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Klogdor posted: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. I already reserved it online. Which means I sent my credit information. I really should have looked into this more. I'm not going to book any more hotels online again... quote:Beware! My credit card number was stolen at this Hotel, probably at the front desk somehow, I only used my card ones in Thailand, to pay for two nights at the Rikka Inn. The card was used all over the world.They mneged to take almost 2000 Euros. So be careful when you use your credit card in Thailand. quote:After handing my credit card details to Rikka Inn I was defrauded almost 2000USD. When we arrived, even though we had all the confirmations in the world, they had given our room away. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g293916-d1074858-r87443215-Rikka_Inn-Bangkok.html
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Dec 21, 2010 03:19
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Where can I get a vietnam visa online without having to pay for some overpriced visa service? I am flying in to Saigon from Kuala Lampur on the 18th. Canadian citizen. Anyone have the site? I just seem to be wading through nonsense websites, and U.S-related consular services
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Dec 21, 2010 16:57
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hostelworld, hotelbooker, hostel booker are pretty good websites to book online. If you are traveling with at least 2 people then it's pretty easy to book a double/twin room. According to wikitravel there is a visa on airport arrival service but you need prior approval from some agency. Not so sure which ones can help you 
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Dec 22, 2010 03:46
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Oh hey on my trip to Thailand I'm going to spend some time in Khorat (Nakhonratchasima) because in my two years of living there previously I (somewhat shamefully) never went to Issan. Does anyone here know what there is to do in Khorat? Just from Thai chatter here in Queens I know The Mall Khorat exists but that doesn't really count as something to do for me because I'm not Asian. I hear there's a zoo there? What's cool in the surrounding area?
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Dec 23, 2010 05:07
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Man... the last few days have been a bit crazy. At Sukhothai, we went to the bus station to get a bus to Phitsanulok so we could then get a train to Bangkok. We bought the bus ticket, put our poo poo on the bus, then were told to sit and wait - not in the bus - for a while. Then the bus drove away. Without us, but with our bags. We were eventually reunited in Phitsanulok, with much laughter at whitey. Phitsanulok was pretty lovely but we hung around at the train station for a while and drank beer with two Thai dudes who spoke no English, then they left and we hung around with a deaf Thai couple and communicated with lots of drawing. The dude was cool - they were going to Bangkok because his wife is pregnant or something. He also told us to be careful of bad dudes at the train station, but there were no bad dudes. Only cheap beer and good noodles. Midnight train, first class sleeper to Bangkok, taxi from the train station to the airport, and we were checked in to an earlier flight than I had booked and were escorted to the plane which was waiting for us. I guess it's no surprise that my bag didn't arrive on Koh Samui with me, but it is a surprise that my friend's bag did: we checked in together and our bags were in the same tub heading down the conveyor belt. Anyway, now I'm on Koh Tao and have the clothes I'm wearing and some jeans and a jacket - both of which are useless here. I caved yesterday and bought a new polo shirt, so now I just look like a hobo but don't smell like one. I've had a look at my travel insurance details and the claim process is a pain in the arse, but I guess I'll see what happens.
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Dec 23, 2010 07:45
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Sheep-Goats posted:bunch of great advice Thanks Sheep-Goats, Klogdor. Out of curiosity, is the "no thais allowed" rule an effort to discourage sex trade in hostels? Or to preserve a lucrative "tourist zone"? A little from column A and B, right?
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Dec 23, 2010 08:58
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Sheep-Goats posted:Oh hey on my trip to Thailand I'm going to spend some time in Khorat (Nakhonratchasima) because in my two years of living there previously I (somewhat shamefully) never went to Issan. Does anyone here know what there is to do in Khorat? Just from Thai chatter here in Queens I know The Mall Khorat exists but that doesn't really count as something to do for me because I'm not Asian. I hear there's a zoo there? What's cool in the surrounding area? Ton's o' Khmer temples, rent a motorcycle and poke around. If Thailand has stopped their little slapfight with Cambodia, maybe Preah Vihear/Phra Wihaan is open again. If you've just done Angkor Wat it won't be anything special, but it's a pretty cool place in its own right. bitmap posted:Thanks Sheep-Goats, Klogdor. Out of curiosity, is the "no thais allowed" rule an effort to discourage sex trade in hostels? Or to preserve a lucrative "tourist zone"? A little from column A and B, right? Pretty much 100% related to hookers, or just the creepy foreigner-groupie girls.
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Dec 23, 2010 13:16
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bitmap posted:Thanks Sheep-Goats, Klogdor. Out of curiosity, is the "no thais allowed" rule an effort to discourage sex trade in hostels? Or to preserve a lucrative "tourist zone"? A little from column A and B, right? According to the hostel owners I talked to the main problem is that they don't want their hotels turning into places where hookers go because then the police will shut them down. There's a special branch of "Tourist Police" in Thailand and I imagine they have an order from someone up above them to keep Khao San from turning into another Nana or whatever. Khao San is also fairly out of the way (it's not near the skytrain or anything) so I imagine the Thais see it as a good place to stick the low end travelers that they aren't really seeking to attract any more (promotional efforts are shifting / have shifted heavily toward midrange tourists -- the kind that stay in "all inclusive resorts" instead of the kind that stay in bungalows and find their own food by wandering around in the streets). Thai business owners are stereotypically short sighted (the Chinese have a reputation for a longer term eye that I feel is undeserved, they're just as debt ridden and "nickles and pennies" minded as the Thais IMO) so if they felt they could let Thai people in and make money they'd do it -- so long as it didn't put them in spots where they ended up in confrontations too often. Thai people don't like confrontations at all. The "no Thais" rule is quite strict at the places that have it (which is like 90% of them and all of the ones that a causal tourist would locate). If you meet a nice girl while there (there are some 20 to 30 year old girls who go to Khao San because they want to meet a foreigner -- like Roppongi in Tokyo but toned down quite a bit) you probably also can't go back to her house because she probably shares a lovely little no-aircon apartment with one or two of her friends, or she's a hiso girl and isn't going to hump you without a long rear end series of dates and whatever anyway. In that case try you could try the more hotel looking places (rather than the guesthouses) that are a ways away from Khao San. Again, giving directions for the Khao San area for someone who hasn't been there already is pointless, so just ask your lady friend to get a taxi driver to take you to a suitable hotel. Also worth mentioning (just for entertainment's sake) is that there's at least two hostels on Khao San that, in addition to the "No Thais" policy also have a posted No Israelis policy. The Israeli backpaker has become the defacto symbol of grotty cheapness and unpleasantness on Khao San (and probably some of the other places they flock to in the region, like Goa). One of the signs I saw (taped to a check-in counter) read something like "We are sorry but if you have an Israeli passport you can not stay here. We have had too many problems with people holding Israeli passports in the past and can no longer let them stay in our hotel," except with a generous dose of Engrish thrown in. Pompous Rhombus posted:Ton's o' Khmer temples, rent a motorcycle and poke around. If Thailand has stopped their little slapfight with Cambodia, maybe Preah Vihear/Phra Wihaan is open again. If you've just done Angkor Wat it won't be anything special, but it's a pretty cool place in its own right, Anything other than temples? I (sort of) knew about the temples already because whenever you talk to someone from Khorat about Cambodia they always say "Oh there's no reason to go to Cambodia because we have all those temples like that in Khorat anyway." raton fucked around with this message at 03:21 on Dec 24, 2010 |
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Dec 23, 2010 19:50
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I've been reading these threads for years, looking forward to the day that I finally got my second degree and could plan my own adventure. Now I can and am freaking out. I'd like to do a 6 month stint starting and ending in Thailand, but I REALLY don't want to have to give up my apartment and put my poo poo in storage. Plus I have decent savings that I don't want to decimate. Can I do this for 1-2 months for 6-7k? It seemed doable when just thinking about the in country expenses but then I started thinking about shots and insurance and plane tickets all the other bullshit I'm going to need to pay for beforehand. When would be a good time to go? The first possibility for me is probably around the start of summer. I'd like to spend a little time in Bangkok getting my bearings, then heading out to one of the islands for a week or so of beach side relaxation. The I'll consider taking a few trips out of Thailand to the nearby touristy SE Asia stuff. If it's doable I'd also consider heading over to Hong Kong for a few days, always wanted to see it, but I'm not sure if it's within my budget. I don't need any particular advice at the moment. Except maybe someone remind me what kind of vaccinations I'm going to need. Otherwise I just need people to tell me that this is doable, I'm going to loving love it, and to stop freaking out.
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Dec 24, 2010 00:48
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Nathilus posted:Can I do this for 1-2 months for 6-7k? It seemed doable when just thinking about the in country expenses but then I started thinking about shots and insurance and plane tickets all the other bullshit I'm going to need to pay for beforehand. When would be a good time to go? The first possibility for me is probably around the start of summer. Yes, and you can easily handle Hong Kong on that budget. You'll be fine. If you'd said 4-5 months I'd be hesitant to rubber stamp you through, but with 7k you're good as golden for 2 months and will be able to party every time you want to and take short regional flights when you don't feel like loving with the bus and be able to stay in midrange hotels rather than guesthouses and be able to eat whatever food you want every day. You can do this and pay for your insurance and other US-side logistics easily out of the 6k. Be sure to do a hilltribe trek (best ones are out of Mae Hong Son) and visit Angkor Wat (2-3 days in Siem Riep is enough, I really like Angkor so I say 3, some people do it in 2 and feel fine about it). You may want to swing by the firing range in Phnom Phen and shoot an RPG at a goat (or a fence post if you like goats). That costs about 300 bucks. You may also want to visit the tiger sanctuary in Kanchanaburi. These four items are the ones I end up talking about most frequently when people ask me for stories from SE Asia. Here's my medical post: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3260679#post371853945 raton fucked around with this message at 02:03 on Dec 24, 2010 |
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Dec 24, 2010 01:55
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Can I afford an occasional bike rental on that budget? I don't care about midrange hotels or shooting poo poo. I have already shot a lot of poo poo inside the US, thank you very much. However I do I have a desire to probably die in a horrible crash so I'd love to cruise around on one of the little bikes that are so plentiful. It seems like a great way to get out of the cities and see some of the scenery. Anyway thanks for the encouragement. Oh and I hate your avatar.
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Dec 24, 2010 02:53
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Nathilus posted:Can I afford an occasional bike rental on that budget? I don't care about midrange hotels or shooting poo poo. I have already shot a lot of poo poo inside the US, thank you very much. However I do I have a desire to probably die in a horrible crash so I'd love to cruise around on one of the little bikes that are so plentiful. It seems like a great way to get out of the cities and see some of the scenery. Yeah bikes are dirt cheap. I rented one one time for 50B a day. Expect more in the 100 to 150 range, but still, that's like five bucks a day. They're not great for getting out of cities because longer rides on them / the highway isn't really their forte. I've done it, but for longer trips you'd want something a big bigger. They are, however, great for getting around in town or on an island or whatever. In places like Cambodia it's hard to rent a bike that doesn't come with a driver. But then you'll only be spending 10 bucks a day on your bike/driver pairing anyway. Also you never shot anything with an RPG in the US. raton fucked around with this message at 03:25 on Dec 24, 2010 |
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Dec 24, 2010 03:10
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Sheep-Goats posted:Oh hey on my trip to Thailand I'm going to spend some time in Khorat (Nakhonratchasima) because in my two years of living there previously I (somewhat shamefully) never went to Issan. Does anyone here know what there is to do in Khorat? Just from Thai chatter here in Queens I know The Mall Khorat exists but that doesn't really count as something to do for me because I'm not Asian. I hear there's a zoo there? What's cool in the surrounding area? I didn't find much to do in Khorat itself but that might be because I didn't check any tourist guides  The Mall Khorat is nothing special. If you can rent a car you can check out nearby attractions at Khao Yai, Lopburi, Saraburi, etc etc. Nearby stuff:   Bonus pic from a small village an hour or so from Khorat (slightly nws) 
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Dec 24, 2010 04:40
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This is a really helpfull thread! I'm planning on a five week trip in March to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. I'll be spending most of the time in Thailand. A friend of mine told me about a beautiful 3 day scooter drive he made with his girlfriend into the mountains near chang mai. Now I'm an avid cyclist so I'd like to do the same route by bicycle. Does anyone know if it's possible to rent a bicycle in Changmai that would be suitable for that? I'm looking for a roadracebicycle that would be up to my western european standards (don't want to sound pedantic, but I'm not gonna ride something that is likely to break on an unknown route). Other questions: - If I wanted to take a diving course, which island would you guys recommend? Koh tao is a good one right? - I've heard that the full moon party isn't really worth going out of your way for. "It's just a bunch of drunk degens pissing in the sea". Can anyone comment on that? edit: bike =/ bycicle
Rojkir fucked around with this message at 14:53 on Dec 24, 2010 |
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Dec 24, 2010 14:50
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Ringo R posted:I didn't find much to do in Khorat itself but that might be because I didn't check any tourist guides TY guess I will try to get ahold of a car. I had a group of three or so of my university students (all girls) invite me to go to Khao Yai for a weekend at the end of my class and the Student Banging Guy was like "OH WOW YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY GO!" with one of the most ridiculously lecherous looks on his little British face that I've ever seen. Didn't end up going. Rojkir posted:- I've heard that the full moon party isn't really worth going out of your way for. "It's just a bunch of drunk degens pissing in the sea". Eh, pretty much. raton fucked around with this message at 02:26 on Dec 26, 2010 |
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Dec 24, 2010 18:31
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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. I'm in Vang Vieng now and having a blast. Went tubing yesterday and it was loads of fun. Looks like I'll be here for a week or so. It's really touristy but, so what? It's fun, the people are nice, and you can get a big bottle of Tiger whiskey for $1.25. Nothing to complain about ^^ Don't steal someone's tube though, there's a 60,000kip deposit for them. Also Sheep-Goats, thanks for the Chiang Mai tips a few pages back, had a really good time there. Mike's Burgers were surprisingly good.
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Dec 25, 2010 03:10
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Yeah, is there a lot of fights that start over the tubes there? Also this video is kind of funny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BKdnmuFoV0 Have you had any accidents? "Umm nooo not any accidents... ya only sometime"
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Dec 25, 2010 20:38
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Laopooh posted:Also Sheep-Goats, thanks for the Chiang Mai tips a few pages back, had a really good time there. Mike's Burgers were surprisingly good. Did you go on a hilltribe trek? How about the zipline thing?
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Dec 26, 2010 02:30
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Rhombus, what is the chance of me killing myself if I rented a motorbike in Vientiane and went over to Luang Prabang? I have my motorcycle license in the US and have ridden in Vietnam before. Is it a lot more laid back? How is the traffic? (in and out of the city) Also, what/where is that temple somewhere in Laos that I have seen a few times from your pictures. Looks really run down, had nobody around it (tourist wise), low to the ground and had this long approach.
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Dec 27, 2010 06:45
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Cheesemaster200 posted:Rhombus, what is the chance of me killing myself if I rented a motorbike in Vientiane and went over to Luang Prabang? I have my motorcycle license in the US and have ridden in Vietnam before. Is it a lot more laid back? How is the traffic? (in and out of the city) It's not bad at all, traffic in Vientiane is pretty sane and low-key (relatively speaking). You'll want to break up the riding into two days with a stop in Vang Vieng; from Vientiane to Vang Vieng is fairly flat, from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang it's mostly mountains. When I was there the road around Vang Vieng was lovely for about 20kms in each direction, but otherwise it should be in quite good shape. Just watch yourself going around corners and passing buses in the mountains and you'll be fine. Vang Vieng to L.P. is probably one of the more scenic rides in Laos. Andy at Tiger Trails in Luang Prabang may still be running his under-the-radar Minsk rental business, although you can get an XR250 in Vientiane. Hmmm, this one?  Minsk @ Wat Pho by ethics_gradient, on Flickr Is Wat Po in Chamapasak. It's not megatouristy, but it does see a fair number of visitors. It was more or less empty when I got there because of the time of day (and being the low season). There's actually a fair bit of it up on the mountain as well, fairly run down as you say. Definitely worth a visit if you're in southern Laos.
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Dec 27, 2010 14:00
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My plan is to spend around week in Laos and rent a motorbike out of Vientiane and ride up to LP with a pit stop at Vang Vieng as well as exploring the countryside. That temple is the one I was talking about. How hard would it be to get there given my above itinerary/time frame? Also, my biggest concern is what to do with the bike when I go exploring and find a cave I want to look at. Are there people who you can pay to look over the bike? Are they always reliable? Do guest houses have provisions to watch the bike when you stay there? For example, when you went exploring that temple complex, what did you do with the bike? It also seems that most rental companies take your passport as collateral, is this normal?
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Dec 27, 2010 18:46
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Cheesemaster200 posted:My plan is to spend around week in Laos and rent a motorbike out of Vientiane and ride up to LP with a pit stop at Vang Vieng as well as exploring the countryside. Not really do-able, Pakse/Champasak is about 600kms south of Vientiane. You can reach it in a day (or overnight) by bus and then cross back in to Thailand from there if you want, but if you only have a week it may not be worth it. If you do make it down there, they rent XR250's out of a hotel in Pakse, and there's some nice riding on the Bolaven Plateau (has some waterfalls and coffee plantations to check out). I won't call southern Laos a completely untouched tourist-free wonderland, but it definitely sees fewer travelers than Vang Vieng/Luang Prabang. Between Pakse and Attapeu I came across a village where most of the women still went around topless, for example. At parks and stuff there's usually a parking area, which may or may not have some sort of supervision. At Wat Pho I parked near the entrance/visitor's center, next to the ranger's bike, for instance. Most guesthouses will have a secure parking place (the local staff often ride themselves), a number will even let you bring your bike inside the lobby overnight. If I had to leave my bike on the street unsupervised for a while I had a lock and chain I'd use, and with the Minsk I'd pop the seat and pull the electrical box to carry up to my room overnight. Yeah, leaving passport as collateral is normal everywhere except Vietnam (where you need it to check in to hotels/guesthouses). It's perfectly safe, although annoying as gently caress if you want to cross a border.
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Dec 27, 2010 19:24
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Sheep-Goats posted:Did you go on a hilltribe trek? No hilltribe treks. I was kinda worried about the whole zoo-like aspect of it, though I would like to see one and spend some of my money there. I might look for something like that in Laos after recovering from new year's. Does the big zipline while tubing in Vang Vieng count? ^^;
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Dec 29, 2010 06:04
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Am planning a trip for next December / January (I have 9 weeks vacation). Was thinking of starting in Hanoi and then making my way south, but according to Lonely Planet:quote:The winter monsoon comes from the northeast between October and March, bringing damp and chilly winters to all areas north of Nha Trang, and dry and warm temperatures to the south. Specifically was wanting to hit Ha Long Bay and Cuc Phuong National Park. I live in Alaska and don't really want to deal with the cold, is it a better idea to start in Thailand instead?
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Dec 29, 2010 13:31
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I'm heading to Singapore this February for 5 days with my parents. Any tips in general? Any must see/do stuff? Preferably family friendly with my conservative parents. I looked at the OP and the last few pages and there didn't seem to be any mention of Singapore.
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Dec 30, 2010 00:28
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lostleaf posted:I'm heading to Singapore this February for 5 days with my parents. Any tips in general? Any must see/do stuff? Preferably family friendly with my conservative parents. I looked at the OP and the last few pages and there didn't seem to be any mention of Singapore. Definitely the zoo, I guess Sentosa Island (never been to the latter, but it's a popular attraction). There's a whole Singapore thread in T&T somewhere, I'm pretty sure.
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Dec 30, 2010 01:08
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Do lots of shopping on Orchard Rd, and enjoy spending all your travel money on ridiculous alcohol costs. In fact, I'm at KLIA waiting for my flight to Singapore right now, and that's what I'll be doing.
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Dec 30, 2010 03:23
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The cheapest way I've found to drink in Singapore was cheap 7-11 wine. It's still expensive as gently caress but it's got higher alcohol content than beer at least. Or ideally bring in a bottle of duty free booze, but thats not really an option if you're traveling by land.
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Dec 30, 2010 06:14
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Hm, didn't even notice, BKK has a train now, how about that Does this spell the end for taxis?
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Dec 30, 2010 08:42
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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? A bit late, but hopefuly you still read this: Just walk in one of the "Sinh cafe" group hotels in any town and say that you need a hotel. They will book one for you and arrange an airport/trainstation pickup. Works fine. They want a small downpayment, something like $5. You get a receipt which you just have to show at the new hotel and whatever your downpayment was will be substracted from the bill. Easy and convenient.
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Dec 30, 2010 17:58
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Bulging Nipples posted:The cheapest way I've found to drink in Singapore was cheap 7-11 wine. It's still expensive as gently caress but it's got higher alcohol content than beer at least. Or ideally bring in a bottle of duty free booze, but thats not really an option if you're traveling by land. My friend got yelled at by Customs for bringing in some cheap poo poo liquor from Malaysia, they let him keep it though. Cheapest way I found there was getting the big bottles of beer at one of the hawker centers, like $5 for a liter of Tiger. Also found some shops in little India that had to have been selling smuggled liquor or something, way, way cheaper than anything anywhere else there.
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Dec 30, 2010 21:02
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imnotinsane posted: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. You are a huge douche bag if you steal other people's tube. I enjoyed Vang Vieng despite all the dirty hippies. In fact it was probably one of if not the most fun thing I did over my six months in SE Asia. The rope swings and the giant waterslide are incredibly fun. Then again getting a group of friends together for a canoeing and drinking trip is one of my favorite things to do here in the states so i guess ymmv.
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Dec 30, 2010 21:14
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Definitely the zoo, I guess Sentosa Island (never been to the latter, but it's a popular attraction). There's a whole Singapore thread in T&T somewhere, I'm pretty sure. Oops. Didn't see that thread. Thanks.
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Dec 30, 2010 22:39
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It's pretty hard for you to steal someone's tube anyway, you were there you should know, its not like they give you tube number #88 and that's the one you have to bring back to the store later that night. When you leave the bar you just take a tube. You don't even need a tube, all the bars are close enough together that you can just float down. In fact when I went it was only the people who were there for their first time that got a tube, all the people I spoke to that had been there for a couple of days just floated from bar to bar
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Dec 31, 2010 01:12
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Is it possible to get a pre-paid mini-SIM card on a 3G network in Thailand? If not, no big deal, but I'm going to Thailand in a few days with my iPhone 4 and figured it was worth asking!
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Dec 31, 2010 06:01
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ProdigalSon posted:Is it possible to get a pre-paid mini-SIM card on a 3G network in Thailand? If not, no big deal, but I'm going to Thailand in a few days with my iPhone 4 and figured it was worth asking! I don't have specifics but I'd poo poo a brick if that weren't possible in Thailand. Visit MBK in Bangkok (it's a big mall, tell any taxi driver "MBK" and they'll take you there -- the third fourth and most of the fifth floors are almost all cell phone shops) and you'll get sorted out after clearing a few communication hurdles. dwoloz posted:Hm, didn't even notice, BKK has a train now, how about that Do you mean the airport or the city? If the former then no, taxis aren't going to disappear because of the hassles of dragging luggage to a train and then dragging it from the train to your hotel (and also taxis are cheap in Thailand). If you mean the latter then no, the skytrain/subway system in Bangkok, while incredibly useful, is also nowhere near the size it needs to be to really serve the city like NYC or Tokyo's or whatever. Basically you have a main drag tourist / business infrastructure line (the two skytrain lines) that intersects with a commuter line (the subway) at a few more or less useless junctures. raton fucked around with this message at 08:06 on Dec 31, 2010 |
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Dec 31, 2010 08:03
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I am already hooked up for a hotel in Hoi An (which is where I will be going to tomorrow). Any backpacking goons in or passing through Nha Trang Jan 2-6, or HCMC Jan 7-8? So far, Vietnam has exceeded all my expectations. There is just so much I want to do but can't because of my time crunch. Totally coming back again in the future.
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Dec 31, 2010 10:58
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Well, after a bit of back and forth about where we wanted to go, my girlfriend and I are going to Thailand for 3 weeks this coming Monday, flying in and out of Bangkok. Have never gone on a trip that long with only 5 days notice, but it should all turn out well enough. The itinerary is very rough at this point, but rigid plans seem like a bad idea anyway. Basically: *3-4 days in Bangkok -We're getting in around midnight, it would be nice to have a place booked to go to directly - what are some good options under 1000 bhat or so that I can get in advance? I'm more worried about location and roominess than things like wifi or air conditioning. Something in the middle of things to acclimate to the city, figure out the next part of the trip, but mostly just be able to walk out of the hotel and be in the middle of things would be great. -I plan to stop by MBK the first day to pick up a sim card, a 220 -> 110 voltage adapter or two, etc - that should be available there, right? -Where would be a good place to get a couple shirts made? -I'm not worried about being bored in Bangkok in such a short time, is there any reason to assume we won't be able to just walk around and easily pass the time between eating, drinking, talking to people, etc? *5-16 days at Ko Phangan -At this point, the plan is entirely up in the air. I was thinking a decent first destination from Bangkok would be Ko Phangan, would we be disappointed compared to Ko Tao if neither of us are divers? Should I be looking at any other island in particular? Scenery is the main goal, but we don't need anything too isolated and other people are a plus as long as they aren't mostly middle aged sex tourists. -Would it be uncomfortable or a bad idea to take a bus/train to the mainland there and find a ferry once there? -There, I would hope to find a bungalow on the beach for a couple days at a time before moving on (depending on...whatever) - how much would that run for something moderately comfortable - again, AC is whatever, but things like toilets and mosquito nets would be nice. How much should we expect to pay per night (I was hoping ~6-800 bhat, less is nice), and how would we go about finding these places beyond seeing where boats and taxis will take us? *5-13 days at Ko Phangan OR *5-13 days at Chian Mai -If/when we get enough time in the first island chain, the decision would be whether to (a) go across the peninsula to Ko Phi Phi or maybe Ko Mook with the same basic plan as Ko Phangan or (b) get a flight to Chiang Mai for another week or so for some low intensity hiking and sightseeing. -Any reason any of these aren't accessible without planning? *1-5 days in Bangkok -Winding down and getting ready to go home - how long this leg of the trip will depend on how much we enjoy the first leg in Bangkok, I guess. -Where are the good places to go shopping? This might be a good opportunity to buy a cheap bag to check on the way home and fill with various crap (carry on only on the way in). *Other stuff -We were hoping to take some shorter trips to some temples while based in Bangkok. Ayudthaya would be a good day trip? Other suggestions in the general area? -What are good places to plan to see around the above locations? There should be enough flex in the schedule to explore some, so ideas are nice. -Are there any events, festivals, or something like that going on over the month of January? -Anyone care to meet for a drink or three this Wednesday-Saturday in Bangkok? Thoughts? Suggestions? Derisive comments about ideas or expectations I need to change drastically or rambling late night grammar? And if you're in Thailand, care to shoot me a PM so we can exchange email addresses or something? - I hope to check email a couple times a week or so where available. AreWeDrunkYet fucked around with this message at 12:05 on Dec 31, 2010 |
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Dec 31, 2010 11:57
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AreWeDrunkYet posted:-I plan to stop by MBK the first day to pick up a sim card, a 220 -> 110 voltage adapter or two, etc - that should be available there, right? You can get a prepaid SIM card at any 7-11, there's no need to make a trip to MBK unless you want to buy a phone or need yours unlocked or something. You shouldn't need a voltage adapter either, pretty much everything is 110-220v now, check on the adapter. You might need a plug adapter, depending on what country you're coming from. You don't necessarily want to walk everywhere, Bangkok has a subway, Skytrain, and ubiquitous taxis, tuk-tuk's, and motos. If you're not on public transportation, the metered taxis will almost always be cheaper than a tuk-tuk (no meter, have to bargain with the guy). Best shopping is Jatujak Weekend Market, they sell everything. It's massive and very easy to get lost. Figure to spend at least half a day there. Can be reached by subway or Skytrain. Ayudthaya is an easy daytrip from Bangkok, my sister and I rented bicycles and were able to see pretty much all of the highlights in a day. Kanchanaburi is another favorite of mine, although it could easily be stretched in to 3-4 days if you want to tour around the province. If you're feeling adventuresome, a motorbike is great for this. ProdigalSon posted:Is it possible to get a pre-paid mini-SIM card on a 3G network in Thailand? If not, no big deal, but I'm going to Thailand in a few days with my iPhone 4 and figured it was worth asking! Pre-paid SIMs are all over and can be bought at any convenience store, mini-SIM's probably not. IIRC you can cut them down from a regular SIM card, which like Sheep-Goats says, can doubtless be found on the 5th floor of MBK if it can be done at all.
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Dec 31, 2010 14:20
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Sheep-Goats posted:Oh hey on my trip to Thailand I'm going to spend some time in Khorat (Nakhonratchasima) because in my two years of living there previously I (somewhat shamefully) never went to Issan. Does anyone here know what there is to do in Khorat? Just from Thai chatter here in Queens I know The Mall Khorat exists but that doesn't really count as something to do for me because I'm not Asian. I hear there's a zoo there? What's cool in the surrounding area? The best thing to do in Korat is eat burgers at Chokchai Farm. According to Thai people the next best things to do are take your picture in front of Primo Pasto, shop and drink at Palio and have ice cream at Dairy Home before going to the Khao Yai wineries. In reality, Korat kinda blows, but if you're willing to think creatively there's plenty to entertain yourself with and the local yokels are super-friendly. There are a couple of great restaurants on the far end of Pak Chong and then there's all the stuff Ringo mentioned (which is much more impressive than restaurants). Last time I was there was for a funeral in Nakhon Emphysema and as lame as the town was it seemed to have a few things going on. I'm sure being a non-Asian you'd be able to stumble into something stupidly worthwhile. Shoot me a note before you come over so we can hook up!
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Jan 1, 2011 14:44
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