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I'm literally shitposting from the bathroom of the Angkor Museum so I'm guessing things have come quite a long way.
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Jun 6, 2014 10:34
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Kind of late to the bus discussion, but if you want the best bus journey ever, go to Argentina. 24 hours was a breeze when you have a massive seat that you can almost recline flat (flat if you go full cama instead of semi cama) and food/drinks. Bolivia had the worst roads and buses but at least they had badass paint jobs.
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Jun 6, 2014 10:48
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Thailand rumor check: are they stopping people on toast tourist visas to see if they are carrying at least 20,000baht? That seems ridiculous.
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Jun 6, 2014 12:18
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Anything is possible given the total disarray with which the country is governed, but I've never heard of that. The most I've seen personally is the enforcement of the bank statement with $500 or whatever in formerly "easy" embassies and consulates abroad during the visa application process. Still, I don't know anyone locally who has had that happen. Where'd you pick this up? Is it Tuesday on the issslaaannnddd?
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Jun 6, 2014 12:26
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My lady friend is a foreign teacher in an international school and she heard it there today. She was giving me warning for the next time I make the trip over.
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Jun 6, 2014 12:41
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I can only say that I've had a number of clients arrive this week and no issues with this kind of thing, but what might happen in a given situation would be beyond guarantee, yeah. never listen to international school teachers  EDIT:  Nope, it's because I live in Thailand, bitches! ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 13:09 on Jun 6, 2014 |
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Jun 6, 2014 13:01
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Atlas Hugged posted:Thailand rumor check: are they stopping people on toast tourist visas to see if they are carrying at least 20,000baht? That seems ridiculous. Not to my knowledge. Was at the Vientiane embassy a few days ago and there was no such requirement.
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Jun 6, 2014 13:13
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This is supposedly a random search at the airport.
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Jun 6, 2014 13:15
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Ohhhhhh. I guess there could be either A) some rogue shakedown or B) profiling of certain types of people, but as a policy that would never, ever happen to the general public. I say this with confidence because it would require extra effort. The reason the border stamp denials work is because they require less effort - you're not letting anyone in, so it's just, "Nope. Next!"
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Jun 6, 2014 13:18
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A Russian woman was deported from the Phuket airport last month when she didn't have a return ticket, cash on hand or a visa. She was dive mastering under the table, though, so I think it is a matter of profiling if it does happen.
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Jun 6, 2014 14:27
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Yeah, if anyone's being profiled right now it's the Russians and Koreans along with a couple of regional nationalities that are considered to have an oversupply of illegal workers.
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Jun 6, 2014 14:50
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How much do foreign diving instructors make in Thailand?
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Jun 6, 2014 16:37
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I think most gigs pay on commission and tips, netting somewhere in the same range as English teachers. Which is also like middle class territory for Russians not from Moscow, to be fair.
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Jun 6, 2014 16:52
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Ringo R posted:How much do foreign diving instructors make in Thailand? Answer: Too Much.
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Jun 6, 2014 17:04
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Apparently it is possible to get food poisoning from un-fresh seafood in Krabi, a town famed for its beaches and islands and the ocean. I don't understand how these things work. The restaurant/tourist trap has the most incredible menu and I really have no way of explaining other than by this picture:  Every single page has that anime boy stationery and all the words are multicoloured.
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Jun 6, 2014 18:05
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MothraAttack posted:A Russian woman was deported from the Phuket airport last month when she didn't have a return ticket, cash on hand or a visa. She was dive mastering under the table, though, so I think it is a matter of profiling if it does happen. We all like to say that SE Asia is very lax with these things but if you haven't got a return ticket you should at least have a back up, even if its a debit card you can put in an ATM to show an immigration officer your balance. Idiots who fly in on an international flight with twenty SE Asian tourist visas in their passports and no proof of funds deserve everything they get, on the rare times they actually get called out on it. Another point: she wasn't "deported", she was "refused a visa". Being refused a visa will have serious implications for applying for a visa for other countries (particularly in the west) but isn't as serious as being deported. If she had been deported she would be met by the police at the airport in Moscow and escorted directly to prison. Being refused a visa means that the airline which took you there has the responsibility to return you to your point of origin (and if you aren't a citizen of that place then the airline which took you there has to take you back to wherever you got on) and that's that. Being deported means that the country you're in has to remove you and whilst they can attempt to claim the costs back this isn't guaranteed.
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Jun 6, 2014 19:38
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God dammit I can't escape east or south east Asia. I'm in milan and first thing that happens to me at the airport cafe is some migrant looking rear end in a top hat from China cutting in line. When im in this nice open air international market, there's this creepy looking Italian sexpat chatting up with a pinoy family. All he talks about is the nice hot weather and how much he loves those beach holiday areas. When you don't even make one token shout out to history and culture, you are hitting the sexpat radar big time
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Jun 6, 2014 19:54
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If I'm routing US -> Tokyo -> BKK tomorrow (one week out of US, not sure if/when Cambodia or Vietnam fits in there), do I need to print out a bank statement to get a tourist visa for Thailand or are they only hitting Russians/Koreans and backpackers?
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Jun 6, 2014 21:41
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caberham posted:When you don't even make one token shout out to history and culture, you are hitting the sexpat radar big time Why? I regularly travel just to be somewhere new, hang out in a nice environment, dance and drink and eat. I don't care about the culture or history of untold places on Earth and in my travels to dozens and dozens of countries and Islands have often not bothered to see any cultural icons a number of times. Doesn't mean I am a sexpat, just means that seeing a temple sometimes means you've seen many others like it. I was far more interested in seeing the Karst Topography of the Chinese waterways/lakes/coast, or the deep rainforest of South America than I was in hearing about La Violencia or visiting Tienanmen Square. I realize it makes me a cultural heathen to say I was more interested in playing soccer with locals around Camp Nou than seeing anything Gaudi built in Barcelona. Pretending to be interested in Wat after Wat gets old, honestly, and there's nothing wrong with saying you're visiting SEA to be with nice people, different food, good currency exchange and nice beaches. That dude was definitely a sexpat though nonetheless (just not me, I'm not a sexpat, just that dude is) Shammypants fucked around with this message at 22:47 on Jun 6, 2014 |
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Jun 6, 2014 22:29
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zgrowler2 posted:If I'm routing US -> Tokyo -> BKK tomorrow (one week out of US, not sure if/when Cambodia or Vietnam fits in there), do I need to print out a bank statement to get a tourist visa for Thailand or are they only hitting Russians/Koreans and backpackers? I flew in and out of Thailand last week on a landing visa and didn't get asked to show any bank statements or proof of onward travel.
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Jun 7, 2014 01:37
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Yeah, the only time you're going to get asked for one is applying for a visa in your home country - and it's likely they won't ask. I've never heard of anyone being asked when applying for a visa in a regional neighboring country. Simply landing and stamping in you'll be asked for nothing.
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Jun 7, 2014 01:48
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duckmaster posted:We all like to say that SE Asia is very lax with these things but if you haven't got a return ticket you should at least have a back up, even if its a debit card you can put in an ATM to show an immigration officer your balance. Idiots who fly in on an international flight with twenty SE Asian tourist visas in their passports and no proof of funds deserve everything they get, on the rare times they actually get called out on it. god drat i talk a load of self satisfied poo poo after too many beers NOTE: WASN'T DRUNK
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Jun 7, 2014 03:24
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Deported might not be right, but Russians do get visa exemptions on arrival, and she was denied even this. She was then detained by immigration police, who offered to buy her a ticket to Russia. She declined and bought a ticket back to KL out of pocket. She did show them bank statements and offered to purchase a plane ticket a few weeks away, but they rejected both, saying she had to have $600 in cash to leave the airport. She wasn't allowed to go to an ATM, s I think they just had it out for her. They also refused an offer for her friends to bring it. So, yeah, definitely an issue of profiling. Rumor is they looked her up online and found social media about dive mastering, but who knows. And yeah, Vientiane was filled with Russians and Koreans when I went. They're just going through new brokers these days. Basically, if you're Russian, Korean or Filipino you have to do the dance a bit differently these days in Thailand. MothraAttack fucked around with this message at 04:38 on Jun 7, 2014 |
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Jun 7, 2014 04:34
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Atlas Hugged posted:I flew in and out of Thailand last week on a landing visa and didn't get asked to show any bank statements or proof of onward travel. ReindeerF posted:Yeah, the only time you're going to get asked for one is applying for a visa in your home country - and it's likely they won't ask. I've never heard of anyone being asked when applying for a visa in a regional neighboring country. Simply landing and stamping in you'll be asked for nothing. Sounds good, thanks! Another question - like an idiot, I dug my mediocre camera (Nikon Coolpix S3100) out of a box somewhere after not using it for eighteen months and jury-rigged an equivalent AC adapter, but the battery itself is predictably dead. I fly out tomorrow morning and definitely should have checked this a week ago. Last time I went to Pantip in Bangkok, they had a decent smattering of consumer electronics, albeit pricey. Would there be some sort of electronics or hobbyist shop there or elsewhere in the capital where I could buy a replacement battery? I'd pay the extra baht to not have to be stuck with taking lovely iPhone pics on this trip. disregard this, I'm borrowing a DSLR from a friend zgrowler2 fucked around with this message at 05:11 on Jun 7, 2014 |
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Jun 7, 2014 04:45
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There's some sort of electronics mall in siam square and I had an older model camera with a fried battery. Had to take the dead battery around to a bunch of booths before I found some overpriced batteries of iffy quality.
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Jun 7, 2014 04:56
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I'll take a look if I'm in the area, thanks. At this point, I might just buy a replacement battery on Amazon and have it so it's delivered when I'm back home. Google results indicate that any batteries I find in Thailand (if any) would be similarly priced/conditioned to what you found.
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Jun 7, 2014 05:14
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Pretty sure there's a Nikon store in the MBK and there's definitely some ridiculously good camera shops where they wouldn't bat an eyelid at a $1000 camera. I bought a camera at one of them last year and the guy banged on about the features of every single camera so much I think he was orgasming. I don't actually think he noticed me leaving so he's probably still there, weak and starving, beard down to his waist, rattling on about red eye reduction to anyone who will listen...
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Jun 7, 2014 06:04
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zgrowler2 posted:Another question - like an idiot, I dug my mediocre camera (Nikon Coolpix S3100) out of a box somewhere after not using it for eighteen months and jury-rigged an equivalent AC adapter, but the battery itself is predictably dead. I fly out tomorrow morning and definitely should have checked this a week ago. Last time I went to Pantip in Bangkok, they had a decent smattering of consumer electronics, albeit pricey. Would there be some sort of electronics or hobbyist shop there or elsewhere in the capital where I could buy a replacement battery? I'd pay the extra baht to not have to be stuck with taking lovely iPhone pics on this trip. disregard this, I'm borrowing a DSLR from a friend
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Jun 7, 2014 06:24
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Goddamit ringo stop introducing cheap gear to people. Oh and sorry if I offended the other goon, you are most definitely right. I just want to say some people have this super sexpat vibe
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Jun 7, 2014 06:30
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The tatted up, grizzled guy with the severe sun damaged skin and the Chaing singlet talking about the culture is more fun. Yeh, Oi'm heah for tha tempalz luv."
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Jun 7, 2014 06:37
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79uuj5hXsOg Looks like the Korea trend of about ~10 years ago has now fully reversed itself even south of the border.
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Jun 7, 2014 06:43
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Also today was the first day that I saw this somehow
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Jun 7, 2014 06:45
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Sheep-Goats posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79uuj5hXsOg This is amazing.
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Jun 7, 2014 06:55
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SE Asia Megathread: Some guy posts a question then edits it to disregard. Three people reply anyway in a macho dick waving competition* to show who knows SE Asia best. * which I won btw
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Jun 7, 2014 07:00
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Oh and by the way if anyone wants to buy Khmer440.com I made enquiries and the nutcase wants $25k. I offered $5k and knowing how things work in this country I'll probably get it.
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Jun 7, 2014 07:02
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Khmer440 is worth less than 25k? Good lord.
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Jun 7, 2014 07:04
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Still amazes me to read that site and hear the comments about 'do-gooder (NGO workers, visiting doctors, researchers etc.) infestations.' Alright, let's have them all leave at once and see how things turn out for you. Shammypants fucked around with this message at 07:37 on Jun 7, 2014 |
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Jun 7, 2014 07:31
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Sheep-Goats posted:Khmer440 is worth less than 25k? I thought 25k was overpriced but I don't know much about websites...
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Jun 7, 2014 07:46
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If properly monetized you could easily make $25K back on it, but you'd have to work out the marketing angles (they're pretty obvious I think). It's got excellent SEO value, but KiR runs it pretty much as a hobby. If you adopted something closer to the ThaiVisa model without becoming as spammy and lovely as ThaiVisa you could take advantage of the enormous growth in tourism and expatriation to Cambodia. But, yeah, I wouldn't buy it for $25K either. I'd take the $25K and do something else. EDIT: To get some kind of idea of things, go do some ad inquiries on regional neighboring sites like ThaiVisa and get their rate cards, then probably divide those rates by 10 for now and it's still a shitload of potential money sitting out there. I've done forum sponsorship deals with a number of the regional expat forums and they're always hilariously more expensive than you expect, but they fill up the space. And that's just the obvious paid placement. There are tons of other revenue sources and tie-ins too. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 08:00 on Jun 7, 2014 |
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Jun 7, 2014 07:57
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It's currently making $650/month but yeh I realise it has potential, he has 65,000 unique visitors/month (this is all freely available). There's some folk who have set up http://www.cambodiaexpatsonline.com/ so there is competition but they seem like a bunch of clowns. gently caress it I'm offering $7.5k and we can haggle from there. I'm sure he's had plenty of interest but finding someone in Cambodia who will actually put their money where their mouth is is another matter entirely.
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Jun 7, 2014 08:14
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