Southeast Asia: I really enjoyed it despite all the Swedish people

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > Southeast Asia: I really enjoyed it despite all the Swedish people

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Pompous Rhombus: Mar 11, 2007

eviljelly posted:

Alright, SE Asia goons, I enlist your help again.

I'm trying to decide where to go next. I'm in southern Thailand right now and I want to go south/southeast. I've narrowed my choices to either the Malaysian Borneo or the Philippines, mostly in the Visayas and maybe over to Palawan as well.

For your reference, I can leave Thailand as early as November 6 and I can fly out of either Kuala Lumpur (preferred) or Bangkok (not preferred) or anywhere else in between. I enjoy scuba diving (although I'm only a beginner, so I actually would prefer good sites at low prices rather than great sites at high prices), the "backpacker" scene of being able to connect with other travelers but not necessarily the party scene, biking (pedal and motorized!) and maybe some good hiking. I've got till about Nov 26, which is when I MUST go to Hong Kong.

Malaysian Borneo owns, and not enough people go there (from this thread, at least). I spent about a month there in 2005: learned how to dive (Pulau Sipidan has some world-class diving), did a 3 day hike in the jungle to see the Pinnacles at Mulu National Park, saw orangutans at Sepilok, rode up the Rejang on the roof of a speedboat, hitchhiked, went clubbing in Kuching with some Dutch dudes, made friends with the girls working at the hostel in Kota Kinnabalu and filled in for them at the front desk in return for one of them checking out English books from the library for me, and had an all-around good time. The national parks there are great, transportation is pretty good (although some stuff is only accessible by airplane, it's not too bad since the Malaysian government subsidizes internal flights there), and people are just as friendly as anywhere in Southeast Asia.

# ? Nov 3, 2011 00:52

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# ? May 16, 2024 20:43

raton: Jul 28, 2003; by FactsAreUseless

quote:

America�s fixer in Cambodia
In the post-communist kleptocracy, a former Reagan official is the man to see
Oct 31, 2011

http://www.salon.com/2011/11/01/americas_fixer_in_cambodia/singleton/

PHNOM PENH � Bretton Sciaroni, an American expatriate and former ideologue of Ronald Reagan�s White House, makes a most unusual power broker in contemporary Cambodia. The portly Sciaroni is an official advisor to the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, a one-time Khmer Rouge cadre. The Cambodian government has bestowed on Sciaroni the titles Minister Without Portfolio and His Excellency. From his office in an exclusive section of the city � neighbors include the president of the ruling party � he runs a consulting firm that brokers business deals on behalf of foreign investors � deals that often benefit well-connected companies and individuals like Sciaroni himself.

Sciaroni also appears to be a chief intermediary between the U.S. government and Cambodia, which has emerged in recent years as an unlikely American ally. The U.S. cut most assistance to Cambodia in 1997 after Hun Sen staged a coup but resumed aid a decade later. Competition with China for influence in the region and growing trade ties � the United States buys more than half of Cambodia�s apparel production, its primary export � are the primary factors behind the political warming. It probably didn�t hurt that Cambodia struck oil and Chevron got a stake in the most promising field. Today Cambodia is the third-largest recipient of U.S. aid in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia and the Philippines. And Brett Sciaroni is, at least politically, the biggest American in the country.

....

�Cambodia is run by a kleptocratic elite that generates much of its wealth via the seizure of public assets, particularly natural resources,� Global Witness said in a 2007 report. According to opposition parliamentarian Son Chhay, Sciaroni �covers up the government�s bad practices and uses his connections to convince the U.S. to keep [supporting] the government.� And Dana Rohrabacher, the conservative California congressman who says he personally likes Sciaroni, told me Hun Sen had no genuine legitimacy and that �Brett has become part and parcel of a clique of the Cambodian elite that is neither democratic nor honest.�

Reagan�s flimflam man

How did a fervent right-wing anti-communist and old pal of Ollie North�s end up in Cambodia as the chief foreign advocate for a man who fought as a Khmer Rouge guerrilla against a U.S.-backed government before becoming head of the Vietnamese puppet regime that overthrew it? That was a big ideological leap, but Sciaroni�s chief talent � performing intellectual acrobatics for his paymasters, whoever they might be � has served him equally well in Washington and Phnom Penh.

....

By 1984, just five years after he received a law degree from UCLA, the sky seemed the limit for young Bretton Sciaroni. Following short stints at two right-wing think tanks and as a Commerce Department political appointee under President Reagan, he was named chief counsel to the President�s Intelligence Oversight Board. During this period, he provided legal arguments needed to move forward with Reagan�s Star Wars scheme (on the specious grounds that it didn�t violate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty) and with military aid to the Nicaraguan Contras, which Congress had flatly forbidden.

When Iran-Contra investigators subsequently asked him why the administration turned to him for advice instead of to more experienced staff lawyers at the White House or Justice Department, Sciaroni replied, �Frankly � that thought has crossed my mind as well. I don�t know why my opinion was the only one.�

The reason, however, was quite apparent. Like John Yoo and other conservatives on whom the Bush administration relied for the flimflam needed to justify torturing terrorism suspects in violation of the Geneva Convention, Sciaroni was a loyalist who the Reagan administration knew would reach the conclusions it wanted.

....

But Sciaroni soon crashed. During his 1987 testimony before the congressional committee investigating Iran-Contra, it emerged that he had passed the bar exam only on his fourth try (in three different states), and that he got the chief counsel�s position despite never having previously held a job in the legal profession. Before long he lost his government job and was scraping by as a fellow at the American Conservative Union and as a pro bono lobbyist for a group of right-wing Salvadorans close to that country�s murderous military-dominated regime.

When he learned in 1993 from Rohrabacher that Hun Sen was looking to hire an American attorney for a short-term assignment, Sciaroni was quick to seize the opportunity. He arrived right before the May 1993 elections, which were organized by the U.N. following the reign of the Khmer Rouge and years of civil war. The royalist party triumphed in the balloting but agreed to a power-sharing arrangement when Hun Sen threatened to lead an armed revolt.

�The funny thing is that if the CPP [Cambodian People�s Party] had won the election, I probably would have been back in the U.S. after two months,� Sciaroni told me at the Elephant Bar. �But they lost and they panicked. I had written up some things they liked, and they asked me to stay on.�

....

�He�s like a �Lord Jim� character,� Rohrabacher told me of Sciaroni. �His own country abandoned him when Iran-Contra became a scandal. He became a destroyed human being who went overseas to start a new life.�

Spinning repression

Sciaroni�s close relationship with the regime became especially apparent after Hun Sen seized power in a bloody military coup in July 1997 that left at least 41 oppositionists dead. Enter Bretton Sciaroni, who assembled and directed a lobbying and public relations team that tried to spin the coup in Washington. The centerpiece of the campaign was a �white paper� that alleged that the royalist party had employed a �campaign of provocation� against the CPP and that the coup was therefore a legitimate preemptive measure by Hun Sen.

The Washington Times exposed the campaign, prompting outrage among Americans in Cambodia and some of Sciaroni�s right-wing comrades back home. When the Times asked him what help or advice he contributed to the white paper, �Sciaroni grimaced and responded, �No comment.� �

....

In 2002, [Hun Sen's] government granted Sciaroni Cambodian citizenship. Since then he has publicly lauded Sciaroni for �seeking justice for Khmers� and expressed hope that �he will continue to stay here with us.�

A bridge to U.S. business and government

Sciaroni�s success is based on a simple truth. Political contacts are the handmaiden of business operations the world over, but in a country like Cambodia � with its tiny intertwined political and economic elite � they are vital. �You get opportunities because you are close to the government,� a Westerner living in Phnom Penh told me. �You have to be in their good graces.� Sciaroni�s connections, this person said, run wide and deep: �Brett has been here since the early days, when things were very rough. There aren�t many [foreigners like that], and Brett is the only American.�

....

Sciaroni is not shy about what he can deliver for his customers. During his speech at the 2007 investment conference, Sciaroni explained how his firm had negotiated a major tax benefit for an American company that had balked at investing locally because the import of raw aluminum was taxed at a rate of 7 percent.

�In rapid succession we met various senior officials,� Sciaroni recounted. �[One of them] said �what would you like it [the rate] to be?� and the company said �How about zero percent?� And zero percent it was and is today.�

Sciaroni�s other clients have included Chevron and Mitsui, which hold stakes in Cambodia�s most promising oil field, and international mining firms like BHP Billiton, Mitsubishi and Oxiana. He has also worked with Raptor Forestry, which according to a business plan I obtained, is �investigating the potential� for large-scale timber and agricultural projects. Sciaroni, the plan says, received equity in the venture for providing legal services and his �network of local contacts.�

....

�Opportunities abound,� Sciaroni told me of Cambodia, though he may as well have been describing his own good fortune in washing up here. �It�s a great environment.�

The best part about that article is that everyone who has lived in SE Asia for an extended period of time has met a half-incompetent guy that looks exactly like that fat bald gently caress doing the exact same poo poo that guy's doing.

# ? Nov 3, 2011 01:52

Tytan: Sep 17, 2011; u wot m8?

MonkeeKong posted:

No Cambodia in the OP? I could possibly write something up about Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Kratie, Sen Monorom, Banlung and Stung Treng and the country in general as long as someone else can contribute with Battambang, Sihanoukville, Kampong Cham and all those western places I skipped out on.

ReindeerF posted:

I'm a big Cambodia fan, so I'll be happy to add in. I don't know as much of it as you, but I know Phnom Penh pretty well and Siem Reap okay and I know Battambang a little too. Write something up and I'll add on.

Sounds like you guys have got it covered, but if you need any help I live in Phnom Penh so I can contribute there. Also if you want to include some places on the coast, I'm not massively familiar with Sihanoukville but I do visit Kep quite often (Kep's far nicer anyway

# ? Nov 3, 2011 03:21

Senso: Nov 4, 2005; Always working

Sheep-Goats posted:

The best part about that article is that everyone who has lived in SE Asia for an extended period of time has met a half-incompetent guy that looks exactly like that fat bald gently caress doing the exact same poo poo that guy's doing.

So true. Thanks for that article, very interesting.

# ? Nov 3, 2011 03:41

Ringo R: Dec 25, 2005; ช่วยแม่เฮ็ดนาแหน่เดัอ

More than happy to add stuff to the OP

Meanwhile, your transportation options in Myanmar:

# ? Nov 3, 2011 05:49

Rapsey: Sep 29, 2005

Sheep-Goats posted:

The best part about that article is that everyone who has lived in SE Asia for an extended period of time has met a half-incompetent guy that looks exactly like that fat bald gently caress doing the exact same poo poo that guy's doing.

These people exist in every country, the western world just does a better job of hiding it, because they have to. There is no bribery and corruption for regular people, there drat sure is for heads of corporations and politicians.
In SE Asia corruption is just so prevalent in everything that there is really nothing to be lost by exposing top level corruption like this because everyone expects and knows about it anyway.

# ? Nov 3, 2011 07:21

ReindeerF: Apr 20, 2002; Rubber Dinghy Rapids Bro

Also, in SE Asia, one differentiator is that these guys are almost invariably in some weird sex ring, heh. I don't have a link handy, but if you go to Andrew Drummond's site and poke around about the Pattaya gay mafia, for example, it's crazy what all those guys are up to. This guy looks more like the grunting, sweaty kiddy fiddler type (I have no idea if he is, just looks like it), but at bare minimum there's a harem of some kind floating around out there.

# ? Nov 3, 2011 09:16

eviljelly: Aug 29, 2004

Ringo R posted:

More than happy to add stuff to the OP Meanwhile, your transportation options in Myanmar:

Myanmar has so many more transportation options than most places I've traveled.

You have the regular plane, car taxi, aircon bus, non-aircon bus, pickup truck, trishaw, motorcycle taxi, yes, but you also have ox cart and horse cart as legitimate forms of transportation. Hell yeah.

# ? Nov 3, 2011 10:53

Cheesemaster200: Feb 11, 2004; Guard of the Citadel

eviljelly posted:

Myanmar has so many more transportation options than most places I've traveled.

You have the regular plane, car taxi, aircon bus, non-aircon bus, pickup truck, trishaw, motorcycle taxi, yes, but you also have ox cart and horse cart as legitimate forms of transportation. Hell yeah.

My favorite were the blue taxi's in Mandalay, though they had the most ruthless drivers...

# ? Nov 3, 2011 15:04

raton: Jul 28, 2003; by FactsAreUseless

ReindeerF posted:

Also, in SE Asia, one differentiator is that these guys are almost invariably in some weird sex ring, heh. I don't have a link handy, but if you go to Andrew Drummond's site and poke around about the Pattaya gay mafia, for example, it's crazy what all those guys are up to. This guy looks more like the grunting, sweaty kiddy fiddler type (I have no idea if he is, just looks like it), but at bare minimum there's a harem of some kind floating around out there.

The guy I knew in Thailand had a little Thai man named Wisit who would follow him around everywhere and do all of his menial tasks like take the tofu out of his tofu and pork soup that he'd eat for breakfast every day. I'm pretty sure poor Mr. Wisit (who this particular farang would scream for in the hallways if he wasn't immediately available) also either had procurement and/or "receptive" duties.

# ? Nov 3, 2011 16:57

TheLizard: Oct 27, 2004; I am the Lizard Queen!

MonkeeKong posted:

Also, Laos is awesome and the OP doesn't do it any justice.

Agreed; it sounds like he went to Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang and that's it. That said, I've had far better Laotion food in the US than I did in Laos.

I'm off to the Philippines in 2 weeks; wish me luck that Seair doesn't cancel my flight to El Nido (again).

# ? Nov 4, 2011 02:49

Finch!: Sep 11, 2001; Spatial Awareness?

[ ] Whaleshark

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Pompous Rhombus posted:

Malaysian Borneo owns

This has to be about the tenth time in this thread that I have quoted your Malaysian Borneo business and agreed entirely.

Borneo is sick. I don't understand why so few people visit. It's not like it's particularly remote or difficult to visit. It's easy, friendly, beautiful, delicious, and so different to peninsula Malaysia.

# ? Nov 4, 2011 03:18

Ebethron: Apr 27, 2008; "I hear the coast is nice this time of year."
"If you're in the right business, it's nice all the year."

To the guy wondering whether he should go to Malaysian Borneo, I've only been to Sarawak but it's a pretty cool place if you like rainforests, unique wildlife, dramatic scenery and nice people. Although I've not been, everyone raves about Sabah too.

# ? Nov 4, 2011 04:12

eviljelly: Aug 29, 2004

Ahhhh I hadn't the pro-Malaysian Borneo posts and booked a flight to Caticlan after talking to a random "fellow traveler" irl. Gonna circle around the Visayan Islands and Palawan maybe. I'm a little worried I gave myself too much time (Nov 9 till end of Nov), but I figure if I get bored I can always head to Hong Kong early and sneak over to Macau for a couple days too.

# ? Nov 4, 2011 06:36

ReindeerF: Apr 20, 2002; Rubber Dinghy Rapids Bro

Pompous Rhombus posted:

You are my Oprah. Won't be making it down this winter though

I went to every Goddamn tshirt shop in Siem Reap and no one had a Preah Virear shirt. When I mentioned I had seen it in Phnom Penh they all got wistful and said things like, "Yeah they have EVERYTHING there. It's all printed there. So lucky." Perspective.

I bought an "I <3 Cambodia" shirt instead, heh.

# ? Nov 4, 2011 11:46

NicelyNice: Feb 13, 2004; citrus

Thinking of going to Thailand and Cambodia over New Years, getting out of Japan during the holidays is quite expensive and tickets to Thailand are the only cheap ones right now. Will the flood situation still be bad enough in late December/early January to avoid that area? Thinking Ko Samet for two-three days and Bangkok for a day or two, but not sure how bad infrastructure is knocked out.

# ? Nov 5, 2011 02:11

Pompous Rhombus: Mar 11, 2007

ReindeerF posted:

I went to every Goddamn tshirt shop in Siem Reap and no one had a Preah Virear shirt. When I mentioned I had seen it in Phnom Penh they all got wistful and said things like, "Yeah they have EVERYTHING there. It's all printed there. So lucky." Perspective.

I bought an "I <3 Cambodia" shirt instead, heh.

Awww man

I had an "I <3 LAOS" shirt that I wore in the US. I'd say 1 in 2 days I wore it, I'd have someone ask me what "L-A-O-S" stood for.

NicelyNice posted:

Thinking of going to Thailand and Cambodia over New Years, getting out of Japan during the holidays is quite expensive and tickets to Thailand are the only cheap ones right now. Will the flood situation still be bad enough in late December/early January to avoid that area? Thinking Ko Samet for two-three days and Bangkok for a day or two, but not sure how bad infrastructure is knocked out.

How cheap were you finding them? Maybe my problem is flying out of Fukuoka, but the best I could do was about US$750. Decided not to go, although might try Okinawa if I can get a friend on board. That or stick around town and use leave to try and get a motorcycle license sorted.

Not that I can make promises on the weather, but the flood situation *should* be fine by then. December/January are the cool season.

If you're doing Samet, I take it you're thinking of the Ko Kong crossing to Cambodia? Making the boat is a crapshoot; if the minibus leaving Trat doesn't have enough people they won't leave early enough for you to cross the border and make it on time. Also, watch out for money exchange scams in Ko Kong; my moto guy tried to get me to exchange at like 3000:$1 at some dingy stall in the market, which is nuts (4000:1 is the going rate everywhere and has been for years).

My usual plug for Kampot/Bokor Hill Station applies. They actually used to do an awesome NY party at Bokor Hill; brought up generators in a truck, put lights/a DJ in the casino, and hundreds of Khmer people turned out, it was probably the most memorable New Years Party I've been to. I don't know when the last time they had it was, but you could try e-mailing one of the guesthouses in Kampot (I'd try Blissful) and see what the word on the street is.

Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 06:04 on Nov 5, 2011

# ? Nov 5, 2011 06:00

Pro-PRC Laowai: Sep 30, 2004; by toby

Pompous Rhombus posted:

Awww man

I had an "I <3 LAOS" shirt that I wore in the US. I'd say 1 in 2 days I wore it, I'd have someone ask me what "L-A-O-S" stood for.

How cheap were you finding them? Maybe my problem is flying out of Fukuoka, but the best I could do was about US$750. Decided not to go, although might try Okinawa if I can get a friend on board. That or stick around town and use leave to try and get a motorcycle license sorted.

Not that I can make promises on the weather, but the flood situation *should* be fine by then. December/January are the cool season.

If you're doing Samet, I take it you're thinking of the Ko Kong crossing to Cambodia? Making the boat is a crapshoot; if the minibus leaving Trat doesn't have enough people they won't leave early enough for you to cross the border and make it on time. Also, watch out for money exchange scams in Ko Kong; my moto guy tried to get me to exchange at like 3000:$1 at some dingy stall in the market, which is nuts (4000:1 is the going rate everywhere and has been for years).

My usual plug for Kampot/Bokor Hill Station applies. They actually used to do an awesome NY party at Bokor Hill; brought up generators in a truck, put lights/a DJ in the casino, and hundreds of Khmer people turned out, it was probably the most memorable New Years Party I've been to. I don't know when the last time they had it was, but you could try e-mailing one of the guesthouses in Kampot (I'd try Blissful) and see what the word on the street is.

Okinawa, totally worth it... just be sure to rent a car though.

# ? Nov 5, 2011 15:22

raton: Jul 28, 2003; by FactsAreUseless

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQL0TooxXNk

# ? Nov 6, 2011 18:47

MA-Horus: Dec 3, 2006; I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am.

So I'm pretty sure I'm going to Phuket in early February, and I'm looking to do a dive course while I'm there. Anyone have recommendations for a dive center? Scubacat has good recommendations so far, but I'm open to suggestions.

# ? Nov 7, 2011 02:15

put both hands in: Nov 28, 2007; FYFE

Anybody have any experience with Halong Bay cruises, like what's a good company? There are so many different options. I'm looking to do a 2 day/1 night.

# ? Nov 7, 2011 04:41

Pompous Rhombus: Mar 11, 2007

dflanny posted:

Anybody have any experience with Halong Bay cruises, like what's a good company? There are so many different options. I'm looking to do a 2 day/1 night.

I did a 2 day/1 night one with Ocean Tours a few years ago and it was nice. It was a bit more expensive than some of the other companies (maybe $20 more at the time?), but reputations and such seem all over the board, so I went with the least expensive, consistently well-reviewed one I found online. I don't recommend trying to DIY it at the jetty; you will mostly likely get fleeced.

# ? Nov 7, 2011 04:59

put both hands in: Nov 28, 2007; FYFE

Pompous Rhombus posted:

I did a 2 day/1 night one with Ocean Tours a few years ago and it was nice. It was a bit more expensive than some of the other companies (maybe $20 more at the time?), but reputations and such seem all over the board, so I went with the least expensive, consistently well-reviewed one I found online. I don't recommend trying to DIY it at the jetty; you will mostly likely get fleeced.

Is it good for solo travellers? And would it be best to book now, or when I get to Hanoi? (which will be the 22nd).

# ? Nov 7, 2011 05:12

Pompous Rhombus: Mar 11, 2007

dflanny posted:

Is it good for solo travellers? And would it be best to book now, or when I get to Hanoi? (which will be the 22nd).

Yeah, I was solo. I gambled and booked a shared room, but there was an odd number of people so I got my own for the shared room price

I'd book now if you can, just to be sure it doesn't fill up (I have no idea if they'd be that busy, just a general rule of thumb). Of course, you may have to pay in person or something.

# ? Nov 7, 2011 05:24

Cynic Jester: Apr 11, 2009; Let's put a simile on that face
A dazzling simile
Twinkling like the night sky

So looks like I landed a job in Manila and I've got a few questions that I'm hoping one of you world wandering goons could answer.

How is 75000PHP a month if I don't have to pay rent? I'm assuming things are cheaper than in Europe but my googling hasn't turned up anything significant. Stuff like food, cigarettes, beer, electronics, etc.

How is Steam in the Philipines? I remember reading about it being hamstrung in parts of SEA a few years ago, is that still the case?

# ? Nov 8, 2011 12:30

Pockyless: Jun 6, 2004; With flaming Canadians and such :(

How many fires do you think will break out when people launch their krathongs into their front yards on Thursday?

# ? Nov 8, 2011 13:24

Morricone: Jul 7, 2005

Pockyless posted:

How many fires do you think will break out when people launch their krathongs into their front yards on Thursday?

Thailand is more fireproof than ever these days I'd say

# ? Nov 8, 2011 18:06

eviljelly: Aug 29, 2004

Morricone posted:

Thailand is more fireproof than ever these days I'd say

Tell that to the residents of the houses that burned down in Ayutthaya.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/264100/fire-destroys-10-flood-hit-terraced-homes

# ? Nov 8, 2011 23:07

anakha: Sep 16, 2009

Cynic Jester posted:

So looks like I landed a job in Manila and I've got a few questions that I'm hoping one of you world wandering goons could answer.

How is 75000PHP a month if I don't have to pay rent? I'm assuming things are cheaper than in Europe but my googling hasn't turned up anything significant. Stuff like food, cigarettes, beer, electronics, etc.

How is Steam in the Philipines? I remember reading about it being hamstrung in parts of SEA a few years ago, is that still the case?

Regarding your money question:

1) Is that 75k per month gross or net? Check with your employer what tax rate will be applied to that salary first.

2) If you know how to cook, food is not going to be too much of an issue, since cost of living (read: groceries) is going to be quite a bit lower over here. Planning on lots of eating out and takeout? Most casual dining places will set you back about 300-400PHP per meal, although cheaper local places are always around. Make friends with any local coworkers when you get here and ask them where the good, cheaper eats are.

3) Local cigarettes cost anywhere from 25-50PHP for a 20-stick pack, depending on the brand and whether you buy soft or fliptop packs. If you're a smoker, you'd be better off buying a whole carton of 10 packs, which shouldn't cost more than 300PHP.

4) Electronics is where you're going to get shafted over here. Most stuff here gets released 4 months or so behind any US release dates, plus importation taxes and whatnot will make sure that gadget will actually cost more than it does in the US. I bought the laptop I'm currently using last March 2010, when I was working in the US, for $975 (around 43000PHP). When I returned home November last year, the same laptop had just been released here and was selling for about 60000PHP. That Galaxy Nexus phone coming out around the end of the year over there? I'll be happy if it comes out earlier than May 2012 over here.

No idea regarding Steam though. *shrugs*

# ? Nov 9, 2011 15:10

Senso: Nov 4, 2005; Always working

Cynic Jester posted:

How is Steam in the Philipines? I remember reading about it being hamstrung in parts of SEA a few years ago, is that still the case?

I used to live in Canada and I bought regularly on Steam. Now that I'm in Vietnam, I can download games I already bought (usually at about 2-300kbs) but I cannot buy anything. I don't know if Steam sees my Canadian Visa card and notices I'm somewhere else, but everything always get declined.

# ? Nov 10, 2011 03:58

eviljelly: Aug 29, 2004

Senso posted:

I used to live in Canada and I bought regularly on Steam. Now that I'm in Vietnam, I can download games I already bought (usually at about 2-300kbs) but I cannot buy anything. I don't know if Steam sees my Canadian Visa card and notices I'm somewhere else, but everything always get declined.

I emailed them about this and got the following reply

quote:

Hello, Thank you for contacting Steam Support. Our records indicate that your purchase was declined due to your current IP address differing from your billing information. We have removed the lock on your account - you will now be able to complete additional purchases. Additionally, you will need to use the following link through either Internet Explorer or Firefox to complete your transaction. http://store.steampowered.com/?cc=us Please bookmark this link for continued purchasing while you are traveling out of your native country. Please let us know if you have any questions, or if you encounter any further difficulty.

So, yeah, email 'em. I was using an American card and I emailed them from Korea, but should be the same diff, I would think.

# ? Nov 10, 2011 05:01

lemonadesweetheart: May 27, 2010

eviljelly posted:

I emailed them about this and got the following reply

So, yeah, email 'em. I was using an American card and I emailed them from Korea, but should be the same diff, I would think.

Same for me, I've an Irish steam account but moved to Malaysia. You just need to get in touch with Steam support to let them know where you are. I've had to change it to a few different places and it's never been a problem as long as I tell them.

One of the more annoying things sometimes is you can't use the steam client to actually purchase but if you do it from the website with the region for your credit card selected (put cc=ie or whatever on the end of the website address) you can do it from there and then download it.

# ? Nov 10, 2011 05:23

Senso: Nov 4, 2005; Always working

eviljelly posted:

I emailed them about this and got the following reply

So, yeah, email 'em. I was using an American card and I emailed them from Korea, but should be the same diff, I would think.

Nice, thanks! I didn't think emailing their support would do anything, I'll give it a try.

# ? Nov 10, 2011 07:33

ReindeerF: Apr 20, 2002; Rubber Dinghy Rapids Bro

You can also use a VPN, which is what I did. Their system only authenticates during account registration and purchasing, it doesn't care about playing games. I had a brief couple of weeks where I decided to spend some of my vacation playing TF2, heh.

# ? Nov 10, 2011 09:43

MonkeeKong: May 17, 2009; by Y Kant Ozma Post

I'm slowly putting together a write up on Cambodia but I'm still on the road for another month so it might take some time.

Vientiane is pretty boring as a place, tomorrow I'm off to Vang Vieng because I really need to get some partying. I just realized I won't have much time in Laos and that I will need to go to Thailand at the 20th the latest. Anything I really should do around Vang Vieng or Vientiane?

# ? Nov 10, 2011 11:36

ReindeerF: Apr 20, 2002; Rubber Dinghy Rapids Bro

Vientiane is very much an expat city from what I can tell. There's touristy stuff to do, but not much. However, if you know people who live there suddenly there's this whole weird world of backyard bars, social groups and homemade cheeses and sausages and such, heh.

# ? Nov 10, 2011 19:10

Cheesemaster200: Feb 11, 2004; Guard of the Citadel

MonkeeKong posted:

Anything I really should do around Vang Vieng or Vientiane?

Take it easy on whiskey, its practically free throughout the town and can add up real quick. If the river is high, wear a life jacket. It can be a bit of a torrent in the rainy season, so don't underestimate it.

Also, be careful near the rocks getting in and out of the river. I got bruised up and broke my toe when I busted my rear end getting into the river from the rocky platform at the 2nd bar. It made for an unfortunate last week in SE Asia....

# ? Nov 10, 2011 20:05

Saintv77: Aug 5, 2008

Scot goon heading to Thailand tomorrow; flight was booked before the flooding became serious and I didn't feel like cancelling. Right now the plan is to fly from Suvarnabhumi to Phuket since taking a train/bus would be a bit of a pain and start there. I have two weeks, and basically just want to relax, try a bunch of different activities and see a few areas in the south at my own pace.

Phuket being so touristy and connected to other islands sounds like a decent place to catch my bearings, but any advice on what places I should head next to would be appreciated. My budget is about 35k baht, which should be more than enough to stay pretty comfortable.

Saintv77 fucked around with this message at 23:24 on Nov 10, 2011

# ? Nov 10, 2011 23:21

ReindeerF: Apr 20, 2002; Rubber Dinghy Rapids Bro

If you haven't booked your Phuket flight, just book Air Asia direct into Krabi instead (where I'll be this weekend!). Otherwise, just head down to Krabi from Phuket. From Krabi you can do a bunch of the stuff Phuket's famous for.

# ? Nov 11, 2011 04:23

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# ? May 16, 2024 20:43

MonkeeKong: May 17, 2009; by Y Kant Ozma Post

Cheesemaster200 posted:

Take it easy on whiskey, its practically free throughout the town and can add up real quick. If the river is high, wear a life jacket. It can be a bit of a torrent in the rainy season, so don't underestimate it.

Also, be careful near the rocks getting in and out of the river. I got bruised up and broke my toe when I busted my rear end getting into the river from the rocky platform at the 2nd bar. It made for an unfortunate last week in SE Asia....

Oh yeah I've heard plenty of horror stories about the tubing. So far seventeen people have died this year so I think I'll skip out on the happy shakes and take it easy with the Lao Lao.

# ? Nov 11, 2011 05:46

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > Southeast Asia: I really enjoyed it despite all the Swedish people

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