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I'm still in Thailand, I finally bought a big container of water and I feel like a bad person for it, but at least my stomach doesn't get all funny anymore. I have 5 red/pink 7-11 stamps, can I do anything with these? Is it of any value to give it to somebody? How much should I expect to pay out for buying a bunch of spices and tea (maybe dried fruit too)? I know there's a 24 hour market down the street from where I am, and further down there's long rows of fruit stands. Would I be able to get that easily from there? I have about 1,800 BHT on me, and I expect about 1,000 BHT (a bit high of an estimate) to go to travel, so that gives me about 800 BHT to spend from now to Sunday (I'm not a big spender though). Would it be a problem to take all this back to Korea? dogpower posted:People looked at me in shock when I said I drank the tap water in Hong Kong. I don't know how accurate this anecdote is. My family and a few others weren't very happy about me going alone either.  I don't think it matters when you buy the ticket. I bought mine directly from Thai Airways the same day. The roundtrip ticket came out to 520,800 Korean won, but that was from Korea, I don't know where you're coming from. Prices for November were the same as the same day, plus or minus 20,000 so I don't think it really matters to buy it this early or later. I booked my hotel the same day too. I got mine through AsiaRooms and got a decent room with Wifi for 6,930 BHT, 11 nights, which I think is a fair price. You can get a lot cheaper though. That's about all I can help you with though, I think, but reserving everything the same day gave me no problems. Also with Thai Airways, you can even choose your seat and meal for both trips, which is great. Also be careful at the airport, I had a woman who offered to take me to my motel for 900 BHT, yikes!
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Sep 18, 2012 07:22
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dogpower posted:Can anyone help me out? My family is very unreceptive of me travelling alone. I've never travelled alone by myself. Or bought an airline ticket. They are refusing to help me out. Other people in this thread can probably give you better recommendations on Thailand than I can, like if your driving license is valid there or not (if it's anything like Cambodia, it's technically valid but the police will try to stop and fine you anyway). Did you get your vaccinations yet? For finding places to stay I used to use hostel world, but you're right, you pretty much only need to book your first stop in advance. Getting around and finding guesthouses once you're there couldn't be easier. You can go ahead and make an in-depth itinerary, but it will most likely fall apart after the first week or so. It's natural for your family to be worried about you travelling alone (mine sure was), but honestly tons of people do it and you'll meet loads of fellow travellers anyway. Not sure if that'll help convince your family though, sorry!  Maybe show them this thread so they can see what a respectable bunch of people stay in this part of the world.
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Sep 18, 2012 08:19
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You are supposed to have an international driving permit together with your driver's license when driving in Thailand. Not all cops ask for this and they'll only ask IF they stop you. Renting a motorcycle in Bangkok pretty rare. It's not like in Pattaya or Phuket where the streets are lined with bikes for rent. You might want to Google motorcycle rentals in Bangkok to make sure there will be a bike for you when you arrive. Also bring or buy a jacket to cover up your skin from the sun, and the cops. Provided you're white, white skin = money. Have fun!
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Sep 18, 2012 08:58
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dogpower posted:People looked at me in shock when I said I drank the tap water in Hong Kong. I don't know how accurate this anecdote is. -Book your flight now. 3 months ahead of time is best to get a decent fare. Buy a round trip ticket. If you don't know when you plan to return set the date for 11 months from your leave-by date and pay the fee (100 or so) to change it later when you decide to come home. Round trip tickets are only 30% or so more than one-ways and remove visa hassles which sometimes exist for one-ways and more importantly provide immense security over a one-way. Kayak.com is by far the best flight searching tool online IMO. -Book a hotel for your first X days in Bangkok (however long you plan to spend there -- I'd suggest two to three nights before leaving and coming back to BKK once you're better acclimated to the heat. It's a great city, but too much to adjust to all at once). Lub D Silom is the overall favorite option right now but there are many, many others. For the rest of your stay in SE Asia in general you will be able to find a cheap room upon arrivial with no effort and no fore-planning (except for Burma right now, but that's a fluke) -Don't rent a motorcycle in Bangkok. Outside of Bangkok a motorcycle is fine but you have to be super careful. In Bangkok the chance of mortal injury is far too great on a cycle. When I lived there I knew two 20+ year veteran riders who died in Bangkok traffic. Also, when you rent a cycle it has to be returned to the guy you rented it from usually -- these are small mom and pop shops, not big agencies like in the US. This means you'll probably take the bus between cities and rent cycles locally to explore. If you plan to solely tour on a bike all over the place you should buy one, and should talk to Pompus Rhombus about what that's like. -Legal documents: That list is fine. Definitely bring your debit card. Since you have time before you leave home open a joint checking account with your mom or whomever at home and also bring that debit card. This will allow her to put money into that account if you need some as an emergency (or for your birthday), for you to send money home if you become a trillionarie / pay school loans, and she can send you her card in the mail if you lose or get robbed of your other cards without the hassle/delays of going through a bank like you'll have with your primary card. You should also have a paper (with a few copies each) delineating your emergency contact info, your card numbers with phone numbers of the banks to call to cancel them if need be, and any significant medical history you might have along with your name, address, birthday, and travel insurance info. One copy in your pack, one in your wallet, one under the bed of your shoe. A Canadian driving license is not valid -- you're supposed to get an "international license" by paying for one at your local Canadian DMV but these typically last for a short period of time and are not going to help anything if you get pulled over in Thailand. Get pulled over = give the cop 200B, whether you did anything wrong or not, almost irregardless of the severity of your error. They usually leave you alone though, even if you do some really stupid poo poo right in front of them, unless of course they're out to make money that day, in which case you're getting pulled over no matter how legally you drove. -All the the Chinese airlines are pretty bad but also cheap. You get what you pay for almost universally for all airlines -- Chinese flight passengers are miserable fucks, however, and going through Air China or China Air or Air Air China Air or whatever will probably mean an exchange in Beijing or something which means your leg over the pacific will be full of spitting loud-talking galoots with huge packages and oodles of kids. But you're new to this, so just chalk it up as an experience and pick a flight that a) is cheap and b) doesn't have too many stops (more stops = more chances to miss a flight = more chances to lose a day of travel to some loving airport. I also like to ensure that I have at least 3 hours between flights to make connections when doing international flights because you never know when you'll be randomly required to go through customs an extra inexplicable time or whatever). I very much hope you've adopted my carry-on-only suggestions from the travel gear thread. -Get a SE Asia phrasebook from Lonely Planet and look around on Youtube for how to speak Thai tutorials. A little goes a long ways at first and if you want access to the Thai side of things flashing even a little basic Thai will justifiably open doors for you that are certainly not open to other Canadians who are obviously just there to drink, see waterfalls, and gently caress other Canadians (why they go around the world to do this I'm not sure). -Helpful people who speak some English and approach you out of nowhere are not to be trusted. Helpful people who you approach can be. If someone comes up to you ignore them and what they say if at all in doubt. The temple is not closed. There is no special holiday that means there are no cabs right now. The last train has not already left. All the seats on the bus are not sold out. Seek out someone else and ask them for advice rather than taking the advice of those that approach you. Canadians in particular have too much faith in serendipity. raton fucked around with this message at 09:08 on Sep 18, 2012 |
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Sep 18, 2012 09:01
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Themata posted:How much should I expect to pay out for buying a bunch of spices and tea (maybe dried fruit too)? I know there's a 24 hour market down the street from where I am, and further down there's long rows of fruit stands. Would I be able to get that easily from there? quote:Also be careful at the airport, I had a woman who offered to take me to my motel for 900 BHT, yikes!
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Sep 18, 2012 09:01
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Oracle posted:Speaking of tap water, is it safe to drink in Hong Kong or is it one of those case by case basis things? It's safe to drink nowadays but some places might have old plumbing or rusty pipes. It's still supposedly safe to drink from bad pipes http://www.wsd.gov.hk/en/faqs/water_quality/index.html Send me a shout when you are in HK! I host for other goons from time to time! dogpower posted:Can anyone help me out? My family is very unreceptive of me travelling alone. I've never travelled alone by myself. Or bought an airline ticket. They are refusing to help me out. Since this trip is for personal leisure it basically boils down to "do I have enough money to do that" and "do I need a visa". Carry all that stuff you listed and get an international drivers permit. Some might scoff at me for spending more money than necessary, I don't know, never drove. Air China is alright, not Cathay Pacific nice but it gets by. You decide whether you want a travel agent or not, you can try kayak or looking at different travel websites. Some people want to get the cheapest deals they can get, some just want an agent to organize things for them. I didn't ride a motorcycle so I'm not exactly sure how getting the vehicle license works across different countries (you can ask Pompous Rhombous, he loves to ride). If you are not so clueless and planned things out about maybe your parents would be a lot more receptive. Or just grow a pair and do things on your god drat own like an adult without seeking parental approval will get you a lot more respect and trust from your peers  Sorry sorry I couldn't resist. That's why you are in this forum and I'm sure you would have an interesting time. Post in this thread if you find anything interesting!My folks were not too receptive too but I was luckily enough to have bought a ticket and fly an airplane on my own so it was more a matter of how much to spend and where to go. They still think "I'm brave" for traveling alone and living in hostels and Some people plan a lot, some people don't. I'm sure your parents just want to know that you will be safe in Dangerous Asia because it will be much harder to get a hold of you when they want to. You can reassure them by calling regularly or emailing them and keeping in touch. Just give them a heads up of whereabouts you will be. If they still think "it's too dangerous oh don't go", then that's too bad! Anyways hope you have a good trip! Please stay safe when out on the road.
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Sep 18, 2012 09:08
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Sheep-Goats posted:
China airlines is actually a Taiwanese airline and so is Eva airways which is owned by Evergreen co. in Taiwan. They are pretty low cost and decent but China airlines used to have one of the worst international carrier safety records but they cleaned up their act a bit. You'd have to pay me to fly the mainland Chinese carriers though ^_^ so you aren't wrong about those. Cathay pacific (Hong Kong) and Singapore airlines are top notch international airlines though and not to be mistaken with the mainland Chinese carriers.
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Sep 18, 2012 09:10
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Ringo R posted:Also bring or buy a jacket to cover up your skin from the sun, and the cops. Provided you're white, white skin = money. Have fun!
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Sep 18, 2012 09:10
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Any of you boners have F1 passes for the Singapore GP at the weekend? I have a cheap 3 day one so I can mince about and have beers etc.
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Sep 18, 2012 09:11
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Sheep-Goats posted:(except for Burma right now, but that's a fluke) Edit: Reading on thorntree it seems like everyone is talking about this too. I'm glad we went there during low season On another note: Is there a thread for Nepal or a thread where questions about Nepal is relevant? Couldn't find any. any colour you like fucked around with this message at 11:25 on Sep 18, 2012 |
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Sep 18, 2012 10:51
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any colour you like posted:I see this being said here all the time. Is that something that has been happening during the summer? Because this was never a problem in June and early July. You got to a place and could shop around for the cheapest place, you could always choose a room from the place you prefered. (I'm not saying it isn't true, but since most places were operating at far below maximum capacity when I was there I find it weird). Things do seem to change really fast in Myanmar though, so what do I know. I think they exaggerate this problem. It's much more people there now, but you will still find a place to sleep, without reservation bullshit. Outside Yangon it's no problem at all. any colour you like posted:On another note: Is there a thread for Nepal or a thread where questions about Nepal is relevant? Couldn't find any. Ask here. I was there in April-May.
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Sep 18, 2012 12:37
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Modus Operandi posted:If you want something exotic like curry paste/spices then the local market has all of that too. I can't think of anything too crazy or exotic that Korea wouldn't have. Fresh fruit etc.. is probably a no go for Korean customs though. Dried fruit and spices and tea are all crazy expensive in Korea. Also looking for thai tea and other teas (chrysanthemum? Green?) and thai coffee? What liquor do y'all recommend?
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Sep 18, 2012 13:17
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Hi, Friend and i are travelling around south east asia in november this year. We were talking about spending a week or so in Myanmar, but are we horrible late on reserving hotels and such? We don't have visas or any hotels reserved yet. It's not a huge deal so if it's too much of an hassle we just think of something else. We just got the holidays from work sorted so we don't actually have that much time to make some sort of a travel plan. Right now we have a rough plan of northern thailand (if the Mynamar thing is too much of an hassle) (Chiang Mai, Pai etc) Northern Vietnam (Hanoi, Ha Long Bay etc) And a third destination to the end, preferably a nice quiet beach somewhere, maybe Cambodia. We have 3.11 - 2.12.2012 I guess i'm just looking some advice on Myanmar right now. Tho i'll welcome any ideas that anyone might have. It will be a backbacking type of deal. Thanks. edit: and also both are finnish. Most likely direct flights to Bangkok or Singapore from Helsinki. Barfolemew fucked around with this message at 13:46 on Sep 18, 2012 |
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Sep 18, 2012 13:37
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Barfolemew posted:We were talking about spending a week or so in Myanmar, but are we horrible late on reserving hotels and such? We don't have visas or any hotels reserved yet. It's not a huge deal so if it's too much of an hassle we just think of something else. If it's no problem for you two to stay in worst case scenario in really basic rooms, (4 cement walls, mattress and one light bulb, no window, no aircon, shared bathroom) or similar dorms, then don't book anything. You will always find something and it will be mostly decent.
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Sep 18, 2012 14:30
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DontAskKant posted:She is buying mostly for me I think, and Korea is pretty sparse or expensive when it comes to things that aren't chili powder, garlic, or ginger. Good curry pastes and things like cardamom and pandan and orange blossom water. Dickering with market stall people in a fishy smelling fresh market while you sweat your balls off can be a pain in the rear end if you don't know local prices. The only different is the local markets have home made curry pastes but you really need to know what to ask for.
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Sep 18, 2012 14:46
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Thanks You guys are awesome. I will man up and buy my airplane ticket and pre-book a hotel pretty soon. I think knowing what to do has quelled my indecision. I didn't see the point of pre-planning everything for my whole trip with the exception of the first few days. I mean part of the appeal is exploring out on your own. I'll also avoid renting from Bangkok.
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Sep 18, 2012 20:50
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My boyfriend and I are coming to SE Asia in January for 6 weeks. We want to be flexible (planning to stop by Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia), but we also don't have very much money, plus we'll be there in what sounds like the busiest time of the year. We'll book something for the first few days, but can we still rely on being able to find cheap backpacker rooms just by walking around?
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Sep 18, 2012 21:16
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Chocolate Milk posted:My boyfriend and I are coming to SE Asia in January for 6 weeks. We want to be flexible (planning to stop by Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia), but we also don't have very much money, plus we'll be there in what sounds like the busiest time of the year. We'll book something for the first few days, but can we still rely on being able to find cheap backpacker rooms just by walking around? You can always find cheap places, don't need to book anything.
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Sep 18, 2012 21:38
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AntiTank posted:You can always find cheap places, don't need to book anything. With that said, don't take a bus into a new city that arrives at 9 p.m. or whenever at night and expect to just walk up to the first decent hotel you see and get good prices. That lovely hostel you were eyeing in Lonely Planet may be fully booked by the time you arrive. Get to a new city by late afternoon at the latest to make sure you allow yourself some time to explore your options and find a place that isn't disgusting or too expensive.
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Sep 19, 2012 01:37
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Sweet, that's very helpful, thanks. What about Singapore? We're spending four days there on the way back and I know it's a bit more expensive. Would we be better off booking online in advance?
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Sep 19, 2012 02:47
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Chocolate Milk posted:Sweet, that's very helpful, thanks. What about Singapore? We're spending four days there on the way back and I know it's a bit more expensive. Would we be better off booking online in advance? Singapore will probably kill your budget. There are cheap hostel rooms to be found in the $30/40 night range, but everything else apart from hawker food is pretty outrageous. Picture $12 a normal pint in any non happy hour bar.
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Sep 19, 2012 03:20
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It's around USD 24 a night for my go to hostel in Singapore. https://www.abearygoodhostel.com/rates.htm Clean, Soft beds but there are only 8/10 bed dormitory. If you don't care about meeting other travelers what not and don't need wifi, and want more privacy there's the motel168 or whatever it's called where people have sex (not seedy at all). And say hi to the singapore goons. Creamy Horror is an awesome host and can show you around for great food.
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Sep 19, 2012 07:00
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caberham posted:It's around USD 24 a night for my go to hostel in Singapore. Ugh, yeah I absent-mindedly converted to SGD (room price but not beer for some reason?)  Happy to go for a beer/show you about the place if needed. I still haven't met creamy horror, to my shame so might be a good time for a party.
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Sep 19, 2012 07:40
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Spent 11 days last December at the Green Kiwi Hostel a bit north of Little India. Really nice place and they include a small breakfast. About a ten minute walk from Lavender MRT station. Varies between 16 and 21 USD for a 10 bed dorm. http://www.greenkiwi.com.sg/facilities.php http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Green-Kiwi-Backpacker-Hostel/Singapore/48595
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Sep 19, 2012 08:38
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Woo, thanks for the recommendations! And hey a hostel run by a New Zealander.  I actually find it kind of funny that you guys are converting SGD into USD, since I'm a New Zealander and SGD is actually almost identical to the NZD (I have no clue why).Definitely keen to meet up with goons, will have to suss out who's around and free closer to the time. Super excited for the trip already.
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Sep 19, 2012 08:50
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kenner116 posted:Spent 11 days last December at the Green Kiwi Hostel a bit north of Little India. Really nice place and they include a small breakfast. About a ten minute walk from Lavender MRT station. Varies between 16 and 21 USD for a 10 bed dorm. Yeah, there are many cheap places around Little India. When i was there on a tight budget i had no problems finding a place to stay.
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Sep 19, 2012 09:15
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Check this loony tunes poo poo out, heh: http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/09/18/pol-pot-revisited/ Go for the critique of America, stay for the Pol Potologism. Glorious Democratic Kampuchea, rebuilding Cambodia one paddy at a time. EDIT: By the way, some of the local Muslims have decided to bring the world's dumbest loving protest to the Bangkok US embassy, so if you for some reason have business to do, be aware that even Fortress America has been closing early due to the protests. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 10:39 on Sep 19, 2012 |
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Sep 19, 2012 10:15
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quote:Surprisingly, Cambodians have no bad memories of that period. quote:The Pol Pot the Cambodians remember was not a tyrant, but a great patriot and nationalist, a lover of native culture and native way of life. Is... is that a joke article? I genuinely can't tell.
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Sep 19, 2012 10:38
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Tytan posted:Is... is that a joke article? I genuinely can't tell. EDIT: Are the shining examples of the finest of the Muslim faith busy protesting the US Compound in your fair Khmer capital as well, Tytan?
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Sep 19, 2012 10:40
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ReindeerF posted:EDIT: By the way, some of the local Muslims have decided to bring the world's dumbest loving protest to the Bangkok US embassy, so if you for some reason have business to do, be aware that even Fortress America has been closing early due to the protests. You insult prophet wah?! 
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Sep 19, 2012 11:47
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Sheep-Goats posted:You insult prophet wah?! Speaking to a Cambodian guy who had both his arms and legs blown off in the aftermath, p sure he remembers
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Sep 19, 2012 13:02
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kru posted:Speaking to a Cambodian guy who had both his arms and legs blown off in the aftermath, p sure he remembers Anyone interested in a small but satirical counter-protest if it continues this weekend? Maybe something humorous, like, "It Was An Immigrant Egyptian Who Made The Film, Morons" or if you're feeling poignant and knew the guy (I did a bit) we could try, "Sean Smith Would've Wanted To Talk To You" as a point of engagement. Thai Muslims* are pretty chill. * - Offer may not apply to Yala, Narathiwat, Songklah & Pattani.
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Sep 19, 2012 13:05
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ReindeerF posted:Wires crossed, heh. Yes 
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Sep 19, 2012 15:55
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I readz newzpaper Yeah, you know, Tony 
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Sep 19, 2012 16:30
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ReindeerF posted:EDIT: Are the shining examples of the finest of the Muslim faith busy protesting the US Compound in your fair Khmer capital as well, Tytan? Were the steaks ok?
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Sep 19, 2012 16:43
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Tytan posted:Were the steaks ok?
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Sep 19, 2012 16:49
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If I, or my representative, were in Bangkok where would I go to get cheap liquor to bring back to Korea? I remember getting really cheap stuff in Siem Reap. Is that a thing you can do in Bangkok?
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Sep 19, 2012 16:51
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gently caress, Korea is running out of cheap liquor. Get ready for the exodus.
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Sep 19, 2012 16:54
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Official answer, nope. Thailand has the worlds's (yes, world's) highest across the board tariffs on imported beers and all winesand liquors. That said, my local bottle shop where the Chinaman has his relatives drive cheap poo poo in from Laos and Cambodia weekly.
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Sep 19, 2012 16:55
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ReindeerF posted:Official answer, nope. Thailand has the worlds's (yes, world's) highest across the board tariffs on imported beers and all winesand liquors. That said, my local bottle shop where the Chinaman has his relatives drive cheap poo poo in from Laos and Cambodia weekly. Is there any good local booze? Soju is still cheap, but imported stuff is still ridiculous.
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Sep 19, 2012 17:16
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