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Mr. Wiggles
Dec 1, 2003

We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.
On St. Patrick's Day, I'm heading to Bangkok for a ten day trip with my fiancé and my 14 year old son. I really have no idea what to do there, though, so I'm hoping for some advice. Obviously not going to the redlight districts and I wouldn't have any interest in that anyway, but aside from Khao San Road and the water market, I really don't know much about the city. My fiancé mentioned something about an elephant sanctuary? And maybe we can get an homeaway down on some beach or something? I don't know!

Help me have a good time, goons!

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webmeister
Jan 31, 2007

The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly. There has to be a bit of sport in this for all of us. In the psychological battle stakes, we are stripped down and ready to go. I want to see those ashen-faced performances; I want more of them. I want to be encouraged. I want to see you squirm.
- Grand Palace and Wat Pho
- Wat Arun (this was being repaired a few months ago, not sure if it's finished)
- Take a day trip to Ayutthaya, one of the ancient capitals of Thailand
- Jim Thompson's house
- Chatuchak markets (aka weekend markets)
- There's an aeroplane graveyard out in the eastern suburbs if you're interested in that. Google it for more details
- If you like WW2 history the train up to River Kwai Bridge is nice, and there's a good museum (though the bridge itself is horribly touristed)
- There's a market in the south-west which is basically built on train tracks, and every couple of hours the train rumbles through and everyone ducks out of the way. Forgotten the name, sorry!
- Lots of great shopping malls, my personal favourite is Terminal 21 but Siam Paragon is ultra-nice as well
- One street over from Khao San Road is Soi Rambuttri, it's quieter and has better food options. Less sleaze in front of a 14 y/o as well.

Not sure about an elephant sanctuary but I'm sure there's one around as they're common in Thailand. Just make sure it doesn't include elephant riding as it's a horrible practice. You can do short trips to the beach from BKK (it's inland but not too far from the sea), but I didn't do that as we'd been through a bunch of islands on the way to Bangkok. Just avoid Pattaya as it's the worst beach spot in Thailand (dirty, crowded, sleazy, sexpats).

Head on over to the SE Asia thread as well, there's a bunch of BKK goons who will have better recommendations than me!

Mr. Wiggles
Dec 1, 2003

We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.
Sweet, thank you!

Shibawanko
Feb 13, 2013

The closest island to Bangkok is called Ko Sichang, it's actually a very relaxing place that's popular with Thai tourists and hasn't been ruined by westerners yet. It has 1 decent beach and an old royal palace you can see, as well as a Chinese temple that's some kind of pilgrimage site. I really enjoyed staying there and you can get there pretty easily from Bangkok if you take a bus and a ferry. Rent a moped.

In Bangkok you should stay somewhere on the MRT for the sake of convenience. Sala Daeng is a nice area. Chinatown is good.
Skip Khao San road unless you really enjoy places like Camden or Damrak, because that's basically what it is. A place for old white people to buy overpriced bad food and lovely tshirts.

I LIKE COOKIE
Dec 12, 2010

Ride a Tuk-Tuk or 10.

There's a cool 'car engine' market somewhere where there's like, engines loving everyyywhere, and people fixing them. If you're into that.

Some of the best rub-and-tug places in the world are in bangkok, or so they say. 14 is cool in asia. right? Definitely win points with him, dont know about the wife though. lol just kidding. (or am I?)

You absolutely have to get a Thai massage, even if it feels like your getting your rear end whooped. Make sure you get someone experienced doing it. Usually hot girl=bad.

Also a foot massage. Get these everyday, you're gonna be walking a lot.

beer: I like Chang, but some people disagree. Probably gonna want to drink at all times because its HOT. Also you're on vacation, live a little! Make mistakes! its Thailand, nothing bad can happen!

Watch out for scams. If your a beginner traveler or a beginner in Asia you might want to google "bangkok scams" and read, read, readdddddd

want a suit for $150(ish?) you can do it here! just ask any tuk-tuk driver and watch their face light up, lol.

shopping, do you like to shop? there's tons of markets and malls that will have anything you could imagine, at a price you cant imagine. Just be sure to haggle. Foreigners pay double unless you know what you're doing!

Food: Pad Thai, duh. But also try the noodle soups. I didn't eat at fancy places but they do exist, and are supposedly worth it. The street food is killer, though. try it all. Eat the bugs, too. They aren't as bad as they look!

Language. Learn how to say: Hello, Thank you, How much?, and TOILET. I also recommend carrying around a small little thing of tissues/TP in your back pocket. You can buy these nice little packs at any 7/11. 7/11's are everywhere, and I mean everywhere. If you didn't know.

Day 1 in Bangkok should look like this;

1. Get off plane
2. wait in line for visa on arrival
3. go to atm, withdraw Thai Baht
4. Taxi/train to hotel/hostel (hostels are way more fun, I don't care if you're married) (also; insist on meter. INSIST)
5. 7/11 to buy Loperamide* and poo poo loads of water bottles and snacks. (*please, please take my advice on this.)
6. Unpack and unwind from the long(?) flight. Dont plan on doing poo poo but relaxing/getting massages or walking around outside near the hotel. Bangkok can be intense, and everyone wants to jump right in. I recommend chilling out at first and dealing with the jetlag.
7. go to sleep early, wake up early!
8. Welcome to Bangkok!


but for real, get the Loperamide. Theres different bacteria or whatever in Asia and you will get a little sick at first, and maybe poo poo your pants. Loperamide will stop the pants making GBS threads. Also, the toilets are different, which is an adventure in itself! Good luck!

Atlas Hugged
Mar 12, 2007


Put your arms around me,
fiddly digits, itchy britches
I love you all
Do not fear the bum gun. Embrace it. But wash your hands afterwards.

grellgraxer
Nov 28, 2002

"I didn't fight a secret war in Nicaragua so you can walk these streets of freedom bad mouthing lady America, in your damn mirrored su
Man, 10 days in Bangkok is a long time, lots of good ideas so far. As mentioned previously, you should consider getting some tailored clothes if you're gonna be there all that time, can go and do the requisite 3 fittings. I've had good results with these guys:

http://www.dress-for-success.com/

There's also mountain biking as well:

http://www.actionsportasia.com/land-sports/cycling-in-thailand/where-to-go/mountain-biking-bangkok/

If you have the cash, I would recommend splitting your trip up a bit and heading to Chiang Mai or Phuket / surrounding islands. I have no idea how a 14 year old will stay entertained for 10 days in Bangkok proper.

Atlas Hugged
Mar 12, 2007


Put your arms around me,
fiddly digits, itchy britches
I love you all

grellgraxer posted:

If you have the cash, I would recommend splitting your trip up a bit and heading to Chiang Mai or Phuket / surrounding islands. I have no idea how a 14 year old will stay entertained for 10 days in Bangkok proper.

The weirdest thing is seeing a family march down Soi Cowboy or Walking Street in Pattaya.

But I imagine a 14 year old stays entertained in Bangkok much the same way a 14 year old stays entertained anywhere else: hanging out at the pool, reading, playing video games.

Mr. Wiggles
Dec 1, 2003

We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.
Well, we got it all figured out. A couple of days in Bangkok, gonna check out some markets and temples in that time, maybe go to the old capital if we feel like it. Head to Chiang Mai for a couple of days cause a buddy of mine from there convinced me and I think it's gonna be cool, then back to Bangkok for a day and fly home. I think it will be fun, and thanks for the advice!

Oakland Martini
Feb 14, 2008
Refugee from the great account hijacking of 2008
That is a good plan. Chiang Mai is great. Depending on how many days you are there, visiting the Elephant Nature Park or doing a guided hiking trip to Doi Inthanon national park could be nice. I highly recommend both of these options.

Pilsner
Nov 23, 2002

Khao San Road isn't really an attraction, it's a gathering place for greasy backpackers, which I guess is fine if you're in their league. The whole street is filled with vendors and shops selling clothes and junk, and there are some very boring bars. Okay to see once I guess.

I don't really know where to stay with a wife and teenager (has he had his first beer?). Unless your wife has a thin skin, I don't think it's too horrible to stay in Sukhumvit, the classic tourist / red light (but it's fairly concentrated to small spots) area. There are many side-alleys with nothing seedy going on. I just spent 4 days at a great hotel called Grand Swiss on Soi 11, Sukhumvit. New, clean and super nice hotel for less than $100 per night. It is a 2 minute walk to the Nana BTS train station, which will make it easy for you to get around. There are lots of nice places to eat and drink just around, and the area is lively and safe. There are also even more luxurious hotels around there.

I haven't stayed in other areas of BKK, but I think Silom is fairly crummy in my opinion, and the central area with the Grand Palace / riverside is way off the BTS/MTR transportation grid, so that's a downside.

Protips regarding the Grand Palace:
- They close at 3:30pm.
- The whole area is currently closed off with a MASSIVE police presence due to the late King laying in state there, so the taxi can only take you to Wat Pho just south of the the palace, then you have to walk for 15-20 minutes to get to the entrance.
- There is security with metal detectors, and they ask for your passport. I got in with a phone picture of my passport, and my girlfriend got it with no ID, possibly because she looks like a Thai (she's Filipino).
- You must dress decently, which means no shorts or short sleeves. Have fun walking around in 35 degrees with long sleeves and long pants. If you don't have, you can borrow clothes for a 200 Baht deposit, which requires standing in a long line
- Entrance is 500 Baht per nose.

Overall we gave up on the palace as we arrived late and I couldn't stand the heat. Two days after we went to Wat Pho instead, which was cool.

I went a week ago with my girlfriend, here's a rough list of stuff we did:

* Temples and buddhas, big and small. Wat Pho was the nicest one (since we missed the Grand Palace). Other nice one are the Golden Mount (Wat Saket) and Wat Arun.
* Wandering around between sights just look at the streets and people. To be frank, BKK is not a very pretty or picturesque city.
* Parks, such as Lumpini Park and Pom Phra Sumen.
* Party and red light fun in the evening and night - pool bars, street-side beer bars, go-go bars, ladyboy bars, gay bars, you name it. My girlfriend is cool and we had a lot of fun. For your situation, I'd probably try the fairly sober beer bars facing the street, good for people watching, but again, depends on your family.
* Great food. We ate both at restaurants and street food, the Thai food is just amazing. Be wary of going to too fancy restaurants, the food isn't better but the prices can be jacked up. A good ballpark is that a Pad Thai should cost around 150 Baht. Street food can be had for 50-100 Baht.
* A little cruise with the cheap Chao Phraya Express Boat up the river.

I LIKE COOKIE posted:

Ride a Tuk-Tuk or 10.
Do not ride a tuk-tuk. They are the biggest tourist scam, they cost 2-5 times more than a car taxi even if you haggle. They are designed for locals as cheap transport, but tourists are charged stupid prices. Never take one, no matter how desperate you are for transport. A taxi is cheaper, air-conditioned, more reliable, faster and more safe.

Ok, ride a tuk-tuk once in the city to try it out, pay the obscene price (don't pay more than 100 Baht), then never do it again.

Source: Been to Thailand three times, as recently as a week ago. The last tuk-tuk I took promised me a 20 Baht ride to a temple; he said there was a campaign today because of a holiday that gave all tuk-tuk drivers free gasoline. Then as we started driving, he threatened me verbally that unless he I would also go to a clothing factory after the temple (where I assume he got commission and they'd threaten me to buy poo poo), the price was suddenly 100 Baht. loving scammer. I told him I'd pay the 100 Baht, he stopped and we got off, and I gave him 40 Baht, and walked away. The dick complained but I just walked.

As a related tip, if you ever get in a taxi that refuses to turn on the meter in those lesser developed countries such as Thailand or Philippines, simply wait until the next traffic jam or red light, open the door and walk away. Leave the door open demonstrably, to gently caress with him. The only way to stop the taxi tourist scamming is to not put up with it. That being said, no (car) taxi in Thailand scammed me the last week I was there, so that was good, but always be alert. That's the good thing about public transport such as the BTS or Metro in Bangkok, you have peace of mind that you pay the price and nothing more. Take it as much as possible instead of taxis.

Bardeh
Dec 2, 2004

Fun Shoe

Pilsner posted:

Source: Been to Thailand three times, as recently as a week ago. The last tuk-tuk I took promised me a 20 Baht ride to a temple; he said there was a campaign today because of a holiday that gave all tuk-tuk drivers free gasoline.

Why would you even get in this Tuk Tuk in the first place? This is like, the number one red flag when it comes to Tuk Tuks in Bangkok.

Also, never let them take you to a restaurant because they'll take you somewhere with ridiculously jacked-up prices and mediocre food that exists only as a way to scam tourists. If they do anything other than quote you a price, just don't get in one. Better, as Pilsner said, to just not bother at all and take the BTS / taxis. Don't be intimidated by the BTS, it's simple, cheap, and efficient.

Taxis will sometimes try to get away with overcharging you by not turning on the meter. When you get in one, say 'Meter Kap' - if the driver tries to stall, talk you out of it, anything other than immediately switch on the meter, just get out and wait for the next one.

Bardeh fucked around with this message at 10:36 on Mar 9, 2017

Pilsner
Nov 23, 2002

Bardeh posted:

Why would you even get in this Tuk Tuk in the first place? This is like, the number one red flag when it comes to Tuk Tuks in Bangkok.
We were a long walking distance away from where I wanted to go, tired legs, plus ignorance and getting conned, as simple as that. It was a friendly driver who approached us, asked where we were going, spoke English well, made promises, etc., etc., I fell for the bait even though I should have known better, having visited scam-prone Asian countries many times before. I feel embarassed. I even fell for his "Oh, the market you want to go is closed because the King died! But here is another place you can visit!". So dumb of me.

Two simple rules for Thailand:

1) Never accept an offer from someone who approaches you - approach them instead, whether it's a restaurant, taxi driver or salesperson.
2) Never ride a tuk-tuk, period.

I LIKE COOKIE
Dec 12, 2010

Well I think riding Tuk Tuks is fun, personally. I've never gotten ripped off by one. I did go to a suit place once on a Tuk Tuk where I had to go in and pretend to be interested in buying a suit so the driver could get a gas card, but that ride was free and I only did it because one of the people I was with had never been on one before.

Don't let the possibly of getting scammed deter you, many Tuk Tuk drivers are honest. Just make sure the price is set before you get in.

I did get ripped off by a moto taxi in Bangkok, though. Definitely learned my lesson that time. Just don't let people take advantage of you. If they sense your naive or new to the region they'll all try to separate you from your money, its just the name of the game.

Pilsner
Nov 23, 2002

I LIKE COOKIE posted:

Well I think riding Tuk Tuks is fun, personally. I've never gotten ripped off by one. I did go to a suit place once on a Tuk Tuk where I had to go in and pretend to be interested in buying a suit so the driver could get a gas card, but that ride was free and I only did it because one of the people I was with had never been on one before.

Don't let the possibly of getting scammed deter you, many Tuk Tuk drivers are honest. Just make sure the price is set before you get in.

I did get ripped off by a moto taxi in Bangkok, though. Definitely learned my lesson that time. Just don't let people take advantage of you. If they sense your naive or new to the region they'll all try to separate you from your money, its just the name of the game.
But what price do you pay? I guess it's my first time getting swindled by a tuk-tuk like that, where he suddenly demanded a different price than what we agreed, but I just remember paying ridiculous prices compared to a safe, comfortable, air-conditioned taxi. Taxis in BKK start at 35 Baht and slowly go up as you drive; as typical trip across the central city area will be 40-50 Baht. The lowest I've haggled a tuk-tuk down to is 50 Baht, more typical is 100 Baht, and when I was a newbie I've even paid 200. I just don't see the point of taking them, unless you're desperate. They are also pretty big, so it's not like a mototaxi that can cut between lanes.

I LIKE COOKIE
Dec 12, 2010

Tuk Tuks and taxis were always about the same price for me, mototaxis (the only choice when going alone) are cheaper.

The problem I have with with being on the meter is I never know if they're just driving me around in circles or going the long way to run up the cost. So when I take a taxi I like to set a price before I get in anyways. Before I ever get a taxi/tuk tuk/mototaxi I always have the price I want to pay in mind before I start looking. If I make a miscalculation and the price in my head is too low, I'll know after getting scoffed at by like 10 different taxi/tuk tuk drivers. Only then do I start offering more. After a while you start to get a feel for the real price and getting rides gets much quicker. Arranging a ride should take no more than 30 seconds imo. If your haggling longer than that then its time to walk away.

Mototaxis are always the way to go for speed/cost but are only viable when your alone.

Taxis have the AC advantage (most of the time) and Tuk Tuks have the advantage of being more exciting.

Its hard for me to give exact prices since the distance always varied, I've paid from 20 baht to 200 baht, but a typical short ride is around 40 if I recall. The Thai girls who worked at my hostel would always come outside and haggle in Thai if you were struggling.


Its all in the strategy. for instance, if I'm going from KSR to my hostel ill just go down to the end of the street where all the tuk-tuk and taxis are. show a driver the card with my hostels address, and let them give me a price. They always say like 300baht or something. Laugh in their face and go up to the next tuk tuk and do the same routine. The first one will get desperate and come at you with a more reasonable price. Rinse and repeat until you get a price your willing to pay. If theres a bunch of em all standing in a circle Dont be afraid to have fun with it. Do it auction style lol. If you don't have a goofy personality like me they might get mad, so tread lightly

On the flipside, if I already know the price (because the hostel workers got that price for me before) Ill just say "take me to blah blah blah 30 baht." If they don't say yes I simply move on to the next one. There's so many different drivers and it literally takes 10 seconds to ask.


Works great. smile and be polite, but show them that you mean business and aren't loving around. Be offended at their price, or be taken aback. Its hard to explain but After you stay in a country/region where you dont speak the language you get really good at using expressions to get a message across.


If that didn't make any sense then the best advice I can give is to just watch how locals engage with each other, and mimic them.

and if your only talking to 1 driver your doing it all wrong, you have options. The worst thing that can happen is they simply say No.

I LIKE COOKIE fucked around with this message at 16:22 on Mar 9, 2017

webmeister
Jan 31, 2007

The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly. There has to be a bit of sport in this for all of us. In the psychological battle stakes, we are stripped down and ready to go. I want to see those ashen-faced performances; I want more of them. I want to be encouraged. I want to see you squirm.
Yeah you can do all that and if you enjoy it then more power to you. But frankly I couldn't be hosed doing that every time I wanted to go somewhere. As I've said, you just go to a road and flag down a cab then ask for the meter. The ones driving rather than waiting will almost always do meter rather than haggling and in my experience are honest.

Although that's just reminded me of a friend who arrived in BKK and immediately got suckered into a "free" tuk tuk ride. At the second suit shop he got his own back as his stomach was playing up, he used their bathroom and had absolutely rancid diarrhoea, which of course then wouldn't flush. Not the most popular tourist in Bangkok that day :laffo:

Mr. Wiggles
Dec 1, 2003

We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.
Good transport advice, thanks all.

What's the Uber/Lyft situation in Thailand?

webmeister
Jan 31, 2007

The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly. There has to be a bit of sport in this for all of us. In the psychological battle stakes, we are stripped down and ready to go. I want to see those ashen-faced performances; I want more of them. I want to be encouraged. I want to see you squirm.
GrabTaxi is the most common app I think. Uber is popular, dunno about Lyft.

Honestly though I didn't have great experiences with taxi apps in Bangkok, as most drivers would accept your pickup request, then call and ask you to cancel so they can dodge fees and stuff.

I LIKE COOKIE
Dec 12, 2010

webmeister posted:

Yeah you can do all that and if you enjoy it then more power to you. But frankly I couldn't be hosed doing that every time I wanted to go somewhere.

My favorite part of traveling is getting to know the local people any way I can, I really do enjoy it. It can definitely take time though. I had unlimited time and limited money, so negotiating made sense for me. If your on a week long trip or are in a hurry it absolutely does not make sense to hit up 10 different drivers to save 15 baht. But when your alone and the only thing you have planned for the week is to drink beer and wander around, haggling with Tuk Tuk can be a lot of fun.


Man Im starting to miss Bangkok

Atlas Hugged
Mar 12, 2007


Put your arms around me,
fiddly digits, itchy britches
I love you all
If you negotiate a price on the taxi you are overpaying 100% of the time.

railroad terror
Jul 2, 2007

choo choo
If one night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble, I can't even imagine what ten days would do!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgc_LRjlbTU

Senor P.
Mar 27, 2006
I MUST TELL YOU HOW PEOPLE CARE ABOUT STUFF I DONT AND BE A COMPLETE CUNT ABOUT IT

railroad terror posted:

If one night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble, I can't even imagine what ten days would do!
Someone in here mentioned staying on Sukhumvit, but I really don't think that would be too wise with a kid and wife in tow. Your choice. (But Sukhumvit does have a lot of good places to stay, that is certainly true.)

OP, if you can I would suggest bringing some cash and then converting it at one of the many money exchangers, to get a little bit better rate. (Usually wherever there is a bank, there is a money exchanger.) I forget the names. Bank of Siam is one (Purple) and then there is some kind of light blue bank.

ATMs are good too. I've never had an issue with my card (make sure to notify your bank ahead of time) but I do like having extra cash in case I need it.

For luggage, if you're staying at a place with later check in, get something you can actually carry. I use this, personally I don't like wheeled luggage.

On laundry you can usually find a laundromat near most major hotels/motels that will charge you on a baht/kg basis. This works a lot better than hotel laundry.

As has been mentioned there are lots of places to get a suit in Bangkok, usually they will want to see you about 3 times. (First measure, second measure/adjustments, final fit.)Try to stick with places with lots of reviews as there are also scams.

Learn how the bus system works for getting from Bangkok to regional areas if you want to save some money. (Take the air condition bus which is already pretty cheap and not the super cheap ones.)

Ayutthaya is definetly worth spending a day over there. If you go to the grand palace, you will need to wear long sleeves and pants or women will have to wear a dress if I remember correctly.

Haggle with the street vendors but don't do it too excessively.

Scams scams scams, learn a few of them. If something sounds too good to be true it probably is.

TukTuk, overrated and unsafe. I have had better luck with motorcycle taxis though. (Still not super safe when you're wearing shorts.)

Don't point your bare foot at people, and don't talk about the king or politics. Don't be "That Guy" that ends up getting thrown into Thai jail.

Getting a sim card for your phone. (Or even a cheapish burner phone) is well worth it. (MBK mall at National Stadium on BTS skytrain has a lot of selection.)

Use a cheap small camera, not a huge fancy DSLR. I brought mine and it was just un-necessary dead weight. I should have used something I could fit in my pocket.

Its going to be hot so, bring sandals and a short sleeved shirt. But you may want a few long sleeve shirts and pants.

There are some really awesome Sunday breakfast/lunch/brunch in Bangkok. My boss used to swear by the one at JW Marriott. Also some seafood place that had like everything. (You choose it they cook it.)

Senor P. fucked around with this message at 00:30 on May 1, 2017

Bardeh
Dec 2, 2004

Fun Shoe
Sukhumvit is a very big and varied place, and most of it is perfectly fine for families with kids. Even the seedier parts like Nana and Soi Cowboy aren't really in your face unless you specifically choose to go down there.

You're also not going to get thrown in jail for trying to talk politics, but you'll probably find that most people just don't want to.

webmeister
Jan 31, 2007

The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly. There has to be a bit of sport in this for all of us. In the psychological battle stakes, we are stripped down and ready to go. I want to see those ashen-faced performances; I want more of them. I want to be encouraged. I want to see you squirm.
If you're going to use an ATM, withdraw a few days cash at a time, as all Thai ATMs now charge something stupid like 200 baht (about $6 USD) per withdrawal. That's on top of whatever your own bank charges you (it might be a flat fee plus a percentage commission).

I LIKE COOKIE
Dec 12, 2010

Chales Schwabb has a card where they reimburse all ATM fees worldwide, it owns. Plus its so easy to link it the card to your actual bank account. Transfers take 3 days but its all doable through an app which is super convenient when traveling. Might only be for Americans though, i dunno.

Pilsner
Nov 23, 2002

webmeister posted:

If you're going to use an ATM, withdraw a few days cash at a time, as all Thai ATMs now charge something stupid like 200 baht (about $6 USD) per withdrawal. That's on top of whatever your own bank charges you (it might be a flat fee plus a percentage commission).
It's been like that for many years, and it is now up to 220 Baht. I don't really care, I just withdraw 9-10k Baht every time I visit the ATM and see it as part of the expense of traveling.

Not much to do about it as a tourist, as far as I know. If you pay by credit card in shops you're likely to just foot the ~3% CC charge yourself, as far as I know.

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Atlas Hugged
Mar 12, 2007


Put your arms around me,
fiddly digits, itchy britches
I love you all

Pilsner posted:

It's been like that for many years, and it is now up to 220 Baht. I don't really care, I just withdraw 9-10k Baht every time I visit the ATM and see it as part of the expense of traveling.

Not much to do about it as a tourist, as far as I know. If you pay by credit card in shops you're likely to just foot the ~3% CC charge yourself, as far as I know.

Depends on the card. My dad doesn't have to pay any surcharges or conversion fees on his. Some places will have a charge as part of the cost if you use a card, but that's done at point of sale.

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