|
Fiskenbob posted:AFAIK you can get extra pages added into your current passport in much less than a month. So, I wanted to let you know that everything's okay. Sure, there's a street war going on and the police just engaged the protesters, but Thai TV is showing footage of the loving panda, covering celebrities and doing cooking shows so I'm pretty sure there's no actual protest. EDIT: This is just too great a picture to not post:  Note the light skin, lack of red and the signs mocking uneducated people? Yes, these are the "multicolored shirts" (i.e. yellow shirts). I swear to God it's to the point where there is literally going to be a no-shirt movement within days. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 03:22 on Apr 23, 2010 |
#
?
Apr 23, 2010 02:39
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 13:01 |
|
|
Do you guys know of any place where the current conflict is explained thoroughly in a non-biased way? I mean, it's hard not to sympathise with the red shirts since the notion you get from reading media here is that it boils down to "poor people wanting democracy vs. rich people wanting an oligarchy", but I'm sure there's more to it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 23, 2010 14:11
|
|
|
What I've been reading is "poor rural people kicking up a fuss because they think the government is elitist," which I read as "Thailand Tea Party." Tell me I'm wrong?
|
|
#
?
Apr 23, 2010 14:12
|
|
|
Later this year I'm planning to go to SE Asia for a month. I want to hit up Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, maybe Laos, maybe Malaysia. Doing all of my research, I really have no idea what I'm doing so this will be one hell of an experience. I have some questions, so bear with me! Are there any must-sees or dos that I should defiantly plan around? Does it make sense to see all 5 of those places with my budget and time? Or should I just cut it down to 3 or whatever? So if I have a budget of $1000-1200 over one month, am I actually going to be doing touristy stuff like tours, surfing, admission to things, etc or is that pretty much just living day to day and sightseeing? Am I going to be doing any "hiking"? Like treking through mountains or forests or is travel pretty much all transit? Is it worth having an itinerary to follow? for reference? say gently caress it and just get a general idea and a guide and live day to day? Also how reasonable would it be to get a job there and stay maybe another month? Is it worth it? I read this thread already but if anyone has any more advice for a first time traveler, I'm listening. Thanks for all the help. Firaga fucked around with this message at 14:58 on Apr 23, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 23, 2010 14:51
|
|
|
freebooter posted:What I've been reading is "poor rural people kicking up a fuss because they think the government is elitist," which I read as "Thailand Tea Party." Tell me I'm wrong? They aren't analogous at all; Thailand's poors have been politically marginalized for pretty much the country's entire history, and if anything they want more/bigger government. Under Thaksin Shinawatra, the former PM ousted in a royalist-backed coup whom they support, the government implemented UHC, a debt moratorium for farmers, and a micro-credit program. Also pretty corrupt, but since that's basically every Thai PM ever, his supporters didn't really care. In a nutshell, the big problem was he was seeking to replace the established elitist patronage networks in the military, police, and bureaucracy with his own, which caused his ouster. The yellow shirts/royalists actually are elitist, most of them are patronizing of the rural poor (who make up most of the county's population, hence why Thaksin was popularly elected) at best. There is serious talk about weighting votes so that uneducated farmers don't "count" as much as city dwellers. Firaga posted:Later this year I'm planning to go to SE Asia for a month. I want to hit up Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, maybe Laos, maybe Malaysia. Doing all of my research, I really have no idea what I'm doing so this will be one hell of an experience. 1-2 countries at best, really. You'll only be hiking if you want to as like a trek or something. It's a good idea to have at least a rough idea of what stuff you'd like to see in a country before you go. I guess you can work illegally under the table (Cambodia is probably easiest to do this) but for a month there probably aren't a lot of places that would want to bother with you. You could look in to WWOOFing or volunteering or whatever I suppose.
|
|
#
?
Apr 23, 2010 15:53
|
|
|
Firaga posted:Later this year I'm planning to go to SE Asia for a month. I want to hit up Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, maybe Laos, maybe Malaysia. Doing all of my research, I really have no idea what I'm doing so this will be one hell of an experience.
|
|
#
?
Apr 23, 2010 16:11
|
|
|
tzz posted:Do you guys know of any place where the current conflict is explained thoroughly in a non-biased way? The situation is complicated as both sides are right and both sides are wrong. Both sides are also a weird mix of two or three different demographic groups. The Yellow Shirts: These are the guys who blockaded the airport last time over different issues. They claim loyalty to the king as their center pin, but in Thailand that's like saying "I like to eat, and woe be unto all the noneaters!" What they get right is that they don't like Thaksin specifically as his political party and personal life was stuffed to the gills with soft corruption (hard corruption isn't Thailand's style outside of the police) -- for example, his party put through laws that allowed him to then sell a large portion of his vast personal holdings and not pay any tax on the sale. Thaksin is also the single richest person in Thailand and yet claims to represent the poor. What they get wrong, however, is their elitism mixed with more than their fair share of gently caress-you-got-mine-ism. Yellow shirts are mostly comfortable city dwelling businessmen (and women -- the Thai business world is much more egalitarian in this regard than the American one) who don't give a poo poo about the poor in Thailand, and the poor in Thailand really aren't given the stake they deserve in the country. Their second demographic is the military -- the Vietnam war saw the US pumping huge amounts of money into Thailand so long as it was spent on military concerns (like the roads that eventually made Thailand the tourism hotspot it is today) and also lead to a vastly overinflated Army system with so many generals that it borders on the ridiculous. These guys will use force on citizens and many of them have political ambitions. This means that, unlike in the US, the militants, the rich elite, and the middle class are bound up in an uncomfortable mess of a political unit. The Red Shirts: They're what the news is about today. What they get right is their claim that the current government is illegitimate -- it being coup installed after all. Understand that in the 1930s the royalty in Thailand was all but dead after previous pushes by previous democratic political agitators, so the Red Shirts also have claims to heritage and not just legitimacy though being right. What they get wrong, however, is that among the vast bulk of justifiably angry poor people that make up their demographic many support Thaksin when they would truly be much better off with another leader. Thaksin's party had a well known initiative that basically provided small sums of money at the village and even household level for improving small rural towns, eg, Tax Cuts. Like tax cuts, these handouts ended up being much appreciated by the people they benefited the least as simultaneous to them Thaksin's party was promoting a whole "run the country like a business" atmosphere and otherwise promoting general policies that were a cancer to the poor and would have eventually taken far more from them than the village fund could ever put back in. Money is money, though, and many of the red shirts you see in pictures get a per diem payment from someone for showing up and sticking around in Bangkok. This makes the Red Shirts an utterly bizarre mix of the economically disadvantaged, liberal and progressive intellectuals who are democracy seekers, and a small network of unimaginably wealthy businessmen who either have personal fueds with important or powerful Yellow Shirt businessmen or else with the generals involved therein. Both groups are absolutely politically adept -- if hard work and honesty are the American national characteristics then diplomacy and rhetoric are the Thai ones. As such, it's very hard to get impartial opinions of the goings on in Thailand. Many Thais will tell you that they're not any kind of shirt, but they will still often have a strong opinion of one party or the other. Because farang (us) are most likely to talk to the more likely educated Bangkokians (in English) we often see a yellow shirt bias when we attempt to consult the source. Thus when you find someone who claims not to belong to a particular party they will also say poo poo like "I hate the red shirts they should just go home and stop causing trouble" or "loving Thaksin!" and leave it at that. Red shirts have very valid claims about being shat on by an illegitimate government, the corrupt and nasty army / police that are used to stomp on them, and the general state of democracy in Thailand. Unfortunately, they come across instead as single minded zealots attempting to pull their own coup -- they don't do so accidentally but rather because all of their mouthpieces are absolutely aware of the way TV reportage works in the modern era and they're trying to get the right soundbytes out there rather than represent the full concerns of their group. I've been particularly disgusted by the Al Jazeera English clips on Youtube. While they often have the best footage and what seems to be good reportage they're reprehensibly slanted against the legitimate concerns of red shirters and are attempting to portray them as trouble making aimless thugs. Western coverage has been incredibly superficial, in no small part thanks to the incredibly complexity of the issue, a full explanation of which would require a history lesson the army, the monarchy, democracy in Thailand, business interests, the recent history of the Thai Rak Thai party, and a general understanding of the way politics works in Thailand. freebooter posted:What I've been reading is "poor rural people kicking up a fuss because they think the government is elitist," which I read as "Thailand Tea Party." Tell me I'm wrong? You're wrong. quote:Also how reasonable would it be to get a job there and stay maybe another month? Is it worth it? No one wants to hire you for a month. English teaching work is done on year-long contracts (six months if you dig around a lot) and signing on for one with the intention of quitting in a month and bolting with your pay is irresponsible to begin with but, more importantly, probably not even worth it financially. Need more money? Get a second job in the states and you'll come out further ahead. raton fucked around with this message at 23:41 on Apr 23, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 23, 2010 23:36
|
|
|
Okay so working is out. I'm interested in temples, jungles, beaches, treks, food, beer. No whores, some partying here and there. Really I want to go out to see the world. I don't even care too much if I'm always on the move as long as I get to see ancient temples, jungles, mountains, the culture, and swim in the ocean. Reason I ask about treks is I would love to hike through a jungle trail or a mountain path. So any recommendations of any of those would be cool. For example, I think in Laos there is some zipline you can go across over the canopy of the jungle? That sounds awesome. I guess the best way to do it, would be to get a daily budget, then figure out which major attractions and activities I want to do/see, and how much they would cost, and put money aside for that? Then maybe put aside a little more in case I see something along the way I wanna do that I haven't planned?
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2010 00:28
|
|
|
Firaga posted:So any recommendations of any of those would be cool. For example, I think in Laos there is some zipline you can go across over the canopy of the jungle? That sounds awesome. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jYp5TZLWLk Of course this being Thailand the company is named after a flying animal that doesn't actually fly.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2010 04:50
|
|
|
Sheep-Goats posted:Both groups are absolutely politically adept -- if hard work and honesty are the American national characteristics then diplomacy and rhetoric are the Thai ones. As such, it's very hard to get impartial opinions of the goings on in Thailand. Many Thais will tell you that they're not any kind of shirt, but they will still often have a strong opinion of one party or the other. Because farang (us) are most likely to talk to the more likely educated Bangkokians (in English) we often see a yellow shirt bias when we attempt to consult the source. Thus when you find someone who claims not to belong to a particular party they will also say poo poo like "I hate the red shirts they should just go home and stop causing trouble" or "loving Thaksin!" and leave it at that. Red shirts have very valid claims about being shat on by an illegitimate government, the corrupt and nasty army / police that are used to stomp on them, and the general state of democracy in Thailand. Unfortunately, they come across instead as single minded zealots attempting to pull their own coup -- they don't do so accidentally but rather because all of their mouthpieces are absolutely aware of the way TV reportage works in the modern era and they're trying to get the right soundbytes out there rather than represent the full concerns of their group. Basically, it's a good thing in the long term and Thaksin can be viewed as like, maybe, a Huey Long style populist with economically conservative macroeconomic and governance ideas? Like Long, he'll be controversial for a century to come as the guy who did a lot of good things for a lot of poor people by abusing the poo poo out of his power and, like Long, once the furor cools down and it's left to the historians everyone will agree that he was personally a douchebag and that it's probably good he got removed, but that what he did was necessary to the evolution of popular representation in Thailand. It's hard to equate to non-Thai terms because our mix of social and economic politics doesn't match that of the Thais. Still, I think Long is probably the best American comparison. My biggest concern is that, if Thaksin gets removed from the equation, this may all go the way that Indonesia and Malaysia went, because every day it looks more and more like a lot of brown ethnically Thai people fighting against a lot of white ethnically Thai-Chinese people. Due to the level of integration here and the tolerance of that integration (versus pluralism, as is practiced in much of the rest of SE Asia), I doubt it, but it is a concern of mine. All it takes is one Mahathir.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2010 05:09
|
|
|
Thanks a lot to both of you. I read a lot about Thaksin, the good and bad things he did, the coup, etc; but I guess the hardest part for me to understand is the yellow shirts position, because it seems they are just a bunch of egocentric, elitist and antidemocratic morons, specially when most of the things I read on the media are akin to this.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2010 17:13
|
|
|
tzz posted:Thanks a lot to both of you. I read a lot about Thaksin, the good and bad things he did, the coup, etc; but I guess the hardest part for me to understand is the yellow shirts position, because it seems they are just a bunch of egocentric, elitist and antidemocratic morons, specially when most of the things I read on the media are akin to this. The yellow shirts generally don't have an ideological position. Some of them are overly sensitive to the respect people pay or don't pay to the monarchy, but for the most part the only ideology in the yellow shirt camp is one of comfort -- they're the economically comfortable in Thailand and would prefer to not be inconvenienced in their city (outside of Bangkok there is little wealth comparatively in Thailand -- Bangkok is a city of 12 million, the next biggest city is like 1 or 2 million and is basically a farm town when you compare what goes on there economically). At the top of both parties are near-oligarchs who are trying to benefit from the shifting masses under them, but the yellow shirts have more of this, its more obvious with that group, and a few of them are too likely to shoot at civilians if they felt it was convenient to do so. ReindeerF posted:My biggest concern is that, if Thaksin gets removed from the equation, this may all go the way that Indonesia and Malaysia went, because every day it looks more and more like a lot of brown ethnically Thai people fighting against a lot of white ethnically Thai-Chinese people. Due to the level of integration here and the tolerance of that integration (versus pluralism, as is practiced in much of the rest of SE Asia), I doubt it, but it is a concern of mine. All it takes is one Mahathir. This integration is so full that travelers are unlikely to notice it, but if you're new to Thailand you'd better believe that there are people who hate the Thai-Chinese -- they do have a disproportionate share of the wealth, they do look slightly different, they do sometimes send their kids to special Chinese-y schools, and there is history of the Thai ethnic government writing specifically anti-Chinese laws (and books -- "The Jews of the East"!). It would be a nasty turn for the country to take, for sure, but it is fairly unlikely as most Thais are themselves of mixed blood (a little Burmese, a little Lanna Thai, a little Central Thai; or a little Lao and a little Thai; or half Chinese and half Lanna Thai, etc). It remains possible, however, as the mixed roots of many Thai families are not carried in the front of their mind, mostly due to monarchical policies and propaganda from King Mongkut (Rama IV) on down that set nationality policy to "born in Thailand = Thai, we are all Thai, let's all work together" after enslaving a bunch of foreigners, of course... Anyway, the most divisive Thai v. Thai separation remains the Muslim states in the South. raton fucked around with this message at 01:34 on Apr 25, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2010 17:30
|
|
|
Sheep-Goats posted:The yellow shirts generally don't have an ideological position. Some of them are overly sensitive to the respect people pay or don't pay to the monarchy, but for the most part the only ideology in the yellow shirt camp is one of comfort -- they're the economically comfortable in Thailand and would prefer to not be inconvenienced in their city (outside of Bangkok there is little wealth comparatively in Thailand -- Bangkok is a city of 12 million, the next biggest city is like 1 or 2 million and is basically a farm town when you compare what goes on there economically). At the top of both parties are near-oligarchs who are trying to benefit from the shifting masses under them, but the yellow shirts have more of this, its more obvious with that group, and a few of them are too likely to shoot at civilians if they felt it was convenient to do so.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2010 00:55
|
|
|
ReindeerF posted:There's a big asterisk here though: Southern Thailand. They're largely yellow shirts and not entirely because of the Muslim thing either, though I don't fully understand that. When Arisman or someone yells from the red stage he'll yell out, "everybody from The North cheer!" and there's a big cheer and then there's "Everybody from Central Thailand cheer!" and there's a big cheer and then he doesn't yell anything about the South, heh. Someone told me that the South have been Democrat party loyalists predating Thaksin's campaign of terror down there, but I don't know much about that, frankly. Al Jazeera's coverage is also heavily slanted toward the yellow shirts. My guess is the authoritative and/or militaristic complex some (many?) Muslims have ends up washing them into the yellowshirt camp. There's also a possibility that the House of Saud or some other princedom in the Mid East is quietly supporting the bullshit Southern Thais live with from time to time (beheading, bombings, motosai drive by) and says "Hey gee we like the royalty and the yellowshirts are royalists so tell the priests and muslim schoolteachers to spread the word that we're yellowshirts." This is all total speculation, though. I have very little contact with Southern Thai folks compared to the other three regions and the whole South of Thailand thing is like a problem inside sanook inside a problem inside mai pen rai -- I doubt there's really anyone who understands it apart from maybe one or two reporters or professors in Thailand somewhere in the South. That being said, thanks for bringing up the south. Like most farang (and Thais, I think) I tend to forget about it when talking about big picture Thailand stuff...
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2010 01:31
|
|
|
ReindeerF posted:There's a big asterisk here though: Southern Thailand. They're largely yellow shirts and not entirely because of the Muslim thing either, though I don't fully understand that. When Arisman or someone yells from the red stage he'll yell out, "everybody from The North cheer!" and there's a big cheer and then there's "Everybody from Central Thailand cheer!" and there's a big cheer and then he doesn't yell anything about the South, heh. Someone told me that the South have been Democrat party loyalists predating Thaksin's campaign of terror down there, but I don't know much about that, frankly. The South has been a Democrat/royalist stronghold for a long time, check out Duncan McCargo's "Network Monarchy" and "Network Monarchy Strikes Back" articles, they do a pretty good job of explaining it. Send me an e-mail or something if you can't find them online; I'm sure I've still got the PDF's somewhere.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2010 05:05
|
|
|
Alright, heading to Cambodia for a couple days then back to Bangkok. Will likely be leaving Bangkok hours after arriving there to go fly to Phuket and then transfer onwards to Koh Phi Phi Don to hang around the Palmtree Resort. Not sure how long we'll stay there or where we'll go after that, will likely have about five days left free. Any suggestions of places in Krabi to lounge around pools and beaches, ideally under 150 $ (USD) per night? Also, what're prices like for PC stuff around here? I haven't had a chance to look but wouldn't mind picking up some kind of netbook if things are a fair bit cheaper than in North America.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2010 14:05
|
|
|
Hardware is more expensive (import tax / duties), software is all pirated and next to free. The US is one of the cheapest places to buy electronics -- any location where it's much cheaper you have to also deal with fakes and bargaining and even then you're only likely to save 10% or so.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2010 15:49
|
|
|
I am kind of uneasy what is going to happen once the king inevitably dies. He seems to be the proverbial backstop to political unrest in Thailand, and everyone knows it. When he is gone there will be a gap in power where a lot of public opinion will be up for grabs...
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2010 00:38
|
|
|
I'm buying a RT ticket to BKK tomorrow and will be in Thailand from 5/1 through 6/1. Four quick questions: 1. I have a Verizon phone. Don't plan on using my phone that much but who knows. Better to just incur roaming charges once in a while or is there a way to get a cheap SIM card when I'm on the ground? 2. I will likely arrive at BKK close to midnight. Should I book a hotel room in advance or will I be able to find one if I just get a ride to the city center/backpacker area? 3. Should I take a big wad of cash with me and exchange it in country or can I somehow get local currency while I'm there? (I bank with Bank of America.) 4. Do I need to buy a US-to-Thai plug/socket adapter (thinking about taking my laptop with me) or does Thailand have similar sockets? Or is it easy to get one when there? Broohaha fucked around with this message at 03:15 on Apr 27, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2010 03:05
|
|
|
1. I have a Verizon phone. Don't plan on using my phone that much but who knows. Better to just incur roaming charges once in a while or is there a way to get a cheap SIM card when I'm on the ground? Buy a prepaid SIM card there from any 7-Eleven, you can get one for 50 baht. I recommend DTAC (you'll find the packaging is red and it's labelled 'Happy'), because 1-2-call sucks. 2. I will likely arrive at BKK close to midnight. Should I book a hotel room in advance or will I be able to find one if I just get a ride to the city center/backpacker area? You'll probably be able to find one around Khao San without much issue, but do you really want to gently caress around at 1am looking for a hotel room in a new country? 3. Should I take a big wad of cash with me and exchange it in country or can I somehow get local currency while I'm there? (I bank with Bank of America.) You can use this magical new technology called an ATM to withdraw Thai Baht, from your very own bank account no less! 4. Do I need to buy a US-to-Thai plug/socket adapter (thinking about taking my laptop with me) or does Thailand have similar sockets? Or is it easy to get one when there? No, you need a new adapter. You can get one there pretty easily from most markets, convenience stores or malls (try MBK shopping centre) but again, it might be easier if you just get it beforehand.
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2010 04:03
|
|
|
Make sure to tell your bank you're going overseas though. Some will shut off your account after a couple unexpected foreign ATM withdrawals. I had Wachovia do it to me after like 6 months ( ) and it took like a week to get straightened out, during which I lived off a $100 traveler's check I had with me for such emergencies.
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2010 04:08
|
|
|
Broohaha posted:I'm buying a RT ticket to BKK tomorrow and will be in Thailand from 5/1 through 6/1. 1. Buy a sim over there, also make sure your phone is unlocked. I don't think Verizon sells phones unlocked so you'll have to find a way to unlock them. 2. Book hotel room beforehand. If you're staying at a nicer place, take a taxi to your hotel and ask the hotel to hold your luggage and go out and hang out until your check in time. This saves you money from having to buy an extra day because you flew in at 12/1AM. 3. Unless you are planning to do something extravagant you only need about $400-$500. If you're worried about your money, buy a ziplock/plastic bag, put your money in it and buy one of those pouches that you can hang off your neck and place underneath your shirt. (the bag is to protect your money from your sweat). Edit: Just realized you're staying a month. $500 was more than enough for me for a week so I guess account accordingly. 4. Yes. Thailand uses a Type-K plug. This is compatible with the two prong Europlugs that you can get in Europe. I already had a europlug with me and just used that. Your hotel may have converters. Strong Sauce fucked around with this message at 05:49 on Apr 27, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2010 05:45
|
|
|
Broohaha posted:
ATMs have been mentioned, but for when I travel I have an online savings account with HSBC; their ATM cards work pretty much anywhere and they refund fees. I can also make I can also make transfers from my regular bank accounts online. It doesn't really cost anything to setup or maintain and it beats carrying around wads of cash.
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2010 07:02
|
|
|
I want to take my laptop and a couple other things with me but I realize that I may decide I want to keep them in a secure place while I travel. Are there safe deposit box type things available in Bangkok for travelers who want to secure some belongings for 3-4 weeks? Also: Never been "backpacking" solo before so this is all new to me. Seems like it might make sense to pack very lightly (1 pants, 1 shorts, 2 t-shirts) and then buy some cheapo clothes when I get there as needed. But then I wonder what to do about underwear. Should I take a decent amount or are those easy to get in country as well? Also, how easy is it to get laundry done? I'm going to try to keep my costs down by staying mostly in budget type places, FWIW. Broohaha fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Apr 28, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2010 03:09
|
|
|
A lot of hostels/guesthouses have safety deposit boxes. I am traveling with someone so we just split private rooms so we could lock the door. We have been all over for 6 months and no one has stolen a thing. You should be fine. Packing light is a good idea. I literally have 1 piece of clothing I left with and have replaced almost everything. Underwear is small enough and you can compact enough were its not an issue. If you really want to pack light, wash your underwear while you take a shower. This sounds odd, but its is amazingly effective. Everyone offers a laundry service pretty much in all the countries. I have taken to just hand washing though, which will save a bit of cash. They can be a little expensive. Where are you going btw, around Thailand?
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2010 05:09
|
|
|
As far as a safe place, if you build up a good relationship with the guesthouse/hotel they can hold it for you. Sometimes it might cost something, sometimes it won't. Maybe Ringo R would hold on to it for you for a couple of beers? Underwear/socks are easy to wash on your own in a bathroom sink/shower. When I do it myself it's usually more about not wanting to be held up waiting for it than cost though; most places do laundry by the kilogram. You've got the right idea about buying more clothes when you get there, I think. You should have at least one pair of actual close-toed shoes, too. This might sound like really obvious common sense, but a surprising number of backpackers I met are getting by with just flip-flops and it's kind of hilarious to watch them trying to do treks or pussyfoot around broken glass, etc.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2010 05:26
|
|
|
ziebarf posted:A lot of hostels/guesthouses have safety deposit boxes. I am traveling with someone so we just split private rooms so we could lock the door. We have been all over for 6 months and no one has stolen a thing. You should be fine. Thanks for the info. Is clothing there very cheap (i.e. something like 3 boxers for 50 bhat and/or a t-shirt for 30 bhat)? My trip is from 5/1 to 6/1. I'm gonna get there 5/1 and plan to spend 2 days in Bangkok. Then I want to go South to the beaches and plan to spend 2 weeks there (any recommendations?; i want the sweet beaches of phuket and phi phi but without the oppressive touristyness, if possible). Then I'll go back up to Northern Thailand and either do the northwest thing, including Chiang Mai or maybe I'll go east to Cambodia/Laos/Vietnam (I'm keeping an eye on something like this, for example: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/KRR) Not entirely sure yet; a lot will depend on whether I'm able to find kindred spirits while traveling who I can do things with. I'm going into it with only a basic plan for the start (2 days Bangkok, then go to the beaches for a little bit) and am hoping that as I get more acclimated with the country and with the travel scene, my plans will crystalize. Couple more quick questions: 1. I have a verizon phone and I dont know if I can unlock it. If I can't, what is my bet cell phone option when I get there? If I take my phone to my local vzw store tomorrow will they tell me how to unlock or am I SOL? 2. What is the cheapest/most reliable/comfortable method of transportation (especially for my initial Bangkok --> southern beaches trip)? From what I've read, it's overnight rail. Is that the case?
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2010 05:28
|
|
|
Broohaha posted:Thanks for the info. Is clothing there very cheap (i.e. something like 3 boxers for 50 bhat and/or a t-shirt for 30 bhat)? Not quite that cheap unfortunately. A decent t-shirt is probably around 150-200 baht. There are shirts for 100 baht or less but if you wear those you'll be mistaken for a rice farmer or something (ok, some of them are not that bad). I've met one or two guys who have done what Pompous said about leaving stuff with friendly guesthouse owners and it seems to work fine. If that doesn't work out I can hide it somewhere in my luxury condo (I'm in Bangkok) in exchange for hilarous amounts of beer. But I won't be responsible for any stains on your belongings. Things get out of control when my gay lovers come over.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2010 06:40
|
|
|
Broohaha posted:My trip is from 5/1 to 6/1. I'm gonna get there 5/1 and plan to spend 2 days in Bangkok. Then I want to go South to the beaches and plan to spend 2 weeks there (any recommendations?; i want the sweet beaches of phuket and phi phi but without the oppressive touristyness, if possible). Then I'll go back up to Northern Thailand and either do the northwest thing, including Chiang Mai or maybe I'll go east to Cambodia/Laos/Vietnam (I'm keeping an eye on something like this, for example: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/KRR) Recommendations for islands/beaches: Koh Tao, Koh Lanta, Krabi (Ao Nang, Railay), Samui are all better than Phuket/Phi Phi. Phuket is a dump, full of disgusting fat eurotourists, terrible nightlife, aggressive hawkers, and no Thai culture whatsoever. Stay far away. As for your transport, overnight train is probably the cheapest and is relatively reliable, but it's sure as gently caress not comfortable. I've done it before and now I'd absolutely rather pay an extra $20 to get an easy flight with AirAsia or Nok Air down there.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2010 07:52
|
|
|
Broohaha posted:I want to go South to the beaches and plan to spend 2 weeks there (any recommendations?; i want the sweet beaches of phuket and phi phi but without the oppressive touristyness, if possible) I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for but Koh Mak has probably the best undiscovered beaches in Thailand, it's a small sleepy island off Koh Chang, not a party island, just super chilled hammock + beer + sunset action with great clear water beaches. You probably cant spend 2 weeks there as there isn't much to do except chill, but Koh Chang is just a small boat trip away.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2010 11:40
|
|
|
Has Phi Phi really become that bad that you are suggesting Samui is a better option? Admittedly I made the mistake of staying in Chaweng, but Koh Samui was by far the lowlight of our trip (had an absolutely AMAZING time by the way, crammed as much as we could into the 2.5 weeks we had, and will definitely be returning more than once to take in more of the country) for the same reasons you stated below re: Phuket. I was under the impression that Koh Phi Phi was a little less touristy - maybe not by much, but bearable.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2010 11:43
|
|
|
Broohaha posted:1. I have a verizon phone and I dont know if I can unlock it. If I can't, what is my bet cell phone option when I get there? If I take my phone to my local vzw store tomorrow will they tell me how to unlock or am I SOL? I think you might have some problems doing that. My knowledge of cell phones and networks is outdated so I can't be of much help to you. You'll be better off asking in this thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3206955
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2010 00:51
|
|
|
Important news on the visa front:quote:Thailand extends tourist visa fee exemption scheme until 31 March 2011
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2010 04:25
|
|
|
Haggins posted:I think you might have some problems doing that. My knowledge of cell phones and networks is outdated so I can't be of much help to you. You'll be better off asking in this thread: If it can be unlocked, there's a whole floor of shops in MBK (big shopping center in Bangkok) that can do it for you if the Verizon store won't.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2010 04:38
|
|
|
So I am supposed to be booking a trip to Phuket soon, but reading this thread is really making me think I should be booking it to any other place except for Phuket. The trip is only for 6 days or so, is Phuket really that bad or does it still have its charms beneath the touristy crap? In other words, if I am not really interested in getting hammered on the beach everyday, will I regret spending my money on going to Phuket and wishing I went somewhere else in Thailand instead? The pictures look so nice. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2010 15:03
|
|
|
madcow posted:So I am supposed to be booking a trip to Phuket soon, but reading this thread is really making me think I should be booking it to any other place except for Phuket. The trip is only for 6 days or so, is Phuket really that bad or does it still have its charms beneath the touristy crap? I've never been, but I've never heard anyone say Phuket has a lot of great stuff beneath the surface, just that there are other, less touristy places nearby. If you only have six days I think a package or at least some guided tours will help you get the most from your vacation. One thing you might try if you're going to spend any time in Bangkok is getting a motorcycle taxi driver to take you around for a half day. I've seen it advertised in some back alleys around Khao San for like $25; you can likely do it cheaper just finding a guy on your own but the chance of them speaking much English is effectively zero that way. I wouldn't use it just for zipping around between tourist attractions; the real appeal would be getting to see some local/oddball places.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2010 17:09
|
|
|
madcow posted:So I am supposed to be booking a trip to Phuket soon, but reading this thread is really making me think I should be booking it to any other place except for Phuket. The trip is only for 6 days or so, is Phuket really that bad or does it still have its charms beneath the touristy crap? You'll definitely have fun. If your question is opportunity cost then it depends on how you define fun. One thing Phuket has going for it is that it's a real city that has real local residents and a real tradition, so while there's not a ton of historic stuff there it does have an indigenous history with local food, local places to go and such. Take this as opposed to Samui or Pattaya. My own personal tastes would probably take me down to either Krabi, which is a sleepy little old town with some history next to Phi Phi and Phang Na Bay (The Beach), or Koh Phangan/Koh Tao/Koh Samui just because I like the less developed beaches on Phangan and it makes a cool jumping off point to Samui (way overdeveloped) and Tao (underdeveloped). If you're looking for lots of authenticity, none of the beach areas are going to be great for you, but if you're looking for beach areas then you could do worse than Phuket. If you want more local, you could also hit up Koh Samet or Koh Si Chang, but they're both relatively small in terms of stuff to do and you pretty much lay around all day and then go eat and drink at beach bar/restaurants at night, heh (living here, this appeals to me!). ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 17:39 on Apr 29, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2010 17:36
|
|
|
madcow posted:So I am supposed to be booking a trip to Phuket soon, but reading this thread is really making me think I should be booking it to any other place except for Phuket. The trip is only for 6 days or so, is Phuket really that bad or does it still have its charms beneath the touristy crap? Yeah look, ReindeerF pretty much covered it off. Phuket's not bad, but the tourist area (Patong), where the majority of people go, really is pretty terrible - and it's such a big island that it's a significant drive to get anywhere that's nicer. Add that to the fact that Phuket is really expensive by Thai standards, and that other locations (IMO) do everything that Phuket does but better, less touristy and cheaper, and the decision becomes clearer. Not sure how you're planning on getting down to Phuket, but you could just as easily get to Samui (equally as overdeveloped as Phuket but much better nightlife - beach parties and clubs both better than Phuket) and then a ferry from there to Tao (beaches and lifestyle far, far better than Phuket).
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2010 22:10
|
|
|
I can't remember the names, but there are a quite a few nice hooker-free and tourist-free clubs in Phuket Town if you want to avoid Patong at night.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2010 22:28
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 13:01 |
|
|
brendanwor posted:Yeah look, ReindeerF pretty much covered it off. Phuket's not bad, but the tourist area (Patong), where the majority of people go, really is pretty terrible - and it's such a big island that it's a significant drive to get anywhere that's nicer. Add that to the fact that Phuket is really expensive by Thai standards, and that other locations (IMO) do everything that Phuket does but better, less touristy and cheaper, and the decision becomes clearer. Not sure how you're planning on getting down to Phuket, but you could just as easily get to Samui (equally as overdeveloped as Phuket but much better nightlife - beach parties and clubs both better than Phuket) and then a ferry from there to Tao (beaches and lifestyle far, far better than Phuket). Plan is to come in directly by plane to Phuket, but I could just as easily book the flight elsewhere. I think really my plan is mostly to just relax and do some local activities (e.g. snorkeling, hiking, eating Thai food). Maybe enjoy a drink here and there, but I'm not looking for the SE Asian version of college spring break. madcow fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Apr 29, 2010 |
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2010 22:47
|
|