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MothraAttack posted:Yeah the Burmese military has to be the shittiest current one in ASEAN, hands down. Be sure you look out for those goofy "TATMADAW [Burmese army] WE LOVE YOU" signs that are still around. And are there travelers seriously unaware of the country's troubled past? Not to mention there are literal ghettoes for Muslims in the west. Aware of what? Colonialism 
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May 13, 2014 17:47
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My girlfriend and I are leaving Hyderabad to hopefully catch a buddy pass home from Bangkok. Two questions: Thai Air's policy on excess baggage is completely indecipherable. Anyone have any experience taking two checked bags, two carry ons? The website says 22k total weight of checked bags for an economy flight, with penalties based on a nonsensical equation based roughly on the average ales of Lady Gaga albums or something. Has anyone on a buddy pass with checked luggage ever missed a connecting flight? How is that handled exactly?
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May 14, 2014 03:27
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I can only tell you that I've always found THAI pretty lenient (i.e. disorganized/friendly) when it comes to things like luggage. For example, they've always let you simply roll a bike up to the check in counter, deflate the tires and hand it over. No need to box it up or pay a huge fee. For this kind of thing I'd check Flyertalk or one of those forums.
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May 14, 2014 03:41
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Chair Huxtable posted:No, you're not. I remember once sitting in Bangkok listening to a backpacker complain about how Thailand and Cambodia are so "over." In Laos, it seems, you will go for days without seeing another white person. What I wanted to do was slap him and tell him to get the crap off the banana pancake trail if that's what he's looking for. What I did was sigh to myself. To be fair, it was nice to be able to explore Bagan and the rest of Burma back in 2010 without hordes of tourists like Angkor, etc. That being said I probably would have enjoyed the country more if there were more people to meet. When I travel alone (or even with others), meeting and hanging out with other travelers is one of my favorite things to do. I hear they also have ATMs and what not too, which is also better. My first night in Yangon I met this strange old guy who flagged me down in the street asking where the nearest ATM was. Unfortunately there were none at the time. He also said he was going to stop by Aung San Suu Kyi's house (when she was still under house arrest) and see if he could talk to her.
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May 14, 2014 03:44
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ReindeerF posted:These people are hilarious. Granted, when I was a tourist here I recall rural China being the first place that I didn't see English or any obvious foreigners for long periods of time, but just catch the bus to the outskirts of Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom or Pathum Thani and you'll be able to go days without seeing any foreigners. And that's, you know, within the BMTA area still, heh. Yea exactly. Also, many areas of Thailand, from my conversations with people and existing there now, have become less shady over time. I got dragged to RCA a few times in the last year or two and it was largely dead. Soi Cowboy most of the time is just a lovely little nothing road with families eating noodles. The 'right' tourism to Bangkok (in my opinion) has resulted in a lot of new hangout spots that are comfortable and awesome. Lots of cool clubs, bars and emerging neighborhoods. As you mention, I spent a good amount of time staying in Khan Na Yao and there are white people, but sparing numbers. When I worked in Nonthaburi, very few, even though you have the CDC, WHO and others out there.
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May 14, 2014 04:01
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Yeah, I lived at the Nonthaburi Pier for 2-3 years and other than my friend who lived down the road prior to my moving there, the only foreigners we saw regularly were lost tourists who just took the boat all the way up and didn't know what to do and the missionary teachers for the Christian school. There were a couple of other guys in the general area living there permanently and we'd run across each other, but on an average day I wouldn't see anyone but the tourist straggler or my friend. This is on both the bus and the boat lines, with a skytrain going in 1km away in 2015, so it's not exactly Injun Country. Cross the river from right there and you're pretty much guaranteed not to see another foreigner for days. They never cross the river for some reason. Prettier over there too!
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May 14, 2014 04:46
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Has anyone been to Immortal or The Rock Pub? I'm looking for a decent place for beers and music.
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May 14, 2014 05:08
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Haven't been to either. If you're over at KSR, the new Brown Sugar might be good. Service was always poo poo, but the drinks and music were excellent. It's just up Phra Atit near Democracy Monument. There's also a place called like Blues Pub in Samsen, just North of the Khao San area, it's across from like Samsen Soi 6 or so. Good music, a little cramped. Saxophone at Victory Monument is painfully loud, but has some of the more talented local instrumentalists and singers. I've heard that Fatty's over by Rama IX MRT gets good blues and rock some nights. If you want modern rock or metal, I'm not of much help, but either of your original suggestions would probably be closer to the mark. Hopefully Smeef or someone younger who might know will chime in.
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May 14, 2014 05:48
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ReindeerF posted:Yeah, I lived at the Nonthaburi Pier for 2-3 years and other than my friend who lived down the road prior to my moving there, the only foreigners we saw regularly were lost tourists who just took the boat all the way up and didn't know what to do and the missionary teachers for the Christian school. There were a couple of other guys in the general area living there permanently and we'd run across each other, but on an average day I wouldn't see anyone but the tourist straggler or my friend. This is on both the bus and the boat lines, with a skytrain going in 1km away in 2015, so it's not exactly Injun Country. Do you have a pedalboat lady ferry you across sometimes? If you forget to quote me when you reply I will change pedalboat to pedoboat
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May 14, 2014 06:12
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ReindeerF posted:Haven't been to either. If you're over at KSR, the new Brown Sugar might be good. Service was always poo poo, but the drinks and music were excellent. It's just up Phra Atit near Democracy Monument. There's also a place called like Blues Pub in Samsen, just North of the Khao San area, it's across from like Samsen Soi 6 or so. Good music, a little cramped. Thanks for the suggestions. Really anything from classic rock to heavy metal would be great. I'll probably never find a bar where I can drink whiskey and listen to King Crimson and Opeth in the same sitting, but the dream lives on.
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May 14, 2014 06:29
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If you're into a chick singing sappy, quiet, slow versions of pop songs in broken English while a guy strums a guitar or ukulele, you've come to the right town though.
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May 14, 2014 06:34
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I'm not sure if that's better or worse than the Taipei. They typically have a full band, but I'm not actually convinced the guitars are plugged in since all you can hear is the keyboard. Does Thai karaoke basically just sound like midi loops?
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May 14, 2014 06:41
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Atlas Hugged posted:I'm not sure if that's better or worse than the Taipei. They typically have a full band, but I'm not actually convinced the guitars are plugged in since all you can hear is the keyboard. Does Thai karaoke basically just sound like midi loops?
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May 14, 2014 06:49
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Then I'll fit right in. Too bad about the beer selection and whiskey prices though.
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May 14, 2014 07:00
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A friend of mine goes to Rock Pub a lot and says they play really good hard rock. But he's also Thai and they usually consider The Scorpions to be heavy metal. So YMMV.
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May 14, 2014 07:49
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Chair Huxtable posted:A friend of mine goes to Rock Pub a lot and says they play really good hard rock. But he's also Thai and they usually consider The Scorpions to be heavy metal. So YMMV. I'd say some Scorpions falls under the broader umbrella of heavy metal. Those guitars are sick man.
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May 14, 2014 08:12
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Chair Huxtable posted:But he's also Thai and they usually consider The Scorpions to be heavy metal. So YMMV. But... they are. Was Wind of Change your first experience with them or something? The Scorpions formed in 1965 or '66, and they've drifted around the genre map, but by any reasonable measure, they've produced plenty of heavy metal.
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May 14, 2014 09:07
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Heavy metal has become such a broad term that a lot of people forget that bands like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden are where the sound started and instantly assume all heavy metal has to be like Slayer or Gwar. Scorpions are guilty of writing some pretty cheesy ballads, but that doesn't mean stuff like "Nobody Like You" and "Rock You Like a Hurricane" aren't metal.
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May 14, 2014 09:56
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All very good points, but I still don't consider what I've heard from them to be heavy metal. At the time, yes, just like Black Sabbath and all that were heavy metal. At this point, I hear The Scorpions and just hear classic rock, albeit a little heavier than other classic rock. I do not hear heavy metal. And that's where I'm forcing this derail to end. I am not a scholar of music and do not pretend to enjoy any finer subtleties between genres or to know the roots of anything. Let's agree to disagree (or whatever) and make fun of people on Thaivisa.com. Or post pictures of goats on motorbikes.
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May 14, 2014 10:29
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Chair Huxtable posted:goats on motorbikes. Is that a thing I need to be aware of?
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May 14, 2014 10:41
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Any metalheads should take note that, for some reason, Children of Bodom is playing Bangkok this Friday. And yeah, any time works for Gold Bay Leaves. 20:00 would work fine, but flexible. Just say the word.
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May 14, 2014 11:28
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MothraAttack posted:Any metalheads should take note that, for some reason, Children of Bodom is playing Bangkok this Friday.
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May 14, 2014 11:52
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MothraAttack posted:Yeah the Burmese military has to be the shittiest current one in ASEAN, hands down. Be sure you look out for those goofy "TATMADAW [Burmese army] WE LOVE YOU" signs that are still around. And are there travelers seriously unaware of the country's troubled past? Not to mention there are literal ghettoes for Muslims in the west. Do not underestimate how little many travelers know, or even care, about the politics of the countries they are visiting. People I've met think it's quaint and funny how they aren't allowed to visit certain areas, without realising that these rules apply to the local people as well and they are literally prisoners within their own countries. I tried to explain to someone yesterday that Myanmar spends 65% of its GDP on "defence" and 0.5% on healthcare and she said something about how people here just help each other out when they get sick so they don't need hospitals as much (!!). My original point was that the country spends 65 cents of every dollar on their army when they don't have any outside enemies, so who the hell are they shooting at? Their own people, that's who. I will educate them though. Yeh, I'll be that guy 
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May 14, 2014 12:45
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I've seen the scorpions 3x live so allow to tell you a little about good music etc
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May 14, 2014 22:48
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If I lived in Scotland I'd never get bored of taking to people It's like genial stabby aliens, some of whom read books Or like the Scorpions raton fucked around with this message at 23:43 on May 14, 2014 |
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May 14, 2014 23:40
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Or both! I'm off to Da Nang for the weekend, so I assume I can just buy a cheapo local sim at the airport for v little. I hope I am not wrong!!
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May 15, 2014 05:34
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Which monument had a bomb go off nearby today? The old standby (D. Mon)?
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May 15, 2014 10:01
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Looks like Democracy Monument. I was walking through that protest site last night, it's the new, central, busy one currently (Chaengwattana being busiest, though). For backpackers, it's the one near KSR and the khlong boat. Looks like 3 dead and about 25 injured - can't tell exactly. A shame. EDIT: Quite a pain if you're a Saen Saeb Canal Boat guy like me. It's basically impossible to get to without walking through the entire protest including the heart of the protest. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 12:04 on May 15, 2014 |
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May 15, 2014 11:38
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kru posted:Or both! Yeah, 100k will get you a sim card, I'd suggest another 100k recharge and then enable 3G, that will take about 70k from your credits. The method to enable it is different for each provider, I know I've described it in this thread before but I can't remember it right now. Alas,it has been too long since I left.
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May 15, 2014 12:23
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quote:Looks like 3 dead and about 25 injured - can't tell exactly. A shame.
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May 15, 2014 15:46
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It's really unlikely anyone will ever know the answer, though of course both sides will claim the other. Hangly Man was crazy, but that cartoon he drew years ago with a monster hiding under an isometric rendering of the US as a country, holding hands up on both coasts with puppets going "ARRRHHH!" seems appropriate, basically.
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May 15, 2014 17:48
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Bangkok: should I stay on KSR or is there somewhere better for a budget traveler or just don't go to Bangkok cos things are blowing up? I'm in Hua Hin for a few days then northwards!
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May 16, 2014 00:40
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It all depends on what you want to do, but if you want to stay in a backpacker area I'd recommend Samsen, which is just North of KSR. If you look for Chillax Resort on Google Maps it's the 3-4 streets around that coming off the main road (like Samsen Soi 2-8 or something). People here often recommend LubD Silom as well and there's a bit of a spread out community there. Then of course you can find small guesthouse clusters all over town, from Thong Lo to Hualamphong to Yen Akat to Phradipat and so on. Yen Akat / Sribumpen is the bigger gay backpacking district, Phradipat is a smaller one that's also just lots of cheap tourists. Hualamphong is next to the train station. Thong Lo I can't figure out why, but it has a number of guesthouses scattered about. Personally, if I'm doing what you're doing I'd like to stay around other people in the same boat, so I'd go to Samsen or Rambuttri (adjacent to KSR).
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May 16, 2014 02:05
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Samsen looks good, cheers man.
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May 16, 2014 02:17
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I will be in Bangkok on Sunday for a couple of days and want one of those snazzy travel-card things that you can load up from the internet as my current card is falling to bits. Is it possible to get one in Bangkok and if so, where? Not really worried about how competitive it is, just need a back up.
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May 16, 2014 12:42
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duckmaster posted:I will be in Bangkok on Sunday for a couple of days and want one of those snazzy travel-card things that you can load up from the internet as my current card is falling to bits. Is it possible to get one in Bangkok and if so, where? Not really worried about how competitive it is, just need a back up. Tell me of these "travel-card things." Is that some sort of ATM thingy you can load with cash? Can you transfer from a bank account?
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May 16, 2014 13:50
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duckmaster posted:I will be in Bangkok on Sunday for a couple of days and want one of those snazzy travel-card things that you can load up from the internet as my current card is falling to bits. Is it possible to get one in Bangkok and if so, where? Not really worried about how competitive it is, just need a back up. Sometimes I worry that you're a pod person trying to pass as a regular human.
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May 16, 2014 19:23
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Centripetal Horse posted:Tell me of these "travel-card things." Is that some sort of ATM thingy you can load with cash? Can you transfer from a bank account? Example: https://www.commbank.com.au/personal/travel/travel-money-card.html
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May 17, 2014 06:46
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Don't forget, Gold Bay Leaves tonight at 20:00. Sukhumvit 101/1, turn left into the soi, walk about 100-200m and look for the dude in the chef getup on your right. I look like Stone Cold and Louie CK had a manlovechild. Email me at reindeerf@outlook.com for phone or whatever.
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May 17, 2014 06:50
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ReindeerF posted:Yeah, the Aussies are all using them these days. Good idea, too, if there's not a massive fee to purchase. You can load foreign currencies, switch between them online and so on. They'll clear anywhere a Visa or Mastercard will. I'm from NZ but I'm using one for my travels. I just transfer funds from my normal account over - takes 1 day. 3 free ATM withdrawals a month. They do take a small cut for conversions though. I'd still recommend using a travel card - it's really drat convenient. Research your options and go with the best.
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May 17, 2014 08:43
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