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 – Getting A Suit Made In Thailand
One thing that I really wanted to do when I was in Thailand was to get a suit made. Looking around I don’t think I was the only one. The tailor shops are full of tourists getting suits made. There are plenty of tailors in the major cities. In Bangkok you can barely move without someone asking you if you want to get a suit made. A lot of the shops are small and pokey with quite a small selection of fabric so it’s worth shopping around.
It’s pretty easy to get the price down on suits. You’ve just got to be a little creative with your story. My favourite negotiation trick is to say that I’m travelling with my friends and that they’re interested in getting suits made but are hungover, tired, sightseeing or whatever you want. I immediately got the price of my suit slashed in half by using this tactic. If you do happen to have friends thatare looking to buy suits then this is a bonus but not necessary. I also like to look at them and tell them it’s too expensive and suggest a third of their asking price. If I can’t get that I don’t have a problem with walking away. There are lots of tailors. Remember the rules from The Seven Negotiation Skills article, fear of loss is a huge motivator. If you can gift the sale to the salesman then take it away just as he thinks he’s about to close the deal, he will chase you down the street to make the deal happen. Use this.
If you want a three piece and a shirt then play for a two piece and then add the extras on top to get a better deal overall. I find that I can get a better deal this way.
I ended up getting a beautiful red wine coloured three piece suit with a cream silk shirt made by Ram Fashion in Bangkok. You need to plan time for the initial fitting and then a second fitting when the suit is initially made to make any adjustments. My suit from Ram Fashion fitted very nicely on the first go but I’d always reccommend the second fitting just to make sure.
As with everything in Thailand I am skeptical to whether or not the goods are fakes. My rule is simple. If I am happy with the price if it was a fake then I’m happy to buy them. The same is true with materials in shops. Just because someone tells you material is Cashmere Wool made in Italy doesn’t mean it is true. Feel the material and if you’re happy with it then it doesn’t really matter whether or not it is genuine.
Out of all the tailors I visited in Thailand, the best was Ram Fashion in Bangkok. They had a much greater range of fabrics to choose from and they also give you free coffee, coke or beer when you come in regardless of whether you make a purchase. In the future I intend to purchase more suits (assuming I ever get a real job) from this awesome shop. The tuk tuk drivers will be more than happy to take you there. Work the salesmen hard because deals are there to be had. Think of it as a battle because they are not your friends. They will make you an excellent suit though!
Thailand – Joint Ticket And Thailand Tourism Authority Guide
When I first arrived in Thailand I was overwhelmed by the whole situation. It’s totally understandable to be overwhelmed because you’re in a new country, you don’t understand the language and you can’t even read the alphabet. When you first get to any major transport hub you’re likely to be pulled into a Tourism Authority of Thailand (T.A.T) office. They’ll pretty much sort out everything you could ever want sorting out quickly and easily. Great right? They’re regulated by the government so they must be giving you a good deal.
Wrong.
Whilst they won’t rip you off, you won’t be getting the best deal. Your boat, coach or train will always be there but you’ll likely pay considerably more than you would have done if you’d taken the time to go there yourself.
In Phuket, when I wanted to travel to Ko Phi Phi, I was whisked away from my coach to a Tourism Authority of Thailand office where I was charged 500 Baht for a ferry to the islands. This seemed reasonable at the time. It was quite a long ferry ride. It turns out that I was massively over charged for this ferry. The best price I could find for this ferry was 200 Baht. Quite a difference really. At the end of the day it is a good chance to work on your negotiation skills.
If you’ve got a bit of money and don’t want the hassle then there’s absolutely no trouble with booking your trip through the TAT but it’s definitely worth spending a bit of extra time dealing directly with the service providers. You’ll be surprised at the difference in price you will find.
Another great company that you could find is the Joint Ticket Company. They tend to work around South Thailand and will get you from Surat Thani to Ko Samui and the Islands as well as Pattaya and Phuket to Ko Phi Phi etc. If you book tickets with the joint ticket people then they will pick you up from the train station in Surat Thani. If you’ve got the over night train from Bangkok, like I did, then this is very useful. You’ll arrive early in the morning and it could still be dark. They’ll put you on a coach to the main ports to the islands and get you on the boat to your destination.
I was a big fan of Joint Tickets and I thought the price was decent. I’m sure I could have got it cheaper but they were certainly one of the more reasonably priced middle men I came across.
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.