Gazza

Lemon?? I thought people were calling me a 'Lemming'. Maybe I'm as deaf as a door nail, I dunno.

It was enough to make me 'sick as a parrot' being called a lemming.

I don't know what the prices of bikes are like in comparison to those in the UK, but here they seem totally wacky.

In the UK the dealers used to have the 'Glass Guidebook' that gave them an idea of second hand prices for makes, models, year etc.

Here, I get the impression that prices are loosely set by demand in Thailand and availability in Japan (where most big bikes are stolen, broken up, then shipped over here).

I would say that the best thing to do would be to constantly check the Thai classifieds and shops over here, the main dealers as well as the little back soi places.

I bought a '98 400 Honda Transalp privately for 50K and yet seen older models with higher mileage going from 120 - 200K in the shops.

I missed buying a low mileage Africa Twin from a shop in Pratunam going for 120K while some in other shops were going for 170K - 210K.

I've had a '97 BMW 650 slip through my fingers going for 90K in one shop while a couple being sold privately were going for 170K and 180K.

If you keep your eyes open you can pick up a bargain, restore it if needed and then sell it on again.

Bringing bikes over in parts? I think you still have to pay some form of duty and then you'd have to register them anyway when they're complete. Then you'd have shipping costs, registration fee etc. to add on to the selling price.

Registering bikes.

A bit of a grey area for me and for many others. But as I see it, most big bikes are stolen in Japan, broken up, and shipped over as parts and put together at the Rama III shophouses. There, they await dealers to buy from them. Dealers are given copies of the part's import invoices along with the bike and when registering it, they pay approx 60K (tea money)for the book and plate because it's by-passed the procedure for bringing a complete bike in through the legal way (which would mean high import duties)

A bike can be registered (with or without invoices?) for approx 25 - 40K. For which you'll get a registration book from a scrapped bike but the details will be changed to that of the previously unregistered bike.

If anyone can add, rectify, confirm etc. anything that I've said I would be grateful.

There's a Big C around Pak Tho district on the R4 main road. Not sure how far south of Ratchaburi it is though.

Try searching for branches on Carrefours website.

Also these should list their branches too.

www.bigc.co.th

www.tescolotus.com

An occassional bit of 'Slap and Tickle' without the 'Tickle' does it for me. If you know what I mean. wink. wink.

"TOYS"

You know the ones I mean... 

You just can't get them here...

You can get some old 'Dinky' and 'Corgi' toys from Chatuchak.

If you want 'Hot Wheels' then I know a man who knows someone who smuggles them into the country. But they come at a price and they move really fast.

I would think an Elec translator would cause problems. I used a book and tape package by Linguaphone. I had difficulty hearing the ending of some of the words on the tape and thought some words like 'maak' had a silent 'k' sound. Especially when it would get lost in the proceeding word of 'Khap' or 'Kha'.

So saying to my ma-in-law 'Khoopkhun maa' used to have her frowning at me quite often.

Years ago I bought a Sony walkman and a Sony video camera from Carrefour within months of each other. Both were more expensive in King Power. Only by about 500 baht for one and 1,000 baht the other.

Exact same models but I don't know if the duty free ones were made in Thailand or Japan.

I used to live in Nakhon Phanom 15 years ago and never found anything wrong with the people. I used to like seeing the farmers stop working to give me a wave as I rode passed but sadly, as elsewhere, nowadays waving seems to be a rare gesture.

I can't say I've ever noticed a significant difference in friendliness from one place to another, if anything, it seems that overall, the passage of time and the amount of foreigners settling down here has made alot of Thais indifferent to us.

I remember countless occassions from years ago of Thais young and old, male and female striking up a conversation with me because they wanted to practice their English or were trying to marry off an unwed sister or whatever. Sometimes they were just simply curious as to where I was from and why I liked Thailand etc. I can't recall the last time someone approached me like this.

I would say that the mainland south and the troubled areas of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala in particular has more smiling faces than anywhere else. But maybe that's just me, and I'm surprised to see the southern people being called black-hearted because at one time they were considered the most kind hearted. My recollections of meeting people from the south, in and away from the south, is only positive so far.

I'm still very reluctant to call Thailand 'LOS'. If I ever use this term it's only because it's quicker to type.

I've heard 'see' used by Issan folk. Don't know if it's used by Thais or not.

A Loa expression that I learned was "Yaak see der" (I'd like to <deleted> her)

I think this question was asked about 6 months and got some replies. Don't know if it was Elec or gas oven that was being enquired about.

Try a search through archives.

Just an interesting point.

In all my life there have only been 3 Popes.

My eldest Son was born on 15th July 1978. By the time he was 3 months old there had been three Popes!

Funny old world

I remember reading somewhere that said Cardinal Sicola wasn't considered for 'popedom' in the late 70's because of his name.

Because he would've been called..... Pope Sicola.

Dan, try talking to your landlord and tell him/her that you're thinking of moving because of the dogs.

If the landlord has had problems before with other tenants leaving due to the dogs, then he may start getting p*ssed off that he's going to be losing money again.

Let the landlord deal with the problem first.

I know that this is a very strange question; but has anyone else had an alarming number of disappearances of tire valve caps?

Strange that you should ask that but.........no.

Are you losing them off a car or m/c?

Just ask a girl what her name is.

If she says 'moo' 'ling' 'oo-un' etc., then just say...."Really! That's my mother's name."

Jock, if I remember correctly, you're around the Lad Prao area?

If so, try looking around Zeer IT in Rangsit (junction of VipaRangsit and Phaholy Rds). Might be nearer. Don't know about prices though.

I used to just walk to a small temple that was down a little soi off the main road that runs through the town. The road starts at the immigration post and the first time, about a year ago, there wasn't a car, van, bus or truck to be seen. Not sure why. Though subsequent visits I've seen plenty of vehicles.

If I'm with a GF, I'll walk to the temple (10 min walk) and get a pedicab (40b) back to the immigration.

I'm sure that whatever you can buy in Myawaddy you should be able to get at the Rim Moie market next to the bridge on the Thai side.

There's very few touts to annoy you, most are on the Thai side, but some may offer you duty free Marlboros.

Overall, I think it's a nice place to visit the once just to compare town life to that of Thailand. Myawaddy has signs in Burmese and English and can't recall ever seeing anything in Thai, you don't see mobile logo stickers or posters everywhere, the sois off the main road have some really squalid slum areas, plenty of tea shops.

The only highlight for my Mae Sot trips now are to observe guys paddling across the river in huge inflated inner tubes with contraband while I'm walking over the bridge. They usually land on the Thai side only 50m from customs.

I would recommend going at least once. Unlike Mae Sai, you don't have to show 10,000 baht.

I've crossed over into Myawaddy many times. The Burmese Immigration want 10US dollars or 500 baht. Plus sometimes a photo if you're spending time in Myawaddy, for a quick turnaround they usually don't ask for a photo.

For Thais, I've taken a couple of GFs who have gone over on a day permit. 30baht plus photo. Obtained very nearby, only about 1-2 minute walk away, from the Thai Immigration. Should imagine no problem if they have a Thai passport.

I'm presently getting 30 day stamps, going to Penang for visas all the time is very tedious.

Last time at Mae Sot was 3 months ago. I'm going back there at the end of this month. Last two months been going to Cambodia but works out more expensive even though it's nearer.

Taking a car? I'm not sure just how far you can drive into Burma. I heard that you can only walk as far as the town's limit and no further. Not sure of what there is to see outside of Myawaddy (which is very small town anyway).

Thai baht can be used.

Bear in mind also that they drive on the Right Hand side, not the left, something that surprised me the first time that I went there.

Take an umbrella for your misses. If it ain't raining then it'll be stinking hot walking over the bridge.

Best cure for a hangover for me is to look at the little hand on my watch. When it's done a complete 360... Hey Presto! no more hangover.

I find the salt sweeter here and the sugar more salty but there again

my nose runs and my feet smell.

You must be built upside down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now why didn't I think of that reply?

Nice one Lampy.

Parts can still be a problem for domestic bikes:, it's taking over ten days just to get a front tire for a CBR150 from a big dealership, so how long does it take to get the RIGHT part for a Harley, esp. if it's cobbled up from various models? 

You can get almost any Harley part over the counter in BKK (poss. Pattaya and Phuket too).

Parts for my Honda 400 would take around two weeks.

Can't edit my original reply for some reason.

I just wanted to add that no matter what state their clothes are in; sun bleached, moth-eaten, threadbare, ripped, iron-singed, ill-fitting etc.,..... it be clean.

Thai girls using a belt and big paper clips to keep their skirts on.

Bus and taxi drivers using small paper clips to fasten a strip of cloth on a worn collar.

Thai girls wearing bras in bed regardless of whether they've got t*ts or not.

Thai girls who have several matching sets of underwear but wear them mismatched. i.e. purple panties with black bra or black panties with purple bra.

Thai guys wearing orange shorts with teddy bear or flower designs on them.

Manual workers wearing tracksuit bottoms for work but wear jeans at leisure.

Thais wearing black clothes that attracts heat on a sunny day.

Wearing T-shirts probably not knowing what the logo says.

i.e. '<deleted>*k Off'...... '<deleted>*k Off Wan*ers' or the imcomprehensible 'The Holy Guru Put Rose Petals in my Privates' etc.

M/Cers wearing jackets back to front when riding somewhere.

Wearing lace up footwear only to press down the upper heel part making them into slip-ons.

Thai girls wearing very short skirts only to spend half the time pulling them down not to expose too much leg. Also, when using stairs or escalators placing a book strategically to prevent someone behind them like me getting a good blimp.

Can't say I've noticed any difference, although sometimes the salt will taste sugary and the sugar will taste salty.

Well, I for one will disagree.

Hung drawn and quartered... comes to mind...

I personally think this punishment should be done in reverse order.

Receive my mags a few days before the new month. Only been about 2 occassions when there was a no show. A quick-ish phone call to UBC (Utter Bloody Crap) and the mag appears 2 days later.