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úåéö÷øèàå äëéùî éã÷åî -
äøåáçú -
íéìëåð - úåøéäæ -
: ìåáâ éøáòî ,úåéåøéøâù ,äñéðë úåøùà
Getting a visa at the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok was easy, fast and cheaper than a travel agency. However, you are required to go to a personal interview with an officer, so some people might prefer to use an agent anyway. Dress neatly and answer questions politely - the only thing they really want to know is whether or not you’re a journalist. Hours for the visa section are 8.30 to 11.30 am, and 2.00 to 4.30 pm. Thirty day visas cost 720B and are ready in 24 hours.
For the new one year multiple entry visa:
The Lao Embassy in Ramkamhaeng Road in Bangkok will issue 30 day tourist visas for 1050 baht. It takes three days for the visa to be processed, or you can pay an extra 300 baht and it will be ready the same day. Visa applications must be submitted during morning office hours and passports are to be collected in the afternoon.
Emily Moller, Thailand (Jan 99)
If you are travelling to Laos, Vietnam or Cambodia from Thailand, it is probably worth getting all your visas in Bangkok: all the embassies are here, and it is usually cheaper. If you organise visas as soon as you arrive, you need not be held up in Bangkok for too long.
Three Pagodas Pass (pp186 and 349): the border with Myanmar is open to Thai citizens only (has been this way for the last three years according to the border control - on Thai government instructions).
In response to the above: this is wrong. The Three Pagodas Pass is open to tourists on a day basis. The procedure is to get your passport stamped at the immigration office at Sangkhlaburi, proceed to the border, pay a fee and cross for the day. Your passport is not stamped on re-entry to Thailand and your visa is not extended. I have been there but did not cross as it was late in the day. However, I don’t disbelieve the detailed instructions given to us in good English by the Thai customs people at the border.
In Mae Sai, the procedure for entering Tachilek has changed. Now, they stamp you in and out and you keep your passport, just like any other border crossing. Easy way to get another month in Thailand!
In the 'Documents' section it states that you require a passport valid for at least three months after date of entry. I duly checked mine and it was valid for four months so I thought nothing more of passports. It was the day before I was due to fly out when a work colleague asked me if I had my tickets, money and whether my passport was valid for six months. They were convinced that six months was the required time. This worried me enough to phone the Thai Embassy to check. They confirmed that the requirement was indeed six months and that I would not get into Thailand if it was less.
If you want to extend your visa to stay longer in Phuket and can't be bothered to bus it to Haatyai-Satun-Langkawi (Malaysia), you can now go by road to Ranong and then Longtail to Burma. To do this, find Jimmy's Light House, register your desire to do a visa run with Rod Stewart (seriously!). He has a list of all the foreigners who want to share to Burma. Add four people (with a sense of adventure) plus one jeep rentable from Rod (800 Baht). Drive for four hours along the A4 to Ranong. Fuel 350 Baht. Immigration officer in Ranong office - very nice man! Haggle for a Longtail from the port to Burma immigration office (which is actually a concrete block in the middle of the river): 150 Baht for both ways. You get two stamps when you reach Burma: one allows you to stay for 24 hours and the second one logs you out of Burma and you are on your way back to Thailand. Whole boat journey takes 45 minutes; beautiful approach to Burma - two beautiful temples (take a camera). Cost of visa in Burma US$5 or 300 Baht. Then four hours back to Phuket. Best day to go is Sunday - no traffic on the roads and 7 am start is best time. Return approximately 7.30 pm exhausted!
I'd advise that if travellers intend to go from Bangkok to Cambodia and on to Vietnam, they should get their visa for Vietnam in Phnom Penh. In Bangkok we stressed that we wanted to enter Vietnam at Moc Bai and leave via Lao Bao. When we collected our visas they were stamped Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. We were then told that the embassy in Bangkok only issues visas for these entry/exit points. We don't know if this is true or just a cock-up by the travel agent.
I was in Laos last week. Basically, I followed the advice in the Lonely Planet to apply for my Laos visa at the Thai border (Nongkhai). It cost about US$68 plus the transportation to Vientiane. The hotel name is Phanthavee Hotel, but you can easily find another hotel that can help you get the visa. There is a cheaper way to get the visa: go to the border directly because there is an immigration department there. All you have to do is pay US$50, supply one photo and wait for about 15 minutes. You will get the visa - it is very easy.
Visas to Laos can now be obtained at a number of different agencies in Thailand but most seem to be charging a set US$60. It was cheaper to get one in Chiang Mai if you could wait five to six days and pay in Baht. The agencies charging US$60 will get you a visa by the next day.
Ann Tour (in Chiang Rai) is a great place to get a visa for Laos. We faxed copies of our passports two days in advance (one is sufficient) and could have had the staff accompany us over to Laos that day to get our visas for only 1700 Baht for a 14 day visa (the price hasn't gone up in the past year) but instead chose to wait. They were very accommodating and watched our packs the next morning until we were ready for them to take us to the pier.
The new address of the Laotian embassy in Bangkok is at, what a helpful Thai spelled like, Rumkhumhaeng Road near the university building.
I wanted to inform you of a recent change in policy at the Mai Sai-Thakhilek border. Last week I was able to officially 'exit' and 're-enter' Thailand here, enabling me to receive a new 30 day tourist visa free of charge (I am a US citizen). The Myanmar immigration police charged me US$5 (or 350B) to enter Thakhilek for the day, and graced my passport with both entrance and exit stamps for Myanmar. Quick, convenient, cheap, and no passport photos.
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If you want to travel along the Khlongs in Bangkok, the only way is to rent a long-tail boat. Prices start from 600 to 700B per person for one hour.
On the Thai/Burmese boarder Karenni refugee camps surround Mae Hong Son. To supplement the minimal aid the refugees receive they weave and sell bags in local gift shops. The bags are dyed and hand woven by the women in the camps. They are really cheap and make great gifts.
Ko Phi Phi is a great place to go (especially during July/August). Not too many tourists and a true paradise but the weather can vary. If you go on a snorkelling trip don’t forget to bring some bananas with you while snorkelling. Unwrap the banana underwater and watch the tropical fish approach. Great for photos.
A wonderful way to ‘chill-out’ when staying in Chaing Mai is to take cooking lessons. Make sure when you book you are offered your ‘own’ stove.
Opening a Thai bank account upon arrival is a very useful thing to do. Not having to carry any money or travellers cheques was a weight off my mind. It was especially helpful in Indonesia. Thai Farmers Bank is the bank found most frequently throughout Thailand. They issue you with a bank card the day you open your account.
Ko Phi Phi: this place was a nightmare of tourism. I wish we hadn’t gone. While the scenery was beautiful, watching the Thais load box after box of bottled water for the tourists, then seeing these plastic bottles littered on the beaches and island, made us realise how devastating tourism is in this small space.
The TAT office in Kanchanaburi was the best of any town we visited in Thailand. In addition to the usual useful information and travel timetables, it was manned by local school children wanting to practise their English.
While travelling in Bangkok be careful as to what you order in a Chinese restaurant. Dog meat is listed on the menu as ‘urban deer’ while jellyfish is called ‘juicy noodles’.
ATMs in Thailand that accept Cirrus are Siam Commercial Bank, Thai Farmers Bank and Thai Military Bank. Users should be careful not to choose the quick cash option as this will not work.
For those using credit cards to obtain cash in Thailand, be warned that due to the currency crisis, many Thai banks have little money. In many cases it is hard to obtain more than 2000B per card per day from ATMs, so whenever you can get more from an ATM, take advantage of it!
I wish to relate an experience that I had in Thailand that made me aware of the huge responsibility that we, as travellers, have. I was in northern Thailand where my Thai friend took me to visit some hill tribe villages. At one particular village, I witnessed several youngsters lying pitifully on their sides all day and most of the night smoking opium. Either that, or doing heroin. My friend told me that it used only to be the village elders who would have their pipe when they came home from work in the fields to relax, and it was respected. Now, however, with travellers passing through on a regular basis and having a ‘rustic experience’ smoking with the villagers, my friend believes that the younger people have been influenced thus: ‘if farangs our age smoke, why shouldn’t we?’ I am not saying we are wholly responsible for their drug addiction, by no means: but we really should think first whether we are in fact causing any harm by this act.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, Kuala Lumpur office, has moved from the Royal Thai Embassy as of December 1998. Its new address and contact details are:
Um Phang: the Eco-Tourism Centre on the outskirts of Um Phang will provide you with a map of the village and surrounding area, showing points of interest.
Phuket: many restaurants in Karon Beach add 10% for the service and 10% tax for every meal.
Phi Phi Islands: be advised to buy your underwater photo equipment in advance. You won't find it at Phi Phi, and in Phuket it is rather expensive.
When taking a songthaew, the best thing to do is watch closely what the locals pay and just do the same, without any comment; asking 'How much?' most of the time means paying three times the normal price.
I just learned the hard way, but you don't have to: if you are flying in and out of Bangkok, and staying for less than 12 hours - it doesn't matter if you leave the airport - you can avoid the 500 baht departure tax. Be warned that you must ask for an 'exemption' form when you get your visa on entry.
We met a monk with whom we became friends. He told us he had been trying to do that for years, but no tourist would take the time with him. If you want to make contact with the country, you should make this effort; be patient, and you will see a part of Thai society that might otherwise be closed.
Most bureaux de change charge approximately 25 baht to change each travellers' cheque.
The practice of dispensing medication from larger bottles is of some concern, as exposure to heat and moisture can affect the efficacy of the tablets. Where it is important to maintain specific blood levels of medication (such as diabetes, epilepsy and some cardiovascular disease), tablets dispensed in such a way may lull some travellers into a false sense of security. Similarly, keeping medication in bathrooms is probably not a great idea because of the heat and moisture combination. Thailand has begun to restrict the variety of medication available at pharmacies; not everything is available. Furthermore, while most medications are cheaper than in other countries, some cost A$1-2 per tablet. My recommendation to travellers with specific health needs would be to take the entire supply, stored in blister packs rather than bottles or jars.
There are a few banks in Thailand that only take Thai cards, but most of the ATMs will accept foreign ones. Most of them will take Plus Cards. The only ones where you can use Cirrus are Siam Commercial Bank and the Thai Farmers' Bank.
Krabi: the international telephone/communications office has moved to 346 Uttarakit Rd. Only phone and fax are available. I recommend you buy an international phone card, rather than going all the way out there.
About 20km from Mae Sot on Route 105 to Tak is the Phru Waw (or Phru Who) shrine, which is dedicated to a national hero who fought against Burmese invaders. To pay their respects, drivers from cars, trucks and motorbikes blow their horns when they pass by. Other people who visit the shrine ignite fireworks for the same purpose.
While the red-light district of Pat-Pong is depressing as far as the sex tourism is concerned, the night market there cannot be surpassed.
Visits to Ayuthaya are very easy by way of the local trains that depart from Hualamphong station in Bangkok. Once at Ayuthaya (60 to 90 minutes from Bangkok), bike rentals are available and highly recommended for visiting the many temple ruins scattered around the city.
Regarding the Kok River boat trip from Tha Ton to Chiang Rai: unless you want to stay overnight in Tha Ton (there are some places to stay but not that much to do), you should take the early bus from Chiang Mai at either 6 or 7.20 am. The 9 am bus will be too late as the average trip takes about four hours and the boat in Tha Ton departs only once a day at 12.30 pm.
The Association for the promotion of the Status of Women (APSW) is an organisation that helps the women and children in distressed conditions by providing them with a place to stay, clothing, food, medication, vocational trains and jobs. Since this activity requires income from other sources, the APSW has established the WE-TRAIN International House, with financial support from Japan, to raise income for the administration of the above-mentioned project.
WE-TRAIN International House is only ten minutes away from Don Muang International Airport, located on 8.3 acres of land. Facilities include - 27 double bed serviced guest rooms with private bathroom and balcony; 11 dormitories; conference room; dining room and coffee shop; swimming pool and gymnasium; common room with UTB; telephone and fax service; Internet and email; and transportation service.
Throughout Thailand there is a problem with 1990 and 1993 series US$100 currency notes. They aren't accepted at most exchange counters/banks. No one could tell us why. Surprisingly, the counters had no problem accepting a 1981 series 100 dollar bill!
Don't count on being able to use your ATM card. Most of the machines accept Thai bank cards only.
If going to Wat Po for a massage at the massage school, go early or late. We had a four hour wait because we arrived at noon. Also, since our last visit, it seems that every visitor to Bangkok wanted a massage here and it was beginning to resemble a cattle market.
When you register at your hotel, always ask for a business card. It usually has both English and Thai script - the latter can be read by a taxi driver if you get lost or if you simply wish to get home again with a minimum of fuss. It is normal practice to leave your key at reception in Thailand so make sure when you go out that there is no curfew. If you write your room number on the business card, you will be able to remember it when you return. This is important if the night shift is on duty when you return as they may not recognise you. Once I was registered under my first name as Mr Bob instead of by my surname - this greatly complicated matters. Not everyone can say their room number in Thai, but show the receptionist the card with 303 written on it and the message is very clear.
The direct route to enlightenment: if you're after information on where to stay, shop, eat, work, drink, catch a bus, send an email, pray, etc in Bangkok, take the direct route and check out www.bangkokmap.com, the most comprehensive guide to Bangkok on the Internet, currently being developed by a bunch of streetwise, young Bangkokians. Post your message in the community section in the Q&A or classifieds room and wait for some friendly local to reply
with helpful advice and information.
There's no problem getting Internet access in either Chiang Mai or Bangkok. In Bangkok, there are heaps of Internet cafes on Khao San Rd and in Chiang Mai there's a strip of them (mostly in travel agents) along Moon Meuang. Also, the museum in Chiang Mai is closed for renovations.
In the last edition of Thailand you wrote about cellular phones but the information you supplied is not correct anymore. Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and many other places have got a really good GSM net. It is the same system that Europe uses. It's no problem to use your own phone in Thailand. Another big net is NMT 900. It's not the same quality but is wider spread in remote areas.
Attention budget travellers visiting Thailand:
There's a seldom enforced motorcycle helmet law, but when the cops set up a roadblock, they usually confiscate 40 to 50 motorcycles, mostly from tourists. You pay a motorbike taxi to take you to the police station to pay the fine and collect your bike.
While in Bangkok, we needed to stock up on travellers' cheques, which was a bit of a headache. We wasted almost an entire day trying to perform this simple task in several of the large banks on Silom Road (not far from the GPO). However, all the banks we tried wanted to see our flight tickets before selling us travellers' cheques on our credit card. Why they needed to see a flight ticket is beyond me. We eventually found one bank that would sell us travellers' cheques without too much fuss and without the need to see a flight ticket - the Siam Commercial bank on the corner of Samsen Road and Phra Sumen Road, close to Khao San Road.
If taking any US currency to Thailand make sure that they are recent notes. Dollars from 1990 are not accepted anywhere in Thailand. There were notices informing us of this.
The overnight rafting trips along the Khwae Noi River are no longer running.
If you cross the border between Thailand and Malaysia on the eastern side after dark (through Sungai Kolok and Rantau Panjang), be sure to have some Malaysian ringgit (RM) acquired in Thailand before you enter. Bank machines or money exchanges close early at the border, and there is little close at hand. Thai baht carries outrageous difficulties for bargaining, and we ended up paying about five times too much to get to Kota Bharu by taxi.
: úåéö÷øèàå äëéùî éã÷åî
The Buddha Park outside Nong Khai is worth the walk. It takes about 1½ hours and you have to walk through a school and a temple to get there. The statues themselves are possibly the weirdest I’ve ever seen and the circle of life is amazing.
Vegetarian Festival, Phuket: we met a Chinese group that had come especially from Bangkok to participate in the march. They offered for us to join them the next morning at 6 am. The street march is held every morning by a different shrine; the participation depends on the size of the shrine. The biggest and most interesting is the Jui Tui temple so I would recommend that those wanting to stay for just one day, schedule according to the day this shrine is holding its street parade. You can get a schedule of the festival at the tourist offices in town. Another important thing that most tourists were not aware of was that the participants like being filmed and there is no need to be afraid or feel impolite taking pictures of people with poles stuck through their cheeks. I practically stood in the middle of the street asking them to stop (and smile) so that I could get a close-up picture - none disagreed.
There’s a large unexplored area in north-eastern Thailand, between Nan and the border with Laos. South of Nan is Wiang Sa where the last bus terminal is, so it’s the last public transportation point towards the east. From there, there’s an excellent gravel road to the border, south to Ban Khok and all the way around until it joins Highway 203 to the west of Loei. Unfortunately, one must have private transportation for this magnificent, isolated area, as even hitching is out of the question. There’s just no traffic, despite the great road. I waited for over three hours and nothing passed in either direction! There are no farms, not even power lines for at least forty kilometres. This is magnificent country, between mountain ranges covered in jungles, but you must have your own transportation.
I can recommend a motorbike ride north-east of Nan (approximately 200km). First to Pua, then into the mountains (which are very cold) to Bo Luang and back to Nan via Santisuk. There are countless hill-tribe villages along the way, the road is in good condition and the scenery is beautiful.
If you arrive early at Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, you’ll have the whole place to yourself. I took a beautiful trail that led me into an amazing rainforest; it was very steep and once it leveled out the trail disappeared. However I stumbled upon a lovely calm stream, took a bath and just sat there looking around. You have to be in reasonably good shape to get anywhere in this park and also have a good sense of direction because the minor trails just keep disappearing.
You can still find some semi-deserted beaches on Ko Lanta. One is at the extreme north end of Ao Phra-Ae. The other is a tiny beach (200 to 300m long) somewhere between Hat Khlong Khoang and Hat Khlong Nin. There is a small sign at the side of the road that points you in the right direction. If you get there early in the morning, you have it all to yourself.
Since 1990 a wealth of dinosaur finds have been made mostly in Kalasin, Khon Kaen, Mukdahan, Ubon and Udon. Nearly all of those finds are cleaned, preserved and identified at Wat Sakawan Dinosaur Research Station, Sahatsakan, Kalasin. The facility is located just 20 km from the city of Kalasin with a car service running during daylight hours. This processing area is very receptive to both Thai and foreign tourists, answering questions and frequently providing impromptu tours of the facility and the dinosaur excavation for which Sahatsakan is famed. That excavation holds the articulated remains of seven sauropods (massive, long-necked herbivores of the Cretaceous period). Dr Varavudh Suteethorn and his staff of the Department of Mineral Resources speak English well as they frequently host French, English and American palaeontologists.
Nearby, at Phu Faek, Kalasin, are the footprints of a large theropod (carnivorous dinosaurs encompassing popular genera like Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor) and those of a smaller herbivore.
Phu Si Than Wildlife Sanctuary near Kuchinarai has also made interesting finds including the detailed remains of fish, fern, crocodile, turtle and rare dinosaur of the Jurassic. The sanctuary has many points of interest. Key among them is Phu Pha Pung, a low-lying mountain with a beautiful mountain wat near the peak. The wat provides an excellent view of the lowlands and protects both ancient hand prints and some odd geologic features of the Phu Phan formation. Limestone nodules (also found at Phu Luang National Park, Loei), natural rock bridges and an array of caves and deep crevasses (similar to those at Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park, Phitsanulok) provide tourists with a captivating landscape. These features are also surrounded by healthy mixed deciduous forest. The abbot on the mountain top speaks English, Japanese and Mandarin. The caves, currently used as meditation areas for monks, were once hide-outs for Communist rebels in the 1960s and 70s as well as the Seri Thai fighting the Japanese in WWII. The base of Phu Pha Pung is easily accessible by car and a gentle, well-groomed trail makes the hike quite comfortable.
For people who have rented a car to explore Thailand, an option I would warmly recommend is Magic Hill - a must. Magic Hill is on Highway 105 from Sukhothai to Mae Sot. When coming from Sukhothai it’s about 15km before Mae Sot after passing a temple with a big naga on the left side of the road. Magic Hill is a little hill on this highway; there are signs indicating the place. It is the only place I know where cars drive uphill by themselves. We were rather sceptical but had to have a got at it. We stopped our car on the side of the road, switched off the engine and sure enough the car started slowly going UP the hill. It stopped after a while without rolling back down. We tried it several times - truly magic. Check it out!
The absolutely best thing about Hat Sai Khao is the fluorescent (or phosphorescent) sea at night. If you go swimming at night you will be able to make your own stars just by moving the sea water with your arms and legs. I don’t know what causes it but it is an out-of-this-world experience. When you move your legs or arms in the water, they will cause the water to light up and by moving your hands you create a comet-like tail of little green stars. Some locals told me it is there every night, but obviously it is best during a new moon. Words fail me to describe it; best to go and see for yourself!
An easy day trip and a fantastic escape out of busy Bangkok is to take a boat out to the island of Ko Kret. It's a very peaceful island to walk around - there's a shop where you can buy ceramic pots and a couple of wats to walk around, but for the most part you'd visit just to take a look at some typical Thai scenery. Definitely worth a visit for those people who like less touristy places. To get there you take the Chao Phraya River express boat to the last stop (Nonthaburi); on the left hand side of the pier (facing away from the river) are a group of long tailed boats. You need to tell them you want to go to Ko Kret, and then bargain for a price (we paid about 300 baht). They'll take you there and leave you to walk around for a few hours. To get back it's best just to stand at the pier and wait - boats travel past all the time and someone will take you back to Nonthaburi.
When I was in Thailand I went to the Mon village in Kanchanaburi by the river Kwai. Mon are the indigenous people of Thailand. The village is built on rafts over the river and is a very impressive place. While I was there, I was fortunate enough to participate in a religious ceremony. All the people in the village go to the temple in the jungle with gifts. I saw a four year old child carrying a baby on his back. The Mon children had their faces sprinkled with powder to protect them against bad spirits. In the evening I saw a wonderful dance performance. Small children, young women and men danced for us in fabulous dresses. Their dance was much more dynamic, mystical and joyful than traditional Thai dancing. Of course, this Mon village is a little commercial, supported by the owner of the hotel in which I stayed; the village makes a living through the tourists. But I went away from here with the conviction that I had experienced something unusual. I have photographs from my time in the village and every time I look at them I feel like going back there - immediately.
Many of the travellers I met in Thailand seemed in a desperate rush to cover Bangkok - Hat Yai - Penang in one go or vice versa. However, a magical town known as Trang is well worth a visit.
From the bus terminal in Phuket, we took an air-conditioned taxi to the Gibbon Rehabilitation project and the nearby waterfall. The path to the waterfall goes right through the jungle and gets wet and slippery in some places. The waterfall itself is not big but the path leading to it made it worth visiting. The gibbon project trains gibbons that had been captured to survive in the wild again. It is run solely by volunteers and depends on the donations that people leave. It was interesting to see and especially hear the gibbons, who have become extinct on Phuket.
An interesting place to see in Thailand is Wat Po (the Bat Temple) in Bangkla, a small village approximately 25 minutes by bus from Chacheungsao. Wat Po is inhabited by literally thousands of fruit bats. The monks in the area will not allow the locals to kill these bats so over the years their population has multiplied. If you visit during the day, you only have to look up at the trees to see an amazing spectacle. Although dusk is the prime time to visit. At this time, as though signalled by an alarm, the entire bat population takes to the air. They circle over the temple and the river for several minutes and then all travel across the town toward the local fruit orchards, returning in the morning. It is incredible. You should be careful, however. On my first day of a one month excursion of Thailand, I was looking skyward when one of the bats decided to urinate. Of course, it landed in my eye, committing me to a month long series of rabies vaccinations. Talk about a story to tell back home.
It may not be your shopping area, but it's worth a visit just for the sight. Where else can you see three floors of Mercedes Benz that you can bargain over? The Market for the Former Rich (no joke, that's the name), on Soi #19 off Soi Thonglor (Sukhumvit #55) started after the economic crises in 1997. The formerly rich sell their prized possessions for cash at dumping prices, at least by Thai standards. You may be able to pick up an airplane, yacht or an antique Mercedes for a few ten thousand dollars. You might also get a bargain on jewellery, dresses and other small items. It's worth a look, even if you do not buy. The market is held every weekend next to the Mercedes dealership.
Phuwiang has been a National Park since 1991. It has many dinosaur fossils including the world's oldest Tyrannosaurus. A number of bones are on display in the visitor centre and others can be seen in situ in the forest. Everything is gradually being translated into English and by the time I leave in December 1999, there should be some English speaking staff. There is a 4km trail to the top of Phuwiang Mountain which will eventually have some wildlife interpretation on it. There is not yet any official accommodation but accommodation can be arranged in a guesthouse, or it is possible to camp if you have your own tent. There is a shower and toilets. There are regular buses from Khon Kaen to Phuwiang town from where you have to rent a motorbike taxi the last 18km to the park. Phuwiang is an ideal place to visit for people stranded in Khon Kaen waiting for Laos visas and most of the foreigners who come here are on their way to Laos.
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A bit of advice for people wanting to fly from Bangkok to Koh Samui. Thai Airways flies into Surat Thani for half the price of Bangkok Airways flying into Ko Samui. In the travel books and maps, Surat Thani seems to be situated right on the water and all you have to do is take the ferry across. We discovered you also need to take an uncomfortable bus ride and wait for the ferry. It took a whole day to get there - next time we’ll spend the extra money.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is trying to introduce better control of the tuk-tuk business in Bangkok and have recently begun to regulate some tuk-tuk drivers. Those regulated by the government have white licence plates at the front, while the unregulated tuk-tuks have a standard yellow licence plate. By using the regulated tuk-tuks as much as possible, we found we were able to avoid the commission shops and seafood restaurants.
By using some of the magazines printed for tourists (free), it is possible to save money on internal airfares. One ticket agency listed Bangkok airfares that were discounted considerably. A word about internal travel: if you fly from Chiang Mai to Bangkok on Thai Airways and then on to Ko Samui on Bangkok Airways, your luggage will have to be retrieved and then checked with the second carrier. It seems there is no love lost between the two companies.
From December 1999, there’ll be a new skytrain in Bangkok, running 14m above the street. It will have two routes, Silom and Sukhumvit, and 25 stations. Stops include north and eastern bus stations, Patpong and the central shopping district.
The Bangkok city map (green with red print), which is on sale all along Khao San Rd for 40B, became out of date since the bus routes changed. To get a free city map with the new adjusted bus routes, go to the Chana Songkram police station/tourist information centre at Chakra Pong Rd, just around the corner from Khao San Rd.
Perhaps due to the continuing economic situation, hitherto honourable metered legal yellow-plate taxis have largely begun acting like their unlicensed black-plate predecessors. It seems every second ‘metered’ cab I enter, the guy refuses to turn on the meter and instead tries to convince/bully me into paying a grossly inflated price. One guy even threw me out of his cab. So beware. I’ve known too many short-term travellers who’ve sheepishly paid. The alternative is to simply get out of the taxi and find another, preferably on the open street. Also, a word about motorcycle taxis. Like the tuk-tuks and metered cabs, they’ve become rather desperate and aggressive.
A virtually tourist free island is Ko Yao Noi, a small Muslim island half way between Phuket & Krabi. Getting there was a challenge. We had trouble getting a ferry from the Krabi side and had to return to Phuket. From Phuket we caught a ferry to Bang Rong Pier (30 minutes) and another ferry to Ko Yao Noi (one hour).
Ayuthaya: the bus terminal has moved off the island and is now situated between the railway station and the highway.
The LP guide describes two ways to get to Mae Hong Son: via Mae Sariang and Pai. But there is a third way, straight through the mountains between the two hamlets. You have to go all the way through the Doi-Inthanon National Park until you reach a little town on the other side of Doi Inthanon. You can’t get lost because there is only one street apart from the one that leads to the top of the mountain. When you reach the little town, the road forks. You can go left to Mae Sariang, or right to Mae Hong Son. Only the first 40km of the road are paved; the rest is unpaved and in bad condition. Along this road you will find one of the most beautiful and typical landscapes in northern Thailand. But beware: the 200km takes at least six to seven hours and a 4WD is necessary (although we did it in a Toyota Corolla with the loss of some parts of it!), and the road is not passable in the rainy season.
Some useful Bangkok bus lines for travellers staying near Khao San Road:
We reckon that the train is by far the best way to get into the city from the airport. It’s cheap, you won’t be held up in traffic and you know you’re going to end up in a fairly central location, so don’t have to worry about getting off the bus in the right place if it’s your first time or it’s dark. Going the opposite way, it can be a bit tricky finding which train to get at Hualamphong station. The station staff try to be helpful but don’t always seem to know the right direction. My advice is to ask a few different people until you start to get a consensus! Note that the trains from the north stop at the airport station (Don Muang), so if you’re going to the airport straight from Chiang Mai, for example, there is no need to go into Bangkok and out again.
Qantas airlines in Bangkok have moved. Their new address is:
To get to Ko Chang: from Ko Chang Centrepoint Pier there are now four ferries a day to Ao Sapparot where you can get a songthaew to one of the beaches. The ferries leave Ko Chang Centrepoint at 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm and 4 pm (we were told that if there are 40 people waiting it will leave earlier; our ferry left on time, even though there were plenty of people waiting), and on the return journey the ferry leaves Ao Sapparot at 9 am, noon and 3 pm. The return fare is 120 baht. There is a car park at the Centrepoint Pier where you can leave your car during your trip to Ko Chang. Safety on the ferry across is still a big issue especially with the recent accident where a number of people drowned. There were only three to four life jackets on the ferry, none in very good condition, and at least 50 passengers. Some Thais bring their own life jackets - this might be worth considering, especially if you travel with young children.
STA Travel in Bangkok is no longer based at the Thai Hotel. It is now located on the 14th floor of the Wall Street Tower, on Surawong.
A caution about buying bus tickets: travellers need not only be cautious about buying tickets at places like Khao San Rd but at bus terminals as well. A friend of mine booked a ticket from Chiang Mai to Bangkok on a VIP bus and found out that it was worse than a third class bus - for a ten hour trip, it was absolutely dreadful. What happens is that 10% of those selling tickets out of booths are government buses; the rest are private companies. My friend bought unknowingly from a private company, thinking he was booking on a government bus. This is not really a problem in the Bangkok terminals, but outside Bangkok it is huge. I estimate that most of those selling tickets at the Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Krabi bus stations were private companies.
The best clue to the nature of a bus company is the name. Private companies have 'Blah Blah Touring' written above the wicket. If you still end up going with a private company, I recommend it for short trips only and check out the bus. Government buses are usually cheaper, safer, more comfortable and almost always on time (a rarity in Thailand, believe me). Thai government buses departing out of Bangkok are always (for the air-cons) blue and white. An orange stripe or a '999' indicates a first class bus, a '99' or no stripe is second class and a yellow or pink stripe is a VIP bus. Most buses have the destination written on the side of the bus in English, which is handy.
Taxis from Phuket Airport to Krabi town take just under two hours; there is a limousine booking desk at the airport, though 'limousine' just means car.
The airport bus still does a wonderful service. Even at midnight (their last departure time) it was quite full, so I think more people may be catching on. Quite a bargain at 70 baht one way, it saves you the hassle of dealing with cab drivers. Getting back to the airport from the city is almost as easy. There are clear signs in English at the stops where the airport bus picks up passengers (same areas as the drop-off points from the airport) so just hang around there and wait.
I travelled mostly by train, which is a very good option in this country. However, I found some travel agencies a bit unwilling or unable to help out, since my bookings were not straightforward - I wanted a jump on, jump off deal and had all my dates already set. So I headed to the Hualamphong train station and was helped by an English-speaking man at the booking office. Even when one week later I came back to change everything around, he was very helpful and granted me all my wishes.
If you are holding an airline ticket, you must be at the airport at least half an hour before your flight leaves. Any seats without passengers half an hour before the flight departs are sold to stand-by folks first. Also, book your flight from Koh Samui to Bangkok three days ahead of time. All the flights in between were sold out. We booked directly at the airport and saved ourselves the booking fee.
One of the most useful long-tail boat routes goes along Khlong Banglamphu, allowing pleasant, cheap and comparatively rapid transport between the Khao San Road/Banglamphu area and Hualamphong Train Station (20 minutes, 6B one-way). The Banglamphu stop is under the bridge where Chakrapong becomes Samsen Road (see map p246 in the guide).
The booking fees for train travel have increased substantially. A single from Chiang Mai to Phitsanulok cost 156B but the booking fee was 200B! Same thing for the ticket from Philok to Bangkok.
The above postcard re booking fees is misleading! I travelled around Thailand in July this year and caught the same train - the 200B is a surcharge for the second class, air-con express train and includes coffee, cakes and lunch. If people want to travel very cheaply they should get in the non-air-conditioned third class with all the Thais. We did and you get there just as fast.
We had hoped to fly to Udon from Chiang Mai by Orient Express Air. We went to the airport to find this company but could find no trace of them at all. The information desk simply told us that 'they not here, they gone, they finished'. So it had to be air-conditioned bus.
Loei bus terminal is now out of the city along the main highway. Costs about 20B for a tuk tuk into the city.
Departure tax went up on 1 February 1998 from 250B to 500B - ouch! The domestic departure tax is 30B.
We were in Thailand in November 1997 and had booked a flight from Ko Samui to Bangkok leaving early in the afternoon. Our hotel organised to take us to the airport half an hour before our flight. When we arrived at the airport, we found out that we were supposed to book in earlier - they had already cut off book-ins. We were told that we'd have to hang around to see if there were flights with spare seats on them. Little did we know there were a lot of other people with the same problem. We eventually got to Bangkok around midnight - about nine hours after our original flight. So be careful!
The A3 (air-con bus from the airport to the city) is now available much later than 10 pm, and is good value at about 70B.
Bangkok Airways have stopped charging the surcharge on flights to and from Ko Samui. You now just pay the normal fare plus airport tax of 100 Baht.
There is a bus from Ayuttaya to Sukothai, air-conditioned, first class or maybe it was even a VIP bus according to the price. I think that this connection is interesting for many travellers travelling from Bangkok north to the archaeological sites.
In Thailand, when travelling over long distances, one of the best ways to travel is by government bus. It was called 'Lignite' when we were there. It is a guaranteed air-conditioned bus, which is a bonus and you get a meal (included in your ticket price). You will arrive at your destination safe and sound without the hassle of dodgy bus companies.
Bangkok Airways force you to pay a surcharge of 1250 Baht on the flights Bangkok-Ko Samui and Ko Samui-Bangkok effective from 1 February 1998, even if you have a valid and paid ticket for these destinations. All other destinations are not affected.
Recently I travelled to Ko Lanta, south-east of Ko Phi Phi. To update ferry times, there is a boat that leaves Ko Phi Phi every day at 2 pm for Ko Lanta, not at 1 pm.
An alternative route to Ko Samui is to fly London to Singapore and then on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, fly Singapore to Ko Samui by Bangkok Airways. Ko Samui is now an international airport with customs and immigration clearance.
The airport in Trang is actually two airports, although very few people seem to know this. So, if you are flying Thai Air, make sure you are in the super modern terminal on the west side of the airport, not the smaller one. All of the private taxis will drop you off at the smaller one, so make it clear to them you need the big one. This is particularly confusing since there are no signs at all to indicate the existence of two terminals, and the airport staff seem to assume that if you are at the old terminal, you want to be there, even if there are no scheduled flights out of there for weeks.
The train station opposite Bangkok airport has a helpful and efficient advanced booking office where I was able to book a train to Chiang Mai for the same evening that I had flown in. This made the journey much easier than having to go into the city to do it.
There is a possibility to reach Kanchanaburi from New Sukhothai if you want to avoid Bangkok. You can take a bus from Sukhothai, direction Bangkok. You go by bus to a small town called Suphanburi. There you can stay at the Suphan KAT Hotel for 220 Baht for one night. Suphanburi is a town without any sights and without tourists. Thai is the only language spoken, no English at all, but the people there will help you if you use the Thai dictionary in the Lonely Planet. In the morning you can go by bus from Suphanburi directly to Kanchanaburi.
There is a speedboat (and an express boat) from Ko Samui to Ko Tao. The speedboat leaves from Bo Phut at 8.30 am daily and takes one and a half hours to get to Ko Tao. There is a return service from Ko Tao to Ko Samui at 9.30 am and 3 pm (Bo Phut) daily costing 450 baht one way.
Since 1 February 1998 there is a surcharge of 1250 Baht on the Bangkok-Samui and Samui-Bangkok flight. A ticket costs 2650 Baht + surcharge 1250 = 3900 Baht for a single trip! This doesn't include the 100 Baht airport tax on Samui.
Chiang Mai: local buses are no longer available. You have to take a tuk-tuk (pg 456).
Direct flights between Bangkok and Siem Reap are up and running, operated by Bangkok Airways. We got a round trip ticket Bangkok-Phnom Penh (Bangkok Air) - Siem Reap (Royal Air Cambodge) - Bangkok (Bangkok Air) for $205.
I saw a travel agency here in Chiang Rai that is offering a trip from Chiang Rai to Jing Hong (China) via Luang Prabang by river boat. Unfortunately, I don't know any details because I didn't stop in at the time and have since lost the place. It IS here though, so anyone passing through and interested in the idea should do some shopping around.
Bangkok Airways recently started flying from Bangkok to Phnom Penh for US$75. By far the best deal.
If you rent a moped in Chiang Mai, traffic cops are out in force around the Tha Pae gate at the end of the month (20 to 30 on foot) and they will stop and ticket you if you aren't wearing a helmet. Especially now with the recent crackdown on corruption in Thailand, they are more likely to ticket you and less likely to let you out of it. If the safety reasons don't cause you to wear a helmet, then financial reasons should.
Trains from Trang city to Kantang are leaving only a few times a day. Instead you can take mini-buses (air-conditioned) leaving from behind the train station at the Kantang Road (not at the bus terminal), going to Kantang.
We tried to take our booked plane from the Phitsanulok airport but unfortunately it was the wrong airport. We had tickets of the new company Bangkok Air that built a new airport half an hour away from Sukhothai. It was good luck that it was possible to get the same flight one day later without losing money. So if anyone buys a ticket for a plane leaving next to Sukhothai, Thai Air starts at Phitsanulok and Bangkok Air starts half an hour north of Sukhothai.
: íéìëåð - úåøéäæ
When staying in a reputable hotel on Ko Phi Phi we left our valuables in the hotel safety boxes, as the hotel was not responsible for stuff left in the room. Cash went missing from the safety box and we were accused of lying about the amount we deposited.
From Surat Thani to Bangkok we were picked up from the ferry station and brought to a restaurant to wait for the bus. Restaurant staff almost ‘forced’ us to eat something but we visited the market instead. When we came back we still had to wait for the bus so we had a drink at the restaurant. Once everyone had something to eat or drink we got on the bus, it was not long before everyone went to sleep only waking when we arrived in Bangkok. We were woken and our luggage thrown off the bus. It was only then we realised that our luggage had been tampered with and that we had been drugged. Everyone had their valuables stolen including cash and credit cards.
I met a Chinese-Thai girl, at a temple, who offered to be my tour guide and show me around Bangkok, so she could practice her English. After she showed me the temple we went to a small restaurant where I had an iced tea and a biscuit. We then left in her car to see more of Bangkok. I believe there was some sort of drug in the drink or food that knocked me out. I woke up at a police station and all my money, travellers cheques and wedding ring were stolen. The police never asked me what happened or wrote a report and claimed not to understand when I asked how I got there. They gave me some food and put me on a bus back to my hotel. People travelling alone or without an itinerary are an easy target.
Be wary of touts at the pier in Surat Thani offering free rides to the bus station. They actually take you to their travel agency and the mini-bus service costs loads more than the local bus.
We were involved in a frightening bus crash in Thailand on our way from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. Basically, by all accounts, the bus driver nodded off at the wheel. My advice would be to catch the train, which is excellent despite being quite a bit more expensive, or if not, make sure your driver stays off the beers and has a few cans of ‘Redbull’ instead.
In the train station in Bangkok some clever dudes have figured out that by wearing a very official badge on their shirts, they can convince tourists that they are ‘guest relations’ types who are more than happy to answer all of your questions and guide you to the appropriate window. Beware: I made the mistake and actually believed them but once they started leading me out of the train station to a travel agent I knew that this was one big scam. So ignore those official looking guys no matter how friendly they are.
The dog situation is unbearable and on many occasions dangerous for anyone around them. We were really looking forward to having a good vacation on Ko Samet, which is described as a beautiful national park resort, only to discover that the dogs rule the town and beaches. Walking the white sand meant being careful not to walk in any dog shit. Eating in restaurants meant having several dogs next to you scratching, fighting and screwing while you sat overlooking paradise trying to enjoy your meal!
Year after year after the Full Moon parties on Koh Phangan, rumours go around that a girl was raped at the party. My friend was drugged, abducted from the crowd, dragged into the jungle and brutally raped at knifepoint by six men. She later met another girl who had also been drugged, abducted and raped.
When snorkelling on Ko Phi Phi, be careful not to be hit by a long-tail boat or speedboat. Not much of you shows above the water line when you’re snorkelling, so make sure they can see you.
Phuket Province: I believe there needs to be a health warning about swimming in polluted waters, especially at Patong. Upon my arrival at Patong, I was warned by a number of expats of the pollution and told that swimmers invariably ended up with a rash after swimming there. I was told that the health risks were greater at the southern end of the beach, nearest to where the creek pours effluent into the bay and that if I really wanted to swim, the other end of the beach posed a lower health risk. I was also told that after heavy rain, refuse from the streets and drains is flushed into the bay, making it all the more risky. In order to be convinced of the risks involved, you need only to observe what is being washed into the bay after a storm - yuk! Apparently, expats do not swim there, nor do local Thais. I went swimming at Karon and Surin without any problems. However, after swimming at Kata, I developed tiny red sores on my torso, which became very itchy, and a very sore throat - a direct result of polluted water, I am certain. The beach I am referring to is the Club Med beach - I was swimming almost directly in line with the northern access road to the beach.
Beware when buying air tickets in and around Khao San Rd, Bangkok. Some travel agents are asking for half or all of the fare before producing a ticket. You can pay a deposit of 1000B for any airfare (never more than a third) and ask them to have the ticket ready within 24 hours. If they won’t do this, walk out. Travellers should be wary of agents along Soi Bambuttri Chakrapong (on the eastern side of the Wat leading down to the guesthouses). The agents get money off you and invest or use it in some way while delaying you for up to two weeks. They tell you that something went wrong with the flight or that the flight was cancelled or some other such bullshit. A favourite excuse they use is telling you that you were only on the waiting list and sorry, the flight is full. Don’t believe any of this.
The new scam in Thailand has moved from gems to business and dinner suits. Gangs of well-dressed men hang around at most of the tourist sights and get talking to you, telling you that it’s a national religious festival and the temples are free. They recommend a temple you should go and visit and get a rickshaw driver to take you there. Once there, you are met by more people obviously linked to the scam who tell you of a government promotion week on trading goods, especially suits. They tell you that they themselves have just bought suits, show you their order slip and the price they paid (usually around £200), thus installing this in your mind as a reasonable price to pay.
Then you trudge off to the fashion house and the seller tells you it’s the last day of this offer and that their suits are sold to Gucci and Armani. Obviously, this is complete rubbish and a bunch of lies, but they are extremely friendly and convincing, speak fantastic English and know a bit about the country you come from. Yep, I was conned. I luckily managed to get the police and embassy involved and got my suit price reduced and several shirts as well. The suits are of good quality but definitely not worth the stupid prices many tourists end up paying for them.
Jet skis on the beaches at Cha-am are very common and quite dangerous. They now tow inflatable tubes carrying three to six people. They frequently turn over and in choppy seas are very difficult to climb back on. Swimmers are also at risk as there are no safe swimming areas. From what we observed, it will not be long before someone is seriously hurt or drowned.
Functional brakes are not always standard equipment on bikes. Check them out carefully before renting.
I recently returned from a month long trip to Japan and Thailand. While in Thailand, my boyfriend and I took a guided trek into the mountain jungles around Mae Hon Song. At about one o’clock in the morning, Karen soldiers entered the hut where we were staying and started shining lights into our eyes and arguing about us with the village women who were taking care of us. We know that at least one of the soldiers had an automatic rifle. The soldiers finally left and we were able to make it through the night without any more disturbances. There were three people on the trek that all spoke perfect Thai, my boyfriend, another Thai woman and the Thai woman’s sister-in-law. We learned from some of the porters that the villagers bribed the soldiers with food and moonshine in order for them to leave us alone. Instead of staying a second night as planned, we hiked all the way out the next day.
The next morning the Thai speakers started asking some of the people in town about some of the things that happened. They said that a few days before we left for our trek, at least two guided tour groups disappeared. They were also very surprised that we made it back at all. The only reason I was able to find this out was because I was with Thai speakers. If you are planning on going trekking, avoid the border areas as there is constant political/military turmoil erupting along the borders, particularly with Myanmar.
Chinese tea served in most restaurants is not all safe since some is made from a small pot of boiled Chinese tea mixed with a big bucket of unboiled (tap) water served with ice.
Thailand is now going through a period of little tolerance to certain drugs, particularly amphetamines. To be caught with a few speed tablets could land you in big trouble. Apparently the crack down on amphetamines has come down from the Royal Family and the police seem to be taking a more active role than usual 'slip me some baht and we'll forget about it'. I advise anyone to stick well clear of them and the 'Kohn Kaen Killer' gunja that is spoken about.
During the rainy season, even until mid-December, you might face a storm if taking the night boat from Chumphon to Koh Tao. This is absolutely not a fun experience, not to mention that it could be possibly tragic - one boat went down in October 98.
My girlfriend is working for a Dutch rescue company working for different insurance companies who help tourists on their holidays in a foreign country. This week, THREE reports came in about single travelling tourists found wounded or killed in Bangkok. The story goes that the last thing they all (except the deceased one) remembered was the taxi driver offering them a cookie. The two who could tell the stories were severly injured and robbed of all their belongings.
Dengue Fever is now lasting six or seven days and is very common in Ko Samui, Ko Tao, etc.
Koh Samui: the roads on the island are a death trap, with lots of speeding vehicles overtaking on corners, and plenty of tourists riding motorbikes with bare legs and arms, and no helmets. A common sight in town was scabby knees and calves. Motorbike hire is for the brave and foolhardy.
A word of caution for all you amateur motorcyclists planning to take on the roads of Ko Phangan. Although the local shops are ready to rent their bikes out to anyone, they neglect to warn you that the roads, particularly the one between Bantai Beach and Hat Rin, are absolutely atrocious. On a recent visit there, my friend and I hired a bike and faced a terrifying ten minutes on the steepest dirt road imaginable, before coming to an even more terrifying end down a five foot ditch off the side of the road. Fortunately, some fellow Australians came to our aid and drove us to the village nurse who treated our cuts and burns. She also informed us that every week without fail, she treats tourists who have crashed their bikes on that same stretch of road; just the day before an Englishman needed 20 stitches to a head wound and was very lucky to be alive. She also told us that in the past, others have not been so lucky. So, for those of you who, like me, tend to have no fear and believe you are invincible, think twice before jumping on a bike with no experience. Although they are great fun, they are also very dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.
I felt that my safety was in jeopardy on the high speed boats from Ko Samui to Ko Tao and Chompson. Although the speed boats save a little time, the safety, conditions and judgement of the crew is sometimes not circumspect.
An unfortunate effect of the economic recession has been an increase in the numbers of muggings on late night buses in the suburbs of Bangkok: six cases have been reported in recent months compared with six in the last five years. Typically, two or three men board a late bus in the quieter, newer parts of town and use weapons to extort money and other valuables from passengers before fleeing on motorbikes. The bus routes that have been affected so far are numbers 80, 145, 146, 107, 116 and 46, mainly in the Sukhapibal (Ramkhamhaeng), Phahonyothin, Banga-Trat and Phetkasem areas. Thai police have advised passengers not to fight back. Pickpocketing and cutting bags open is also on the increase on crowded buses, especially in rush hours after month-end paydays. The worst hit areas are around Victory Monument, Pratunam, Morchit (near Chatuchak) and Wong Wien Yai in Thonburi.
On 21 October a ferry travelling from Surat Thani to Koh Tao sank in heavy seas with at least 15 persons (including two Australians) confirmed dead. Allegedly the driver ignored storm warnings and flouted safety regulations: the boat was overcrowded and did not carry sufficient life vests or rafts.
I feel you should notify people of the dangers inherent in staying at the resort in Ko Nang Yuan. The cabins are spread out over three islands. Two of them are connected by a permanent sandbar, but the other connection is a sandbar that disappears at high tide. We had to swim across the channel at night to get to our cabin. No one warned us of the dangers of this - in fact the staff indicated that it is passable day or night. The resort also ignores safety when it transports travellers on its high speed boat back to Koh Samui, as there are not enough life jackets for the number of passengers the boat takes on. When it leaves Ko Nang Yuan the boat is not over-crowded but it stops along the way to take on additional passengers without regard to safety.
Just a note to warn travellers to Thailand that between February and March each year, bushfires in the hills around Mae Hong Son frequently cause the airport to close. I was stuck in Mae Hong Son for two days waiting for the smoke to clear. In the end I had to hire a mini bus for my return to Chiang Mai (at a cost of 3000B) - a six hour drive up through the mountains as opposed to the half hour flight. According to Thai Airlines, the fires are common each year when hill tribes from Thailand and Burma clear land for farming.
Dengue Fever is raging in Thailand and Cambodia. I had the unpleasant experience first hand in Chiang Mai this July and the unusually hip doctor explained that as of July, reported cases in Thailand were as much as 100% above the annual average. My friend and I were the only farangs suffering from it in this particular hospital, but there were floors full of afflicted Thais. The most important thing to remember is that it is not just in the rural areas! I knew someone who hadn't left Chiang Mai in months and had gotten it.
In February 1998, the Thai police department issued a notice saying that foreign women should not travel alone in Thailand. They cannot guarantee their security. This was published in the Bangkok Post.
Beware of sharks when snorkelling at Shark Point, Ko Phi Phi. There are sharks here (at least 10 foot) and they don't wear signs saying 'I'm a vegetarian' or 'I've already had dinner'.
I have to warn everyone about snorkelling on Phi Phi Island. I was hit by a taxi-boat and this has happened to other travellers as well.
Last month I was in a nasty bus accident in Thailand. The driver fell asleep at the wheel and the bus careened off the road, rolling over into a field. Luckily, no one was killed (that I know of), but a few of us were badly injured. The injured were collected off the road by these 'body collectors'. From what I understand, these men are paid per body they bring in (dead or alive). This was nearly as bad as the accident, as I was carried by my hands and feet and thrown into the back of a pick-up truck with no regard for my back and neck injuries! While in the hospital, I learned how commonly this happens, but no one is doing anything to change things. My advice is that you should never take a non-government bus in Thailand. Your best bet is the train.
While travelling in Bangkok this July, we came across a new scam while trying to go to Wat Po. An individual approaches you in the heat and humidity and says that the temple is closed due to a Buddhist Monks day and that you will not get in. He argues/continues this story, impressing on you that you must observe Thai custom. Not wanting to appear ignorant of Buddhist and Thai custom, you believe him. He then arranges to take/send you to another equally/more interesting temple in the area, with a complimentary stop-off at a very good Thai Shopping centre with great discounts! In the heat, you agree to go. You then realise when you get to the dull, uninteresting temple that you have been conned. When you get to the 'shopping centre', it's the usual tailor shop, and the staff are very, very insistent that you purchase suits, shirts, etc. It cost me only 75B for the experience, but a whole afternoon was wasted. What a mug I was! I have heard this has also happened to two different friends this summer. Pass the word around that Wat Po is open from 10 am to 8 pm, with no Buddhist holidays.
We travelled overnight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and were somehow drugged, either through the air-conditioning or the complimentary drinks. While we were sleeping someone took our small, padlocked backpack from between our feet and rifled through it, stealing about US$100. Another woman on the bus had £700 in travellers' cheques stolen from the money belt around her waist. The thief had to reach over her burly husband to get the cheques so the drugs must be strong. Considerate thieves though, they left us both with just enough money for the airport departure tax!
Dengue Fever warning, Koh Pha Ngan: Dengue Fever is a major problem on this island. My boyfriend and I were there on different occasions, March and May, and we both caught it. A significant number of people we met had also caught it.
Liz O’Donnell, USA (Aug 99)
1. The visa must be applied for in your home country. You cannot visit, say, Malaysia, and think you will be issued with a visa at the Thai Embassy in KL.
2. It is true that you only get 90 days per entry but visa companies operating in Bangkok can handle the revalidation for you without you leaving the country. It can take 10 to 14 days and costs around 3000 baht.
Raymond Cragg, Thailand (Feb 99)
Tony Stewart, New Zealand (Nov 98)
A M Quest, UK (Apr 98)
David Barnett (Jul 99)
Page 88, Embassies: in Bangkok, the Lao Embassy is now way out in Bang Kapi. I don't have the exact address, but they are on a small lane off Ramkhamhaeng Soi 39. I got a 30 day visitor's visa for 880 Baht and it took one day.
David Kulka, USA (Apr 98)
Sarah Conning, UK (Apr 98)
Duncan Proffitt (Apr 98)
lan Middlebrook (Mar 98)
Winnie (Mar 98)
Sandra & Andy Neeve, UK (Feb 98)
Virginia Porter, USA (Feb 98)
Jochen J Schnell, Germany (Feb 98)
Rachel Jones, Taiwan (Jan 98)
Beata Ufniarz, Poland (Sept 99)
Meredith Preston, Thailand (Sept 99)
Edgar De Groot, Netherlands (Sept 99)
Rebecca Sawyer (Aug 99)
We loved Krabi. Unlike Phi Phi, it had an infrastructure besides tourism and a wonderful night market (I had the best khâo nîaw daeng there every night).
Liz Deloughrey & Chris Harbrant (Jun 99)
Watch out if you’re travelling out to Sai Yok Noi falls. We travelled by public bus and were dropped off at Sai Yok Noi. We eventually found some falls only to realise that they were man-made. The real falls are further up the road in the Sai Yok National Park.
John & Jackie Chappell, Australia (Jun 99)
Dr J D Chaudhuri, Malaysia (May 99)
Robert Smith (Feb 99)
Ray Hegarty, Australia (Feb 99)
Maria Shearer, South Africa (Jan 99)
Suite 22.01 Level 22 Menara Lion
165 Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
tel: (03) 262 3480
fax: (03) 262 3486
email: sawatdi@po.jaring.my
homepage: http://www.amazingthailand.th; www.tourismthailand.th
This information was published in the New Straits Times, 6 January 1999.
Teresa Ong (Jan 99)
Sue Masters, UK (Dec 98)
Allebosch Henk, Belgium (Dec 98)
Jorgen Petiet & Ine Rikkers, The Netherlands (Dec 98)
Poorer but Wiser, Thorn Tree (Dec 98)
Helge Docters van Leeuwen & Roland Vos, The Netherlands (Dec 98)
Dr John Lam-Po-Tang, Australia (Dec 98)
Billy Zaenglein, Thailand (Nov 98)
Henrik Enevoldsen, Denmark (Nov 98)
Guido Faes, Belgium (Nov 98)
I recommend the sleeper train to Chiang Mai as it is hardly any dearer than the bus and far more comfortable.
You should ignore the people at the mainland port of Ban-Phe trying to sell you rooms on Koh Samet. Instead, buy a ticket for the ferry from a proper booth (close to the jetty) and go straight to the island. From here, take a Songthaew to the first beach and simply walk down the side of the island asking for prices.
Tom Sleigh, UK (Oct 98)
David Munro, Japan (Oct 98)
Gontalo Magalhpes, Macau (Oct 98)
WE-TRAIN International House, Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women, 501/1 Mu 3, Dechatungkha Road, Sikan, Don Muang, Bangkok. Tel: 929-2301 - 10, 929-2222; fax 929-2300; email: we-train@linethai.co.th; http://www.we-train.linethai.co.th
A Chakraborty, India (Oct 98)
Traca Alger, Australia (Oct 98)
Paul Wood, UK (Jul 98)
Bob Juniel, Australia (Jul 98)
Phoebe, The Thorn Tree (Jul 98)
Jane, Australia (May 98)
Eric Bjorkman (Apr 98)
As a westerner who spends a lot of time in Thailand, I feel the need to comment on the interaction I witness between travellers and Thais, especially in the Khao San Road area of Bangkok. This relationship has deteriorated over recent years, which is a shame for all concerned. The responsibility for this has to be shared between both local Thais and travellers but the bad feeling and mutual lack of respect is escalating and needs to stop.
Being more involved with Thais here than travellers, I would like to explain my version of their side of the story. They have a hard time understanding the attitudes they are experiencing from travellers. Without exception they say that travellers are arriving here with very different attitudes to the travellers several years ago. Some of this may simply be a case of remembering 'the good old days' but much of it seems to be a real change for the worse.
I understand that people travelling on a budget have to watch their expenses carefully and no-one is critical of that. Many of the Thais in this area know as well as anyone what it is like to live on a low budget. The problem is in the accompanying attitude to this attempt to live cheaply.
Please remember that there is more to everyone's lives here than the size of your budget. The world goes on and people live their lives. Hard nosed bargaining and constant complaining about prices does no-one any good. If you want sympathy about your finances, don't expect to get it from local people trying to earn a living. They are here providing the services and products that make your travel possible and supposedly enjoyable. They do this as work or business to earn money. Fortunately or unfortunately, this is the reality of how the world works and it is foolish to expect anything different.
I am not saying don't bargain, just do it gently with a smile and in appropriate situations. Not everything is bargainable, no matter what your travel guide says. Goods for sale on the street normally are; guest house rooms, food in restaurants and airline tickets normally are not. Attempting to wear people down by giving them a hard time only generates bad feelings.
Please remember that the people you deal with while you are here are living their normal, routine, regular life. Can you imagine if, in your regular job, you dealt all day every day with people complaining and hassling you about the price of your service, purely in an attempt to get a US$0.10 discount? That is what it often comes down to.
Martin Cooper (Apr 98)
Donald W M Yap (Mar 98)
Alan Middlebrook (Mar 98)
Sandra & Andy Neeve, UK (Feb 98)
Ura Frenklah, Australia (Jan 98)
Sandra de Souza & Dan Oleskevich, Canada (Dec 97)
David Perry, United Kingdom (Oct 99)
Yochai Zeid, Israel (Jun 99)
Les Thompson, Canada (May 99)
Rudi Blacker (May 99)
Chris Mendel, USA (Apr 99)
Elisabeth Weingraber-Pircher, Thailand (Feb 99)
Emily Moller, Thailand (Jan 99)
Ewa Grabowska, Poland (Oct 98)
Since this laid back town isn't on the travellers' hit list, the local Thais often looked or spoke of surprise at my presence there. I was only meant to stay one night as I needed to get back to work in Penang, however, I ended up staying a week. Within a week most people and places became very familiar and the locals were incredibly friendly (a refreshing change to the general business manner of the locals in central Bangkok). I was repeatedly exposed to the Thai's laid-back, warm personalities with free motorbike hire, complimentary drinks and a trip to see the national pride, Thai boxing, with a Thai shop owner and his family I had befriended. This bustling Thai town is steeped in Thai customs and traditions and goes about its daily life in its own way regardless of how many 'farang' are present. Not one shout of 'tuk tuk' could be heard or jewellers' scam mentioned - relief!
Hannah Rumble, UK (Sep 98)
Detlef Geerlings (Aug 98)
Geoff Lipscomb (Jul 98)
Wolf Kadavanich (Jun 98)
Alison Smithies, Thailand (Mar 98)
Andrea Hinther-Janus, Canada (Oct 99)
Don Osborne, Canada (Sept 99)
Robert W & Ruth A Stanton, USA (Aug 99)
John Ketelhohn (Aug 99)
Ruud van Mil, The Netherlands (Jun 99)
Mark Lydon (May 99)
Leanne Humphrey, Australia (May 99)
Jonas Berg & Cecilia Davidsson, Sweden (Mar 99)
Ulf Gäbler & Martin Abbel, Germany (no date)
#59 (air-con and non-air-con) to airport
#11 (air-con) shuttles between eastern and southern bus terminals
#3 (non-air-con) goes to northern bus terminal
#53 (non-air-con) does a circuit that takes in the station and the palace
#15 (non-air-con) a useful bus that passes Siam Square and Patpong
As there are few #59s, it may be better to get to the airport by going to the northern terminal then transfering to another bus (#10,13,29).
Anon, (Feb 99)
Julie Sheard, UK (Jan 99)
Qantas & British Airways
990 Rama 4 Rd
Bangkok 10500
tel: (662) 636 1770-4
fax: (662) 636 1749
Lee & Leo Stauber, Australia (Jan 99)
Emily Moller, Thailand (Jan 99)
The best way to travel in Bangkok is undoubtedly by river boat, as it avoids the traffic congestion, or by bus. The buses are unexpectedly frequent and inexpensive and, unlike the taxis, you don't have to pay for the vast amount of time spent in traffic jams.
Pak Chong/ Khao Yai National Park: if travelling south, you can reach Pak Chong by changing trains at Ban Pa Chi Junction, thereby avoiding the need to go all the way back to Ayuthaya.
Sue Masters, UK (Dec 98)
Shay Lockhart, Canada (Dec 98)
Minibuses to Hat Yai/Penang leave at 7 am and take nine hours. They cost 450 baht.
The wooden walkway from Rai Leh West to Ao Phra Nang is no longer present.
You need to allow an hour to reach the airport from Karon and Kata; it costs 500 baht.
Phuket airport is not particularly well organised, and the ground staff seemed to have difficulty coping with the number of passengers on the Phuket-BKK shuttle flights.
Thai Airways International are rescheduling flights to cope with the current economic crisis. What this means is that issued tickets may not necessarily guarantee a seat. For example, we purchased business class tickets two days prior to our departure because we were told that there were no economy seats left. Upon arrival we were told that there were no business class seats left, and that we would have to sit in the economy section. When we asked for a refund, we were told that we would have to go back to the Thai Airways office in Bangkok where we purchased them for a refund. When I pointed out the fact that we were meant to be flying away from Bangkok, they then agreed to write an Amex refund slip but informed us that it would take three months for the money to be credited. The point of this anecdote is not to complain about the refund but to illustrate that rescheduling can be unannounced and potentially problematic.
Dr John Lam-Po-Tang, Australia (Dec 98)
Malinda Quartel (Nov 98)
Traca Alger, Australia (Oct 98)
Josh Wilson, Australia (Aug 98)
Leila Buijs & George Smith (Aug 98)
Charlie, UK (Sep 98)
Paul Wood, UK (Jul 98)
Sue Houston, Australia (no date)
Sarah Tarkenton (Jul 98)
B Simpson (Jun 98)
John Macey, Australia (Jun 98)
Carole Pritchard (May 98)
Sukothai, Getting Around, page 505: public transport between Sukothai old city and new city ceases completely at around 5.45 pm with the last songthaew leaving from the old city. We made a stop at Pailyn Resort on our way back to the city and at about 6.30 pm there were no more songthaews or tuk-tuks going. We had to take the Pailyn hotel taxi.
There are no more local public buses running in the city of Chiang Mai. According to the people there they were shut down after the increase in fuel price. The songthaew system works well. The charge is B8 per person. Drivers notoriously try to overcharge either by asking for too much or by not returning all the change they owe you.
Viktor Weisshaeupl, Austria (Apr 98)
Karla Snook (Mar 98)
Peter Steiner (Mar 98)
Don Curtis (Mar 98)
David F Latchford, UK (Mar 98)
Vanessa Sterling (Feb 98)
J J Friar, UK (Feb 98)
Martin Schmitt, Germany (Feb 98)
Edward Nicholson (Feb 98)
Bert Eijnthoven, The Netherlands (Feb 98)
E J Jorissen, The Netherlands (Feb 98)
Nat & Rob (Jan 98)
V V Williams (Jan 98)
Joris Postema & Kim den Boer, The Netherlands (Jan 98)
Ted Hillestad, USA (Jan 98)
Lieuwke Loth, The Netherlands (Jan 98)
Astrid Schinharl, Germany (Jan 98)
We would like to recommend hotel guests write down with the receptionist the amount of money deposited in the safe.
Hila Babaioff, Italy (Oct 99)
Daniel Angerhausen, Germany (Sept 99)
Nelson Gonzalez, Vietnam (Sept 99)
Tolla Duke UK (Sept 99)
John Cowen (Aug 99)
Rachel Brakke, USA (Jul 99)
A Paula Scott (Jul 99)
I travelled around Thailand for 11 weeks on my own and was fine, however, women should be very careful. I always wore modest clothing and never drank or smoked on my own and never accepted food or drink from anyone. It sounds obvious but don’t forget it.
Vee Bee, UK (Jul 99)
Pippa, Australia (Jun 99)
D V Sullivan, Australia (Jun 99)
Peter Mitchell, Australia (Jun 99)
Anuraag Parashar, UK (May 99)
Diane Caulkett, UK (May 99)
Tim Bewer, USA (Apr 99)
Jennifer Thompson, USA (Mar 99)
Dirk Hartwig (Feb 99)
Geoff Jackson, Australia (Jan 99)
Anna Tryc, Poland (Jan 99)
Robert Vriesman (Dec 98)
Tracy Elofson (Dec 98)
Beware of tuk tuk drivers around Wat Pho who claim that the temple is closed due to a public holiday - it is open every day; the entrance is around the side, not on the main road.
Carolyn Johnson & Craig Barrack (Dec 98)
Belinda Brown, Australia (Nov 98)
Jim Manheimer, USA (Oct 98)
Martin Searle, Thailand (Oct 98)
Ferries and longtail boats in southern Thailand (including Krabi-Rai Leh, Krabi-Koh Phi Phi, and Phi Phi-Phuket) do not appear to keep adequate safety equipment on board. Ferries still have far fewer life vests than passengers, and none I saw or travelled on carried life rafts or additional flotation devices.
John Lam-Po-Tang, Australia (Oct 98)
Marsha Lipets-Maser, USA (Oct 98)
Shane Noyce, Australia (Oct 98)
Everyone should stay close to good medical treatment after any unusual fevers - Dengue can ravage you for a day, then go away making you think it was food poisoning or the flu. But in two to four days, it may strike by causing your white blood cells to plummet or your platelets to practically disappear overnight.
Kelley Gary, USA (Sep 98)
Patrick Andrivaux, France (Sep 98)
Rene Burgsma & Rob Zwerink, The Netherlands (Jul 98)
Atte Jussi (Jul 98)
Kimberleigh Schartz (Jul 98)
Hamish Scott-Brown (Jul 98)
Ana Moore (Jun 98)
Ralfaella (Jun 98)
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