Thailand

[evoke]

Hi Everyone,

Seasons Greetings to all :D

We are all aware that this is the time of the year where people are getting ready for their holidays. Well I'm asking for members who have travelled to Thailand to share some with me, as I will be going over after the New Year. I have yet to book accommodation, but flights are all set. Jetstar ftw~!

I do have some specific questions that hopefully some of audience can answer. We are trying to budget $4k for the entire holiday. If people can help me out in regards to accommodation and things/places/people to avoid. This is another source of information for me, so the more the merrier. I'm asking mates and travel agents for prices and places to stay, but would be good to hear other peoples opinions on the things that are a MUST and other MUST NOTs.

How did you go about booking accommodation?

We're planning on using asiarooms.com, but i've heard that they have been scamming people over the last year. If we book it through asiarooms, we are saving at least $500 from the travel agency. Just wish to know if we can trust this website or not. Or have you gone about it differently

We plan to land and fly directly to koh samui because we want to catch the half moon party at koh phangnan. We'll stay at Koh Samui for 5 nights then Phuket for 5 nights, then Bangkok 5 nights.

Your opinions are welcomed!

[SuperDave]

They do half moon parties now? They really are milking it now days. It started out as once a year by some Euro Ibiza fans and has gone from there.

Those are probably the 3 most expensive places in Thailand to visit. What level of accommodation will determine what your costs will be. I spent 3 months there and only spent about 2 grand, however I did get the majority of my accommodation paid for and spent most of the other time in back packer joints. Also know that most travel insurance wont cover you if you have an accident driving on their roads. Just don't do it, they are crazy!

I don't know anywhere classy in central Bangkok, but if you stay on Khao San Rd (where all the tourists go) then places can be had for cheap there. They are of backpacker standard, so very simple. The good news is the bars/pubs can't bribe the police there so they close up at midnight, so noise isn't an issue late at night when trying to sleep. As for things to do in Bangkok, there is MBK (Mah Boon Krung), it is a massive shopping centre and is surrounded by 2 or 3 equally massive shopping centres. To avoid being ripped off by taxi's leaving there join the que at the taxi rank as they have to use the meter or the security man there will report them. Taxi's will do the old "traffic is very bad, do it off meter". Don't allow them to do it, taxi meter or walk away, leave them no other option. JJ markets occur every Sunday from early morning to late, they are near Mo Chit bus station on the north side of Bangkok. Taxi or the monorail thing are the easiest ways there. Real shops in the shopping centre don't accept bargaining, while the small stalls will, as do markets. You don't have to bargain, but a good starting point is 1/2 what they say. If you know what things can be had for by the locals then you can drive a better deal, but at the end of the day it makes very little difference to you, and a big difference to them.

Temples are plentiful in Bangkok. But be careful when trying to leave them in a taxi/tuk tuk as the driver may try and pull a swifty on you and "be your guide" or take you to his mates shop, this is how they rip off the tourists. If they wont take you to where you want to go, get another taxi/tuk tuk. If anyone gets aggressive towards you find a policeman/military member and let them sort it out. They are a very friendly people so you have nothing to worry about, even with the uprising thats going on, just keep away from protests. As for taxi's/tuk tuks from your hotel, just get the doorman to hail it and that way it'll be on taxi meter. If they refuse, wave the door man back over and he'll sort it out.

As for Phuket I can give you the details of the place I stayed at in Phuket town, was THB1200 a night for 3 people over the xmas/new year period, costs may have risen over the past couple of years. Phuket town is where the locals stay in Phuket since most can't afford to stay at the beaches. This hotel also had a van running every few hours to a shopping centres ("Central") and one of the beaches. There is a shooting range, elephant rides, aquarium, a zoo, jewellery stores (Mook Phuket is good for pearls). There is also quad bike adventures and Phuket Fantasea which is a stage show, check their website for details as I think they don't do it Thursday nights. That is a short list of extras other than swimming/baking that can be done around the place. As for taxi's in Phuket they can be expensive, I've heard of THB400 to go between beaches! The good thing about Phuket town is the taxi's are cheaper, however a non Thai speaker may struggle to do things.

Didn't make it to Koh Samui, so can't comment on it. But make sure you have accommodation booked in advance as it is very hard to find a vacancy. Sleeping on the beach is also a bad idea as plenty of people have drowned as the tide comes in.

I'll then move onto foods. The best food I would eat always came from someone's house that was converted into a restaurant. In those 3 places there will be very few, if any, of that style of restaurant. I strongly recommend avoiding places like McDonalds/Subway/etcetera as the local food is cheaper, healthier and tastes better. To order the better stuff on the menus you'll really need to know how to order in Thai. The easiest is to find places with pictures and point. At shopping centres they do something different to Australia. The food court will have a stand where you buy vouchers, you then use the voucher to go and buy the food from the shop.

I hope I covered what you wanted to know.

[evoke]

Thanks SuperDave!

This holiday is a little more lavish than backpacking. So Koh Samui will be luxury, Phuket a little more adventure and Bangkok being the shopping and nightlife.

When you suggest that i start booking accommodation, did you book via online websites?

and food, I'm allergic to peanuts. <_< my worst enemy. I know they like their Peanut oil as a base in Thailand. Is there a variety of authentic food that does not contain peanuts?

[daviboy]

im also going to thailand in january 21st. Im going with the gf for 3 weeks, Phuket, chang mai, Pipi island and bangkok for a bit.

ive been told not to buy food from stalls on the streets, even if they look lovely.

Ive booked a few nights stay from this website http://www.hostelworld.com/ you can book online.

Im in a position as you, thats why my gf is doing all the arangements.

[SuperDave]

This holiday is a little more lavish than backpacking. So Koh Samui will be luxury, Phuket a little more adventure and Bangkok being the shopping and nightlife.

When you suggest that i start booking accommodation, did you book via online websites?

and food, I'm allergic to peanuts. <_< my worst enemy. I know they like their Peanut oil as a base in Thailand. Is there a variety of authentic food that does not contain peanuts?

Can't help you there. I know a lot of foods contain cashews. I stayed here in Phuket: http://www.twininn.com/. I'll try and catch some Thai people on my MSN and see if they can find me the list of all the accommodation on Koh Samui again. If you are after a book on Thailand, the best one is the 'Rough guide to Thailand', much much better than the Lonely Planet one.

Also, isn't the full moon party on Koh Phangan? Mainly Haad Rin Nok

Another tip, the tourist offices around the place give out free maps and advice and can probably ring up and book places for you. I never did much beyond getting maps so I'm not sure about the last bit. There is one on Khao San Rd (it's like equivalent to our china towns, but for white people :P). The map I got included the boat times for the Koh Samui/Phangan islands.

Tourist Office

ive been told not to buy food from stalls on the streets, even if they look lovely.

I never had an issue, most people have weak stomachs to deal with stomach bugs as they have never had them before.

[Tats]

I had 2 weeks in Phuket (Patong Beach) a month ago and thoroughly recommend it if you want squillions of things to do during the day and to party all night. But it wasn't as cheap of a getaway as I thought I might get in Thailand.... flights, 2 weeks hotel (nice place) and insurance came to $2k and I must've blown at least another $1k or more while I was there. Some restaurants were the same price you'd pay in Australia for both food and drinks.

(can't go past $2.50 for tequila shots and $8 for a lapdance/massage though Rock Hard go go bar in Bangla Road, owned by an expat Aussie!)

[SuperDave]

I still like the idea of going to 7-11 and buying a cold tally to drink on my adventures

[evoke]

Sounds like Phuket is the place to be. Cheap drinks and food!

I'm looking forward to this trip. I've been on tripadvisor.com and has loads of reviews and photos of the actual place to compare against the images supplied by the hotels.

So anyone got stories? :spiteful:

[ToyotaFreak]

Sounds like Phuket is the place to be. Cheap drinks and food!

I'm looking forward to this trip. I've been on tripadvisor.com and has loads of reviews and photos of the actual place to compare against the images supplied by the hotels.

So anyone got stories? :spiteful:

I don't really know about the other parts in Thailand as I spend most of my time in Bangkok.

If you're into electronics & computers (You can bargain there, but some shops like the IT supermarket wouldn't allow bargaining.), you can try Pantip Plaza (Also heaven for pirated DVDs & software... heheh.).

Another place in Bangkok is Platinum plaza, similar to Pantip but replace the word electronics with, clothes! I mean, you can't go wrong with 1,300 shops dedicated to fashion in the building! :D

For the Toyota Fan at heart, There's the "The Style By Toyota Edutainment Center" in Siam Square.

Food wise, if you're into Japanese food, try Fuji. It's a chain of Japanese restaurants in Thailand. You might want to ask the waiter/ waitress first though, as I'm not sure if some of the things are cooked with peanut oil.

If you go to Siam Paragon, there's a place called the Gourmet Market, my mother love going there to buy rice (a H-U-G-E variety there!) & eat thier Banana Fritters. In Thailand, I recommend trying all the local fruits (e.g. Star fruit, Thai Mango, Jackfruit, Monthong Durian & etc.), as they're quite expensive back in Australia (Or at least it is, back in Perth.).

Also, try "look joob", a Thai dessert (Not the one in MBK food court though, as I'm not sure for how long they left it out in the open.). Basically miniature fruit shaped dessert made from green beans & covered in jelly. Another one to try is "thong yib", basically pinched golden egg yolk dipped in hot syrup, layered green beancake (Very easy to find, it's alternately layered, dark green, light green, dark green, light green.) & Mango with Sticky Rice (Dessert).

For auto accessories in Bangkok, there's Worajak District & Sri Worachak building-> http://www.sriworajak.com/main.php & http://www.thaitradefair.com/fairin/autoparts/

Oh yeah, be careful for Gem Scam shops in Thailand (Parents got scammed once, and it wasn't good. Exact same thing happened in link.)-> http://2bangkok.com/2bangkok/Scams/Sapphire.shtml

Easy to tell them apart, they randomly approach you & claim themselves as a doctor or a different kind of occupation (They're actually touts.), usually appear too friendly & approach tourists at random and most usually speak 98 - 99% perfect English. Just ignore those type of people.

There are also touts who work for unscrupulous restaurants, where they'll give you a "Special" English menu and charge a more expensive price (Food might not be good too!). If you have problems, you can always call the Tourist Police hotline.

Some basic manners when in Thailand;

-When they play the Thai national anthem. Stop, silence & don't make any move or sound till the anthem ends (I usually encounter this at BTS stations).

-Do not bad mouth about or show disrespect to the Thai Royalty (Lese majeste law.).

-Raising your voice or speaking in a loud tone is not advisable in Thailand.

-Do not raise your feet, as this is considered as rude to a Thai.

In other words, do as the Thais do. :)

One last tip, learn & practice some Thai words, it will be very useful, especially in restaurants (Seeing that you have an allergy to peanuts & peanut-based products.).

Have a safe trip! :)

PS: I'll be back in Bangkok in January or earlier (Had to fly back to Kuala Lumpur unexpectedly to solve some stuffs for my sister somewhere else.). Would've loved to meet up with another fellow TOCAU member. Not sure if I'll be able to go back early though, as it is the high season for airline tickets now.

Please feel free to PM SuperDave, Ascendant Justice or me on the forums if you have any more questions.

Edited December 9, 2008 by ToyotaFreak

[Simo]

EDIT: never mind LAWL

Edited December 9, 2008 by Simo

[thegourou20]

I Think We Should Organise A Tocau Member Trip To Thailand! :D LoL

[evoke]

LOL, sounds like there's heaps of scams in Thailand. Oh well, knowing me...i get scammed all the time. Bloody fuel vouchers <_<

I've been to HK & China, but i have a feeling Thailand won't be anywhere near as close.

Hrrmm autoparts aye?

I'll try and learn some Thai before I go. Just whether or not I'm motivated enough to go get a book and read.

We're planning on the following:

Tiger Temple

Elephant Trekking

4x4 adventure day

Half moon party

Snorkelling

Scuba (noob)

Bring on the sunshine!

[SuperDave]

LOL, sounds like there's heaps of scams in Thailand. Oh well, knowing me...i get scammed all the time. Bloody fuel vouchers <_<

I've been to HK & China, but i have a feeling Thailand won't be anywhere near as close.

Yeah, Jewellery is one of the big scams over there. Thats why I mentioned Mook Phuket as the pearls (mook) were genuine, not sure about the gold, didn't have it checked.

I haven't been to HK/China, but Bangkok can get close at lunch time, and markets obviously.

Toyotafrak: I have always wanted to know, does Tanon Khaosan mean little white road? Or due to tones something else?

Cheers for the location of the carparts place, I always wanted to go.

[Ascendant Rice]

Thailand is awsome. bangkok is nice lots of spots to visit like the royal temple (forgot name XD) pataya has alot of lady boys.

My family home town Phitsanulok is awsome theres a really old temple there with the biggest bhudda i think in thailand, the locals call the temple Wat yai meaning Big temple lol.

well i might be biased since im half thai but.... THAILAND IS AWSOMEEE!!!!!!!

good tip if you here people look at you and say the word Farang to there friend that means they are talking about you :) just a heads up.

[VF-X]

Thailand is awsome. bangkok is nice lots of spots to visit like the royal temple (forgot name XD) pataya has alot of lady boys.

My family home town Phitsanulok is awsome theres a really old temple there with the biggest bhudda i think in thailand, the locals call the temple Wat yai meaning Big temple lol.

well i might be biased since im half thai but.... THAILAND IS AWSOMEEE!!!!!!!

good tip if you here people look at you and say the word Farang to there friend that means they are talking about you :) just a heads up.

LadyBoys Ftw!

How do u differentiate this? I heard Thai has the best skill to turn people into Ladyboys and they are often better than women..

Edited December 10, 2008 by VF-X

[SuperDave]

LadyBoys Ftw!

How do u differentiate this? I heard Thai has the best skill to turn people into Ladyboys and they are often better than women..

Get them to put their arm straight. A man's arm will be straight, while a woman's arm will bend in a bit at the elbow.

The other sign is if they have stubble, haha.

[Tats]

You can tell just by looking at them.... stuff like broad shoulders and supersized boobs are a dead giveaway.....

[SuperDave]

Trust me, there are some you are never really sure of...

You need to remember some kids from a very young age are bought up to be ladyboys. So from an early age they are given oestrogen to pretty much make them 'female'. The ugly ones with stubble and Adam's apple and the like, I'm thinking is like their equivalent to emo's; or they just couldn't afford the drugs.

One of the best things you need to know in Thai is: Mai ow krub/ka (male/female saying it). Its a polite way of saying 'I don't want', they will usually leave you alone once you say it in Thai.

[daviboy]

im lookn forward to my trip to, but if these issues in bangkok airport dont die down by then, we might have 2 cancel. Better safe then sorry i guess.

[SuperDave]

I wouldn't be worried about the protesters, they wont target tourists. Just keep away from them and don't get involved and you'll be fine.

[Ascendant Rice]

airports cleared up the goverment got thrown out soo i think the protesters are gone back to their normal routine

[Tats]

One of the best things you need to know in Thai is: Mai ow krub/ka (male/female saying it). Its a polite way of saying 'I don't want', they will usually leave you alone once you say it in Thai.

I'm 6'5" and >120kg and my mate isn't a great deal smaller. They left us alone as soon as we looked at them :D

[evoke]

Gonna YouTube - Thai 101 Common Phrases Used

Wooo lady boys! hahahaha, i know one of my mates are gonna get ganked

[ToyotaFreak]

Toyotafrak: I have always wanted to know, does Tanon Khaosan mean little white road? Or due to tones something else?

Cheers for the location of the carparts place, I always wanted to go.

Sorry for the late reply, just managed to leach through a stable, fast connection nearby our apartment (It's the Waterworks department's line. heheh).

I'm not exactly sure to be honest, but after getting it transliterated, the "thon" (ทน) in "thon non" could mean strong, durable or withstanding something (Used http://thai2english.com).

Just to clarify one thing, I'm not Thai btw, just a farang who visits Thailand regularly (Dad works there.).

A lot of narak dee girls from uni, just wished I wasn't that shy to ask for their contact number or MSN (Maaaaaaan, I'm hopeless.). I remember hanging around Siam Square & Siam paragon @ 16:00 after my training course just to ummmm..... uhhh.. You get idea. (No. Not that!)

Speaking of lady boys, I had the unfortunate encounter with a couple of them HeShe/ Shehe Hybrids (Including a farang!).

Here's one (Not of a lady boy though.);

I was walking back home with my mother after shopping for groceries. Well, I didn't notice anything, until my mother pointed out that the person we saw isn't a real woman! The cross dresser was wearing blue underwear & a white, thin (See through, almost like clear plastic.) blouse!

[SuperDave]

I'm not exactly sure to be honest, but after getting it transliterated, the "thon" (ทน) in "thon non" could mean strong, durable or withstanding something (Used http://thai2english.com).

'tanon' means 'street' from my Thai classes, guess it just depends on the spelling used.

Have you done the go karts in Bangkok? Are they any good?