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TECO

Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 7:45 am Post subject: |
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Bangkok is all right.
Problem is, the CIA and Thai police have just arrested Hambali, one of Al-Qaida's most notorious Asian terrorists.
This dude apparently had a part in the 9/11 attacks and is being interrogated at a secret location by U.S. investigators.
The maps that they seized from his house had the following locations marked for planned attacks:
- Khaosan Road (A no brainer, really).
- Nana Plaza
- Soi Cowboy
- Pat Pong.
I don't remember if they had marked off specific locations in Phuket. If memory serves me correctly they are targeting Phuket.
Hambali says that there are still 5 more members still operating in Thailand.
I wonder what kind of "Interrogation" techinques the U.S. were using with Hambali because they sure seemed to generate a lot of info.... |
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camel96 Guest
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 8:59 am Post subject: |
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Hey Kiddirts,
Can you be more specific...?
Thailand has a bit of everything. Do you want to go jungle trekking to visit hilltribes? Do you want to check out temples and ancient cities? Do you want to relax on a beach and get drunk? Do you want to hang out in one of the world's most vibrant cities and party? Do you want to get off the tourist trail? There's so many options. Once you arrange your flight you could always just go into Kyobo buy a Lonely Planet guide and spend your hagwon days dreaming.
I love Bangkok. It's hot, it's steamy and it's totally grubby but it's fun, there's great nightlife, great food, and get away from Nana and Khao Sahn and there's some really friendly and hospitable people.
Another option if you decide to head up Chiang Mai way is when you arrive at the airport, cross the highway and catch a bus or train heading north to Ayuthaya. It's only about 30 minutes or so from the airport and is a million miles from Bangkok. You can ride bikes around old temples, check out former drug addicted elephants in rehab (apparently Thai loggers often give their worker elephants speed so they work longer hours. Inevitably this results in the elephants injuring themselves and they are sent to Ayuthaya to be cleaned up and become tourist elephants. They teach some of them to do paintings also which is pretty cool.)
It's big time Euro holidays now so the major tourist centers in Thailand are going to be PACKED...!
Anyhow have fun. I'm trying to organize a trip to Thailand about that time also. Haven't had much luck so far though. |
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indytrucks

Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Location: The Shelf
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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Thailand = overrated = WAAAAY too many tourists, everywhere = too many paranoid cheapskates who think all Thais are out to rip them off, and who think spending 150 baht a day is a life-affirming event
Do yourself a favour. Go to Laos. |
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lawyertood

Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul, Incheon and the World--working undercover for the MOJ
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 7:31 pm Post subject: Thailand |
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First, I wish you luck in finding a ticket. Might not be any left for Chuseok week. For hotel rates check http://www.latestays.com/ You don't need to book through the internet to get these rates, at least I didn't this summer in Phuket. Where to go is up to you. Pattaya is the Disneyland for old, fat Bavarian men--quite the freak show but plenty of "girls" and "boys" and "boys pretending to be girls." Koh Samet is not far from Pattaya and is quiet with a nice beach but not much else to do there but relax. There are a fair amount of couples here. Phuket is more family oriented than Pattaya but there are still plenty of beer bars with girls and go-gos. It's your choice. |
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The Lemon

Joined: 11 Jan 2003
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
The maps that they seized from his house had the following locations marked for planned attacks:
- Khaosan Road (A no brainer, really).
- Nana Plaza
- Soi Cowboy
- Pat Pong. |
Was at Khaosan Rd the Friday night following the arrest... security was unbelievable. Checkpoints, roadblocks... demands to see passports before entering bars... a guy who was with my friends and me was refused entry because he was Burmese and without a passport...
Not that I like KSR anyway but it's certainly not the soft target it was less than two years ago. The Thai police are taking the threat there seriously, or as much as they take anything seriously.. |
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funplanet

Joined: 20 Jun 2003 Location: The new Bucheon!
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 3:53 am Post subject: |
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I'm going to Ko Phangan on Saturday for a week...got a bungalow...some books...gonna chill...come on down...it's a beautiful island |
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camel96 Guest
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 7:35 am Post subject: |
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The Lemon wrote: |
Quote: |
The maps that they seized from his house had the following locations marked for planned attacks:
- Khaosan Road (A no brainer, really).
- Nana Plaza
- Soi Cowboy
- Pat Pong. |
Was at Khaosan Rd the Friday night following the arrest... security was unbelievable. Checkpoints, roadblocks... demands to see passports before entering bars... a guy who was with my friends and me was refused entry because he was Burmese and without a passport...
Not that I like KSR anyway but it's certainly not the soft target it was less than two years ago. The Thai police are taking the threat there seriously, or as much as they take anything seriously.. |
Hey Lemon tell me do they still let the Pad Thai sellers and the t-shirt people park their carts on the road at night...? I was on KSR a week or so after the Bali bombings happened and noticed that while the cops were totally strict on cars and Tuk Tuks coming into the area the carts were coming and going at will without so much as a sideways glance. I really don't think you can block up an area like that from terrorism. And hey if for whatever reason you can't get in there go behind the monastery which is fast becoming as popular as KS itself with nowhere near the police presence. I guess what I'm saying is if someone really wanted to target that area the fact that there's a cop shop and a few fat old police -with uniforms so tight they can hardly bend over - standing around twiddling their thumbs isn't going to be so much of a deterrent. |
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TECO

Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 7:53 am Post subject: |
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Hambali has even said there are still 5 more of his commrades out there in Thailand.
I don't think it'd surprise anyone to see pattaya or NEP as the next Bali-type attack. |
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Hotel Cheonan

Joined: 08 Apr 2003 Location: Gwangju
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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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I liked Pattaya but it should be re-named Big fat German tourist ville. Lawyer Todd is right though, could be very hard to get a ticket. Good luck to you if you do. |
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Kiddirts
Joined: 25 Jul 2003
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 11:55 am Post subject: tickets |
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What do ticket prices out of Seoul to Thailand usually go for? I was quoted at 520,000...kinda steep? Also to be more specific...I want to drink and party with beautiful women. Nice beaches are okay but I've been to beaches all over the world...so it's not a big deal. I guess I'm still not being specific, huh? That still covers the whole island, so I've heard... |
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TECO

Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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K:
I'm off to Bangkok in a few hours (9am) and will be heading to Samui on either Saturday or Sunday and then to Ton Nai Pan on Ko Phangnan.
If you're interested, let's arrange a meet.
Don't know what day I'll be arriving on Ko Phangan but it could be Tuesday or Wednesday. |
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Zyzyfer

Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 3:15 pm Post subject: Re: tickets |
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Kiddirts wrote: |
What do ticket prices out of Seoul to Thailand usually go for? I was quoted at 520,000...kinda steep? |
Considering the season, you can't complain about that price. |
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Hotel Cheonan

Joined: 08 Apr 2003 Location: Gwangju
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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Mine was 500,000 but I also got first two nights in Pattaya free. 520 is really not bad at all. |
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