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CronoGamer posted:Awesome, thanks for the specifics. I do dive, but my gf doesn't. It's been a while since I got my cert though and I can't remember- do you know how long it takes? Would it make sense (money and time-wise) for her to try to get hers while we're there? If you have any clue, that is, no matter if you don't. I think the basic course is like 3 days. I hadn't dove in almost 10 years but they do basically everything for you. All you need to do is kick your legs and regulate your buoyancy. We went with the El Nido Marine Club and I thought they were good. Very friendly, very safe and very reasonably priced ($60/3 dives included gear).
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Feb 10, 2012 03:10
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huhu posted:Am I a fool for thinking I can do the loop in Thakhek,Laos alone without previous motorbike experience? Are you referring to the Bolaven plateau one? It's not terribly difficult if you stick to the main road IIRC. A bigger bike like an XR250 will be easier to ride on unsealed roads, although the clutch will take a little more getting used to for a total beginner versus the standard 125cc 4-speed manual (with no clutch). Not sure if it's part of the route or not (I think it might be too far south), but the "highway" between Pakse and Attapeu was a one-lane dirt road through the jungle for a good stretch when I was on it in 2008. I got an inopportune flat in the middle of it and had to spend a night holed up in an unfinished hut before going to fetch a mechanic/new inner tube the next morning.
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Feb 10, 2012 03:22
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Sheep-Goats posted:
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Feb 10, 2012 21:11
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ReindeerF posted:I guess a katoey was too hard to render with effect in vector format, because that's the more accurate warning, heh. But some balls on that fish.
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Feb 11, 2012 01:36
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Is it me, or does Koh Phangan kinda suck?
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Feb 11, 2012 13:25
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Mezzanon posted:Is it me, or does Koh Phangan kinda suck? I kinda liked Thong Nai Pan Noi and Yai, but Haad Rin and the full moon party were awful.
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Feb 11, 2012 13:37
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Mezzanon posted:Is it me, or does Koh Phangan kinda suck? I liked it. I spent a week and a half there because it was such a tremendous pain in the rear end to get there in the first place. The island's pretty big so it's fun to go around on a motorbike or pushbike, you can go diving (but it's probably better in Ko Tao) or swimming or whatever. I also stayed at a really friendly place so it was nice to wind down after two months of running from one place to another. Haad Rin is pretty disgusting though, try and get to Haad Yuan or the northern parts of the island. E: word of advice, don't carry drugs anywhere except in your system on Koh Phangan MonkeeKong fucked around with this message at 14:13 on Feb 11, 2012 |
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Feb 11, 2012 14:08
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I had loads of fun on Bottle Beach, and also just scooting around the island. FMP was crazy fun for us, but we had the right big group of people and we stayed at Leela Beach, so it was easy to escape once we were done watching high/drunk 19-year-olds hurt themselves silly. We were also at the October FMP, which I'm told is one of the tamest FMPs of the year.
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Feb 11, 2012 14:08
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Finch! posted:I kinda liked Thong Nai Pan Noi and Yai, but Haad Rin and the full moon party were awful. Vang Vieng, Laos > Koh Phangan, Thailand
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Feb 12, 2012 10:18
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Laos seems like a death trap lately, in the month of January 3 Australian tourists have died there, two from tubing the other one is probably a drug overdose.
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Feb 12, 2012 11:26
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Mezzanon posted:Vang Vieng, Laos > Koh Phangan, Thailand I've never been (on purpose) but it sounds as though Vang Vieng is just a place for whitey kids to drink, get high, and do dumb poo poo - there's not a whole lot more there. I have been to Phangan, and if one disappears from the full moon related arseholes of humanity then it's actually a pretty nice place.
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Feb 12, 2012 12:54
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Finch! posted:I've never been (on purpose) but it sounds as though Vang Vieng is just a place for whitey kids to drink, get high, and do dumb poo poo - there's not a whole lot more there. The surrounds of Vang-vieng are very, very beautiful.
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Feb 12, 2012 13:10
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Crivens posted:The surrounds of Vang-vieng are very, very beautiful. Wonderful temples, incredible cliffs, world class climbing, excellent scenery, and that's just during the day. The night is one big weird Australian smear of lipstick and whiskey. With really cheap, really delicious sandwiches at the end.
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Feb 12, 2012 13:20
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imnotinsane posted:Laos seems like a death trap lately, in the month of January 3 Australian tourists have died there, two from tubing the other one is probably a drug overdose. It's a deathtrap in the sense that if you act irresponsibly and without heed to risk, there's a nonzero chance that you can get yourself killed, yes. Mezzanon posted:Wonderful temples, incredible cliffs, world class climbing, excellent scenery, and that's just during the day. The night is one big weird Australian smear of lipstick and whiskey. With really cheap, really delicious sandwiches at the end. When I was there in 2008, none of the backpackers seemed to have found the nightclub.
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Feb 12, 2012 13:52
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Mezzanon posted:Wonderful temples, incredible cliffs, world class climbing, excellent scenery, and that's just during the day. The night is one big weird Australian smear of lipstick and whiskey. With really cheap, really delicious sandwiches at the end. I spent a day there that included kayaking and going through a partially underwater cave. It was amazing.
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Feb 12, 2012 15:38
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Thought this might be the best place to ask. Going out to Thailand on the first of November. I'm gonna gently caress around there till early December ish, then travel down to Malaysia/Singapore then fly out to Australia for New Years and Xmas. Flying back to Asia in January to start a teaching job. If I take one lot of £1000/$1574 for the first month, another £1000/$1574 for the 3 weeks in Malaysia/Singapore and another £1000/$1574 for a few weeks in Australia, will that be enough?
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Feb 12, 2012 20:28
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imnotinsane posted:Laos seems like a death trap lately, in the month of January 3 Australian tourists have died there, two from tubing the other one is probably a drug overdose. It's a death trap if you're retarded. Much like....anywhere.
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Feb 12, 2012 21:16
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^^^ I reckon it would be fun to document all the idiots in those places, especially in Bali. The "current affairs" programs all have been panting images of hard done by aussies just having a bit of fun being targeted by locals. Maybe if someone showed all the drunken louts and how bad they make us look it would help people understand why these things happens. Still it sucks now that everyone thinks of loud, obnoxious drunk Australian tourists abroad. That used to be the poms  Sir Hamish posted:Thought this might be the best place to ask. Going out to Thailand on the first of November. I'm gonna gently caress around there till early December ish, then travel down to Malaysia/Singapore then fly out to Australia for New Years and Xmas. Flying back to Asia in January to start a teaching job. 1000 pounds is enough to live in Australia and eat, good luck trying to actual do anything though. You will be here in peak season so expect $30 a night hostels. After you have been in SEA for 6 weeks Australia is going to seem like a huge rip off. $10 pints for a decent beer. Maybe a cheap backpacker bar will have $6 pints. imnotinsane fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Feb 12, 2012 |
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Feb 12, 2012 23:14
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So it looks like a bomb went off today in Bangkok. Anyone there now?
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Feb 14, 2012 15:47
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drat, I was going to come in and post "Don't worry about it, you're probably safe. Come anyway." before anyone posted anything, heh. Yeah I live here. I had dinner sort of near there tonight. Sounds like the movie Four Lions come to life. It was such a tiny localized event that if it weren't Iranians it probably wouldn't make the news (Thais are constantly bombing one another, heh). That paired with the recent, and admittedly highly unusual, terror warning for people targeting Westerners in Bangkok by our embassy (which I believe to be accurate) makes it a little more notable. It's hard to believe these guys were part of that, though, given how stupidly they acted.
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Feb 14, 2012 18:02
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Here's the article, for people wondering. I will try and get the scoop from my FIL when he wakes up. Edited to add more info here Oracle fucked around with this message at 18:37 on Feb 14, 2012 |
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Feb 14, 2012 18:34
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Sir Hamish posted:Thought this might be the best place to ask. Going out to Thailand on the first of November. I'm gonna gently caress around there till early December ish, then travel down to Malaysia/Singapore then fly out to Australia for New Years and Xmas. Flying back to Asia in January to start a teaching job. Are you going to Sydney? If you're going to Sydney for New Years because it's one of the "cool" places to do it, I wouldn't bother. It's only cool so you can tell people you're watching the fireworks at Sydney Harbour, but the best views are 45 minutes walk from the nearest bar and you have to be there at 8pm to get a space to sit down. Accommodation, drinks and food are priced accordingly. Oh, and compared to Melbourne, the city is a dump shitstorm imminent
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Feb 14, 2012 21:33
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duckmaster posted:Oh, and compared to Melbourne, the city is a dump shitstorm imminent No argument from this Australian. Melbourne is a hundred times more pleasant and interesting than Sydney. Sir Hamish, I don't think you could stretch Smudgie Buggler fucked around with this message at 08:38 on Feb 15, 2012 |
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Feb 15, 2012 07:19
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duckmaster posted:but the best views are 45 minutes walk from the nearest bar and you have to be there at 8pm to get a space to sit down False, my view from Walsh Bay on NYE, unrestricted views and about 15 seconds walk from the nearest bar, which was part of the restaurant I was in (yes I had to pay for the privilege though):  However I agree that $1.5k is not enough to stay in Australia for a few weeks - maybe a week or two max and you'll want to get cheap accommodation too. brendanwor fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Feb 15, 2012 |
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Feb 15, 2012 21:01
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GZA Genius posted:I just did that trip to El Nido two weeks ago. I don't know how you are finding flights that expensive. I paid $600 RT to P.P from Seoul. I see that they fly from Osaka. Checking their website from Osaka its about $800 for a RT to P.P. Which is still really expensive. Try and find the cheapest to Manila and then cebu pacific to P.P. You can try Philippine Air. I see flights from Tokyo to Manila for 25,000 yen. I'll be flying to Bangkok from Seoul in April. What were the allowances/how much did you bother bringing for your trip? I can't quite figure out how much I need to bring for ~two weeks in Thailand/Cambodia, versus what the airline will allow without charging out the rear end.
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Feb 16, 2012 11:45
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Tyorik posted:I'll be flying to Bangkok from Seoul in April. What were the allowances/how much did you bother bringing for your trip? I can't quite figure out how much I need to bring for ~two weeks in Thailand/Cambodia, versus what the airline will allow without charging out the rear end. Anything you forget to pack is available in Bangkok. You really don't need more than a few changes of clothes for a two-week trip. I spent six months in southeast Asia with nothing that couldn't fit in a midsized backpack.
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Feb 16, 2012 13:08
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Tyorik posted:I'll be flying to Bangkok from Seoul in April. What were the allowances/how much did you bother bringing for your trip? I can't quite figure out how much I need to bring for ~two weeks in Thailand/Cambodia, versus what the airline will allow without charging out the rear end. The answer is you don't need very much. On my last trip all I really brought was one extra shirt and a few toiletries. Bought everything else there. For a less extreme version of this you can read that travel gear thread I posted but honestly for two weeks in SE Asia you don't really need more than a large bookbag.
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Feb 16, 2012 18:03
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My nephew is taking off for Saigon to go and teach English in about 5 weeks. I'd like him to get travel insurance for any major medical problems he might have. He's 27 and American. Can anyone make some recommendations for him? He's got an iPhone. What are the carriers available in Vietnam and what's the deal with pay as you go there? What are the issues with a smart phone there? Can he just toss in a pay as you go phone chip? I was there in 2001 and actual carried around a "world phone" but never actually used it.
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Feb 16, 2012 21:30
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Darryl Lict posted:My nephew is taking off for Saigon to go and teach English in about 5 weeks. I'd like him to get travel insurance for any major medical problems he might have. He's 27 and American. Can anyone make some recommendations for him? I live and work in Saigon and I'm with Liberty insurance. If he plans on staying for a while, it might be worth buying a local insurance instead of one in the US that will refund him when he comes back or something. With Liberty, Standard plan + Outpatient + Dental for him would be about 12,000,000 dongs (about $600 for one year). There might be cheaper plans too, he might not need dental, etc. Also, Liberty has deals with all the big Western-style hospitals here so the quality is good. My wife was diagnosed with multiple breast tumors (!) 2 months after we arrived and the hospital/insurance side was OK. As for the phone, "good" carriers here are Mobifone, Viettel and Vinafone. i have an Android phone with unlimited data plan but my company pays so I don't know how much it's worth. But I've heard people say that for about 500k dongs per month ($25), you get a pretty good data plan. I'm not familiar with iPhones but I think it's just a matter of buying a SIM card anywhere and then $5/$10 recharges now and then. Senso fucked around with this message at 03:06 on Feb 17, 2012 |
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Feb 17, 2012 03:04
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I'm going to be in Manila for a few weeks for business. I don't plan on doing much drinking or whoring, but I do collect insects as a hobby. Since I'll have the weekends off I figured I would go out and be a tall white guy with a loving butterfly net creeping around in the jungle. What am I looking at for renting a car or motorcycle in the Philippines? I understand that getting an IDP from AAA takes six months (  ) Can I arrange to have a taxi take me? It's like a 45 minute trip out into the sticks from what Google Maps thinks is the center of the city. Am I not thinking of some more elegant solution to this?edit: Also I want to pick up some Filipino vinyl or cassettes from second hand stores. Can anyone recommend a market or store that sells second hand music? Tricerapowerbottom fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Feb 18, 2012 |
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Feb 18, 2012 23:26
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Super Grub posted:What am I looking at for renting a car or motorcycle in the Philippines? I understand that getting an IDP from AAA takes six months ( It took me like 15 minutes at the local AAA office.
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Feb 19, 2012 00:49
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Cheesemaster200 posted:It took me like 15 minutes at the local AAA office. Yeah, I sent mine away and got it back in less than 10 days.
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Feb 19, 2012 21:36
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Was in Pakse, Laos and I joined a random group for lunch. The one guy decided to tell me, within 10 minutes of meeting, about the prostitutes in the capital. Then he told me how he met two girls who looked 13 and so he asked their age and he was assured they were old enough so he went for it because "you can never actually tell how old these girls are." 
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Feb 20, 2012 03:35
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huhu posted:Was in Pakse, Laos and I joined a random group for lunch. The one guy decided to tell me, within 10 minutes of meeting, about the prostitutes in the capital. Then he told me how he met two girls who looked 13 and so he asked their age and he was assured they were old enough so he went for it because "you can never actually tell how old these girls are." Don't you see? You're the deviant one!! Seriously though, I don't know why it's acceptable to even discuss prostitutes with random other westerners in SEA. I'd like to think most westerners aren't into that kind of thing.. but sometimes I wonder.
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Feb 20, 2012 04:27
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rhazes posted:Don't you see? You're the deviant one!! On the first week of my job in Bangkok my supervisor invited me out for drinks. The topic of prostitutes came up. My supervisor says, "There are two kinds of expats in Thailand. The expats who sleep with prostitutes and the expats who lie about sleeping with prostitutes." Don't give up hope, though. There are non-scumbag Westerners in Thailand. You just have to avoid the places where the filthy people tend to congregate, although this is almost impossible often times.
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Feb 20, 2012 05:56
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rhazes posted:Seriously though, I don't know why it's acceptable to even discuss prostitutes with random other westerners in SEA. I'd like to think most westerners aren't into that kind of thing.. but sometimes I wonder. SO MATE THE BIRDS ARE FINE HERE EH?
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Feb 20, 2012 12:49
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Just arrived in BKK for a couple nights, would love to grab a beer with anyone who lives/is saying here! I'm staying at the lub d hostel near MBK (I booked the wrong one :/). Send me a pm or call me at 08-2783-0966 (name is Jason) if you want to get together.
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Feb 20, 2012 15:59
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I've been really wanting to backpack across SEA for a while now and I assumed that I would be going in December. Fortunately I will be graduating a bit ahead of schedule (in March) and it turns out that it's a now or never thing for me in regards to the trip. Since I have about a month to prepare a month long trek into SEA I'm freaking out. I'm not well traveled and I have never backpacked anywhere before. I've tried to read most of the pages of this thread to try and figure out what to do when I land in Bankgok, but I've become overwhelmed with too much information... After I land in BKK, I don't even know where to start. I would love to be able to land and wing it, but I can't imagine landing in a country and just walking in some direction hoping to find tourist friendly destination. Just some background on my trip: I will be there in the first week of April and will stay for a month (I would like to do Thailand, Vietname and Cambodia, but would not mind limiting it to just Thailand if need be). I will be going to China after to stay with a friend for a month or two. I'm not worried about China. Things I would like to do: -eat lots of really awesome food -spend some time on a beautiful beach or two -full moon party (yeah I know...) -go snorkeling -bringing my camera, so take a lot of pictures -visit some temples -drink a lot of beer and wow thai's with my karaoke ability -ride elephants  -Songkran festival is in April I believe? How in the hell do I even begin to prepare for something like this? I mostly have a list of places you all recommend not to go to. Any help would be immensely appreciated.
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Feb 21, 2012 07:24
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Pureone posted:I've been really wanting to backpack across SEA for a while now and I assumed that I would be going in December. Fortunately I will be graduating a bit ahead of schedule (in March) and it turns out that it's a now or never thing for me in regards to the trip. My first trip abroad was to Thailand, I got there at 1am bone tired and dying in the hot season wearing 2 layers of clothing. Had an address for a place I wanted to go that was quite distant (600B cab fare) but honestly I wouldn't have known if I was being taken to be robbed or even to the right place. Seeing all the signs written in a strange script was a real shock, and when you get off a plane, your frame of reference in terms of relating locations to one another gets very confused (think of your internal human GPS.) You can really wing it for sure. If you want to interact with Thais and make friends to go karaoke, you should probably bring normal hygenic/body care with you (or buy it). Seriously, you don't really need to bring much because it's not like you're going to the Saharan desert, you CAN buy toothpaste, deodorant, contact lenses, etc etc. Just please, for the love of god, shave your neckbeard and wear clean clothing (but not if it's a Chang singlet/beater/tank top.) My experience with backpackers was that they didn't really mix at all with Thais that weren't directly involved with the backpacker tourist industry.. my Thai friends disliked the stereotypical backpackers and the Khao san area quite intensely. As an aside, I really miss the roller Axe dry deodorant that's only found in Asia. Stuff owns bones.
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Feb 21, 2012 08:31
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I thought I'd just wing it. Took a taxi from the aiport to khao san rd (Taxi ride took so long I thought I was being scammed/murdered/robbed right there), got out, with my huge backpack, another small travel bag on my chest and instantly freaked out. So many people on the street, so many wanting you to stay in their hostel. I decided I couldn't make a decision in what ratthole to stay right there and then, so I went straight into an internet cafe, checked my email and looked up the one where my brother is talking about a nice hostel nearby khao san. It took a couple of days to get used to the madness, find your way around etc. Thing is, yes you will freak out over there, you will be taking to much poo poo with you and be under prepared in other areas, this is normal, it's your first long trip. The beauty of Thailand is that you will not die, you might pay a bit too much here and there, maybe have a lovely night in a dump you got suckered in, but you will live, easily. I honestly didn't have any problem over there at all. Print out the Thai language parts of this thread, they were very helpfull. Read the start of the travel gear thread. Calm down, go for it and try to enjoy madness. If you freak out when you get there, know that you panic will subside after a few days.
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