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I will continue to pimp the acquisition of mountain bikes as a form of transportation for daily commutes of 10K or less. Not as fast, but you're even more mobile and agile than motorbikes and you have the benefit of needing to follow even fewer rules. Also, in Bangkok, you can finally (officially) take full sized bikes on the BTS.
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Nov 28, 2013 11:05
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I love biking in the SE Asian megacities. Makes you feel alive!
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Nov 28, 2013 11:08
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Can I ride like they do in Tokyo. Headphones on, cellphone in one hand, and on the busy sidewalk. Oh and my baby is in the back carrier.
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Nov 28, 2013 11:14
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I do that sometimes, minus the baby. Bangkok's full of little bridges and warrens and things you can make it through/over only on a bike. Also, being more narrow, I can fit between cars more easily. Finally, one thing I've noticed is that the speed of your conveyance varies inversely with your tendency to stop and explore life. Running is optimal for me, but the bike enables greater distances. On a motorbike you'll still stop for random things, though not as many, while in a car you're psychologically predisposed to go sheltered point to sheltered point.
ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 11:32 on Nov 28, 2013 |
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Nov 28, 2013 11:27
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Speaking of driving, I think I've found my favourite expat business idea yet.
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Nov 28, 2013 12:00
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I was shocked at the number of driving schools on my last few visits. They're everywhere. I assume they don't actually teach anything, but there they are. I can't recall ever seeing one of these here in Thailand.
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Nov 28, 2013 12:26
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Hey guys, I'm currently flying in to Bangkok on the 23rd, and flying out of Phnom Penh on the 19th of February. My plan was: Bangkok, then Ayuttheda -> Phitsanulok -> Chiang Mai by train maybe Chiang Rai fly to Siem Reap Siem Reap -> Phnom Penh but I'm really not sure how long I should spend in each place, and I'm having trouble figuring that out. I'm open to other destinations as well so if you have recommendations I'd appreciate them.
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Nov 28, 2013 12:38
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ReindeerF posted:I was shocked at the number of driving schools on my last few visits. They're everywhere. I assume they don't actually teach anything, but there they are. I can't recall ever seeing one of these here in Thailand. The driving test here is basically "drive around this track and don't hit anything". Although I think the lack of traffic enforcement is the bigger problem to be honest. I have to admit, it's pretty convenient being able to go to a driving school with $40 and my UK license, and walk away with a legit Cambodian one. Varicelli posted:Hey guys, I'm currently flying in to Bangkok on the 23rd, and flying out of Phnom Penh on the 19th of February. My plan was: I can give some general recommendations about Siem Reap and Phnom Penh (a few days in each at least in my opinion), but assuming you're not booking anything other than your flights in/out, you're better off just staying flexible - if you're in a place you like, stick around for a few days. If you're starting to get bored, move on!
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Nov 28, 2013 12:47
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Tytan posted:it's pretty convenient being able to go to _______ with $___ and walk away with a legit Cambodian one. EDIT: Also, forcing Europeans to use our money is a fun side-effect.
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Nov 28, 2013 12:49
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I'm at Belmiro's now and the special thanksgiving sub is amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better thanksgiving dinner!
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Nov 28, 2013 13:59
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Tomato Soup posted:I'm at Belmiro's now and the special thanksgiving sub is amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better thanksgiving dinner! I had a delicious turkey burrito from this small chain we have in Tokyo. I ate it at my desk. So alone. Weird question, is there any place that sells military surplus stuff? I would be interested to get some Thai Air Force badges if possible, and the other branches too.
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Nov 28, 2013 15:45
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Tytan posted:The driving test here is basically "drive around this track and don't hit anything". Although I think the lack of traffic enforcement is the bigger problem to be honest. I have a flight in, and a flight out, not sure how I'm getting from Thailand to Cambodia yet, though. I only ask for days because I like to have a general idea of the plan even if I change it, and I want to book some accomodation.
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Nov 28, 2013 17:04
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Madd0g11 posted:I had a delicious turkey burrito from this small chain we have in Tokyo. I ate it at my desk. So alone. There's a store about 100 yards from MBK (walk away from the huge intersection that MBK sits on like you were walking toward Khao San / away from Siam Square, same side of the road as MBK) that sells a bunch of stuff kinda like that. Most of it is uniforms for scouting and the little badges and pins related to that but it's a fairly big store so I would expect they have military stuff too. I went there to get a giant Thai flag for a Thai person here in NYC (Asia tip: don't tell anyone you're visiting their home country because you then become a round trip pack animal.) If they don't have it then it's probably some shophouse near the train station. Good luck with that. Asking a soldier for help would be best (you'll see a few around) but they usually don't speak English so you'll probably have to recruit an intermediary. raton fucked around with this message at 17:37 on Nov 28, 2013 |
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Nov 28, 2013 17:35
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Tomato Soup posted:I'm at Belmiro's now and the special thanksgiving sub is amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better thanksgiving dinner! Sorry I wasn't there. Lost my phone, lost track of time etc. In other news I have orders for a quite frankly ridiculous two hundred and ninety five santa hats. All I have to do is go to Thailand, buy them, get them to PP and turn a profit. Doable.... I think. This sort of thing could only happen in SEA.
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Nov 28, 2013 21:26
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You're making me want to try it out on Koh Tao
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Nov 28, 2013 21:36
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eviljelly posted:You're making me want to try it out on Koh Tao Santa hats and Santa related lingerie.
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Nov 28, 2013 23:56
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So, Bangkok goonmeet around the 22nd or 23rd? I'm also gonna be in the city on the 11th through 13th.
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Nov 29, 2013 04:47
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duckmaster posted:Sorry I wasn't there. Lost my phone, lost track of time etc. Yay I don't feel so bad about myself now  I learned my lesson, for any goon meet, set a time, place and location. Post in forums beforehand too! Leave no goon behind!
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Nov 29, 2013 04:55
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duckmaster posted:Sorry I wasn't there. Lost my phone, lost track of time etc. Wait... are these like... tailor made Santa hats or something? Because I'm almost certain you can buy them here.
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Nov 29, 2013 05:16
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Tytan posted:Wait... are these like... tailor made Santa hats or something? Because I'm almost certain you can buy them here. Yes but for how much? I assume the ones you can buy here have come from Thailand as well; maybe I'm just doing it cheaper?
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Nov 29, 2013 07:59
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Pixelante posted:So, Bangkok goonmeet around the 22nd or 23rd? I'm also gonna be in the city on the 11th through 13th. I should be there on the 21st and then having dinner with some friends on the 22nd. If there's a goonmeet I'll probably come for a beer or two. I've been trying to convince my dinner friends that the best thing to do on the night before an expensive christmas dinner is drink buckets on khao san. The husband is convinced, but I think the wife isn't... yet.
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Nov 29, 2013 10:19
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duckmaster posted:Yes but for how much?
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Nov 29, 2013 10:53
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What are the best months for hitting up a full moon party? I figure it's a must do and I plan to be in SEA for a good 6 months from April/14.
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Nov 29, 2013 10:54
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Ugh. Just don't do it. But if you must, I heard the New Year's Eve party is bigger than any FMP.
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Nov 29, 2013 11:04
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eviljelly posted:Ugh. Just don't do it. But if you must, I heard the New Year's Eve party is bigger than any FMP. This but I thought July/August were always the busiest. The full moon party sucks 
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Nov 29, 2013 12:59
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YOU WANNA BE A TECHNO BRO?
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Nov 29, 2013 13:19
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ReindeerF posted:I've never priced these, but I bought one of those thin felt ones with blinky lights for like 40 Baht a couple of years ago. If it cost 40 Baht at a Big C kiosk shop then it cost 20-30 at Chatuchak when they bought it there, so it cost the Chatuchak seller maybe 10 Baht, so if you bought in bulk that means your cost would have to be something like 1000 Riel if you can get to the end supplier. What are they selling for in Siem Reap? $1? That'd be 300% margin if the numbers worked out that way. These don't have blinky lights but they're costing me 1300 riel. So that's 200% at $1 each or 500% at $2 each. The ones I'm selling to people in PP are going for different prices, bulk discounts etc, but I think the cheapest ones are $1.3 each. So I assume they go for roughly $2 each in PP and someone thinks they can make some money or have some big event they want them for. I am going to send a pic of me wearing one to all these people. I don't want to get them all the way to PP and they decide they look poo poo...
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Nov 29, 2013 13:29
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Finch! posted:This but I thought July/August were always the busiest. I only know from what the one travel agency lady told me (she had lived on Koh Tao for over 15 years). She said NYE was the busiest, then July/August, then December/January. I don't recall if she told me where Songkran falls on that list.
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Nov 29, 2013 15:48
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For a while, people kept trying to outrun the crowds with half-moon parties, jungle parties and so on, but I guess most of that ended? I'm surprised the party crowd haven't picked a new secret island to make the hip new destination. Tao would've been a natural choice, really, since it became what Phangan was - though it sounds like while Tao is still the most laid back, it's gotten a shitload of development already with more to come. I mean FMP was "over" by the time I first went a decade ago and the last time I went, five years ago, just to see how it'd changed, holy poo poo had it gotten even bigger. I'm an oldster now, so throngs of tens of thousands of drunk 19 year-olds aren't really my bag these days, but I had fun anyway. Still, it wasn't so much a FMP as it was a beach full of people dancing and drinking and vomiting and fighting.
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Nov 29, 2013 16:26
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EDIT: DOUBLE POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Nov 29, 2013 17:28
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ReindeerF posted:For a while, people kept trying to outrun the crowds with half-moon parties, jungle parties and so on, but I guess most of that ended? I'm surprised the party crowd haven't picked a new secret island to make the hip new destination. Tao would've been a natural choice, really, since it became what Phangan was - though it sounds like while Tao is still the most laid back, it's gotten a shitload of development already with more to come. Tao has too many long termers (1-5 yearers) who have a lot of disdain for that kind of poo poo. Plus, partying and diving do mix to a certain extent but most of the dive people go home by 1am or so. ReindeerF posted:Still, it wasn't so much a FMP as it was a beach full of people dancing and drinking and vomiting and fighting. I'm happy to report that it was still like this as of last summer. Pretty awful. Still, my friend had a good time because she found lots of dudes to gently caress. The first time I went, I had left my then-girlfriend for not more than 30 seconds, just to go pee into the ocean (like everyone else was doing), and a drunken 19 year old Aussie sat down to hit on her. When she said she was there with her boyfriend, he asked if he was bigger than him (I wasn't, but he still walked away pretty quickly when I came back). She wasn't much of a looker, to be honest... we were a bit amused that he even hit on her.
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Nov 29, 2013 17:29
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eviljelly posted:The first time I went, I had left my then-girlfriend for not more than 30 seconds, just to go pee into the ocean (like everyone else was doing), and a drunken 19 year old Aussie sat down to hit on her. When she said she was there with her boyfriend, he asked if he was bigger than him (I wasn't, but he still walked away pretty quickly when I came back). She wasn't much of a looker, to be honest... we were a bit amused that he even hit on her. I had a random fat thai dude try to pick me up outside of the bathroom door at a bar. "I'm with someone, thanks" prompted him asking for a hug. I would never in a million years ever go to a Full Moon Party alone, not even with a group of just girls.
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Nov 29, 2013 18:30
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I think in 2005 I went to the FMP and it wasn't mind blowing or anything, just lots of people on what was once a really lovely beach. Many quiet techno Swedes and other indeterminate mainland Europeans, everyone just freely mixing around. A few years later and already it was mostly obnoxious and physically aggressive Aussies and Brits all over the place with groups of people sticking to their blobs. The last time I visited the island I didn't go to the FMP but will note that the degree of development on that island startled me from 2007ish to 2012. There used to be a town by the pier and then a lovely road through the jungle down to Had Rin. Now the whole road is lined on both sides with shops and bars and cruddy two story hotels all the way down, literally all the way, and it's a big island. Fortunately the island is big enough that it retains the wider set of things to do and see that it's always had over its neighbors. Had Rin town is very much the same as are the bars and shops on the beach there (I imagine trying to open something new there gets you kneecapped, the large volume and occasional open sale of illegal drugs on the island is almost certainly due to either the police or the army being tied to the business of the island). The tide is rising though.
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Nov 29, 2013 19:06
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There's an airport under construction on Koh Phangan and a government consortium has been tendering to build a second, competing one there as well. Of course only one will end up built (haha "of course" let's not go too far), but Koh Phangan is loving toast. Mostly due to Babgkok Airways's stupid monopoly fees at USM, I'm sure. Anyway, that all made me laugh.
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Nov 29, 2013 19:16
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Koh Phangan is big enough that it's still a great place to go. It can be any kind of island - luxurious self-contained compound, or hippie detox resort, or dirty backpacker party ghetto, or isolated spartan beach, and I'm sure there are others. I can't imagine it with TWO airports, though.
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Nov 29, 2013 19:20
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What'll ruin it is that they're planning to undercut the USM gate fees, so it'll become the package/LCC hub for the three islands. All that pretty land will get bought up and turned into giant budget resorts. King Power duty free malls, fantasy cabaret shows, cookie cutter budget resorts, Mainlander aquariums rolling around - signs and wonders. Guess who's coming to holiday? ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Nov 29, 2013 |
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Nov 29, 2013 19:27
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ReindeerF posted:Guess who's coming to holiday? gently caress
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Nov 29, 2013 19:51
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ReindeerF posted:What'll ruin it is that they're planning to undercut the USM gate fees, so it'll become the package/LCC hub for the three islands. All that pretty land will get bought up and turned into giant budget resorts. King Power duty free malls, fantasy cabaret shows, cookie cutter budget resorts, Mainlander aquariums rolling around - signs and wonders. ..."Me and me missus"...? After spending a few days in Mui Ne, I left a bit confused as to why anyone would willing to spend ten to fifteen percent of their annual three weeks off in a package tour beach resort town. I mean, really, if all you're going to do is sit under a canopy, waste a few hours at a jewelry shop, and eat at awful burger joitns, why bother slogging your family halfway around the world? Even if you're Russian, you can surely lug your family to Mallorca for $150pp. Maybe it's nostalgia for the pre-perestroika days or something xcdude24 fucked around with this message at 03:29 on Nov 30, 2013 |
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Nov 30, 2013 03:12
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xcdude24 posted:..."Me and me missus"...? 我和我的情妇
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Nov 30, 2013 03:26
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I find it surprising the amount of Chinese families that go to Pattaya for vacation.
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Nov 30, 2013 03:59
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