kasi

thanks for the sarcasm but the smart bit actually refers to a car not me

Hopefully not a german car!

anyway, just cos you have been "humped" a few times by dealers why do you assume that everyone else will?

I have 2 decades of experience working both sides of the fence.

There was a saying we used when we worked the car auctions:

"Not every car at the auction is bad, but every bad car is at the auction".

This applies to any used vehicle which is for sale. They aren't all bad but all the bad ones are for sale!

why do you assume a tourist wouldn't know here to look for bikes. its not hard - drive along pretty much any road in Phuket town and stop when you see a "bike workshop" that has a couple of bikes outside.

I only assume this because I've shopped around quite a bit for bikes here and have found the supply of good one at good prices very limited. I've only been here 3 years so my experience is limited.

I've made several good used vehicle buys but they were from individuals who were leaving town.

I've seen plenty of used waves and dreams in the 15-20K range that would make me go buy a new one instead. A new wave 100 is just 36K.

The proverbial 9000 baht "dreams" are out there. I'm just saying from my limited experience; that "dream" is hard to catch.

For 3 months on a tourist visa its a no-brainer. Just rent.

thanks for the informative reply

your experience is based on buy how many used bikes that are "fixer uppers" to be exact 1,2 20??

yes it is easy to go an rent a newsih bike for 3k a month, and by the way you are VERY unlikely to get anything other than the legallyrequired MINIMUM amount of insurance.

3k buys you a "fixer upper"

6- 9 K buys you a decent Honda dream etc that will run and run

if you've been around and are lucky

10-15k newer model dreams

clearly you haven't shopped around lately!

it is fun shopping for the bike, they "fit in" better than the usual farang on the red plated bikes and its a bit of fun....

A tourist here on a 60 day visa just won't have the knowledge to get it done! Are you offering to hold his hand?

not going up hills?? well if you are that fat by a two stroke with more power

seriously though how can you tell what a bike is like from your computer

i have bought (on phuket)

3 Honda Dreams - most expensive 6k

1 Suzuki 4 stroke - 5 K

1 Suzuki 2 stroke - 5 k

The only one that is a dog is the 2 stroke but then i was fully aware of that when i bought it. NONE of the dreams have had any problems at all and they get used every day. The 4 stroke suzukis clutch is now on the way out after 9 months of abuse with a grossly overlaod side car on it

Maybe sometime people just dont want to bethe sterotypical farang that buys / rents a new bike / car / house etc

These are deals you happen upon by being here a while bought from depressed sellers usually, certainly not shopped from used dealers.

If he has time he can wait for one of the "smart guy buys" to come along!

Perhaps 3 months will be long enough.

We all can't be smart and Scottish at the same time. I have to admit you are a gifted one!

Why don't you sell him one of yours for 9000?

I've got a couple of Hondas I could help him with, his "useless" response kind of soured that idea.

Anyway I prefer to keep a couple of nice spare scooters around for visiting friends and family.

The dealers won't sell new bikes to tourists.

You can buy used ones with a tourist visa.

If you only need one for 3 months you're better off renting. If you shop around you can get a fairly new machine for 3000 a month.

what a usless reply. Why did you bother to post?

If I can buy 2nd hand for 9,000 Bhat in working condition, I can give it out for free to someone

when i leave at least

Lot's of luck finding a good working bike for 9000 baht

A decent honda wave or dream goes for between 15000-20000.

Why would you ask a for advice here if your so smart? Go find out for yourself on your own.

What is your time worth? (apparently not much!)

Oh yea and have fun when you have to take your 9000 baht bike in for repairs. Be sure to bring some vaseline from home, you will need it!

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could recommend a boat company that I could visit Phi Phi and also another trip to Phang Nga other than by speedboat? I`ve got a back problem so I can`t cope with speedboats.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Di

I have a pal who runs personalized trips out of Phang Nga. Pm me details and I can forward recommendations and phone numbers.

The dealers won't sell new bikes to tourists.

You can buy used ones with a tourist visa.

If you only need one for 3 months you're better off renting. If you shop around you can get a fairly new machine for 3000 a month.

All those beaches have strong surf in july.

A nice place for swimming is Tri Trang beach near Patong. You need to got during high tide as it can be rocky other times

Check tide tables on the Phuket Gazette site

Just a quick query. If my tourist visa expires on Friday 17th, but I only go for a border run on Saturday 18th, am I write in thinking that there will be no overstay fine, or will it be 500 bhat and maybe future problems with the new regulations?

In the past they used to allow a 1-2 day grace period. That was at the airport in BKK.

I once missed a flight an stayed an extra day hence a 1 day overstay. No eyebrow was raised upon exit through immigration.

But I was nervous!

I know what the accommodations at the immigration jail are like from personal experience. Trust me it's something you could easily live without.

Err on the conservative would be wise advice.

I gonna be driving down to Phuket on the weekend, and looking to clean my car after the trip. Any recommendations around Patong/kathu?

Most of the fuel stations offer car cleaning. Esso, Caltex ect.

There may be something to this.

I heard about it too, the new 3 year visa and dropping of the 90 day reporting requirement (which doesn't seem to be enforced anyway).

It was written up in one of the expat periodicals here in Phuket. I'll get more specifics tomorrow.

. Only in Thailand could Isuzu be number one. I have driven all the pickups but the Isuzu/Chevrolet were hopeless.

So you are suggesting thai people are inferior and stupid!

Are you living here? I so why? When you have such a low opinion of the populace.

But I guess everyone has a right to their opinion. Hope it serves you well!

I suggest, that you help this man, by offering food and shelter, but not with cash. Sooner or later local police will demand to see his passport, then he will be processed and deported.

If he gets caught he will languish in the immigration detention in Bangkok until he pays the 20K fine and has a plane ticket out of the country. There is no way the Thai will pay to send him out.

There are hundreds losers like this in the immigration jail right now. Most of them are Burmese, Lao, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Malaysian, Chinese. So he will be in good company.

I'd say save your money and sympathy and let what will be, be.

At least in the immigration jail he will be fed and can bathe. After that it will be up to his embassy to make the connections to help him.

Someone should report this scam.

I ran into it recently. The first time I decided to try the van ride.

The driver raced to tour office like a madman on speed.

When he slammed on the brakes and stopped at this office I was very surprised.

When two ladies approached the van an ordered everyone out of the van I became outraged. They tried to explain the driver needed to get directions to the hotels.

I called "bullshit" and accused them of just tying to get everyone in the office and sell their tours.

I announced to the full van that no one needed to disembark unless their wanted to buy a tour. No one got out. I told the ladies they better get the van back on the road or I would call the tourist police as I reached for my phone. We were back on the road in short order.

If looks could kill I'd be dead. Those ladies wanted to kill me.

I didn't realize they're also trying to scam the guest house owners

.

Some complaints need to be filled as it seems this is a regular practice for these scammers. I pisses me off but I've only ridden on them once and won't ever do it again.

I RECOMMEND NO ONE RIDE THESE VANS. But they rope in many with the cheap 150 baht ride into town. Usually they just get the unsuspecting tourists.

I'm glad to hear the meter taxis are at the terminal now, that will take the wind out of their sales.

The drivers license situation here is comical.

I went for a couple of years just using an Alaska ID card. I would smile sawadee krap the officer and help him read my license, when I read the "ID" I would say international driver license.

Now I have a Thai DL for a car.(I neglected to get it for a a motorcycle too)

Usually they just stop and check motorbikes. My Thai car license usually get me through. Only once did the officer actually read my license an get me for 300 Baht.

I see so many tourists getting bent out of shape over it all. They don't realize the Police prey on the Thai people here almost equally.

300 baht isn't chump change if you're only making 8000 baht a month.

Isuzu is the best selling truck in Thailand, for good reason. They are strong and have a great engine.

Toyota is the next best. The D4D engine is the next best thing to a mercedes diesel.

Stay away from Mitsubishi.

The Ford 2.5L engine has a good reputation but the rest of the truck can be a service nightmare and the dealer network is weak. A lot of Ford Rangers are on the used market. I think a basic Ford would be a good used truck buy.

You need to drop off your passport before 11:30am. There is an hour time difference(KL is 1 hour later). So arriving and dropping off the same day is not really feasible.

I usually stay at the Princess hotel which is a 5 minute walk to the embassy and near a lot of shops and restaurants.

I seem to remember that the embassy opens at 9am. Get there early to be first in line. Bring a pen and something to write on and go stand by the entry door to the visa room while you fill out the tracing paper thin application form.

You can pick up your visa between 11:00-12:30.

There probably is a late afternoon flight back to BKK so you could get it done with only two nights in KL.

From Phuket it's a three night stay in KL.

Hi,

What sort of visa do I need for stay 97 days in Kamala? It´s me and my wife. We come to Kamala for 6;e time.

Best regards

Wrong sub-forum:

I understand Thai embassies are now issuing tourist visas for 90 days. After that you must leave or you will be subject to a 500 baht a day over stay.

Yea I'm looking forward to the Carefour. It will be great to have an option to central.

And it's only a block away from my condo.

yes i figured that was the situation, but excess baggae is a difficult option as its now $20 au per kilo!! looks like selling up everything and re buying in thailand. problem is, with sound and studio equipment some of the stuff i have is just not available in LOS. ah well.

Sometime if you fly business or first class you get more liberal baggage allowance. EVA has a very liberal baggage allowance.

The other option I've been using is shipping via DHL. You seem to only pay duty on the cost of the shipping.

I hear many good things about this place, but never been there. Must have a look very soon.

Gerd

You won't be disappointed. Be sure to try some of his home made deserts.(cashew ice cream with a hot plum compote!)

His tartar appetizer is good.

I just had a nice filet with herb butter there this evening. I eat there twice a week.

He has some fine pastas. His gorgonzola sauce is super.

I could tell you where to go in Patong. Don't know the phuket town office.

I got sick eating some of their fish one time. I avoid the place.

I am having a party for over 100 people and am looking for someone or a catering company who can do a lamb on the spit?

Please help!

I would talk to Adi at the swiss delight restaurant. I don't have his # with me now.

You should go eat at his restaurant(the food is superb anyway) and discuss it. He's probably one of the best restauranteurs I've ever met.

His restaurant is located on Kwang rd (between chalong and Phuket town, it connects chaofa east and west roads))

Closed on sundays.

[My point was about escalation in arming oneself. English firearms laws severely restrict escalation, but there have been celebrated cases where it has all gone horribly wrong. I used the USA as an example of escalation in an armed society. As for 'popping off' about the USA - I have lived there and am very fond of it, so please be assured that I have no axe to grind. Also, demographics are entirely irrelavent to escalation.

Indeed so your offhand comment referring to the "state of affairs in the USA" has no meaning!

What you fail to mention is how gun control countries who have had the misfortune to adopt it has been a miserable failure.Here's a nice essay for you

and another

A good friend recently had a breakin/walkin. She is a fairly elderly farang lady. She is pretty together normally but one evening when she thought she'd locked the front door and it wasn't.

T the thief just walked in took a laptop and small amount of money from her purse.

Not really a very big haul!

I happened to show show up the next day and helped with alerting the Chalong police.

The quick response was astonishing. There were 7 law enforcement guys there inside of the hour. Apparently there had been a rash of similar occurrences that evening.

The moral: lock your door!