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spf3million posted:Speaking of burgers and mexican food (and steak), any recommendations for Bangkok? (I've been in India for 4 months, can you tell?) I used to go to a Chinese run diner kind of thing in Siam Square for a burger. It's close to MBK but not next to the road, you have to walk back toward Chula a ways to find it. It's a big place at street level, big red Chinese letters out front, and I think Hard Rock is directly to your right if you're looking at it by my memory might be off by a block. McDonalds on the top floor of MBK is fine, too. raton fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Dec 15, 2010 |
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Dec 12, 2010 20:48
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Pompous Rhombus posted:thin steak on a baguette or something. Sheep-Goats posted:
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Dec 12, 2010 21:45
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Chiang Mai also has the best Mexican food in Thailand, forget the name of the restaurant (Google it). Migels, which is also owned by Mike I am pretty sure. They also had a southern BBQ place when I was there called Hell's Kitchen. I missed Mexican food so much I ate at Migels 3 times in 24 hours. If you are in Chiang Mai I have the stupidest request. I've posted it here about 10 times but no luck yet. At the guesthouse Daret's House they have this sign with the rules and it basically summed up Asia for me. My biggest regret is not taking a picture of it. If you happen to roll by Daret's House PLEASE PLEASE get a picture of the purple rule sign on the stairwell. I can't remember them all but it was like "no thai hookers, no ladyboys, no this, not that" all poo poo that in America no one would think would be an issue but in Thailand you gotta put it on a warning list. I laughed every time I saw it. While you are there you should rent a scooter and hit the zoo up as well. It was pretty cool. They had a guy with a mandolin who would stand next to an elephant and every time he played it the elephant would rock out hardcore
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Dec 13, 2010 01:09
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I just got back from an aborted two night three day trip to Surin Islands National Park. I'm back in Khao Lak a day early because... it sucked: - All the coral is dead because the water temperature is too high. - The weather is seriously weird for this time of year and I gave up on the place after 24 hours of near constant heavy rain. - There was a big rear end thunderstorm on the first night with massive wind and torrential rain. - The tents provided don't handle more than a gentle breeze or light drizzle; they definitely don't handle the kind of storm mentioned above. - Snorkelling sucks after 3 days of scuba diving and snorkellers are weird. On the positive side I hung out with a really cool Thai family for a couple of days, and the food at the national park was actually pretty good. In essence: prepare to be constantly wet, cold, without any sleep, and not see poo poo underwater.
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Dec 13, 2010 05:05
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Steve. posted:- Snorkelling sucks after 3 days of scuba diving and snorkellers are weird. please elaborate on both of these points
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Dec 13, 2010 05:32
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Ribsauce posted:If you are in Chiang Mai I have the stupidest request. I've posted it here about 10 times but no luck yet. At the guesthouse Daret's House they have this sign with the rules and it basically summed up Asia for me. My biggest regret is not taking a picture of it. If you happen to roll by Daret's House PLEASE PLEASE get a picture of the purple rule sign on the stairwell. I can't remember them all but it was like "no thai hookers, no ladyboys, no this, not that" all poo poo that in America no one would think would be an issue but in Thailand you gotta put it on a warning list. I laughed every time I saw it. I found this on Flickr, but it's a little old and cut off at the bottom. http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldoutsider2/1452392491/ There's also this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldoutsider2/1490657844/
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Dec 13, 2010 16:09
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I'm enjoying this thread. I'm in Vang Vieng at the moment and can't help but feel it's a great place that's been/is ruined by poo poo tourists. Unless you enjoy eating lovely western food and drinking shithouse Lao liquor buy the bucket then avoid it. I wish I'd done more research on this place before agreeing to come here under a friends wishes. That said the scenery is beautiful and there's a great organic farm 30 min pushbike ride from town. That's about all the highlights.
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Dec 13, 2010 16:38
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trigger posted:I found this on Flickr, but it's a little old and cut off at the bottom. Oh goddamnit. 5 years of wanting a picture of it and finally the internet taunts me with an incomplete image. If I had a full picture I would take it to a sign shop and get an exact replica made for my house, swear to god. I remember every time I walked by and saw "No ladyboys (homosexuals)" I would almost pass out laughing Not taking a good picture of it is a top 5 regret of my trip. I don't understand how I could walk by it and laugh every single time and never once think "I should take a picture of this." hello new background edit SON OF A BITCH you can't right click save as, goodbye almost new background quote:*Please note my normal human example. I had a coworker in Thailand who'd compare everything to how much a hooker in Pattaya cost. Ribsauce fucked around with this message at 01:17 on Dec 15, 2010 |
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Dec 15, 2010 01:11
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Ribsauce posted:hello new background Here you go 
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Dec 15, 2010 01:19
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Ribsauce posted:I remember every time I walked by and saw "No ladyboys (homosexuals)" I would almost pass out laughing Thai people lump gay men, lesbians, and ladyboys into one catchall "third sex". So a gay man isn't really seen as a "man" per se, etc. I was as surprised to find this out as my Thai professor was that I was surprised by it at all. Also, lol "THAI friends are not allowed upstairs."  "It's cool man, she's Cambodian."
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Dec 15, 2010 01:31
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Seriously, thank you guys so much. If you look back through this thread and the old one I think I requested someone grab this 4 or 5 times. Any time someone was like "Hey bros, I am in Chiang Mai, not sure what I want to do" and I saw it the day they posted I'd mash reply and say "please god go to Daret's house and get a picture of the rules, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE" no one ever did, but a 2nd hand FLICKR is good enough for me!
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Dec 15, 2010 02:07
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Hello there! This thread has been an entertaining read. My own first trip to Thailand is coming up in mere weeks and I now realize that I may have adopted too strong a "just wing it" attitude. Perhaps someone could comment? I land in bangkok at Suvarnabhumi at like midnight on the 17th of january. I have about 3 days in Bangkok before a friend joins me. After my friend gets there we'll probably head about the islands first and, with a few "must do" interest points, decide what to do on the fly. It's up until he gets there that I'm not sure what to do. Here is my half baked plan so far. I'm flying through to Europe to backpack for a year after Thailand, so I get off the plane and I lock my backpack up at a storage joint in the airport, taking my little backpack with a change of clothes and a few odds and ends with me. On the advice of this thread, since it's my first time there I should just man up and get a taxi from the rinks out the front instead of try to negotiate something cheaper or using a bus (which stops at midnight anyway apparently). I figured I'd be a complete cliche and head to Khao San road and try to find a guesthouse to stay in. I'm a bit more inclined toward the backpacker guesthouse than a nicer hotel because I'd like to meet other travelers. It's pretty chaotic even online looking at listings for accommodation so if anyone has a recommendation and why, I would be very appreciative. So, from here I have 3 days in Bangkok by myself. I guess I'll do the normal stuff, like check out some markets and sights, gorge myself on awesome food and drink like a fish- but between this, particularly at night, maybe you guys have some suggestions? Anyone want to list off some awesome bars or clubs they think I should hit while I'm there by myself, some spots where lots of younger backpackers congregate or generally some really cool places, activities or crazy poo poo I won't find on wikitravel? Sure would be a shame if I just spent my solo time in Bangkok drinking in a khao san dive bar.
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Dec 15, 2010 02:15
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Thai people lump gay men, lesbians, and ladyboys into one catchall "third sex". So a gay man isn't really seen as a "man" per se, etc. I was as surprised to find this out as my Thai professor was that I was surprised by it at all. "Katoy" is also frequently used to describe gay men, even if they are not ladyboys. The sign could simply be a Thai person trying to explain in English what makes sense in Thai, eg: no katoeys of either sort. Ribsauce posted:and how much is that.... This guy spoke Thai really well and wasn't picky. "300 baht." Pompous Rhombus posted:
Of course you know this but they ain't letting no Khmer up there either. Maybe you can pass her off as Philipino, I dunno. raton fucked around with this message at 02:46 on Dec 15, 2010 |
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Dec 15, 2010 02:40
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Sheep-Goats posted:"Katoy" is also frequently used to describe gay men, even if they are not ladyboys. The sign could simply be a Thai person trying to explain in English what makes sense in Thai, eg: no katoeys of either sort. The term I'm thinking of is the more formal/academic เพศที่สาม If they asked for a passport, I guess you could bluff them by having your friend sing the Philipino national anthem.* *one of the qualifications of Thai citizenship is being able to sing the national anthem, and no lie, immigration cops will sometimes ask suspected wetbacks to sing the Thai one. Someone buy an *Amazing Thailand* emoticon for this thread.
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Dec 15, 2010 04:32
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stop, or my mom will post posted:I'm enjoying this thread. I'm in Vang Vieng at the moment and can't help but feel it's a great place that's been/is ruined by poo poo tourists. Unless you enjoy eating lovely western food and drinking shithouse Lao liquor buy the bucket then avoid it. I wish I'd done more research on this place before agreeing to come here under a friends wishes. That said the scenery is beautiful and there's a great organic farm 30 min pushbike ride from town. That's about all the highlights. Agreed. There's a beautiful cave about 10 km outside of town and if you tubing early you miss most of the obnoxious tourists who are still sleeping off their hangovers, but otherwise it's not a memorable place.
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Dec 15, 2010 13:48
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stop, or my mom will post posted:I'm enjoying this thread. I'm in Vang Vieng at the moment and can't help but feel it's a great place that's been/is ruined by poo poo tourists. Unless you enjoy eating lovely western food and drinking shithouse Lao liquor buy the bucket then avoid it. I wish I'd done more research on this place before agreeing to come here under a friends wishes. That said the scenery is beautiful and there's a great organic farm 30 min pushbike ride from town. That's about all the highlights. I was there just a few weeks ago and I completely agree that it's way too bro-ified. The best thing I did there was rent a motor bike and go around the outside of town to visit caves and such.
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Dec 15, 2010 18:40
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Well, just landed at Stansted, marking the end of my 3.5 months of south east asia.. I mostly saw the big cities, but I'm fine with that. too bad I really want to go back now... need more KL relaxation time.
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Dec 16, 2010 01:05
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I have narrowed down job offers to two. One from Bangkok and one from Beijing. I'm familiar with Beijing so I just wanted to pop into this thread and ask what people liked about living in Bangkok or Thailand in general. Also what is transportation in Bangkok like?
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Dec 17, 2010 00:39
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Private Snowball posted:I have narrowed down job offers to two. One from Bangkok and one from Beijing. I'm familiar with Beijing so I just wanted to pop into this thread and ask what people liked about living in Bangkok or Thailand in general. I've lived in both. Bangkok doesn't get cold, and it's exponentially easier to get around with no Thai in Bangkok than it is to get by in Beijing with lovely Mandarin. Both are fairly dirty/polluted compared to the average Western city, but Beijing is markedly worse. Both cities are cosmopolitan regional hubs and you can get just about anything from back home or from around the world. Subjectively, Thai food is better than Chinese food (I like spicy over oily) and Thai people are a lot friendlier. If it sounds like I'm saying Bangkok is better in just about every respect, well, for most people it is. I did an intensive Thai course there for a year and didn't come away with the hard-on for the country so many other foreigners seem to have, but I'll be the first to admit that Bangkok is by far the easier of the two to get acclimated to if it's your first time living in Asia. I still enjoyed Beijing a lot, as much as I did Bangkok in fact, but it's a much tougher nut to crack for the outsider. Bangkok has a Skytrain and a subway, which connect. They're hardly comprehensive in terms of areas of the city served, but if you live near a station it's easy to get to the major areas. There's also a system of river taxis, although they shut down kinda early. Taxis are everywhere, cheap and metered. Tuk-tuk's are pretty much always going to be more expensive than a metered taxi and not much faster (they lane-split but aren't as nimble as moto taxis), take one your first week and then never bother again. Motorcycle taxis are fastest and tend to be more honest than tuk-tuk's as far as fares, but are still likely more expensive than a metered taxi. People usually use them for short hops of a couple blocks from the bus/train station to home. Bangkok is also served by Air Asia (a budget carrier), so there are a lot of cool destinations in the region you can jet off to for a weekend trip if you're so inclined. There are probably a couple months worth of weekend trips just within bus/motorcycle distance of Bangkok though.
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Dec 17, 2010 01:07
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Private Snowball posted:what people liked about living in Bangkok or Thailand in general. I haven't lived in Beijing but Bangkok is, IMO, one of the best cities to live in in the world. There's no other major city where you can get so much value for your money or where the people are so friendly and accessible. Bangkok isn't NYC but there's an incredible amount of foreign culture to access (there are very strong Indian and Chinese communities, but there are also Muslim districts, Japanese areas, strong British and American presences, etc) and Bangkok has a couple decent English language book stores even. The food is terrific and cheap and, of course, the nightlife is great (from sidewalk bars to nearly world class nightclubs, everything is available and affordable). Your biggest hurdles about Bangkok will be learning to get around there (it can be done and if you stick to the maxim "live by the skytrain, work by the skytrain" things get pretty easy to be honest) and dealing with the heat. The heat is no joke -- you know how we have one or two days a year where you walk outside and go "hoooooly gently caress it's hot?" In Bangkok you have one or two days where you walk outside and go "Wow, it's actually kind of nice out." Air conditioning is everywhere, but on the worst days in April people can be seen scuttling (alibiet in slow motion) from one air conditioned space to the next like you might see people running from one heated building to the next in downtown Chiacago. Some of the expats in Thailand will be horrible sex perverts (well, so are some of the ones in Beijing, but there'll be more of that in Bangkok) but a lot of the foreigners in Bangkok have local businesses there, have local wives, and are otherwise fairly invested in the place they live. I count that as a plus. They're also among the most generous and helpful of communities that I've run in to -- when I first moved to Bangkok I had a couple people offer to meet up with me for a day (I made no request for any such thing) just to help show me the ropes, one of which I stayed in contact with and met again from time to time as he and I moved around the country. Bangkok has a decent cultural scene which includes live music, some literature, a lot of design and visual arts, a thriving and accessible Buddhist community, some traditional dance and even a fairly strong movie industry (which consistently produces good quality popcorn fare, especially comedies and horror movies, but also the occasional action flick -- there are a handful of arthouse Thai directors as well). Bangkok is the central flight hub of Asia, so in addition to the numerous available overland destinations you have frequent and affordable flights to everywhere else in the region. The airport is connected to the city via skytrain now so you don't even have to get in a taxi to go out there any more (but you might anyway as taxis are cheap as hell in Thailand). On the minor pet peeves front Thai people don't spit everywhere, don't slurp their noodles, and while they have their face stuck to a cellphone more often than not at least they aren't constantly yelling at one. Thai people don't let their kids crap in the street and they know they're supposed to wash their hands before preparing food. Thais are also much more pleasant (and, IMO, adept) hagglers. It's almost impossible to find an aggressive or pushy Thai person of any sort. I live in NYC now and can see staying here until I croak, but I would have no problem saying the same for Bangkok either. raton fucked around with this message at 03:37 on Dec 17, 2010 |
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Dec 17, 2010 03:31
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Thanks for the info Pompous Rhombus and Sheep-Goats. Even though I'm familiar with Beijing I was leaning towards Bangkok for most of the reasons you listed. I also really got annoyed how the majority of people in Beijing just couldn't relax. Just one more question. Whats rent like in Bangkok? I understand the cost of living is cheap, but as whats an average figure for rent? EDIT: Also what are the major spectator sports?
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Dec 17, 2010 04:26
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Private Snowball posted:Thanks for the info Pompous Rhombus and Sheep-Goats. Even though I'm familiar with Beijing I was leaning towards Bangkok for most of the reasons you listed. I also really got annoyed how the majority of people in Beijing just couldn't relax. Rent in BKK is limited only by your budget. Get some crappy place out in Minburi or something and you could come in under a few thousand baht a month. Or you could get a condo on Silom or Thong Lo for 50,000-100,000B+ a month without much effort. Also, Bangkok is loving awesome as a place to live, it's an incredibly happy medium between price, convenience and first world amenities (if you have money, that is).
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Dec 17, 2010 05:10
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Private Snowball posted:Thanks for the info Pompous Rhombus and Sheep-Goats. Even though I'm familiar with Beijing I was leaning towards Bangkok for most of the reasons you listed. I also really got annoyed how the majority of people in Beijing just couldn't relax. Like anywhere it varies by location, around 4,000-5,000 baht will get you something okay that's not terribly close to a Skytrain/subway station but still inside the city proper. You can get something even cheaper if you don't want aircon and/or don't mind living way the gently caress out in the sticks, but I don't recommend it and make fun of Ringo R on MSN for it all the time. I paid 9k/month to rent a new studio condo in Ratchadaphisek, it was about a 10-12 minute walk to the subway and big supermarkets/restaurants. The complex where I was at was nice; had a swimming pool, fitness room, and a few small shops (hairdresser, convenience store, internet cafe). For some reason a French dude ran the internet cafe at my complex and he loving sucked, couldn't speak English or Thai and was an rear end in a top hat to boot. Was tempted to report him to immigration. Utilities: high speed internet with True was 600 baht a month, I think my electric bill was usually around 800ish, water substantially less than that. I think condo utilities are cheaper than apartments; apartment landlords charge jacked up rates IIRC. Regardless, it's pretty affordable. Dunno if you're teaching, but I know a lot of teachers prefer apartments not so close to their schools, so they have less a chance of running into their students after-hours. For sports, muay thai and I guess soccer a distant second, but all the European connoisseurs assure me that every single Southeast Asian team sucks. I think a lot of the bigger muay thai places in Bangkok charge whitey extra, I never went.
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Dec 17, 2010 05:13
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Pompous Rhombus posted:You can get something even cheaper if you don't want aircon and/or don't mind living way the gently caress out in the sticks, but I don't recommend it and make fun of Ringo R on MSN for it all the time. ชาวบ้าน 
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Dec 17, 2010 05:29
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I will be traveling to the Philippines in February with 6 other people, and I'm very interested in renting an island for a week. Where do I go to do this? (I tried google searching and it wasn't helping out) Also what sort of price should I be looking at per day? Also, is there a region of the Philippines where renting is more common? I'm not looking for some amazing island that will fulfill all of my desires, but something that is a little more than just a giant deserted rock.
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Dec 17, 2010 05:30
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The hotels I've contacted in Hoi An have been really lovely about getting back to me (none of them have). I'll be rolling in there on New Year's Eve, so is it even advisable to not make any reservations until then? Or, can someone recommend something that isn't more than 30USD a night and doesn't suck in many ways?
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Dec 17, 2010 07:46
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bitmap posted:I figured I'd be a complete cliche and head to Khao San road and try to find a guesthouse to stay in. I'm a bit more inclined toward the backpacker guesthouse than a nicer hotel because I'd like to meet other travelers. It's pretty chaotic even online looking at listings for accommodation so if anyone has a recommendation and why, I would be very appreciative. Check out NapPark hostel two streets over from Khao san. I think the street is named Thani or something, its on a quiet street, so you actually get to sleep at night. its all airconditioned dorms, and very clean, but maybe a bit on the expensive side for the area.. it has a great common area with mattresses everywhere to just chill out, have a beer or take a nap on, and you always end up meeting other likeminded people there. awesome starting point for getting smashed on khao san  bitmap posted:shame if I just spent my solo time in Bangkok drinking in a khao san dive bar No shame in that at all  just make sure to enjoy the street food.
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Dec 17, 2010 11:06
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Pompous Rhombus & brendanwor posted:ชาวบ้าน Thanks you two  Klogdor posted:Check out NapPark hostel two streets over from Khao san. I think the street is named This is where caberham stayed. I didn't see the dorms but the common area was nice like you say It's on Thanon Tani (but the T in Tani is more like a "dt", "dtani")
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Dec 17, 2010 11:35
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paperwind posted:The hotels I've contacted in Hoi An have been really lovely about getting back to me (none of them have). I'll be rolling in there on New Year's Eve, so is it even advisable to not make any reservations until then? I can't remember the name of it, but I stayed at a youth hostel there (YHA?) and it was nice, not too expensive either. They even had wifi! Ringo R posted:Thanks you two บ้านนอกๆ
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Dec 17, 2010 15:03
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Private Snowball posted:Just one more question. Whats rent like in Bangkok? I understand the cost of living is cheap, but as whats an average figure for rent? If you dig around you can find an acceptable aircon room near the BTS for like 5000 or 6000 baht (studio, probably no kitchen, bath of course). I stayed near St. Louis Hospital for much of my time in Bangkok on Satorn Soi 11, and there are a ton of similarly priced rooms back in the little nest of alleys winding around behind the hospital (which you access from various points). Your electricity for running the aircon will be like 1200 a month (unless you set it to 72 or something, mine was just under 80 which was enough to beat out the humidity and keep the room tolerable in a t-shirt and shorts), internet a bit more too (and sometimes a bit more hassle to set up than it should be). Most foreigners spend 8 to 9k and get a one bedroom, sometimes with kitchen, sometimes without. You can do that almost anywhere in Bangkok. If the place you go into quotes you a price of 35k a month all you have to do is walk down the soi a little further and there'll be a place for 9. Bangkok really isn't as segmented as most cities, the nice parts are right next to / mixed up with the not as nice parts (banking district next to the Klong Toey slum, etc) so it doesn't take that much effort to find an affordable place. My apartment hunting process involved going to the general area I was interested in, finding a motorcycle taxi driver who I could get to understand that I was apartment hunting, and then renting his services for a few hours. They know every single apartment in the area and I even had one guy who would go inside and ask the questions for me. Gave him 500 B for an hour and a half or so of work. Here are my guidelines for you for your first spot: If your work is near a skytrain station then live near that skytrain station. If it is not you still want to live near a skytrain station even if that means you'll have a sizeable commute to work every day (you'll be taking a taxi to start off but eventually you'll figure out how to get there on the bus). Expect to spend about 8k a month instead of being a cheapass like me, you can move down a notch like that once you know the city a little better, but early on it's probably not going to happen for you where you get a place in the 6k range and it's an okay place. I made a map for you roughly designating the desirability of places to live vs. their nearest skytrain station -- note that some really nice areas (Thong Lo) don't get a super high rating simply because they're further along down the skytrain line than I'd like to see, however if you work in the area the desirability can change. As mentioned earlier Bangkok doesn't have a downtown that degrades into suburbs like most other large cities so the question isn't "how close to center city can I afford" rather it has a distributed mess of neighborhoods, each of which are good for their own things. The only bit of Bangkok I don't really like are the parts north of Victory Monument station as there's nothing going on up there, just housing, but lots of farang do live up there so maybe I just don't know the area. Here's the map:  (edit: Queen Sirikit and Klong Toei should probably be red instead of yellow but whatever) Skytrain is much better than the subway because it accesses the fun parts of the city much better, but if you can live near the subway that's okay I guess. ----- By far the number one spectator sport in Thailand is soccer. Any bar will have it on if there's any match going (English Premier League) that Thais are interested in at all. Muay Thai is quite a scene live but doesn't get as much prime TV time as soccer does (though you'll be able to find some kind of Muay Thai match on your TV most hours of the day or night). Thailand has a variety of soccer games / teams but going to see them can be a little nasty thanks to the heat. Also Thai players haven't exactly figured out the whole teamwork idea and you sometimes get games that devolve into ridiculous goings-on that you would expect out of six year olds back at home. bitmap posted:I figured I'd be a complete cliche and head to Khao San road and try to find a guesthouse to stay in. I'm a bit more inclined toward the backpacker guesthouse than a nicer hotel because I'd like to meet other travelers. It's pretty chaotic even online looking at listings for accommodation so if anyone has a recommendation and why, I would be very appreciative. The trouble with recommending a place on Khao San is that it's not just one street, it's a warren of hostels on nearby streets and up alleyways and on and on and unless you name one of the two or three major places right on Khao San itself no one will know where the place you're talking about is. I stayed there a few times when I was traveling through the city sans apartment, usually on my way in or out of the country, and I liked the places that you got to by going through that Israeli depot at one end of the street, out the back entrance, down some rickety steps, through an alley that runs behind the temple, then you turn left down another alley and there are a few (more) guesthouses there. I ended up back there more or less on accident my second day in the city and stayed there occasionally when going through Bangkok because I had Thai friends and the guesthouses up there would let me bring them upstairs if I wanted to -- most guesthouses don't allow Thais inside. But anyway, look at this:  (For reference you should know that your taxi driver is most likely to drop you off at the corner near number 83, where there will be a motorcycle taxi stand and a bar called Gullivers. However he may drop you of on Th. Tanao on the other end of the street, by 101, there is a Burger King there. You can orient yourself on Khao San by determining if you're walking toward Gullivers or toward Burger King...) The places I'm talking about you get to by going into #97 at the bottom of the map and then out a back entrance and they're not even on the map. On my very first day in Bangkok I had picked out a place to stay from a guidebook and wandered around totally unable to find it, nobody knew where it was, and I ended up staying in a place that had no window and, as I found out at about 9pm, was right next to a nightclub. My recommendation is to 1: find the temple (it's 102 on that map up there), 2: facing the temple, turn right and walk up Th. Chakraphong, 3: turn left at the break in the temple wall, with the goal of 4: staying at any of the places around the outside of the temple wall. They're quieter and a little cheaper than the poo poo right on Khao San. This process will work out better than hunting for a particular place, as even finding Th. Chakraphong can be an issue your first time on Khao San (it's busy as hell and fairly chaotic there, and until you realize where you are you might not even know if you're on Khao San or nearby Rambutri or whatever). BTW respectable Bangkok expats aren't supposed to know anything about Khao San so just pretend "Oh I never stay on Khao San" when out of backpacker circles (like in this thread, OOOPS). raton fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Dec 17, 2010 |
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Dec 17, 2010 18:18
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Traveling alone can be fun and frustrating. There is so much to type but sometimes I find it hard to condense things down and I refuse to write a travel blog... Speaking of Khao San road, I had a nice dinner buffet at the peninsula by myself and a French/Dutch couple invited me to their table and had an interesting conversation. I mentioned that I was saving up money to treat myself and that I stay at Khao san road and they were amused and treated me dinner! So 16,00 baht free! But the cab ride was horrible and the driver tried to overcharge me 200 baht flat rate when the meter was at 45 I refused and told him to keep on driving but being the King's Birthday and traffic jam he complained about losing business. So when the fare was at 70 baht I just told him give me 30 baht change with a 100 baht bill. The fucker does not even have 30 baht on him and was wandering around the streets asking for change. I was furious about the situation and just walked away from the cab but left my pocket s90 and my lonely planet guide. Moral of the story, dont get angry so easily.
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Dec 17, 2010 19:03
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caberham posted:Speaking of Khao San road, I had a nice dinner buffet at the peninsula by myself and a French/Dutch couple invited me to their table and had an interesting conversation. I mentioned that I was saving up money to treat myself and that I stay at Khao san road and they were amused and treated me dinner! So 16,00 baht free! Bangkok expats often get a raft of poo poo directed at them but this kind of stuff happens all the time there. Yeah, they might have gone and got a couples soapy massage from two ladyboys right after chatting with you, but they really went out of their way to make a fellow foreigner feel welcome. with that said, if anyone reading this thread ends up in a situation like that I'd advise you to not partake in any kind of card game or go with them for a little shopping (gems, suits) afterward. Peninsula is nice as hell. I tried to take a girl to brunch at the Conrad one time but we got there on Thai time and they'd already shut down brunch service. quote:So when the fare was at 70 baht I just told him give me 30 baht change with a 100 baht bill. The fucker does not even have 30 baht on him and was wandering around the streets asking for change. Happens all the time and a lot of the time they actually don't have change. I've also had two cabbies who had to take an emergency poo poo while I was in the cab so they pulled into a gas station and went running into the restroom (after profuse apologies). Most of the time it's just a lack of foresight and planning and not malicious, but one time I got a motorcycle taxi from MBK to meet up with some friends on Khao San and the driver was pissed off at me because I haggled him down to an almost-Thai price before getting on his bike. He stopped halfway there to shop for watermelons, at which point I just asked him "Are you shopping for melons?" and he said he was and I said bye and flagged down a cab. It's probably been a few pages since anyone has mentioned this, but the idea of a store or vendor having lots of change isn't really something that exists in SE Asia. I'd always get 900B from the ATM instead of 1000 (or 1900 or whatever) so I could at least get four 100s and a 500 instead of the dreaded (to vendors) 1000B note, which they almost never seem to have change for. Carry plenty of small money is the moral of the story, I guess. I even knew one guy there who had a special stash of 20B notes at home that he was complaining about his wife getting into a little too heavily. Not that your taxi drive shouldn't have had change for a 100B note, he should have. quote:I was furious about the situation and just walked away from the cab but left my pocket s90 and my lonely planet guide. Moral of the story, dont get angry so easily. Hehe. It should be mentioned that during big national holidays (and other times when the cabs are full, like Halloween) you may not be able to get a cabbie to use his meter. It's okay, just pay a little extra and get where you're going. As per your example above, splitting your spleen open over literally one extra dollar usually isn't worth it. I had a cabbie one time who drove in a big circle around MBK instead of just stopping at the front when we got there to rack up some extra money on the meter. I was with a friend and we both knew what was going on, so we just waited until he came around again and stopped, then I paid him what was on the meter when we got to the front door the first time and just said "This is for before you went around in a big circle" and he laughed his rear end off and drove away. raton fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Dec 17, 2010 |
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Dec 17, 2010 19:29
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According to my laptop/camera battery chargers, they are designed to take an input range of 100-240V. This means I can use them in Vietnam without a voltage switcher, correct? However, since these are US/Japan-based electronics I'm using, is a plug converter required? I'm just now starting to pack for my trip next week and trying to it as light as possible. I want to bring my 70L backpack (I have a 19L daypack as well) with me and leave it less than half-full so I'll have plenty of room to bring back a ton of spoils. For clothes I'm planning on bringing a pair of cargo trousers and cargo shorts, swimwear for the south, 3-4 shirts (tee, polo, and casual), underwear/socks, a jacket, and a pair of athletic shoes and flip flops. Everything I've read says I can pick up a ton of clothes while I'm there, and I will be swinging through Hoi An as well. I'm coming from snowy northern Japan, so should I be fine for staying warm in the evening in Hanoi/Ha Long with just pants and a jacket?
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Dec 19, 2010 07:02
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I'm at Sukhothai, until tomorrow night. It's an awesome place.    I have survived a caving trip at Khao Sok, and can happily report that Khao Sok is absolutely beautiful. I'll be on Koh Tao for a month from December 21st - will probably start dive master training but won't complete it this trip. If anybody's going to be about and wants to hang out for a beer or ten with a dumb Australian, get in touch.
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Dec 19, 2010 07:22
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paperwind posted:According to my laptop/camera battery chargers, they are designed to take an input range of 100-240V. This means I can use them in Vietnam without a voltage switcher, correct? However, since these are US/Japan-based electronics I'm using, is a plug converter required? Yeah those labels mean won't need a converter. The only issue is if you plug will physically fit into the ones they have (there are different shapes you know) but you will be able to buy converters for that issue all over SE Asia so don't worry about it, and a lot of the time the plug will fit as the plugs are often made with a complex shape and some kind of spring inside so you can put different kinds of things into them and they'll work. Don't bring your big bag. Bags are loving cheap over there, just get one for when you go home, or do like I did for my return flight after being over there for two or so straight years and just buy a cardboard box and tape the poo poo out of it. You should bring one carry on sized piece of luggage only IMO, a backpack one, and that poo poo will only be half full unless you pack like an Israeli. If all you have is that 70L monster then whatever. You probably won't even need the jacket to stay warm. Any time it was less than 80 (in Bangkok, I've never been to Vietnam) the girls would get excited because then they could wear their little jackets so they could be fashionable. In most of SE Asia a jacket is an unnecessary decoration -- the only exception is if you're up in the mountains in the early morning. Other than that when it's cool outside you're all "gently caress yes it's cool outside!" and go out in your T-shirt and shorts or whatever to enjoy it. Like when people go out to enjoy the sun on that first day when you get a strong sun in the Spring after a month or two of lovely drippy cold. raton fucked around with this message at 18:51 on Dec 19, 2010 |
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Dec 19, 2010 18:47
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So I just booked 3 nights at the Rikka inn on Khao san road. I booked it there it there because my two cousins that I`m meeting in bangkok had already booked a room there so I thought I might as well too. Now with the email confirmation I got it says under Payment conditions that I must give my credit card information when I`m there to secure booking. I went and checked the reviews on trip advisor and there are two there that have already been victim to credit fraud (almost $2000 around at different locations) . The rest of the reviews say it is a nice hotel except there is too much noise. what should I do to avoid credit fraud! Help a newbie out
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Dec 20, 2010 16:17
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Is Vang Vieng really that bad? I know you guys don't like things which are touristy and "non-authentic", but the whole concept of tubing seems kind of intriguing to me. Assuming you are just looking to have a good time, is it still worth it?
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Dec 20, 2010 18:02
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Cheesemaster200 posted:Is Vang Vieng really that bad? I know you guys don't like things which are touristy and "non-authentic", but the whole concept of tubing seems kind of intriguing to me. It's basically Khao San Road Junior slapped down in the middle of some of the prettiest countryside in Laos. The first time I went there I absolutely hated it, I had a good time the second time because I'd been pretty much living off of market food for a month prior and was ready to just sit on my rear end and eat pizza for a couple of days. Didn't go tubing either time, dunno how that is.
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Dec 20, 2010 20:35
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Vang Vieng is pretty boring if you dont go tubing. You don't even need an actual tube, just jump in a tuk tuk with everyone who has a tube you can just float down to each bar and depending on how drunk you are just help yourself to someone elses tube. The first few bars all gave you free shots of whisky and the local whisky. Could probably get drunk with out spending any money. Just be careful on the slides, flying foxes, rope swings etc, they are ok at first but well the more drunk you get the more likely your to hurt yourself. I guess I can see why people would hate it, I guess if your a goony goon and you hate social interaction and drinking your not going to like Vang Vieng. It's just a party town for tourists, so go there and meet lots of drunk hot European girls.
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Dec 20, 2010 22:17
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spotswood posted:what should I do to avoid credit fraud! Help a newbie out Just go to an atm and get the amount in cash. it says that for all hostels no matter if they can actually accept cards or not. they'll never refuse your cash anyways.
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Dec 21, 2010 00:31
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