ItDontMeanAThing

Seems a little silly to complain about it.. it's a playground, they got stuck a litle: big deal.

Try rereading the OP. Getting stuck caused the collision with the next raft which almost caused them being ejected from the ride. It's silly to think they were complaining about getting stuck.

...

For instance: Which is it illegal to drive? A military tank or car without windshield. I said Military Tank. Wrong. Apparently it is legal to own and drive a Tank but not a car without a windshield.......I ride motorcycle, I do not always ride with my visor down. Whats the difference? Furthermore, this question was on my test twice, the exact same question.

Another: U Turn in intersection or on a bridge. Definitely a bridge......NOPE. Intersection. So its OK to U-Turn on a bridge? <deleted>?

...

It's an intersection because accidents are far more likely to occur at intersections than anywhere else. On the tank / windshield question, the answer is windshield because it's the most dangerous of the choices. As for the tank, I've long since forgotten what test creators call that type of choice. But I do remember it's used to present an attractive alternate (at least to those who don't know the test material) to the correct choice.

I've looked at the test copies BB24 posted. I've never studied for or taken the test, but got the first 20 correct by using a combination of having paid attention to signs and markings while riding a motorbike for 5 years in Thailand and, depending on how the question is worded, choosing the safest or most dangerous option.

Will I need either a car or motorbike for a road test, as a first time applicant?

If you need to take the practical test then you must supply the bike for bike licence and car for car licence.

Supplying the bike means I'll ride it there without a license. Any consequences for that?

>Was your breakfast good ?

I think so. It's my current favorite. Various combinations from: eggs, toast, tea/coffee, beans, bacon (what the English call bacon), sausage, beans, black pudding. As with most places in Thailand, they fail at soft boiled eggs.

>Does that price include breakfast?

I doubt it.

I had breakfast at Limelight today, so I asked about their rooms: Standard 550b, Superior 600b. All: ensuite, aircon, king size bed, fridge, hot water, TV.

Limelight. 600b. Maybe also 500b, but not sure. Believe it or not, they're on Booking.com: http://www.booking.com/hotel/th/limelight-guest-house-restaurant-bar.en-gb.html

The map at booking.com is off a bit. Limelight is at the "LL" in the label "Selakam Alley". If you know the area, it's just outside El Murphy's front door.

You can get the residence certificate since you have an extension of stay.

Have you changed your address at immigration in CM yet?

Thanks for connecting the residence certificate and extension of stay.

I don't plan to arrive in CM for a few months.

You should not have a problem to get a residence certificate with 3 month rental contract.

You visa/entry status could effect you getting it though.

Thanks.

I have a non-imm 'O' for the purpose of retirement with several 12 month extensions (did I phrase that right? ... I need coffee)

Will a 3 month rental agreement for a place in Chiang Mai be sufficient proof of residence to obtain a residency certificate in Chiang Mai? I've never had a need for a residency certificate. Finally decided to get a drivers license, so I'll need the certificate.

invadeIT, 58/160 Hua Hin Soi 6

might have to give buddy a call first to make sure they have a tech there but yep

google the name you'll find number and map and what you need.

It's been years since they did repair.

Things I like best about Hua Hin:

- If there is a better combination of good air quality, access to a variety of western style amenities and able to get to the either the center of bangkok or it's airports usually in less than 4 hours, please tell me about it.

- It's not a sexpat destination. Among the worst parts of such locations are the resident expat men. It has nothing to do with their use of rent-a-girls.

However, at the rate it's growing, living nearby may be a more attractive option. Those who came here years before me have led the way. The most obvious growth related problem is traffic. Those who complain about it remind me of those in Los Angeles who complain about the traffic: they'd rather complain about it than adjust to driving when and where there is less traffic. Heaven forbid one were to suggest to such car owning people they could get most anywhere in town at most anytime much easier on a motorbike.

Yikes, so many comments don't know where to start.

Like so many said, everything is comparative and whether or not you like a place depends on many factors. When we were in Bangkok we met people who loved living there. We gave it 3 weeks and were happy to leave. We liked Hua Hin much more but, for us, wouldn't be a place we would want to live in long term. Chiang Mai - mom's lived there 10 years and over the last few she complains endlessly of traffic and pollution. We've been in Nong Khai for a month now and actually really enjoy it - beautiful location, just enough of a tourist infrastructure, and the cleanest Thai town we've come across yet. We could easily settle here for a while. A lot of people wouldn't agree but (for us) really perfect as far as Thailand goes.

A lot of people getting upset but really was just an opinion piece (no boss by the way, no one paying for this). Appreciate the people who took the time to write the good about the town, I'll edit the post down the line and include some of the more helpful extracts as a counter-argument.

Mikosan - Angela and Chris were there 3 days. So if I get criticism for not getting a feel of the place after 5 weeks...

Jagfx - that was our goal as well, to find a base while travelling around SE Asia.

Nielsk - Thanks, appreciate it. Lots of the usual suspects on forums and not worth getting into it. I previously wrote about them in this post: http://bbqboy.net/travel-forums-101-dealing-trolls-haters-expats-uglies/. Best to just let them vent and wish them a happy new year.

I advise visiting during the burning season before getting too deep into plans about settling.

El Murphy's is the only place I know of that regularly shows live pro football from the US, and other pro sports. Don't know if they do the year end college bowls, but that's where I'd start. Find the Bintabaht map thread in the 'After Dark' subforum at huahinforum dot com. Murph's is toward the east end of Soi Selakam, at the odd shaped intersection of 4 sois.

They have a book with each week's intended shows at the cash register, but will show events not in the book if there are unused screens. So few Yanks watch sports, it helps the staff locate the right channel if one knows the network of the desired show.

Never seen one in 5 years here. If a pool noodle can substitute, they're sold in the toy store on the 3rd floor of Market Village.

Thank you. Lesson learned. Lucky for me the lens has a reputation for being rugged.

#3 is your problem.

Whatever warranty applied expired in May 2012.

The parts to fill in 'customer number' and 'Warranty Card Number" were left blank.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I think you are out of luck.

Thank you. I figured I'd been hosed by the local dealer, but still have faint hope that either the camera store chain or Pannasonic will fix it. To that end it would be helpful for me to know the translations for the enlarged sections.

>The parts to fill in 'customer number' and 'Warranty Card Number" were left blank.

Do you mean the five blank lines above the bar code? I added the six grey rectangles on the left side to cover printed numbers.

Attached are photos of a warranty card. My usual translator isn't available, so maybe y'all will help me. I'd really appreciate it.

First image is the whole card. Subsequent images are enlargements of the words I need translated.

Click for full size.

Whole

One

Two

Three

The next one has a dealer stamp over the printed text. If the printed part is an address or company name, then no need to translate.

Four

Thank you.

I used Liason Continent travel insurance from Seven Corners. It covered 'sudden onset' of my per-existing condition. http://www2.sevencorners.com/liaison-continent/

I shop for travel insurance at Squaremouth.com because of their search features and Zero Complaint Guarantee., which states We work on your behalf. If any one of our clients has a complaint against a provider that cannot be resolved to our satisfaction, we will remove the provider from our site and no longer sell its products. Note it's their satisfaction not the customers. In 95% of all insurance complains the customer doesn't have a case because it usually comes down to 3 things: I thought I was covered, I should have been covered, what do you mean I have to follow the terms of the agreement when making a claim.

Thanks all. Any pros & cons about the people and culture?

A finicky bladder? Try an external male catheter. I used one as a pilot. It was weird at first, but a hell of a lot better than holding in too much for too long. Choose between a collection bag or a tube that discretely 'waters' the lawn or wherever you're standing. http://www.oneonthego.com/MEC_Notes.php

My choice would be a university town with a population under 200k close enough to a city for overnight trips but far enough there would be no commuters. Having lived in the tropics, southern california, Vegas and downstate Illinois, I'd like a climate with mild four seasons, though could handle anyplace if there was only one season where is was fracking unpleasant to go outside.

Crime is a concern anywhere in the world,

But the amount of concern varies by location. For example, people get robbed everywhere in the US, but that stops few from going outside wearing simple jewelry such as a gold wedding band. Expats living in many south american cities write of never going outside wearing or carrying anything of value and having a 'dummy wallet' with enough money to satisfy a robber.

I've read that Brits and other Europeans were fond of second homes, long term rentals and living in Spain year round, at least until the global economic crisis. Economics aside, what were/are your pros and cons of staying there for months on end? Si, yo hablo espanol un poco.

I may want to be out of Thailand long enough to miss any conceivable window for extending my 12 month permission to stay on my O visa for retirement. Will applying for another O visa be easier, harder or no different now that my passport has an expired O visa and 5 years of extensions? I'll also have a Thai bank accound and a leased Thai apartment, both of which I had when I first asked for a O visa for retirement.

I have no idea how suspicious a Thai immigration official might be of the 'monthly transfer' method. Seems to me one could make this more believable by doing two things. First is don't use a round figure. Every pension check i've seen was unrounded, e.g. $1993.23 vs $2000. Second is to make two wire transfers a year out of that account which matches wire transfers into one's Thai bank account. Overkill? Maybe.