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[QUOTE=Happy Lenny]
Airport Express provides air-conditioned bus service between Suvarnabhumi Airport and first-class Bangkok hotels.
[/QUOTE]
Airport Express rides can seem like they're going to take forever, but they're clean, comfortable and a great deal at a great price. Sit back and relax and maybe read a paper.
[QUOTE=Etaoin2003]Airport Express rides can seem like they're going to take forever, but they're clean, comfortable and a great deal at a great price. Sit back and relax and maybe read a paper.[/QUOTE]
Taking a taxi to Lower Sukhumvit from Airport is 300thb (including 2 tollways), How cheap can one be to save money on that and take a bus? carrying all your luggage?
Geez, if one can't fork 7 euros for a taxi ride, then better not travel at all.
[QUOTE=NicFrenchy].....Geez, if one can't fork 7 euros for a taxi ride, then better not travel at all.[/QUOTE]
Fully agree, I cant believe some of the crap here, taking buses to avoid paying one of the cheapest long-distance airport taxi rides in the world. The same guys probably argue the toss between 1500 and 2000 for LT with a good girl - then having agreed 1500 they give 2000, thinking they are tipping her well ???
Maybe I am simply fortunate as I never have to really budget when visiting LOS, however I also dont throw money away either. I have never paid more than 500 THB for Airport taxis to any part of BKK, and that included a generous tip.
I have met some of these skinflints though, the best is the ''generous type'' who always buy the first round in the bar, only because its the ''happy hour'' one, then when its my turn I pay almost double!!!
I was just thinking - What if Joe Cheapskate injured his back carrying his own luggage to or from the bus and then spent the entire holiday f*ucked up in pain. Now that would be funny :D
Taxi every time, and if you want to save money, hold up a sign and be prepared to share the ride !!
Cheers, FF
[QUOTE=Fifty Fifty]Fully agree, I cant believe some of the crap here, taking buses to avoid paying one of the cheapest long-distance airport taxi rides in the world. The same guys probably argue the toss between 1500 and 2000 for LT with a good girl - then having agreed 1500 they give 2000, thinking they are tipping her well ???
Maybe I am simply fortunate as I never have to really budget when visiting LOS, however I also dont throw money away either. I have never paid more than 500 THB for Airport taxis to any part of BKK, and that included a generous tip.
I have met some of these skinflints though, the best is the ''generous type'' who always buy the first round in the bar, only because its the ''happy hour'' one, then when its my turn I pay almost double!!!
I was just thinking - What if Joe Cheapskate injured his back carrying his own luggage to or from the bus and then spent the entire holiday f*ucked up in pain. Now that would be funny :D
Taxi every time, and if you want to save money, hold up a sign and be prepared to share the ride !!
Cheers, FF[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=NicFrenchy]Taking a taxi to Lower Sukhumvit from Airport is 300thb (including 2 tollways), How cheap can one be to save money on that and take a bus? carrying all your luggage?
Geez, if one can't fork 7 euros for a taxi ride, then better not travel at all.[/QUOTE]
Not everyone makes their salary in Dollars, Pounds or Euros! Some of us live here in SE Asia and make a high local salary. No 500 Bht will not break us, but being able to save 300-400 Bht is a night out drinking.
Don't be so paranoid about cheapskates. When ever I meet up with someone I always buy the first round. If your so slow in drinking your beer, wine or Liquor then you wouldn't have to pay double.
Take it easy on folks ya! I posted in another thread about how to get cheap air tickets and got a shit storm that saving 200 Dollars is bullshit because of the extra 3-5 hours of travel time! The traveling portion of your holiday can be fun as well as long as your not uptight. You can get the feel of other places on your way. Hell I meet a guy (now a good friend) during a 6 hour layover in HK. My CC was not working and the guy bought me lunch and smokes. When we got to KL I took him and his family out to eat. It turned out to be a great experience. But if I had meet you I would have gone hungry and had a Nicotine fit right in terminal!
Welcome to the Hotel California...
Slylock
Slylock,
You aren't referring to your remarks on 4-9-09 about fares? If so I don't think you got a shit-storm about your opinion nor anyone refer to your opinion as bullshit.
Your point is very valid, people have to balance what their intend is when they want to save. Being consistent and balance is very hard for people sometimes. If like for yourself, you can obtain a fare and make stops to see friends and to make friends and save a little money that might be great for you but not for another who just want to get to their final destination as soon as possible and doesn't have open and friendly personality like you. They just want to get to BKK, into a cheap hotel and get some cheap pussy. Personally I give you credit for being so relax and open in making stops like this and being so open to meeting people. Now if I could meet a cutie on each stop I might think about it but most of the time after 10 hours I want to pull the emergency door open and jump out!
This should be consider a difference of opinion and not consider bullshit.
Was I being cheap or just wanting to get the best bang out of a buck?
When I came back at the end of January for SFO, coming standby I tried to limit my luggage allocation with my usual small carry-on and 1 piece (45 lbs) duffy bag which contain supplies for my wife and son. As always I book my one night in Bangkok in a cheap clean hotel (800 baht) did my stops at Tulip and mongering for freelancers. The last few times not having any luggage except my carryon I have used Bell Travel (150 baht) great value to and from Pattaya. I also usually book a private car from Nana area with or without luggage to Pattaya for 1200 Baht but this time thinking I could save a few baht and use that towards pussy. I decided I would just carry my stuff to the MRT and get to the bus station (Ekarmai) and take the bus for 112 Baht to Pattaya. Well, halfway from Nana I started to break out in a big sweat but got to the Nana Station, going up to the platform my duffy bag slip off the stairs and nearly killed too Farangs at the bottom of the stairway. They thinking I was a Thai, gave me a stare! Maybe it was NicFrency or OTH going to work?
I finally got to the station in one piece, but while I was waiting for the bus I was thinking saving 1100 baht to Pattaya was it really worth it? I was try to balance things in my head! The pussy I got the day and night before was great but in the end what little I save wasn't worth the trouble since I had luggage. In this particular case I was being a cheap charlie but wasn't thinking that the night before!
LBM
[quote=slylock]not everyone makes their salary in dollars, pounds or euros! some of us live here in se asia and make a high local salary. no 500 bht will not break us, but being able to save 300-400 bht is a night out drinking.[/quote]
generally the ''money saving bus'' posts are from guys who have flown several hours on an expensive flight then bust their asses to carry luggage on a bus to save paying the 300 baht taxi fare into bkk. one would expect a person living here to want to use the alternative forms of transport - hell i do all the time, if it suits. for example i use the bts all over bkk and i have a ''smartpass'' too. i dont do it for ''cheapness'' but for convenience and speed/ease of travel. however, if i have luggage, i prefer to use a taxi.
when the new train line finally makes it to the airport and service begins, i will give it a try. however i will weigh up the convenience as opposed to cost, particularly where ''luggage carrying'' is concerned. at present the 'door to door'' taxi for 3-500 baht still holds good for me.
[quote=slylock]don't be so paranoid about cheapskates. when ever i meet up with someone i always buy the first round. if your so slow in drinking your beer, wine or liquor then you wouldn't have to pay double.[/quote]
i am not a slow drinker by any means, and my example of the guy that buys the first round because it is happy hour was a general one, however it has happened to me on far too many occasions to be coincidental, often with the same drinking partner too.
[quote=slylock]take it easy on folks ya! i posted in another thread about how to get cheap air tickets and got a shit storm that saving 200 dollars is bullshit because of the extra 3-5 hours of travel time! the traveling portion of your holiday can be fun as well as long as your not uptight. you can get the feel of other places on your way. hell i meet a guy (now a good friend) during a 6 hour layover in hk. my cc was not working and the guy bought me lunch and smokes. when we got to kl i took him and his family out to eat. it turned out to be a great experience. but if i had meet you i would have gone hungry and had a nicotine fit right in terminal!
welcome to the hotel california...
slylock[/quote]
i think you got the wrong picture entirely. first of all you did not really get any kind of ''shit storm'' for your information on saving a couple hundred dollars versus travelling time. the replies simply stated that maybe it wasnt worth it as the time could be better spent in los instead.
secondly, showing generosity to help a fellow traveller out is a totally different ball-game to squeezing a few baht out of a hard working girl or taxi driver. sure i would have done the same as your friend, well almost. i would have bought you lunch and maybe a beer, but i would draw the line at buying your cigarettes, after all they are really not good for you.
cheers, ff
My apologizes to FF and LBM. The last paragraph was directed towards Nic and I should have specified that. Also the shit storm I took was not in the public eye but in PM's. The messages were along the lines of why I would promote having cheap charlie low life people come over and ruin it for us all. I just get a little disheartening to sometimes post in this forum. Do not get me wrong, I love the atmosphere of this place and the characters that participate.
Maybe Nic is a good guy in person, but in my opinion on this thread he smells of the deadbeat Expat that can not cut it back home (and in France no less). The Expats we all love to hate, including the locals. Tansak KTV Giotto and others sing his praises. But Nic stop being so damn put downish and cynical. your comments on Giotto's forum about Newbies was a little disturbing, even if the original poster was just joking around. Lets make this place fun and accepting to everyone.
I do understand wanting to get to your destination as fast as possible! Before I moved to freelance consulting I was jet setting all of the world on dumb business and I wanted to do was get home and into my bed. But for most of these guys this is a once in a life time trip and all I wanted to do was reply to the persons questions.
in a semi famous quote "Can't we all just get along"
Slylock
Nic if would like to reply to my comments please feel free to do so, but if I am correct, lets do this over in the fight club. Cheers
I arrive into BKK at 1am on May 17th. I'm gonna need to exchange about $2000 USD into THB and I don't feel like the airport exchange counters give the best rates. Back in November I got a 32.8-$1 rate when the exchange rate was fluctuating a tiny bit (like it does everyday) but at a rate around 35-$1. Where is the best place in BKK these days to get the most favorable exchange rate? I have an account at Siam Commercial so should I just go straight to the bank to get it done? I will need a few THB for the taxi into town and for the FL I'll pick up in either the Nana car park or an after hours joint like Spicy, Boss or Lucky, so I'll hit up the airport counter for 5,000 THB or so.
[QUOTE=IrishLager]I have an account at Siam Commercial so should I just go straight to the bank to get it done?[/QUOTE]Your bank (or any bank) will give you a decent rate. They're all pretty competitive, as you'll see from the small differential between buying and selling rates. But if you're determined to squeeze out every last baht, you'll see a number of small exchange operations that have sprung up lately offering a very slightly better rate. If you use one just count your change carefully! I think they're basically straight but they might be more likely to make a 'mistake' than a bank would.
[QUOTE=Slylock]...
Maybe Nic is a good guy in person, but in my opinion on this thread he smells of the deadbeat Expat that can not cut it back home (and in France no less). The Expats we all love to hate, including the locals. Tansak KTV Giotto and others sing his praises. But Nic stop being so damn put downish and cynical. your comments on Giotto's forum about Newbies was a little disturbing, even if the original poster was just joking around. Lets make this place fun and accepting to everyone.
...
[/QUOTE]Slylock,
Look, Nic has a small birth defect - he is French :) !
He is not really speaking English - it is more or less Frenglish! He comes across quite straight sometimes ... but remember how you were when you were 15 years old ... :):).
Giotto
IrisLager,
Sounds like you already answer your own question. If you don't have enough baht to take a taxi into town or to pick a FL, you have no choice but to exchange at less 5,000 baht. You will get a better rate if it is Traveler checks or 100 U.S. bills.
LBM
[QUOTE=Slylock]Maybe Nic is a good guy in person, [/quote]
Right... you know when people want to "grill" someone, they always start like this... it's the ever bullshit way to start by pretending to be the good guy... well, that's until the BUT comes in ;)
you know, like: "Oh I really appreciate Giotto's company, he is such a nice man But what an asshole when it comes to ......"
This is the new, pussification of our Language. Why sugar coat everything?
If you really think I am an asshole, say so, I've been called much worse adn still sleep at night :D
ok, I am done kidding, maybe I'm not so nice eh?
[quote]your comments on Giotto's forum about Newbies was a little disturbing, even if the original poster was just joking around. Lets make this place fun and accepting to everyone.[/quote]
Ah, yes, that is where I called "forgot the name" a moron... because the man (sorry man, I have a very short memory) was asking for people to be banned if not contributing.
Now, in my defense, there was no smiley in his post indicating he was kidding. Giotto made it clear afterwards. I still stand by my post (at the time). Of course, looking back, now that he was joking my post is out of place but what am I to do? maybe i'll buy him a blowjob at SOL (can't do it myself, I don't bend that way).
"Can't we all just get along" you say? I think we're doing quite well, but it would help if people would not take everything so seriously.
Now if we ever meet, I expect you to buy me a beer!! oh wait.. I only drink water
[QUOTE=Giotto].. but remember how you were when you were 15 years old ... :):).[/QUOTE]
You BESTARD !!!
I am offended. Not only am I going to come see you on Saturday but I will make you cook my breakfast! (wait, come to think of it maybe it's better you don't cook, I want to stay in 1 piece) :D
[QUOTE=NicFrenchy]
Now if we ever meet, I expect you to buy me a beer!! oh wait.. I only drink water[/QUOTE]
I will buy you the beer. To bad I will be the one drinking it!
Slylock
How about some Perrier?
[QUOTE=NicFrenchy]You BESTARD !!!
I am offended. Not only am I going to come see you on Saturday but I will make you cook my breakfast! (wait, come to think of it maybe it's better you don't cook, I want to stay in 1 piece) :D[/QUOTE]
Ummm, Nic...Why would you be staying Saturday night with Giotto? Is there something we should all know? :)