Korean Job Discussion Forums

[soviet_man]

I have just come back from my 5th trip to Thailand.

I have gone on average, once per year for the past 5 years.

Out of the 5 trips, I would rate this time (in 2009) as being probably the worst.

My impression is that the Thai economy is very much on the slide, the political situation is still uncertain and the Thais themselves seem to be more money-hungry than I have seen in the past. A lot more street beggers and homeless people than I've previously noticed.

ARRIVAL:
Bangkok Suvarnambhumi airport itself remains ok (still no Skytrain though). Passports will be stamped for 29 days (eg. 1 month, minus 1 day). There was previously hourly buses direct to Pattaya, but currently this has been reduced to just 3 per day. Not wanting a hike to Ekkamai bus station or wait at the airport for hours, I opted for a share taxi for 500 baht straight from Suvarnambhumi. A random Thai girl appeared (who was also going to Pattaya) and payed the other 500 baht. The usual 140km/h car trip followed.

PATTAYA:
On arrival, it was strangely pretty gloomy and desolate. I paid 1100 baht for a simple guest-house room per night, infact I was probably paying more than it was worth. There were only a handful of people in the 20 room place. The Thai workers there seem to spend most of their day sitting around waiting for customers that aren't coming.

I paid 300 baht to use a huge resort swimming pool. It was pretty surreal to have 2 or 3 customers using the pool and about 12 Thais standing around as waiters and pool attendants doing nothing.

My fellow Russianes are definately keeping Pattaya in business these days. Few anglo white sex tourists were seen. Arab and Japanese tourists also very few, unlike I've seen on past trips. Some nice condos and new apartments going up all over there, but not many buyers showing interest it seems. But more and more you see Russian signs throughout Pattaya and there is a Russian TV channel there now too. Good Iranian restaurant in Pattaya 2nd roat too, loved it.

I took a few trips to enevitable massage rooms. The signs say 300 baht outisde as usual (but the girl expect a tip of 400+ baht more afterwards). Mediocre at best probably sums up. Not wanting to sample the 30% HIV rate there, I opted against full service, the quoted price for that was about 1200+ baht all up (rip off).

Only slightly less disappointing, was paying 720 baht for steak at Sizzler Pattaya which was also of similarly poor quality.

The one thing I liked about Walking Street in the past - was the muay thai boxing. Didn't see any this time (you would pay 2000 baht minimum to see it at Lumpini in Bangkok) ... yet another victim of the global financial crisis?

My biggest complaint with Pattaya is that there is nothing to do in the mornings. Nothing opens until about 11am at the earliest. For those of us on Korea-time what are we supposed to do for hours other than sit at internut cafe.

BANGKOK:
I did the usual Saturday market visit to Chatuchak. Pretty hot and generally rubbish. Finding large sizes seemed difficult to impossible and the oppressive heat caused me to rapidly lose interest.

Across in Silom, things are more overpriced than they were last year. It is pretty incredible to see shops selling US$300 jars of Bvlgari perfume and $80 pairs of underpants with absolutely no customers there. If ever you wanted to see madness of capitalism, go for a wander through hundreds of boutique shops with no customers in Silom while only literally meters away outside in the side streets Thais living in poverty. Pretty grim.

I stayed at a 5 star river-side hotel for about US$400 for 3 nights booked online. The cunning liars changed me an extra $300 security bond to my credit card (without telling me) and I'm only just finding that on my bank statement now after I've left the country. Why I ask. Now it will take days to try and recover that cash.

Perhaps the most satisfying part of the whole trip was watching the look of horror on the cab drivers faces as I left the hotel: instead of getting into the premium taxi in the hotel driveway (where the taxi scum will charge a surchange) I dragged my bags to the nearby main road and got a car at the street rate. The head ajosshi there was none too impressed about someone bypassing his taxi gang. Anyone with half a brain could figure that trap out.

Finally the 500 baht exit fee at the airport has also been dropped (perhaps the ONLY thing the Thais got right this time).

[losing_touch]

[Tobias]

Soviet, did you stock up on all things Thai? I'm in Thailand now, and I see some things have gone up in price. But the prices are still a lot less than you'll pay in Korea. I'm enjoying a nice slice of watermelon I paid 20 baht for as I post this.

The Muay Thai boxing matches at Lumphini ARE 2000 baht, but only if you get a ringside seat. I can get seats from a guest house in Suk-me-vit further back for 500 baht. And these are for 9 bouts over 5 hours.

The cab rides to and from the airport are expensive, but I know I can go from the Nana BTS station to the airport via city bus for about 20 baht. I know because I've done it.

If you want to stay on Koh Sahn Road, there are plenty of places. One of the better places is not on the road. It's on the U-road that runs around the temple complex west of KSR. The name of the hotel is Rambuttri Place. Rooms there start at about 580 baht a night. I found Rambuttri to be a good place to go. There's also a room for baggage storage in case you want to leave your suitcases while you go traveling about the country.

To get to points north from Bangkok, take a minibus. To catch a minibus, head to Victory Monument. There are many stations there, but the biggest, and probably the best, is the place just north of the circle. Below the BTS line/freeway intersection is a lot full of vans that will take you as far as Chiang Mai. These are fairly cheap as well. They beat taking a big bus and beat waiting for hours on a train. I will bet a sizable sum that one can catch one of these buses to points south, such as Pattaya or even Phuket.

Thailand still has plenty of cool features and is still a relatively cheap place to go. I'm living on 12 bucks a day while I wait for the won to return to 1000 or less per buck. I could live on 8 bucks a day here easily if I wanted.

I ain't going home anytime soon. I like my 20-baht melon too much. I'm not hard to please, so I fit right in in Thailand.

[thrylos]

I think the OP is right, but so are the doubters. Thailand still can be a good deal economically, but you really have to know the limitiations of your bargaining and accept that Thai attitudes have changed in the last few years. I've been going to Thailand since 2002 and I agree that tourism there has messed w/their heads. They are MUCH greedier than in the past and prices, while still cheap for sliced watermelon and meat on a stick (Hal-ha-lash anyone ??), are not that different than in Korea now, especially with the poor exchange rate.

Thailand is good for someone new that's never been there before. If you're a regular visitor, I agree w/Soviet man, it ain't what it used to be. I'm glad they shot themselves in the foot and no one's there.

I spent my winter break (6 weeks) in Cambodia. Flew into BKK, next hour I was in Phnom Penh and the rest of the time on the Cambodian coast, staying at a 250 baht place on the beach ($6/night) and eating watermelon slices for 5 baht. Plus a kilo of just-picked seafood (I waited 20 mins for the owner to go fishing/crab hunting and then serve me) all for 5-6 bux in Kep.

Thailand, land of smiles? Sure, when their one hand is in your wallet and the other is in your backpack...No thx....

[Drew345]

Thanks for the trip report. It seems skipping Pattaya would be good for future travelers.
Just one more comment. the 500 Bt airport tax went up to 800 Bt and then got folding into the ticket price. That fee is paid at the time of ticket purchase now.
Thanks

[simonmanc]

It also helps if you can make a few Thai friends who will be able to purchase things for you at Thai price and advise you against any ludicrously high rip offs........

[Tobias]

This thread is turning into a bash-Thailand fest. There are plenty of good things to be found here besides cheap melon and such.

However...there is one peeve I've noticed on this trip, especially in Bangkok, that wasn't prevalent here, say, in 2004: a Thai taxi driver, bellhop, waitress, et al, will more likely expect a tip these days. Some are as bad as Mexicans now.

I'll be going to Burma next week and may take a trip up to China from the Golden Triangle. The Kunming area may be another good place to go laze around while this economic mess gets sorted out. There's only one way to find out.

[Fishead soup]

It's obvious the OP knows nothing about Thailand. You can still get a good deal .

Hotels you should pay between 300-500 baht anything over 1000 should be 5 star.

30% HIV statistics sounds very 1980's too me. Did you get that from 60 minutes. If you didn't go there for the naughty nightlife why would you go to Pattaya. There are better beaches for people who are not whoring.
Why not go to Krabbi Phi Phi Island or Phuket.

The level of ignorance of the OP would be acceptable if you were a Korean newlywed going on package holiday.

[pkang0202]

I thnk the OP's experience would be comparable to someone goign ot Thailand for the first time, alone.

One reason that keeps me from going to Thailand is because I've never been there before, and I'll probably be ripped off left and right because of my inexperience in the country.

[Fishead soup]

[Tobias]

[laconic2]

[patongpanda]

[ernie]

i'd be pretty sick of thailand too if i'd gone there for 5 years straight. why not check out somewhere else in asia?

[losing_touch]