Trips to Bangkok to locate Boat Parts in the back streets ( New update sorry for the delay)

[Big Shasta]

Awesome, Thanks Geoff. One question, don't the wooden boats float?

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Awesome, Thanks Geoff. One question, don't the wooden boats float?

Yes but they drag them up the beach when the tide is out for repairs and general maintenance, Sorry were you talking about the converted motorcycle chassis used for dragging the boats up the beach or did you mean the wooden trailers, The trailers are quite heavy and have wheels and axles so they don't float.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

LOL....very true. I went full beard too.....Not a great picture, I was on Skype in my hotel room in Bahrain. But you get the idea. Everyone says I Look like Obidiah (Jeff bridges, Ironman). I just need a suit to complete the look.

View attachment 23336

I took the lot off about 20 years ago for a Charity money raise ken and although it felt a little strange to start with i soon got used to it and i would never go back, It drives me crazy after a couple of days when it starts to grow back so i have to get the razor out again, When in England i need a hat most of the time but here need a hat sometimes for a different reason and like you said sunscreen but easy to manage and just change your Comb for a Sponge, LOL

 

[Geoff Cooper]

This is my Thailand Shipping licence, I have to renew every year they love paperwork over here you have to take all your details with you such as when you entered Thailand/Owners dwelling paperwork/Proof of where you live from Immigration/Photos/Passport/Proof of Boat ownership/Boat importation documents and every Boat owner is supposed to have one of these, Thought i would just let you see one as maybe many of you would have never seen one before, I have taken the Boat out of the water and in the process of giving it a good once over and it gives me a little time to get to Bangkok to update this post with some more Photos etc as i know some of you find it interesting and although i can use the Boat it's the rainy season now for a few weeks so i use it as an excuse to get a few jobs done.

 

[Big Shasta]

This is my Thailand Shipping licence, I have to renew every year they love paperwork over here you have to take all your details with you such as when you entered Thailand/Owners dwelling paperwork/Proof of where you live from Immigration/Photos/Passport/Proof of Boat ownership/Boat importation documents and every Boat owner is supposed to have one of these, Thought i would just let you see one as maybe many of you would have never seen one before, I have taken the Boat out of the water and in the process of giving it a good once over and it gives me a little time to get to Bangkok to update this post with some more Photos etc as i know some of you find it interesting and although i can use the Boat it's the rainy season now for a few weeks so i use it as an excuse to get a few jobs done.
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Is it expensive to get? You make it sound like people don't always get it. Do you get checked for it?

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Is it expensive to get? You make it sound like people don't always get it. Do you get checked for it?

No it's just a matter of filling in the forms and providing the relevant information and then as usual over here waiting, They love paperwork Ken it keeps them in a job, Many foreigners don't always show enough respect and if anyone here wears a uniform they are regarded as important, When you go to the office to obtain your Licence and you show respect and manners you never have trouble, Problem is many foreigners think they own Thailand and that the office staff are there to be abused, It just means they are made to wait and produce more information, Usual thing ken Ounce of thought to a pound of thrust, I can be in and out of there in 20 minutes many wait all day and have to return tomorrow to try again and wonder what's wrong and get mad with staff so they're made to go through it all over again and the staff smile at them, Manners and respect cost nothing but can save you a lot, It costs about $20 per year.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

No it's just a matter of filling in the forms and providing the relevant information and then as usual over here waiting, They love paperwork Ken it keeps them in a job, Many foreigners don't always show enough respect and if anyone here wears a uniform they are regarded as important, When you go to the office to obtain your Licence and you show respect and manners you never have trouble, Problem is many foreigners think they own Thailand and that the office staff are there to be abused, It just means they are made to wait and produce more information, Usual thing ken Ounce of thought to a pound of thrust, I can be in and out of there in 20 minutes many wait all day and have to return tomorrow to try again and wonder what's wrong and get mad with staff so they're made to go through it all over again and the staff smile at them, Manners and respect cost nothing but can save you a lot, It costs about $20 per year.

IMPORTANT UPDATE

If any of you remember some time ago i wrote about how dangerous the Charter Boats were in Pattaya and i also included Photos of the many Boats that had been involved in accidents which in some cases had resulted in loss of life and that the captain and crew had done a runner on many occasions, Well I'm pleased to inform you that changes have been made to the way these and all Boats in the area are licensed, In this post you will see that i have renewed my Thailand Shipping Licence and after renewing it i was informed by the officer in charge that a complete inspection had to be carried out by the Shipping Authority Engineer before any vessel can be used on the water, Great idea at last something is being done to stop this Cowboy trade, I live quite away away from where this all happens and it really doesn't affect me as we don't see any of those craft around here it's to far for them to come fuel wise if they came this far they wouldn't make money they prefer short trips and make as much money as they can, I have made an appointment for the Engineer to come and inspect my Boat so i will keep you posted on the procedure he adopts and the results of the inspection.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Ok Folks my Boat is out of the water and sitting nicely on the new trailer i made, The Boats all cleaned and serviced and oil changed plugs etc as it's the rainy season now and i could still get the Boat out but it gives me a break and allows me to give the Boat a good once over, Well i checked the forecast for Bangkok and it seemed ok so i took the opportunity to go and have another look around and bring you an update to what appears to be of interest to many of you, I managed to miss the downpours just caught a 10 minute monsoon on the Motorway on my way there, Here are some of the latest Photos i hope you enjoy, Any questions just let me know as usual.


I found a shop selling Bilge pumps rough translation is 100Thai baht to 3 dollars I'll let you do the sums, I'm not sure how these prices compare with the states but I'd be interested to know.


I found a few places doing 2 way Radios/ Ship to shore etc along with all the mounting brackets antennas coaxial cable etc, A hand held ship to shore with 5w output starts around $20 to $25 and there are many to choose from going to slightly more expensive ones like Yaesu and Icom.


This was different, This Guy had a small shop making Nicad battery packs for various applications, You can see him welding the Tag connections onto the top of the battery packs so wires can be soldered onto them.



There are many small shops that repair mobile Phones while you wait but this Guy i have used a few times, You can imagine my Phone gets a pretty hard life, He fitted a new i Phone case on it for me ( I had dropped it and cracked the case ) and the speaker cut out switch wasn't working so new switch all while i waited, he charged me $5 it took about 30 minutes.


Again another small shop repairing small appliances, This Guy is refurbing the armature on an electric drill he's repairing, There are many different small businesses offering a while you wait service, Like i have said before they have no Government hand outs so if they don't work they don't eat.


This shop sells power tool and welding equipment, They again offer a while you wait service you can see a welder he's repairing on the floor.


Many shops selling electronic components, Very handy if your stuck for a switch or something like that, I buy all my ICs and transistors from around this place it's just a hive of activity, I tend to come alone so i can concentrate on what i want and what they have it inspires me, If you bring someone with you that have no interest they just get bored and i can't concentrate, They still have new parts for old valve 1930s and 40s Valve Bakelite Radios here, Like i said before they throw nothing away if it can be repaired.


I always pop in to see this Guy when I'm around here just to say Hello, He makes all types of Gaskets by hand, he's just making a head gasket here, He made all my friends gaskets when he blew up his HO engine when he was flushing the engine and went to answer the Phone without turning the hose off.



In certain busy places you always get the beggars, If you come to Bangkok just ignore them if someone drops a 20 baht note in the bowl he soon snatches it away and hides it so it doesn't look like he's doing any good, They are brought to places like this in the back of pick ups and left for a few hours before being collected and moved somewhere different, You find women with babies that beg and they borrow a baby from another woman just to try to work the pitch, Many folks have wised up to this now, Since the Army have taken control it's getting better they come along throw them into the back of a pick up and take them away, It's all run by gangs.


I will get some Barbecued fish and some rice for lunch and just browse



Back on the Skytrain which travels all over the top of the City and to the Bus station where i get the Bus home, I could drive here but the traffic is busy and i can relax and sleep on the Bus.


Well Folks i had a good look around and made my way back to the train to get to the Bus station and a 3 hour journey home, I hope you've enjoyed our latest trip to Bangkok, I love to have a good look around and get all my bits and pieces i need for different projects I'm doing, It's good to show you Folks what life is like over here i hope you enjoy the trips i take you on, It's all about learning as it's a different life here and you have to adapt to the Thai culture a quick example, If a Thai person goes to buy something and it's not priced they will pay less than a foreigner because they think you have more money so you should pay more, Nothing illegal, No consumer protection rights over here, I can just imagine the uproar at home if that happened there would be Court cases over it, I just barter them down to the Thai price, It's all about little victories and learning and patience, I love my life here, The climate the Boating conditions the food the cost of living, Would i ever leave? Does a one legged Duck swim in circles? Does a fat Dog Fart? What regrets if any? Yes I never came here 20 years ago, They can take me back to England in a Box! Take care Folks i hope you liked the latest edition let me know what you think and any questions i will do my best to answer them.

 

[twentiesforever]

I love reading your posts Geoff. Last April I visited Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam and had the time of my life. I fell in love with Thailand though. So much I liked about that country to put into a small post. Seriously considering another trip this fall. We will see!

 

[itsdgm]

Keep them coming @Geoff Cooper thanks for the culture lesson.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

I love reading your posts Geoff. Last April I visited Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam and had the time of my life. I fell in love with Thailand though. So much I liked about that country to put into a small post. Seriously considering another trip this fall. We will see!

The more you get down to basics in Thailand the better the Country becomes, People never really see Thailand when they come on Package tours they only see the Tourist places, Some times you need to dip you feet a little further into the water, Let me know when you come and where your staying and if your not to far away maybe we can meet up!

 

[john94si]

No comments on the thigh pic from page before..? i am disappointed.. love u long time cool pics.. did you just decide to take off and retire over there?

 

[Geoff Cooper]

No comments on the thigh pic from page before..? i am disappointed.. love u long time cool pics.. did you just decide to take off and retire over there?

Sorry i don't understand the first part of your reply maybe you can enlighten me, I had been coming here for a while for long Holidays and then decided to come and retire here.

 

[scot71]

I really like reading your posts and seeing your pictures @Geoff Cooper. Especially since this is a part of the world that I'm pretty sure I will never get to experience in person. I enjoy hearing your take on the culture and seeing what life is really like in Thailand, not just what we see on TV or in books. Keep it coming.

Do you make it back to England very often, and what do you think of life there now that you've been away?

 

[beachbum]

Geoff... your stories and pictures are the best. They really inspire me to make the trip at some point in my life. Keep up the good work.

 

[Big Shasta]

This is awesome. Thanks Geoff. What amazes me is the qty of parts just laid out on a bench. I bet the people working there can find an obscure part just from memory. Try that in the states, Ask for a rare switch or part and they look at you cross-eyed and have you did through drawers to see what you can find.

 

[john94si]

The lady you had on the boat. The little ass shot i noticed in one of them.

Sorry i don't understand the first part of your reply maybe you can enlighten me, I had been coming here for a while for long Holidays and then decided to come and retire here.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

The lady you had on the boat. The little ass shot i noticed in one of them.

OOOOH sorry when you said the page before i thought you meant this post i have searched previous pages on this post trying to see what you meant, That was a different post it was Boats and Babes Eye Candy i really don't think there was any need for comments many liked the way the shot was taken and expressed that, Just one of the many beautiful sights here in Thailand to be appreciated and enjoyed, But thanks for taking the time to check it out i will put some more on there soon as the rainy season finishes in a few weeks.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

OOOOH sorry when you said the page before i thought you meant this post i have searched previous pages on this post trying to see what you meant, That was a different post it was Boats and Babes Eye Candy i really don't think there was any need for comments many liked the way the shot was taken and expressed that, Just one of the many beautiful sights here in Thailand to be appreciated and enjoyed, But thanks for taking the time to check it out i will put some more on there soon as the rainy season finishes in a few weeks.

oh ok i will put another on there under beautiful sights of Thailand.

 

[john94si]

Thanks.. where is this NSFW threads? My brother was in the navy and spent years over that way and told me many stories.