kasi

At the risk of being unsympathetic from the amount of damage described I strongly suspect speed in excess of 25 kph was a factor. A contributing factor appears to be a lack of defensive driving judging from this fellows inability to fess up.

Driving a motor bike is extremely dangerous. You can never assume someone sees you. You need to assume they don't see you.. Even then accidents happen.

The advice of live and learn is very sound.

Many aren't so lucky. Here in Phuket there are 12000+ accidents a year with fatalities in the 300+ range. If you don't think riding requires extreme care think again.

When you get on a motorbike you had better have plenty of skill and your wits about you. Either that or you better be feeling lucky. Maybe a little of both, do you feel lucky?

When I lived in rural AK the rule of thumb was never buy a snowmobile from a native.

After 2 and 1/2 years in Phuket I've observed that Thai people generally take very good care of their vehicles. Thai people seem to respect money and seem to recognize the value of taking care of their vehicles. You don't see much beat junk on the roads here.

They also seems very status conscious and like to show off their new vehicles. There seems to be a good supply of late model used cars and trucks around.

I've bought 2 used vehicles (thai owned) without any major hitches.

Late model toyota cars and trucks are very tough. A used corolla or PU is hard to go wrong with.

I'd stay away from Mitsubishi vehicle as the don't really compare in quality to the toyota or isuzu.

If you can afford new got for a new one. The new d4d engine in the toyotas is superior. But the earlier models are very good as well.

Look over a used vehicle well before you buy. Try to have a mechanic recommended from a thai friend whom you can use to inspect the vehicle if you have zero automobile savvy.

When I was dealing on my last new vehicle I wanted the 3.75% interest rate. Since it is add on interest I wanted a one year loan. In fact I even was willing to go for a two year loan. I had many people in the dealership talking on the phone to the finance people trying to figure out what to do with this troublesome farang. The shortest loan period was five years and they would have liked me to take the six year loan. I paid cash and they didn't much care for that either. LOL!

That's right!

Car dealers love these long finance contracts. They make more money off the finance contract than off the actual sale of the vehicle.

They rope in a lot of people like Artist here. Actually Artist is lucky he put 30% down otherwise he would be in the situation where he owed them money!

The worst is when a guy after 3 years into a 60 month contract decides he wants to trade for a new truck. He's in for a rude awakening.

I still think Artist is getting off easy with what the finance company offered him.

The pickup cost nearly 800,000 baht. I don't know what its current value is but assuming it dropped 20% in the first year it would be worth 640,000 baht so buying out the finance and selling it would net us about 120,000 baht, a lot better than the 40,000 baht offered by the finance company

Then you have to find a buyer and make the payoff to the finance co. yourself.

Balance that with the time it takes the hassle the lawyer what your time is worth and if it's worth 80K then play it that way.

You should realize though the moment you signed that contract you where hosed.

Five year finance contracts on vehicles are loose-loose situations for a consumer.

For the 250000 down payment with a little shipping around you could have purchased an adequate used 2wd pickup outright which you could just park somewhere till you come back or sell for a modest depreciation.

I used to be in the biz and as I remember these 60 month contract would front load interest during the first couple of years. So trying to get out of one without owing them money is not the norm. I'd say Artist should consider himself lucky to get out of it with some money in his pocket and credit intact.

Make sure your driver license is valid and have your muffler bearings checked once a month.

Gasoline will be incidental. I suspect more important issues.

You don't say who is actually carrying the paper on the truck. A bank? The dealer?

In the west the norm who be a bank. Who you would simply call and request what the payoff is. That amount is what you would have to pay before you had clear tittle to sell it.

60 month contract are terrible deals for the consumer. Typically you are in a situation during most of the term of the contract where you owe much more than the vehicle is worth.

How much down payment did you put down and what are the monthly payments?

You probably put 10% down. Assuming a 8.5% loan you are probably making payments in the 15-20K range.

I'd say if you can walk away clean from the deal with 40K in your pocket you're in pretty good shape.

Figure driving a new truck around for a year is going to cost something! You are making a mistake to think making payments the first year on a 60 auto loan contract will build you any equity whatsoever.

No free lunches in the car biz unless you're in the biz.

Take the 40K, run and don't look back.

History lesson 101

Nice try, doubt anyone will read it.

They just wanna be right.

At least I learned a little about Thailand reading.

Some of these folks should just stay in Chicago or whatever gilded western sh!thole provenance that miscarried them!

Everything is negotiable I suppose. Yet some things seem more negotiable than others.

I think it's fine to dicker the price of some shirts and pants at Mike's mall in PTY when you know the pants were made in thailand and cost about 200 baht.

I think the tourists get carried away when they start negotiating a one hour 250 baht massage. There is little valor beating up a lady(who is trying to support her family) who works hard giving you a massage. And then stiff her for a tip. Some people are just common trash. IMHO!

The fact that in Europe there are much older cultures which were refining the ars retorica, cultivating arts and science, founding the longest lasting empire ever and building streets, cities and infrastructures which are still being used while the rest of the world was still painting their faces and shitting in holes in the ground is probably Sci-fi for you...

Sorry I think there was an evolved culture in Siam long before Romulus and Remus started sucking wolf tit!

Definitely, third world sh!tholes like Los Angeles, London, Paris, Chicago, Miami, just to name a few, have much to learn from Bangkok. I hope one day they manage to catch up.

I know where I would choose to live!

If you don't like Bangkok or Thailand perhaps.....

The dental clinic at the Bangkok Phuket hospital is very professional and reasonably priced.

Be sure to take a valid international drivers license with you. Otherwise you will have to take the written and driving test. Like I did! PITA! I failed the first driving test due to an inaccurate translation of a detail of the test. They can be sticklers if they want to. Farking bureaucrats are the same all over the world!

Karon is Boring. (note the capitol B!)

The beach is ok but way to exposed. I like Kata and Nai Harn better.

Patong is nice for the lively variety of everything. It is a bit noisy and in your face. But five minutes in any direction takes you out of the madness.

Patong wins hands down.

For quiet living with easily accessible everything: Chalong wins hands down!

Where is good to go after Tiger closes? Is Safari still good? Where else is still open?

Thanks.

bars on soi sansabai,safari,where ever you know the owner

Yea if you wander down Bangla rd after the disco's close some pretty lady usually will drag you down a dark soi for an after hour libation.

Thailand doesn't fall into any of our pat little western classifications which give some of us comfort.

Thailand is a 2500 year old Kingdom which possesses more culture, grace, and history than all the western countries put together!

I think anyone who can classify Thailand as third world sh!thole is wrong. If that's what they want they can move. There are plenty of places in the world which qualify: Los Angeles, London, Paris, Chicago, Miami, just to name a few.

Someone should offer to cut his legs off for him. That would make him a top earner!

I feel personally many long term stayers are not coming back, my many long time Thai regular friends are not coming back.

I personally hope the door doesn't hit them on the a$$ on the way out!

Oi, kasi - - - almost verbatim sentence theft!!!

Nordic Man, Australia thanks you for leaving our shores having parted with so much money, and don't let the door slap your arse on the way out.

The attitude is amazing, though, isn't it!?

8 years overstay????? Wow. Show me anywhere else he would have avoided either jail or deportation without return.

Amazing Thailand

I knew I had difficulties with australian syntax, now I have proof.

You can take it out of my pay!

Back to school for me.

Traditionally the winter(for the northern hemisphere) months have been high season. But I think the lines between the seasons are blurring a bit as Phuket is pretty nice year round. Low season offers great deals.

According to my tourist barometer (the starbucks in Patong) they had a better October of 2005 than they did 2004!

As the facilities grow (like Junglecelon) I think we will see more and more year round tourism.

Where is good to go after Tiger closes? Is Safari still good? Where else is still open?

Thanks.

I think most people go back to their hotel rooms for a little boom-boom and sleep!

I feel personally many long term stayers are not coming back, my many long time Thai regular friends are not coming back.

I personally hope the door doesn't hit them on the a$$ on the way out!

It sure seems the authorities tried to backpedal here some to save some face by deporting them in Ranong. Then they were immediately allowed back into Thailand.

If strict letter of law were followed they would have chilled their heels in the Bangkok immigration jail until a plane ticket abroad was forthcoming.

I think an element of fair play was at work.

You don't want to rub peoples(Thai peoples) noses in their own mistakes. It's still their country (more or less) after all.

I surprised this hasn't been noticed yet. It should be posted as news.

You mean like this: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=59799

Yea! just like that. I should have taken my genius pills today!

I suppose one might want to differentiate between violent crime and petty crime.

To me it seems like petty crime in Thailand is very low.

Thai people while normally quite easy going do indeed have very volatile streaks. When tempers flare here things turn very ugly very fast.

Generally if you avoid pushing the more obvious danger buttons you are more secure here than in a city in the western cultures where violent crime can occur quite randomly.

Rule of thumb: Avoid pissing off thai men.

After that things are very even handed for the most part. Places like Pattaya are the exceptions due to the high levels substance abuse and desperate poverty. Still if you avoid wandering along beach road at 3AM drunk as a skunk you should be alright.

Front page saturdays Phuket Gazette!