sambai

I have heard of people making color copies of their western license, laminating them, and then presenting them to police.

Great idea. Actually it has to be said that I travel alone and do not experience problems any more. Notwithstanding this, I do really want to clarify how the law stands. I used to have a dark Isaan-looking girlfriend in the car with me and as a matter of course would be stopped all the time. And they spoke to her of course.

A lone foreigner in a non-pick-up motor does not seem to attract their attention.

I have a 2008 Camry which needs new tyres. At the moment they are Bridgestone Turanza (from new) and have always given a very harsh and noisy ride with normal tyre pressures. I think the only benefit has been lifespan, as the ride is really quite awful.

I'm looking for a recommendation for a softer ride tyre, not an expensive tyre, preferably a Michelin but I'm not too worried. The size is 215/60 R16.

Prices would help also, because it seems to me they vary between 2,800 and 4,000. I don't know what I need to pay. There is an area in Bangkok, near to China Town (Yaoarat) which specialises in tyres. The entire street is dedicated to tyres! Does anyone have experience of this type of place, as I expect the price is probably quite good there.

Thanks.

Check you[r] Toyota, ever called back in Thailand?

Same pedal.

Goodness me, that's an interesting point. It's the same car as the rest of the world, but in Thailand, no recall.

I have one for you, they are good and do all the offices, stock exchange building and such.

Thanks very much Onnut. Appreciate that. The location's about 1 1/2 hours outside Bangkok. Not sure if that presents a problem.

If Iam a long way from home and pulled over and suspect they may be "legit" I tell em I don't have a licence.

Thanks Spoonman, but I do have a Thai driver's licence. It was the one thing I seem to have omitted from my question. Anyway, I'm looking for the answer on how the law stands really. Perhaps the Traffic Code has sections on this, which can be presented to a policeman who doesn't know the law properly.

I suspect this question may have been asked before; apologies if so. Clearly it's common practice for the police to ask for a driver's licence and confiscate it. It's a practice that seems to me simply to enable them to extort money from motorists, sometimes even when the charge is a made-up lie, as is sometimes the case.

This seems to be a very arcane process in which they take the driver's licence to their station, and the motorist has to travel to that station to pay a fine and get it back. Sometimes on a very long journey, this could be highly inconvenient, or nearly impossible, invoving a de-tour, sometimes not even knowing where to go. Clearly the police know this and abuse it.

So the question is, like in the European countries I'm used to, does one legally need to carry the original licence? Can a copy be used? What is the law? Is there a traffic code that clarifies this, which can be shown to them.

I should say that they are usually very courteous on the rare occasion I've been asked; their only wish is to get some money out of motorists. But still, depending on one's view about upholding the law, it's a contentious issue.

I think the market for many products in Thailand is not yet mature. The consumer does not have the same power as in the West and fails to make reasonable demands on the manufacturer. I agree with your point about the awful boring colours in Thailand - but if the Thai people don't vote with their feet, the manufacturer's will just keep selling the same rubbish to them.

Note that Ford are offering lots of colour variations.

I also went to look at the Pajero and I didn't like it at all. It's full of plastic and the colour scheme is limited. There is no manual gearbox available just the rubbish gas-guzzling autos that they seem to want. I told the sales person that I wanted it in red and that my friend has the Triton pickup in red and that essentially it is the same vehicle. She said that it wasn't available in red so I said no thanks. In Thailand they don't listen to customers, so it's unlikely that when I walked away, the woman went through the mental processes of considing that a customer had been lost due to the lack of colours being available. They don't normally put two-and-two together here.

Is anyone aware of a good Bangkok-based professional cleaning company? I have lost the web site address of a company I was planning to contact. They were based in Bangkok and quite a good web site and seemed very flexible. Would like to contact them if anyone can offer. I've not been able to find anything searching the net. Thanks.

I'm looking for a Chao Phraya dinner cruise next week. Loy Nava is good and I have been on it before, but it's very expensive.

We would probably need to make our own way to it, as we're travelling by car. Can anyone suggest? TIA.

Third option is similar to your round-about way to the back end of Sathorn: after paying at Din Daeng, proceed toward Sukhumvit (to the left), then follow the Sukhumvit u-turnish flyover, then go back toward Chaeng Wattana but keep left at the the Victory Monument exit, then you are now on the 2nd Stage Expressway going south, and you exit at Sathorn. This is just as round-about as the way you did it, of not worse.

If you have access to the 2nd Stage Chaenwattana Expressway from further north (Prachacheun, etc.), then you can just take that straight downtown to get off at Sathorn (Though you did mention you were coming from past the old airport which means I'd think you're coming down Vipawadee.)

The first way I described would be the way I'd do it (and the way I DO do it). Just get off at the Rama 4 exit (after you go over the bridge crossing Sukhumvit and the skytrain, etc.). Exit to the left, stay in the right lane, and turn right.

Thanks very much. No, Rama 4 is not a helpful route for me. I have used Rama 4 Road before, and since my destination is close to Sathorn exit and the Chan Road exit of the Expressway, the Rama 4 Sukhumvit Expressway is not the best way.

I *know* there is a route that can take me from north to south, getting off at Sathorn Road exit, because I have passed it before in that direction and it is clearly marked, Sathorn Road.

I am coming from Pathumthani, passing Don Muang airport and I need to get to Sathorn Road or Chan Road exit. I think the point you made about Prachacheun is probably the one I need, but I do not know that route, or where Prachacheun is.

Thanks.

I have to travel from the northern Expressway, past Don Muang airport to Sathorn Road exit. I have tried before and took the Dao Kanong route past Sukhumvit and Rama 4 area etc. but then turning right before Dao Kanong, to get to Sathorn. It's fine but I know it's a long way, and in heavy traffic it could take ages.

Could anyone advise which to take. I know there are some exits just after Din Daeng tollway booth, but I don't know if they're the ones. Thanks.

Thanks for writing ก็ เรียก ว่า อะไร in Thai, that's very helpful and I can see for starters, it's the mispronunciation of ร that these people are using, as with many Thai words containing ร.

I've learned three new words here. So, am I correct in suggesting ก็ means "it", เรียก means "called" and ว่า means "that"?

I have noticed that some native Thai speakers utter a phrase that I do not hear clearly, but it sounds like "colliac wah arie". It seems to be said when someone is trying to recall something to memory, exactly like English speakers might say "what is it?". It's an entirely rhetorical question, always.

I presume the 'wah' is related to 'thinking', similar to 'kit wah'. The 'arie' part is clearly obvious.

I note however that better native speakers of Thai language do not use the phrase at all. I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but native Bangkok people do not seem to use it, but Isaan people do quite regularly. The phrase can be very noticeable and is used constantly during conversation by some people, making it rather irritating at times.

Is it therefore a sign of someone's education and background?

I'm not sure if it's a regional dialect but the two people who use it often are from Udon Thani and from Korat. Notably, Korat speakers do not usually use Laos language.

Thanks for all the positive and negative points, this has been helpful to gain an alternative view. However, I must say that some of you have perhaps not read my opening paragraph, in which I said what I wanted from the outset; that I simply needed to know more about MLM in Thailand because I am contemplating a relationship with this woman.

Instead some of you have asked "what is the problem you have with your girl doing this?" and further, "if the OP gets his girl to stop [doing MLM]". Actually I suggested nothing of the sort and I do not have a problem with her involvement. But I feel that because this is a potential new relationship for me, I have every right to know about her work, notwithstanding that it is a new concept for me.

The question is not therefore whether I will urge her to stop working in MLM, but whether I will continue the relationship at this very early stage. Is that reasonable?

But anyway, thanks to all for what you've written.

Actually what I noticed recently, was that the 'mentor' who helps her, seems quite controlling. This person booked a room for me at the resort/hotel where the conference was taking place, which I stayed in on my own. It was all a 'block booking'. Anyway it transpired that the mentor had tried to make a profit on my room rate for the two nights. I found this out by accident. So naturally I felt a lack of trust.

So, I can't blame my lady for this, but the sort of people with whom she's closely working, obviously might affect our relationship in the future.

I met a rather nice woman from online and she took me and recruited me into their MLM, actually some of their products that i used while I was with her...

Thanks, that's helpful. I met this lady on-line too. I hope it's not the same person ;-)

If your lady is selling this stuff and making some money from it, be supportive of it, it's better than her doing nothing and asking you for money...

Yes, this is a good point. She is the first Thai girl who's never asked me for any money. She ran around in my car a bit over the weekend, which made me feel I was being used, but at least she offered me money for gas.

I wonder if anyone has experience of MLM in Thailand, as I am involved with a lady who does this for Zhulian. I'd like to hear anything good or bad. I'm not interested in the concept for any commercial reasons but simply because it seems to be a big part of her life and if I'm having a relationship with her, it will impact on me too.

Essentially she is involved in selling Zhulian products and recruiting agents. She does not seem to sell a lot of product material, but nevertheless is very active attending seminars and speaking on the phone with colleagues, one of whom seems to try to control her. I have read about it [MLM] on Wikipedia and the concept seems to get a lot of negative comments; they say for instance in USA that only about 1% of the agents involved with it, actually qualified for any commission and of those, only 10% made more than $100/week. It seems to have been the subject of legal action in a number of cases.

I attended a seminar recently, just to give her some support, and it seemed like brainwashing to me. They have a song and a gesture etc. and play foolish games at the conference. There are a number of people in Thailand, it seems, who have become very wealthy from it. According to my lady, some of them make 1m Bt/month. One even is said to make 10m Bt/month. I'm not sure I believe this, and I think some of this is brainwashing. I think a lot of lies are told about agents' level of success.

She showed me the magazine, full of Thais who have attained some sort of high level, Royal Crown or something like that. They wear a weird costume and a gold crown - really quite bizzarre. Pathetic even. The owner of Zhulian Thailand seems to wear a white military costume in all his official pictures. Does he have a ligitimate military rank? I'm not sure. In one picture it shows him meeting Queen Sirikit. I asked my lady why he was meeting the Queen and she said that the palace use their products. All bunkum of course.

I feel that the involvement with Zhulian is possibly a source of problems for us in the future. Does anyone have similar stories or information to share? Many thanks.

I'm fairly confident this is ok, but as always, comments and improvements are welcome!

Many thanks indeed khun Peppy, this is great. Sorry I didn't have chance to reply but have been on holiday since. Kind regards.

Is Chokchai farm very good? We stopped at the car park last week but the admission was a staggering 250 Baht each. I wouldn't mind too much if it wasn't a commercial business enterprise trying to promote its products anyway!

Actually the National Park is (up to) 600 THB for foreigners. We boycotted that too - a complete scam I think.

Which National Park is 600 baht?

Khao Yai N.P. is B400 for farangs and B20 for Thais.

I know Khao Yai is 400 as I was there last Thurs and Fri (though entry is free on hols so the only thing I paid was some leeches with some blood) but I am wondering which Nat Park sambai paid 600 baht to enter?

No, I didn't pay, as we didn't go. But we called the TAT before the trip to Pak Chong because I wanted them to confirm officially what I needed to show in order to avoid the Thailand tourist scam. The office told us it depended on how far we went into Khao Yai and that the price for going into the furthest point was 600 for foreigners. In Ubon last year, we were told that if we had our house documents to show we lived in Thailand, they'd let us in for the Thai price, but not with our driving licences. So this time I decided to call and check, but the Ubon park's claim was obviously not truthful.

I hope it's ok to ask, but could someone help with this translation please for a friend of mine, into Thai? TIA

For my darling -----

Our first picture

Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima

Saturday 19-Aug-2000

The first day of our life together

and the beginning of our love.

Some driving here is absolutely disgraceful, including some by foreigners, but I do not accept that foreigners set the standard. I drive on Highway 4 twice a week covering 200km each way and I see a lot of Thai drivers on that route, some young guys in pickups and some bus drivers. They seem to set the worse standards.

Their dangerousness is evinced by the number of pick-ups in ditches and over verges.

I went with my girlfriend on her ten hours' professional driving lessons last year. The lack of standards was quite outrageous. The radio was on, the teacher's arm was dangling out of the window. He used one hand on the wheel at all times. The result shows on the road also, but there are indeed some good Thai drivers, despite the poor driving education.

DTAC's terms simply say that a credit card is needed. They do not say it has to be a Thai credit card. I believe you were misinformed by this DTAC shop. This is just normal for Thailand, I'm afraid. I had a very easy time at DTAC in Tesco Lotus on Rama 4 Road, Bangkok. The shop is on the second floor.

Under the circumstances I would call DTAC's help line and tell them what happened. Their English is very good.

Thanks to all for the replies. I've got a few choices there. Great.

You say you need to be in Pak Chong but dont want to drive from Khao Yai. My wife is a bit confused. She is from Korat and says Pak Chong is much closer to Kao Yai than Korat.

Thanks for the reply and sorry to confuse. I really want to stay in Pak Chong, which I thought was in Korat Province. I realise Korat is the other name for Nakhon Ratchasima, but basically I want to stay as close to Pak Chong as possible.

I could do with somewhere to stay that has a decent room and breakfast but not too really expensive. Thanks for any help, I'd appreciate it very much if you have any ideas.

I need to stay in Pak Chong at the weekend and the only place I've read about is the Landmark, which would be fine, were it not for the simply awful reviews I've read on line. Can anyone advise somewhere in the 1,000 Baht region nearby please? I know that there are resorts in Khao Yai but I do not want to drive quite that far. Thanks.