The accident took place at about 7.30am on Doi Saket Chiang Rai Road. Police said the transport truck was running downhill and overtook another vehicle but couldn’t get back to its original lane in time before colliding with the oncoming 10 wheel truck.

Police found four male bodies – including the driver of the 10wheel truck – and four female bodies at the scene and took the three injured men, including the other truck driver Nattapong Kaewsukham, 21, to Doi Saket Hospital. Their injuries were so critical that they were later transferred to the better equipped Nakhon Ping and Lanna hospitals.

The deceased were transported to Maharaj Nakhon Chiang Mai Hospital’s forensic department for identification, as some did not carry identity cards.

Police suspected poor visibility from heavy rainfall at the time contributed to the accident, combined with the transport truck driver’s poor judgement.

UAC will reportedly purify biogas from dung and wastewater from Mongkol and Sons pig farm in Chiang Mai. Plant construction is expected to commence in May, at a cost of THB 100 million (USD 3.34 million). Once commissioned the plant is expected to produce 6-8 tonnes per day, or 3,000 tonnes per year, reported to be enough to fill 500 compact cars or 40 transportation trucks. The biomethane could replace diesel imports of 2.2 million litres per year or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports of 1,600 tonnes, which would save the country Bt21 million (approx USD 700k) .

Kitti Jivacate, president and CEO of UAC, said talks were underway with two companies to cooperate in a similar new project in the South.

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The driver called Toyota and was assured that assistance would arrive within the hour, 3 hours later 5 toyota technicians arrived and said they could not do much as it was getting dark, and it would cost 3500 baht to recover the car to the nearest Toyota Service center.

Back at the service centre it was too late for Toyota to do anything and they told the lady driver to return in the morning.

Next morning they said that they had to take the sump off and check the oil pick up pipe, which they did.  Then after stripping down the bottom of the engine for 3 hours they decided to check the oil pressure switch and found it to be faulty.

Now the shocker, the lady was presented with a bill for 10,500 baht !  When she protested the Toyota Main Dealer said that the warranty only covers the engine and as the engine was found to be OK, it’s not covered! They even denied that the faulty switch was covered under warranty.

So, an 18 month old Toyota (which was supplied with a 3 year, 100,000 km warranty) is not covered for any part of a repair that is entirely down to a faulty part?

Toyota have just lost a good customer who will soon be looking at other brands of car in Thailand.

Update by Andy

My wife is now safely back in Chiang Mai, as is the Toyota Yaris.  It’s my intention to sell the car and buy another brand, I have bought a new Toyota every 2 years for a considerable time, the last 2 of which have been purchased from Niyom Panitch in Chiang Mai.

I’d like to make it very clear that I have received first class service from Niyom Panitch and that they have dealt with minor warranty claims in the past without any problems and indeed without any suggestion of payment.

I often drive to Bangkok and my wife drives twice every year to Ubon, so we need to feel confident that our vehicle warranty is for the whole of Thailand, and it’s for this reason that I will be looking for another car.  At this time I’m looking at a number of brands including Mercedes-Benz and Nissan.

I have had a number of emails from other Toyota owners, they seem to be split about 50/50 with some owners experiencing no issues with warranty claims and some being denied warranty claims as we were.

I feel that Toyota cars are great, and I would not talk anyone out of buying one, but for me the reason for buying new is because I thought I was assured trouble free motoring for the advertised 3 years, 100,000 km

It all happens at the 700 Year Sports Stadium over Saturday and Sunday, July 10-11, and the only sad faces belong to Drag Racing enthusiasts, whose monthly meeting has had to be postponed at short notice. Car and motorcycle drags (straight line racing against the clock) will instead take place on Sunday July 18th.

As well as top Thai racers dashing round the short circuit, a tour of the stadium’s car parks, there will be a safe driving exhibition, celebrity appearances, family fun activities and a live rock concert on Saturday evening.

Something went seriously wrong with earthworks where a small canal ran into the Ping recently, and a resident’s garden and half the busy north-south route fell into the water.

Contractors are working on the problem, but meanwhile, all traffic is diverted through very narrow village lanes, away from the large hole where the road used to be.

Drivers are advised to use the parallel road on the river’s east side, through Faham, in an attempt to avoid delays.

The tiny green mystery car from the 1940′s, though to be based on a British Austin design, was a popular exhibit in the north’s only old car museum, owned by Khun Kietisak Singkra. But it was included in a the sale of some 45 cars, now among the 700-plus vehicles at Jesada on a 10 rai site with investment of some 500 million baht.

The Chiang Mai collection, sold for an undisclosed sum thought to be around 10 million baht, included a rare pre-war diesel saloon – a Hanomag from Germany – and a smart, original Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire from 1950′s England.

Visitors to the privately owned Jesada, open 7 days a week and with no admission fee, can also see a rare Tatraplan rear-engined limousine from Czechoslovakia (seen here alongside one of countless Mercedes) bought some years ago from Khun Kietisak and recently restored.

Unrestored is a former member of Chiang Mai Fire Brigade, a 4-door Magirus Deutz fire tender which has been sadly neglected since disappearing from Chiang Mai some 10 years ago. It was specially equipped for moving cars away from burning buildings. It now awaits tender loving care in a field full of fire engines and army trucks in the same condition, or worse.

Jesada was started 6 years ago on a beautiful stretch of the Vakon Chaisi River near the world famous Rose Garden tourist centre. Owner Khun Jesada Dejsakulrit exports fire engines to France and Germany and began importing cars from those countries. As a formally established museum, no excessive import duties are paid.

See www.jesadatechnikmuseum.com

Local enthusiasts need not be disappointed for long. An expat enthusiast is moving to Chiang Mai from the south in 2 months time and bringing 32 immaculate classics, a collection which it is hoped will be open to the public for a few days per year.

Article contributed by David Hardcastle, Copyright David Hardcastle 2010

Fifty cars and 8 scooters assembled at the Yaang Come Hotel, Sidornchai Road, as guests of the owner Khun Jitapong Guawong, whose front door was flanked by his 1940′s Mercedes Benz and 1950′s Armstrong Siddeley.  But it was not only glamorous limousines and Porsches posing for the cameras. Long and short wheelbase Land Rovers, two Mokes (the jeep version of the Mini), a split-screen VW Kombi and a turbocharged Mazda pick up truck added to the huge variety.

Guest of honour from Bangkok was Khun Pravut Kanchanawat, vice president of the national Classic Car Association Thailand.
The new website is being linked to the English language www.classiccarsoflanna.com and more photos from Sunday can be seen on www.city-now.com (go to Social Scene and click on classic cars).

Owners meet on the last Sunday morning of each month. Next is November 29th at NIM City Daily, the shopping area near the airport with the Rimping supermarket.

Article contributed by David Hardcastle, Copyright David Hardcastle 2010

Despite recent protests by some 30,000 people in the capital of Apia, the South Pacific island of Samoa changed over to drive on the left side of their roads on September 7th.

The change was decreed by the government to fall in line with neighbouring Australia and New Zealand, and to reflect the fact that most vehicles in Samoa thus have the steering wheel on the right.

The protesters feared a massive increase in accidents, saying that drivers had not been properly prepared. Their fears proved to be groundless.

Like it or not, Samoans have joined almost a third of the world’s drivers who all drive on the left. This possibly surprising total is of course explained by the enormous combined vehicle populations of UK, Japan, Malaysia, India and Indonesia, as well as Pakistan and most of the countries of Africa.

Why Thailand, surrounded by right-driving Burma, Laos and Cambodia, evolved motoring on the left can only have sprung from British influence in Malaya, now Malaysia.

When men rode horses and carried swords, most of them kept to the left. This was simply because most people are right handed and it was faster to draw your sword against an oncoming robber or enemy, as the sword was worn on the left of the body. Napoleon is said to have ordered his armies to march on the right as one of his demonstrations of hatred of the English. But at least we have to thank him for his lighting. At night, one soldier at the front had to carry a white light and one at the back a red light!

Editor’s note: Sweden was the last European nation to change (from left to right) in 1967 and did so without one fatal accident, thanks to brilliant, long term advance planning. The biggest expense was changing all the doors of the buses! Burma was the last eastern nation to change (the same way) in 1970. It is said that a general was obsessed by knowing how he would die. His fortune teller said a truck would run away down a hill and hit his car, in which he always sat on the left. The next day he ordered the nation to change over to the right.

Rally fans had a taste of things to come at Thapae Gate on August 14^th when the previous round of the Asia Cross Country Rally championship ended with the usual splashing of champagne and Singha Beer.

The No 15 Isuzu D Max of Atchiki Srimongkol and Tadamisu Nihori had been the fastest over the high speed off-road stages since the Bangkok start, and took top honours, while maximum credit goes to the disabled Takura Aoki who got his similar truck to 12^th place on hand controls. Takura was an engineer and racer for a professional bike team in Japan, until a crash cost him the use of his legs.

Watch this space for details of the Chang Dao event with times and places to see the best of the action!

This article is Copyright © MyChiangMai 2009, no reproduction without prior permission.

For the rest of this month there is a display in Carrefour Chiang Mai where prospective buyers, of just the plain curious types, can take a look at the QQ.

The QQ is a small car with a 1.1 16 valve engine with fuel injection and impressive fuel consumption.

Chery is China’s biggest car manufacturer. They have come under criticism over the QQ after GM accused them of copying the Daewoo Matiz, whist that may well be true I do feel that most car manufacturers do draw inspiration from other manufacturers to some extent.  Having driven  Matiz many years ago I must say that any similarity is superficial.

It’s easy to be biased against Chinese manufactured goods, especially if you have ever owned a Chinese built motorcycle!  However I must say that I was impressed with the overall build quality of the little QQ and at the price It looks unbeatable.

The base model (which impressively includes airbags) is just 366,000 baht and for another 20,000 baht you can buy the luxury model which includes such refinements as Leather Seats, 14″ Alloy Wheels, and Sony Stereo System with iPod adaptor.

The Chery QQ is available in Thailand a nice range of colours, and overall it has the looks and feel of a much more expensive car.

It’s only a matter of time until Chinese built cars become mainstream throughout the world, lets hope that early adopters in Thailand get a car the lives up to the hype in the brochure.