General Reports

[Mua Tur]

I ll be arriving in BKK this Friday. Its my first trip to Thailand. I read where you have to have 10000 baht on you at customs at the airport. Do they actually make you pull out the money and show them? I plan on splitting my time between BKK and Pattaya for 5 days then flying my GF from the Phils over for a trip to Hua Hin. I really don't want to send her the 10000 baht in advance if I can avoid that. Is it absolutely necessary for her to have the money on arrival? I ll be waiting right out side customs for her.

Yes, for the first timer visitors, like from Philippine, the custom may ask to show the money they have. But be careful, certainly not in baht it is in USD.

[W20415]

I ll be arriving in BKK this Friday. Its my first trip to Thailand. I read where you have to have 10000 baht on you at customs at the airport. Do they actually make you pull out the money and show them? I plan on splitting my time between BKK and Pattaya for 5 days then flying my GF from the Phils over for a trip to Hua Hin. I really don't want to send her the 10000 baht in advance if I can avoid that. Is it absolutely necessary for her to have the money on arrival? I ll be waiting right out side customs for her.

[Slibby]

I have a 14" laptop and it fits in almost all of the in-room safes.

I go with an unlocked smart phone and get a sim card as Line app is even better than a phone number in my opinion. Makes it is easier to hook up with non P4P locals as well.

[Mogwai]

Yes, if you need to do some work bring a notebook or tablet. A tablet or small (11 inch, or so) notebook will fit into the room safes, at least most of them. Larger ones, say 14" or larger, will not fit in most of the in-room safes.

I have a 14" laptop and it fits in almost all of the in-room safes.

[LuvAsianTang]

OIC says the Blindman.

Thanks with the help on these subtle areas of discussion.

Re: food, photography, beaches, scams, greenhorn, clothing, weather, money.

One thing I left out is the internet / cell phone subject. And I really like first hand knowledge on these things.

In my research, I have gathered that wifi is widespread in BKK and depending on the hotel it can either cost some or may be free for those that are staying at that particular hotel.

So, do you recommend bringing a laptop or a tablet? And if so, do you put that item in the hotel-room safe? Is the safe big enough for that?

I have read that I can just buy a throw away phone at a 7/11 w / SIM card and use it while there, it comes with minutes. I don't know prices on this, but that's probably what I will do.

Now some of you might know and some may not know, but I use Gmail and have a free phone number associated with Gmail that I make calls to and from and text message, would this Gmail feature work in BKK (as far as calling the states via Gmail)? I know you cannot call to foreign countries.

Now I know the questions I have irritate some of you on here, you don't want to answer questions from a newbie, I understand, but some knowledge is just not out there in detail. You guys seem to be on the pulse, so that's why I ask.

On another subject for those that live in Asia- BKK, you as an American, do you find it hard to be around the Asian accent for a long period of time? I don't want to sound mean or rude, but it just seems to me that a person can take it for awhile but it could be irritating after a long period of time (a month). Wouldn't you seek out English speakers at some point?

You definitely will want a phone for a couple of reasons. First and for most you will need a phone for when you find a hot little pooying (thai woman) and want to see her again. Texting her before you go to her bar can be a great advantage if you want to be the one who barfines her that night, other wise it's just hit and miss.

For freelancers it's a must because if you find a good one then you can get her number and just text her and get direct to your door delivery (taxi fare not included).

I always bring a smart phone unlocked for asia sim cards, but you can also find them very cheap in the malls at the small phone stands. Last time I bought one there it was a samsung s4 copy that I purchased for all of 3000 baht. It had a crappy camera but all the apps worked on it including skype viber etc. You can use the free wifi at 4 bucks coffee or any other place that has free wifi.

I set up skype with friends and family I want to be able to talk with when I'm in thailand and we both go online and talk for free. If not then you can get a skype subscription and pay pennies / min.

Last but not least, minor emergencies. Make sure you carry a card from your hotel to show to the motorbike taxi's, but bare in mind that not all thai motorbike taxi drivers can read. With a phone you can call your hotel and have them direct the motorbike taxi to your hotel.

As for the food, eat it and enjoy it but most importantly, share it with the thai girls. I always buy 5 or 6 extra of the barbeque pork skewers you can find literally everywhere on the streets of bkk. They are deeeeelicious (aloi mak mak in thai) and its well known that the way to a thai girls heart / pussy is through her stomach. Thais love to share food.

I've only been sick once in the 40 years I've been going to thailand, and that was from the food at a western oriented mid class restaurant in bkk and that was easily fixed by a single pill from an all night pharmacy very near to nana plaza.

Anyway enjoy yourself, thailand can be a great place to visit and monger. LAT.

[Paul Kausch]

Internet is almost always free at the moderately priced hotels. You'll pay through the nose for it at most 5-star places. Go figure. However, the quality and speed vary greatly.

Internet is free at the Sofitel Sukhumvit. You can pay for a high (er) speed connection.

[Phordphan]

In my research, I have gathered that wifi is widespread in BKK and depending on the hotel it can either cost some or may be free for those that are staying at that particular hotel.

So, do you recommend bringing a laptop or a tablet? And if so, do you put that item in the hotel-room safe? Is the safe big enough for that?

I have read that I can just buy a throw away phone at a 7/11 w / SIM card and use it while there, it comes with minutes. I don't know prices on this, but that's probably what I will do.

On another subject for those that live in Asia- BKK, you as an American, do you find it hard to be around the Asian accent for a long period of time? I don't want to sound mean or rude, but it just seems to me that a person can take it for awhile but it could be irritating after a long period of time (a month). Wouldn't you seek out English speakers at some point?

Internet is almost always free at the moderately priced hotels. You'll pay through the nose for it at most 5-star places. Go figure. However, the quality and speed vary greatly.

Yes, if you need to do some work bring a notebook or tablet. A tablet or small (11 inch, or so) notebook will fit into the room safes, at least most of them. Larger ones, say 14" or larger, will not fit in most of the in-room safes.

You'll only need a local number if you intend to call locals frequently. An exception is calling the USA for work, or something. Generally the price per minute to call the USA is cheaper on a Thai phone than using your USA-based phone, even with an international calling plan. Contact your carrier for more information. If you only call home occasionally, simply get an international voice / data plan from your carrier and bring your regular phone. My Verizon phone works fine in Thailand, Malaysia (but f*cking expensive), Singapore, Vietnam. I simply use my local phone to communicate with my GF.

I find the Thai language rather melodic. Not as nice as, say, Sinhalese, but much more enjoyable to listen to than Chinese. But, you will definitely get tired of trying to talk to bar girls, unless they already have a semi-decent command of English. The standard battery of "Hi (with proffered hand because ALL falang shake hands when greeting someone). Where you flom? What you name? How many baby? Where you stay in Thailand?" gets really old, really fast. If you can find ones who can carry on a conversation you'll have few problems. You'll just need a bit of patience while learning their different speaking rhythms and sentence structure. (For instance, Thai has no plurals and few, if any, articles).

[Old New Guy]

That is a good point, I think they use those exchange rates on that website for cash / note exchanges at their exchange kiosks. But Bangkok Bank also now offer on their ATM to exchange money when you are withdrawing, it asks the question just before giving you the money. Should never accept that, say no, they also show the rate there, it is even worse than what is on that website!?

Seems to the same technique as when you're offered to be charged in USD using you credit card (DCC). Before fees, MC or Visa rates aren't bad.

[Moris54]

On another subject for those that live in Asia- BKK, you as an American, do you find it hard to be around the Asian accent for a long period of time? I don't want to sound mean or rude, but it just seems to me that a person can take it for awhile but it could be irritating after a long period of time (a month). Wouldn't you seek out English speakers at some point?

Actually the opposite seems to happen. You start talking more like the locals. The Thai accent (not language) can be irritating but its never got me running to native English speakers for comfort. We are here to experience the culture so just enjoy it and take everything in stride.

[Wolvenvacht]

OIC says the Blindman.

Thanks with the help on these subtle areas of discussion.

Re: food, photography, beaches, scams, greenhorn, clothing, weather, money.

It was a pleasure to be able to help. Of course, I do it to increase my good karma, which for sure will assist me with the Thai girls.

One thing I left out is the internet / cell phone subject. And I really like first hand knowledge on these things.

In my research, I have gathered that wifi is widespread in BKK and depending on the hotel it can either cost some or may be free for those that are staying at that particular hotel.

So, do you recommend bringing a laptop or a tablet? And if so, do you put that item in the hotel-room safe? Is the safe big enough for that?

I always bring my laptop / tablet and had no problem putting it in the safe. Of course it is not a huge laptop, for size think of a largish "netbook". I could even put my camera in the safe together with the laptop.

I have read that I can just buy a throw away phone at a 7/11 w / SIM card and use it while there, it comes with minutes. I don't know prices on this, but that's probably what I will do.

Why do you need a throw-away phone? You don't know anyone in Thailand to call.

Now some of you might know and some may not know, but I use Gmail and have a free phone number associated with Gmail that I make calls to and from and text message, would this Gmail feature work in BKK (as far as calling the states via Gmail)? I know you cannot call to foreign countries.

First time I heard of this, but I guess it will not work in Thailand.

Now I know the questions I have irritate some of you on here, you don't want to answer questions from a newbie, I understand, but some knowledge is just not out there in detail. You guys seem to be on the pulse, so that's why I ask.

On another subject for those that live in Asia- BKK, you as an American, do you find it hard to be around the Asian accent for a long period of time? I don't want to sound mean or rude, but it just seems to me that a person can take it for awhile but it could be irritating after a long period of time (a month). Wouldn't you seek out English speakers at some point?

Since you don't speak a word of Thai it will just sound as background noise to you. The people you interact with will speak (some form of) English. Mind you, Thai speak a special form of English, called "Thinglish" which is English words but Thai grammar and tones. Very cute but not always easy to fully and clearly understand. However it never bothered me at all but I am not an American, I'm Belgian and so few people in the world speak my native language that I never expect to hear it spoken by someone abroad. Actually, when I'm abroad in a country which language I speak, after a few days I start to think in that language as well, so I don't miss it.

[Weben]

Google voice uses the phone cellular network, it is not voice over IP. I use Vonage extensions or Skype to call back to the USA.

OIC says the Blindman.

Thanks with the help on these subtle areas of discussion.

Re: food, photography, beaches, scams, greenhorn, clothing, weather, money.

One thing I left out is the internet / cell phone subject. And I really like first hand knowledge on these things.

In my research, I have gathered that wifi is widespread in BKK and depending on the hotel it can either cost some or may be free for those that are staying at that particular hotel.

So, do you recommend bringing a laptop or a tablet? And if so, do you put that item in the hotel-room safe? Is the safe big enough for that?

I have read that I can just buy a throw away phone at a 7/11 w / SIM card and use it while there, it comes with minutes. I don't know prices on this, but that's probably what I will do...

[TwoTimeTed]

OIC says the Blindman.

Thanks with the help on these subtle areas of discussion.

Re: food, photography, beaches, scams, greenhorn, clothing, weather, money.

One thing I left out is the internet / cell phone subject. And I really like first hand knowledge on these things.

In my research, I have gathered that wifi is widespread in BKK and depending on the hotel it can either cost some or may be free for those that are staying at that particular hotel.

So, do you recommend bringing a laptop or a tablet? And if so, do you put that item in the hotel-room safe? Is the safe big enough for that?

I have read that I can just buy a throw away phone at a 7/11 w / SIM card and use it while there, it comes with minutes. I don't know prices on this, but that's probably what I will do.

Now some of you might know and some may not know, but I use Gmail and have a free phone number associated with Gmail that I make calls to and from and text message, would this Gmail feature work in BKK (as far as calling the states via Gmail)? I know you cannot call to foreign countries.

Now I know the questions I have irritate some of you on here, you don't want to answer questions from a newbie, I understand, but some knowledge is just not out there in detail. You guys seem to be on the pulse, so that's why I ask.

On another subject for those that live in Asia- BKK, you as an American, do you find it hard to be around the Asian accent for a long period of time? I don't want to sound mean or rude, but it just seems to me that a person can take it for awhile but it could be irritating after a long period of time (a month). Wouldn't you seek out English speakers at some point?

[Mogwai]

In Chinatown, are the FLs / bargirls Chinese or Thai? Seems somebody commented that the girls in this area are cheaper.

No, don't go there as a newbie! Start with the beer bars, go go's and massage parlors (not necessarily in that order). Once you are familiar with the scene and feel confident enough, maybe at your second or third visit to Thailand, you might want to explore the freelancer scene. And then it's best to start in a disco or club or at Beach Road Pattaya or Nana Plaza parking lot Bangkok but certainly not in Chinatown Bangkok.

The scene here is totally different from the USA and everywhere you go the girls will know within seconds that you're a newbie and they will take advantage of that. You'll have to learn how to handle these girls and the best way to learn that is in the beer bars, go go's and massage parlors. Freelancers and most certainly street walkers are usually more tough to handle.

[Moris54]

Most of the Thai men will wear pants in town. Shorts are for youngsters, at the beach or -indeed- for tourists. Don't wear shorts when going to a temple, most museums or fancy restaurants. Thai girls love "sharp dressed men"! I usually wear pants with zip-off trouser legs. Depending on the circumstances I can adapt! When going to the agogo-clubs I wear pants, a clean short-sleeve shirt and I took a shower before going out. Jackets are not necessary unless you intend to do business. I find a small umbrella much more useful than a jacket.

I fully agree with this. Thai Girls and most Asian women are suckers for sharp dressed men. And if you are a sharply dressed foreigner in BKK its even more of a novelty for them as they hardly ever see that, especially in the tourist areas. Also the way you are dressed makes a huge difference in the way you are treated in BKK by the locals. You are not given the tourist attitude which is pretty much "lets screw you for all you are worth" but people will start to be more respectful, take you seriously and wait on you hand and toe.

I have experimented with this many times during my numerous BKK trips these last 2 years. On my most recent trip I wore a v-neck and a pair of shorts with flip flops and went to Baccarra. Although I pulled a cutie it wasn't smooth sailing and even the staff and doormen could not give a damn. The next day I work a Jacket, tailored pants and a nice v-neck underneath. The doormen were begging me to get into their bars, literally dragging me inside, giving me a private booth, top of the range girls coming over without having to call them.

This was a conscious experiment.

I have tested this in the Malls, Restaurants and everywhere service oriented in Bangkok. I have a lot of Thai friends as well and when we go out, appearance is a huge deal to them. They would rather not be seen with you if you dress like a tourist. I have tested this theory many times and confirm without a doubt to be true.

Most tourists in BKK don't even dress well when going clubbing. I always make sure I have a nice thin lightweight jacket on before going to a high-end club and have never once have to stand in line. The doormen usher you in because the impression you project makes them think you are a client of value and will spend big bucks. You don't have to spend once you are in but the impression never hurts.

So my advice is, if you are going out sightseeing and walking most of the day around BKK, be comfortable, but if you are going out to any service oriented venue in BKK like a Gogo or Restaurant at the very least look presentable. Shorts and T-shirt will get you what you want but leave a bad impression of you and it will eventually reflect on the service you receive.

[Phordphan]

Although Phordphan's and Wolvenvacht's comments are accurate by all means please bring shorts and t-shirts with you. If you go outside wearing long pants and closed shoes you will sweat your ass off after 100 metres already (or 100 yards in your case). In the daytime it's simply too hot to be dressed like that IMHO.

Don't forget, the dude's from Vegas. Temps of 114 F (46 C) are not uncommon in the summer. 90 F (32 C) is going to seem rather nice. Although BKK certainly has more humidity.