comeondoit

If they would be clever they would offer at every tourist entering the country a entry pass giving them the right to enter every national park for e.g, one moth asking may be 1000 BHT, or 2000BHT and the pass should include all family members. That would boost the number of visitors and in the end the income of the ministry. This is what other countries do (i can buy a national park pass in the states, before starting my travel)

Now with that fee a family with 2 children will have to pay 1200BHT for one entry.......incredible. they do not want the foreigners visiting their parks!!!!! What a shame for the country. And again most foreigners do not konow that the entrance fee is valuable for one day for all parks visited.

And the worst of that official practice is that Thai people think they are absolutely right to charge foreigners ten times what Thais have to pay for every service.

One should clean first in front of his own door, so much concerning the Americans.

Of course it is politically driven, since PM is a politcal job, is it?

The facts were clear, good that even a PM cannot get away clean.

If a manager of a private company is setting that much money in the sand, the guy is sacked

and if he was wrong doing he will be held accountable, these are common lawa, or I am wrong?

Congratulations to the Thais that they had the guts to sack Yingluck. I feel sorry for her

because obviously she was not intelligent enough for the job, but that in itself is no excuse, is it?

It is basically a matter of respecting the opposition. No majority is well doing if they do not respect opposit ideas and try to find compromises serving the majority of the people including the "Others"

I just tried to renew my 90 days in Udon Thani Immigration, which is the same distance from my home as Sakon Nakhon Immigration. Udon is for us better than Sakon, but my Visa renewal has now to take place in Sakon since I am living in the Changwat of Sakon Nakhon.

I was given an official paper written in Thai that since the 1st of January one has to go to the same Immigration which gave out your visa for the 90 days renewal.

So be careful, I could not be traveling to Krabi for instance if my renewal is dew during that time, as I was doing last year and had my renewal done in Krabi.

Once more a sign of how much the Thai Governement likes us Expats!!!!!!! Making our lives more difficult, but no problem we have time and money to travel do we????

The real problem is deep rooted, since the guys who bought the job must get the money somehow back and how? .Which is of course leading to the conclusion that they had been doing the same down the line from level to level. Which is leading again to the conclusion there is probably no single one clean officer to be found. Sad isn't it?

It reminds me at the case of a high class officer of the Pattaya police some years ago. He got angry because he was transferred somewhere else and openly declared and complaining that he paid money for his job and that he has the right to stay on it. Later he was quiet down and nothing was heard about it again.

Sad again that the officer did not find anything wrong with him paying money for the job but he felt that he has the right to complain ....which gives a deep insight in the state of mind of Thai officials.

These guys are just the tip of the iceberg.

So there is no way to clean out that mess as at least make sure that the practise is stopped from top down. It has to be healed from top down and it will need time and education about ethics, morality and honor.

It is simple, three parties are better than 2, in a real democracy it needs more than a 2 party system. it is the balance of power and a working control system which is needed, but you cannot get it if the freedom of expression is not guaranteed

again the "populism is bad" is posted everywhere....it must not be bad if done in a controlled manner looking for the most sustainable impact. Let me make an example

The rice pledging scheme was an unconditional money handout to farmers. they could produce as they always did ..no progress needed (it is amazing that Thailand has one of the lowest outputs per hectare among the rice planting countries).

Sustainability could have been improved by taking part of that money to train farmers to improve planting skills (was done in India) by reducing the usage of fertilizers and so on..... and forcing and supervising them before they get money!!!!......needs intelligent and thinking politicians to achieve...and that was the greatest failor of the red shirts governement they had too many incompetent idiots in power.

Giving unconditionally land to the poor will have no sustainable effects....if the landless do not get in the same momnet help about what to do with the land. And the usage of the land must be supervised. New planting on abandoned land would be sustainable

As of that article the junta seems to think in that line,,,,I am interested to mfollow and see how it will develop

Which are possible criteria to define populist schemes? That is the real issue of this article

Of course should political parties make proposals what they want to do when in power...why to have them if not !. The problem is the party leaders who are seducing by their populist promesses know already, that these will be impossible to be fullfilled....That is a moral issue, political parties lying purposly to their potential voters to win their votes is an ethical problem (what often is the case in every democratic country). However the majority of an educated voters base can recognise the lie and not be lured by that. That is the base of a functioning democracy, "education". The men in power in Thailand have with intent made a mess of the educational system.....uneducated people can be used easily.

One criteria of a populist voter platform is. Promesses which are impossible to be fullfilled, which are unreal, running against the possibilities of the country and the finances. They are recognisable by simple common sense

The second criteria of a populist policy is: Promesses of actions who are only benefitting some parts of the population

The third criteria of a populist policy is: Promesses of what they want to do which will not create any sustainable values for the country and therefore for all people

And the worst of all this is, once in power, the populist promesses which have been made, are fullfilled against any common sense justified only by the one in power by "We promised it, therefore we doit!!!!!"

Looking back there is not one move of the passed governements which was not fullfilling all these criteria. I am really sorry for all honest and hard working Thai people. They lost, maybe some few people won and are not even ashamed of it !!!!

any clear thinking Thai should understand now how ridiculuos the parties are, but the problem is there is no decent party left to wote for

Hoi guys, after doing some more riding with my new tricity, just finished 1000km. I l ike to make a facit:

to go shopping in town (rural Isaan town) my Honda Spacy is more easy, because not so heavy

to go riding a trip, my tricity beats any of my other bikes, the spacy, the skydrive, the step.

it is riding smooth over many bumps which with the other bikes have to be avoided, with a safe feeling

which might sometimes be dangerous, makes you riding less concentrated.

my wife on the back feels very well, even after riding 2 hours and it is an overall soft riding.

more than 80kmh loaded do not come out, but i want to cruise and enjoy the nature and 70 to 80kmh proved to be OK.

I am looking forward to some trips over several days, many places to go see here in Isaan.

I prefer it over my car...no air con, no parking hassles, free riding feeling.

a draw back is, it is heavy, you have to handle it carefully and to keep it in balance, especially when parking,

my wife 156cm/45kg runs it too (only alone, not with me as a passenger I am 100kg, hihihi),

but with much respect and not for going shopping in town.

P.S.

I was in Switzerland for 2 months for my holidays and the Swiss importer was so friendly to send

me per e mail a pdf file with the complete manual in German, anybody interested, here my

mail: [email protected] and i would gladly send it to you.

that article is a childish argument, like a vexed child asking "why are you blaming me? you have no right to do so, since you are doing the same".

It is for me showing once more one of the basic problems of the thai society...they cannot learn, because they do not dare to say it, if they have made a mistake, they could loose their face. and it is cementing their view, which i hear so often, "we are Thais and you (farangs) will never understand us, so we do it our way". which means "keep yourself out of it", which i am doing, because there is no way you can discuss with somebody taking that attitude.

i see it as a great case of luck for Thailand, that a man at the end of his own career, with the ability to listen to others, integer and intelligent has taken the helm. one can discuss about, if a military coup is bad, or unacceptable....but that guy seems to prove that it can be good for a nation with people unwilling to learn and to be democratic (for me coming from switzerland democratic means, "accept the majority, but respect the minority and the majority will have to make compromises to load as many people as possible on the bandwagon")

i love Thai people, they have so many great things and i am hoping that finally some learning may start.

hello guys, after now something like 300km on my new tricity, i am getting more used to it and love it better the longer i am driving it (had my seat done, well it is not 100% but OK for no longer than one hour riding, then i need a short brake to loosen up) out here in the isaan on the sometimes bad roads, it is a very relaxed and enjoyable riding (the riding comfort from the suspension shock absorbing and lack of any nasty vibration, is much better than my other bikes, suzuki step, skydrive and honda spacy ).. about speed: up to 80km/h it gets there fast enough and easy but more than that....slowly, slowly...but 80 is ample enough and acceleration is good enough, you can still beat all the cars at the traffic lights. it is a real different thing while driving and cruising, OK, to shop in town it is not as nimble as my honda spacy, the weight and the two wheels are asking for a little bit slower and rounder movements....

i am happy with it, it does what i was expecting, giving me an easy riding on all type of roads and good cruising...i am no chopper guy, but i like the free feeling of the wind around my head and the tricity is giving it to me. i think i said everything which was here to say, so with this i will stop commenting about the tricity....take care and have fun

the writings of ttataka were prompting me to buy one.....thanks ttataka

i am just coming back with my new tricity buied today and after that 70km, an approx. 1 hour ride....the .negativ first, the seat, my butt was so sore, much more than when i was riding the same distance with my honda spacy. the motor is brand new and felt a bit sluggish could not get it above 90km/h, but think that will improve, yet for a bike of that weight the 150ccm would come in handy.

positiv , the riding, cruising with 50 to 60km/h was so relaxed, i could enjoy the country and look around, no vibration into the handles, no hard grip needed, it just runs straight. i did not have to care about road condition (except real potholes), especially cracks running in driving direction, sometimes the spacy was caring the shit out of me with all these uncontrolled swings and movings it made in such conditions. on the tricity even between 60 and 80km/h the relaxed feeling kept on. i think i did the right thing for some nice trips through the country, of course after having rebuilt the seat like ttataka showed....and not unimportant, my girl (46kg) just came in telling me she loves riding it.

a word about consumption, i do not care how many km the bike makes per litre, but the range is important and i see that this will be 250 to 300km per full tank, ample enough.

remark: of course it is not fair to compare spacy to tricity, you can buy two spacys for the same money. i am more comparing the 2 wheel concept feeling to the three wheel feeling.

another thing...thinking that quite some farangs (for most thais out here in the countryside the bike is to expensive and too sophisticated) will buy a tricity....the manual comes in Thai language only, asked the dealer to get an english one, but he did not know, if he can get it. seems that yamaha still needs to learn something about how to support its dealership. same thing about the seat (which is working OK for the small and light thai people)...in meantime they should have some reports from the market and offer it as an accessory. i was looking for some way to tell them about my experiences (for the sake of all future customers), but no chance so far.

was there ever anything useful and sustainable they were doing when in office? look what happens now,,,,it is what the govwernement should have done a long time ago, but as usual here, never admit to mistakes done and to learn from it.......the basic bad habit in that society....you could loose your face

OK ttaka, you saved my soul, i am going to buy one in Sawan Daen Din next monday. with the pics of you i will be able to achieve the same thing. originally i wanted to wait after my europe holidays coming up july and august, but my girl was very excited to have a new tool. anyway i was looking at the pcx, an excellent bike, but it is excellent for europe not for thailand. how many times are you running to the market, to buy food like fried chicken???? where do you put it on the pcx?, under the seat, are you kidding me??? i want to do some travels around the isaan like going "Puthok*, or swim in the waterfalls, will be perfect with my girl on the back, really looking forward to explore more of the isaan the unknwon country. now something about the power. actually i am running a honda spacy 115ccm, weighs something like 100kg. max speed 95km with me on top after a long start up, running easy around 80km/h, but that bike to run that fast,,,, i am scared sometimes (i am 100kg) now looking at 152kg and 125 ccm i think having the better motor then i will still be able to run something the same as with the spacy like 80km/h safely, ample enough to get killed hihihih!!!!!. and to know for you, my experience never went above a 50ccm in switzerland, only here in thailand i am ruinning bigger bikes (not more than 125ccm so far), made even some experiences in chiang rai with an enduro after 50 years of never travelling with a bike anymore. it seems that i will be the idael tricity bike runner hihihih!!!!! once more many thanks for your contributions

I think you haters (or late adopters of technology) need to stop speculating and go ride one.

This sort of bike will probably be the future of all bikes.

I mentioned this before; once these get big engines and real transmissions, they will lap old school 2 wheelers on a racetrack, road or dirt.

The performance potential of a motorcycle with 50% or 100% more traction will surely change the industry.

If the above sentence doesn't register in your head; I would like to sell you a bag of broken glass for a million dollars.

If you have never lost front wheel traction and crashed, then you ride like a little girl and I understand why you don't think more traction is important.

I've ridden bikes for 15 years on and off road and crashed dozens of times pushing the boundaries of performance.

Riding a sportbike on a racetrack or a dirtbike where there are no roads requires a great deal of concentration.

Now that I am older and don't care to test the boundaries, this Tricity fits the bill.

The key thing about the multi wheeler is you don't need to worry about road conditions, it's almost as carefree as a car.

I don't need to scan the roads or care about riding lines anymore, I just go over bad roads and never have to fear my front will drop into a pothole, skip sideways, or crash.

I get through traffic the same, but it is harder to park in tight spots, but so is a PCX.

On another note, I decided to get my seat fixed for good.

I have done 6 seats over the last 5 years for 3 bikes.

Where can you get a seat done for a few hundred baht?

I think it is urban legend.

I have done my seats on Rama 9, Sukhumvit 71, Somjin, Noi Watdan, and a place on Pracha Songkro in Huai Khwang.

I always paid 400-1200 baht to add foam, custom shape it, and get a new cover sewn up.

This time I went to Somjin on Thanon Chan where I paid 900 baht.

Even the Thai guy next to me paid 450 baht for his old Honda Dream's custom seat.

Anyway, I had them dent the bottom of the stock seat in since I won't be putting helmets under it.

Then they added lots of foam all over to widen the rear seating surface and fill in the entire front cutout to make it one flat plane with the back.

I chose the most basic smooth cover so I can slide my butt around easier and those fancy stitchings fall apart after a few years.

I was worried the higher front would impede walking the bike but it is not at problem because the front still tapers to a point.

So now the seat is great since I can shift positions easily and my legs don't feel so cramped when riding.

I also cut out 1 side on the storage bin, there's about 2 liters of usable space in there for tools and stuff.

The other side has all the electronics behind it so there is no use cutting there.

Great...I knew it could be done...

dear ttataka

thanks for the instructive report, everything sounds perfect for me but !!!. i was today making seating tests with a tricity. hell, that seat is terrible. i am an average european 180cm/100kg i cannot sit on that (it is much worse than my honda spacy)..too close to the front uncomfortable position of legs and knees and that forward part of the seat is to soft. the ideal position for myself would be exactly on top of that knob separating front and back of the seat (after a very short time my but would become sore, hihihi). there was a ttx extreme just aside of it...what a comfortable seating that one has, i was able to use all the lenght of the bike,s seat to find my appropriate position. i wanted to buy a tricity, but with that seat no way. it is made for the average thai men and woman (the saleswoman fitted perfectly) if yamaha wants to sell it in europe they need to do something about the seat.

unfortunately the sales person in udon was knowing nothing ...could not help with an idea about changing the seat, or any other initiative..and about a test ride they have no hearing..!!! i tried to find a connection to the yamaha thailand tricity sales management to talk to them, but no chance

maybe i will talk to a seat craftsman here in thailand...maybe he could do something about it, then i could still venture to buy one.

well timewilltell i think you put the finger on the right spot, but unfortunately thais do not accept teaching from foreigners

If the bail of the two criminals would be revoked Thailand may have a chance not to see another arsonist calling for burning down Bangkok or other bloodsheds looming (Just listening at the CAPO arguments, the same as saying big brother in Exile....we are not treated fair (in their minds fair is meaning to go free).

Finally somebody got the guts to make a petition

the problem here is she does not understand fairneiss, the thai community does not know of thaf, the same with democracy they never understood it since the thai society is still in the feudal system, there is a leader and they follow him like lemmings., follow him into death, if the leader choose so.. it is a sad peace of history . i am so sorry for them but they are pure racists and would never accept an opinion from a foreigner

The bureaucracy needs to be reformed with a system to prevent...interference by politicians

Impossible...goes against the laws of the universe...such a system does not exist in any country.

it is not the system to be reformed.the politicians must be reformed to be honest and serve the people, then the system will be ok

the democrates are as stupid as the hole establishement, they did not learn the lesson. they should fight to win the next elections, their general meaninig of we will loose anyway is a very bad thing...only looosers say in advance we will loose...but they could win if they really would believe in winning

there would be many more useful things to be done in education with that money, but no thai minister ever dared to day stop it,,,,he would loose face...a sad truth

something i do not understand, actually the worldmarket price is about 14500BTH per ton. why cannot they sell rice and get the money back to the farmers?

well it is obvious bureaucrats are no rice dealers,,,and the rice dealers want their share, which will be anywhere between 20% and 30%, the storage/transportation costs another 1-3% and the rice millers will take their share too and from the milled ton aroudn 800kg will be left for sale and there will be a quality price reduction because the rice is old , i figure as a simple minded person, if the governement is selling rice they might get a net price of maybe 50% of the worldmarket price for every pledged ton.....so every ton they pledge will be subsidised with around 7 to 8000 BHT tax payers money...............imagine how much of sustainable good they could have done for hospitals and schools and even when paying direct to the farmers 3000BHT per ton subsidy even then!!!!......."my Buddha"

why should the majority respect the minority opposition now, they never listened in the past?