flamingtodd

i agree with maniac. i have been riding since childhood, both dirt and street bikes, and i consider myself a very experienced rider. i have had 15 various bikes since and never really had an accident until i came to thailand.

now, i am the proud owner of road rash scars on both forearms, my calves and my right rear flank above the waist line. driving faster than traffic here is a death sentence as most people drive slowly, or slower than traffic. occasionally you will get the young guy on a 110 with the loud racing exhaust who seems to magically fly through traffic. don't be fooled. these guys are crazy. in phuket, i have been passed by someone (tourist probably) on a big green bike like i was standing still. using the entire road as if to be racing.

i have found that bike riding in thailand is amazing, both because of the beauty and the camaraderie you get from other riders. but, thai's are not staring into their rearview mirrors, and the time it takes to reach them when baring down on them is short, and i have seen some who turn without looking, or enter the street without stopping or slowing. combined with the overwhelming number of bikes, the greasy and slick streets, and the sheer lack of concern for other riders, you will kill yourself, or the other rider. and in thailand, driving without a helmet is 300 baht, but driving with you, the wife, and 3 kids all on the same bike, sometimes gets overlooked. you don't want to be crusing on your big chopper and rear-end a family on a Honda Dream.

Thailand is perfect for riding, and I have been on rides with Harley's and the like. Survival on a motorcycle here is based on habitual motion. knowing what to do before it happens, and having done it 1000 times, it becomes habit. only riding HERE will teach you to ride HERE, but like maniac said, learn to ride somewhere safe, not bangkok.

there are plenty of riders that would show you a thing or two.

As far as a license, they are easy to get. But do it legally, do it safe, and do it smart.

My scars speak for themselves.

hello first time poster, long time reader...

I am from america and my girlfriend is from thailand. we have a baby girl. i love my girlfriend very much but i do not beleive in marriage. i would like to take my daughter for a trip to america to visit my mother and grandparents, but so far, i have only got a birth certificate for her. my gf has no interest in traveling to dallas with us, and i was wondering if anyone else had some advice on how i can do the trip. i love thailand and am now calling it home. i sustained a work related injury and am pretty much retired. we are all hoping to move to chaing mai soon. phuket moves way too fast for me.

the passport process is what confuses me. i have read the us embassy website, but i am not the brightest person, and get more and more confused the more i read it.

any advice would be helpful. i can pass on the trip, but i am not getting married.

i was told by a bar owner who is american with a baby girl that it will never happen unless i get married. he said to get her a thai passport and go from there.

thanks in advance