captnhoy

OP, you sure you're not too shy to admit that you are an American? WE love to fight over anything and nothing at all.

That's why every time I go, I literally take the kitchen sink (and a copy of it) with me!! That's including an ATM receipt as well as a bank letter dated that day.

Ever seen a guy in a queue with a wheelbarrow? That's me!!

You call that a nightmare? You have posted enough to make one think you knew what could happen in any immigrations office anywhere in the land of Smiles, yet you cry like a baby about your six hour nightmare to obtain your yearly visa. Quit whining and complaining about a hard seat and all your other minor inconveniences you experienced. Immigrations was not custom made just for you,

I got my annual extension in just 20 minutes here in Ranong. 6 hours would indeed be a nightmare even if they provided an easy chair. What are you? A drill sergeant?

Just run your AC on cold with the windows up and all the windows will become clear as it is the humidity in the car that causes them to steam up. AC de humidifies the air.

Sorry but just the opposite is true. Speaking from my experience last rainy season the cold inside caused condensation on the glass just like on a cold beverage. If I can get plumbing added to that vent I'll blow air to the windshield with the aircon off.

Buy a Honda Wave problem solved.............

who removed your duct tape?

I'd like to tell you what I do with my money when out and about in these areas, but then the pickpockets would know where to look

LOL !! Same here! When the shopkeeper wrinkles their nose as I hand over the bills I just mumble something about palaa and all is good.

Well thanks to all who posted something worthwhile. I know of a guy with an aircon shop and I'm going to see if it's feasible to add a hose to that top of the dash vent. If not, I'll be shopping for a fan.

No heater in Vigos...just have to shut your eyes and drive like the Thais or open the window every few minutes.

Glad I only live in Chiangrai and not in the mountains. No heater there in winter must be cruel and unusual punishment.

Yeah - well there is no heater in a VIOS either.

If you want heater or working front defrost vents in a Thai car or truck, you have to buy a model with climate control AC. Simple as that.

Exactly, you simply turn up the temperature and the Aircon works as a reverse cycle system the same in a house.

i have to assume that there is a difference between aircon and climate control aircon. So, simple for you but here I am with aircon not knowing if it is "climate control aircon". I do know that no air comes out of that big damned vent right under the windshield, which to me is really stupid since there is a blower fan in the car for the aircon. So, let's add it up - we have a vent, we have a blower, but we have no plumbing to blow the air through the vent. It's looking like the fan idea is the best one. I certainly do not need a heater in the car as it's rarely even cool here even when it's raining. It's about blowing air on the windshield that has not been cooled by the aircon. Thanks everyone.

I was told by a Toyota dealer service tech that my Vios has no front defrost system. It's hard to accept that since 1) Many times before I've heard "no have" when in fact they do have 2) I've had more faith in Toyota than that. 3) There is a very big vent slot under the windshield 4) There is an electric rear defroster!!! 5)this car was manufactured in Thailand so maybe some vent hose was just left out.

So to me this does not add up - you can see where you've been but not where you are going? The rainy season is upon us here in Ranong and last year I had to pull over and wait in a heavy downpour because the window steamed up too much to see through. However, I must admit there seems to be no air routing control for this front vent slot, so maybe he's right.

If true, how can this be addressed? I mean aside from driving in the rain with all the windows down or cutting the top off and making it completely open . . .

The guys that attempted and failed to launch themselves into orbit on a scooter should have tried one of these - if at first you don't .......lol

Now I see why you have so many posts.

Now I see why you have so many posts.

Now I see why you have so many posts.

The comments section was hilarious; people saying Australia is just as corrupt as Thailand (because we have corruption in Australia therefore it must be at the same level).

Yeah, I used to think that about America too. You hardly see a glimpse of it in your daily life because it is SO much bigger than that.

euh no not all, about 99% of them

I have had lots of work done around my house, extentions, additions, almost anything you care to name, and I have no comlaint about anything, and the pricing was good too. only last week, all the electricity in the house went off, the first time in eight years, this was about 11 pm. Mrs Possum got a man in to fix it within about 20 mins, job done, cost 300 Baht. Would that happen in a western country?

No - it absolutely would not happen in a western country. Because if your power went out it would have nothing to do with the electrical system in your house so the local "chang fai" could do nothing for you. The problem would be outside the house. OK, to be fair it is possible but highly unlikely.

It's not all about language skills. It's also about listening skills and I find that my wife is not such a good listener. If the exchange is unimportant many times I just drop it. If it is important it sometimes takes 2 or 3 times to be heard by her.

and the elephant asked "how do you breathe through that little thing?"

Thanks for the replies! Here's what I've learned for now: it really somehow managed to travel with me all the way from Thailand to Bulgaria, since in my country we don't have geckos. It's possible to be house gecko, since it's ~1.5cm long. I put it in terrarium, this morning it drinked little bit water. I'll take some live food (crickets, flies or white worms) from the fishing store, because it doesn't want to eat dead flies. I think to name it Kea, which in Thai means "guest" (or something like that) :-)

Nice! i like them myself. They eat the mosquitoes here so I am all for letting them run all over the house. Be a good little pet and when you come back you can try and bring him back with you!

He's gonna get lonely though so you may have to give him a hand.....

Or if he's a she good luck with that. Maybe you can buy some other lizard for a companion. Get some mixed breeding going on - kinda like here.

"The bizarre incident resulted in serious injuries"

Nothing bizarre about it IMO. Some while ago the Missus had the tv on and there was a brief news flash about an elephant doing some damage to a wall and then trampling some autos. I wanted to see it again so went looking on that video search site. It was amazing the number of videos showing "tame" elephants rampaging. I'll never go near another elephant.

You didn't notice that unless you speak thai, the conversation doesn't go much beyond where to eat your next meal, did you?

Thai at Heart, I respect your personal observation, but you can never generalize.

There are many couples in Thailand that can have proper conversations and discuss anything and everything.

Thai people do learn English.

Farangs seldom bother to learn Thai.

BWAAAAHHHAAAA HAAA HAAA!

I see that you however can generalize!

YES!

And the western world is considering filing suit against Thailand for celebrating OUR New Year

Pattaya is the City of Love .... nothing to be ashamed of.

City of love? No...City of whores, yes. whatever floats your boat but I came to Thailand for other reasons.

Well aren't you special!

Oh my, how ostentatious can one be. And on an anonymous forum, no less. So your requirement of your so-called "friends" is that they must live a jet-set lifestyle (while you're exempted, of course). I can tell you why you don't have any male Thai friends. They find you uninteresting, boring, and pretentious beyond belief.

This is probably my problem too. I sometimes see that I am recreating the role of Cliff on the American TV series Cheers. The know-it-all and I've always had more women friends than men friends.

I did have two male Thai friends who are brothers. As I was building my boat I happened across them building a boat too. As luck would have it their English was passable and we got on well talking boats and fishing. Then when the boats were finished we'd frequently fish together on theirs or mine. 4 years on the elder brother borrowed 20,00 baht of my money from my gf. I would have turned him down because I knew it was not coming back and I don't need to buy my friends. What she did is another story for another time. I let this ride for 2 years until he sold his boat. My money put his boat back to condition to sell. He sold it for 150,000 baht and was so happy. I waited for him to offer the 20,000 back and when he did not I told him I wanted it. He went away like he was embarrassed but invited me to a party at his house a few days later. I asked the brother at the party what's the occasion? Selling the boat? No, he won 120,000 in the lottery. My money was never repaid and neither of them speak to me any more. Where's the friendship?

The double pricing and showing no price on markets will soon be over, then Thailand is full of shoppingmalls from Central with only big shops left.

The not obeying trafficrules and being selfish on the roads will also stop one day when Thailand gets real policemen. Nobody likes to be hurt in an accident. I see more rich Thai biking now, that is a good sign.

Thailand is just still an undeveloped 3rd world country on many fronts, there is enough money these days so it is just a matter of time before civilisation kicks in.

I have been hearing about Thailand is undeveloped country since I was born. I mean can you or anyone explain what is considered developed country?

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A developed country has a trash collection solution. Reading of someone dying from electrocution is not the norm. Traffic laws are generally obeyed because drivers know there is a consequence if they are not.

Most definitely fitting in. I cannot read or write (in Thai), know very little language, drive wherever my car will fit, even if the wrong way, pass on blind curves and hills as fast as I can get that thing to go. Someone coming? Mai Pen RAI! They can hit the ditch. I never say "I don't know" as any answer will do just to keep my face. Usually that answer is "no have" even though I am sitting on the very thing they are asking about. ANNNND I was made for eating with my spoon as primary utensil with the fork as a push tool. Saves me from using my thumb like I used to do.

Diving might be improved in the coming years with all the sunken tour boats to dive. If you dare.

Occasionally I'm painfully aware that I too am illiterate in this country. With old ears I'm not sure I can even detect the different tonalities, therefore I can be discouraged by the learning curve.