Job Discussion Forums

[voodikon]

hi all,

i'm taking my first non-home-bound international trip out of china at the end of july. my destination is thailand, so i have some questions for you all.

i'm planning to stay for about ten days; i'm flying in and out of bangkok; i am more of a city person than a nature person, although i would like to see some beach areas.

any help will be much appreciated!

money
-is it possible and easy enough to change chinese rmb to baht in thailand, or am i better off doing it before i go?
-is it possible to use a bank of china bank card with a maestro logo on it, or do i need to carry everything in cash (i have no other bank card)?
-i've been reading low-end accommodations run about 130-600/night. does that sound about accurate? are there any web sites you can recommend through which i can book low-end hotel rooms or hostel beds, or at least check them out?

language
-i wouldn't want to try to navigate china without some knowledge of chinese, and i imagine the case is similar in thailand? that said, can anybody recommend some web sites through which i can pick up some rudimentary phrases (numbers, thank you, how much does it cost, where's the toilet?, etc.) in the next few weeks?

getting around
-within bangkok, i guess i can take the underground? what about other cities?
-between cities, what's the best way to travel? i'm hoping to avoid flying within the country. and i'm not set on going to any particular cities just yet.

what to do/see
-i've only just begun my research on what to do and see; up until this point the only thing i know of is bangkok's chinatown--which, strangely, i'm interested in seeing, but what else are must-sees? i'm particularly interested in spots that might make for interesting cityscapes to photograph--any lively/vibrant areas, such as open markets and the like.

shopping
-what's the textiles situation in thailand? i like to sew, so it would be cool to pick up some fabric. is there anything particularly cool (doesn't have to be particularly thai or valuable or anything), and where would i go about getting it?
-any other thai must-buys or suggestions for souvenirs to bring back to folks?
-clothes and shoes in china are generally too small for most westerners; is the case the same in thailand? if not, how are prices (when clothes/shoes can be found in china, they're often disproportionately expensive)?

thanks thanks thanks

i'll probably have more questions as i do more research, so i'll add them to this thread.

[isanity]

Money: yes, don't know, yes. If you're in the 500 baht or under range, there's no need to book ahead.

Language: absolutely no need. If you want to learn a few phrases, googling "thai phrases" will produce plenty of pages, all more or less identical, but there are plenty of people who've been here for years and can't speak a word.

Transport: the Bangkok underground is nice, but only has one line. The Skytrain is slightly more convenient, otherwise taxis are fairly cheap but slow. Anywhere else, city transportation is songthaews, which normally have a fixed price and follow set routes. Try to avoid tuk-tuks.

[sigmoid]

I'll add some info later, but in the mean time you should have a look at Kurt K.'s Master Index for Thailand:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=12862

The first section contains numerous links to sites about travel in Thailand followed by links about Bangkok
followed by links about food
then Banks & exchange
budget accommodation
etc.
etc.
etc.
etc...

[sigmoid]

[cameron.mayo]

Personally if I only had 10 days and it was my first trip to Thai and your not a beach goer, I'd head for Chiang Mai. Its big enough to keep you entertained but small enough to be intimate unlike Bangers. Chiangers is just a great place.