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caberham posted:Lots of my friends will have June and the summer off. It seems like it's going to be the thick of heavy rain season and SEA should be avoided? Are Indonesia and Singapore even not close to be a candidate of summer refuge? Weak dollar = USA all the way, baby  Rainy season is bearable, I did most of my motorcycle trip in July/August. Most of the time, it just means a pretty much guaranteed 1 hour storm sometime in late afternoon/evening. I bought a decent rain suit to wear over my riding gear, and lined my already pretty much rainproof saddlebags with empty rice sacks I got at a market for cheap. I'd pull over and wait it out depending on where I was, met some pretty cool local people that way.
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Mar 29, 2011 18:06
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So where is a good place to recommend to visit for people during the summer? Japan (strong yen :smith), Oz (far, but best bet), I'm not too sure..
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BigSuave posted:she was telling me that 'Khap kun' is kind of the farang way of saying 'thank you' and it's actually more like 'cow poon'(I'm spelling that phonetically, I'm sure it's actually spelled differently). She insisted that the locals just say 'khap kun' to the farang because that's what we expect LMAO at a whole city of Thai people putting in that much effort short of anything not related to expelling the Burmese. Different Thai people say it a bit differently, even within the same dialect. Good old classical Thai even has a rich rolling r on the khap raton fucked around with this message at 18:10 on Mar 29, 2011 |
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Mar 29, 2011 18:06
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caberham posted:It's also going to be sweltering hot too In case you aren't aware, it's not going to be summer in Australia in June, but if you're trying to get out of sweltering heat then it's a good bet. Though our strong Australian dollar means it won't be cheap. Sheep-Goats posted:LMAO at a whole city of Thai people putting in that much effort short of anything not related to expelling the Burmese. Different Thai people say it a bit differently, even within the same dialect. Good old classical Thai even has a rich rolling r on the khap Hah, indeed. And then listen to Bangkok teen males say it as "hap" - silent ค!
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Mar 29, 2011 21:10
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Sheep-Goats posted:Good old classical Thai even has a rich rolling r on the khap "Proper" Central Thai/Bangkok Standard does too, but only newscasters and my Thai professors really speak that way. I go back and forth on whether to use it myself: it's more correct and a lot of foreigners can't even make the sound right, but I wonder if it makes me come off (even more) formal/textbook than I already do. The look on the taxi driver's face when I clarified my friend's "mall" with ห้างสรรพสินค้า was priceless though.
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Mar 29, 2011 21:36
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Pompous Rhombus posted:"Proper" Central Thai/Bangkok Standard does too, but only newscasters and my Thai professors really speak that way. I go back and forth on whether to use it myself: it's more correct and a lot of foreigners can't even make the sound right, but I wonder if it makes me come off (even more) formal/textbook than I already do. The look on the taxi driver's face when I clarified my friend's "mall" with ห้างสรรพสินค้า was priceless though. As opposed to ศูนย์การค้า? Easier to just use the mall's name!
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Mar 30, 2011 00:24
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Pompous Rhombus posted:but I wonder if it makes me come off (even more) formal/textbook than I already do. The look on the taxi driver's face when I clarified my friend's "mall" with was priceless though. IMO Thais conflate formal/textbook with cute rather than with lame so you might as well krrrrrrrrrap it up. raton fucked around with this message at 04:23 on Mar 30, 2011 |
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Mar 30, 2011 01:29
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Sheep-Goats posted:LMAO at a whole city of Thai people putting in that much effort short of anything not related to expelling the Burmese. Different Thai people say it a bit differently, even within the same dialect. Good old classical Thai even has a rich rolling r on the khap I typed up a whole long reply last night when I got in but apparently I didn't post it so I'll try this again. Yeah I figured it wasn't right but I thought I'd ask. As mentioned before, maybe it's a dialect thing from wherever her husband is from or something like that. I don't think she was just pulling my leg trying to make me look like an rear end or anything because we were pretty good friends by the end of the night, or as good of buddies as you can be after hanging out drinking for a few hours anyway. In my/her defense, I wasn't suggesting the whole city but more something they say to the farang in the tourist areas because that's what we expect/have been taught but I realize that would pretty much be equally as stupid, just on a smaller scale. Out of curiosity, how exactly do they fit the rolling 'r' in? I'd assume after the kh? And are you talking about any 'khap' or just the first one in 'khap kun khap'? I'd assume both, being the same word and all, but I thought I'd ask before I make an even bigger rear end out of myself than usual. I only ask because I speak a bit of Castillian Spanish so I can roll an r and lisp an s like nobody's business. I've been meaning to post an update about my shenanigans over the last two weeks or so but I'm in Bangkok for the time being and when I'm in BKK I drink like a fish (I think i81icu812 will back me up on that). You should have seen the look on the waiter's face when I ordered a tower by myself after already having a jug and two large Singha so I never have the energy to much more than pass out by the time I get back to my room (Editor's note: I promise I'm not an alkie, despite how it may sound). Besides, drunk posts are against the forum rules and I'm a law-abiding citizen.  I know I've already been bitching about the weather but holy gently caress it was cold last night. Isn't this supposed to be the beginning of the hot season? It got down to 15 in BKK before windchill and that cold wind that blows over the Himalayas chills you to the bone, and I'm speaking as someone from Seattle. At least it gives me a chance to rock my boots and jeans. I was thinking of loving off to the islands for a week or two in order to kill the time between now and Songkran (which I'm doing in Chiang Mai upon recommendation) but apparently the weather is poo poo there too and they've been having monsoons and several longtails have sunk and even a tourist boat or two so I think I'll pass. If anyone has any bright ideas for where to go I'd love to hear them because I'm ready to get the gently caress out of BKK but I don't want to go to Laos until after the new year because I'd just be rushing through and zig-zagging there and back and there and back just seems inefficient. Somewhere less touristy would be a nice change of pace. I just had a friend recommend an island (relatively) near BKK; it wasn't Koh Samet but he said it was a bit east and even less touristy. It was a one syllable name, Koh Mak maybe? Does that ring a bell for anyone? Anyway, again, I'm open to suggestion because I have a few more days here in BKK but then I'll have a week or so to kil before I head up for Songkran. BigSuave fucked around with this message at 07:30 on Mar 30, 2011 |
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Mar 30, 2011 07:26
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BigSuave posted:Out of curiosity, how exactly do they fit the rolling 'r' in? I'd assume after the kh? And are you talking about any 'khap' or just the first one in 'khap kun khap'? I'd assume both, being the same word and all, but I thought I'd ask before I make an even bigger rear end out of myself than usual. I only ask because I speak a bit of Castillian Spanish so I can roll an r and lisp an s like nobody's business. The first and third words are different - transliterated, it's "khop khun khrap" - literally "thank you [male polite particle]". As you can see, the rolling r follows the k in the particle word.
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Mar 30, 2011 09:03
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brendanwor posted:The first and third words are different - transliterated, it's "khop khun khrap" - literally "thank you [male polite particle]". As you can see, the rolling r follows the k in the particle word. Ah, this clarifies a lot. On my first trip they told me I should say "kho khun khrab". "You say Khrraab, otherwise we think you ladyboooy", a helpfull guide told me. So I told my brother he should say it like that, but then the first thais we asked told us to say just "khab". Anyway, I shouldn't complain. The dialect in my country changes almost literally every the kilometer.
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Mar 30, 2011 12:50
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mrfart posted:Ah, this clarifies a lot. Yeah, the "khrap" just makes it polite, it's perfectly acceptable to say "khob khun" for more casual situations. "khob khun kha" is the female equivalent of a polite thank you. As far as "khap", Thai people very frequently drop the "r" in most spoken speech, or convert it to an "l" sound because  . I don't have the book in front of me, but something like 80% of people in Bangkok (and this was in like 1991, it's been shifting even more away from the old pronunciation) don't use the "r" sound anymore, and they're supposedly speaking the most proper sort of Thai.Also Lao sounds really cute to Thai speakers; Lao straight up doesn't have the "r" sound so it either becomes and "l" or "h", and there's no "ch", it becomes "s". It's almost like hearing a kid talk, maybe? I listen to Voice of America's Lao podcast from time to time, and it never fails to put a smile on my face  At any rate, Lao and Thai are really close, once you get the phonetic shift down, and learn the 10-20 really common words that are totally different, it's quite easy to understand if you already know Thai. I can't really speak it properly because the tones are different, but can understand it just fine, and Lao people pretty much as a rule can understand Thai perfectly well, since that's where most of their music, movies, and TV comes from. If for some reason any of you find yourself learning Thai, make the effort to get at least a little bit acquainted with Lao. Another linguistics sidebar: Thai used to create their neologisms from Pali/Sanskrit (Roughly speaking: Thai:Pali/Sanskrit :: English:Latin/Greek), but nowadays gets most new words from English. Being able to speak English has a sort of upper-class/internationalized connotation, and even English grammatical constructions have begun entering Thai, as people like to drop them in to conversation or their writing to look more educated/erudite. brendanwor posted:As opposed to ศูนย์การค้า? Easier to just use the mall's name! Hey, speaking of which, are you literate yet? สู้ๆ! Sheep-Goats posted:IMO Thais conflate formal/textbook with cute rather than with lame so you might as well krrrrrrrrrap it up. Will do!
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Mar 30, 2011 14:24
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I've been planning for my bicycle trip for the last few months and I decided to head down the gulf for three weeks eventually visiting Koh Tao but mostly riding down as much as possible and at the end of three weeks taking a train back to BKK from wherever I end up being... considering the weather is that even worth trying now? My ticket cant be refunded cant be exchanged at a later date and I'm supposed to fly next Tuesday. Needless to say I'll be glued to the weather channel for most of my remaining days at the office. What can you guys tell me about the possibility of the flood waters receeding before next week down the gulf? News here have announced earthquakes, torrential rains, landslides, floodings. Basically everything that could gently caress up a country but a volcanic eruption and an alien invasion. I was packing very lightly so I could ride my bicycle (bringing mine over as luggage), whatever you tell me should help me change my itinerary and gear, so thanks for any first hand info again.
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Mar 30, 2011 14:52
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BigSuave posted:Out of curiosity, how exactly do they fit the rolling 'r' in? I'd assume after the kh? And are you talking about any 'khap' or just the first one in 'khap kun khap'? As mentioned above the first one doesn't rrrrrrrr and the last one can, demonstrating that they are in fact different words but have just shifted over time to usually be homonyms (almost) at this point. Also I think the Thai rolling r may sound a bit different from the Spanish one but maybe I'm just imagining things. quote:I was thinking of loving off to the islands for a week or two in order to kill the time between now and Songkran (which I'm doing in Chiang Mai upon recommendation) but apparently the weather is poo poo there too and they've been having monsoons and several longtails have sunk and even a tourist boat or two so I think I'll pass. Go get a government bus to Kanchanaburi and visit the tiger temple and see the actual bridge over the river Kwai. Good for a few days, spend a couple more on a rented bike checking out some nearby villages. raton fucked around with this message at 17:25 on Mar 30, 2011 |
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Mar 30, 2011 16:59
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I've been following this thread for a while and have finally reached the end! So much awesome/helpful info, thanks for that. Now to chime in: I'm leaving in about three weeks to bum around SE Asia for a month and a half. Flying into Bangkok and staying there for a couple days to decompress and get myself together, then I'm planning on heading to Southern Thailand and from there will head to Cambodia, Laos and then back into Northern Thailand. Hopefully have not been answered already, it's quite possible that I missed something though. The first and foremost thing I'm still wondering about is tipping etiquette - is tipping customary over there and if so, what are the specifics? Secondly, from what I've garnered, metered taxis are the best way to get around urban areas, is this correct? Third, if someone could just assuage my nerves re: traveling solo around SE Asia in general. I'm in my mid-twenties and female and the crotchety old travel doctor I saw yesterday succeeded in making me extra nervous in regards to safety. However my younger sister just got back from 2 months in Malaysia/Thailand and had no complaints, although she had traveling companions most of the time.
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Mar 31, 2011 02:42
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pitchshifty posted:I've been following this thread for a while and have finally reached the end! So much awesome/helpful info, thanks for that. Now to chime in: Tipping isn't really expected, but it's not as if people are going to turn down free money. It's most appropriate with guides, cabbies and waitstaff are less accustomed (but by no means averse to) tips. As a general thing in Thailand, it's customary to leave the small change from a bill on the table, it's not so much a "here's some money" as "I'm not so hard up that I need to snatch up every last baht" kind of thing. You'll really only find metered taxis in Bangkok, and yeah they tend to be cheapest (but make sure they use the meter). Sometimes cabbies will try and get a flat-rate out of you, or outright refuse to go somewhere because it won't make them enough money. They do this to Thai people too, it's not just a "gently caress you, whitey" situation. As far as being a solo female traveler I'm afraid I can't offer you any firsthand "don't worry about it" advice, although violent crime is significantly lower in SEA than it is in most Western countries. The sort of common sense stuff about walking home alone at night, etc applies. I generally travel alone (male), but usually wind up finding some travel buddies to fall in with once I'm on the road.
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Mar 31, 2011 04:58
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Also, southern Thailand is inaccessible due to flooding at the moment, so check the weather before you go. It should be fine in 3-4 weeks, but if the weather is bad again be prepared to make other plans. Traveling solo (as a guy) has been fine. I'd offer to show you around for the first few days but you arrive just as I leave. You probably won't have much trouble finding travel buddies if you want them.
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Mar 31, 2011 05:49
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White Rabbit posted:What can you guys tell me about the possibility of the flood waters receeding before next week down the gulf? I'm not a meteorologist so all I can say is hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Maybe have a backup plan instead like going up to Chiang Mai or maybe catching a cheap flight to Hanoi and biking down Vietnam? There's no sense in getting yourself all worked up over it though, especially since you can't change your ticket. It will be what it will be. Sorry I can't offer more than that. Sheep-Goats: Thanks for the tips. I'm not likely to start putting the rolling r in except maybe to put a smile on a local friend's face. I was a bit curious and now I know that they are not in fact the same words so thanks for that, too. :tmyk: pitchshifty posted:As usual, Pompous Rhombus pretty much nailed this one. It's pretty customary to just round up to the next 10 baht for the taxis which, as he pointed out, mainly seem to be in BKK. Even in Chiang Mai I think I saw about four in the two weeks I was there. Everywhere else you will likely rely on songthaews and the occasional tuk tuk, which means you get to work your negotiating skills a bit more. At the very least never take the first offer or probably the second but at the same time there's no need to stress yourself out and spend five minutes arguing about what will likely be under a dollar when you do the math. The only exception I've run into is on Koh PhaNgan during the party, where the songthaew cartels waiting for the tourist boats to come in all will want 100 baht a head or just laugh and tell you to gently caress off and good luck walking from the pier to Haad Rin. I'm basically just repeating Mr. Rhombus here (in a far less compact and efficient fashion) but yeah tipping servers is really only an American thing. The waiters here certainly won't expect it/hate you for not leaving a tip but they're certainly not adverse to it. Like the taxis, at least leave the change so you don't look like a cheap gently caress and realize if it's change it will be under 60 cents so if you do take it you probably are a cheap gently caress. Besides, you will have so much extra loose change by the end of your trip from 7-11 purchases and whatnot you'll be able to make it rain baht. I seriously think I've added about half a pound to the cell phone pocket on my backpack, which is used exclusively for change and is now nearly full. Okay now I'm just rambling but to add one last thing, coming from America you will quickly notice good service in restaurants is pretty few and far between. On more than one occasion when I was in a big group at least one person has just plain not gotten their food, but of course it ends up on the bill and then you have to stand there arguing with them. Maybe it's because I used to be a waiter and know it's not an easy gig if you're on top of things (which, again, most of them won't be) so if you do get good service it doesn't hurt to leave a 20 note; it will mean a lot more to them than it will to you, even if you think you're poor and then you will get warm fuzzies inside and who can put a price on warm fuzzies? Just my opinion but yeah, I'd say 90% of the people here don't tip, mainly because so few Americans make it out this way. I've run into at least twice as many Canadians as Americans and when you do the population math that should tell you something. Regarding traveling as a solo woman. I do not possess a vagina (yet) so I can't speak from personal experience but what I can tell you is that many do it and you will have no problem meeting other solo travelers so just hook up with a group of girls who you like. I can recommend a nice (read: secure, clean, good hot water) hostel in BKK which has female-only dorms where I've stayed (sadly, not in said dorms) and I'm sure it can't be the only one. The incidence of violent crime here is far lower than back home but yeah you probably don't want to make yourself a target by drunkenly stumbling alone down dark back alleys at 3AM and whatnot but that's just common sense and honestly even then you're more likely to get rabies from a soi dog than be assaulted. Doctors and lawyers are in the 'worst case scenario' business so it's good she gave you the heads up but take it with a grain of salt and don't let it keep you from having a good trip and going where you want to go. It is too bad your trip is 3 weeks out - you're just going to miss Songkran. Hopefully the weather will be less insane by then though. I will probably be up in Chiang Mai or Laos when you get in and had pretty much the exact same plans. Started in BKK, did the islands, up to Chiang Mai, back to BKK to meet a Thai friend who I know from back home, then probably off to Laos and Vietnam after Songkran. One thing I can tell you is that plans change so keep an open mind. Especially if the south is still underwater when you arrive. Anyway, enough yapping out of me for now, I need to go Edit for clarity: I mean I was kidding about being tried for rape, not kidding about not being a rapist. 
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Mar 31, 2011 08:17
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automatic posted:Which country would you guys recommend for a month or two of therapy. Maybe a little weed. Budget 1-2k. I've been to India so I can deal with bullshit pretty easily. Cambodia is a good bet, the bars/guesthouses in the 'Lakeside' area of Phnom Penh sells weed by the bucket load, it is a very cheap backpackery area of cambodia (assuming it's still there as there were plans of building something on the lake when I was there). When I was in Vang Vieng there weren't menus offering weed/mushrooms any more but just ask any of the bar staff and they will sell some to you or know someone that will. You could also try Don Det in Laos for it's chilled outness full of people just chilling and smoking.
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Mar 31, 2011 09:49
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Hey, speaking of which, are you literate yet? สู้ๆ! ตอนนี้รู้หนังสือค่อนข้าง สะกดคำยังยากเลย! Pompous Rhombus posted:Tipping isn't really expected, but it's not as if people are going to turn down free money. It's most appropriate with guides, cabbies and waitstaff are less accustomed (but by no means averse to) tips. As a general thing in Thailand, it's customary to leave the small change from a bill on the table, it's not so much a "here's some money" as "I'm not so hard up that I need to snatch up every last baht" kind of thing. In addition to this, because you're a foreigner you may get some cheeky cabbies who assume that when you give them a large-ish note, the remainder is for them to keep. Generally any more than 50b or so is overdoing it. --- On a different note, which of you regulars in here are gonna be around in BKK just after Songkran? I'm in town a couple days, April 27 to May 1.
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Mar 31, 2011 12:35
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brendanwor posted:
Isn't that more like two weeks after Songkran? Anyway, I'll probably be in Laos by then but I'm in BKK now and will be for a few more days, maybe even until I head up to Chiang Mai for the new year. I dunno, I'm kind of taking it day by day. Are you in BKK now/in the next few days? If so, give me a jingle (my number is at the tail end of my last post) and I will buy you a beer or seven.
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Mar 31, 2011 13:26
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pitchshifty posted:Hopefully have not been answered already, it's quite possible that I missed something though. The first and foremost thing I'm still wondering about is tipping etiquette - is tipping customary over there and if so, what are the specifics? Tipping: for street food I don't tip, but if I'm in an actual restaurant I usually leave 20, I also generally give cabbies a 20 baht tip if they didn't hassle me about "no meter." If I'm staying in a nicer hotel I will sometimes bribe the night reception person to the tune of 100 baht and get their number so that the next time I call them a little in advance and they move me to a posh spot. None of this is expected or necessary, but 20 or 100 is nothing to me and something to them. When I'm spending I barter hard, but I try not to squeeze the little people. Taxis: mostly covered above, I'll just add that any cab sitting on the side of the road is hunting for fatter targets and is going to hassle you, same goes for any cab that stops that you didn't hail, same goes double for anyone yelling "tuk tuk" at you. Save yourself a headache and try to always opt for a moving cab. Sometimes because of the weather or supply/demand you might be unable to get anyone to go via meter, which means you'll pay eight bucks to go way across town instead of five. Oh no! Traveling alone: you'll be safer doing that in Asia than you would in America. I'd suggest you keep a closer eye on other travelers than the locals and don't do anything obviously dumb. Follow the same rules you use to avoid bad telemarketers, be suspicious of deals that are too good to be true, don't get involved in things involving money or safety that you didn't initiate. Theres almost no violent crime in Asia, but there are hustles, scams, and other soft property crime. raton fucked around with this message at 18:42 on Mar 31, 2011 |
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Mar 31, 2011 17:22
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Finally! Today was a dry day here in Phuket. But, since we thought it was going to pour all day, we already had stone massages and a cheesy tour booked up. We also got pressured into tHr james bond and other island tour tomorrow. Honestly, we are hoping it pours to get out of it. 90% chance. We are trying not to do touristy stuff, but we are tourists, not backpackers.
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Mar 31, 2011 18:06
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I just found this thread by searching for "Vietnam" and it's been a very interesting read. I am moving to Ho Chi Minh City in june, with my wife and kid, I got promoted to lead a team over there. We're very, very excited as we have never been to Asia before. Been reading all the blogs and forums I could find in the past few months so I'm getting a tiny idea of what life will be over there (I'm sure the culture/weather/language shock will still be huge) and one thing that makes me scared is the crazy traffic. I've seen videos of people showing how to cross the street, you basically have to steadily enter the flow and don't stop and watch ahead of you. That would be fine if I was going there alone but with a 2-years old kid, I'm getting stressed. We can still use a stroller (although he's starting to be too tall for it) but I assume the pavement/sidewalks are not very well maintained. And at his age, he has a tendency o So I was wondering if anybody had experience in Vietnam with a young kid. I guess we'll have to be very careful and start explaining to him early about the dangers of crossing the street, etc. Or is the traffic only that bad around District 1 and the center? I don't know, any general tips to avoid getting ran over?
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Mar 31, 2011 18:39
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Probably too good to be true (April Fools)quote:Law prohibiting marriage to foreigners over the age of 50 proposed to Thai Cabinet
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Apr 1, 2011 01:36
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pitchshifty posted:I'm in my mid-twenties and female If you are not a hambeast, look alone or bored in the hostel common room/bar; guys will be hitting on you or try to talk to you. If you are paired with another girl, then 2 guys will approach you! BKK khao san is like hook up haven, but other cities are more relaxed. Senso posted:I just found this thread by searching for "Vietnam" and it's been a very interesting read. Enjoy playing real life frogger, sidewalks are not as safe as you thought it would be!  Out of curiosity, where in SEA do you guys think is the softest landing spot for people who have never been here? Hong Kong is not that great, it swallows up ATM cards! I say Singapore or BKK, but I haven't been to India or the fancier cities there... caberham fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Apr 1, 2011 |
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Apr 1, 2011 03:30
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In order I think Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur.
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Apr 1, 2011 03:37
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Probably too good to be true (April Fools) This is hilarious if it goes down. The thaivisa thread about it is already a shitfest. All the aging dirty old men will have to go to Vietnam, Phillipines, or Myanmar then. If one SEA country adopts this successfully I imagine it'll spread like wildfire. I hope it will.
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Apr 1, 2011 04:53
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How many a you recognized this city from the first aerial shot (46s)? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohF5ZO_zOYU raton fucked around with this message at 05:46 on Apr 1, 2011 |
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Apr 1, 2011 05:38
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Steve. posted:In order I think Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur. This sounds about right. Singapore is going to be quite a bit more than Thailand though, if that's a factor in your decision. I'd say it also depends a lot on where you are staying. Again, I don't know what your budget is but I'm assuming you're young and poor. If so you will be staying in guesthouses or hostels but I might recommend booking your first night or two at a proper western/western-style hotel if you think you will be jet-lagged or sick or whatever. I didn't book anything in advance because I'm smart like that, but had a layover in Seoul to look at places online. Anyway, I saw on Agoda or Kayak that the 5-star Westin in BKK was having a special for $120/night, which is of course very expensive for here but I figured I'd treat myself the first night. So I got to the hotel and asked for a room and get quoted about $180. I showed her the web page and she said it was online only so I politely ask to use their internet service so I can book that. Long story short, since it was technically the next day I couldn't book for that night on their form and I ended up paying $200 after their bullshit service charges and wifi access. There's a lesson or two in there somewhere.
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Apr 1, 2011 11:37
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I've got some unexpected money coming my way, and I was looking to spend them on a trip to SE Asia this summer. I've already been to Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines so I was thinking maybe fly into Bangkok and then go to Cambodia and Vietnam. Problem is though, that I get vacation in July and August (yay school!), so considering the weather, is Vietnam going to be terrible? I know it's mostly just a quick one hour shower each day, but is it going to completely ruin my trip? I've been playing around with the motorcycle idea, which got me thinking that rain every day would kinda suck... Also, any suggestions on what to do? I definitely want to see Angkor Wat, but that's about it really. I don't know much about either country, so any suggestions about where the nice beaches are, which cities are cool to visit when you're on your own and whether it's at all feasible to go all the way through Cambodia to Vietnam and up the coast to Halong is appreciated. And if not, where should I go instead? Laos?
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Apr 1, 2011 12:45
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Fiskenbob posted:I've got some unexpected money coming my way, and I was looking to spend them on a trip to SE Asia this summer. I've already been to Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines so I was thinking maybe fly into Bangkok and then go to Cambodia and Vietnam. That's when I did my trip, it wasn't that bad. Just get a decent rain suit (I kept buying the cheap ones and they'd get cut to shreds on my riding gear within a day) and pull over if you think you need to. There are lots of those covered bus stop things along most roads that make a good emergency shelter in a pinch. Laos will also be rainy (plus seems to get it worst as far as roads going out of commission due to mudslides), but if you're on a bike it won't affect you as much as the bus-bound folk.  Landslide! by ethics_gradient, on Flickr
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Apr 1, 2011 13:45
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Can anyone recommend a hotel in Kota Kinabalu that has a pool? So far the best value i've found is Cititel, but there seems to be no pool.
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Apr 1, 2011 22:24
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Oh god, someone drag me out of Bangkok. I keep meaning to leave and see somewhere cool until I go back to CM for Songkran but then I keep staying out until 5+AM and sleeping all afternoon until it's time to get out again. They say Chiang Mai has a way of sucking you in but I have a much harder time leaving BKK because at least everywhere shuts down relatively early in CM... Not that I'm complaining, but I've spent probably two of my six weeks in Thailand so far in BKK and I still haven't even managed to see any of the sights except maybe Democracy Monumument when my taxi to KSR drives by it or Victory Monument from the BTS or when I'm on the way to the doctor. Does that make me a bad tourist or just a lazy one? I keep figuring I'll see them later because I have a bunch of time but I keep putting it off. i81icu812 was here for just a few days and he would actually "leave his hotel room" and "go see the wats and non-farang markets" while I would "sleep it off" and "lounge around all day typing long forum posts nobody reads anyway". Also, I've been trying to learn a word or phrase in Thai every day or two and last week I learned the title P'/pee to show respect to an older/higher status man. What would be the equivalent for a woman or is it the same? In a similar vein, I know 'nong' basically means 'little sister' and is what you call a waitress, but again, is it the same for a male waiter or am I insulting them when I try to get their attention with 'nong'? Okay, it's 5:30 and I should get some sleep so this will be my last one -- I learned how to say 'one more' tonight (while chanting to get the band to play one more song before the police came) but promptly forgot it. It was (something) et/eak but I don't remember the first word... any help? Also, I've heard 'one' as both et and nueng - what's the distinction? Khab kun mak khap. E: splelling. BigSuave fucked around with this message at 23:35 on Apr 1, 2011 |
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Apr 1, 2011 23:28
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BigSuave posted:Oh god, someone drag me out of Bangkok. I keep meaning to leave and see somewhere cool until I go back to CM for Songkran but then I keep staying out until 5+AM and sleeping all afternoon until it's time to get out again. They say Chiang Mai has a way of sucking you in but I have a much harder time leaving BKK because at least everywhere shuts down relatively early in CM... You don't really use phii/nong (which are gender neutral) with randoms, it's more in social situations with friends and colleagues. If you want to get a waitress's attention, "khaw toat" is a general purpose "excuse me", also works if you bump into someone. Throw a "khrap" on the end to politen it (with someone older, for example) as needed. Neung is one, "et" is one for numbers after ten. For example "sip et" is eleven, "yii sip et" is 21, etc.
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Apr 2, 2011 01:47
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Awesome! Thanks so much for filling me in, dudes. Here's another question RE: Visas, which I know have been covered extensively but since the stipulations are constantly changing I'm not quite sure. It is my understanding that I can obtain a 30-day Visa upon entrance to Thailand and do not need to get one in advance, has anyone who has entered the country recently confirm this? The airline my sister took almost didn't allow her to get on her departing flight to Thailand because she hadn't acquired a Visa in advance, and that seems incorrect. No one else I know who has traveled to SEA has had this problem. She got on anyways but she had to cry and demand special treatment. I would like to avoid that. We have a Thai Consulate here in Portland so I'm thinking maybe I should just get one right before I leave, but from what I've read you have to pay if you get one in the states...
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Apr 2, 2011 02:10
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pitchshifty posted:Awesome! Thanks so much for filling me in, dudes. Yeah, that's pretty loving stupid on the part of the airline. What they do technically require is proof of onward travel (ie return ticket), although immigration never really asks for this, sometimes airlines will. You can fake an e-ticket itinerary pretty easily if need be. IIRC they are extended the free 60/90 day visas at Thai consulates abroad, so if you've got the time you might as well.
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Apr 2, 2011 02:13
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pitchshifty posted:Awesome! Thanks so much for filling me in, dudes. Yeah, if you're coming from America (or a host of other countries) you get 30 days on arrival and definitely don't need one in advance. Either your sister or (more likely) the airline employee was confused or there was some sort of miscommunication. The technicality is that you're supposed to have proof of onward/return travel before your visa expires but, as mentioned, they never actually ask for that at the border but the airline might check because it's their responsibility to fly you home if you get denied entry because of it. It's kind of stupid. All that said, if you plan on traveling for six weeks within Thailand it might be worth your time to get a 60-day tourist visa but since it sounds like you will be traveling around a bit it won't be a problem because you'll likely be out of Thailand before your 30 days runs up and then you'll get another two weeks after coming back from Laos/Cambodia/wherever overland. I just kind of wish I'd had time to get a visa in advance so I didn't have to deal with these stupid border runs every couple weeks but with your schedule it shouldn't be an issue. Even worst case if you decide just to stay in Thailand you'll have to spend a day on a bus going to the border and back to get your stamp renewed. Not the end of the world but a pain in the rear end and will set you back about $30-$50 each time, depending on the border and if the Cambodian police are still a bunch of cockfaces trying to extort money out of people who have already bought their visas. PNW represent! I'm from Seattle and there are so few Americans out this way that when I met another Washingtonian the other day I was amazed. Pompous Rhombus posted:You don't really use phii/nong (which are gender neutral) with randoms, it's more in social situations with friends and colleagues. If you want to get a waitress's attention, "khaw toat" is a general purpose "excuse me", also works if you bump into someone. Throw a "khrap" on the end to politen it (with someone older, for example) as needed. Yeah, I only use it with people I personally know, not shopkeeps/randoms or anything. Just wanted to clear that up regarding the titles being gender neutral before making a complete rear end out of myself. That makes sense regarding the numbers, although it's still a bit confusing but I'm sure they have a good reason as to why. BigSuave fucked around with this message at 09:40 on Apr 2, 2011 |
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Apr 2, 2011 09:35
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I'm thinking of booking a return flight to bangkok, 1 month between flights. I'm hoping to travel to thai islands (Kho chang perhaps?), see angkor wat, and relax in si phan don in laos. How does 1 month sound for this kind of trip? Will it be rushed? Will i get bored? (i know this is mostly down to me but u get the idea..any other suggestions to add in?), is it easy to plan once i get there, and does a budget of $1500 after flights for the whole trip sound very limiting? I'm also not planning on taking any prophylaxis for malaria. is this stupid? I know I can see a doctor but i already know what they'll say, and what do they know?
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Apr 2, 2011 14:55
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Pompous Rhombus posted:You don't really use phii/nong (which are gender neutral) with randoms, it's more in social situations with friends and colleagues. If you want to get a waitress's attention, "khaw toat" is a general purpose "excuse me", also works if you bump into someone. Throw a "khrap" on the end to politen it (with someone older, for example) as needed. To be fair 'nong' is very acceptable to use in a status-based situation eg. with waiters/waitresses, although it'd be pretty odd if a tourist used it. papac posted:I'm thinking of booking a return flight to bangkok, 1 month between flights. I'm hoping to travel to thai islands (Kho chang perhaps?), see angkor wat, and relax in si phan don in laos. How does 1 month sound for this kind of trip? Will it be rushed? Will i get bored? (i know this is mostly down to me but u get the idea..any other suggestions to add in?), is it easy to plan once i get there, and does a budget of $1500 after flights for the whole trip sound very limiting? 1 month is definitely doable, but it's short enough that you'll probably want to pre-plan a bit so you know how long you intend on spending in the areas you're likely to enjoy the most. $1500 might be a little low, but depends on your desired standards of accommodation and how much you want to spend on non-air transport, food, alcohol etc. No need for malaria meds for the destinations you're planning on, they're only a necessity when you're well off the beaten path. brendanwor fucked around with this message at 15:49 on Apr 2, 2011 |
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Apr 2, 2011 15:45
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I'm on a bit of a tight budget unfortunately..maybe i should shorten the trip. I was planning on using buses for all my travelling, and staying in guesthouses apart from maybe the odd hotel if that gets too taxing. I'm guessing kho chang will be where most money would potentially be spent on that trip? I was only planning on going there for 3-4 days. Cheers for the response mate
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Apr 2, 2011 16:24
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Papac - I'm no expert but I would say if you don't spend too much on beer you should be able to do that on your budget without problems if you're careful but you might be a bit rushed going from place to place. I find myself spending about 10,000 baht a week or so but that includes booze so you could do it for a fair bit cheaper if you don't go out partying every night. I haven't been to Koh Chang personally so I can't really say but I did spend a fair bit more on the more touristy places like Koh Tao/Samui/Pha Ngan than in Koh Lanta, Krabi, and even Chiang Mai. If you're on a tight budget I'd say BKK is a money sink so get out of here ASAP. It's hard to say because with that much time I agree with brendanwor that you might want to plan/book things a bit ahead but at the same time I would suggest keeping an open mind and if you find you like a place it's not the end of the world to stay there a bit longer than planned. In other news, I met up with Ringo R tonight, who I thought wasn't around here anymore but he called me but he called me out of the blue and who am I to resist meeting a goon (especially a legend), but I'd say we had a good time and I don't know if he's still following the thread but I'll go on the record as saying I owe him 40 baht which I borrowed at the end of the night (5AM-ish) so I could get some water and Tylenol for my inevitable hangover. In my defense, I didn't know we'd be meeting up tonight and didn't know he'd be bringing a half-dozen friends so I wasn't prepared and was broke after buying those two towers (plus the one I had to myself before he/they arrived) because I only carry a couple thousand baht on me at a time... Anyway, thanks for the cover and I'll get you back tomorrow or at some point this week if you're reading this (or even if not, in which case I'll text/call you in the afternoon once I'm/we're done sleeping it off), especially if you bring that Swedish girl along again. Sigh, another night making a dancing fool out of myself in BKK but it's hard to resist so what can I do, other than not drink a couple towers and make an idiot out of myself of course? Okay, bed time for me. Good night moon and good night goons.
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Apr 2, 2011 23:35
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