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Bollock Monkey posted:Really helpful, thank you. I've got a contactless Visa and a contactless Mastercard too. They're using something else, not credit cards :P
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Oct 23, 2023 14:58
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Shammypants posted:They're using something else, not credit cards :P I've got absolutely no idea what this is meant to imply, I'm afraid! Sex? Drugs? Rock 'n' roll?
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Oct 23, 2023 15:33
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Bollock Monkey posted:I've got absolutely no idea what this is meant to imply, I'm afraid! Sex? Drugs? Rock 'n' roll? QR payments. Don’t worry about thailand too much. You can pay with card in most places without any issues. Especially in locations you go to as a tourist. But have some cash with you, road side stalls, small restaurants, etc might not have the payment machines.
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Oct 23, 2023 16:20
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Cheers. I got the Grab app anyway since it's easy peasy to set up. I try not to take card for granted since the last time I was in Berlin and everything was cash... Digital money is so much easier.
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Oct 23, 2023 16:35
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Fitzy Fitz posted:What's the payment situation in Vietnam? When I was in Thailand and Cambodia I used cards at chains and cash (small bills) at smaller places. Constantly needing to find cash and break large bills was annoying. It's like that, your every day street vendors won't take card and often won't have change for large bills. However, these days a lot of them will accept a bank transfer done with your phone or a phone payment app A tip for getting cash: don't take out, for example, 2 million or 2.5 million. You'll likely get all 500k bills which are sometimes hard to break. Get 1.9m or 2.4m and you'll always get at least a few small notes. Sounds obvious but it didn't occur to me at first 
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Oct 24, 2023 03:02
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Bollock Monkey posted:I've got absolutely no idea what this is meant to imply, I'm afraid! Sex? Drugs? Rock 'n' roll? Yea already mentioned but it's something you need local accounts for. There are even cabs across asia that accept "kind of credit cards" but only for the one cab company you're using. A joke.
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Oct 24, 2023 03:14
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Ah I didn't know you need a local account... I've hooked up my Monzo and it says I can't use the function, but I wondered if that might change when I am in the right country.
Bollock Monkey fucked around with this message at 08:29 on Oct 24, 2023 |
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Oct 24, 2023 08:18
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It varies between apps and regions. For example, I find Lineman to be fast, reliable, and cheap and I prefer it to Grab. However, to get a Lineman account in Thailand, you must have a regional email Gmail account to download it from the Play Store (no idea what the Apple rules are like) and it likely has to be tied into your regional Line account. I think Grab is a bit more flexible as I know a lot of people without Thai region accounts use it without issue and you can store a credit card number on it, plus it's not built on the Line infrastructure and can be its own thing. Anecdotally, my neighbor had been using his US card on Grab, but recently his card has been getting rejected by it and he's had to pay cash. First time it happened, he thought the driver was scamming him for double pay, but it just kept happening to him and another guy we know doing the same thing. Make sure your bank knows you're traveling I guess.
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Oct 24, 2023 08:24
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Just finished my short stop in Saigon. 500k bills can be broken in the convenience store or the more famous local eateries or hotel. Food wise I’m enjoying Vietnam a lot more than before. Lots of lists online like bahn mi 37, hong hua, and local restaurants. And grab makes getting in and out of town ultra easy. People still hustle and the vibe feels like China but people are waaaaaay less desperate than before. Hotel I was at silverland may and for it’s value it blows. Rather stay at some cheaper guest house and call it the day. Just landed in Cambodia last night and Siem reap downtown is a lot more built up. The new airport is huge but takes like an hour to drive to  grab costs 1.2 mil riels, whereas airport taxi was 1 mil if you haggle.Initial impression - even with all the new development money in the past 10 years it’s only in Phnom Penh and the casinos of Sihanoukville. Rest of the country getting left behind
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Oct 25, 2023 00:59
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Wonton posted:The new airport is huge but takes like an hour to drive to 1.2mil riels is about $300 US. Hopefully you meant 120,000
JasonV fucked around with this message at 06:26 on Oct 25, 2023 |
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Oct 25, 2023 05:24
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Oops one extra zero
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Oct 25, 2023 13:31
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I saw a video once of how good a basic physical is in Bangkok along with really low rates. I'm thinking of doing this myself. Especially after my last "physical" where the doctor listened to my heart and lungs and sent me on my way. I felt very taken care of. Anyway, is there a hospital that is regarded more highly than the others?
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Oct 26, 2023 01:10
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gently caress yes I can use Alipay in Siem reap
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Oct 26, 2023 14:27
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Just got my tourist visa for Thailand in January. Now to wait. And wait. And wait.
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Oct 26, 2023 23:45
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Waltzing Along posted:I saw a video once of how good a basic physical is in Bangkok along with really low rates. I'm thinking of doing this myself. Especially after my last "physical" where the doctor listened to my heart and lungs and sent me on my way. I felt very taken care of. Bumrungrad is probably the best of them, but it comes with a pricetag. The Samitivej hospitals are ok too.
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Oct 27, 2023 00:32
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Yeah, I found a video on bumrungrad. I'm thinking of doing one of the lower tiered ones.
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Oct 27, 2023 00:34
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Ok, this is pretty well outside of the thread's purview, but I didn't see an thread that it would fit under, and of the few active ones this is the closest, so: I've been thinking about a visit to French Polynesia next June. (I'm American, meeting a friend who's Australian, and there's not that many options for places that are in the middle.) Anyone have any experience with that? Or, really, anywhere in greater Polynesia?
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Oct 27, 2023 06:15
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You basically have to change planes in Australia to get to small Pacific islands so it depends on your time and budget. There are islands/atolls with little more than colonial ruins, and there are islands that are completely dominated by luxury resort hotels. I am fascinated by ancient ruins like Nan Madol. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1503/
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Oct 27, 2023 11:47
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I just learned about that place the other week, courtesy of Civ 6! It seems like a really cool spot, and I'd like to get there some day. I have a biologist friend who very occasionally does expeditions in Micronesia, so with any luck maybe I can tag along on one of those some day and then do a little island hopping afterward. For this trip, we were looking at French Polynesia; by virtue of its eastern placement, it actually does have flights from the US. My current impulse (highly mutable as this is just based on skimming a few sites as a starting point) is to meet up in Papeete, spend a bit of time poking around the town and a few days doing some hikes inland Tahiti and/or maybe over on Moorea, then go up to the Marquesas. Nuku Hiva seems to have an archaeological site that's open to visitors, and some other cultural sites, plus additional hiking. And we'll probably spend some time at a beach resort. It's neither of our favorite thing, but we don't hate it and beaches don't get a lot nicer so might as well have a couple resort days. If people are interested I'll try to remember to report back afterward.
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Oct 28, 2023 01:36
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It’s been 10 years since I been to Phnom Penh, it sure has built up. But it’s too bad Cambodia is still more expensive than Vietnam despite the economic difference. Anecdotally, Khmers are a lot nicer than everyone else - not counting shady tourist situations
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Oct 28, 2023 14:31
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I am so jealous of everyone who is currently travelling. Each time I come back to Canada/USA I really can't believe how terrible our countries have gotten.
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Oct 30, 2023 16:46
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My friend is having his bachelor party in Bangkok... I am looking for suggestions on things to do in Bangkok that doesn't involve anything seedy/shady. I can think of doing race karts, maybe a gun range, a place to drive exotic cars? a bar crawl? Any suggestions on specific places if you've gone to them would be cool. Probably going to go watch a Muay Thai fight too assuming there are events in January (can't see 2 months ahead on the rajadamnern website)
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Nov 14, 2023 03:51
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Karaoke at any of the Woodball locations is a solid choice. Ekkemai Beerhouse is a good starting point as well for decent food and beer. There are loads of whiskey and cigar rooms. That's not my scene, so I don't know firsthand which one is good. Same with rooftop bars. There are also loads of bowling alleys and ice skating if you want something outside of the box.
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Nov 14, 2023 09:56
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Do some normal rear end tourism like temples and river taxi and foot massage
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Nov 14, 2023 13:25
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Is getting a suit done in Bangkok still good? Maybe that
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Nov 14, 2023 15:22
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I thought you were looking for ideas for the bachelor party, sorry! Some people still swear by the suits, but I'm lazy so I just get off the rack at Central.
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Nov 15, 2023 00:10
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Yeah I am looking for "Bachelor Party" ideas not things for me to do by myself. Sorry if that was vague. We probably will do some touristy stuff but that's not exactly unknown or hidden, you know? The Karaoke place seems to be a chain and the one in Thong Lor has gotten kinda bad reviews. Did you go to that one or the one in Phrom Phong? The suit thing.. I may be adding Vietnam to my trip after the Bachelor Party so I may go to Vietnam since its cheaper there I believe. Anyone have recommendations for suit makers in Bangkok? I saw some along Sukhumvit road last time I was there but it looked more like a scam than a legit place.
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Nov 15, 2023 03:01
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The karaoke place is a chain, yes. I've been to the Phrom Phong, Thong Lor, Pattaya, and Phnom Penh locations. They're all basically the same, but Thong Lor is fairly cramped.
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Nov 15, 2023 03:43
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So, I was supposed to do a couple weeks in Thailand in April of 2020, and, uh, my timing was not so good for obvious reasons. Suddenly I've got the opportunity to try that again over winter break, which means I'm trying to plan my first solo trip out of the country to a place I've never been with a language I pretty much don't speak (but am working on) in a couple of weeks. I have questions! I've already got the necessary vaccinations and such, no allergies. Flying in from the US, most likely out of Chicago (I'm in Milwaukee, but it'll be cheaper to just drive down and fly from O'Hare). Looking at somewhere between Dec 5 or 6 and Jan 5th (have to be back at work and such on the 6th), my partner has given their blessing to be gone over Xmas/NY. Duration: Somewhere between 14 and 21 days with travel time included, I'm pretty flexible. Budget isn't unlimited, but I'm comfortable with pretty much whatever. Flying economy. Accommodation preference is medium to a little nicer than medium -- absolutely no hostels, I'm way too old and grumpy for that poo poo. Looking for nice, comfortable, with a pool and AC and wireless, but I don't need a ridiculous suite or something similar. Primary reasons for visiting are to eat myself stupid and go see neat historical stuff. I plan on trying to get to a couple Michelin starred places, (R-Haan or Sorn, Jay Fai, haven't gotten further than that research wise but will happily take suggestions) but also plan on doing mostly street food/market stuff. Mainly going to play it by ear. Very little interest in big party-type stuff, and I'm generally not one for spending a ton of time on the beach, so doing a long stretch in Phuket looks like it wouldn't be my cup of tea. Wouldn't mind doing a little snorkeling. Priorities: City wise, def Bangkok, optimally some time in Chang Mai, and if possible a side trip to Siam Reap to see the Angkor temples. 1) Book air and hotel directly through them, or package deal on Expedia/Travelocity/etc? From some preliminary research, package deals are coming out on top price-wise, but allow for less flexibility. Are there any other major pros/cons to doing either route? Seems like doing a multi-destination kind of thing is a little more complicated -- is my best bet booking one "package" as a flight from US-Bangkok and hotel for however long, then a separate "package" for BKK-CNX and hotel, then return flight from CNX-ORD? I'll have to check and see if there's a huge price difference between coming home from CNX and BKK, but it looks like it's cheap enough just to fly back to BKK and head home from there if that's the cheaper option. 2) Where to stay in Bangkok: It's looking like my best options would be either Chinatown or Sukhumvit -- I like fairly central, decent access to public transit and taxis, easy access to markets and such. Any other suggestions? I briefly considered something around Khao San to be close to some nightlife, but again see the "old and grumpy" caveat. I'm comfortable doing a lot of walking, and I can't imagine figuring out the MRT/BTS is that terribly difficult. 3) Any suggestions for "off the beaten path" stuff to do in Bangkok that isn't necessarily in the guidebooks? What's a good amount of time to spend in Bangkok? I love exploring, and as long as I can eventually make it back to my hotel, I'm good with wandering around on foot/taxi/boat/whatever for the day. Seems like the suggestions re: time are either "a day or two and you're good" or "you can spend weeks there and still not see everything." 4) I considered the "pack really lightly and buy more clothes when you get there" idea, but I'm not a small person (yeah, yeah, goon, I know). I'm guessing finding stuff for larger sizes is going to a bit trickier than if I were not a bit chonky? I'll probably be flying with 1 checked bag, a carryon, and a camera backpack (or that'll go in the checked suitcase). 5) I do not currently plan on buying a suit, but I guess I can't rule it out entirely. 6) Cash. I'm aware that there's a "requirement" to carry in either 10K or 20K in THB or equivalent and that it most likely won't be checked on entry into the country, but I prefer safe to sorry. I could carry cash, or see if my bank or credit union will do an exchange here. Past that, assume I should (if I don't carry THB) exchange enough to get to hotel/eat stuff/etc for the first night and then exchange somewhere NOT the airport the next day? I generally plan to just use my card at ATMs, not a huge fan of carrying a shitload of cash. Cash is king, I'm guessing, especially for street vendors/marketplaces/etc? Not that I've got any designs on anything, but I assume shops in, for example, one of the shopping centers/malls will take plastic? I'm a little overwhelmed with planning this at the moment and am very scattered. I'd optimally like to get things worked out enough to at least book my flight and hotel(s) by the end of the weekend or so.
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Nov 16, 2023 00:00
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Jay Fai you need reservations and they fill up fast. And...IMO, it wasn't that great. Not bad but not what it is hyped up to be. Soei, on the other hand, is awesome and better than I expected. Stay in Asok. It's at the junction of the two main under/over ground train lines. Tons of good stuff is walkable. Lots of hotels in every price range nearby. Just bring a big ole suitcase. Pack at least one nice outfit, you will need it for rooftop bars. $100 a day is a good metric for cash. Unless you go crazy, you probably won't use it but it's good to be safe. If you can afford it. It's easy to spend $10 a day on food or $50 a day. Off beaten path things: Batcat museum, Solos Coffee, Papaya thrift store. Just google them. None are big tourist spots. None are near the tourist centers. All are cool in their own way. E: I'll be in Bangkok, in Asok from the 14-21 of December, btw. E2: some notes on hotels I've stayed at. Kingston Suites. Between Asok and Nana and up one of the sois about 500 meters. It was okay but I wouldn't go back. The Landmark, at Nana. Nice, older, upscale hotel. Has a very nice breakfast buffet that I will go to sometimes. Grande Centre Pointe Terminal 21. Has a bidet. The normal rooms are nice, if a bit sterile. Lots of marble. Huge windows. Usually have cool views. The deluxe room has a washer/dryer which is nice for longer stays. Also, has a door that leads directly into the T21 mall which is cool. And a door that leads out to Asok station without having to go on the street. Carlton, a couple blocks down Sukhumvit from Asok. Has a bidet. Newer hotel. Breakfast buffet sucked. Nice shower. Sheraton Palace or something. No bidet. Very nice cozy rooms. Cool pool area. Awesome breakfast buffet. Door out to Asok. Waltzing Along fucked around with this message at 02:03 on Nov 16, 2023 |
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Nov 16, 2023 01:03
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go full stupid and book a 4 bed hostel room on Soi Ram Buttri all for yourself because it's only $35
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Nov 16, 2023 10:59
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Second staying around Asok. You can't go wrong there. The money requirement I'm pretty sure is never truly enforced or checked. Maybe if they feel someone is a really dirty looking backpacker type entering the country they might ask for proof of funds. I've been to thailand maybe 8 times in the past 10 years and was never asked for that or even knew it was a requirement. Regardless, its never a bad idea to carry some USD when traveling - looks like 300+ usd would fulfill that requirement. My biggest suggestion is dont plan too much. Explore and let things come to you once you're there. Seems you have a little anxiety about planning everything from your writing so Sabai Sabai and relax. Thailand is one of the easiest places on earth to travel around that's also completely foreign and exotic for an American that's never been to that part of the world before. A lot of the joy of traveling there is going out your door and seeing where things take you. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Siem Reap would be a perfect trip for you if you're not into nature/beaches so much. The time you're going is the best weather time of the year for that region but its also by far and away the busiest. Its peak tourist sesason. So just know to expect things to be extremely busy and things to cost more than they would at other times. I'd look at airbnb options too as a personal preference for accommodation. You can get a lot more for your money - a really nice 1 bedroom condo in Bangkok and Chiang mai with views, pool, in a good area will probably save you 50% on accommodation cost compared to hotels. But the luxury 5 star hotels are really nice and will cost less than you'll ever experience back in the US if you want to splurge. Enjoy
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Nov 16, 2023 13:22
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The suits made for visitors in Thailand/Vietnam aren’t going to be good suits so if you go that way I encourage getting one that’s weird or bold because it’s inherently kind of a fun purchase and people won’t notice the cut as much if it’s an interesting color or fabric. Thailand does have actual good tailors of course like anywhere but it will take more time and cost more money than the places aimed at tourists. Still cheaper than in the West.
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Nov 16, 2023 14:37
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The Saddest Rhino posted:Is getting a suit done in Bangkok still good? Maybe that Pinky and Raja are the two I always hear about. I had two suits made at Majestic Tailors and they've served me well for the last 15 years. The Marines at the US embassy like them for their dress uniform tailoring too, take that as you will.
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Nov 17, 2023 08:08
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Get to a fancy restaurant if you want to, but there's so much good food in Thailand that I wouldn't sweat it if you can't. My wife and I had a reservation for the now-closed Gaggan (from Chef's Table S2) on our last trip that the restaurant somehow lost, which was annoying in the moment but there's always another good meal out there. If you're not buying food from a street vendor once a day, is it really Thailand? Also hi thread long time no see, I unbookmarked you at some point but the wife and I (now with son!) are going to Thailand to see her family for the first time since 2018  We may actually even do the trip to Cambodia that her mother always floats by us but never organizes.
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Nov 18, 2023 02:55
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ExplodingChef posted:Language I'm not an expert, but have just come back from just shy of 2 weeks in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. We stayed in Asok, say 3mins on foot to Terminal 21. It felt like a good area to be, and access to the MRT made travelling around the city incredibly easy. We had just under a week based in Bangkok, and with day trips it felt like I'd have liked another couple of days to soak it all up because it's a really cool city, and as with any big city each corner has its own distinct vibe. Our itinerary wasn't at all 'off the beaten path' because we wanted to make sure to see the sights after travelling halfway round the world. We like seeing cool poo poo, seeing old poo poo, eating ourselves stupid, and soaking up being in a new place. I'd have liked another week so there were more opportunities for chilling out, but that was never an option so y'know. Make the most of the holiday. Here's what we did, just in case it's of interest to you or anyone else who wanders into the thread like I did a few months ago: Day 1: Grand Palace, Wat Pho, National Museum. Apparently the National Museum has an incredible English-language tour, but it wasn't on on the days we were there so we missed out. It might have been because we went there after Grand Palace and Wat Pho, so were hot and tired, but I didn't feel like I got a lot out of it. Grand Palace and Wat Pho were really cool though, even with all the tourists. Day 2: Khao Yai Jungle Trek. This was dead cool, really glad we went. Such a cool environment and I saw two water monitors, as well as an elephant, weird bugs, and macacques. Day 3: Chattuchak Weekend Market and Chinatown. Both interesting, though the animal cruelty at Chattuchak was a bit hard to stomach even with my anthropologist head on. Chinatown was so busy and bustling, also very cool and such a different vibe again. Day 4: Ayutthaya. I mean, who doesn't love historical and unusual-looking structures. Day 5: Early flight to Chiang Mai, chillout/explore day. Day 6: Temples and exploring. Chiang Mai temples are really varied and cool, definitely recommend and it helps you get the lay of the land for further exploration. Day 7: Doi Suthep AM / Cooking class PM. The temple on the way up, Wat Pha Lat, was the highlight I think. You can hike some cool trails around it, which I bet would be gorgeous. The views are fantastic and exploring various statues and stuff makes you feel like Indiana Jones. Day 8: Chiang Dao cave and kayaking. I have been to lots of caves, and this was a pretty ok cave. Lots of bats and spiders. Day 9: Elephant Nature Park. A non-cruelty option for hanging out with these amazing friends. Another highlight for me, but again, certainly not niche. Day 10: Doi Inthanon AM / Sunday Walking Street PM. The scale of the market was pretty cool, but it was full of tourist tat and the food offering was not as great as the other night market that pops up on another day. Day 11: Back to Bangkok, chillout day and Asiatique (would have skipped this but it was an excuse to go on a free river taxi) We didn't have any language barrier issues that weren't easy to resolve with Google Translate. A few food recs: In Bangkok, 2019 Michelin Guide entry Patonggo Café was a great lunch option. I got the patonggo with pork floss and sweet chilli and it was great. In Chiang Mai, The Swan was excellent. Burmese food in a super cute environment. Dirt cheap. The House was good for a fancier option, really rich food (or, we chose really rich dishes...), also a cute environment. Cash is definitely king in the street, and 7/11 has a 200thb card limit. However, I found that enough places accepted Mastercard or Visa that we only had to get cash out a couple of times, which we'd planned to do anyway. 100 and 20thb notes were by far the most handy, but breaking 1000 and 500s was fine. Keeping some 1-10thb coins on you for public toilets is a good idea (and on that note, you should take your own toilet paper whenever you're out and about.) I know the amount you have to take into the country is different depending on visa requirements, so other people have answered that... We were lucky enough not to need to keep an eye on spending, and I'd say we averaged about 400-800thb per person per day in Bangkok, and 200-400 in Chiang Mai, not including accommodation and day trips as we booked that sort of thing online. You can tap on/off the Metro with your contactless card, but we found our phones didn't work for this. Hopefully some of that is useful! Bollock Monkey fucked around with this message at 21:11 on Nov 23, 2023 |
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Nov 18, 2023 18:52
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Did you guys eat any durians
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Nov 20, 2023 23:45
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Wonton posted:Did you guys eat any durians Wanted to, but didn't fancy buying a huge chunk to likely throw away. Tried some durian sweets when we got home and I nearly died from the sweet rotten onion morning breath horribleness.
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Nov 23, 2023 21:27
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I love durian so much
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Nov 23, 2023 21:38
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Bollock Monkey posted:Wanted to, but didn't fancy buying a huge chunk to likely throw away. Tried some durian sweets when we got home and I nearly died from the sweet rotten onion morning breath horribleness. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
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Nov 24, 2023 02:30
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