Re: Ask Degen Anything About Living In Thailand
 

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Hello everyone,

I'm leaving for Thailand in about a month, and I'll be staying for a few days in Bangkok then heading down south stopping in Krabi then going to Koh Samui and Koh Tao. Gonna be there 6 weeks all in all. Anyways, I'm budgeting about $1600 for the stay, so I'll be staying in some pos hotels with what I'm assuming to be nonexistent security. So, how should I take care of my stuff (especially my passport and money). I'm planning on just carrying my backpack around, but if I want to swim or party that's probly not going to work. What do you guys suggest?

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we just left these things in our rooms for the most part and didn't have any trouble, but i think that most places have safes or somewhere where they can put them away for you.

edit: can i suggest skipping koh samui and just going to ko phangan instead.

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Yep I picked Samui at random. But if Koh Phangan is better I'll definitely go there. Why do you think it is better? Also, how's Koh Phangan on the backpacker budget (compared to koh samui and koh tao)?

edit: skier, did you go to Chiang Mai? worth the trip?

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Koh Pga Ngan = WAY cheaper and mroe backpackery then Samui. Koh Tao is mostly backpackers but somehow is about the same price as Samui, maybe because it is such a small island and is a bit farther away from the mainland.

Chang Mai is definitely worth the trip IMO. The Jungle treks are cool. The girls in the north are just about all hott. The shopping is REAL cheap (go to the weekend market if you can, mostly locals and same stuff as night bazaar but way cheaper).

Re: Ask Degen Anything About Living In Thailand
 

This has probably been covered about a thousand times, but any suggestions on a good value for a hotel in the $50 area in bkk? I'm just looking for something for two nights while I stop hating life after the 24 hour trip.

Re: Ask Degen Anything About Living In Thailand
 

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Hello everyone,

I'm leaving for Thailand in about a month, and I'll be staying for a few days in Bangkok then heading down south stopping in Krabi then going to Koh Samui and Koh Tao. Gonna be there 6 weeks all in all. Anyways, I'm budgeting about $1600 for the stay, so I'll be staying in some pos hotels with what I'm assuming to be nonexistent security. So, how should I take care of my stuff (especially my passport and money). I'm planning on just carrying my backpack around, but if I want to swim or party that's probly not going to work. What do you guys suggest?

[/ QUOTE ]

we just left these things in our rooms for the most part and didn't have any trouble, but i think that most places have safes or somewhere where they can put them away for you.

edit: can i suggest skipping koh samui and just going to ko phangan instead.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep I picked Samui at random. But if Koh Phangan is better I'll definitely go there. Why do you think it is better? Also, how's Koh Phangan on the backpacker budget (compared to koh samui and koh tao)?

edit: skier, did you go to Chiang Mai? worth the trip?

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samui is way mroe developed and resortish and just had a weird feel to it. it didn't have that much of a local feel to it. more commercialized i guess. There was nothing that stood out about the island either.

ko phangan has the full moon party and is much smaller and really awesome imo.

chang mai was pretty awesome, but you gotta keep busy or it can get boring. Like ski said, the market is really cheap and the jungle treks are cool. Whatever you do, do the trek the first few days you are there and then you can hang out with the people you meet for the rest of the time or whatever.

ed,

I'm sure there are lots of places that you can stay in bangkok and perhaps some of the people with more experience will chime in. We just did the backpacker thing so we ended up on kho san road our first night and ended up staying at the D&D Inn which had A/c, hot showers, a pool on top for like 750 baht i think. I don't know if it's best, but it was reasonable and I would recommend it from the night or two that we stayed there.

Re: Ask Degen Anything About Living In Thailand
 

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Hello everyone,

I'm leaving for Thailand in about a month, and I'll be staying for a few days in Bangkok then heading down south stopping in Krabi then going to Koh Samui and Koh Tao. Gonna be there 6 weeks all in all. Anyways, I'm budgeting about $1600 for the stay, so I'll be staying in some pos hotels with what I'm assuming to be nonexistent security. So, how should I take care of my stuff (especially my passport and money). I'm planning on just carrying my backpack around, but if I want to swim or party that's probly not going to work. What do you guys suggest?

[/ QUOTE ]

we just left these things in our rooms for the most part and didn't have any trouble, but i think that most places have safes or somewhere where they can put them away for you.

edit: can i suggest skipping koh samui and just going to ko phangan instead.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep I picked Samui at random. But if Koh Phangan is better I'll definitely go there. Why do you think it is better? Also, how's Koh Phangan on the backpacker budget (compared to koh samui and koh tao)?

edit: skier, did you go to Chiang Mai? worth the trip?

[/ QUOTE ]

Koh Pga Ngan = WAY cheaper and mroe backpackery then Samui. Koh Tao is mostly backpackers but somehow is about the same price as Samui, maybe because it is such a small island and is a bit farther away from the mainland.

Chang Mai is definitely worth the trip IMO. The Jungle treks are cool. The girls in the north are just about all hott. The shopping is REAL cheap (go to the weekend market if you can, mostly locals and same stuff as night bazaar but way cheaper).

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Oh sick Koh Pga Ngan it is. Chiang Mai is really tempting me now, but I'm worried about spending $200 to fly up there and back to Bangkok if I'm only gonna be there for 3 or 4 days. How did you get up there ski? Buses ok?

Re: Ask Degen Anything About Living In Thailand
 

Also, ed, when you get to bangkok you're gonna get ripped off by a taxi if you don't know what you are doing. There are shuttles that you can get for like a 100baht that go to kho san road, or if you want to get a taxi go find the meter only line and go there and they will take you on the taxi meter. If you go outside of the arrivals door there will be cab drivers who won't use the meter and try to get you for more. I've heard of people paying like 750 baht for their cab ride. I'm not sure what the proper amt is but I imagine it should cost maybe 150 - 200baht on the taxi meter, hopefully someone can correct me if that's too high - it's been like a year.

Re: Ask Degen Anything About Living In Thailand
 

buses to chang mai were hell for us, but we may have gotten unlucky. we just went with your run of the mill cheapish, travel agency bus. they'll typically go overnight but still take time.

Another option that we never did were to take trains. I think this might be more expensive then buses, but would probably be a way better option. They book up fast though, so you need to book in advance.

Re: Ask Degen Anything About Living In Thailand
 

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I'm sure there are lots of places that you can stay in bangkok and perhaps some of the people with more experience will chime in. We just did the backpacker thing so we ended up on kho san road our first night and ended up staying at the D&D Inn which had A/c, hot showers, a pool on top for like 750 baht i think. I don't know if it's best, but it was reasonable and I would recommend it from the night or two that we stayed there.

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I'll check that out, thats pretty much the price range I'll be looking at for the rest of my trip.

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Also, ed, when you get to bangkok you're gonna get ripped off by a taxi if you don't know what you are doing. There are shuttles that you can get for like a 100baht that go to kho san road, or if you want to get a taxi go find the meter only line and go there and they will take you on the taxi meter. If you go outside of the arrivals door there will be cab drivers who won't use the meter and try to get you for more. I've heard of people paying like 750 baht for their cab ride. I'm not sure what the proper amt is but I imagine it should cost maybe 150 - 200baht on the taxi meter, hopefully someone can correct me if that's too high - it's been like a year.

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This is the kind of stuff I'll be researching for the next couple weeks, thanks.

Re: Ask Degen Anything About Living In Thailand
 

RE Taxis

SImple answer is ALWAYS use metered taxis (and make sure they turn the meter on) when in Bangkok. There is an easy to find meter taxi stand just outside the airport (you just have to wade your way thru tons of indy taxi touts both inside the terminal and outside offering xxxxxx fare to wherever) I paid about 200-250THB to a centralish part of BKK from the airport.

Re BKK Hotels

You don't have to stay on Khao San Rd (backpacker/granola/broke westerner area) to stay less expensive. Most of the bigger hotels with flashy websites are more expensive. If you look a little harder you find value. I stayed for 4 days at 550THB($16)/night in a decent neighborhood, 5 min walk from the subway. That price was gained by my Thai GF but still even as a farang walkin you shouldn't pay more than 1000THB($28)/night and sleep in a secure, comfortable environment with easy access to the rest of the city.

Re: Ask Degen Anything About Living In Thailand
 

when i arrived in thailand i didnt have a guide book, hotel, map or the slightest knowledge of thailand. i ended up taking an illegal taxis and that was one of the funniest experiences of my life and i look back fondly of it, maybe because i didnt get robbed.

dont research things too much. you want there to be some adventure to it. my 2cents.

Re: Ask Degen Anything About Living In Thailand
 

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Hello everyone,

I'm leaving for Thailand in about a month, and I'll be staying for a few days in Bangkok then heading down south stopping in Krabi then going to Koh Samui and Koh Tao. Gonna be there 6 weeks all in all. Anyways, I'm budgeting about $1600 for the stay, so I'll be staying in some pos hotels with what I'm assuming to be nonexistent security. So, how should I take care of my stuff (especially my passport and money). I'm planning on just carrying my backpack around, but if I want to swim or party that's probly not going to work. What do you guys suggest?

[/ QUOTE ]

we just left these things in our rooms for the most part and didn't have any trouble, but i think that most places have safes or somewhere where they can put them away for you.

edit: can i suggest skipping koh samui and just going to ko phangan instead.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep I picked Samui at random. But if Koh Phangan is better I'll definitely go there. Why do you think it is better? Also, how's Koh Phangan on the backpacker budget (compared to koh samui and koh tao)?

edit: skier, did you go to Chiang Mai? worth the trip?

[/ QUOTE ]

Koh Pga Ngan = WAY cheaper and mroe backpackery then Samui. Koh Tao is mostly backpackers but somehow is about the same price as Samui, maybe because it is such a small island and is a bit farther away from the mainland.

Chang Mai is definitely worth the trip IMO. The Jungle treks are cool. The girls in the north are just about all hott. The shopping is REAL cheap (go to the weekend market if you can, mostly locals and same stuff as night bazaar but way cheaper).

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh sick Koh Pga Ngan it is. Chiang Mai is really tempting me now, but I'm worried about spending $200 to fly up there and back to Bangkok if I'm only gonna be there for 3 or 4 days. How did you get up there ski? Buses ok?

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I've taken flights and Trains. Buses are always my absolute last resort. If you wanna save money take a night train from Bangkok for like $~30USD. Basically you leave at 6pm. End up in the bar car with other travelers by 6:15pm, drink until 12 then fall asleep (lay down beds) and you're there.