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Seconding to avoid AA and United. Emirates is far better.
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Mar 25, 2016 06:33
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If I mail one of you my severed head can you take it around a little so I can have a smile and then pitch it into a klong when you get bored / my head starts to reek
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Mar 25, 2016 07:25
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Flying with American carriers will almost guarantee that your flight will be delayed. Then again, I've also benefited from a couple of price errors with them in the past couple of years. (thank you $400 flight from Canada to Korea)
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Mar 25, 2016 07:30
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I've been flying Delta recently and I swear I'm going to lose a leg to a blood clot sitting in those seats.
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Mar 25, 2016 08:49
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Atlas Hugged posted:I've been flying Delta recently and I swear I'm going to lose a leg to a blood clot sitting in those seats. That's how my grandma went out. Delta killed my nan. gently caress them into the ground. Nthing don't fly American carriers internationally. They blow. Old shitheap interiors with tiny seats and generally skimpy or bad service. Take the Emirates. Hell I had the choice of AA or JAL, went JAL, and they gave me a completely empty exit row ORD to Tokyo. Fo FREE!
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Mar 25, 2016 10:57
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hitachi posted:Anyone have specific airline recommendations? I am travelling to Bangkok with my wife and 2 kids in May. The two we have been looking at, mainly due to price, are Emirates with a layover in Dubai or United with a transfer to All Nippon in Tokyo. Our previous experience was with Korean which was fine but their prices are like double for the time period we are looking at. Emirates is head and shoulders above United and ANA. The only issue with Emirates is you typically have a long layover at DXB on your return flight to the states. Check the flight schedule and make sure you can handle being stuck in an airport for 9+ hours. Come over to the airfare thread, there's a bunch of us over there that can help with flight selection and airline chat.
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Mar 25, 2016 15:18
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Sheep-Goats posted:If I mail one of you my severed head can you take it around a little so I can have a smile and then pitch it into a klong when you get bored / my head starts to reek You can send it to me, but I'll take it to the grubbiest expat bar I can find and leave it sitting on the counter enjoy the beautiful views  
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Mar 25, 2016 16:11
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Bardeh posted:You can send it to me, but I'll take it to the grubbiest expat bar I can find and leave it sitting on the counter Please don't doxx my Facebook
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Mar 25, 2016 16:15
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caberham posted:As someone who has to be on planes all the time. gently caress planes. In the year 2080 maybe.  hitachi posted:Anyone have specific airline recommendations? I am travelling to Bangkok with my wife and 2 kids in May. The two we have been looking at, mainly due to price, are Emirates with a layover in Dubai or United with a transfer to All Nippon in Tokyo. Our previous experience was with Korean which was fine but their prices are like double for the time period we are looking at. There are tiny differences. Some have slightly better food, some countries have ruder/nicer/prettier stewardesses, some have a more modern entertainment system, some are more generous with the free alcohol, some give you a tiny bag with toothbrush and socks on board, but meh, I'd rather save money. I don't need the service, and I don't use the entertainment system (bring a tablet). I also don't care much about which airport I have a layover in. Sure, some are better than other, no doubt about that, but I wouldn't pay as much as $20 to have a layover in Qatar (really good airport) instead of Moscow (not so good), because I don't buy anything there other than a bottle of water, don't need concierge, don't need to sleep there, don't need their service, I just hang around and watch TV series on my tablet while waiting, and I will get safely on my plane regardless. I've never tried a US airline, though. How bad can it be? :P
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Mar 25, 2016 16:38
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If I could give advice to anyone it's "don't have checked baggage". I lived in Thailand for 5+ months with a small carry on backpack. If you are bringing suitcases, sorry ur doin it wrong.
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Mar 25, 2016 16:52
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Pilsner posted:Read just 10 posts above yours, most of your questions are answered. Cool thanks, just noticed the earlier post. Still debating where i want to go. I think ill sped a few days in Bangkok and then hop to Cambodia/Laos. 4.5 weeks should be enough to do both. Have done the temple thing in Cambodia already so that will save me few days. Edit: This time i hope there will be less murders. Last two trips i have stumbled in to a either suicide or murders. First time someone jumped from the airport hotel and thumped near the taxi line... Second time i just had to choose Koh Tao for my destination. Barfolemew fucked around with this message at 17:23 on Mar 25, 2016 |
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Mar 25, 2016 17:21
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Negligent posted:If I could give advice to anyone it's "don't have checked baggage". I can't imagine anything I'd need to do in Thailand with more than a small backpack. Except have clean clothes that smell decent.
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Mar 25, 2016 18:53
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Why do people in Thailand like Michigan so much? I saw a bunch of t-shirts and a girl working in a hotel front desk asked where in america i was from? Michigan?
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Mar 25, 2016 19:58
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There's a large Hmong population in Michigan, that's the only thing I can think of.
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Mar 25, 2016 20:00
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Thanks for all the advice. Whip Slagcheek posted:Emirates is head and shoulders above United and ANA. The layover in DXB on both sides was only like an hour and a half. I will check that thread out, thanks.
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Mar 26, 2016 00:41
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Kiger_Soze posted:Why do people in Thailand like Michigan so much? I saw a bunch of t-shirts and a girl working in a hotel front desk asked where in america i was from? Michigan? Usually when this happens it's because of a TV variety show mentioning the place in the last week or something like that.
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Mar 26, 2016 01:26
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Bardeh posted:You can send it to me, but I'll take it to the grubbiest expat bar I can find and leave it sitting on the counter 
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Mar 26, 2016 01:26
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Chantilly Say posted:I can't imagine anything I'd need to do in Thailand with more than a small backpack. Except have clean clothes that smell decent. We proved that this wasn't necessary.
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Mar 26, 2016 02:16
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There are laundries literally everywhere in Thailand that will take your clothes and return them folded neatly and smelling like whatever horrible yet nice smelling chemicals they use there for about $3.
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Mar 26, 2016 05:34
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Can confirm. My wife and I would dump off a bag of poo poo every couple days at whatever hole in the wall said "Laundry" on it and $3 and a few hours later I had fresh clothes. I was pretty amazed when the old lady wouldn't give me any type of receipt tag or number yet still remembered exactly which bags were ours and not losing a single thing.
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Mar 26, 2016 05:45
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You can come and stay with me Sheep Goats. It's smoggy as heck and I have a loud three year old running around the place, but we can eat sardines and drink Leo and ride scooters around in the mountains 
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Mar 26, 2016 07:38
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Whip Slagcheek posted:Can confirm. My wife and I would dump off a bag of poo poo every couple days at whatever hole in the wall said "Laundry" on it and $3 and a few hours later I had fresh clothes. I did this on Koh Lanta and ended up with a free pair of Calvin Klein boxers two sizes too small 
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Mar 26, 2016 07:39
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In Bangkok I went to laundromats regularly that kick the poo poo out of anything available in the US for those prices as well. Places with coffee bars and smoothies that look like a high end boutique cafe or something. There were times where I would hang out in one spot near Fashion Island for the entire hour or two until laundry finished.
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Mar 26, 2016 14:21
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air- posted:For the most part, I do touristy stuff alone so I can dictate the pace. However, I don't like feeling rushed and while I'll have some sort of plan/rough itinerary, I prefer to have room to allow for side trips or detours if say I run into some cool poo poo like some local event I hear about upon arrival or I meet travelers who I click with. I really don't understand the hatred for air travel. I have been all over the world to dozens of different airports and clearing security is yet to take me more than ten minutes. I am dumbfounded by people who manage to take any longer than that. And when I'm travelling to and from an airport I take the opportunity to look out the window, even open it if in a taxi, and get a peaceful look at this new place without just strolling outside and being in the hustle and bustle straight away. Speaking of which, I am yet to find one of these magical train stations that manage to be in the very centre of wherever you're going; you're still going to need to get a taxi or shuttle bus. And it may surprise you to learn that when entering a new country you generally have to clear immigration regardless of your mode of travel... Oh well each to their own!
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Mar 26, 2016 18:15
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After flying at least twice a month for over 5 years, I've seen my fair share of horror stories. It's just like anything else that goes sour: just needs one time for something negative to happen and it'll sour your view real quick.
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Mar 26, 2016 18:38
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I generally don't mind moving through airports, I've done it enough that I know the drill and can generally flow through pretty quickly. Immigration at BKK may as well have been something out of Dante's Inferno.
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Mar 26, 2016 20:46
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I don't know how they managed it, but Minneapolis totally hosed up their security processes and the wait is astronomical right now.
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Mar 27, 2016 02:31
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duckmaster posted:Speaking of which, I am yet to find one of these magical train stations that manage to be in the very centre of wherever you're going; you're still going to need to get a taxi or shuttle bus. There aren't enough of them but they are around. Ones I've been to with excellent rail links with no street travel needed are Frankfurt, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong.
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Mar 27, 2016 11:10
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XyrlocShammypants posted:In Bangkok I went to laundromats regularly that kick the poo poo out of anything available in the US for those prices as well. Places with coffee bars and smoothies that look like a high end boutique cafe or something. There were times where I would hang out in one spot near Fashion Island for the entire hour or two until laundry finished. I think I live in the condo village you did your laundry in.
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Mar 27, 2016 12:48
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Some random thoughts: I spent a week in the Philippines just 2 weeks ago. 5 days in Malapascua and 48 hours in Manila. Holy poo poo why didn't you guys tell me how awesome the Philippines were? I know you typed words into this forum and I read them, but someone should've shaken me by the shoulders and told me sooner. The beaches were great and everything was cheap. Plus the red-light district in Manila was pretty fun too. The food was... there. I'm already looking forward to the next time I can go back. I also went back to Surat Thani for a very short 3 day visit. I don't care how much Anthony Bourdain raves about Singaporean food, you just can't beat the food in Thailand and Surat in particular. My mom and cousin are coming to SE Asia in June for 3 weeks. They got tickets to Bangkok from Miami on Qatar Airlines (3 hour stop in Doha each way) for $860 US round trip each ticket. That's a pretty good deal and hopefully there are still prices like that for anyone that's looking to fly out to this part of the world. Speaking of which, I'll have 10 days to spend with them. They're going to spend a few days in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, but I will go to Siem Reap with them for a few days to check out Angkor Wat. I'm trying to think of other places to go with them for 5 days or so (preferably in Thailand) but I keep getting stumped. They suggested visiting Singapore but I told them it's not really worth it if you only have a few weeks in SE Asia. My mom mentioned the Petronas Towers, but I definitely shot down a trip to KL, especially just for that. I should bring them someplace beachy but my mom isn't the most physically able person. Phuket would probably be a decent compromise but I was never a big fan of that place. Maybe I've just forgotten what it's like to be here for the first time. Any suggestions? Last, but not least, if anyone wants to grab a drink in Singapore let me know. My schedule sucks, but I'll make some time. Especially you, Caberham and Tytan, if you guys ever come into town. I still haven't forgotten the good times you showed me in HK and PP last year.
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Mar 27, 2016 16:20
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I liked Penang a lot even though it was the hottest place on Earth. Five days chilling out there wouldn't be a bad choice. Food, beaches, old architecture.
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Mar 27, 2016 16:23
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KidVanguard posted:I think I live in the condo village you did your laundry in. Probably, I own a few condos now around Khan Na Yao and rent them out, and a few in downtown
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Mar 27, 2016 16:31
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Atlas Hugged posted:I don't know how they managed it, but Minneapolis totally hosed up their security processes and the wait is astronomical right now. I assume we haven't sorted this out yet, heh.
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Mar 27, 2016 17:41
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ReindeerF posted:After my wedding here, one of my friends flew back through IAH, which was, at that time, testing whatever newfangled security device they had. I'm sure it's normal now, but some sort of ICE kiosk where you scan your passport and look into a camera and then it basically tells you to carry on or go to the other line for an interview. He was like, "Dude, we've automated racism, it was hilarious. Every single White American got sent straight on and I look over at the line on the other side and it looks like a UN delegation." I've used those devices and I am lily white :P Then again I was traveling with a non-US citizen. I mean, I imagine there are times when a flight from a Eurasian or Central Euro country comes through and it's all white people there. Shammypants fucked around with this message at 18:02 on Mar 27, 2016 |
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Mar 27, 2016 17:56
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ReindeerF posted:After my wedding here, one of my friends flew back through IAH, which was, at that time, testing whatever newfangled security device they had. I'm sure it's normal now, but some sort of ICE kiosk where you scan your passport and look into a camera and then it basically tells you to carry on or go to the other line for an interview. He was like, "Dude, we've automated racism, it was hilarious. Every single White American got sent straight on and I look over at the line on the other side and it looks like a UN delegation." MSPs problem was all about labor. Someone had the brilliant idea to move the checkpoints for "efficiency" reasons but the budget didn't allow for enough staff to actually man them.
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Mar 28, 2016 00:15
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I wish SE Asia thread would enter the forums wide competition for Whitest Man. I mean, I don't think we'd take home the gold, but I bet we'd get both silver and bronze.
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Mar 28, 2016 02:46
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Grand Fromage posted:I liked Penang a lot even though it was the hottest place on Earth. Five days chilling out there wouldn't be a bad choice. Food, beaches, old architecture. Geez I've been there 3 times and it didn't even cross my mind. Of course, that's a really good idea. Also, this is pretty funny (though not if you live in NST)... http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1459141534 "There is nothing on there."
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Mar 28, 2016 16:06
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Grand Fromage posted:I liked Penang a lot even though it was the hottest place on Earth. Five days chilling out there wouldn't be a bad choice. Food, beaches, old architecture. Yeah Penang is cool. I got pissed off with it because it was always where I had to go to get my Visas when I was teaching, and it must be the most humid place on the planet, but the food there is amazing, Batu Ferringhi is pretty nice with lots of choices for hotels and it's easy to get to from Georgetown, and there are lots of temples/churches/mosques to visit if that's your thing. There's not much of Fort Cornwallis left, but it's still worth an hour to wander around aswell. Find some of the Indian restaurants around Little India and try their Thalis 'cos that poo poo is amazing, and dirt cheap.
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Mar 28, 2016 18:15
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Traveling to Leh in India for a month come July. I am decently conversational in Tibetan which is mutually intelligible with Ladakhi, but understand people will also speak English. Planning to go single backpack, it's only a month. I'll be traveling with a Tibetan monk who grew up in India, so probably tents or maybe the floor of a monastery for accommodation. I'm thinking basically two pair of all clothing items and some bar soap to wash them should suffice generally, yeah? Does anyone bother with Diamox for altitude? Ladakh is 11.5k up, and highest I've been is 9500 feet, with no symptoms. I'm sure they have oxygen around.
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Mar 30, 2016 19:10
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I don't have any advice for you but that sounds like a cool rear end trip, makes me wanna go on a rampage a little.
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Mar 30, 2016 23:13
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