first place.

I also used to get done on my motorbike on Vipavadi going past Don Muang. There was a buss stop there and the cops waited on the other side. If you stayed in the left lane they would say you drove through the bus stop and give you a ticket. If you went over into the second lane to avoid the buss stop they would do you for not being in the left lane.

Getting done on the Tollway is a real bitch though because the fine is often 1,000 baht instead of the normal 200 baht cash grab.

I just got done the other day by a cop on the tollway. He told me that pick-up trucks (I have a 4 door Navara), must stay in the 2 leftmost lanes and can not exceed 85km/hr on the tollway. I have never heard this before and generally assume that my pick-up is regarded as 4 wheel light passenger vehicle the same as any car as far as rules of the road go. I had nothing in the back of the truck as well, the bed was completely empty.

So was the cop trying to pull one over on me or are the rules different for pick-ups/utes?

I'd rather see the 636.

Good topic, some good info here. My 2 cents are that in non-track conditions you should always have enough lean angle in reserve to handle a DR curve without too much drama. The worst ones that I have ever had to deal with are the ones where you have a long sweeping high speed curve that near the end turns into a low speed tight DR curve. In those cases you need to scrub off speed before you get out of the high speed sweeper or you wont make the DR tight curve. The idea of simply staying on the throttle and correcting your line wont work if you are coming in too hot.

The other curves that are difficult to judge and execute properly are the curves that have a rise or depression in them, or if they are improperly banked. Likely the corkscrew at Laguna Seca is the most (in)famous example of this but when riding in the mountains it is common to have curves that do any or all of the following, decrease in radius, change grade, and/or change banking. It is near impossible to read a complicated curve correctly the first time over it and that's why riding at well below your limit is key on real roads. Never get too eager on the open road if you are not familiar with the stretch you are on and even then don't get too crazy. I think you are playing Russian roulette if you enter any curve aggressively in Thailand where you can't fully see the exit BEFORE you enter the curve.

Track days will increase your skill level (especially if it is part of a training program), but at the end of the day on the road your judgement and attitude count for more than pure skill. There are no concrete power poles on the edge of the track as there are on most roads in Thailand. not only that even if you do make it through the curve but you drift wide and run some other people off the road you are being irresponsible. If you can't make the curve without drifting out of your lane you are going too fast for the curve and/or your abilities.

Funny points made by many some similar to my approach some not so much.

Generally I never wai first unless I am in a formal setting with people who are older than me (or a monk or something like that), I also will sometimes wai when I am meeting an older relative of my wife's but only if I haven't seen them in a long time.

I always try to return a wai unless it is from a child or someone in a service job (like the checkout lady at Tesco or a waitress). While I don't return a wai from a waitress or checkout person I do always nod and smile and acknowledge them somehow. I often will return a wai from a very small child as a way of helping them learn proper behavior (plus they are just so damn cute so why not wai). I also never return a wai from a farang instead I offer my hand for a shake.

I have never had a problem with a Thai being offended over my "wai etiquette", they generally don't expect us to know the nuances. I often find it funny when I see a Thai trying to decide whether they should great me with a wai or a handshake. Occasionally a Thai guy will offer to shake hands instead of wai-ing but I don't remember ever having a woman do so unless I was in a very western setting.

Anyway getting back to one of my quotes, why does a big bike rider feel the need to blast past a slower rider on a bend?

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Provided he gave you lots of room and was driving to what he felt were acceptable speeds for the situation I guess I don't see anything wrong with it. Just because someone else is going faster than you it doesn't make them wrong.

I often overtake people at rates of speed significantly higher than the speed at which they are travelling. It don't feel there is anything wrong with this provided I am not crowding them. I have stopped undertaking on the shoulder at high speed though as I find that can often startle the unaware cage rider who hasn't been watching their mirrors. Did it once back in Canada and the guy in the car swerved towards the oncoming traffic and could have had an accident. Clearly my bad on that one.

I'm interested to know, why does a bike lose traction like that all of a sudden, was he leaning over too far for the speed he was going? could it have been treadles tires? Was there sand or lose material on the road? or is it just one of those things that happens which can't be explained, glad the rider was okay!!

Does the wearing of all this gear make riders behave as if they are on a race track when in fact they are on public roads?

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Usually the bike doesn't lose traction all of a sudden as long as you don't go into a full skid. When you approach the limits of traction under proper conditions, the bike should start to very slightly start to drift out from under you and you end up going a bit wider than your intended line. You can usually feel it and sometimes hear the tires whining a bit. While I did ride to my limits on near deserted public roads in Canada when I was younger, I certainly don't recommend it. As far as doing it in Thailand I think you have to be near suicidal. Road surfaces are dodgy at best here and traffic is more than unpredictable. When you watch the pro's race most of their wipe-outs start slow as they begin to lose traction and then suddenly it speeds up and they tuck the front or lose the rear.

When folks lose control dramatically it is usually because you are jerky on the controls, or you if totally misjudge things and significantly exceed to limits of traction for even an instant you will lose grip dramatically and almost instantly. This is because once the tire starts to slide the contact patch transitions from static (not sliding) friction to dynamic (sliding) friction. Dynamic friction is much lower than static friction so once you transition to dynamic you feel like you have zero grip. If you have lots of run out room you can still save it but things get real tricky. This is pretty much why anti-lock breaks have shorter stopping distances.