|
DustingDuvet posted:Thank you both for your reccomendations! I'll try to keep my CV revisions to a minimum as to not disrupt your holiday 
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2010 13:45
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 15:08 |
|
|
kru posted:I'll try to keep my CV revisions to a minimum as to not disrupt your holiday I have been on "holiday" even before I started writing your C.V. I travel full-time!
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2010 14:42
|
|
|
Oh God I leave tomorrow  Are the outlets in Thailand the same shape as U.S. outlets? My girlfriend insists they are but I keep seeing adapters for Asian outlets.
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2010 16:32
|
|
|
C-Euro posted:Oh God I leave tomorrow Buy a multipurpose adapter to be safe. I have traveled around the world and ALWAYS carry one with me.
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2010 17:54
|
|
|
C-Euro posted:Oh God I leave tomorrow Good luck! Hope you have a good time at your girlfriends place! Don't be afraid to try ALL the food and lao kao.
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2010 19:01
|
|
|
C-Euro posted:Oh God I leave tomorrow They accept both American and European. In fact I think that's the case all over SE Asia.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2010 15:21
|
|
|
freebooter posted:They accept both American and European. In fact I think that's the case all over SE Asia. Malaysia and I think Singapore use UK outlets. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2010 15:40
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:Malaysia and I think Singapore use UK outlets. Malaysia is UK, and the hotel I was at in Singapore was US but that was the only place I ever plugged anything in. It seemed odd to me that they would be US outlets countrywide though I never thought to check.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2010 04:34
|
|
|
I've only come across UK outlets in Singapore...
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2010 07:22
|
|
|
Oh man I'm here, and it owns. Brought my Droid with me so I can grab the wireless my girlfriend forgot to tell me about. One piece of advice for anyone going to Thailand- make friends/travel with locals. Moreso than any country I've been to, Thais will show you all the best sights and where all the best food is. Hope you're OK with them shoving it onto your plate though. I've been writing in my journal and her mom's laptop has an SD card slot, so I will try to show off a couple pictures while I'm here. what's the best image host?
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2010 09:08
|
|
|
Went to Eskobar in Ekkamai on Saturday night, and Wip in Thong Lo last night (well this morning). Recommended! Wip seems a bit more classy than Scratch Dog for after hours stuff, and my ears don't hurt today which is a plus.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2010 13:35
|
|
|
C-Euro posted:Oh man I'm here, and it owns. Brought my Droid with me so I can grab the wireless my girlfriend forgot to tell me about. Waffleimages is the standard for quick GOON IMAGE HOSTING, but you can also open up a Flickr account for free if you want to share them with people later. The Pro account is definitely worth it for $25/year though. brendanwor posted:Went to Eskobar in Ekkamai on Saturday night, and Wip in Thong Lo last night (well this morning). Recommended! Wip seems a bit more classy than Scratch Dog for after hours stuff, and my ears don't hurt today which is a plus. Did you notice many Japanese there? Ekkamai/Thong Lo was where all my classmates lived, the one time I hung out with the dudes we went to some club out there. lol Scratch Dog. My favorite after hours place was Gazebo on Sukhumvit Soi 1; vaguely Middle Eastern theme, very chill and nice to sit down. They had a dance floor on the other side of the place, but it never seemed too hoppin'. Comedy answer: Spicy Disco, or Boss Bar. As one of my friends described Boss Bar: "It's about 10% better than Spicy". For those of you visiting Bangkok they're afterhours clubs frequented pretty much only be tourists taken there by taxi/tuk-tuk drivers on commission, and freelance hookers). Good for people-watching though. edit:  ATTN: USA GOONS VISITING THAILAND, COMING BACK RELATIVELY SOON If you've got some space in your suitcase (or an extra bag in your allowance coming home) and want to do your ol' pal Pompous Rhombus a favor, let me know. I want to get some Thai books over here but airmail would would be kind of expensive. OTOH, if someone brought them across the pond and Media Mailed them to me, not so much. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Jul 19, 2010 |
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2010 15:02
|
|
|
I'm trying to plan a 2-month or so trip to SEA from maybe sept-nov but the shear volume of information is intimidating. I've never done anything like this before. How much of the trip should I have planned out in advance? Knowing just English, how easy is it to move around from cambodia/thailand/laos/malaysia etc and see the sites without any plan in place?
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2010 22:16
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:Did you notice many Japanese there? Ekkamai/Thong Lo was where all my classmates lived, the one time I hung out with the dudes we went to some club out there. Yeah, tell me about it, Thong Lo is like Japanese central. Apparently they (well, their parents) buy up a lot of the condos there. FYI readers other than Rhombus though, I'm a big fan of the area, quite a young crowd and lots of great restaurants/bars/clubs, and it's well away from the backpacker parts of BKK. Pompous Rhombus posted:lol Scratch Dog. My favorite after hours place was Gazebo on Sukhumvit Soi 1; vaguely Middle Eastern theme, very chill and nice to sit down. They had a dance floor on the other side of the place, but it never seemed too hoppin'. Shishas there, like every other after hours place in BKK? May have to pay it a visit 
brendanwor fucked around with this message at 05:50 on Jul 21, 2010 |
|
#
?
Jul 21, 2010 05:45
|
|
|
brendanwor posted:Shishas there, like every other after hours place in BKK? May have to pay it a visit Yep. Bear in mind anything I have to say about BKK nightlife could well be woefully out of date, I left in September of 2008  While I'm throwing out recommendations of my favorite places so that they can be despoiled by roving goons (I kid, hopefully), there's a rooftop establishment called The Nest on top of Le Fenix Hotel on Sukumvit Soi 11. It's not the tallest rooftop bar in Bangkok by any means, but it's got pretty relaxed seating (sometimes too relaxing) and you're surrounded by skyscrapers. Not cheap/backpacker-y, but it's a nice change of pace if you want to haul yourself out of the slime of Khao San Road*   *Actually, as a student I didn't mind drinking on KSR and in that area, and plenty of young Thai people do the same. If you can't be assed to stumble off The Road to experience Bangkok nightlife and want to get away from your fellow scum, Hippie Bar (sit-down, bar) and Brick Bar (generally standing room only, 180B cover that includes a drink, packed, live music) are almost foreigner-free for whatever reason. I've never gone to Hippie Bar and not been adopted by a random table of Thai people, YMMV. Also, if you don't get a drink at the Gas Station Bar (just around the corner opposite the Burger King end, past the Subway) you might as well turn in your fisherman's pants, chop off those dreads, and take a shower. When my little sister came to visit I think that was her favorite part of the trip; drinking in a Shell gas station that turned into an outdoor bar at night. I'm kind of busy this week (and otherwise in the short-term), but I'm going to try and write-up my Chinatown - Khao San walk for you guys sooner or later.
|
|
#
?
Jul 21, 2010 07:06
|
|
|
Hopefully heading to Thailand in October! Any recommendations on where to stay in Ko Chang? Budget's around 600 baht and below. Preferably somewhere quieter and with a hammock. quote:Knowing just English, how easy is it to move around from cambodia/thailand/laos/malaysia etc and see the sites without any plan in place?
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2010 09:09
|
|
|
What would you guys recommend as the best honeymoon beach in Thailand? I was thinking Ko Lanta but if you guys have other recommendations I'd love to hear. Our budget is about $150 USD a night lodging. I'd like somewhere quiet (the fewer backpackers the better).
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2010 12:48
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:Also, if you don't get a drink at the Gas Station Bar (just around the corner opposite the Burger King end, past the Subway) you might as well turn in your fisherman's pants, chop off those dreads, and take a shower. When my little sister came to visit I think that was her favorite part of the trip; drinking in a Shell gas station that turned into an outdoor bar at night. FYI the Gas Station Bar has closed down, I was on KSR earlier this week and it's not there as I was supposed to meet friends there. It's now just a big pile of rubble. I prefer Rambuttri street to KSR both for street eating and drinking, but each to there own! I've been out here in Thailand for four months now and have loved every minute of it. I know it's cliche, but traveling Thailand is a unique experience to everyone that goes. You can go the whole trip without ever eating a single Thai dish or uttering a word of Thai if you want to. But you can also get off the beaten path a little and be the only farang around in a place where most local people can only understand hello. If you go to those places, get ready for the staring. Thai people love to stare at a farang, even one wearing a shirt and trousers. Here are a few pics of the hundreds I have taken while I've been out here, they're by no means amazing quality, or even my favourites, just ones I've quickly grabbed from facebook. Ko Lipe:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Ko Lipe with your back to the sunset:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Standard picture of a girl jumping in front of a sunset on Railay West:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Offal Soup that you feel obliged to eat after being introduced to the very friendly cook that couldn't speak a word of English. It was pretty tasty though I'd asked for a vegetable soup in VERY broken Thai!:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Taken through the bus window on the way from Mae Sod on the Western border with Burma to Khon Kaen in the North East:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Public buses are CHEAP and you get to meet the locals on your eight hour journey:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Very safe bridge over a river in Nam Tok at the end of a 1.5km road with packs of dogs that scared the poo poo out of me:  Click here for the full 536x720 image. Wat and Wires, I think in BKK though could be any of the cities I've visited, I've forgotten which one, sorry!:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Phitsonulok:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. The "Bus Station" in Mae Sod:  Click here for the full 540x720 image. A Thai building:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. China Town in BKK:  Click here for the full 540x720 image. A big motherfucking spider that wanted to watch me take a poo poo one morning in my bungalow on Bottle Beach on the North Coast of Ko Phangan:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. It nearly succeeded in watching me poo poo myself despite me not being on the actual toilet:  Click here for the full 540x720 image. One of me taken the other week on a bridge near Kanchanaburi:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. I met up with one of you guys in the first week I was out here but I can't remember your forum username, hi if you're on here still! Currently stuck in the tourist poo poo-hole that is Hua Hin waiting for an 11pm bus to get me out of here, only three more hours to go... Ted Ed Fred fucked around with this message at 13:42 on Jul 23, 2010 |
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2010 13:05
|
|
|
If you don't mind me asking, how much $ have the last few months run you?
|
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2010 19:03
|
|
|
Ted Ed Fred posted:FYI the Gas Station Bar has closed down, I was on KSR earlier this week and it's not there as I was supposed to meet friends there. It's now just a big pile of rubble. I prefer Rambuttri street to KSR both for street eating and drinking, but each to there own! Nnnnnooooooooo   Never forget  Rambutri isn't bad, is a lot more low-key if that's what you're looking for. Me and some other visiting goon found a good Indian place with some nice rooftop seating. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 20:06 on Jul 23, 2010 |
|
#
?
Jul 23, 2010 20:02
|
|
|
For gods sake, if anyone is visiting North Vietnam, GO TO SAPA! Sapa was by far the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life. Besides the ridiculously overbearing local touts, Sapa is heaven on earth, just learn how to say No thankyou in Hmong and youll be good. Definitely worth the long train ride from Hanoi( get a sleeping car).
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2010 07:30
|
|
|
Its CRAZY LEGS! posted:For gods sake, if anyone is visiting North Vietnam, GO TO SAPA! Sapa was by far the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life. I completely disagree, Sapa is easily the worst place in northern Vietnam.
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2010 14:22
|
|
|
Uhmm, both of you please expound on your views on Sapa. I'm flying in to Hanoi with my girlfriend on Thursday.
|
|
#
?
Jul 24, 2010 23:09
|
|
|
TreFitty posted:Uhmm, both of you please expound on your views on Sapa. I'm flying in to Hanoi with my girlfriend on Thursday. It's awful. Hmong grannies trying to sell you weed, everything filling up on the weekend, just generally being a poo poo tourist trap. You can hop on a motorbike and visit any town in north Vietnam, and it will be more genuine and have more character. Sapa is one of worst places I've been in Southeast Asia.
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2010 04:34
|
|
|
Hey guys, I'm just entering my final year of university and my and a friend are seriously considering taking a year out and traveling through SE Asia. My main problem is I don't know how much money I'm going to need and whether I can afford it! I'm looking to travel for 6-9 months and live reasonably well. My primary estimate was that I'd need around £30 ($46, 1500baht) per day which leaves me at about £5400 pounds (~ $8330) for 6 months before flights. I think I can save this, does this seem a decent amount?
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2010 22:46
|
|
|
Royality posted:Hey guys, I'm just entering my final year of university and my and a friend are seriously considering taking a year out and traveling through SE Asia. My main problem is I don't know how much money I'm going to need and whether I can afford it! Yeah, that's fine.
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2010 22:52
|
|
|
I want to do a southern leg of Thailand and hit up all the beaches sometime starting mid-October for about a month or so and then catch a flight to China and start working over there towards the end of the year. I'm trying to figure out a decent budget for a month of travel and am thinking about $1500 before flight. Is this doable? I don't really want to be held back from experiencing awesome stuff so if you feel I need more, let me know. I was kinda leaning towards following something like this: http://www.backpacking-tips-asia.com/backpacking-route-planner-south-thailand.html Any opinions? And sorry if you guys have grown tired of the same questions over and over again. However, if any goon is looking to travel around the same time, holler at me and maybe we can be travel buddies.
|
|
#
?
Jul 25, 2010 23:03
|
|
|
I am heading to thailand for two weeks come november and am trying to get stuff in order now for the trip (I have nothing better to do). I have a good friend there teaching English. He and I are planning to do a 3-4 day trip to angkor wat during my visit. For the rest of hte time, I plan to explore bangkok and maybe head north. From the research I have done so far, Chiang Mai seems to be the place to go up north to begin adventures there. I'd really like to do a motorcycle tour (I ride here as well). I know there have been several related threads so I'd just like any specific advice on 1. whether or not Chiang Mai is a good place to do this sort of thing from (please suggest better alternatives if they exist) 2. Whether doing this solo or with a tour group would likely provide the better experience (my buddy will likely have to teach so whatever motorcycle excursion I do will be without him) 3. Whether a GPS would be a wise investment if I decide to solo it or should I just go for it and use maps/the sun as a my guide. 4. Whether I should scrap the northward approach and go a different direction altogether, I'm pretty open to going where the wind takes me. Also, any gear tips? I figure it will be hot as balls so protective gear might not be my largest priority. I'll probably bring over a pair of riding gloves and I am debating my mesh jacket--someone push me one way or the other please. Also, I swear I have been reading this thread pretty rigorously but it is drat long so I apologize if this is at all a repeat in content.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2010 00:46
|
|
|
I love this thread (and the old one). I've been reading them since March 2009 and I had planned to go traveling in SE Asia back in January but my life situation made me pursue other things. After almost a year I have finally decided to take the plunge. I'll be flying to Bangkok in November and staying for 5 weeks! Thank you all for everything I've learned about Thailand. I'm sure all of the preconceptions I have formed from what you guys have said in here will be blown away as soon as I step off the airplane. I look forward to it.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2010 01:19
|
|
|
ohwandernearer posted:I am heading to thailand for two weeks come november and am trying to get stuff in order now for the trip (I have nothing better to do). Chiang Mai is a great place to do a motorbike tour from: lots of nice winding mountain roads (which are well-paved) and there's actually a decent selection of bigger bikes to rent. If it's in your budget, you will almost definitely have a better trip with a guide; they'll know all the interesting places to stop, be able to translate for you so you'll have much more meaningful interactions with the local people, be able to provide support in case of a break-down, etc. (The only reason I generally didn't use them was because I was a poor college student and could speak Thai/Lao pretty well.) You're better off flying to/from Chiang Mai from BKK on one of the budget airlines - I personally found the sleeper train wasn't very comfortable, and the VIP bus even less so (although it's a little faster). If you buy your ticket early the difference should only be like $20 or so. The convenience is definitely worth it, especially if you've only got 2 weeks. Alternatively, Kanchanaburi province is west of Bangkok near the Burmese border and is also pretty interesting. The town itself has some interesting history relating to WW2, and I did a ride from there to Sangkhlaburi (has Thailand's longest wooden bridge and a temple) and back over 2 days. There's a lot of stuff in between them worth stopping at, it could easily be a 4-5 day trip. Downer is that they only have the 125cc scooter rentals in Kanchanaburi AFAIK, if you want something zippier you'd have to ride it from Bangkok. I don't think anyone really bothers with a GPS. The main roads are usually marked in English, and once you're off the beaten track the GPS sure as hell isn't going to have those roads covered anyways. You should gear up even though none of the locals (or tourists, for that matter) do. A mesh jacket is fine as long as you're not standing still in the sun; I wore one of those, a full face helmet, trousers, and gloves for my 2 month trip. Kind of the opposite to the United States, people always thought my protective gear was badass and were always tapping it, giving me thumbs-up's, etc. Dangbe posted:I love this thread (and the old one). I've been reading them since March 2009 and I had planned to go traveling in SE Asia back in January but my life situation made me pursue other things. After almost a year I have finally decided to take the plunge. I'll be flying to Bangkok in November and staying for 5 weeks! Good luck!
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2010 04:23
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:I completely disagree, Sapa is easily the worst place in northern Vietnam. What is worth visiting in north Vietnam? I'm in saigon for the next three weeks (internship), I have been invited to some sort of team building thingie to the mekong delta with all the cute secretaries/lab aides and I have a trips planned to Dalat, Cu Chi and a 4 day boat trip to Ankor Wat. But I will also fly to Hanoi in 4 weeks or so and I don't really know what to do outside of it yet. I don't really want to go too far away from it because I will have to catch the train south again to get back to HCMC (and I want to check out Hue on the way).
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2010 16:15
|
|
|
The plane flight rates seem to be creeping up higher everyday. Should I buy now before they get any higher or is there a likely chance that they will dip back down again? Also is a 1 hour and 15 minute layover in NRT (Tokyo) enough time to find my next gate? I feel like that is cutting it close.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2010 16:36
|
|
|
Want to update my previous post about motorcycle trip: buying a good map is pretty helpful (just found my old one cleaning out poo poo in my desk). A guy gave me a Rough Guide map that covers Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, which was a lot better than going out of the bare-bones one in a Lonely Planet. It's also made out of this plastic-like material, which makes it pretty much impervious to rain, beer spills, and tearing. It wasn't the most accurate thing in the world as far as predicting the quality of roads off the beaten path ("highway" in Southern Laos being a one lane dirt road through the jungle for the most part), but it was better than nothing and really useful for planning. If you can find one, a bilingual map is best because most local people will have a hard time deciphering the Romanized names of things on a Map For Whitey, but even in the best of circumstances a lot of people just won't know how to read a map period. I also bought a Vietnamese road atlas at a bookstore in Hanoi which was really useful and pretty inexpensive. It showed pretty much every road, even the relatively obscure ones. Got pretty rocked by rain over the course of the trip though, it's all stiff and wavy now. Popelmon posted:What is worth visiting in north Vietnam? Well, definitely a trip to Halong Bay. It's one of the things you're better off booking a tour with in advance, as the jetty in the town you embark from looked like a madhouse; seemed like the kind of place you'd wind up getting ripped off. I went with Ocean Tours (I think that was their name) for a 2 day/1 night trip, who were quite good. Other than that, there are a lot of random mountain towns that see few, if any foreign travelers, and people are curious and friendly. You can do a loop of Northwest Vietnam (Hanoi - Son La - Dien Bien Phu - Lai Chau - Sapa or Lao Cai - Hanoi) on a motorbike in a week. The last leg, from Sapa to Hanoi is pretty much a full day of riding, you may want to just put the bikes on the train at Lao Cai and ride back. I highly recommend Flamingo Travel in Hanoi if you want to rent a bike in northern Vietnam; the owner is an honest, knowledgeable guy who's passionate about what he does, with a good selection of bikes. Dangbe posted:The plane flight rates seem to be creeping up higher everyday. Should I buy now before they get any higher or is there a likely chance that they will dip back down again? Cheap seats sell out first, you're generally better off booking as soon as you can.
|
|
#
?
Jul 26, 2010 17:39
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:Well, definitely a trip to Halong Bay. It's one of the things you're better off booking a tour with in advance, as the jetty in the town you embark from looked like a madhouse; seemed like the kind of place you'd wind up getting ripped off. I went with Ocean Tours (I think that was their name) for a 2 day/1 night trip, who were quite good. I did a $98 2 day/3 night tour last week, and it was a goddamn nightmare. Part of it was just me - I absolutely hate guided tours, hate being told what to do and when to do it, and this all came directly after six weeks of riding from Saigon to Hanoi, where I had absolute freedom every day - but it was also just a real shady operation. The kicker, for me, was the fact that they don't actually hire a boat until you arrive at the pier. Seriously. You have to sit around waiting for an hour while your tour company secures a vessel. That wasn't just my tour guide, that was everyone's. It's definitely worth doing your research and asking a lot of questions. Ask about the itnierary, ask where you get to kayak, ask which bays you'll be visiting, etc. Maybe even look into going to Cat Ba on your own and doing it independently.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2010 03:09
|
|
|
freebooter posted:I did a $98 2 day/3 night tour last week, and it was a goddamn nightmare. Part of it was just me - I absolutely hate guided tours, hate being told what to do and when to do it, and this all came directly after six weeks of riding from Saigon to Hanoi, where I had absolute freedom every day - but it was also just a real shady operation. That wasn't with Ocean, was it? (I think I've recommended them before.) I went with them after doing some reading up on the internet about what a PITA it is to find a good Halong tour, I think mine was like $85 for the 2 day/1 night. It was supposed to be twin-share but I was the odd-numbered person, so free upgrade for me  We weren't waiting at the jetty long at all; I'm pretty sure they own their boat or at least use the same ones for their tours. The whole thing went really smoothly; I'm not much for the canned, guided-tour type thing, but short of like paying some Vietnamese dude to drive you around on a fishing boat you're probably not going to be able to see much of Halong on your own.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2010 03:28
|
|
|
I think mine was called AST or something. It's definitely a pain in the rear end and an absolutely confusing mess. I can't think of any place where doing your research pays off more than Ha Long Bay, and I really wish I'd done that instead of letting my friend just book tickets straight out of our hotel while I was upstairs with a migraine.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2010 08:00
|
|
|
Trip Report: didn't go, and thank god for that... in a scuffle with the landlord
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2010 12:33
|
|
|
I'm looking at doing a bike (motorcycle) trip for a couple weeks in Thailand as well, although I wanted to start out of BKK and spend most of my time going south. It seems like everything I find on bike rental in Thailand is based out of Chiang Mai. It seems hard to believe there isn't much bike rental in Bangkok, although obviously I could be wrong. Chaing Mai would be cool and all, but that as I'll only be actually in country for ~10-12 days in country I wanted to spend most of it bumming around beaches south and not "waste" a couple days burning long distances. So, anyone know about bike rental stuff in Bangkok*? I'm also curious about whether places do gear rental... *I know the traffic sucks. I don't mind as I've been riding a while but I'm gonna be with two other riders who are pretty green and basically straight out of the msf course. We're not going to be riding around Bangkok a lot but more just trying to rent and get out of the city.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2010 20:29
|
|
|
Infinotize posted:I'm looking at doing a bike (motorcycle) trip for a couple weeks in Thailand as well, although I wanted to start out of BKK and spend most of my time going south. It seems like everything I find on bike rental in Thailand is based out of Chiang Mai. It seems hard to believe there isn't much bike rental in Bangkok, although obviously I could be wrong. Chaing Mai would be cool and all, but that as I'll only be actually in country for ~10-12 days in country I wanted to spend most of it bumming around beaches south and not "waste" a couple days burning long distances. 10-12 days or weeks? There has to be bike rental in BKK, although I don't know where. I tried a quick skim through the GT-Rider forums and didn't see anything, but you still might try asking over there (if anyone knows, they do). It's definitely not as popular a destination to leave from though. IIRC you can also rent XR250s on at least one of the islands down south, but I don't know which one(s). Your friends are probably going to be scared shitless if you guys are starting out in central Bangkok. Everyone lane-splits to the point where for all intents and purposes lanes don't exist, nobody signals, etc. It's honestly not as bad as it looks from outside of traffic, but if they've never ridden on open roads before... yikes (this guy is riding in a completely normal fashion). If the rental place isn't on the outskirts of town, you might want to see if you can get them to meet you outside the worst of it for starting out. Would get the trip off to a smooth start and let them build up some more confidence, and it likely wouldn't cost you much extra (probably just a little more than whatever the taxi fare back for the guys riding them out would be).
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2010 21:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 15:08 |
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:Your friends are probably going to be scared shitless if you guys are starting out in central Bangkok. Everyone lane-splits to the point where for all intents and purposes lanes don't exist, nobody signals, etc. It's honestly not as bad as it looks from outside of traffic It's pretty funny - for most who haven't travelled too much before, traffic in Bangkok always appears horrific. But it's positively orderly and predictable compared to traffic in, say, Cambodia or Vietnam - it's really not that bad at all.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2010 22:29
|
|