Discussion
Will try uber next time, however never had an issue with taxis as long as you Insist on using the meter.
James bind island really isn't all that, you spend around 10mins on the actual island then are hurried back off as it's packed then go out elsewhere in kayaks etc which you do in most places in Thailand
James bind island really isn't all that, you spend around 10mins on the actual island then are hurried back off as it's packed then go out elsewhere in kayaks etc which you do in most places in Thailand
nyt said:
When you arrive buy a phone data SIM from one of the booths at the airport.
They are dirt cheap (£10 for 30 days/10Gb) and it means that you can use online maps / tripadvisor / whatever when you're out and about.
Get a DTAC network sim, can also get in any 7-11 store, and can usually get them set up in english as well as squiggle, so you will understand the service messages. They are dirt cheap (£10 for 30 days/10Gb) and it means that you can use online maps / tripadvisor / whatever when you're out and about.
to top up (if you need to) just go to 7-11 and ask, they will either give you a scratch card or ask you to type your number into a doohicky next to the till.
ohh and for the princely sum of 50p / day - 1gb / day, Press *104*882*9# dial
I'm in Thailand at the moment before wrapping up my SE Asia trip in Singapore for the F1 at the weekend. I 2nd the above suggestion of getting a car and exploring.which I have done twice, first was a few years back when I went to Hua Hin, renting the car at the airport with my flight. On that trip I drove it into Central Bangkok at the backend of my trip, which wasn't so bad I thought, as I did it at a quiet time on the weekend. The hotel I stayed at, Grand Hyatt had free parking, probably as very few tourists are dumb enough to consider it, and driving the the airport on a weekday morning I realised it wasn't such a good idea!
Currently in Phuket, some of the roads off the beaten track are great fun, and nice and quiet for rental car abuse, along with quiet spectacular scenery away from the hustle and bustle. Although I did get lasered by a sneaky cop on the main road from the mainland bridge crossing, so I might have letters arriving in the post in a few weeks time. Hmm, I should of really got a sim card so I could have used Waze on my phone. Oh well.....
Currently in Phuket, some of the roads off the beaten track are great fun, and nice and quiet for rental car abuse, along with quiet spectacular scenery away from the hustle and bustle. Although I did get lasered by a sneaky cop on the main road from the mainland bridge crossing, so I might have letters arriving in the post in a few weeks time. Hmm, I should of really got a sim card so I could have used Waze on my phone. Oh well.....
smack said:
Although I did get lasered by a sneaky cop on the main road from the mainland bridge crossing, so I might have letters arriving in the post in a few weeks time. Hmm, I should of really got a sim card so I could have used Waze on my phone. Oh well.....
Don't worry - if they didnt shake you down there and then for some coffee money, you wont hear a peep from them.I really don't like Thailand. I've been to Bangkok, Hua Hin, Cha-am and Hat Yai a few times this year and my overwhelming impression is that it's predominantly a grimy, sleazy dump populated by western blokes looking to screw under-privileged local girls for a few baht.
I travel throughout Asia on business every few weeks and Thailand is always the place I least look forward to spending time in.
I travel throughout Asia on business every few weeks and Thailand is always the place I least look forward to spending time in.
schmalex said:
I really don't like Thailand. I've been to Bangkok, Hua Hin, Cha-am and Hat Yai a few times this year and my overwhelming impression is that it's predominantly a grimy, sleazy dump populated by western blokes looking to screw under-privileged local girls for a few baht.
I travel throughout Asia on business every few weeks and Thailand is always the place I least look forward to spending time in.
I'm afraid, if thats all you see when in Thailand, you're frequenting the wrong places! Thailand has a tremendously diverse, beautiful and welcoming appeal to me and my family. We travel there frequently because of the sheer wonder of the country.I travel throughout Asia on business every few weeks and Thailand is always the place I least look forward to spending time in.
Yes, there are areas which you certainly wouldn't consider "family friendly", but these are very easily avoided.
It's an incredibly diverse country, with natural wonder, a huge sense of fun and an inherent respect of others. Venturing from the beaten track will reward and amaze the traveller, in equal measure.
There are beach resorts which resemble the Spanish Costa's. There are sleazy streets and areas of cities, which fit the description above. These are the minority.
Thailand has so much more to offer than these couple of draw backs.
schmalex said:
I really don't like Thailand. I've been to Bangkok, Hua Hin, Cha-am and Hat Yai a few times this year and my overwhelming impression is that it's predominantly a grimy, sleazy dump populated by western blokes looking to screw under-privileged local girls for a few baht.
That's just compete b
ks I'm afraid, you just don't like Thailand.In Bangkok you need to be actively looking to see redlight districts or any of that activity. The city is packed full of some of the world's best shopping, bars, spas and hotels. It's the most visited city on the planet and westerners are actually a very small minority of tourists these days.
Hat Yai is full of Malaysian men, Hua Hin is full of elderly Scandanavians including many women retirees.
Can you also name me an Asian country that doesn't have men exploiting women?
You really do not have to actively look to find massage or red light acrivity in BKK. Yes, there's Patpong / Nannas / Cowboy / KSR but pretty much every road along Sukhumvit has got massage parlours. In fact, last time I was in the city in July, places were actively advertising that they WEREN'T offering happy endings.
Bangers just does not do it for me at all
Bangers just does not do it for me at all
schmalex said:
You really do not have to actively look to find massage or red light acrivity in BKK. Yes, there's Patpong / Nannas / Cowboy / KSR but pretty much every road along Sukhumvit has got massage parlours. In fact, last time I was in the city in July, places were actively advertising that they WEREN'T offering happy endings.
Bangers just does not do it for me at all
Forget that side and move on, Edinburgh has saunas that sell sex for money, it can be found just about anywhere, There is soooo much more to Thailand than the seedy murky underworld that you mention. avoid that and it is a beautiful country indeed.Bangers just does not do it for me at all
ruggedscotty said:
schmalex said:
You really do not have to actively look to find massage or red light acrivity in BKK. Yes, there's Patpong / Nannas / Cowboy / KSR but pretty much every road along Sukhumvit has got massage parlours. In fact, last time I was in the city in July, places were actively advertising that they WEREN'T offering happy endings.
Bangers just does not do it for me at all
Forget that side and move on, Edinburgh has saunas that sell sex for money, it can be found just about anywhere, There is soooo much more to Thailand than the seedy murky underworld that you mention. avoid that and it is a beautiful country indeed.Bangers just does not do it for me at all
schmalex said:
Sadly, I only get to go to major cities due to work and get to only spend a couple of days each time. The Thais are wonderful, lovely, fantastic people. It just seems to be ruined by the Westerners IMO
You are clearly staying in and frequenting the wrong areas, try Thonglor, Siam, Sathorn, Ploenchit - avoid Silom and Lower SukhumwitTheGuru said:
schmalex said:
Sadly, I only get to go to major cities due to work and get to only spend a couple of days each time. The Thais are wonderful, lovely, fantastic people. It just seems to be ruined by the Westerners IMO
You are clearly staying in and frequenting the wrong areas, try Thonglor, Siam, Sathorn, Ploenchit - avoid Silom and Lower Sukhumwit
To be fair, Bangkok does have an "aroma" to it, especially in the
In Thailand you will find what you look for. There are seedy areas but wonderful beaches etc. Hat Yai is not a Thai town in that it is very largely Chinese very little Thai influence, exists for the Malaysian market, I used to live there for work, it is very largely run by one gangster, who is a very interesting character, actually comes over as a nice guy if you stay out of his way, we used to be invited to his table for a whiskey, but I wouldn't cross him. there has only been one bombing in Hat Yai in over 20 years of unrest, apparently he sorted the perpetrators out as they were affecting business.
With regard to driving in Thailand it is great, I do a lot of bike touring there, but as a point of fact if you hire a car then you need to inform the hiring company if you intend to take a vehicle out of state, so you can not legally take a Phucket hire car across the bridge, some times the police will stop you, some times they wont and you wont have an issue unless you are involved in an accident.
If you drive there are fabulous beaches S E of Krabbie, where you never see a European
With regard to driving in Thailand it is great, I do a lot of bike touring there, but as a point of fact if you hire a car then you need to inform the hiring company if you intend to take a vehicle out of state, so you can not legally take a Phucket hire car across the bridge, some times the police will stop you, some times they wont and you wont have an issue unless you are involved in an accident.
If you drive there are fabulous beaches S E of Krabbie, where you never see a European
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