Southeast Asia: I really enjoyed it despite all the Swedish people

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > Southeast Asia: I really enjoyed it despite all the Swedish people

The Wildcard: May 8, 2003; I fought the Nightman, lived as Dayman; / Now I'm
here
to ask for your hand.

The Lonely Planet guidebooks are awesome, but you're right, don't rely on it too much. I'm borrowing a copy right now to get some basic ideas about Thailand before I go, but I'm not going to buy it until I get there. Apparently you can grab a bootleg copy off the street for pennies on the dollar.

Even then, (and I'm going on what people said in the last thread here,) it's good to have in a pinch, but don't rely on it too much. Be flexible, that's half the fun. And remember that everybody get the LP guidebooks, so the places they recommend might be crowded/full.

I'm personally hoping to go to Thailand from around definitely going next Winter. Maybe both.

Right now I'm thinking I'll fly into Singapore, spend a week there with family friends. Fly to BBK, and from there head down to the islands. Just take it easy and chill. I PMed a few of the goons from the previous thread who'd been there in May/June and got some excellent advice.

Falco posted:

Everyone says that May/June is the hot and rainy season. I really don't think the temperatures change all that much at all from December to June. Yes it did rain while I was there, but it was usually in the afternoon and it would rain for an hour maybe two and stop. It was pretty refreshing when it would rain, and it made for a good excuse to take a break and read for a bit. I think I would much rather deal with a little rain than the mass amounts of people traveling around during December/January. There were still plenty of people there when I went.

Find which is the best deal in terms of flights, and go for it. Don't plan too much out before you get there because I guarantee your plans will change. Pick up a lonely planet guide for Thailand, and start talking to people once you get there. I originally planned on going to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and ended up never making it that way, but went through Loas instead. So leave your schedule open and have a blast.

Another bit about the weather. Yes it will be hot, and very humid. You're just going to have to deal with it. The less time I spent in air conditioning places the better I did. I purposely did not stay in A/C rooms and did much better.

Edit: If anyone has any island/beach stories, which ones are awesome, which ones to avoid, I'd be interested, I'm still trying to decide about that.

# ¿ Jan 29, 2010 18:07

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 08:59

The Wildcard: May 8, 2003; I fought the Nightman, lived as Dayman; / Now I'm
here
to ask for your hand.

What's the current visa situation? I thought I had it down, and then I read that it's changed recently.

# ¿ Jan 30, 2010 23:04

The Wildcard: May 8, 2003; I fought the Nightman, lived as Dayman; / Now I'm
here
to ask for your hand.

freebooter posted:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_United_States_citizens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_British_citizens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Canadian_citizens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Australian_citizens

No articles for Irish or Kiwis, so you'll have to do your own research if you're either. Vietnam and Burma are really the only ones that are wary of Westerners, though.

Thanks, I looked on Wiki, but I apparently didn't look hard enough.

This Visa website I found linked off that Wiki page says this:

. posted:

Passport required.
- Passport and/or passport replacing documents must be valid
for at least 6 months upon arrival.

Visa required, except for A touristic stay of max. 30 days:

- for holders of normal passports, being nationals of the

U.S.A.(except passports issued in the Marshall Islands);
Additional Information:

- All passports must be in good condition.

- Those travelling to Thailand with a visa issued prior to
arrival, are permitted to travel on a one-way ticket.

- All visitors must hold documents required for their next
destination.

- Visitors over 12 years of age must hold sufficient funds to
cover their stay (at least THB 20,000.- or USD 640.- per
person/family). For details, click here
- Applicable to those who do not need a visa:
For details, click here
Warning:
- Non-compliance with visa requirements will result in:
- refusal and immediate deportation of the passenger; and

- fines for the airline of THB 20,000.-; and
- overstay fine for the passenger of THB 500.- per day (but
not exceeding in total THB 20,000.-).

I've done a lot of traveling through the States and Canada, but this would be my first time overseas, I hadn't bothered getting a passport until recently, it won't be six months old by May. That pretty much puts me off until this next Winter, right? I'm assuming it does, but I wasn't sure whether there's a way to get an exemption. Bummer.

# ¿ Jan 31, 2010 05:02

The Wildcard: May 8, 2003; I fought the Nightman, lived as Dayman; / Now I'm
here
to ask for your hand.

DustingDuvet posted:

No. That refers to passports that expire within 6 months of arriving to the country. You are good to go.

Hey, cool. I'm bad at reading. Thanks.

# ¿ Jan 31, 2010 06:56

The Wildcard: May 8, 2003; I fought the Nightman, lived as Dayman; / Now I'm
here
to ask for your hand.

Alright, I'm back to this thread, things have been way too busy, but I've been promising myself all year I would take the plunge in December.
Is all this Red Shirt activity/talk of a coup something to be worried about? I'm thinking about grabbing a ticket and visiting Thailand from around Dec. 6th to maybe January 1st or so. I don't imagine I'll spend a lot of time in Bangkok, I'm more interested in the islands/beaches. I figured I'll plan my first three or four days, so I won't be walking around like a chicken with its head cut off, then wing it from there. That seems like half the fun.

Anyone else going to be in the country around that time? And, if I got Hep A and B shots, obviously I'd only be able to get one set before I left, would that be a worry? I don't plan on going wild partying, picking up girls, or hanging out in the deep jungle, but I still want to be safe/smart about what I get.

Also, I figure I'll fly into Singapore first, spend a few days with family friends. From there I plan on heading to an island/beach. Can anyone recommend one that's not a tourist trap, but not too off the grid? Finally, I saw some talk earlier in the thread about Train Travel between Singapore and Thailand. Has anyone ever tried that? If it's a fun/interesting experience, I'd be glad to take the extra time, but if it sucks, I'd much rather just fly.

# ¿ Nov 20, 2010 20:15

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 08:59

The Wildcard: May 8, 2003; I fought the Nightman, lived as Dayman; / Now I'm
here
to ask for your hand.

Steve. posted:

I'll be in Thailand from December 5 until January 22. I'll be on Koh Tao from December 20 until January 18.

You'll be there in peak tourist season, so finding a place that isn't overrun with tourists will be difficult. Some places (Phuket) are worse than others (Koh Tao), but there are some places that are completely untouched - but it sounds like you want something in the middle.

I suggest Koh Tao: it's not off the grid, but it attracts a different kind of island goer than somewhere like Phuket or Koh Samui - younger, more relaxed, mostly there to dive, no sex tourists. There's one main beach area, and then half a dozen smaller, more isolated, less visited bays with little villages (some without a small village at all). It's easy to get to from Singapore, too: Train to Chumpon, ferry to Koh Tao.

I wouldn't discount Malaysia, either. It's well worth visiting (you'll have to visit if you get the train anyway).

http://www.seat61.com/Thailand.htm and http://www.seat61.com/Malaysia.htm should help with the train stuff, but don't rely upon the timetable posted there.

I'm kicking around the idea of taking the train up through Malaysia, I imagine it would be possible to get off the train at some point, explore for a bit (a day or so, whatever) and then catch the next one the rest of the way, no? My concern is all the travel advisories I'm seeing for Southern Thailand/Malaysia, should I be concerned as someone traveling alone? Plus apparently they have curfews in Bangkok, but I'm not planning on spending a lot of time there anyway. Nobody else seems to be worried about this, so I'm guessing I'm over thinking it.

# ¿ Nov 22, 2010 22:16

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > Southeast Asia: I really enjoyed it despite all the Swedish people