aussiebrian

Hope that's right, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier should normally not be too bad, but with the way Thai's control dogs, maybe even the Staffordshire Bull Terrier could get into trouble because of their strength.. That is just my opinion.. But would like to see Pit Bulls kept out. I know there are some already here as we had one next door to me tied up all day. I tried to stay on it's good side by patting it almost every day. When it got to about 9 months old I couldn't get near it. I think they had it for fighting..I pity the poor kid that may want to give it a pat, even worse I dreaded the day I saw it running around my soi free as I am sure it would latch on the the first moving thing that took it's fancy.

Some may be sweet, but I wouldn't trust one.

Lucky you floridaguy. I've been booked for using an overpass, an underpass, and for not being on a frontage road.

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I have been booked over 30 times in Bangkok, mostly for not being in the left lane of the frontage road, but about 5 or 6 times for being on an underpass, expressway over a bridge I was not supposed to cross even though I was following a stream of bikes over it. Just because I was on a big bike makes no difference at all. I try to avoid being on them but sometimes I have accidentally gone on ones I am not supposed to be on. I have also talked my way out a few times.

Following my gps one day when I accidentally got lost and ended up on an expressway, I even had a police escort off it, . He opened up a gate along the way, and told me to follow him. . I followed him over the footpaths in heavy traffic when the cars were blocking the road, through one red light when it wasn't changing for a while, (with other bikes also going through), all the way to the picture theatre I was trying to find. With no fine that time he waved me good bye.

The police can travel along anywhere they like, even on a small bike but on my CBR1100 and now my Harley I can not. I have talked to many police about this and their usual answer is it is dangerous to travel along them, you are not allowed to and you must travel in the left lane on frontage and all roads.

I don't think Florida guy has been in Bangkok long or has been extremely lucky so far. I would if he keeps travelling where he likes his luck won't last much longer.

I believe that if this changed there would be around 30% less death and injuries from motorcycles in Bangok. Maybe I should put this on a new thread.

Hey, hope it's not too off topic, but what are the rules about using the road under the Motorway? I see signs in Bang Na forbidding bikes, but further on there are none.

So what's the rules please?

It's basically legal until you get caught at which point it becomes illegal, if you get my drift.

It used to be legal up to about 1 1/2 years ago to travel along Bangna Trad Road under the motorway, all the way, then the signs of no bikes popped up. The police patrol the road often and also just sit on the side waiting for motorcycles to book. Where the signs finish then there is no problem which by memory would be about near the airport turn off.

I think they want motorcyclists in Bangkok to die with the crazy laws of not being able to travel on freeways, expressways, tollways, over some bridges and then to make it even worse having to be in the left lane. You must must wear a helmet but a bit of plastic on your head whether done up or not will suffice. I have been booked over 30 times, usually for not being in the left lane, but normally 100baht takes care of the problem. Lately they have wanted more. I don't understand why there are no protests by motorcycle clubs to the crazy laws.

Instead of encouraging motorcycles to travel around Bangkok, they discriminate against to them to such a degree that it becomes the slowest and most dangerous way to travel around Bangkok. Imagine if all the motorcycles in Bangkok were cars.. No one would ever get anywhere.

When I came back from North Thailand travelling to Bangna, once arriving into the outskirts of Bangkok, I had about 50 kms of travel on roads next to the express ways, battling with buses and cars pulling in and out of streets, shopping centres or just wanting to stop infront of me. I am riding a Harley, it can travel faster, handles better, is worth more than most cars and does less damage to the road surface. The trip took nearly 2 hours of hel_l, but if I could have been allowed on the tollway I would have been in Bangna in about 30 minutes without the many people cutting me off every couple of minutes. The police had a blitz on, with at least 7 groups of police along the way with many motorcycles being booked at each one.

So why am I a second class citizen? Ok. restrict anything under 125cc but why big bikes? If it was supposed to be for our safety they are just wrong, or is it just because car drivers want to feel superior and don't want us on their roads plus motorcycles are easy targets for the police to make money from? I think so.

There are no restrictions in other countries, with most giving motorcycles free passage on tollways, Malaysia and Australia are 2 examples. In Malaysia they even have signs with an umbrella, with places along the freeways where motorcycles can stop under cover incase of rain.

You should now wait more than 12 months till you try again as parvo virus can stay in the enviornment for at least 12 months after an infected animal as been there.Throughly cleanup the area of any faeces And of course follow the vacination requirements with your new pup and your other dog.

If your dog does get parvo, it can be treated firstly for dehydration and electrolyte imbalances with the administration of intravenous fluids containing electrolytes.

Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs should also be given. Also antispasmodic drugs should be used to stop the diarrhoea and vomiting.

With this treatment if started early, the chances of recovery are quite possible.

With German Shepherds, it is best not to fatten them up as you will risk many problems including hip dysplasia. You should be able to feel it's ribs and see the last couple.. Feed them a healthy balanced diet and a calcium supplement especially when they are growing rapidly.

The scammers are being scammed. Most of the people using language courses for ED Visa's do care about learning the language. They are only in it for the Visa. Mr. Michael took advantage of that. I am sure some were legitimately interested in learning Thai. I am sorry for them.

I think you mean don't care about learning thai, not do. It is not just people wanting Thai Ed Visas. They had many other courses including TEFL. I wanted to learn Thai, the visa was a bonus. I have my visa. I hope to be doing my course at the other school.

The thing that is really crazy is you can still book non existant courses over the net and pay for them and the Thai police I saw weren't interested.

Hi,

Just a warning to anyone that wants to do a Thai Language course and to get ed visa with Patong International Language School or any other course. The school has closed down and it is now under investigation by local authorities. There are be untold amounts of people that have paid money to study there and think they will get their Thai ed visa. The owner Michael is back in America and most likely not returning. Rent wasn't paid, teachers weren't paid and licence not paid.

I went to the Kathu police today with another farang and they weren't interested that we had paid for our courses and the school isn't open.

The police told us it was a civil matter and we have to see a lawyer. The police stated that we are supposed to sue the person that booked the course and then she is supposed to sue the owner of the school, (I think that could take a couple of years or more even though the Police said possibly a couple of months and the lawyer would most likely charge more than the cost of the course) The girl that booked us in has started another school and she said she will try and help as many people as she can. I am only guessing that if everyone started to sue her like suggested by the police, her new school would end up closing too. Then the people she is willing to help with no fee would all lose out too.

I explained to the Kathu police that Patong International Language School still have an operating website where they are advertising non existing courses so that should be a criminal matter. He was getting agitated with me and raising his voice telling it has nothing to do with the police. Even when I insisted that people were most likely paying for their course on the net from around the world and Michael is in the USA making money from the site he said I don't know the law.

I clicked through on their site to the point where I can pay with credit card or paypal. This insanity won't be good for Thailand.

I am also in contact with the tourist police and they have been more helpful. I have a meeting with them again tomorrow.

I tried very hard to get my white plates for my motorcycle. I wanted no1 plate and was told it would take 3 months or 2 months for any other number. After ringing the bike dealer every month to see what was happening, it took me 8 months before I could even take the bike to Bangkok to have it taken into the rego branch for checking. I was told that there were many other people also waiting because registration was having problems including computer problems. I had thai friends also enquire for me and they got the same responses.

I had papers from the dealer to say everything was paid including tax. Customs and excise once hastled me, I showed them my documents, with receipt nos, a name of someone in registration that told me to call them if there were any problems and it still took them 3 hrs ringing Bangkok before they let me go and gave me another copy saying tax had been paid.

I was stopped in Bangkok and they wanted 5000baht, and I rang the company that was handling my transfer. They got it down to 1000 baht. The bike was locked up at Phuket police station overnight after being stopped, they were demanding 20000baht to give me my bike back.

After ringing the dealer the bike had been bought from,, he got someone to contact the police and I got it back for 1000 baht.

I rang every 2 weeks or so trying to get my plates. It turned into a nightmare.

Finally, after 1 year and 2 months I got my plate. 2 weeks later my blue book arrived.

I met one guy that took him 2 years before he got his.

I did this trip 2 years ago by my Thai registered motorcycle, for one month, fantastic with your own transport. You can look me emalebrian on youtube and watch a small video I made. I felt it was safe but a bit like the wild west. Not too much trouble taking a vehicle in. Just make sure you have all the right papers. I went in Via Poipet, then rode 1st to Siam Reap, worst road I have ever traveled on. But I believe it is now remade and perfect. Most main roads there were great.

True still gives away free sims at most airports. Then it is only 1 baht a min to ring to most countries overseas.

the article says broken neck also.....

That would mean being paralisis .......dreadful

If treated properly, a broken neck and or a broken back does not necessarily mean paralysis, but would if your spinal cord is broken too. If he has a fractured skull that could possibly mean brain damage.

Possibly another totally avoidable single vehicle accident, where the rider either through inexperience, speed in the wrong place, a bike too powerful for the rider or too much alcohol, fails to negotiate a bend and loses control of his/her motorcycle.

I wish them both a speedy recovery.

He was charged for this already and got acquitted due to lack of evidence. As the war on drugs was quite effective in reducing drug consumption, it was approved by Thais in general, and it was mainly a big issue in the international community.

It was probably also a big issue by farangs on this forum that were/are doing drugs, no wonder why they keep bringing it up.

Ok birdbrain, if you think that farangs keep bringing this up because we are on drugs, I think you must be on drugs if you think the murder of 1400 innocent people can or should be swept under the carpet.

"Of 2,500 deaths in the government's war on drugs in 2003, a fact-finding panel has found that more than half was not involved in drug at all. At a brainstorming session, a representative from the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) Tuesday disclosed that as many as 1,400 people were killed and labeled as drug suspects despite the fact that they had no link to drugs. ... Senior public prosecutor Kunlapon Ponlawan said it was not difficult to investigate extra-judicial killings carried out by police officers as the trigger-pullers usually confessed."[

So effectively, Thaksin's wife paid MORE money than the land was appraised for, by the Bank of Thailand. Yet she and Thaksin are convicted of buying land for LESS than the actual value? Wow.

Talk about political witch-hunt.

Its actually even more farcical than that. Thaksin was not convicted for buying the land under the market value, but for insider trading because he was PM even though it was at a public auction, for which he was sentenced to two years imprisonment (the first jail sentence ever handed down for this charge). His wife, who bought the land, was not convicted of anything, and the same court that ruled that what he did was illegal ruled that her purchase was legal and allowed it to stand!

I am far from being a Thaksin fan, but I just cannot support the view that "well we know he's guilty of something and we can't find anything else, so this'll do". Similarly I find it rather pathetic that after three years of investigations costing millions of baht, and the non-stop accusations of corruption on a grand scale, so little evidence of corruption has been found and put forward that no specific charges of corruption have been made and the only charges supported by any evidence have been tax avoidance. As I can't quite see him as Al Capone (though some probably can), I can only put this down to those who would be in the frame with Thaksin now being in the present government, which wants to avoid losing their support (and its mandate to govern) at any cost.

facts are facts and he used his influence to cut this deal - how about the loan to Burma which he increased and all the equipment they bought was from his company ? no bullshit that at the time the company didn't belong to him, but to his children, wife and the maid ... how about changing the Telecom deal where he changed the rules in favor of his / sorry his wife's and maids and kids company ...... and the huge tax evasion and and and

you can not fool anyone with your red / Thaksin propaganda

The shady business deals pale into insignificance compared to what Thaksin should have been charged with and that is crimes against humanity, for the murder of between 2500 and 5000 people in the war on drugs. Amnesty International has many cases where completely innocent people were murdered in these extra judicial killings. Of the ones that may have been guilty of dealing drugs, they should have all had a fair trial and not met their demise in this fashion.

"ranong on the way to koh phanyam."

Do you mean Koh Phayam or Koh Phangan? If it is If it is Koh Phayam then Ranong is the right place to head. If you want to go to Koh Phangan, (full moon party island) then you should be heading to either Chumphon (about 100Km from Ranong) or Donsak near Surat Thani, not Ranong. You can fly to Surat Thani instead of Phuket from Bangkok.

Buses leave from bus station in Phuket Town to both Ranong and Surat Thani. Phuket to Ranong is 300km and should take about 4 hrs by bus. Hope that is of some help.

Definately go Ranong way. It is about 40 Kms longer but if you want nice scenery, don't mind twisty roads and don't want a boring drive there is no comparison. I have done the trip over 30 times and only been Surat Thani way about 2 or 3 times. I do travel by motorcycle and the Ranong stretch is one of the best motorcycle roads in Southern Thailand. Also sone nice lookout points with spectactular views of Burma.

I just travelled this road 2 days ago and only 1 small section being repaired.again

Stop over night in Ranong and visit the hot springs and the Ranong Canyon. Also some nice waterfalls along the way.You will not be disapointed.

If you have a 1 year Ed Visa and you don't report every 3 months to immigration, does anyone know the penalties? Is there the same fine as for overstay with a 200 Baht a day fine with a maximum 20000 Baht ? Is your visa cancelled?

My guess it is lost.. I put in a topic about my lost mail too.. see http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thai-Postal-...08#entry3250808

Hope that helps.. Always get it registered/tracking number then it shouldn't go missing..

Thanks Kennkate, they have been sent airmail. I am talking about about 51 parcels sent with tracking number all arrived. 9 no tracking number and only one has made it. One person in the UK even sent me some stickers for my motorcycle 4 times and finally one got through. I had thought he wasn't really sending it. The ones that haven't arrived were sent between 4 months ago to 2 years ago, so I think they are gone. I now insist on tracking numbers or I don't bother getting them sent.

As for sending them written them in Thai, it wouldn't account for the 51 parcels getting here with tracking numbers written in English.

I have been buying many items over the last 2 years on ebay, as well as a friend in Australia sent me a package without a tracking number which never arrived. Everything I have had sent here with a tracking number has arrived, but I have only received 10% of parcels sent to me with no tracking number. What is going on with the Thai postal services? Have other people here encountered the same problems?

This is a warning to anyone having parcels sent to Thailand to make sure you get a tracking number, otherwise you may end up being disappointed and frustrated when you don't receive it.

I put a claim in with paypal over 2 different items I bought that didn't arrive, and I got a refund, thinking paypal had some sort of insurance or they paid but now I feel very sorry for the people that sold me the items as paypal just takes the money from their account and these people are now out of pocket due to someone in the Thai postal system stealing them.

Why don't the government do more about it? Much have been said about Mr Thaksin but at least he did something about it.

Yes, Thaksin had a war on drugs where there were somewhere between 2500 and 5000 people (About 80 people a day) who became the victims of extrajudicial murders in the name of cleaning up the drug problem. Many totally innocent people died. Yeah right...

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G'day Bridge,

I know if you buy an iphone here from True, (As my friend works in Phuket True) it is warranteed 1 year from Apple and then if you pay 599Baht a month you will get 300min of call, 3oo sms, 50 mms and GPRS and WI-FI and 3G unlimited. This may be a better option than buying in Australia.

Hi,

I am thinking of buying an Iphone in Australia (32GB 3Gs) from the Apple Store. As such it will be unlocked and I can go with any provider I choose.

What I would like to know, is whether anyone knows of any good prepaid plans for use here in Thailand. Any ideas as to carrier/coverage/costs/data download and rates.

Hope that's not too many questions.

Many thanks in advance.

Regards

bridge

I just got the same message a few minutes ago, "Sorry, the web site you are accessing has been closed by Royal Thai Police due to inappropriateness such as pornography, gambling or contain any information which is deemed to violate national security." while on tagged website. I have never seen it before and wonder if it is true or a virus as the link didn't have anything inappropriate on it. I then went to the back arrow then clicked back on the same link I had tried to access and the message was gone.

Maybe it is a message that is real, but the police haven't got the system working correctly and it appears randomly. I would like to know what is happening..

I have done the trip about 15 time on a CBR 1100 Honda and love it on a big bike. Sometimes I do it with one stop, but also many times straight through. A Duke would have no problems if you are used to Thai traffic. Stay alert..Watch out for locals riding in the left lane and then cutting in front of you across to the other side of the road without looking, just as you approach them. Also oncoming cars overtaking onto your side of the road, even on blind corners, expecting for you to move across for them, dogs, potholes, cows etc.

The main thing with the scooter would be not to carry too much luggage and make sure your tyres are good and have the right pressure in them. I hate blowouts on tubed tyres.. If you are tired, break the trip up.

Enjoy and have a good trip.