Cynical

8 hours ago, taichiplanet said:

i think Cynical was trying to say that when the tax dropped in 2017 then there will be a lot of other bikes (such as the MT07) that will good value compared to the current price of the MT03. Though of course, the tax drop is 5.45% not 55.4% so that isn't gonna happen.

I only know this because while I was taking a rider training course at Honda, one of the financial mangers there told me to wait until 2017 because all the bikes imported from Japan will drop in price dramatically

The Mt 03 is tempting, but I advise everyone to wait until 2017.

All the bikes imported from Japan are taxed 54.4 % until the end of the year.

From January 1st, 2017 the import tax for motorcycles from Japan will be 0%!

Just think how much the prices of bikes will change. MT07 is 299,000 at the moment - all things being equal it equates to a shade under 200,000 plus import tax.

2017 is going to be a great year for buying Japanese imported bikes, thanks to the politicians who worked out this deal in the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.

I've lived in thailand for over 30 years and although I've seen changes in the infrastructure of Bangkok, how people have become more materialistic and a plethora of other changes, one constant remains.

The traffic laws.

You can still drive the wrong way up a one way road (I think these cyclsts were). You have to wear a seatbelt while driving and sitting in the front seat, but you can pile 50 people into a pick- up truck. Taxis still cover thier windowns with stickers and film, even though it was made illegal after too many rapes and deaths ... to name but a few.

I drive to work at the speed limit of 80km/h on the tollway and EVERY vehicle passes me!

Thailand should introduce the driving license points system and licences should be taken away from bad drivers in 1 year, 10 year and life time bans. Insurance companies could easily change their policies and charge exobitant rates for convicted drunk driver and wreckless drivers.....

It's tragic about what happened to these two and I hope their families can have some sort of closure with the arrest of the the people that did this. Is there more crime in Thailand now than there was 20 years ago when I first came here or is it more publicized?

When i first started dating my Thai wife many years ago, we made love on the beach in Koh Chang and it scared the hell out of her. Thais don't behave like this for a very good reason.

Only stupid people go to a Full Moon party or go binge drinking on holiday and think there isn't a heightened risk of danger. There are a lot of bad people out there and they come in all guises.

You would think that some form of British advisory organization would issue some kind of warning to the 800,000 British tourists that come to Thailand each year.

Jonny B.

Is this the kayak that you bought a few years ago from feel free.

I'm only asking because I saw your previous post.

How much are you asking for it ?

Such fond memories flying SAS on visa runs to Singapore. One of the last carriers to allow smokers and one of the best for an abundance of alcohol. You're already missed.

The Saturday Night Live skit about learning Thai springs to mind. What an outrage of cultural insensitivity that was.

Mistaking Baroness Thatcher for Meryl Streep isn't insensitive?

How on earth do they equate 1,253 people to be representative of over 60 million Thais?

R.I.P Charlie.

If you are travelling from the outer ring road from Bang Pa In or Bang Na and turn off at the Rangsit exit, you will be able to drive your car or take many different forms of transport all the way down to Future Park. However, if you live in any of the Klong 1-4 villages where you would have to cross a bridge over the klong, you would need a to take a boat, a pick up truck or something bigger.

The water level in these areas has receded only 5-6 cms in the last five days.

If you need any supplies to clean or pump water out of your house Home Pro in Klong 7 is closed but Do Home is open and they have plenty of things in stock.

About ten years ago there was a a lot of inter-techno college aggression. When everything had subsided, the investigation concluded that the teachers had encouraged the students to act violently towards students of other colleges.

Caning wasn't the answer then, at a time when most teachers caned students.

It's the society we live in as as the poor mother said (let us pray her and her family) ... it won't be the last time.

As many posters have already said, it is not our problem and we should stay away from the violent areas. If we happen to reside there, then stay at home and don't go out unless it's absolutely necessary (during the day would be best).

The people who run this lovely country will do whatever they want to keep control. Thaksin will 'never' be allowed back and although some of his puppets will hold political positions in the newly elected government, it will be a coalition, as it had always been before he bought the position in the first election.

Lets not forget, this is not a first world country and therefore 'our' preconceptions of how political parties, soldiers, policemen and protesters should and shpuld not act is irrelevant.

This current instability will take its course, more people will die, the military will not intervene and sometime at the end of the year there will be new elections. When all the votes are counted, Thaksin's minions will be the minority in a coalition government.

There is a general consensus in the media that Thaksin has been weakened by his big revolutionary gambles in Pattaya (which he saw as a great victory) and the subsequent fiasco of Black Songkran in Bangkok.

Is this true for you, or not?

In my case my previous feeling was that the reds were more dangerous and violent than the yellows. However, my feelings deeply hardened after these recent events, so I voted I am much more negative on him now.

I used to love the guy and would often argue with anyone who put him down. As another poster said, he's the best thing to happen in Thai politics for over twenty years. I can attest to that having been here that long. However, the last straw was when he said 'This is not for me. It's for democracy in Thailand'.

He's much more aggressive than before and will hurt anyone or anything to get what he wants.....no thanks!

Hello

I'm a closeted bisexual man with a serious secret attraction to transsexuals and transvestites. I have a girlfriend but sometimes my bisexual urges are too much and I go to find a ladyboy. I live away from the girly bars and red light districts in a large Thai town.

Recently I was walking the back streets near my house and found a mansion block with lots of ladyboys sitting outside. Today my urges got the better of me and I went up there but it was deserted so I sat down on a bench hoping for one of them to appear from a door.

Sure enough a door opened and two ladyboys invited me in. I asked them how much and they said "up to you"

I said I wanted a pre op. Only one of them was pre op so I got it on with her and her friend joined in.

When we had finished I was getting dressed and they started telling me to hurry up because her dad was a policeman and was on his way around. I realised that this was a bad turn as they were obviously trying to intimidate me.

So I paid them 1000baht each and they hit the roof.

They said 5000 each, ten thousand or they would get her dad to put me in the monkeyhouse. I told them I didn't have any more and tried to open the door but they had locked me in and started making phone calls. I said I would go to the bank and they only unlocked the door when I gave them my driving licence.

They grabbed me like a they were making a citizens arrest and marched me to their car. I broke free and they chased me and started to punch me so I got in the car. They drove me through town threatening me and telling me not to fuc_k with them. I knew I only had 2000baht in the bank and I called their bluff and said take me to the police and they went mental and started beating me.

Punching me and hitting me with an umbrella. I almost retaliated but I knew it would land me in deeper shit if I hurt a Thai person so I jumped out of the moving car and ran into a restaurant and asked them to call the police.

The police were very good and said just give them what you can, so I gave them 1000baht and they left me alone but my fear is that they will see me with my girlfriend or friends and 'out' me. I have a relationship, a teaching job and a life here but I'm seriously thinking about moving.

Has anyone else had an experience like this? I know I was stupid, I just wasn't thinking. Any advice?

'loong' has some good advice. I'd like to add a little to that. If you can't speak Thai very well,get someone who can and you can trust. Go and see the policeman and thank him with a bottle of Balck Label, the tell him to sort the problem out for you and if he does, you'll give him 3,000....done deal. You can stay and not have to hide. Hopefully.

Or, as another poster said. COme to bangers and get all the cock you need but, not on your own doorstep.

Can anyone explain the culture in Thailand of how children from first marriages seem to be not recognised or are not 'part of the family' of a new marriage?

I have a brother (American) who has children from his first marriage to a Thai woman. He has divorced and remarried another Thai woman. She and her family do not want him to have much, if anything to do with his first children. He hardly ever sees them even though they all live in Bangkok.

His second wife is now pregnant and he says that they do not intend for his first children and the baby to have contact. He says it is Thai culture and a 'sensitive' issue. He respects his wifes wishes and that of her family and so does not see his first children (although he supports them financially).

This is very difficult for us (his Western family) to accept and there have been big family arguments / discussions about this - his first children are already a part of our lives and have cousins who they see once a year. It means that we can never have a family gathering and invite ALL the family - we can never mention all the cousins / nieces /nephews / grandchildren in bonded terms....

Can anyone with knowledge of Asian culture explain if this is normal and indeed a 'sensitive' situation in Thailand? Are there any situations there of famous Thai couples who have children from previous marriages who are included in the second marriage? If so we can use this as an argument!

Thanks

I can't count the amount of times that I've seen foreigners walked over by Thai women. Many up country people have a balck and white mentality. That is, one or the other, and they either can't see reason nore are they able to compomise. Been there done that (or had that done to me). Your American relative should 'grow a pair' and stand up for his child because nobody else will.

When I married my Thai wife, I had only one question that I needed answering and that was. After we are married, who will be most important to you. Your family or me?

The answer was 'me' and we have been happily married for a long time. If her answer was different I would never have married her.

Thais will always say 'it's Thai style' or 'Thai poeple don't do that'. And that's aload of old ****.

In addition to that, Thai men generally don't marry women who have had children form another man. There are exceptions to this of course but, not often. Foreigners on the other hand don't have a problem with this which is why you may tend to seee so much of it.

(This is speculation on my part) I would imagine that the American's wife's family have probably told everyone that he has never been married. yada yada yada. And so now they can't be seen to be liars of to have 'lost face'.

My suggestion would be, if his new wife or her family cannot accept his first child then he should seriously rethink the whole thing. Children are innocents and need more than financial help.

Funnily enough, in the past I have advised people about their girlfriends and to be careful about where your money goes etc. Of the three times that I ahve done that, I lost all three friends. All of htem were fleeced with everything they had.

I have no sympathy for drug traffickers of any kind! Today it is "only" cannabis tomorrow it will be heroin or ya baa they trade.

They play with fire, they must know what the consequences are when get busted, in particular in Malaysia!

You are obviously one of those people who thinks if you drink beer you going to start drinkingt whisky. Or, if you do grass, you going to do crack.

That's a load of rubbish. I know many people here that do grass for recreation and never touch the 'hard stuff'.

Start with the socialization now, especially with children (I understand from other posts that you are a teacher), but also with other dogs, cats, chicken, other environments, car, traffic, etc etc. All experiences should be positive.

Also set rules straight away, that is the do's and don'ts. And have your whole family stick to those rules. Consistency is the keyword.

They are not allowed inside, start teaching them now. You don't want them to jump up, never re-inforce it when they do, but always reward when they are with 4 feet or the butt on the ground.

Concentrate on desired behavior and totally ignore unwanted behavior, such as jumping up. And again, have everybody do the same thing.

My rottie (RIP) and many of the guest rotties love to take a dip in the pond when it was very hot.

Provide your pups with high quality dog food. Cheap and high quality don't go together. Personally I prefer to give dogs a species appropriate diet, which is a raw diet. Lots of info on this subject to be found on this forum.

The learning and life stages of children and dogs are quite similar. What you won't accept of a child (demanding attention, grabbing food out of your hand, jumping all over you, jumping on tables, not listening etc) don't accept from your dog as well.

You've got not one but two pups. That's a hel_l of a job. One pup tends to focus more on the family members, but two pups tend to focus more on each other, making that you need to put more time and effort in the education process. Wish you good luck.

You sound like a knowledgable guy when it comes to dogs. My university aged daughter was taking care of an American Pitbull until it grew to big for her. NOw we are lumberd with it and although it's a friendly dog, we already have a great Bankaew and don't have enough space. We're looking for a good home for it (It's about 18 months old). We obviously don't want it to go to a b*stard who will use it for fighting. If you know of anyone or anywhere that would take him, I'd appreciate it. Cheers.

yeah pity full price is only a few thousand baht & in this case I doubt it would get paid. Sadly, the culprit may not be caught. I hope this persons significant other has some support whilst in los....hopefully it wasnt just the two of them on holiday here or they may find themself all alone in this aweful situation.

Yes , family and relatives must be devastated....

One of the point that you mention here is the cheap consequences faced by the culprit when caught. Should the law make the punishment very harsh, it might effect some behaviors ... When some criminals know that they have only a few chances to be caught, and if caught they will get away with a very sorry baby face, a few apologies and nothing more than a few thousand baht to pay , then it makes the crime affordable, if I may say. I don't say that tougher laws will erase instantly all crimes, and especially hit and run, but on some more reasonable persons, it will make them think twice before running away.... Or maybe, I am just dreaming....

It seems that luckily none of you have ever been in a car accident where someone has been run over. If you had you would comprehend why the driver didn’t stop.

Let’s rule out that the poor guy was deliberately run down, seeing as it was 1pm on the main road going through the town.

If it was an accident, the driver is going to prison, period!

A few years ago I was driving to work with my wife and three kids in the car. A 14 year-old school girl crossed the road in front of me. She ran diagonally away from me without looking. I tried to swerve and miss her but, there was a concrete wall on the right side of the road and as much as I tried I couldn’t avoid hitting her. She shoulder came through the laminated windscreen missing my wife’s face by inches. The girl then went over the top of the car. We all got out of the car, found the girl behind the car (I thought she was under it), put her in and drove her to the nearest hospital at break-neck speed. I had no idea of her condition so, I kept talking to her trying to keep her conscious. The government hospital released her after a few hours and said she could go home but, was obviously in a lot of pain. So, my wife and I decided to take her to a private hospital where she stayed for five days, had an operation on her shoulder and three pins were inserted.

Her poor father was amazed at the care and compassion that we showed her and couldn’t thank us enough. You would think that that would be the end of it, it wasn’t. we still had to deal with the police. The father told the BIB that he didn’t want to press charges but, the BIB had other ideas. I was told that the law in Thailand is that if convalescence exceeds 21 days it’s a criminal offense which meant that I had to go to court and face up to 2 years in prison and/or a 50,000 Baht fine!!!!!!

After a few more meetings I was ‘persuaded’ to take out an Assurance policy of an initial payment of about 20,000 Baht. And that was the end of that. If I had driven away I would be in prison now, for sure. I’m not rich enough to pay extortionate amounts of money to the BIB and probably neither is the pick-up truck driver. I think he knew what he’d done and the consequences.

My prayers go out to the poor guy from Manchester. RIP.