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ReindeerF posted:
I'm still around, but I'm living in bumfuck nowhere along the Burmese border doing super secretive work, or something. In Bangkok for the next couple of days, though. And yeah, ditch Chiang Mai. And if you do go, ditch Mike's (sorrry ReindeerF!). It's under new ownership and, uh, yeah. Not good. Even ThaiVisa has collectively disowned it.
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Jun 9, 2013 11:22
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eviljelly posted:SIPADAN!!!!! I'm going there early next year as part of a month or so in Borneo  I never thought I'd struggle to come up with ideas for five nights in South East Asia, but I have no idea what to do. I might just sequester myself in a hotel or hostel in KL and spend the time working and eating and checking out some of parts of KL that I haven't seen before. Unsurprisingly, hotels in Singapore are hideously expensive around the Formula 1, and I haven't even looked at ticket prices yet 
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Jun 9, 2013 12:45
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eviljelly posted:ugh the french. they're the loving worst anyway. you know what 80 is in french? quatre-vingts. four-twenties. gently caress THAT 90 is even worse: quatre-vingt-dix. Four twenty ten. Belgians say septante, octante, nonante, which is very funny and ridiculous though it does make more sense. Source: Native French speaker 
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Jun 9, 2013 13:01
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duckmaster posted:Maybe this doesn't happen to everyone. Maybe they just saw me coming? I suspect maybe this kind of stuff doesn't happen to me (although believe me, I do get touted plenty) because I have that odd smiling-and-speaking-a-local-language thing while refusing to stop and chat about things. I know only about twenty words in Khmer, but the guys at the border all speak Thai (even when they won't admit it), so I'll just rattle on asking them about where they're from and how long they've lived in Poipet and joking about how Thai people stole Preah Vihear and so on. Really rattles them in a fun way. A few get pissy and smack their tongue and storm off when I won't go for their advanced sales tactics, but most end up laughing and having fun with it. If you can pick up a few words of Khmer you'll have them off your back pretty quick, though, unlike in Thailand, the Khmer version of "no thanks" doesn't stop them, heh. MothraAttack posted:I'm still around, but I'm living in bumfuck nowhere along the Burmese border doing super secretive work, or something. In Bangkok for the next couple of days, though. Also, I'm sad to hear that about Mike's. They had done a questionable licensing deal with a lovely Bangkok franchise a few years back that was hideously bad, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I am disappointed. The best burger in Thailand is now, then, at BBQ Sandwich King. eviljelly posted:base ten supremacy
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Jun 9, 2013 16:13
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I know this has been discussed before, but I can't seem to find any info on it. I was thinking of getting a few decent dress shirts made here in Bangkok, and I was looking for some recommendations on where to get it done (obviously tailors here are a dime a dozen, but most of them seem to be pretty poor in quality). From what I've read in the past, I know that they'll usually do multiple fittings. I'll only be here in Bangkok for a couple more days, but I'll be passing through a couple more times until June 28. If they're done well, I'm willing to spend upwards of $50 a shirt. Bangkok is pretty cool so far; the only bummer is that most of the legit food spots are really seafood heavy, and I'm not much of a seafood guy. On the topic of food, does anyone have any Isan food recommendations?
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Jun 10, 2013 13:33
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I can thoroughly recommend Tailor on Ten: http://www.tailoronten.com/
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Jun 10, 2013 13:48
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xcdude24 posted:I know this has been discussed before, but I can't seem to find any info on it. I was thinking of getting a few decent dress shirts made here in Bangkok, and I was looking for some recommendations on where to get it done (obviously tailors here are a dime a dozen, but most of them seem to be pretty poor in quality). From what I've read in the past, I know that they'll usually do multiple fittings. I'll only be here in Bangkok for a couple more days, but I'll be passing through a couple more times until June 28. If they're done well, I'm willing to spend upwards of $50 a shirt. On the food, you and I are in the same boat sister-child. I eat sushi and what not, but hate cooked fish and seafood. Most things here can be subbed out unless it's a single-dish stand. If you go to a place and the menu says "stir fried [seafood] with [ingredient]" just ask them to do the same thing but use pork (moo) or chicken (gai) or beef (neuer - less common). Most soups and stir fry dishes can be subbed for something else, curries too. As for Isaan food, I have two places I love, but they're not convenient. If you want to go to a place near you that locals love, take a taxi and go allllll the way down Narathiwat to Rama III road and u-turn coming back up Narathiwat. Pretty quickly, you'll see a large, open-air restaurant on your left with a tent or tin roof covering half of it. It's near a footbridge, I think. Stop there and eat. It's big and loud and my Bangkok Thai friends love it. Barring that, just walk about 1k in any direction and you'll hit 10 Isaan places, heh. As for specific dishes, since we're in the same boat: - nam tok neuer (beef) [nahm toke neu-urr] - larb moo tort (pork) [if they have it, most won't unless they're big places] - som tam thai - mai sai pu (vegetarian with some tiny dried shrimp) - khao niao (sticky rice) - nam jiim jao (spicy dipping sauce) [nahm cheem jao] That's a nice basic menu. There are really tasty Isaan soups and all kinds of stuff. If you were up North here I'd take you to some killer Isaan joints with smoked grilled chicken, almost like home, but I can't name any near Silom. Also, you should check and see if they have "Sai Gor Isaan" which is one of the only worthwhile sausages in Thailand, if it's not just the 7-11 poo poo. Sausage here, in general, is really bad. Sai Gor and Sai Oua and a couple of other Northern sausages are the only exceptions - and even then the poo poo on the street is mostly really horrible crap with filler. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 14:07 on Jun 10, 2013 |
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Jun 10, 2013 13:55
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ReindeerF posted:Sai Oua Funny, that's pronounced like "very drunk" in Vietnamese. Senso fucked around with this message at 03:53 on Jun 12, 2013 |
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Jun 10, 2013 17:21
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Senso posted:Funny, that's pronounced liked "very drunk" in Vietnamese.
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Jun 10, 2013 19:10
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After a month in Thailand, followed by a month in Myanmar, I'm spending all of June on Koh Phangan, holding up in a jungle house getting some work done. If any goons are around, let me know. My return ticket expires in April but I don't wanna go home...
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Jun 11, 2013 14:20
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Onta vasa posted:After a month in Thailand, followed by a month in Myanmar, I'm spending all of June on Koh Phangan, holding up in a jungle house getting some work done. If any goons are around, let me know. I met another guy who is working on Phangan. I think he rents a bungalow on one of the north western beaches. He is some kind of multicopter drone software programmer. Haven't seen or heard from him in a while, so I guess he's still there. I couldn't do it, I need the crazy Koh Tao social life when I disappear to work...
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Jun 11, 2013 14:35
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Any KL goons want to meet up this week? I ended up here with a girl I met traveling in Indonesia and have limited ideas of what to do. Will likely head out to Perhentian island one of these days, maybe out to Ipoh as well. I'll also be back in Singapore eventually if anyone there would be down to meet later. I've been traveling for about 3 months now, using couchsurfing and staying with a friend in Perth for a month. Would be cool to see what goons have to offer in this area before ending my trip. VVV No i'm staying in Bukit Jalil currently. Not really 'based' anywhere, just will be back to Sg to fly out on United. I'm from Seattle. My host has a car, too. pogologism fucked around with this message at 17:05 on Jun 11, 2013 |
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Jun 11, 2013 16:41
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pogologism posted:Any KL goons want to meet up this week? I ended up here with a girl I met traveling in Indonesia and have limited ideas of what to do. Will likely head out to Perhentian island one of these days, maybe out to Ipoh as well. I'll also be back in Singapore eventually if anyone there would be down to meet later. I've been traveling for about 3 months now, using couchsurfing and staying with a friend in Perth for a month. Would be cool to see what goons have to offer in this area before ending my trip. Are you based in Sing?
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Jun 11, 2013 16:45
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So timely trip/life report: Am now resident in KL and happy to meet up, I'm teaching English in a private school here and have found a bar that sells goony craft beer (although ridiculously expensive). Honestly if there's any other goons here with a better knowledge of the place I'd love to know where's good but if people want to meet up I'm really happy to!
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Jun 11, 2013 18:26
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MrNemo posted:...and have found a bar that sells goony craft beer (although ridiculously expensive). That wouldn't happen to be Taps Beer Bar, would it?
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Jun 12, 2013 12:45
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The very same. You're not going to tell me it routinely waters down beer or makes money off child slavery are you? That would ruin my drinking fun here. Also I don't have PMs but if anyone wants to meet up email me at nowher3man@gmail.com
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Jun 12, 2013 17:50
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<<I made a thread for this, but I thought I'd try here as well to maximize my feedback (hopefully this is okay; I'll edit this out otherwise)>> I am traveling to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on June 17, and staying for three nights/two days (arriving late the first night). I am staying in the Hyatt Regency. I am visiting Kota Kinabalu solely as a way to recover from jet lag while getting some work done before heading east to Semporna for diving. I don't plan on doing any real sightseeing unless there's something I absolutely need to do, but I will need to eat, and I'd like to take the opportunity to experience Malaysian/Sabahan food since I doubt I'll ever be there again. Does anyone have any recommendations for good restaurants? Anything from street food to fine dining would be welcome. Other non-food recommendations are welcome as well.
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Jun 13, 2013 00:45
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Tomorrow I'm hopping on my bike and riding to Ben Tre in the Mekong delta, most likely under the monsoon. If I don't post on Monday, assume I have been horribly crushed by a Jackknifing lorry. EDIT: Or drowned. Senso fucked around with this message at 10:21 on Jun 13, 2013 |
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Jun 13, 2013 09:01
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Oakland Martini posted:<<I made a thread for this, but I thought I'd try here as well to maximize my feedback (hopefully this is okay; I'll edit this out otherwise)>>
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Jun 14, 2013 09:04
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Archaeologists Discover Lost City In Cambodian Jungle
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Jun 15, 2013 12:05
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Summary from my read this morning: LIDAR discovery. Route there is still landmined. 1200 years old or more. Perhaps five intact temples. Not sure if it's the old city center they've found or not.
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Jun 15, 2013 13:51
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Are there people selling water and pineapples there yet
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Jun 15, 2013 14:23
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^^ I laughed way harder at that than I really should have.
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Jun 16, 2013 00:12
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Until I can get overpriced water, stale fruit, photocopied guide books, "authentic" art and little bags of crushed valium from tuk tuk drivers then I'm afraid it's still a bit off the beaten track for me. I'll give it a month, tops. Edit: anyone know a good app for learning basic khmer? Something that makes sound; I have an English-Khmer dictionary but based on my attempts to buy a cigarette lighter I'm obviously completely off on the pronunciation. I was thinking about doing a class but don't think I'll learn much in that setting, so want to save my cash and do cooking instead. At least then if I learn nothing I get fed. duckmaster fucked around with this message at 11:06 on Jun 16, 2013 |
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Jun 16, 2013 10:59
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duckmaster posted:Edit: anyone know a good app for learning basic khmer? Something that makes sound; I have an English-Khmer dictionary but based on my attempts to buy a cigarette lighter I'm obviously completely off on the pronunciation. I was thinking about doing a class but don't think I'll learn much in that setting, so want to save my cash and do cooking instead. At least then if I learn nothing I get fed. \/\/\/ Tytan's answer might be better. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 11:37 on Jun 16, 2013 |
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Jun 16, 2013 11:35
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Unfortunately there are a serious lack of resources for learning Khmer. The problem with learning from a dictionary is that there is no established romanisation system for the alphabet, so spelling tends to vary a fair bit. Other than a couple of audio CDs, I've found the best thing is just setting up an Anki deck. There's a desktop and a mobile version, and it lets you record sounds for each flashcard. For extra fun, have a go at learning the script!  ReindeerF posted:\/\/\/ Tytan's answer might be better. We'll call yours Plan B. Tytan fucked around with this message at 11:42 on Jun 16, 2013 |
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Jun 16, 2013 11:36
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MrNemo posted:The very same. You're not going to tell me it routinely waters down beer or makes money off child slavery are you? That would ruin my drinking fun here. Haha no no, definitely not. A guy I know co-owns the bar actually; he's a Malaysian ex-pat who lives here in Melbourne. I went to Taps back in February when I visited KL and it's pretty good, if a bit sterile (compared to some of the craft beer bars I've been to in Australia and the US). That said, you really won't find anything else like it in KL, so it's worth going. From what I understand, taxation on alcohol in Singapore and Malaysia is ridiculous, so I sort of came to expect to pay through the nose when I went out. That said, pretty much everything else is so drat cheap that you can't really complain!
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Jun 17, 2013 04:39
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MrNemo posted:So timely trip/life report: Am now resident in KL and happy to meet up, I'm teaching English in a private school here and have found a bar that sells goony craft beer (although ridiculously expensive). Honestly if there's any other goons here with a better knowledge of the place I'd love to know where's good but if people want to meet up I'm really happy to! I've been thinking of going to Malayasia after my time in Korea is up next February. If you don't mind me asking is your school a proper private school or a cram school? If it's proper private how did you go about finding it and what are the working conditions like?
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Jun 18, 2013 03:22
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So were in Koh Samui for 4 days and looking for a day trip to an island (Koh Tao probs) as well as to hire a car. Recommendations? Can we just book at any tourist shop and get a decent price? Also what kind of insurance should we get? Were safe/defensive drivers and have hired a car to drive around langkawi so we have some experience. Edit: 2 people only, if it matters 4 Day Weekend fucked around with this message at 08:15 on Jun 18, 2013 |
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Jun 18, 2013 08:12
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I'd rent a car with a driver. They'll get poo poo sorted.
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Jun 18, 2013 09:38
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Wouldn't that be pricey? Plus wed rather have autonomy and the car would be rented for 2-3 days only.
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Jun 18, 2013 09:41
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It's really not much more expensive than just renting a car, but you get someone who knows their way around and knows a bit about everything - as well as someone to take you to the good eats, to park the car, to worry about wayward scooters, and whatever. The local insight and experience is probably worth whatever small premium you pay. From memory, when I looked into the same thing a few years ago (but due to a change in circumstances I didn't go through with it) the driver was an extra 500 baht a day - cheap cheap.
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Jun 18, 2013 09:49
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4 Day Weekend posted:Wouldn't that be pricey? Plus wed rather have autonomy and the car would be rented for 2-3 days only. You should be able to rent just a car and Samui's by far not the worst scam tourist locale in Thailand, a title taken by Phuket and Pattaya. Still, without a reference it can be unsettling to not know whether the old, "You scratch car that cost 50,000 Baht you pay or no passport" scam is coming at the end. Unfortunately, I have no contacts there anymore. This thread seems to have some recent info, including major international agencies (where you at least won't get scammed at the end): http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g293918-i7560-k5977095-Car_hire_koh_samui-Koh_Samui_Surat_Thani_Province.html
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Jun 18, 2013 09:51
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I would want a driver so that the company I rented the car from cant just steal it themselves and then try to make me pay for it / have someone to blame for scratches other than myself / to be bougie.
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Jun 18, 2013 10:12
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Thanks. We might consider getting a guy to drive us around. So is it 1800-2000 for a full day? Where abouts can you book them, just any tourism shop?
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Jun 18, 2013 11:41
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4 Day Weekend posted:So were in Koh Samui for 4 days and looking for a day trip to an island (Koh Tao probs) as well as to hire a car. It's honestly not worth going to Koh Tao or Koh Phangan on a day trip. Ang Thong might be a better idea.
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Jun 18, 2013 12:41
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eviljelly posted:It's honestly not worth going to Koh Tao or Koh Phangan on a day trip.
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Jun 18, 2013 13:34
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Why do you say that? We were probably going to go to both anyhow but wouldn't mind knowing the big differences between the two.
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Jun 18, 2013 13:48
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Hey Banggoons, I am meeting a friend on Khao San this friday night should anyone be interested in joining. I probably won't get to the city until about 9pm, but hey. It's Khao San. It's a 24 hour party.
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Jun 18, 2013 14:06
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4 Day Weekend posted:Why do you say that? We were probably going to go to both anyhow but wouldn't mind knowing the big differences between the two. They're both islands with a lot of cool stuff to do, but it's hard to even discover what to do there if you're only there for like 6 hours. You'll hardly figure out where to go for lunch before you have to head back. It's really not worth the ferry ride to and fro. It's not like you'll even explore much of Samui in 4 days. Unless your goal is simply to say you've "been" to Koh Tao/Phangan.
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Jun 18, 2013 14:24
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