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As much as I like to make fun of Singabore, I would move there in a heartbeat if I were pursuing a career and it made sense to take the offer - and the offer accounted for the massive hike in my cost of living from moving there (which, outside of alcohol, wouldn't be nearly as big a factor coming from Japan as from Thailand). I don't think I'd want to stay there long-term and in my case I'd plan a return to Thailand, but then again I've never tried, so I don't know. I can say a lot of people I know who've moved there have basically said it's a good place to spend some time, but they either plan to move on or have already.
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May 18, 2017 02:15
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Like any other city in Asia with high costs of living, if your salary is good enough, you'll probably like it.
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May 18, 2017 04:43
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What are the best Duckmaster stories? I'm taking a travel writing class as my elective this summer and I want to break up the precious circle-jerk about sacred life experiences. It's like accidentally getting trapped in a HCM hostel with the kind of trust-fund backpackers who do yoga at dawn, bow at anyone in a monk robe, and don't want to be called tourists.
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May 18, 2017 06:20
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Hey guys! Thanks for the suggestions earlier wrt my trip to Manila. I didn't end up going out on my own to hike outside of Manila (too time consuming, gf hated the idea), but the advice to download some offline maps of the area proved *really* useful. I did end up walking from BGC to Makati to prove it could be done, but walking along the side of the McKinley parkway got me a few odd looks (as well as a persistent smell of diesel fumes in my hair). The girlfriends company did end up giving us a van and driver to see Tagaytay, though! Stunning, if a bit touristy. Manila is a pretty cool place to be, although Makati is a bit sterile.
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May 18, 2017 12:05
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Pixelante posted:What are the best Duckmaster stories? I'm taking a travel writing class as my elective this summer and I want to break up the precious circle-jerk about sacred life experiences. It's like accidentally getting trapped in a HCM hostel with the kind of trust-fund backpackers who do yoga at dawn, bow at anyone in a monk robe, and don't want to be called tourists. hey I still lurk here 
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May 18, 2017 22:41
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duckmaster posted:hey I still lurk here You remain a high-point of adventure story-telling in SE Asia. And you're a lot more interesting than the wiccan motorcycle enthusiast who wouldn't shut the gently caress up about Burning Man in class today. e: 
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May 19, 2017 00:49
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Most of my Southeast Asian adventure stories now are just, "Drunk Brit says something racist, his friends nod in agreement, I drink my beer and die a little more inside."
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May 19, 2017 11:11
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Hey singapore goons, I'm coming over this weekend! Who is up to meet up and eat some food? Im leaving late sunday night
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May 22, 2017 07:12
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I have finally resettled in SEA! I've got an apartment in Da Nang and it's pretty cool so far. I know Saigon pretty well but Da Nang is a totally new adventure. Any goons around here?
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May 22, 2017 07:44
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caberham posted:Hey singapore goons, I'm coming over this weekend! Hey I'll be available Saturday evening, but I can't stay too late - gotta wake up early on Sunday. I'll PM you (don't have your number anymore)
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May 23, 2017 16:38
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Cabe 
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May 24, 2017 07:53
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kru posted:Cabe
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May 24, 2017 11:44
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I grew up in Singapore and would move back there in a heartbeat if I can make the same salary as I do now. Although come to think of it, I don't know if I'll want my future kids to go through the same brutal education system that I went through.
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May 25, 2017 22:52
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Senso posted:I have finally resettled in SEA! I've got an apartment in Da Nang and it's pretty cool so far. I know Saigon pretty well but Da Nang is a totally new adventure. Any goons around here? Hey man who did you go with for cell service? I'm still in the states until July and T-Mobile doesn't do Vietnam.
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May 29, 2017 15:09
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Man Singapore goon meet was super fun
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May 29, 2017 18:35
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Springfield Fatts posted:Hey man who did you go with for cell service? I'm still in the states until July and T-Mobile doesn't do Vietnam. I just got a random Mobiphone SIM in Saigon, been working fine.
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May 30, 2017 03:56
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Just make sure your phone is unlocked and buy a local SIM for the duration of your trip. Actually I don't know. Are American phones still dumb that way? When I bought a SIM in Taiwan last week I had to reassure the clerk that I had a Taiwanese phone and not an American one so I could use any SIM. They panicked when they saw my passport.
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May 30, 2017 04:37
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Oh, US phone companies still shove contracts on you if you take the cheap new phone bait. Luckily mine is unlocked so I shouldn't have that problem. Thanks.
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May 30, 2017 14:04
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I think the US uses a different band than Asia. If i recall correctly there are 4 different bands, I bought a quad band "international model" phone so I could use sims from all around the world. I'd do some more research to see what kind of frequency or whatever your phone uses, and if it will work in other countries E: from google because I only kinda know what I'm talking about "Quad-band. Refers to a mobile phone that supports the four major GSM frequency bands (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), making it compatible with all the major GSM networks in the world. The 850/1900 MHz bands are mainly used in the US, while the 900/1800 MHz ones are available in most other countries worldwide."
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May 30, 2017 22:19
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caberham posted:Man Singapore goon meet was super fun What Singapore goons??
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May 30, 2017 22:28
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kru posted:What Singapore goons??
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May 31, 2017 09:08
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Yeah, let's catch up when I'm back from Scotland. 
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May 31, 2017 09:58
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kru posted:Yeah, let's catch up when I'm back from Scotland.
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May 31, 2017 12:32
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Likely headed to Thailand in September. I want to do a side trip to Siem Reap before it becomes too commercialized. What's a good length of time to visit? And is weed pizza an actual thing there?
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Jun 6, 2017 18:22
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birds posted:I want to do a side trip to Siem Reap before it becomes too commercialized. I have some bad news for you.
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Jun 6, 2017 19:57
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birds posted:Likely headed to Thailand in September. I want to do a side trip to Siem Reap before it becomes too commercialized. What's a good length of time to visit? And is weed pizza an actual thing there?    you're about 15 years too late my dude. E: This isn't to say that you shouldn't go. Everywhere you're going to have heard of before coming is going to be 'too commercialized', but it doesn't mean that places like Siem Reap aren't worth a visit. Bardeh fucked around with this message at 06:45 on Jun 7, 2017 |
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Jun 7, 2017 06:37
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Cheesemaster200 posted:I have some bad news for you. he;lp I remember when I went back and saw rails and ropes for the first time, then wooden staircases. I was like  I completely understand why, but it's a shame we can't have nice things.
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Jun 7, 2017 06:45
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interesting ritual going on here, praise the sun god
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Jun 7, 2017 06:58
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ReindeerF posted:Haha, beat me to it.  There was a line to get into the top sanctuary of Angkor Wat when I was last there in January. They had signs on the line that said "90 minute wait from this point". It was pretty bad. It may be a little better in the wet season (imo the best time to visit SE Asia), but the mainland tourist industry is in full swing and I doubt it.
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Jun 7, 2017 14:47
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I think there are still ways you can beat the crowds at Angkor, like going certain places at certain times. Like obviously avoid the main temple sunrise as pictured above, go at sunset instead since hardly anyone is there (and your iPhone pictures turn out better since the sun is behind you). But I haven't been there in six years, so my advice is probably way out of date.
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Jun 7, 2017 16:58
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Like, I know the tourism industry there is booming but at least it's still relatively early, right? There's still people I know who are either terrified of visiting Cambodia as "it's a 3rd world, war torn poo poo hole!" or they don't even know that Cambodia is even a country. Best to go now rather than in 5 or 10 years when they get their first McDonald's or some poo poo. Besides crowds, how has Siem Reap changed in the past decade or so?
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Jun 7, 2017 18:24
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There's a KFC already.
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Jun 7, 2017 19:12
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birds posted:Like, I know the tourism industry there is booming but at least it's still relatively early, right? There's still people I know who are either terrified of visiting Cambodia as "it's a 3rd world, war torn poo poo hole!" or they don't even know that Cambodia is even a country. Best to go now rather than in 5 or 10 years when they get their first McDonald's or some poo poo. Siem Reap is literally a town that exists to get people to and from Angkor Wat so it's really not the best example. McDonalds isn't in Cambodia for other reasons, but they have Burger King, Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut so yeah. It's really not early dude, sorry. If you want a non-Western experience, go to Myanmar within the next 1-2 years. There's still quite a few tourists around, but Western brands (aside from Coke, anyway) are still quite scarce. That will change as the country opens up. You could probably debate whether Cambodia is developing world or third world, but unless you want to go hiking in the landmine-covered areas, it's most definitely not a war-torn shithole.
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Jun 7, 2017 21:27
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birds posted:Like, I know the tourism industry there is booming but at least it's still relatively early, right? There's still people I know who are either terrified of visiting Cambodia as "it's a 3rd world, war torn poo poo hole!" or they don't even know that Cambodia is even a country. Best to go now rather than in 5 or 10 years when they get their first McDonald's or some poo poo. Go to not Siem Reap Cambodia? Hell, take some day trips out to Beng Melea or temples further away from the Chinese tour bus parade will find yourself nearly alone; especially in the wet season. Beng Melea was by far the best temple in the Angkor region, if not because you could just scramble all over it.
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Jun 7, 2017 22:18
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Beng Melea was super nice and fun, with the added thrill that the stone blocks you're stepping on could collapse at anytime. It's definitely the least populated temple because of the distance. You can't escape the touts though, there's still someone there that would offer you a "tour" of the place but will ask for a tip afterwards.
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Jun 7, 2017 22:34
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webmeister posted:Western brands (aside from Coke, anyway) are still quite scarce. That will change as the country opens up. they had like 12 flavors of mountain dew when I was there a few months ago
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Jun 8, 2017 01:20
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ladron posted:they had like 12 flavors of mountain dew when I was there a few months ago
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Jun 8, 2017 03:52
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Cambodia is lower middle income, which basically means a combination of developing and third world (it barely passed the marker from low income to lower-middle income, by the way). I feel like there is a lot of ground-floorism leading to their economic growth (and Myanmar's). People want to have money in places that could approximate Bangkok in 20-30 years. Not a lot of it is sustainable growth stuff, but money leaking from places now considered increasingly expensive like Jakarta or Bangkok.
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Jun 8, 2017 04:52
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XyrlocShammypants posted:Cambodia is lower middle income, which basically means a combination of developing and third world (it barely passed the marker from low income to lower-middle income, by the way). I feel like there is a lot of ground-floorism leading to their economic growth (and Myanmar's). People want to have money in places that could approximate Bangkok in 20-30 years. Not a lot of it is sustainable growth stuff, but money leaking from places now considered increasingly expensive like Jakarta or Bangkok. Here's hoping they import massive garbage eating monitor lizards into the poo poo-canals that carve their way through the resulting megasloppyopolis. Love those dudes.
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Jun 9, 2017 03:29
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I'm having friends visit from the states for a couple weeks. We're doing the local poo poo in Bangkok for the first few days, but then they wanted to hit a beach, naming Krabi as an option. Anyone have a less crowded/better suggestion? I speak enough Thai to get hotel rooms/etc if it's not a particularly English-fluent area. Note we're all farangs + like drinking
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Jun 9, 2017 05:50
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