When we bought out Scoopy-i’s we named them Thunderbird One and Thunderbird Two. One afternoon as we cavorted through a massive empty parking lot, it felt like we were on the Thunderbirds water crafts, as we swooshed through the area, calling out “Thunderbirds are GO”. As in the TV series, everyday here in Phuket is an adventure and a learning experience. We knew that at some point we needed to add a Thunderbird three to the fleet, so that we could transport larger items, but more importantly take the dogs to the beach. Dogs are welcome at the beach here and the salt water is great for their skin, but walking there is not a good idea. Given that the trip in the hot sun would probably wear the dogs out before they got to the water and most assuredly we would be a sight to the local people as they watched the two of us try and carry 4 basset hounds back home.
While I was away in canada, Clive and our friend Dul (pronounced Dool) got to talking and investigating how to best approach our transport needs. Clive and I had already had many discussions and constantly checked out vehicles to see what we though would work best for us. Having a car, means that you have no choice but to travel slower and the ability ot park or manoeuvre, for a non-Thai is a challenge. We also thought that for the most part Thunderbird one and two handle most of our needs. I had caught Clive trying to get Dixie trained to sit on the back of Thunderbird two, but even if successful, it meant there were three more to train and space is rather limited. Somehow scooting down the road with Byron paws on my shoulders barking his brains out gave me grave reservations. That said, we see dogs everyday on motorscooters. We often joke that the Thai’s are almost born on motor scooters, and so too the puppies. They all have a very good sense of balance on a motorbike. But we have also seen the family with the family dog on motorbikes attached to a sidecar type of contraption. But you can’t just go into the Honda dealer and order one. Dul tells Clive this is not a problem and soon they are at a welding shop alongside the road in a small open are space between an open air noodle restaurant and a Suzuki dealer.
So off we went to Mr. Ui’s local welding shop...he has two of them. The place builds sidecars exclusively, to design. Pick a basic frame and then tailor the size and shape for your specific needs. These sidecars are everywhere here and are used to transport everything from taking the family to the market, to having a mobile soup kitchen where you travel the roads and moo’s, selling your food, or dry goods. In the past seeing one on the road ahead of you was always cause for concern, as they tended to turn in front of you and are essentially about the width of a small car. Most travel about 40-50KMH, depending on the load. We would often see then trying to climb the winding hill to Patong, at about 5-10KMH. Loaded with household furniture or stacks of vegetables and herbs. Sometimes precariously teetering on the corners or stopped dead 1/2 way up the hill, as dump trucks, motorbikes and tour busses pass on the left and right. Given that they are powered by a 100cc motorbike, with a load of 300Kilo or more, they power house is a bit lacking at 100cc.
Mr. Ui has a fairly good command of english, so between our broken, limited Thai, his english and Dul translating, we negotiated the design and made a deposit of $30.
Now what to do about a motorbike to power the cart? A visit to the motorbike dealers was frustrating as the price difference for a new motorbike and a used one was not much and the used ones all seemed to have a few scars and about 100,000 KM on them. We wanted a 125 cc bike and these are limited in the design needed for affixing a cart. Scoopy just has too much plastic skirting and although unique as it may look, practically it just would not work.
While we went from shop to shop and scoured the ads on the internet, a phone call from Mr. Ui came. He, aware of the need, had managed to find a bike for us. A trip or two and some discussions, we had purchased a used motorbike that fit the bill. This is now two days after our cart had been agreed to, and it was ready, but we needed the bike, so timing worked out well. It even matched the colour of the cart, and has it’s bumps and scrapes, a presentable mode of transport.
When we had purchased Thunderbird one and two, the dealership handled all of the paper work and licensing details for us, including going to the motor vehicle department and getting the registrations. This time it is a private sale to a non-Thai by a Thai national. I began to embark on an experience in dealing with governments, at the most feared of any public office anywhere, the Motor Vehicle office. As with many things here there is not always just one way to get something done. Initially we would try a trip with me on the pillory of a 100cc motorbike going to Rawai beach to a branch office. A slight delay as we headed down the highway and a man, wearing a regular coloured T shirt, was in the centre of the road waving his arms and all traffic slowed and then came to a complete stop. As I peered around my motorbike driver, I saw that it was the hydro people stringing a steel cable across the highway. No traffic cones, or safety traffic control people, just a man in a T shirt and the hanging cable incentive for the motorists to stop until he said it was safe to pass under. To the side of the road a man working at putting together rebarr for concrete pouring was busy cutting each single projecting piece with a hacksaw. The office was closed when we arrived with a simple hand-written note saying they would be away this week. So off we went to the main motor vehicle branch in Phuket town. All government buildings here are large and very similar in design and colour. Most have no or very little english signage. As Mr. Ui thought it too dangerous for a ride not downtown Phuket (it is hot and traffic is crazy), he stopped at his home and had his wife drive me in her car with classical music and air conditioning. Arriving at motor vehicles at 1230 is not recommended. While the office is wide open, there are no staff to be found. Then at exactly 1 PM in walk all the employees in a group. Each wearing a maroon smock with cartoon characters of motorbikes, busses and cars driving around their waists. Lucky it is Thai people, some of the people I have seen on the beach the smock would have to be a superhighway. No disrespect, as I expect I would be a highway.
First you go to the receptionist who looks over your paperwork and points out any errors or omissions. She gives you a deli-style ticket and you watch the electronic monitoring board. Your number comes up and it says which wicket to go to. Firstly, everyone has to have injury insurance. This is done on a machine that doubles as the debit/credit card machine and once the payment is done, it prints out a cute little grocery receipt type of paper with a seal and signature. You return to the ticket woman who looks this over and then gives you another ticket and you go to another window. This is the window where you apply to transfer the ownership of the bike. Each vehicle has a green book and this is the official registration of the vehicle. It has the complete registration history of everyone who has owned the bike. A review of my insurance receipt and the appropriate forms, with copies of my passport and residency certificate. The registration fee is then paid. Insurance and registration total cost $14.35. I have to return in three days and pick up the green book with my registration details recorded by the department. Exactly three days later they are ready.
Mr. Ui was concerned that having never driven anything like this, that I needed to go and test ride with him to show how to emergency stop and most importantly turn corners. Suddenly nautical terms come into play, such as the yaw of the bike when turning. It is best describes as when you brake, the machine will swerve to the right. There are no brakes on the sidecar wheel. Turns made to the right require that you drive slowly and swing wide. Turns to the left however are done on a hairpin and happen more quickly than you may have been expecting.
As we huddled at a roadside gas dispensing machine under the partial tin covered roof in the torrential downpour that appeared out of nowhere, I suddenly realised that the new dimension of rain on the road would come into play. Suffice to say that it simply required more stopping distance and tuning seemed to go more quickly. As Clive sat in the sidecar we headed home. At one point with Mr. Ui, Dul, Clive and I all on the cart, we estimate it was moving along with about 300 kilos of weight. Mr. Ui drove on the road at up to 80 KM without problem. I am considerably more conservative and when I see the speedometer at about 60 KM, that seems like top speed comfort for me. On the back roads I am more like 40-50 KM I had to learn to ride a motorcycle without a clutch, but 4 gears. Another first for me. I also found out that you do not use the bikes gears to slow down your travel. Somehow the chain and gears do not like that. You can apparently have the drive altered with a thicker chain and heavier gear.
Gauging the width of the cart is something new to learn as well. Clive was convinced that I ran the sidecar wheel into pot holes deliberately just to make him bounce on the side seat. While it was not true, I do not have something to keep in the back of my mind, should he require a little reminder as to who is driving. After a few test drives, I felt that I had a passable understanding of the mechanics of operating Thunderbird 3.
The arrival at our home was greeted with some interesting looks and smiles from the neighbours. To see a non-Thai operating one of these is apparently a novelty and cause for amusement. The greeting of 4 bassets baying and their inspection of the new transport topped of the arrival home.
The next day it was time to take the bassets out for a test drive to the local fishing beach at Palai, about 2 KM from the house. Everything was going well until Grace and Dixie became overjoyed with the ability to feel the rush of fresh air and noses held high, they had managed to rouse the soi dogs along the roadways. At one point, as I was trying to get over a speed bump at 10 KM an hour, and get my gears sorted out (forward to increase gears, back pedal to decrease gears---I MUST remember), I had Clive in the sidecar trying to settle, now all 4 bassets, and I was trying to avoid the 8-10 dogs surrounding us and barking. This commotion caused people to step out to the roadway to see what the commotion was all about, as two white guys with 4 barking bassets, chased by 10 soi dogs, whizzed past them. Again the people were showing signs of apparent amusement.
The test run was an overall success. No injuries, entertainment for the neighbours and 4 bassets who were beaming with happiness. Since the inaugural run, we have almost daily runs to the local beach after we check the tide tables (rather important when you are 1/2 a KM down a beach this is suddenly disappearing and one basset who is freaked by the waves). It has also been a good excuse now for Clive and Dul to decided that if we are going somewhere that they can have a beer or two, we just go in Thunderbird 3 and they can relax and stretch out while I drive. Night driving has been an experience in that the motorcycle lights have a light amber glow when idling and go to full strength when you accelerate. Good if you are going non-stop to somewhere, not so great if you are slowing or stopping Luckily night driving is something we partake in very rarely anyway. I am sure if looked around I could find ways to pimp it out with flashing lights and sound system.
For those planning to visit, I am sure you will get to experience at least one trip on Thunderbird 3. I promise if we come to pick you up at the airport we will have a clear garbage bag to pull over you in case of rain and at least on pillow to lay on and a blindfold.
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