Thailand – Some Of My Best Photos
Not much of an article here, just some photos of very beautiful places I was lucky enough to visit in Thailand. Click the pictures for a large hi resolution version.
Ko Phi Phi at dusk
This was Ko Phi Phi. Possibly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. It was worth going way out of my way to visit this place and I really recommend anyone who is thinking about going to just go.
Two Rocks Bungalows on Ko Phangan
Two Rocks Bungalows. The living area
This was one of the better places I stayed. I genuinely feel blessed to have been able to stop here. I don’t use the word blessed very often.
Buddhist Temple Somewhere In Thailand
I forget exactly which temple this is because I saw a lot of them in my time but this picture is particularly striking.
Waterfall in Chiang Mai
One of the many waterfalls I visited. This one in Chiang Mai was probably the most dramatic although the one in Ko Samui was the most fun.
Sukothai
The ruins around the old Thai capitol city. This is a really stunning place to spend an afternoon but you’re best advised to cycle everywhere as motorbikes are not allowed in the ruins.
The biggest temple in Chiang Mai
I tried hard to get the image to reflect the way the gold looks to your eye but it’s very difficult. I think this is the best result I got with image editing. These things really need to be seen in person to get the full effect though.
I hope you’ve enjoyed checking out my Photos from Thailand. They are images of beautiful places that I was lucky enough to visit. I would encourage everyone to visit them too. You only need to go once and it will leave a lasting impression on you, I have no doubt.
Thailand – How To Negotiate With Street Sales People
If you spend any time in Thailand at all you will no doubt come across people trying to sell you something on the street. The first time you see them all their products will look nice and unique. Kind of hand made in a quirky way. If you visit a couple of markets you will find that throughout Thailand all the products are the same.
This is the first thing you need to know. You can buy the stuff someone is trying to sell you absolutely everywhere so it is most definitely a buyers market. You don’t need to worry about not being able to find the product somewhere else. Feel free to walk away at any time if you don’t like the price or their attitude. They want your business and may well chase you. If not, no worries just go to the next one.
Picking a starting price is important. I don’t like to pay more than half their asking price and flat out refuse to pay more than 66% of the starting price. When they quote a price I immediately offer 1/3 of their price. In the UK this is probably the cost price but in Thailand this will still give them a good profit margin.
Feel free to move price around a little bit. After all, price negotiation is give and take. You’re never going to get something for 1/3 their asking price but it lets them know that you’re serious. Not some 18 year old gap year idiot that thinks they’re getting real Ray Ban sunglasses for £3.00.
I’ll gradually increase my offer until I get to 50% and then flatly refuse to go up anymore. I’ve walked away from people who won’t give me 50%. Sometimes they’ll chase after you to try and get your money. If they do, it’s definitely an option to offer them a little more money and carry on negotiating. I find negotiating fun and challenging so keep going and don’t settle for anything more than 66%. This is still a really good deal for them too.
If you’re looking to buy more than one of something, for gifts perhaps, it’s good to negotiate a small individual price for one item then when they agree offer to buy more but at a reduced cost. For example if I can get 60% cost on one item and I want five I will then offer them 50% initial price for five. If they don’t go for it walk off and see if they come to you.
Always remember that you can buy most of the things in street stalls all over Thailand so there’s no need to worry if you can’t get a good price at your first time. Don’t pay them anything, just go and find someone else who will sell it to you.
Disinterest in the sale often works well. If you act like you’re just browsing sometimes the sales person will do the bargaining for you. I got a pair of sunglasses reduced from £8 to £3 doing absolutely nothing more than repeatedly telling the guy I was just looking. Different sales people have different emotional triggers you can work. Once you learn to read people’s triggers you can make them do pretty much whatever you want.
Thailand – Over Staying Your Visa
We’ve all been there. You head to Thailand and fall in love with the place. You just don’t want to leave. It’s OK you think. It doesn’t matter about the date on my passport, I’ll just stay a few more days. There won’t be any harm.
Unfortunately this isn’t the case. Whilst the islands like Ko Phi Phi and Ko Phangan might be very easy going, the immigration is not so forgiving. You will be charged 500 Baht (correct July 2011) for every day over your Visa you stay. Given that you’re probably a poor gap year student if you’re reading this then you’ll want to save as much money as possible so this isn’t a good idea.
Fortunately the Thai government has forseen events like these and it is relatively easy to get your Visa extended. All you need to do is to go to the building mentioned in my article about losing your passport in Thailand, pay your fees and get on with your journey.
Remember, the best way to get to the immigration building is by Taxi and should cost approximately 200 Baht (plus fees for the high way) from the Khao San Road area. It should be significantly less from the Sukhumvit area but noone wants to be in the Sukhumvit area if they’re tourists!
Thailand – Ultimate Guide To The Full Moon Party on Ko Phangan
OK so you’re visiting Thailand and you’ve got to go to the Full Moon Party on Ko Phangan. Unless you’re travelling with children of course, in which case you should probably stay as far away from Ko Phangan as possible. Some people might try and convince you that the North side of the island is a nice place to stay, and it is, but if you want seclusion you should go to Ko Tao or Ko Samui. Ko Phangan is all about partying. End of.
There’s little to do in Ko Phangan apart from party so there’s nothing wrong with sleeping all day and partying all night. You’re not missing anything. There’s a temple which is relatively cool if you’ve not already seen a bunch of them and an incredibly disappointing waterfall, hardly worthy of the name and 30 minutes of my life totally wasted.
Firstly you need to decide where you want to stay. There are a few options but the best by far and away is Haat Rin. This is where the party is at. Because it is right on the beach where the Full Moon Party is, the places get booked up pretty quickly. It’s worth either looking for places and booking in advance or arriving 4 or 5 days before the Full Moon Party if you want to do it with eyes on the ground.
If you can’t get a place on Haat Rin, Baan Thai is your next best option. It’s really easy access to Haat Rin in the days leading up to the Full Moon Party, about 10 minutes ride in one of the Jeep Bus Taxi things. Price 100 Baht each way. This is almost the same price as a Bucket of Alcohol. I stayed at Power Beach Resort for a couple of days and Two Rock Bungalows for a couple more days. I arrived quite late and hadn’t booked in advance. Both of these places are right on the main road leading to Haat Rin. I wish I’d been able to find somewhere in Haat Rin it’s self but I was denied. None the less I had an awesome time until I lost my passport.
You can stay on the other sides of the island and I met a fair few people who did but it’s so much better to pay a bit more to get close to the action.
Air conditioned rooms are a must here. Basically you’re going to be partying hard, drinking a lot and staying up late. You’re going to be doing this for more than one day in a row so you’re going to need somewhere nice to sleep. It’s worth taking a few hits either before or after in terms of accomodation to make these few nights totally awesome.
Full Moon Warmup Parties are often better than the Full Moon Party it’s self. I can vouch for that. Nearly everyone I’ve spoken to about it thinks the same. There were more girls at the warmup and everyone seemed to be in a better mood. I think whenever you build something up in the way the Full Moon Party is built up, it inevitably fails to live up to expectations though. There are usually at least 3 warm up nights so get naked and get involved.
You’ve read ad nauseum accounts about getting painted up and all that stuff so I won’t cover any of that stuff here. Just do it. You won’t regret it. Alcohol is cheap and plentiful. Buckets are lethal but quite expensive. Get some Samsong and some M150 and drink until you’re almost dead (just don’t die, or if you do, don’t sue me. If you drink so much you die it’s your own fault).
It is worth noting that the 10th best selling book in Haat Rin is The Game. That ammused me.
Thailand – What To Do If You Lose Your Passport In Thailand
OK, so I’m British. This guide is aimed at British people who have lost their passports whilst visiting Thailand. The finer points, such as the location of various places will change based on your nationality but the basics should be pretty similar.
All prices are correct as of the Summer 2011.
Firstly some background. I lost my passport whilst I was on Ko Phangan. I was doubly gutted because it was the day of the Full Moon Party and I really wanted to enjoy that carefree. Unfortunately I couldn’t because I had to sort the mess of the lost passport out.
Firstly, you need to get a police report. This is critical as everyone will ask you for it when you are trying to get a new passport. It may seem trivial and firstly I wasn’t going to bother but believe me, I’m glad I did. The police report can be used anywhere a Passport would normally be used so make sure you get one. It’s usually pretty easy to find the police station if you ask people. If you’re on Ko Phangan, the police station is in the main town, Ton Salad. This isn’t walkable if you’re in Haat Rin or Baan Thai or anywhere worth being on that island and just forget about it if you’re on the north coast. Suck it up and get some public transport. You’re going to be spending a lot of money so a couple of hundred Baht now is nothing.
The police were very friendly for me. They will take a few details like where you lost it and how. They will also need you to spell out your name so they can write a Thai translation on the page. If you’re thinking of getting a tattoo with your name or something in Thai, here is a good way to check that they’ve not just written Wanker on your arm or something. The cost of the police report is 20 Baht.
The next thing you need to do is get a new passport. Unfortunately there isn’t a Consulate around Ko Phangan / Ko Samui so you’re going to have to go somewhere else to get it. Now you have a choice. You can either go to Chiang Mai, Pattaya or Bangkok. Basically if you’re in South Thailand, be prepared to travel a long way. From what I understand, each Consulate is equal but I know my way around this system in Bangkok well so I will write the step by step details for Bangkok. If you decide to go somewhere else then you’re on your own.
The good news is that your police report will allow you to travel freely round the country and stay in hotels, but you will need a passport to get out of Thailand. You don’t need to get the replacement passport until a few days before you leave. However the process will take a couple of days so you should allow some time for this.
If you’re in the South, the best thing you can do is go to Bangkok. From the Samui Archipellago area, the most stress free way to travel is to get a Night Train to Bangkok as this will leave you feeling relatively refreshed for the hectic day you have ahead of you.
The train to Bangkok leaves Surat Thani in the early evening, around 5pm or a later train at 7pm. Depending on how much time you have before you go, it is worth getting the earlier train, arriving in Bangkok at around 6am. With this in mind, you can take your time for the remainder of the day. The 5pm train is rarely booked up so you shouldn’t have to worry. The 7pm train was always booked when I tried to get it so it’s probably best unless you’re booking ahead to get the earlier train. There is literally nothing to do in Surat Thani. I sat for 6 hours in the train station and made some big strides reading through my current journey book, Blood Meridian. This is another reason to not be in a massive rush to get to the train station. As usual, everything is very leisurely in Thailand so don’t stress it.
I arrived from Ko Phangan via the Joint Ticket company. They dumped me in the middle of Surat Thani but near the bus stop. I don’t remember the bus I got but it was the bus they told me to get. Trust them. It took about 20 minutes to get to the train station. It is impossible to miss the train station in Surat Thani so don’t worry about missing it. Unless you are completely blind you will see it. The price for this journey was approximately 20 Baht.
The train journey is a train journey. You sit there for 13 hours and eventually you get to Bangkok. I think it’s worth the extra money to get a lower bunk on the night train. They’re considerably more comfortable and hardly any more money. If you’re a small person, you’ll probably be fine but I’m about 6′ tall and the top bunks are just too small for me.
Once you arrive in Bangkok, you’ve got a couple of options. If you’re not in much of a hurry you can get yourself into a hotel around Khosan Road and chill for a bit or if you’re really hauling ass you can get yourself straight to the British Embassy.
If you really want to be there and done as soon as possible you can probably do the whole passport thing in a day. You need to start early though. Firstly, get on the Metro to Asok Station. Asok Station is in the direction of Bang Sue. Once you get to Asok, get off the metro and get onto the BTS Skytrain and go to Phloen Chit. This station is right on Wireless Road, where the British and American Embassies are located. Total fare is around 50 Baht but you need to get coins for the machines. The station exits into a shopping centre of sorts. You need to get passport photos for your new passport assuming you don’t have them already. There is a shop on the bottom floor which sells them. They are quite expensive, around 400 Baht, but they are really convenient if you’re a bit of an idiot like me.
This bit is important.
You need to get to the British Embassy EARLY. Before 11am when they go for lunch. After lunch, they only deal with pickups. When you get to the British Embassy you need to have the following: Passport Photos, Police Report, Flight Details for your trip, around 10000 Baht. If you don’t, you will be unable to get a new passport. The people are helpful and there is internet access in the Embassy. They can also let you use a phone for free. I needed to call my airline to email me the flight details.
You’ve now got a couple of hours to kill. There’s nothing very touristy near Wireless Road so you might want to take a book.
Once you’ve picked up your passport, you still need to sort out your Visa.
They explained it to me but they weren’t very helpful or clear so after trial and error I found out where to go. Here is the scoop. This is the best way to get to the Visa Office in Bangkok.
You need to get a taxi.
Shocking but true.
The Visa Office is nowhere near Wireless Road. It is completely outside of Bangkok, right near the airport. You cannot walk to it. The complex it’s self is almost a mile from end to end (I clocked this on the Taxi Meter). The fare should be around 200 Baht each way and you will need to pay additionally for the freeway. You should not under any circumstances go onto the website and get the directions from that. They take you to the wrong building. It was very confusing when I got there because they have maps of the same map the British Embassy give you but you are definitely at the wrong building. After harrassing a number of official looking people I eventually conceded that I was at the wrong building and got a taxi instead.
Once you get to the building you need to fill in a form and get photocopies of the form, your passport and the police report. There is a photo copy shop on the floor below the desk where you sign in. It’s cheap, around 1 Baht per copy. After you’ve got this, it’s simply a case of filling in the form and waiting to get your passport re-stamped. Once you’re done here, you’re done with the Visa and Passport process and you can go back and carry on enjoying your holiday. Get a taxi back to the Hua Lamphong train station and be on your way.
It is very important that you do this final step. Before you get on the plane to leave Thailand there is a visa check, to make sure you’ve not overstayed your welcome. If you don’t have a stamped visa I don’t know what happens. The best I can assume is that you have to pay a 500 Baht fine for every day you were in the country. The worst, you’ll miss your flight back because they send you to the Visa Office. Just do it. It’s not worth the hassle.
The whole process of getting a new passport when you’re abroad is hassle and there is hardly any information about it online. I had to figure it out and make mistakes of my own to work out just what I had to do. Hopefully this mini guide (around 1600 words by the way) will help you if you’re unfortunate enough to loose your passport.
Traveling Thailand – An Introduction
For those of you who regularly visit this website, you might have noticed that I have not been posting as much as I usually do. There’s a very good reason for this. I’ve been compiling my kick ass totally awesome guide to touring Thailand. How have I been compiling this guide you ask? Well I’ve been in Thailand touring. I’ve been making all the mistakes that could possibly have been made, including many you won’t even be aware of and fixing them so that you can all get the benefit of my experience.
This is just the introduction page. Check back regularly as I will be posting plenty of articles about the various aspects to traveling in Thailand. Things to look forward to include my guide to the full moon party on Ko Phangan, what to do if you loose your passport, in total depth and how to make the most of Bangkok. I will tell you all the mistakes I made and include a couple of ammusing anecdotes for your entertainment.
I’m really excited about this, I think it will be the best guide to Thailand since the Lonely Planet guide it’s self. Except this is for people who like to party.