|
ReindeerF posted:This is an expat view, though, and only mine. As a tourist coming for the first time you'll have a lot of fun on Phuket, just avoid the huge multitude of scams related to any transportation - whether it's taxis and tuk tuks or renting bikes or jet skis. Phuket's become internationally renowned for its horrible corruption when it comes to this stuff. The transportation/scams situation is so lovely in Phuket I make an extra effort NOT to ever go to the interior of Phuket itself. Since the airport is thankfully about 30km away from the town you can hitch a ride on any bus passing through to get to the far superior destinations around southern Thailand.
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2011 03:52
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 04:34 |
|
|
Whats everyone's opinion on what guidebook to use? should I get the SE Asia encompassed one, or ones for Laos, Burma, Thailand etc. I kind of want to pack light, but the big SE Asia one has a lot of crap that I don't care about and less stuff that I do care about. Also, Rhombus, when you bought your bike how exactly (and where) did you do it? If its only a $300-500 purchase, I might consider it. How hard was it to procure? Was there any paperwork?
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2011 20:44
|
|
|
Cheesemaster200 posted:Whats everyone's opinion on what guidebook to use? should I get the SE Asia encompassed one, or ones for Laos, Burma, Thailand etc. The SEA one is a great jumping off point for planning a trip, but it's brief on each country by necessity. You can always cut out the ones you are/aren't using. In your case, would just get the Laos and Thailand ones, if you're only going to be in Burma a few days I'd Wikitravel it, ask people for recommendations, or just scare one up when you get there (or skim one at a bookstore and take notes). I actually found mine on Hanoi Craigslist, the New Hanoian (online expat rag) is another place to look. Shops will run more than a person to person transaction, although in most cases you have a better chance of getting a good bike. I paid $450 for mine and there really is no way you could pay more than that; it was a Sport, owned by a foreign lawyer, meticulously maintained by a good shop, had nice extras (panniers, Suzuki suspension, and an amazingly comfortable custom seat), and included a tune-up at the shop. It wasn't 100% problem free the whole 7 weeks or anything, but from what I've heard from other Minskers I got a pretty drat awesome one. I think my nice saddlebags were another $30 on top of that, they were originally meant for a Honda but fit my bike fine. I don't have to tell you how lovely the standard Minsk ones are   License & Registration? by ethics_gradient, on Flickr As far as paperwork he just handed me the above card and I was apparently good to go. I don't read Vietnamese so I'm not sure if to make it 100% I'd need my name on it somewhere, but it wasn't an issue at the border crossings filling out paperwork or anything. Never had any run-ins with the law, and this from a guy who overstayed his Lao visa by a week, riding a bike with half of a Vietnamese license plate on it the whole time  I wouldn't recommend buying for anything less than three weeks, unless you really wanted to do a one-way rental and just ditch the bike when you were done. Wrangling a buyer can be a pain, unless you want to take a loss selling it back to the shop (which I did, but gently caress it; $200 for 7 weeks of Minsk rental with no security deposit ain't bad). Selling the bike in a different country can be a potential hassle to the buyer, especially if it's a local who wants to get it plated. I had several offers to buy the bike out from under me when I was in Laos, but the guy who ran the Minsk shop in Luang Prabang said getting them Lao plates is really expensive and not worth it for most people. Thailand charges like an 85% duty on imported motorbikes, IIRC. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 21:19 on Apr 22, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2011 21:16
|
|
|
ReindeerF posted:Phuket Town is the only part of the island that was there before the tourist boom of the last 2-3 decades, yeah. Patong, Kata, Chalong and the rest is all fabricated. I read somewhere that Kamala was there as a small fishing village, but I think the rest is all new. In that sense, it is the only part of the island that feels at all real, because it's the only part of the island that is at all real (ever since the tin mines got covered over anyway, heh). I am not a fan of Phuket, been there a few times now. When I go, I like to spend time in Phuket town for the exact reason that it feels more like some place people might actually live, but that's when I go. I'd rather not go at all and go somewhere else instead. Yeah, what that guy said. I was only in Phuket Town overnight at all because my flight was delayed and I missed the ferry. Haha, I feel like I'm turning into a cynical expat now. Plus I personally think its cool seeing what all the Southern Chinese from that one big migration push in the mid-late 1800's ended up doing to the communities they wound up in. Motosai guys in Phuket gave me the flat Thai price without any problems both ways, first guy was honest about it upfront, second guy didn't know enough English to give rides to tourists at all, let alone scam them. 
i81icu812 fucked around with this message at 11:18 on Apr 23, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 23, 2011 11:10
|
|
|
Ok, so here are my options for airfare: Departing: Afternoon train up to JFK to evening before to hit the 1:20AM flight. This flight is both cheaper and has the following options: (1) 12h layover in Honk Kong (kind of want to get lunch, see Victoria Peak, etc) and then arrive in BKK at like late afternoon (7ish). (2) ~2h layover in Hong Kong, arrive in Bangkok at like 10:30AM. Both flights will entail a 16 hour JFK->HKG leg. Return: Fly out of Bangkok to DC because I need to be at work the next day  These flights are limited to like 12 hours, but there are more legs. The big question is; I have enough FF points to book first one way on Cathay Pacific departing, or AA returning. Which way do I fly first? The departing leg would make sense because it is like a super-red-eye leaving at 1:20AM, and if I did Hong Kong for 12 hours it would help a lot. For returning, I just remember hating life a lot more than going there from my last trip. For some reason the return always sucks a lot more then the departure. I also don't know which has better 1st, AA or Cathay Pacific.
|
|
#
?
Apr 23, 2011 18:11
|
|
|
Cheesemaster200 posted:Whats everyone's opinion on what guidebook to use? should I get the SE Asia encompassed one, or ones for Laos, Burma, Thailand etc. I would get one for each specific country. All my travelling buddies had the SE asia on a shoestring and ended up borrowing my country-specific guidebooks as they offered more information. I bought a couple guidebooks in Cambodia for $2 each... They were photocopied but still up to date and they didnt fall apart or anything.
|
|
#
?
Apr 23, 2011 18:49
|
|
|
EDIT: eek. BigSuave, if you're out there, let us know you're alive, heh. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 01:10 on Apr 25, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2011 06:25
|
|
|
ReindeerF posted:
Cheesemaster200 posted:Whats everyone's opinion on what guidebook to use? should I get the SE Asia encompassed one, or ones for Laos, Burma, Thailand etc. I had roughguides and lonely planet. But what I used most were the iphone apps from travelfish (they have them for various cities). If you don't have an iphone or don't want to pay for apps, travelfish is still one of the most usefull sites out there. mrfart fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Apr 25, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2011 13:12
|
|
|
Whats the quickest and/or best way to get from Chiang Mai to Vientiane and/or someplace I might want to be in Laos?
Cheesemaster200 fucked around with this message at 17:24 on Apr 24, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2011 17:20
|
|
|
I dunno what the Hell, but I got a PM from someone asking me about BigSuave's death and then I Googled and found this: http://www.sriandkira.com/2011/alden-larson/ I can't find a mention of this anywhere in the Thai papers, which is kind of odd. Still, this site seems real and he did mention that his father was into spiritual things. I edited my previous post as it's in pretty bad taste considering. I guess if anyone knows anything or finds anything, please post it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 01:19
|
|
|
ReindeerF posted:I dunno what the Hell, but I got a PM from someone asking me about BigSuave's death and then I Googled and found this: Wow that's pretty gross. raton fucked around with this message at 02:56 on Apr 25, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 01:36
|
|
|
ReindeerF posted:I dunno what the Hell, but I got a PM from someone asking me about BigSuave's death and then I Googled and found this: Wow, can you confirm by the picture that that is indeed Bigsuave? (I'm guessing you are, but sometimes something gets lost in translation). If so, that is really sad, and hosed up. Wondering what happened...
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 01:47
|
|
|
Yeah, it's him. I don't know anything other than what he posted here last, which is that he was going on a visa run to, I think, Cambodia. The only other thing I can think of is that it was Songkran recently, during which the country has mass traffic fatalities. Otherwise, it's very odd not to see a foreign death in Thailand reported anywhere. The person who PM'd me, who knows him personally, didn't know anything either. I also checked for any new deaths related to the strange occurrences in Chiang Mai (here), but the last thing about that involved a 33 year old woman from Seattle. Nothing about an American male.
ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 01:56 on Apr 25, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 01:53
|
|
|
I guess if he got somehow involved in those border fights between Thailand and Cambodia, it would've definitely been reported. My google skills are way better than my Thai, and I can't find anything at all... edit: So yeah, Songkran could've been it, but goddamn man, I'm somehow pretty affected by this, the nice guy who explained me the road the to thai travel clinic :'( Rojkir fucked around with this message at 02:03 on Apr 25, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 02:00
|
|
|
Yeah, I've been all over the sites that would mention this - ThaiVisa, TeakDoor and just google in general. The last American death was a drunk guy with a bar girlfriend in Pattaya (common occurrence) and the 33 year old from Seattle who maybe didn't die, I can't remember, but definitely got sick in Chiang Mai. There's not even a reported American death anywhere around there other than those. If it happened in Cambodia it might have conceivably not been reported quickly. I just know nothing, basically. EDIT: Ah, actually his last post sounds like he was headed to Chiang Mai for Songkran. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 02:41 on Apr 25, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 02:03
|
|
|
ReindeerF posted:Yeah, I've been all over the sites that would mention this - ThaiVisa, TeakDoor and just google in general. The last American death was a drunk guy with a bar girlfriend in Pattaya (common occurrence) and the 33 year old from Seattle who maybe didn't die, I can't remember, but definitely got sick in Chiang Mai. There's not even a reported American death anywhere around there other than those. If it happened in Cambodia it might have conceivably not been reported quickly. I just know nothing, basically. If he was a victim of that Chiang Mai mysterious illness thing, the international media would probably be all over it. He would have been victim 9-10 from it.... That being said though, I am sure the Thai government isn't trying to advertise some sort of outbreak and it is Easter weekend (delay in news?). If it truly is him, I would think a motor vehicle accident. However, looking at his post history he was somewhat frequent to some precarious threads in TCC. Could that have been a possible factor? Either way, this is pretty disheartening
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 02:53
|
|
|
Cheesemaster200 posted:If it truly is him I can confirm absolutely that the gentleman in the picture on the site that ReindeerF linked to is him. He was wearing the same shirt even on one occasion that I met up with him in Thailand.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 02:58
|
|
|
Sheep-Goats posted:I can confirm absolutely that the gentleman in the picture on the site that ReindeerF linked to is him. He was wearing the same shirt even on one occasion that I met up with him in Thailand. drat. He seemed like a really nice guy, and I always enjoyed reading his trip updates. It is quite upsetting to see the trip he enjoyed so much end up like this
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 03:33
|
|
|
Can you guys ask his facebook friends or other friends about the situation by any chance? Sorry to hear about the news.quote:I also don't know which has better 1st, AA or Cathay Pacific. I think Cathay is a lot more comfortable than AA. North American Airlines in my experiences have not been as pleasant as other airlines
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 04:12
|
|
|
Cheesemaster200 posted:drat. He seemed like a really nice guy, and I always enjoyed reading his trip updates. The first time we met up he was wearing literally the same pants as me because I'd recommended them in this thread  . I will also confirm that he was having an excellent time in Thailand, meeting other folks both farang and local and doing everything he wanted to do.I don't have any real life contact information for him. If someone does please PM me the details, I'm going to write a reasonable letter to dad but will wait a while before sending it just in case this is some terribly wrought internet prank. I have sent a request for contact with the father through the form on the website ReindeerF linked to already -- the only other method of contact I could find on there was a phone number and that's too direct and possibly way too personal a method of contact given the situation and the fact that Big Suave and I only met a few times total. raton fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Apr 25, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 04:40
|
|
|
Aye, if you get some contact info, please PM it to me as well. I'll be sure to write something too. I looked for an email address too, couldn't find one. Just that contact form. If his friend from his hometown who contacted me sends me any more info that's meant for public consumption, I'll pass it on, but right now I haven't heard anything.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 05:17
|
|
|
Wow, that's weird to be reading someone's posts on here and then finding out they're dead a few days later. Never met any of you guys but that is still pretty sad. I'm not sure of what the details are but Songkran is universally considered one of the most dangerous times to travel here.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 05:20
|
|
|
Holy poo poo
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 06:26
|
|
|
drat, RIP Alden Met the guy twice and can also confirm that's him in the photo.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 06:36
|
|
|
What the gently caress
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 07:47
|
|
|
Sheep-Goats posted:the only other method of contact I could find on there was a phone number and that's too direct and possibly way too personal a method of contact given the situation and the fact that Big Suave and I only met a few times total. I'm sure his parents would love to hear that he had a great time in Thailand though, so be sure to write that letter.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 09:49
|
|
|
Shiiit, this is the third time that I've heard in the past weeks that Songkran is a really dangerous time to travel. I mean, assumed they meant people crashing their bikes after having water thrown in their face, but this is on a whole new level... I often joked during my time in SE Asia that I could die at any moment and not have any regrets, but drat
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 12:46
|
|
|
I don't know if someone posted an udon thani report for Thailand yet. There is one thing to see here unless you factor in dried out waterfalls and funny rock formations. Ban chiang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ban_Chiang_%28archaeological_site%29 is super cool though. Takes a 2-3 hours if you read and study everything. I liked it and thought it was cool. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING at the site, it is all forgeries that the store people sit decorating in their spare time. If you come here for your laos visit, stay at any hotel in town ( i don't know about them but nobody has complained) and visit Ban chiang for a day trip or rent some motorbikes for a day or two as tuk tuks or other transportation is spotty at best. You probably won't get scammed unless you ask for strange stuff but people here go home to sleep and won't stay up looking for customers all night or out in bat country. Transportation home is cool sometimes unless you like walking. Driving is easy if you have a helmet. You can see all the rice fields and stores selling roof panelling you need in a life time if you so choose. Songkran is a good time in town at night, during the day most people seem to choose nong khai or some other city. Best songkran (and safest) is to place yourself by the road with a water supply close by (and ice if you are evil). Always aim said ice water to the face of travellers in the local tradition. Edit: Don't forget to colour your death ice water with food colouring for that extra flare. conntrack fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Apr 25, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 16:31
|
|
|
That's really too bad, he seemed like a good guy and his posts here were really helpful
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 19:00
|
|
|
I'm shocked as well. We didn't meet up in thailand, because by the time he got to bangkok I was already heading for laos, and we missed each other in the south too with just a couple of days. It's weird having al these PM's of a guy who passed away. It would really help to know what happened. Being on a motorcycle is SE asia, climing rocks etc... you know you're taking more risks than when you would have just stayed at home. But then again, that's not much of a life eighter. From his posts and PM's it was clear that he was having a great time in Thailand. Really wish it didn't end this way. RIP
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2011 21:12
|
|
|
Wow that's sad. Read a lot of his posts and seemed like such a nice and fun guy, having the time of his life. Reading his posts made me wanna go back to Thailand - I'm actually going next week now. gently caress..
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2011 10:13
|
|
|
I'm here! In BKK now, have been here for 4 days and although it is awesome I am ready to leave and head elsewhere now. This place is amazing but there is something so completely and totally isolating and lonely about being in a gigantic foreign megacity. I'm still adjusting as this is my first time traveling abroad solo and I keep getting these weird bouts of intense homesickness, which I imagine (hope) will subside as I move along and get further into this trip. Leaving for Koh Tao tonight, if anyone can recommend places there to stay/go/awesome things I should absolutely do I'd love to hear it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2011 10:32
|
|
|
A newsletter from BigSuave's dad mentions that it was an accidental death: http://www.sriandkira.com/2011/sri-kira-message/ Nothing else, though.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2011 14:48
|
|
|
http://www.pattayamail.com/news/special-report-road-casualties-during-songkran-2011-2750quote:The death toll settled at 271, lower than last year by 90. Highest counts of fatalities were reported in Ayutthaya, Nakhon Sawan and Bangkok, respectively. A total of 3,476 people were also injured, 326 people less than last year. The province with the most injuries was Nakhon Si Thammarat, followed by Nakhon Sawan and Chiang Rai. I haven't read anything about an American involved with this yet, but it seems it would be the likely reason... Has anyone in Thailand called the US embassy yet?
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2011 15:45
|
|
|
pitchshifty posted:Leaving for Koh Tao tonight, if anyone can recommend places there to stay/go/awesome things I should absolutely do I'd love to hear it. Day one: book an all day snorkeling trip for tomorrow, don't party too much. Costs about 2000 baht. I know that seems like a lot of snorkeling, but your time in the water will fly by. Say hello to Nemo. Day two: snorkeling is awesome. Rent an underwater digital camera for the day from a dive shop, it's about 1000 baht but hugely worth it. Wear a long sleeved shirt or your sunscreen - don't gently caress around with the sun in Thailand... Book an all day fun dive for the next day, which is real scuba diving! Go to bed early and eat conservatively that night. Your boat leaves at about 7:30 am. Day 3: scuba day. Re-up on the camera obviously. Now spend a day or two partying and pick your next stop. If you want more island check back in with us then, if you want a change we'll help you out with that too. More scuba? Go to koh lanta and take an open water course (best non-excursion diving in Thailand is there) which costs about 10kB and lasts for three days, two of which are spent diving. Diving will be the most expensive thing you do in SE Asia, but at least do a day of scuba and a fun dive. Open water course only if you really love it. Koh Tao has tons of colorful small fish and is cheaper than other dive islands in Thailand. The other coast is better for big fish. raton fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Apr 26, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2011 16:04
|
|
|
Cheesemaster200 posted:http://www.pattayamail.com/news/special-report-road-casualties-during-songkran-2011-2750 271 deaths in a week. drat, that's more like a warzone than a festival. It looks like the motorcycle/alcohol combo is responsible for most of it. I hope one of you guys calls the embassy.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2011 16:19
|
|
|
I'm pretty sure the embassy can't tell you anything.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2011 16:23
|
|
|
Well poo poo.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2011 19:01
|
|
|
mrfart posted:271 deaths in a week. Thats the standard joke about Songkran, yeah, but it's usually only a 20 percent or so bump over the normal toll. As usual in Thailand the most shocking negligence ends up having a surprisingly small impact - I just assume that it's because a certain tolerance to nonsense is built in. As to your latter point, IMO any info the family doesn't broadcast should be let lay.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2011 19:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 04:34 |
|
|
I have no clue how I'll explain this to the group of Thais we met in BKK. poo poo sucks. i81icu812 fucked around with this message at 07:49 on May 11, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2011 03:09
|
|