Q&A on Thailand

[Ono]

Hello everyone, this thread is one of the main reasons i joined this forum. Im planning a trip to Thailand after this coming summer. I've done a good amount of research and dont have any major questions. However one thing i cant figure out is how much luggage to bring for a month long stay? I definitely wont be rolling some huge bag all over Thailand, i plan on not even checking a bag and just bringing a backpack and a medium sized (carry on) bag. For all those who travel to Thailand often how much stuff do you bring, and do you find it easy to travel(on buses, etc) with your luggage?

Thanks in advance.

 

[cali_chute_boxe]

All you need is a decent size backpack. Make sure it has a compartment for your athletic shoes cause you will need them sometimes. Something like this should be fine. 7000ci Red Internal frame Camping Hiking Backpack Bag - eBay (item 370303353727 end time Jan-06-10 11:05:50 PST)

 

[Ono]

Ok great i've already got a pretty good backpack, i also plan on buying a good amount of gear over there so i thought maybe i'd bring an empty bag inside my backpack/other bag(maybe a small duffel bag or something). But anyways thanks!

 

[cali_chute_boxe]

Ok great i've already got a pretty good backpack, i also plan on buying a good amount of gear over there so i thought maybe i'd bring an empty bag inside my backpack/other bag(maybe a small duffel bag or something). But anyways thanks!

What gym were you planning on training at?

 

[GBlutador]

How contagious is Hep B? I'm not planning on sleeping with any bargirls, though I am a good looking guy so..... do condoms stop me getting it? I've heard you can get it from blood transfusions too so if I were to cut somone and they bled on me a bit would that possibly give me it? Can it be passed on through sweat?

for one more than bar girls have it. not many people get vaccinated out here and theres not always the cleanest piercing and tattoos done.

also it can be transmitted through blowjobs, as can syphilis

 

[mschatz]

That night boat up the Tonle sab is cool as hell because there's little light pollution except for village lights once you clear the cities for some long stretches so you can really see the sky lit up with stars. Once you hit the lake area with the hills and see the village lights, it's good stuff.

If you're going to Cambodia only once, this is definitely the best way to ger from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Don't even THINK about doing the bus.

So...ended up taking the bus. It was the difference between $4 to $33 per person.

Aside from that, I loved Cambodia. I was expecting to enjoy Thailand a lot more, with Cambodia mostly just being cool for the sight-seeing. I ended up really being fascinated by the Khmer people and culture. I'll definitely be back.

Other Notes:

1. When in Bangkok, I stayed over by Khao San Road, which fucking sucks. Complete shit show over there, and we couldnt wait to get out. It was easy and convenient though, so stayed there for a day at a time on 3 separate occasions en route to somewhere else.

2. Visited Thai Islands of Koh Chang and Koh Si Chang, both of which were really cool. Si Chang is tiny, and it was nice to get away from the tourist crowds in Bangkok. I had a minor spill on my motorbike there, but no harm done. Koh Chang was amazing, and I could have spent 3-4 weeks there w/o a problem. Great snorkeling, did some night fishing, hung out at the beach, etc.

3. Visiting S-21 or the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh is a very depressing way to spend a day, but it's something you should still go to.

4. Donating some time at the orphanages in the city is a good way to feel good about life again after visiting the genocide museums. Bring finger paint. The kids love it.

5. I even trained a day in Bangkok. I'm a boxer, not a MT guy though, so they were laughing at my attempts to kick the pads. They complimented my hands though.

6. Traveling light is the way to go. 1 medium backpack. Everything else is available when you get there.

7. Angkor Wat is a must-see, but...expect to be sick of temples by the end of the day.

 

[Doughbelly]

7. Angkor Wat is a must-see, but...expect to be sick of temples by the end of the day.

Sick after a day? I spent over a week in Siem Reap, just hanging out and probably would have stayed longer. I'm a big old ruins guy tho.

Sounds like you had a good time. See any Cambodian boxing?

 

[Ono]

What gym were you planning on training at?

Im not really sure yet because i dont know what part of the country i want to go to, i've narrowed it down to 3 choices: Sinbi, True Bee, or Por Pramuk. I plan to mostly work out in the morning and relax/explore thailand the rest of the time.

 

[mschatz]

Sick after a day? I spent over a week in Siem Reap, just hanging out and probably would have stayed longer. I'm a big old ruins guy tho.

Sounds like you had a good time. See any Cambodian boxing?

A week in Siem Reap, or a week at Angkor Wat? 1 day was enough for me at the ruins, although we did spend a bit more time just hanging around the city.

Unfortunately, did not see any Khmer boxing. We had plans for it one night, but ran out of time.

 

[Doughbelly]

A week in Siem Reap, or a week at Angkor Wat? 1 day was enough for me at the ruins, although we did spend a bit more time just hanging around the city.

Both, kind of. I probably spent five days in just Angkor Wat itself, at all the different sites. I'm all about sunrises and sunsets in cool places and you only get one each of those a day. I also like to walk around by myself and take my time. Though I will occasionally crash guided Korean and Japanese tours, if there's enough hotties. I have an entire game built up around this - you have no idea how badly Asian women on these guided group tours are looking for excitement. :-D

The other days, I spent tooling around the lake, getting drunk and all kinds of intoxicated on different substances with a bunch of locals. Nights, getting all liquored up, hitting on European or Australian tourists but usually ending up at one of the night clubs.

 

[mschatz]

Right on. Yeah, I thought Cambodia was amazing. A bit more raw than Thailand was.

Had some great times in both countries though. Some of the best sunsets I've seen on were on this trip. This one was from Koh Chang.

 

[cali_chute_boxe]

Im not really sure yet because i dont know what part of the country i want to go to, i've narrowed it down to 3 choices: Sinbi, True Bee, or Por Pramuk. I plan to mostly work out in the morning and relax/explore thailand the rest of the time.

What ever you do and where ever you end up, one thing is for sure, Thailand is going to change your life. You'll soon find out if you don't believe me.

 

[cali_chute_boxe]

The other days, I spent tooling around the lake, getting drunk and all kinds of intoxicated on different substances with a bunch of locals. Nights, getting all liquored up, hitting on European or Australian tourists but usually ending up at one of the night clubs.

You sound like a guy that I have a great time with after training is done. Getting the girls and getting intoxicated overseas is something that every man should experience.

 

[Prokofievian]

I've read a lot, in this thread anyways, about people getting jobs teaching english, and getting a certain wage, with respect to their education. Has anyone with a more technical degree gone there to teach Math or Physics?

 

[BodyHook]

I've read a lot, in this thread anyways, about people getting jobs teaching english, and getting a certain wage, with respect to their education. Has anyone with a more technical degree gone there to teach Math or Physics?

Most foreign teachers here are teaching at government schools or mediocre private schools and make around 30-40k a month. A lot of these places don't check your diplomas and some don't require any education at all.

Now you can get around 80-140k a month if you have a good degree from a university, there are lots of international schools and upper scale private schools that are always advertising looking for qualified foreign teachers, and by qualified they mean have a degree.

 

[KoSubDntMttr]

i didnt read this whole thread, so i don't know if this has been asked or answered

what do you do with your money i'm sure you don't carry it all with you..

 

[Payak]

took a spill on my bike in koh lahn 4 days ago, thats what i get for letting my girlfriend double me.
my left foots out of action for a few days.

 

[cali_chute_boxe]

^^Sorry to hear that Payak. Hope you get better soon.

 

[Prokofievian]

Most foreign teachers here are teaching at government schools or mediocre private schools and make around 30-40k a month. A lot of these places don't check your diplomas and some don't require any education at all.

Now you can get around 80-140k a month if you have a good degree from a university, there are lots of international schools and upper scale private schools that are always advertising looking for qualified foreign teachers, and by qualified they mean have a degree.

Well that's certainly interesting. Thanks for that. I'll look into it more.

It probably wouldn't be the most prudent career move, going into the engineering field, but, it might be a good way to make some money to prolong a stay in Thailand, without degrading my skill-set. At least not in what I was teaching.

 

[AXelator]

i didnt read this whole thread, so i don't know if this has been asked or answered

what do you do with your money i'm sure you don't carry it all with you..

Ever heard of a bank?