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Hey guys, I posted months ago in the old thread when I'd just bought my ticket, but now the time is approaching and I leave for Bangkok in just over a month. I get in April 6th at about 3:30pm in the afternoon. Is anyone going to be in Bangkok around that time? It's my first time in Thailand and I'm pretty excited. I'm thinking of booking myself into a guest house in or around Khao San Road for the first few nights and then seeing what takes my fancy. I have no plans set in stone other than enjoy myself and meet cool people.
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Mar 2, 2010 12:56
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Does anyone have any recommendations for hostels in or near to Khao San Road? It'll be my first time in Thailand so I don't mind spending a bit more than normal on the first few nights if it's a nicer place that I can get over my jet lag/culture shock in. One with a bar would be ideal as I'd like to meet some other travellers as I'm heading out on my own. I fly out next Monday (April 5th) and arrive on the 6th. I'm nervous and excited in equal measures! In most of the guest houses is it OK to drink/clean your teeth with the tap water, or should I always use bottled water? Is anyone going to be around in Bangkok next week and want to meet up with a friendly mid 20s English guy?
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Mar 29, 2010 20:38
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Uncle Ivan posted:I'll be arriving in Bangkok on April 6th, first time in Thailand. Going alone so would be fun to meet some people. From what it sounds like, a bunch of other people are going to be there at that time, so if anyone's interested in meeting up, hit me up at uncle.ivan.sa at gmail. Leave me an email or a local number and we'll hang. Sent you an email, maybe see you in Bangkok next week!
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Mar 31, 2010 10:24
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Just a quick bit of advice needed please. I've seen a few hostels asking to hold passports/ID as a deposit on your room. Is this legit? I understand travel agencies needing your passport to sort out visas, but other than that I can't think of any other time I'd like to hand my passport over to people. Am I being paranoid?
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Apr 1, 2010 17:30
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I'm in Bangkok right now although I'm catching a train out of here tonight so I'm killing time as I had to check out of the Hostel at 12pm and the train's not till 22:50. Just going to say the same as has been said before. There are LOTS of red shirts about but you only really notice them if you accidently come accross one of their protests. All the taxi drivers know where they are and will tell you. My hostel reception staff have been good for letting me know each morning where to avoid, you just need to ask. I did accidently walk through a big camp of them Wednesday night and although there weren't any other westerners around I didn't feel too unsafe. I just smiled a lot and walked back out of them pretty quickly! The main problem at the moment is the traffic and the fact that the protesters are clogging up a lot of the tourist spots which is a bit of a ball ache. I'm heading down to Ko Tao tonight via a sleeper train. I booked pretty late so I've only got a reclining seat. One thing I would say about coming out here is make sure you get your shots done in plenty of time, especially if you're from the UK as it can save you money. I didn't organise it soon enough and so had to go privatly for all of them and it cost me about 250GBP, even after spending that I'm not fully covered for rabies and didn't have the ones for Japanese Encephalitis.
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Apr 9, 2010 11:48
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Also, if you don't get a drink at the Gas Station Bar (just around the corner opposite the Burger King end, past the Subway) you might as well turn in your fisherman's pants, chop off those dreads, and take a shower. When my little sister came to visit I think that was her favorite part of the trip; drinking in a Shell gas station that turned into an outdoor bar at night. FYI the Gas Station Bar has closed down, I was on KSR earlier this week and it's not there as I was supposed to meet friends there. It's now just a big pile of rubble. I prefer Rambuttri street to KSR both for street eating and drinking, but each to there own! I've been out here in Thailand for four months now and have loved every minute of it. I know it's cliche, but traveling Thailand is a unique experience to everyone that goes. You can go the whole trip without ever eating a single Thai dish or uttering a word of Thai if you want to. But you can also get off the beaten path a little and be the only farang around in a place where most local people can only understand hello. If you go to those places, get ready for the staring. Thai people love to stare at a farang, even one wearing a shirt and trousers. Here are a few pics of the hundreds I have taken while I've been out here, they're by no means amazing quality, or even my favourites, just ones I've quickly grabbed from facebook. Ko Lipe:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Ko Lipe with your back to the sunset:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Standard picture of a girl jumping in front of a sunset on Railay West:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Offal Soup that you feel obliged to eat after being introduced to the very friendly cook that couldn't speak a word of English. It was pretty tasty though I'd asked for a vegetable soup in VERY broken Thai!:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Taken through the bus window on the way from Mae Sod on the Western border with Burma to Khon Kaen in the North East:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Public buses are CHEAP and you get to meet the locals on your eight hour journey:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Very safe bridge over a river in Nam Tok at the end of a 1.5km road with packs of dogs that scared the poo poo out of me:  Click here for the full 536x720 image. Wat and Wires, I think in BKK though could be any of the cities I've visited, I've forgotten which one, sorry!:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. Phitsonulok:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. The "Bus Station" in Mae Sod:  Click here for the full 540x720 image. A Thai building:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. China Town in BKK:  Click here for the full 540x720 image. A big motherfucking spider that wanted to watch me take a poo poo one morning in my bungalow on Bottle Beach on the North Coast of Ko Phangan:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. It nearly succeeded in watching me poo poo myself despite me not being on the actual toilet:  Click here for the full 540x720 image. One of me taken the other week on a bridge near Kanchanaburi:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. I met up with one of you guys in the first week I was out here but I can't remember your forum username, hi if you're on here still! Currently stuck in the tourist poo poo-hole that is Hua Hin waiting for an 11pm bus to get me out of here, only three more hours to go... Ted Ed Fred fucked around with this message at 13:42 on Jul 23, 2010 |
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Jul 23, 2010 13:05
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Xanin posted:This was years ago but I flew with AirAsia for like £20 from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, then got a bus (5 hours I think?) for a few dollars to Siem Reap. Didn't do it on the same day though. I did this same thing mid may this year for about the same price quoted here.
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Sep 2, 2010 21:25
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Friends on Facebook are telling me north Thailand has been hit by a 7.0 quake, hope everyone out there is safe.
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Mar 24, 2011 18:36
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Hey guys, I spent four months in Thailand and Cambodia in 2010 and have just managed to get to a place which will allow me head out there again in the end of October or early November. I have a quick question regarding teaching English in Thailand and thought I'd post about it now since it's already come up on this page. I'd like to spend a year teaching English in Thailand this time round. I don't have a degree, however I am a (well turned out!) native English speaker from the UK. I'm currently thinking of doing a TEFL course in Thailand (probably in Bangkok) and then trying to land a job in a smaller less popular place. One of my favourite towns last time I was there was Trang which ReindeerF visited a little while ago I think - glad to hear you enjoyed it! I'd love to teach somewhere like that. How feasible is it to land a job that'll pay me enough money to live (and hopefully not spend any of my current savings) with only a TEFL course albeit one gained while in Thailand itself (which I seem to remember is the best way to go about things - get the TEFL course in the country you intend to teach in). I met up with a goon last time I was out there and had a good night of drunken shenanigans on KSR, hoping to do the same again this time round. I can't wait to get out there again.
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Jul 31, 2013 17:35
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Ha I'd totally forgotten how awful the bus stop food is in Thailand! Why is it so bad, what's the benefit of having such bad food in the majority of bus stops/stations?
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Nov 21, 2013 22:22
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Guys how has this guy not posted in this thread? He's even crazier than duck! http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3636785 quote:After last weekend, however, everything changed. I dont know if its because of the fight I had with my girlfriend(she got mad jealous because I spent an entire night in a [titty] bar with my friend, she thinks we were there to hit on girls which was not the case, for me, at least) or if its because my boss heard from someone that we were smoking meth that weekend. However I'm fairly certain that there is a conspiracy of almost a dozen mutual friends of ours to end our friendship. I think they have told him to not answer my calls and to stay away from places I spend time at. quote:Fair enough. Problem is I live in a kind of small little town in Thailand, and "farangs"(foreigners) here pretty much all know each other. So everyone I know is linked to my boss.
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May 23, 2014 13:54
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Why has this thread not told me about this before - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRQaXDafs_Y apparently it's footage from the annual rocket festival held all over the northeastern part of Thailand. The Thai approach to health and safety is clearly shown here... I love Thailand.
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Jun 30, 2014 12:37
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I don't post in this thread that often but I do love the North coast of Koh Phangan. Bottle Beach, is very chilled. I met some great people there in 2010. I was there in the low season though. Other places I liked then were Koh Lipe and Koh Lante. After the islands I avoided heavily touristic spots during my four months in Thailand. My favourite town was Trang and my favourite city was Bangkok - I didn't stay on Khao San, but I did stay on Soi Rambutri, just over the road from Khao San. I stayed in a place called "My House" which cost me I think 250b per night, fan room with western style toilet. The night porter dude is cool and will sell you beer when you roll in at 4 in the morning. I really liked Phimai https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Phimai+History+Park/@15.4851676,98.9491235,7z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x8f81ccfb46760047 (I think that's what it's called - a place in the East with old Khmer ruins - I rented a bike there and cycled around the town for a day or two, it's a bit like a Thailand version of York if you're from the UK. Go see the big tree there. [EDIT] what image hosts do people use these days? Ted Ed Fred fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Jul 21, 2014 |
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Jul 21, 2014 17:53
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Bottle Beach 2010 - http://imgur.com/iliKtZ1 http://imgur.com/LKm3AGy A massive spider that was eating a cockroach when I came to take a piss the morning after the night before... http://imgur.com/guB14CA Can't believe it's been four years since I was there. Hopefully I'll be back out in SE Asia within the year! Ted Ed Fred fucked around with this message at 18:41 on Jul 21, 2014 |
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Jul 21, 2014 18:38
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Barfolemew posted:I haven't even got out of Finland yet and my backpack is already stolen once. Some drunk rear end in a top hat took it from the train when i was having a beer in the restaurant car. He was hassling others and me, and i guess i pissed him off by saying i dont care, go away. Think of it as a great story to get a free beer as soon as you hit Khao San! (It can probably be used for about a week)
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Sep 1, 2014 21:10
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Some of you might like this, it's an article about new archaeological techniques being used at Angkor Wat. Pretty impressive what it's turned up. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-29245289
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Sep 23, 2014 10:20
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Thread has been so good for so long, now it's slowly being filled with lame in-jokes and hooker requests. Where did it all go wrong? It's not even peak tourist season yet!
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Sep 25, 2014 08:21
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If there is one thing that Thai people know how to do it's party. Till all hours in the morning, loudly! When I went out in 2010 I found myself in the middle of a huge three day party on Koh Lipe. I think it was either May or April but the Moken people or Sea Gypsies all came to Koh Lipe to have an awesome time. They built a stage and set up lots of BBQs and soup/noodle stalls. On the third day of the party (literally, these guys did not stop, 24 hour music. booze and food!) I wondered across to the north side of the island and met an Italian chick. I got her to come back across later for some food, she was a bit worried about eating offal, but I'd reassured her I knew a stall that did just a chicken noodle type broth. A bit later we were sat and chilling and then got something to eat. Half way through her noodles she fishes out a chicken foot. Haha. I didn't get laid, but the noodles were good. Here's a picture of a guy that had come down from BKK, I've forgotten his name now, but he told me he was a Thai Boxer. I spent a few days with him and his wife, his mum had a small hut/house in the village that was in the south of the island.  Looking at that photo, I forget how hard that guy was. I would not have hosed with him for all the tea in china. Ted Ed Fred fucked around with this message at 23:59 on Oct 4, 2014 |
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Oct 4, 2014 23:55
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Found a few other photos from then: Despite what S-G says, I often drank the cheap water bottles you see here, never got sick!   This guy was so drunk he was struggling to get on the stage. Eventually three dudes helped him up and he mumbled something into the mike they had on stage. Dude had some serious wet patches.  Sunset on Koh Lipe
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Oct 5, 2014 00:27
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Jeoh posted:What's the story with that guy? The article just reads like a drunken rant. As far as I understand it, he's just some guy that's been around on Koh Tao for some time. When the murder happened he posted stuff on social media claiming to know who the killers were, then fled the island saying he was being threatened by the Thai mafia. He was then harassed by the press for more details. I think it then turns out, that he doesn't know anything about any of it and is just a massive attention seeking turd stain. There are a few other posters that understand the story a bit better than I do so hopefully they can elaborate.
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Oct 11, 2014 19:57
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Come to SE Asia, adopt a leech http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29595164
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Oct 13, 2014 14:16
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ReindeerF posted:Great googly moogly. Turns out Duckmaster is a girl.
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Oct 13, 2014 16:56
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Tautologicus posted:Ended up in Nana Plaza cause this thread keeps talking about it and it's expensive everywhere, 1000 baht and up. I don't even need this fuckin AC. Back to Khao San tomorrow I guess, unless there's another area I and any other cheapasses should know about?? Go stay at this place https://www.google.com/maps/place/N...d08f62c18?hl=en I was staying there for a private room with bathroom and fan for like 200 baht a night. I liked it. Basic, no bed bugs, clean when you remeber you're paying £2 a night. I was doing budget travelling and eating street food every day. Prices are from 2010. They have a big communal area where you can speak to fellow travellers, if that is your thing. Get a card from reception so you can show the taxi where you're staying when you realise it's 4am, you're drunk as gently caress, and have no idea where you are. Here's the trip advsisor http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g293916-d1931091-Reviews-New_My_House_Guest_House-Bangkok.html I would have given dat poo poo 5 stars, babies crying cus they're expecting hotel standard for £2 a night can gently caress off and die. Ted Ed Fred fucked around with this message at 20:04 on Nov 13, 2014 |
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Nov 13, 2014 19:58
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Oh man, we could probably start a thread for trip advisor reviews in thailand, one from said guest house:quote:Two weeks ago before we left Bangkok, I decided to call in a few guesthouses to get rates and cards to give me an idea for next year. I called in here - there was a young Thai woman with glasses sat at reception about 25 years old. She totally ignored me, so I asked very politely if she had a card or brochure with the rates. She literally banged a card down on the desk and then continued to ignore me. So I then asked politely if she had a book of pictures of the hotel (which many have) and she rudely replied "no". I then told her that I needed to give her some feedback that as a receptionist it was part of her job to be polite and give good service. She then screamed at me and told me she didn't care, get out and I wouldn't be allowed to stay there!! God drat Asians, please conform to your stereotypes!!11!
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Nov 13, 2014 22:24
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At first I thought this was a parody account on youtube. But it's not :'( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDhnn_tlTY8 The best bit is when he tells people that golden syrup is a suitable substitute for palm sugar. Not all British tourists are like this, but when they are they do it well...
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Jan 6, 2015 19:18
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Another good source for everyday Thailand is youtube. If you can handle the sexpat vibe, then people like Geoff Carter take lots of videos of walking down streets in Thailand. As a bonus, their commentary generally adds comedy value. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=user?geoffcarter1212
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May 30, 2015 19:48
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Negligent posted:I've been in Thailand for 4 months now and one of the things I've wanted to avoid is being trapped in an expat bubble. Expat 101 - Thai's ruin everything, nearly as bad as those feminazis back home. gently caress the two price system, am i rite? Ted Ed Fred fucked around with this message at 00:38 on May 31, 2015 |
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May 31, 2015 00:36
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Rent a bike, get up at half past five and cycle up the long road to Doi Suthep. Look at the view, eat some fruit for breakfast, cruise down the road then go get drunk. You're welcome.
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Aug 27, 2015 20:51
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Ted Ed Fred posted:Rent a bike, get up at half past five and cycle up the long road to Doi Suthep. Look at the view, eat some fruit for breakfast, cruise down the road then go get drunk. Pro tip - AM not PM
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Aug 27, 2015 20:54
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Does anyone know the best places to get good rates on foreign currency in Bangkok? I'm arriving next week, but I'm flying out to Tokyo and the Taipei towards the end of November and would like to arrive with cash, especially in Tokyo. Also if anyone fancies meeting up for a drink or some food next week let me know, I'm a 31 year old dude, into music and food. I haven't been to Thailand for five years so it'll be cool to see how it's changed since I was there last. Can't wait to get out there!
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Oct 15, 2015 19:27
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www posted:Id be up for this, this is my first time traveling to Thailand, fly out this Sunday, so super excited but totally bricking it at the same time. I think Ill only stay a couple of days in Bangkok though. ReindeerF posted:I should be around early-mid next week if you guys want to grab dinner and a beer somewhere convenient to me wherever I am that day, heh. A number of other goons are also here now and could pick up the slack AHEM. Cool, shall we aim for some food and drinks on wednesday? My email is (removed, pm me) add me on facebook or shoot me an email, I'll edit out my email in a day or two so don't quote it please. Would be great to get a group together. Ted Ed Fred fucked around with this message at 14:23 on Oct 18, 2015 |
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Oct 16, 2015 16:04
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One thing worth bearing in mind about only having a one way plane ticket is that it can invalidate your travel insurance, it did mine last time I was here in 2010. This time there was a clause in my insurance about it, though I can't remember exactly what it said as I've got a return ticket this time. Agree on having as smaller pack as possible. Plus if you fly anywhere with air Asia they're gonna make you pay a lot more for your ticket if you have checked luggage full stop, worth remembering if you're going to be flying between several countries.
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Oct 20, 2015 17:40
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If any of you guys are in Bangkok over a weekend I really recommend the Talad Rot Fai night market, it's a five minute walk from the most northerly sky train stop and is awesome. I'd say aim to arrive around 7-8pm. It's aimed towards younger Thais so all the clothes and stalls are great. I picked up a tshirt for 60 baht and a nice shirt for 100 baht. No haggling as its not really aimed at tourists, I only saw one other whitey when I was there on Sunday night. There are also lots of great food stalls and lots of cool bars. It did make me remember how Thais really struggle to get their head around solo travellers some times. Lots of "why you alone!?" "Where you family!?" "Where your girlfriend". Haha. I'm gonna check it out again next time I'm in Bangkok for sure.
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Oct 26, 2015 16:06
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https://www.google.com/maps/place/Jatujak+Green+ That's where the one I went to was, behind Chatuchak as reindeer says. I thought it was the train market, but I must have read some old information before I went. Because I just found another Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/pages/Railway-Train-Night-Market-Talad-Rot-Fai/309788802433922 showing a different location entirely. I guess that means I have a choice of markets at least!
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Oct 27, 2015 06:40
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Ringo R posted:A video for anyone heading to Bangkok and want to try some of the street food egg noodles. I've been to a few of the places he recommends, his videos are awful, but his eatingthaifood.com blog is pretty good, the map on there is useful. I really want to try this place http://www.eatingthaifood.com/2014/08/soei-restaurant-bangkok/ have any of you guys eaten there, is it as good as he says? The crispy mackerel faces look awesome, I imagine they're like deep fried whitebait on Thai steroids. Ted Ed Fred fucked around with this message at 10:17 on Oct 28, 2015 |
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Oct 28, 2015 10:13
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What a 250 baht a night room looks like in BKK, just a fan and cold shower, but it's fine for me. Cockroaches are complimentary.
Ted Ed Fred fucked around with this message at 06:35 on Oct 30, 2015 |
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Oct 30, 2015 06:31
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http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g293916-d634596-Reviews-Bhiman_Inn-Bangkok.html Ive also stayed at this place, 1200 baht a night. Aircon, fridge, good location away from KSR, but still close enough if you want to go and have some beers with other backpackers, plus the road it's on has loads of great food stalls on it. Ultimately it doesn't matter where you're staying as long as you're going to be able to enjoy your stay. There's no shame in high end, mid range or low end, as long as you get something out of your trip. Ted Ed Fred fucked around with this message at 12:46 on Oct 30, 2015 |
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Oct 30, 2015 12:21
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Do we have a thread answer on the non-bleach shower gel question? I'm in Phitsanulok and can't seem to find any that don't list acid in their first three ingredients. It's not too much of a pain since a bar of dove soap works just as well, but I just wondered what you long term residents did about shower gel?
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Nov 6, 2015 12:40
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Sheep-Goats posted:Buy one marketed for men? The two or three I've seen so far have whitening stuff in them, I'll keep looking. On a side note I was officially defeated for the first time by a plate of Thai food, it was one of those market stall joints with all the curries laid out and I thought I pointed at a red looking one with fish, but I got one that was just offal and huge pieces of ginger. The chicken liver I could cope with but I couldn't finish the plate. First one out of three weeks that I couldn't finish though so not too bad!
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Nov 6, 2015 14:47
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Glad to hear you went and enjoyed at least the eating part of it! Do you think the stomach issues are because you're not used to Thai spicy or did you actually get sick? My pipes always take a week or so to adjust to having Thai style spicy thrown at them 24/7 but once I'm through it, I'm good. I think I had a century egg today  It's on the left. It was in a curry so I didn't notice anything obnoxious about its flavour, it was creamy and good! The weirdest thing I've had so far is just straight up deep fried chicken - mostly bones. I assume the Thais chow down on them, but I couldn't enjoy it, I ate as much of the meat as I could and crunched through the smaller bones but there was spinal column in there which was too hard to eat without worrying about choking. It was served with deep fried kaifer leaves and julienned ginger with a really hot and tasty sauce. Anyone know what it's called so I don't order it again? I just asked for the most popular dish and that's what they have me, I can't speak sufficient Thai and they couldn't speak any English.  Posting from phone, forgive me! Ted Ed Fred fucked around with this message at 13:14 on Nov 11, 2015 |
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Nov 11, 2015 13:05
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