connda

If the BIB would stop harassing tourists and giving them piss tests, and reassign those office to 'traffic', and rigorously start stopping and testing drivers for drunk driving during those holidays, maybe, just maybe those numbers would go down. But the PTB would rather just issue a blanket ban which really only affects tourist and people who can plan their lives out further than 2 hours in the future.

There are a number of issues here that need confirmation to enable your ' scooter touring trip ' around thailand.

People here don't normally use a scooter ... 125cc .. to travel big distances.

Having said that i'm not saying it can't be done but you would need confirmation on :

When hiring the scooter on a daily rate or monthly or whatever you need to get approval / confirmation that it used to travel to the north, south, east west or your choice area.

You need to confirm the insurance .... what is covered ? ... if someone steals the scooter in some remote location will the insurance pay for the loss to the hirer ? If someone hits you in a benz are you covered to repair there car & the scooter because if it's a thai driving which is most likely it will never be there fault. ?

Sounds like it could be fun .... be warned ... sort out the hiring & insurance issues thoroughly !! and not just verbal.

I am not familar with the licence requirement in thailand so maybe someone else can answer that one ...

good luck on the adventure ... also , if I were you , I would not go alone .. best to have two people when traveling especially from a safety point.

If you really are going down the 'scooter' route, get a Honda Dream 125. They are geared and built for various road conditions, like mountain driving. I've done 200k + trips with mine. An easy drive at 80 to 90 Km/H, good handling on curves and in the mountains. However, on the highways you need to drive on the shoulders with the 'small' bike, by law. If you have a 'full-framed' bike that can cruise at 120 Km/H, the cops aren't going to bother you, unless maybe you're in Bangkok. But that doesn't sound like your plan.

Personally, once I bought a full-sized 250cc twin-V, I stopped using the Dream except for city driving. All touring I did on the larger bike.

The best small bike for touring, surely a Honda PCX 150.

Personally haven't ridden a PCX, but know people who own them. You might have a point.

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Yeah, fly in from Washington State and Colorado where smoking pot is perfectly legal. Next thing you know you're sitting in a Thai jail for popping on THC. That would thoroughly suck, especially for tourists who are doing nothing illegal in their own counties. Yeah, this issue definitely needs world-wide exposure.

I think its mainly for Meth/Yeh Ba. If they are testing for weed then that hangs around in you for weeks. I dont think the instant ones on the street can pick it up, might be wrong but I thought that had to be lab test

So, pray tell us all connda, why do they want to come over here when smoking pot is perfectly illegal.

Please, tell them to stay in the country where it is legal, as it is not over here in Thailand.

Save your mates, please.

Win

Ummm, they like the food?

Maybe "Sharky" has the right idea after all, just go bananas at the them, swear at the top of your voice, prod them in the chest, and tell them they are a bunch of corrupt %^&&&'s. Then watch them disappear

They disappear because you are now unconscious?

Migrant workers? How about foreign men who marry Thai national women? We are not afforded the same path to citizenship nor the same immigration policies as foreign women who marry Thai national men. As a foreign man with a Thai wife, my yearly 'extension based on marriage' affords me all the rights and privileges as a Thai national convicted of a crime and then placed on probation. But foreign women married to Thai men: Green-lighted for citizenship. Show me the "Equity, Fairness and Resilience" in basic Human Rights issues here in Thailand as applied to foreign men fully supporting their Thai families: immediate and extended?

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"...urine samples can test as positive due to the use of a contaminated container, for example." alt=wai2.gif width=20 height=20> alt=wai.gif width=20 height=20>

Would not surprise me whatsoever...

The other problem is that tourists arriving from overseas may not have gone "dry" before arriving and they are arrested for urine content and not on actually taking drugs while in Thailand.

Yeah, fly in from Washington State and Colorado where smoking pot is perfectly legal. Next thing you know you're sitting in a Thai jail for popping on THC. That would thoroughly suck, especially for tourists who are doing nothing illegal in their own counties. Yeah, this issue definitely needs world-wide exposure.

I think its mainly for Meth/Yeh Ba. If they are testing for weed then that hangs around in you for weeks. I dont think the instant ones on the street can pick it up, might be wrong but I thought that had to be lab test

You have a point. Does anyone know what the BIB 'street tests' are testing for? At least I can give my friends back home a 'heads up' before they travel here.

"...urine samples can test as positive due to the use of a contaminated container, for example."

Would not surprise me whatsoever...

The other problem is that tourists arriving from overseas may not have gone "dry" before arriving and they are arrested for urine content and not on actually taking drugs while in Thailand.

Yeah, fly in from Washington State and Colorado where smoking pot is perfectly legal. Next thing you know you're sitting in a Thai jail for popping on THC. That would thoroughly suck, especially for tourists who are doing nothing illegal in their own counties. Yeah, this issue definitely needs world-wide exposure. Agreed. Clicked 5 Stars.

Not that I'm worried about testing positive, but this is enough to make me want to cancel my upcoming trip to Bangkok. Just not worth the hassle.

But that's just it. Anytime you're forced to take a urine test, it's 1 in 10 that you'll be popped on a 'false positive'. So now going to BKK is like Russian Roulette if you get stopped. Not acceptable odds imho. But then again, Asoke, Soi 22, and Khow San Road aren't my stomping grounds when I'm in BKK. I don't hang out in the tourist areas. But still: disturbing.

There are a number of issues here that need confirmation to enable your ' scooter touring trip ' around thailand.

People here don't normally use a scooter ... 125cc .. to travel big distances.

Having said that i'm not saying it can't be done but you would need confirmation on :

When hiring the scooter on a daily rate or monthly or whatever you need to get approval / confirmation that it used to travel to the north, south, east west or your choice area.

You need to confirm the insurance .... what is covered ? ... if someone steals the scooter in some remote location will the insurance pay for the loss to the hirer ? If someone hits you in a benz are you covered to repair there car & the scooter because if it's a thai driving which is most likely it will never be there fault. ?

Sounds like it could be fun .... be warned ... sort out the hiring & insurance issues thoroughly !! and not just verbal.

I am not familar with the licence requirement in thailand so maybe someone else can answer that one ...

good luck on the adventure ... also , if I were you , I would not go alone .. best to have two people when traveling especially from a safety point.

If you really are going down the 'scooter' route, get a Honda Dream 125. They are geared and built for various road conditions, like mountain driving. I've done 200k + trips with mine. An easy drive at 80 to 90 Km/H, good handling on curves and in the mountains. However, on the highways you need to drive on the shoulders with the 'small' bike, by law. If you have a 'full-framed' bike that can cruise at 120 Km/H, the cops aren't going to bother you, unless maybe you're in Bangkok. But that doesn't sound like your plan.

Personally, once I bought a full-sized 250cc twin-V, I stopped using the Dream except for city driving. All touring I did on the larger bike.

Just wanted to add that I have been in thailand a few days already and didnt get my IDP in USA.

I also read it is totally legal to not have IDP if from g8 and english license with photo.

Not to spoil my trip how much tea money do i need if I get stopped and cop illigeally tries to extort money for IDP?

Driving w/o a license is 100 baht, but they may shake you down for an extra 1 or 2 hundred. They'll give you a ticket which is a free pass for the rest of the day. But really, I wouldn't worry about it much. I've had one occasion where I was riding from my apartment to a shop two blocks from my house without a helmet. Cop stopped me. That's a 400 baht fine. He charged me 100 for not having a license (which I did have). Like anywhere else, there's good cops out there and bad cops out there. Some will work with you, some will attempt to extort tea money, others will give you a free-pass. Smile. Be friendly. That goes a long way.

I've toured for up to 3 weeks on a Honda Click (110 cc) and a Thai-style sidecar. I went from Hua Hin as far as Krabi and Phuket. Great fun, but don't try to do too many miles in a day.

I only got stopped once, because I didn't have my helmet on. When the police men asked where I had driven from they were totally impressed and let me go without paying.

If you do get stopped, your license is invalid and you're subject to 2-300 baht tea money.

Actually, driving with a side car is a great idea. The bigger you are on the road, the better.

If you're serious, I'd suggest rethinking unless you are already an experienced rider, and even then, driving in Thailand is dangerous. Driving in the PI is dangerous too, but personally I think it's worst here. Check your health insurance to see if they cover motorcycle accidents. If not, obtain a good accident policy. And you're not going to want a scooter. You want a road bike at least 200cc or larger. And I would have a riding partner. And learn passable Thai. If you're out in the boondocks, chances are that English may not be understood. This ain't the PI where most people know English as a second language. Make sure that the bike you rent is fully insured including damages and that your 'out-of-pocket' will only be the insurance deductible. Read the insurance policy. If it's only in Thai, move on. Make sure you and the 'rentor' have a clear understanding of how mechanical repairs will be handled and get it in writing. Your license should suffice. I had a valid US license with an endorsement for motorcycles and an International DL. I never once had to show my International license. They always accepted the US DL. But if push comes to shove, driving w/o a license is a whopping 100 baht fine. Lift your visor if you come to a police road block. Outside of the larger cities, if the cops don't speak English, they will normally wave you though. Check the tires and make sure they are top notch. If you are riding with tube tires, learn the Thai word, 'Bpa Yang' which mean tire repair. I can't post the Thai words on this forum, but that's a phrase you'll want to know and be able to read on a sign. If you have tubeless tires, get a DIY flat repair kit and a portable air pump. Just my experience. Can't speak for anyone else. Best of luck.

And exactly how many of these women are supporting their families, paying taxing, and adding to the financial welfare of their communities. So yeah, how about foreign men married to Thai national wives? Talk about a one-way, discriminatory immigration policy.

So what do you do if your definition of 'sexy' is a slightly aging, attractive (stunning in her youth), 50-something Thai woman that you are married to, that would have 'knocked you sock off' ten years earlier (actually, she knocked my socks off 8 years earlier, but who's counting?). But now? Hell, we all get old. I still have the hots for my wife! So go where you want with this thread! Have fun boyz1 Will my wife give me a 'Soapy???" If I wanted one, I'm sure she would. A 'Special?" Yep. Don't knock monogamy with your Thai woman. She has treated me a hell of a lot better than any 'farang' woman that has been in my life.

I'm not going to read what anyone else posts.

SET! How the hell did that happen! The Security Exchange of Thailand and the current government need to address this quickly.

SET = Corruption? Just a question. Don't shoot the observer.

So in the trial of public opinion, the British families have just cast their collective verdict.

If you can both agree to the split, it's as simple as going to her Amphur office and signing dissolution papers.

If you both can't agree to the split, it get dicey. At that point, consult a lawyer.

With all this talk I'll have to take the wife to a curtain hotel for a soapy Jacuzzi. Uh oh! Now the OP will want to know what a 'curtain hotel' is. Lol.

Perhaps next year it might win the much-coveted 'Best Destination under Martial Law' category.

I got here when it was under martial law and we're under martial law again. Martial law, no martial law: Same same but different? lol

Regardless of race it does seem a perversion for a prosecutor to use the grand jury to determine whether to indicte a police officer. Some call it "highjacking" a grand jury.

Grand juries are used to support prosecutions. Grand juries do not pick cases to decide. A case is presented solely by the prosecutor along with evidence the prosecutor believes is relevant to his argument for prosecution. A defendent has no right to present evidence before a GJ - its is not a trial jury. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. attorneys prosecuted 162,000 federal cases in 2010, the most recent year for data. Grand juries declined to return an indictment in only 11 of them. And those eleven may have had something unique, ie., police as the defendent.

A prosecutor's job is not to argue for innocence. Yet in both recent GJ's that's what the prosecution essentially did, allowing the "defendents" to testify, and the GJ ruled no indictment. There is a suble conflict of interest between the prosecution and police - they work with the police week in and week out as a prosecutorial team because it's the arrest of the defendent by police that gets the case to the prosecutor. If there are problems with a successful conviction, the prosecutor assists the police in refining evidence needs.

But the GJ concurrence for indictment is not required by the prosecutor to indict a defendent. In both cases the prosecutor could have indicted the police officers immediately. So cfailure of the US GJ system to indict police officers does seem to deserve UN criticism, albeit the US President, USCongress, and State governments are already looking at possible changes to the system.

Well stated. I agree too.

I went to the dam mentioned a few days ago with my wife. I was shocked at how low the water level has dropped. Normally there are restaurants built out over the water where you sit on mats on the floor and eat in Lanna style - it's a very popular place to eat for local Thais. The eating areas are now high and dry about 30 feet (10 metres) above the water level - can't be good for business.

The drought is quite serious and lots of local farmers are very concerned. Our local river - which supplies a lot of irrigation water - just about manages to run throughout the dry season - though barely a trickle by March/April. At this time of year it should still be flowing well with run-off from the mountains - but it is already down to a trickle and local people predict it will dry up soon - for the first time in living memory - and local agriculture will grind to a halt for lack of water - which will be very serious indeed for a lot of people

Our village is SE of Chiang Mai in Lamphun Province. The lakes in the area are normal level, and the water level in our well is normal as well. Don't see a real problem in this area.

I'm thinking the OP has lived a very sheltered life, or this post is pretty much the definition of a 'troll post'. I'm leaning toward the later.

However, even if it's a troll, I think even the mods are mildly amused enough to let it ride.

So here's my hint for the OP:

A regular Thai massage: 200 baht

An oil massage: 300 baht

An oil massage with a 'happy-ending': 800 baht

A soapy massage in BKK: 2,500+ baht

Now, apply some analytical skills to the above information and I'm sure you'll get the drift

See, some stock standard information, That's all i wanted. Thankyou

My pleasure.