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Travel The MEGA Travel Thread!

Benefit said:
As long as you follow the clearly marked, English language signs directing you to the taxi stand, you won't get ripped off AT THE AIRPORT - in other areas of Bangkok, you still should be able to get the driver to use the meter just be forceful if they try and pull some funny business and outside of Bangkok, well, who knows that depends on where you are and how much patience you have.

There is a 50 baht surcharge for trips originating from the airport, which is clearly stated in the little receipt you get. Shouldn't be more than 250 baht to Sukhumvit or Siam, so less than $10. Just follow the signs when you get off the plane!
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Very sound advice.

Samadhi, do NOT, do NOT, do NOT accept any offers to help you find residence!! And like Benefit said, ONLY take a metered taxi.

I really don't recommend going blindly on accommodation because a combination of being tired and what looks like convenience are BOUND to get you ripped off big time. Happened to me several times. I *strongly* recommend you get a guidebook (sorry spade ;)) and at least have some names ready to give your cab driver, who will otherwise (or despite!) have a nice list of HIS own ripoff hotels.
 
Why not just book accomodation in advance online? If you're after a hostel or cheap guesthouse / hotel then www.hostelbookers.com is ideal.

You don't need a guidebook for Thailand. Guidebooks are the devil. At least on hostelbookers it's only reviews from people who have stayed there (you cant review otherwise) where as the guidebooks are just biased, essentially paid for, reviews. Fuck the Lonely Planet!
 
^ Not to flog a dead horse, but although LP may be a bit too cliquy, my recommended guides are actually ones published by Bradt and Trailblazer (neither of whom cover Thailand, so they must agree with you ;)), which most definitely aren't paid for reviews. Both are British. Footprint is also a good one, although they don't hide that they advertise - at least for their South America book. Again, no Thailand. lol.

Interesting site btw, will definitely bookmark :)
 
Benefit said:
As long as you follow the clearly marked, English language signs directing you to the taxi stand, you won't get ripped off AT THE AIRPORT - in other areas of Bangkok, you still should be able to get the driver to use the meter just be forceful if they try and pull some funny business and outside of Bangkok, well, who knows that depends on where you are and how much patience you have.

There is a 50 baht surcharge for trips originating from the airport, which is clearly stated in the little receipt you get. Shouldn't be more than 250 baht to Sukhumvit or Siam, so less than $10. Just follow the signs when you get off the plane!
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LOL it cost me at least 40 bucks. I had the words "stupid foreigner, please rip me off!" taped on my forehead. I learned pretty quick about what it should cost and having them put on the meter. But the first night, eh. I was tired, scared and alone. Live and learn!
 
Jamshyd said:
^ Not to flog a dead horse, but although LP may be a bit too cliquy, my recommended guides are actually ones published by Bradt and Trailblazer (neither of whom cover Thailand, so they must agree with you ;)), which most definitely aren't paid for reviews. Both are British. Footprint is also a good one, although they don't hide that they advertise - at least for their South America book. Again, no Thailand. lol.

Interesting site btw, will definitely bookmark :)
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Footprint have a Thailand guide Jam.

First time you've come across hostel bookers? I've used it a lot, it's pretty handy and you get a good idea of a place before you go. Only once I can think of where I booked a place with good reviews and when I got there I found it to be the complete opposite. That was in Rockhampton, Australia also known as the shittest place on earth.

LOL it cost me at least 40 bucks. I had the words "stupid foreigner, please rip me off!" taped on my forehead. I learned pretty quick about what it should cost and having them put on the meter. But the first night, eh. I was tired, scared and alone. Live and learn!
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$40 for a taxi from Bangkok airport into town is madness. How did that happen? You didn't go to the official taxi rank with the little desks outside where the women asks where you are going and explains the system? She tells the driver where you are going, gives you a receipt etc. Lesson learnt indeed.
 
Oh they do? Well go figure :). Thing I like about footprint is that it has the look and feel of a directory - as far possible as you can get from LP's attempt at "character". I use them mostly for getting an idea of what to expect in terms of practicalities, and for planning ahead (such as the example above with having a couple of names planned beforehand just in case) - not so much while an the road, about where to go and what to see, etc. That's why I like the other two publishers more than any other - their guides focus on practicalities and are very to-the-point.

Again, while I am the first to denounce walking with your face buried in a guide, I think they are indispensable for planning - both to non-touristy destination of whose language and ways one is absolutely ignorant, as well as for very touristy places (like bkk) where the amount of scam can be blinding.
 
LMAO, don't worry, you're not going to Puntland ;).

Be assured, you WILL fall for a scam, at least once. It's like a rite of passage in Thailand. The idea is to learn, and be alert, and be assertive, all while not appearing to be an asshole.

I noticed a lot of people forgo the last point and it pays off in Thailand, a country populated almost entirely by unpleasant people who wouldn't even recognize an asshole when they see one ;).

I know I suck at keeping in touch. But when you're there, do not hesitate to contact me if you run into what seems to be serious stuff. I'll recognize the urgency and reply ASAP, circumstance allowing :). I'm excited for you!
 
Jamshyd said:
Very sound advice.

Samadhi, do NOT, do NOT, do NOT accept any offers to help you find residence!! And like Benefit said, ONLY take a metered taxi.

I really don't recommend going blindly on accommodation because a combination of being tired and what looks like convenience are BOUND to get you ripped off big time. Happened to me several times. I *strongly* recommend you get a guidebook (sorry spade ;)) and at least have some names ready to give your cab driver, who will otherwise (or despite!) have a nice list of HIS own ripoff hotels.
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Thanks Jamshyd, much appreciated :) We're actually booking online before we go and are organising for a hotel transfer - since it's our honeymoon, we want to have a little special treatment. :) We also have an amazing travel agent who has been to Thailand a number of times, but he's been on leave for the past few weeks and, being the control freak i am, i started panicking. He's going to email us a list of decent hotels in Koh Samui for the first leg of the island portion, and says that the hotel we've decided on (Tai-Pan) is good too :) We also have the Lonely Planet Thailand guide.
 
as well as for very touristy places (like bkk) where the amount of scam can be blinding.
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The biggest scam I've ever encountered would be a tuk tuk driver quoting me a ridicolous price and me laughing and either walking off or tellling him the price I'm willing to pay. Nothing else though nearly everyone I met had fell for the "tour of BKK for 10baht because it's Chinese New Year / Buddha Day / public holiday" then being taking to gem stores and factories you're expected to buy from. Didn't hear of anything worse.

This country is sounding increasingly complicated.
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Thailand is amazingly simple to travel in.

I noticed a lot of people forgo the last point and it pays off in Thailand, a country populated almost entirely by unpleasant people who wouldn't even recognize an asshole when they see one
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You really don't like Thailand do you? :D

The people are lovely. :p
 
TheSpade said:
The biggest scam I've ever encountered would be a tuk tuk driver quoting me a ridicolous price and me laughing and either walking off or tellling him the price I'm willing to pay. Nothing else though nearly everyone I met had fell for the "tour of BKK for 10baht because it's Chinese New Year / Buddha Day / public holiday" then being taking to gem stores and factories you're expected to buy from. Didn't hear of anything worse.
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I keep reading about these gem scams but I have never heard or ever encountered one. Perhaps they only try tricking foreign women?
 
I heard the story from a few guys, maybe it wasn't all gem stores but stores or factories of some sort that the driver gets commission from. The thing is if you've been fleeced by a tuk tuk driver and he's taking you to retail outlets instead of the sights you expected how likely are you to actually buy anything? I'd be too pissed off to even look.
 
We got taken by our tuk tuk driver to a tailors shop. He told us some story about how they subsidise his fuel if he takes farangs there. He told us the deal before we got in though. I just went along with it. He got his fuel, I checked out the tailors, said no thank you and got back on our way. It took 5 minutes out of my day and was slightly annoying but not the worst thing that could have happened. I offered to match whatever they were paying him not to take us there but he was adamant that we must look at the suits. I should have probably jumped out and grabbed a different tuk tuk but I wanted to go and he made it sound like I would be doing him a favour... Im a sucker
 
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Ximot said:
a set of 7 specially selected crystals (one for each chakra) that i had put out on the sand near my hut when it was full moon, to energise them overnight...
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You left your crystal outside overnight to.... energize them? LOL. Man... fucking backpackers....
 
I think the gem store / tailor 'scam' is pretty common and if it get you a tour of the city/free refreshments as the store owners are trying to sell you something then it can be a laugh (as long as your not easily intimidated and end up buying a load of rubbish).

Im excited for my trip though - Spade, you should work in a holiday call center :)
 
Woo, we just booked our accommodation in Bangkok and Chiang Mai! All we need to do now is book the first part of our Koh Samui leg and we're all set! :D:D
 
TheSpade said:
Why not just book accomodation in advance online? If you're after a hostel or cheap guesthouse / hotel then www.hostelbookers.com is ideal.

At least on hostelbookers it's only reviews from people who have stayed there (you cant review otherwise) where as the guidebooks are just biased, essentially paid for, reviews. Fuck the Lonely Planet!
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While agreeing with most of what you say, especially fuck Lonely Planet, and hostelbookers is a great site...but I got 'paid' (through free internet time) to review a hostel on that site. Its par for the course.

Oh, and Footprint is for rich people. Green, maybe. Expensive, definitely.

As for travelling in Thailand....

"Get on the boat" "Get off the boat". ;)
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You are just another commodity to them. :\
 
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