Thailand Holiday, input appreciated.

[lithos]

Originally Posted by stevenx

Khao San to MBK should be less than 100 baht, give or take. The best bit is when they do circles around the place hoping that whitey doesn't notice.

Yeah, that happened a bit, but we split the fare three ways, so, eh.

Insisting on not using the meter can backfire on 'em; here's story from my dad, who lives/works in Thailand:

Wanted to go out waaaay the fuck out of the centre of BKK. From the other side of BKK. He'd already gotten in, and was running a bit late, so couldn't pick and choose his cab. Asks cabbie for the meter. Cabbie insists, no, 600 baht. Dad says meter. Cabbie says 600.

Dad states it would really be within the driver's best interests to use the meter.

Cabbie is adamant about a flat fare.

Dad says, ok, fine. Cabbie is obviously a bit new to BKK; does not know the distances.

After about forty minutes of driving, the cabbie starts to realise his error in wanting a flat fare. After about two hours, he's fuming. 600 baht would have come and gone on the meter ages before that. This trip probably would've run into the thousands.

When they finally get to their destination, Dad peels off exactly 600 baht worth of notes and says "Have a nice day".

Bangkok is truly one of the greatest cities in the world... and although three days there as a tourist is probably too long, three weeks isn't long enough.

Amen. It's a great country, full stop. Partly, I'd say, is because they were never a colony (they were the handy buffer zone between the French colonies to the east and the British ones to west).

[Modafroman]

Originally Posted by stevenx

Khao San to MBK should be less than 100 baht, give or take. The best bit is when they do circles around the place hoping that whitey doesn't notice.

The green and gold taxis are driven by the taxi owner. They are much less likely to try to avoid using the meter than the pink taxis, which are not driven by the owner. In fact I've never had a problem getting a metered taxi, nobody's ever tried to ask a fixed price. Guess I've been lucky.

Bangkok is truly one of the greatest cities in the world... and although three days there as a tourist is probably too long, three weeks isn't long enough.

KSR to MKB cost us 60 baht on the meter and 100baht on the return trip (guy wanted 300baht because 'it was raining' lol, he refused to use the meter, after 5 minutes of arguing he said 100 and I was like ehh fuck it who cares).

While I agree on BKK being an amazing city in terms of the whole spectacle of it, you just gotta know what it is and what it isn't. I would have still gone and done all the things we did, but I would have preferred 1 more day in phuket *shrugs*. By the end of BKK we were fucking exhausted haha, ready for a holiday after our holiday

[Sorrow]

Originally Posted by Modafroman

Yea, it was awesome. If you haven't spent much time in asian countries before it would such a different culture to experience.

Like I said, we both enjoyed Phuket the best, but I think that's because that was the type of holiday that we were looking forward to the most, a real relaxing beachy type holiday.... plus the hotel was absolutely amazing. Awesome views, awesome location, awesome staff, and it was very romantic (the hotel has a no-children policy, and it's pretty much just couples heh).... fair expensive to what you would expect, it cost us $600 for the 2 of us for 5 nights including breakfasts - still pretty good for a 5 star hotel tho.

We stayed in Pathumwan Princess in Bangkok - it's literally above MBK. If you were in Bangkok for shopping, i'd say that would be a prime location, it was walking distance from MBK, all the Siam stuff, Panthip, Platinum, and you can catch a cab to pretty much anywhere/sky train etc. But I think we were just overwhelmed by how busy it was/how much shopping stuff there is, maybe why we didn't really buy much.

Edit: and if you do decide to stay less time in BKK, make sure you get your suit organised straight up. Ben at Tailor on Ten said they usually aim for 3 days turn around (initial measuring and 2 fittings), but for me it took 5 days because they were busy/we had time (still only 2 fittings tho, he nailed the second fitting, no alterations needed - measured on a monday arvo and picked up the suit friday arvo before we left).

What did you think of Chiang Mai?? I loved it when I was there, nice and chilled out. I wished I had waited to sort out my accomodation there until I got there because a) I probably got ripped and b) I met about 5 others on the train there who I could have grouped up with.

Originally Posted by josh_676

Go through a travel agent or avoid like the plague?

If you plan on winging some of your trip, do not use a travel agent in Thailand. Wait until you get where you are going and organise it yourself direct with the place.

Bangkok is not a good place to be stressed out.. My passport was stolen down in Phi Phi and I spent 3 days in Bangkok stressed out of my head trying to sort out an emergency.. Ordinarily I could deal with the locals trying to rip you off, but being already stressed didnt help..

[BassMstr]

Having travelled to Thailand alot over the past 20 years. I always enjoy going back. Went there in June this year and had alot of fun. Stayed in Bangkok for 5 days and Phuket for 10 days.

Stayed at the Indra Regent in Bangkok this time and apart from there being limited restaurants around the hotel i will be going back there again as the shopping was great. Had the department store that was part of the hotel building to go browsing through and heaps of to choose from (Clothes, shoes, bags all the way to electronics, camera, phones). There was also the nightmarkets around the hotel for some good bargins and the stalls across the road from the hotel.

Getting around Bangkok i have found it easy using Tuk Tuk, monorail or just walking around. MBK is good to visit and takes a while to get through the whole complex.

As for Phuket i have found that it comes down to the hotel location as to if people enjoy the place or not (also there attitude plays a part). I normally stay in Patong but around the Holiday Inn, Patong Merlin area which is away from the bars and nightlife and always find it enjoyable.

Chiang Mai is also good to visit and i found it nice and laid back. Plenty of the country side to see and other things depending on what your interested in.

[BassMstr]

Originally Posted by lithos

Bangkok's a great city. They people who dislike Bangkok mostly tend to be of drunken yobbo bent, who are supremely miffed there's no 24 hour rave and that it's harder to get cheap eccies and buckets of (m)ethanol.

I know what you mean. That is what i do not like is people that travel to another country and don't respect the culture of that country.

Last year when i was in Phuket we were waiting to be picked up for airport transfer to leave and was talking with a family that we waiting also and the guy kept on whinging about how he couldn't ride a motorcycle without an international drivers licence, couldn't drink and ride the bike also, heap of other things also and he was comparing it to Bali where he could do this stuff.

All i could think is this guy is an idiot and you couldn't do the same things in Australia either so why does he want to do them when on Holiday and could harm himself, his family or someone else.