Sherlocke

THe above Pajero is a different vehicle.

THat f/t 4wd uses more fuel is largely a myth aa is tyre wear - in fact with traction control it can make the drive more efficient and even out tyre wear.

as for but ugly - I won'tgo into a long explanation of proportion and semiotics but YES - butt ugly - I think the Mitsu is slightly less ugly than the Fortuner. THe end result is you have to decide which of the ugly sisters you want to ride! - No Cinderellas here unless the Navara SUV arrives.

That sounds about right. but doesn't the Mitsu have TC too?

Not that I think any of them represent any milestones in motoring history, I would choose completely the inverse to the above,

I presume when you say "belt driven and chain driven" you are referring to the cam drive - really not an issue these days.......the Isuzu engines get incredibly rattly/noisy after a short time, the Mitsu engine has been in several models over the past 2 decades, the track record is fine, the styling of all of them is ugly to butt ugly.

the toyota's "full time" 4wd drive is not just for the alps and on Thailand's appallingly variable roads is an important safety feature - as well as traction it also has ground clearance and entry and exit angles that are much better than the Everest or Isuzu.

As for handling and performance it is generally regarded a the Toyota is the best too - although I would guess the Mitsu is as good if not better in some respects.

Does the Mitsu not have a 4wd system that transfers power to the wheels that need it???? that would put it way ahead of the others......

the quality, both body and mechanical of theToyota is better, and the resale values and sale-ability are much higher too.

quite frankly I wonder how Ford and Isuzu mange to sell any vehicles at all such is the difference between them and the Toyota and Mitsu.

THe izusu and Everest are basically pickups with a station wagon body bolted on the chassis. I also believe that THe Izusu is a modifed model by Thairung not Izusu

THe Pajero and Fortuner are similar but have the luxury of modified rear suspension with coil springs.

My research leads me to believe they also have more sophisticated 4wd systems.

THey're all a bit crappy really, but they are simple and built to last.

THe Escape is a different animal with different construction (in the Philipines) but essentially a "soft-roader"

THe Volvo C90 is quite a lot dearer, even second hand - there's the C80 which is cheaper.

Yet another attempt by the Thai authorities to make themselves look like nincompoops to the rest of the world.

never mind about the alleged crimes - lets go off on a red herring legal technicality.

Hutch are typical of any company that tries to sell anything connected with IT in Thailand.

THe staff are untrained, incompetent and ill-informed.

They are under pressure to sell, sell. sell and there is absolutely no customer service. getting your money back is only part of the solution - it all takes time - and what in hel_l's name did they sell the service for in the first place, when even a basic bit of training would have avoided this - but they simply don't care - grab the money and run appears to be their motto.

I have actually had a Hutch account for 2 years - I hasten to add, it is NOT my main access to the net nor will it ever be.

In my area I have been told there is a "problem" - exactly what it is they can't/won't say....i'm still waiting.

I was offered their hi-speed connection then after further questioning, told that wouldn't work either...the ridiculous thing is that the service was quite tolerable about 2 years ago, now it has just gone downhill steadily.

As for the rates they charge, you have to take their word how much you download or try and get it off the net.....I've never succeeded...why they can't put it on your bill is beyond me - they measure it don't they so they can charge you - they just don't want to share that snippet of info with you...the customer!!!!

basically the way they now operate is scandalous!

"Koh Phangan To Be Drugs-free Family Destination,"

Why do they even bother to report this as it it were a factual statement?

this is clearly the "brainchild" (and I use the term loosely) of another "great politician" - probably conceived whilst on the toilet....which is where it should have stayed.

"Try to get a visa for europe as Thai people and you will see were it is the most difficult." - tourist visa for UK for a Thai subject took 7 days - the joke is it lasts for 6 months - not 30 days, 60 days or even 15 days!

"I'm lucky enough for this not to affect me, as my employer pays for my work permit." - this is head in the sand stuff........if your employer gets sick of forking out more every time he/she wants to employ a foreigner, they may well think twice about employing foreigners at all......

Still when all's said and done wasn't Thailand just rated number 12 in easy countries to do business with/in...or something like that?

... I also cannot fathom how this airport can be secure, isn't the baggage area a secure area? But we hear that the "secure" area is crawling with unauthorized personnel, that's scary. Any terrorist can enter the airport posing a gang member... it's just preposterous!

Actually the report stated that porters, with security passes, are working in the baggage area. This is where they are supposed to be. The problem is that they can also work "on the side" for the gangs - perhaps directing tourists to illegal taxis or tour guides, for example, and receiving a commission.

Cheers,

Mike

So basically there is no real process for weeding out thoseunsuited for clearance. So no matter how many people they arrest or whatever, the gangs will just find another group of people , get them registered and start again

Maybe there should be warnings from travel agents and signs at the airport...

"Warning - you are about to enter an unrestricted crime zone.

Organised crime and its minions operates on these premises"

THanks for that site!

none ofmy searches ever brought it up - depite putting in things like the serial number.

BTW = does the TELEPHOTO lens (DMW-LT55) fit on the LX3 - ????? - !!!!!

I'm SHOCKED - and stunned - can it be true?

......... that some of the contributors to this thread actually have never had sex on a beach!?!?!?!

Can someone tell me - who or what is the Thailand Research Foundation?

I noticed in europe that Nissan do a really good-looking SUV and judging by the styling, it is based on their Navara pick truck.

Does anyone know if it is/will be available in thailand???

Also can anyone recommend an SUV with full options on the 4WD system?

Just thought - many years ago I had a bike that kept cutting out on a partially full tank - I kept checking the fuel and off it would go again only to splutter to a halt a few minutes later. The answer? the air-vent of the filler cap was blocked causing a vacuum inthe tank which prevented gas from flowing out into the fuel line......maybe worth checking as its such a quick and cheap solution.

THe govt needs revenue and this is a kind of tax - there seem to be a few examples of this - the Phuket clamp down on businesses is largely to see if they can get more tax out of business owners........... however it all looks like a shot in the foot to me.

Almost every LX3 i've seen in Thailand has been an "open box' or grey import....the last last one I saw the start-up intro seemed to be in an East european language. it also appears that accessories are not available at all. I contacted Panasonic but got no reply.

Whereas I agree that you should always examine the cheapest options first, simply changing part after part is not a rational approach.

Have you made some basic visual and tactile tests?

firstly - have you identified what the"smoke" actually is? - get a cloth and collect some, then work out once and for all if there is water present.

As for air - a garage should be able to make some quick and cheap tests along the fuel line to find out is there is a loss of pressure or air is entering.

My opinion on glow plugs is that in this climate they are virtually redundant. Does the vehicle run normally when it gets to running temperature? If not then it can't be glow plugs.

Whereas I agree that you should always examine the cheapest options first, simply changing part after part is not a rational approach.

Have you made some basic visual and tactile tests?

firstly - have you identified what the"smoke" actually is? - get a cloth and collect some, then work out once and for all if there is water present.

As for air - a garage should be able to make some quick and cheap tests along the fuel line to find out is there is a loss of pressure or air is entering.

My opinion on glow plugs is that in this climate they are virtually redundant. Does the vehicle run normally when it gets to running temperature? If not then it can't be glow plugs.

Whereas I agree that you should always examine the cheapest options first, simply changing part after part is not a rational approach.

Have you made some basic visual and tactile tests?

firstly - have you identified what the"smoke" actually is? - get a cloth and collect some, then work out once and for all if there is water present.

As for air - a garage should be able to make some quick and cheap tests along the fuel line to find out is there is a loss of pressure or air is entering.

My opinion on glow plugs is that in this climate they are virtually redundant. Does the vehicle run normally when it gets to running temperature? If not then it can't be glow plugs.

Whereas I agree that you should always examine the cheapest options first, simply changing part after part is not a rational approach.

Have you made some basic visual and tactile tests?

firstly - have you identified what the"smoke" actually is? - get a cloth and collect some, then work out once and for all if there is water present.

As for air - a garage should be able to make some quick and cheap tests along the fuel line to find out is there is a loss of pressure or air is entering.

My opinion on glow plugs is that in this climate they are virtually redundant. Does the vehicle run normally when it gets to running temperature? If not then it can't be glow plugs.

Any "white smoke" whilst cranking is probably just diesel vapour being past through the system.

White smoke when the engine is running would indicate "steam" i.e. water getting into the combustion chamber.

How it is getting there is a matter for testing.

Test the coolant system, is it getting pressurised does the coolant show signs of "pollution"? Test compression etc.

I wish my bank manager was called " Weerachai Tantiwatthanawallop"!

They seem to have missed the point - most foreigners who seek a work permit are employed by a Thai company - they do so because they represent good value for the business - they are needed and an investment....so why try to increase the prrice of improving the Thai economy? Usually the Thai company pays for the permit so it is Thai businesses they will be hitting directly and loosing foreign expertise.