Thailand Baby! thumbs up appreciated

[Heelssss]

Hey all, cause i work so hard and and luv to explore im off to Thailand next saturday 19th.Im off to Phuket & Koi Samai. YAAAAAAY... so just wanting a thumbs up off what to do - what not to do. . .
Ive already been advised not to hire jetskis, scooters anything motorised apparently! Not to take pics of the lady boys on the street because they expect to be paid ( hehe )
Am doing the phi phi island tour, james bond island tour, FantaSea and a few others am only staying there for 9nights. So any experiences would be appreciated

 

[vampstorso]

Got no advice but enjoy

 

[NuKL7]

Hey fangs! I was born in thailand , moved here when i was 6 though so i wouldnt know much about the localities there anymore haha but hope you have a great time around the islands, i'm not sure why you were advised on not to hire anything motorised? because it may break down or something? but my advice would be if you want to get somewhere just hire someone to take you there so incase theres an engine failure or anything they have to get themselves back anyways so you will be safe too also the locals would know where to have a good time you should spend some time asking around. The hotels always tell you to go to the foreigner orientated destinations so most of the food and travel around that area for foreigners would be expensive, maybe 50% more or even double the price of other places. I'm sure you will have a blast but be sure to hold your belonging with you. Most thai people are very nice and would be more than happy to help you out but there are always the odd few who would take advantage of you if given the chance so be sure not to leave your belongings around anywhere.

Enjoy and be safe!

P.S. it may seem like im very negative but that's because you wanted advice and i want to warn you of the negative aspects so you can have a ball while you're there while knowing what not to do

Regards Nuttanai

 

[Megzz]

My friend recently returned and told me that, during a night out in Phuket, she saw a show where a lady put baby turtles in places baby turtles should not go. So yeah... avoid that.

 

[sunny_girl]

Koh Samui is amazing, loved it! Phuket is good if you like the night life but is quite smelly and dirty, over commercialized and the beach is crap IMO. I went on a canoe trip from Koh Samui which was awesome, we went through some caves and into the middle of an island with cliffs all around and there are monkeys that come down to see what's going on and check out the canoes (there were 2 babies when I went, so adorable).
They say not to hire jet skis or scooters because generally it voids your travel insurance, so if your injured your on your own plus have to pay for the scooter as well. I did hire a scooter one day, was an experience and a half and then got yelled at by my travel agent Aunty to never do it again. There are so many tours you can do now, I'd suggest to do a day trip around Koh Samui - they do an elephant ride, zoo trip, watch the monkeys harvest the coconuts, mumma and papa rock, the mummified budda, budda temples etc etc it was good and we got THE best tour guide for that one!!
If your a softy for animals, it might be a shock. Lots of stray dogs and cats with severe injuries wandering everywhere especially in Phuket :'(
Eating at resorts is probably 3-4x more expensive than the local eateries but there is more of a risk eating from other places.
Hmm hope you got some ideas from that...
I would definately go back to Koh Samui but probably not to Phuket.

Oh and I hadn't heard of baby turtles but budgerigars definitely go places they shouldn't :shock:

 

[Ricochet]

Love Koh Samui - no probs hiring a scooter (as long as yoou know how to ride). Then you can shoot around anywhere you like. Don't hire from the resorts - they cos heaps whereas just down the road it costs about 200 baht ($8) per day.

Definately do the day tour around the island as mentioned.

Definately eat with the locals - food is great, cheap and everyone does it and has no probs. Best resteraunt is the Green Bird in Chawang Beach - in an alley opposite the Absolute office. tiny little brick shed, plastic tables and awesome tucker that costs bugger all.

The womens thai boxing down at Lumai (I think it's on a sat night - ask locals). Free entry and its a mixture of local fighters from little kids up to adults (men and women). 3 rounds or to knockout - real stuff. Not the staged shows they have in the big arenas.

For the nightlife BANGALORE RD Phuket - anything goes there - full on off it's head.

If you are into SCUBA - if on Phuket go to Phi Phi island or if you are on Kho Samui go to sail rock.

 

[sunny_girl]

Back to the scooter thing too, no matter who you think was at fault after an accident with a local.. YOU are at fault! Generally because they believe if you weren't in their country the accident wouldn't of happened so it has to be your fault No joke!

Ow yeah the boxing! Mauy Thai... They have people riding round in the back of trucks with mega phones advertising it when it's on. If you want to go you won't miss it, you'll hear when and where it's on about 50 times

 

[Heelssss]

Hey fangs! I was born in thailand , moved here when i was 6 though so i wouldnt know much about the localities there anymore haha but hope you have a great time around the islands, i'm not sure why you were advised on not to hire anything motorised? because it may break down or something? but my advice would be if you want to get somewhere just hire someone to take you there so incase theres an engine failure or anything they have to get themselves back anyways so you will be safe too also the locals would know where to have a good time you should spend some time asking around. The hotels always tell you to go to the foreigner orientated destinations so most of the food and travel around that area for foreigners would be expensive, maybe 50% more or even double the price of other places. I'm sure you will have a blast but be sure to hold your belonging with you. Most thai people are very nice and would be more than happy to help you out but there are always the odd few who would take advantage of you if given the chance so be sure not to leave your belongings around anywhere.

Enjoy and be safe!

P.S. it may seem like im very negative but that's because you wanted advice and i want to warn you of the negative aspects so you can have a ball while you're there while knowing what not to do

Regards Nuttanai

No negativity at all thanks for your input much appreciated !

Thanks guys u can't wait

 

[Ricochet]

The boxing they are promoting is in the big arenas - expensive, busy and mostly staged. The boxing at Lumai (known as the womens boxing) is locals going at it. Full on stuff seeing kids and women knocked out. Not busy, the bar staff bring you drinks and it all happens right in front of you.

If you ever have any problems ie. do have an accident on a bike - ask for the Tourist Police. these guys are there to specifically protect the tourists. They will make anyb problem go away (for the right price ).

I would hire a scooter on Koh Samui - heaps quieter, the cops don't police the wearing of helmets and haven't had any probs. On Phuket the roads are chaos and the police makea living pulling over tourists and getting you to make donations into their retirement fund.

 

[sunny_girl]

Ricochet... I found the opposite! Koh Samui was crazy on the roads, narrow winding roads, they don't stay to one side, scooters going everywhere etc. When I got to Phuket, there was more of a hint of some 'road rules' happening with wider and more accessible roads so I felt more comfortable to hire one. Although the day I arrived in Koh Samui WAS the first day of Songkran (water festival) and it was crazy. People everywhere, definately not as quiet as usual

 

[Mulgaaustralis]

Fangs01

How long are you staying, was it nine nights in total or nine nights in that particular place?
There's no problem trying hiring a scooter or car there. If you are staying for a long period of time (month plus) I would advise getting a Thai License. It's relatively cheap and you just need to show them your Aust version.
It's not really needed but local police will stop you every now again, they will often try and pin you for small stuff that you are doing wrong so be careful not to break any road rules (same as Australia on public holidays). (they have the exact same road rules as here and same goes for signage, although if you do make your way North to Laos, everything is backwards)

If you are interested in herping there, I suggest just going out of town to a more rural area and in my opinion it's a nicer place to be with locals, drink and have fun. Fire works are cheap too.
Back to herping. Most rural areas have some sort of foresty area combined with plenty of farmland (fish farms, rice farms) So plenty of animals about during the night and early afternoon, driving the roads will almost guarantee you to find animals.

When drinking. Please please please drink as they do. Drink Hong Tong (whisky) and soda water, whilst it may not sound too appealing, it's cheap and you are guarantied not to get a head ache the next day.
Do not drink heiniken, or any non-asian beer.
A) It taste nothing like our version
B) The price is more than double the local stuff

Keep an eye on your stuff and lock everything up.

I love Asia and I've gone through Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Japan over the last three years.
Each was a blast and opens your eyes.
Also eat as they eat, otherwise you'll be having more than one liquid coming out your lower half.
Don't go to hard during the middle of the day as it's the tropics and the amount you perspire is severely higher. This is another reason they drink with soda water and ice in their beer.


Cheers
Mulgaaustralis

 

[southy]

i suggest not to eat food from the side of the road eg off a motorcycle, you might spend a few days hugging the toilet. food poisening is a big one. also dont drink their water, buy bottled water and use this to brush your teeth and the like. bangla road in phuket is where all the party action is, the thai bar ppl have all these fun little games they play like connect four where the winner gets shouted a shot (about $3-$4). you will have a blast, barter for everything, food is great and cheap in most places and the thai ppl are lovely!

 

[Bluetongue1]

....
Oh and I hadn't heard of baby turtles but budgerigars definitely go places they shouldn't

You’re not referring to the male German tourists wearing their Speedo ‘budgie smugglers’ are you?

Blue

 

[Squinty]

The ping pong show mentioned above is something you have to see at least once if you go there. It's full on but a good experience. They even get a texta and. Get someone's name and draw a picture for them. They did it for my 53yo step mum and she got it framed and it's on her wall at home. Classic.

The James bond island and canoe day trip through the pang nah islands is awesome. It's the same area as where they had the wedding in the hangover 2.

My advise is keep away from the zoos. We went to one and left pretty much straight away. The conditions were to upsetting for my mrs. And the way they were treating the baby tiger cub to get people to have their photos with it was disgusting.

The best food shops were the little shops and stalls on the side of the road that that locals line up to eat at. In patong if you head north from bangala road there is a food hawker park that comes alive about 5pm. Cheap and good food.

We are off to Bangkok and then through Cambodia in a couple of months. Can't wait!

 

[sunny_girl]

:

The ping pong show mentioned above is something you have to see at least once if you go there. It's full on but a good experience. They even get a texta and. Get someone's name and draw a picture for them. They did it for my 53yo step mum and she got it framed and it's on her wall at home. Classic.
!

Did you see them smoking cigarettes?:shock:

 

[yommy]

A canary on a string from a tiger show was the wildest thing i'd have seen. Birds should not come from those places but that was back in 2000 and a long time ago. Beautiful place, with beautiful people and the food experience is devine......
But you'll see some crazy things if you look for it. Goldern Triangle area was good too.

 

[Squinty]

:

Did you see them smoking cigarettes?:shock:

Yeah. And shooting blow darts at balloons. And pulling razor blades on string out of there. The final special act was she opened a coke bottle with it!!

 

[Heelssss]

WOW, I must admit I am very curious to have a look at all that "freaky" stuff but I'm just a bit twisted that's all...... lol. Thanks guys I will take all advise on board. Cheers again

 

[sutto75]

Fangs when it comes to Phuket just take it all in and do your own thing. We went for 6 days in march and loved it. Had lots of people tell us what its like and what to do but everyone is so diff.
The best thing we done was get a driver for the day cost 1200BHT or 40 bucks (can give you a phone number and email if you like) and he drove us around all day to all the best places to go.
But above all just have fun and when in bangla road pay the 100BHT and hold a loris love them little buggers.
Have fun.

 

[Heelssss]

Fangs when it comes to Phuket just take it all in and do your own thing. We went for 6 days in march and loved it. Had lots of people tell us what its like and what to do but everyone is so diff.
The best thing we done was get a driver for the day cost 1200BHT or 40 bucks (can give you a phone number and email if you like) and he drove us around all day to all the best places to go.
But above all just have fun and when in bangla road pay the 100BHT and hold a loris love them little buggers.
Have fun.

Hey sutto, that pm would be great. Yeah I'm so excited bit of exploring in the day and party by night thanks for the tip about the loris, I luv them too thanks