$25 to Get Out of Laos

January 1, 2010

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Sala Kaew Ku Sculpture Park

How to get there: Take a tuk-tuk. It shouldn’t cost you more that 100Baht one way. If your haggling skills are top notch you can get it for less.

cost: 20baht per foreigner

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The Nong Khai Train Station

How to get there: It’s a walkable distance from the Thai boarder Passport Control. Just go straight and turn right at the first major road. Keep going until you see the sign for the train station.

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The Hunt of an ATM

We knew since he first day at the resort that we were running out of money. The assistant manager told us that we could put our meals on a tab and pay it at the end of our stay with a credit card. When it was time to check out we handed her a visa from a bank in Thailand. They don’t have a machine to swipe the card. They have to call some company and this take a long time.

After about 10 minutes on the phone the assistant manager told us that the card will not work, but she couldn’t give us the reason. No problem, we have another card. I hand her my HSBC bank card from the US. I’ve used it all over the world and have never had any complications. After another 10 minutes she hands it back to me. It’s expired. Expiration date, December 2009. If we had paid yesterday it would have worked!

Mark and I search though all the cash we have. We gave the lady some dollars, baht, and KIP. We had just enough money. We ask the lady to tell the taxi driver waiting for us, to take us to an ATM before heading to Friendship Bridge.

We get into the taxi and wonder why the Thai card didn’t work. The cab stops at AMT 1. We get out and scan our card. The ATM is out of order. We get back into the taxi and he takes us to another one.

At the next ATM stop we tried 3 different ATMs. None of them will take the card. This is when we realize that it’s not working because it is a Thai bank card. We show the card to our driver and ask if “this” bank is in Laos. “Yes”, he says and takes us to the bank.

We pull up to the bank. It’s closed for New Year’s day. All the ATMs are inside and locked away. “What are we going to do? We are stuck in Laos!” The driver says, “I have one more bank. It always works for foreigners.”

We pull up to the bank. Mark puts the Thai card in and it gets rejected. I look towards at the driver parked outside and wonder, “how on earth are we going to pay him?” I look at my HSBC card. “Why didn’t I take out money before we went to the resort? I could have had tons of money right now!”

Out of frustration I shove my card into the ATM. I type in my code and the thing starts to make noises. I thought, “it’s teasing me by making money counting sounds.” Then it spat out 200,000KIP. We took our money and headed for the boarder.

Crossing the Boarder

Once at the Laos boarder we stood in line and eventually got got though. We paid our 2,000KIP boarder fee and hopped on a shuttle across the bridge for 4,000KIP. Once in Thailand the Thai bank card worked.

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Going to the Country

December 30-31, 2009

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Rivertime Resort and Ecolodge

How to get there: This place is near Vientiane. (I still don’t know how to pronounce that word.) It’s about 30 minutes to a hour out of the capital city depending on whether you’re in a speeding taxi cab or a tuk-tuk that’s about to fall apart. Both seems to cost the same, though cabs are hard to find when you’re on the street. If you have access to a phone, you can all a cab, if not, you might be domed to a tuk-tuk ride.

Cost: 8USD per bed per night or 38USD per night for a private room.

Notes: You can pay for your entire stay by credit card, though it takes a long time to process. It’s easier and less nerve racking if you pay in cash; USD, THB, or KIP. Make sure to visit an ATM before you go to Rivertime Resort.

Bring bug spray, shampoo, and anything else you might need or want. There are no stores nearby. The Resort provides towels, bedding, soap, toilet paper, internet, and even some books.

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A Really Bad Hotel

Mark and I kept seeing fliers the Rivertime Resort, but we were checked into the Dork Champa Hotel for our entire stay in Laos. This was not a good move on our part, and I have vowed never to book more than one night at any hotel or hostel online again. If, after the first night, I like the place, then I will get more nights.

The Dork Champa was not that great. The staff seemed nice enough and went out of their way to help us. We asked for directions to a pharmacist. After looking at our bloody bandages that needed changing they decided to drive to the store and get to things we needed for us. That was really nice of them.

But, when it comes to running a hotel, they seems to lack the know-how. The wi-fi that was advertised to be in every room, wasn’t* and I had to go to the lobby to connect to the internet. While sitting here I noticed several guests asking for soap, toilet paper, and clean towels. My room was never cleaned nor my sheets changed while I was there. I too had to ask for more soap and toilet paper.

*It seems that at this hotel and other one in Thailand that I stayed, they just don’t understand how wi-fi works. They think that by just installing a wireless router that everywhere in there hotel will have wi-fi assess. They don’t seem to realize that there is a limit to the wi-fi’s range.

During the nights I stay at Dork Champa there was a thing outside my room that squeaked very loudly. Usually it make noise 3 or 4 times a night. But on the Monday night/ Tuesday morning it squeaked every 15-20 minutes during the night. At 6:00 in the morning I marched down to the front desk and order the clerk to follow me. I took him right out side my room so he could hear the racket for himself. I refused to stay there one more night.

Mark and I packed our bags and checked out. They people at Dork Champa were nice enough to give us our money back. I was glad to get out of that hotel so I could get a good night’s sleep. Mark was glad to get away from the flies that seemed to always be congregating outside his hotel room.

When went just a block away to The Laos Silk Hotel. This time we checked out the room before we checked in. Unfortunately they are not on hostelworld.com. The place was clean; no flies or squeaking. They had a wireless router on each of their 5 floors. We only stayed there for one night, so who know how often they clean the rooms for non-checking out guests?

Out of Towning

The next day we headed for a the Rivertime Resort for a little R&R. According to the resort’s brochure it should cost you about 20USD to get there from Vientiane. We got a tuk-tuk for 200,000KIP. we were the slowest thing on the road. the only vehicles we managed to pass was a truck that was in reverse and a man pushing a cart on the side of the road. We eventually got there after get lost and found again a couple times.

We enjoyed walking through the village, though there wasn’t much to see. It’s just a nice place to get away from city life and be close to nature and all her bugs.

The second day we took the 1/2 a day boat trip into Thangon. It was really wasn’t worth it. It took 3 hours to get to the village of Thangon and once there we were taken to a floating restaurant. Never mind that the resort we just came from has its own floating restaurant. Mark and I ordered food and began to eat. When we were almost done a waiter comes over and asks if we would like to sail down the river now.

After eating, and not sailing down the river,* Mark and I take a walk about the village. We thought that this was going to be a bigger village than the one we saw the day before. We expected to see temples, shops, something… It was richer. It had bigger house; ones made with brick instead of bamboo. But it wasn’t not even as interesting and the first village we saw. There were not temples or shops. After walking about for 20 minutes, Mark and I sadly got back on the pontoon for the 3 hour ride back home.

If you go to Rivertime, take the 1 hour river ride not the 1/2 a day one. The 1 hour ride come with a visit to the village healer. The one to Thangon is just 6 hours of this:

Our New Year’s eve was fulled with bad Karaoke and strings being tied to our wrists.

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2 days of Visa

December 28-29, 2009

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Thai Embassy

How to get there: Don’t believe any of the maps you read that say the Thai Embassy is near Patuxai. It used to be, but they moved it. The best way for me to explain how to get there for you to go to the most northeast part Patuxai near the World Peace Gong. From there you will see 3 roads passing Patuxai. Take the most eastern one or far right one.

(You can also just go down Lang Xang until it turns into That Laung.) Go about one block and turn right at the Vietnam Embassy. You will pass one intersection with a traffic light. Turn left when you pass a building claiming to be a business college. You will see a herd of tuk-tuk drivers and scam artist. Don’t talk to any of them; they can’t help you and will just waste your time.

Before you go to the embassy you must have 2 passport sized photos of yourself.

What you need: This is what I know for US citizens at this point in time. The law changes quite often.

What they have at the embassy: The application form, scissors, glue, pens, copier (for a fee)

Tourist Visa (1 month): Just head to the boarder. There is no charge.

Tourist Visa (2 months): 2 photos and the application form. Go to the embassy and take a number. Hand in your stuff then come back at 13:00 the next day. Take another number; this time for passport pick up. There is no fee.

Non-immigrant Visa: 2 photos, the application form, a photo copy of all the stamps and visas in your passport, a letter from your employer, and 2,000Baht (single entry) or 5,000Baht (multiple Entries). Then follow the same instructions as for the 2 month tourist visa above.

When things are busy you could spend a long time waiting. Bring some food, drinks, and a blanket and have a picnic on the lawn.

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Pha That Luang

How to get there: Go down Lang Xang until it turns into That Laung. This leads right into Pha That Luang.

Cost: 2,000KIP

Notes: There is a legend that part of Buddha’ breast plate is kept here, though no one has ever proven it.

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Phatoke Laoderm (dinner theater)

How to get there: Map

Cost: 12USD

Hours: (19:00 or 19:30) to (21:00 or 21:30)

Phone: 020-5411019

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What Visa?

Before Mark and I left Bangkok we made a visit to the HR department of our company. There the lady in charge work permits told us what to do to get a visa. She made copies of the visas and stamps in our passports, printed out the visa application form for us, and told out that we needed 1,000Baht for the visa. She told us to get the non-immigrant visa, but she never gave us a letter saying we have jobs.

When we got to the Thai Embassy in Laos, we found out that we need this letter to get the non-immigrant visa. Since we don’t have one, we got the 2 month tourist visa instead. I e-mailed the HR lady and she said that everything was ok and that we can change it to the non-immigrant visa when we get back to Thailand.

The visa I have now is a 2 month tourist visa and it says I can’t work. I already have a job and have been working for the past 2 weeks. But in Thailand laws are bendable, so whadaya gonna do about it?

It’s like a school play

Vientiane is a town with nothing much going on. You can see everything this town has to offer in half a day. So when Mark and I saw a dinner theater during one of our strolls around town we were excited.

We went to the show the next day. The food was OK. Laotian food is OK. The show was really bad. Most of the dancers seemed to hate being there. The music wasn’t that good and there was only lip synching. There was a tour group (I’m not sure where they were from) but they were very loud and obnoxious. They would just stand up and yell across the room to each other in the middle of the performance.

The tour group left early and once they were gone things got better. Not the performance. The show was still pretty lame, but the actors seemed to be having fun once the group was out of there. When the dancer started to have fun, I enjoyed the show more.

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Ganesh Couldn’t Save Me From My Scooter

December 27, 2009

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Renting a Scooter

Cost: 50,000 – 90,000KIP depending on your bargaining skills

Where: every other corner in Vientiane

Who can: anyone who can walk upright and owns a passport

Notes: don’t make sharp turns. Beware of people who drive on the wrong side of the road. Beware of one way roads that don’t really indicate that they are in fact one way roads. If possible don’t wear shorts. Wear thick jeans and maybe some leather gloves. In fact, why not just take a cab?

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Patuxai

How to get there: It’s in the middle of town on Lan Xang road

Cost: It’s pretty much free to look at. But if you want to go upstairs to have a look at the city it will cost you 2,000KIP. There are many vendors inside on your way up.

Notes: Basically the US gave Laos money to build an Airport. Laos took the money and somehow ended up building this eye sore instead.

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That Dam

How to get there: From Patuxai, head down the main road, Lan Xang toward the Mekong delta. After the 3rd intersection turn right. This turn is not an intersection. It should lead to a round-about that is around That Dam.

Cost: Free

This is out in the open, so you can view it at any time.

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Buddha Park

How to get there: Go along Fa Ngum, the road that runs along the Mekong Delta. I think this road turns or ends. When this happens just turn right and keep going straight. You should only turn left when you come to a round-about with a clock in the middle of it. The clock will have a Laotian and a Japanese flag on it.

Then keep going straight. You will pass under Friendship Bridge and a thousand and one temples. Just keep going straight. It will be on your right. You can’t miss it. There is a field with large cement statues and a sign that says, “Buddha Park”.

Cost: 5,000KIP per person and 2,000KIP per camera.

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It’s OK Lady, my camera’s fine

I don’t even want to talk about it… Mark wanted to do it. He wanted to rent the scooter.

You see, I had rented a scooter on my trip to Taiwan, and he had been dying to try one out for himself ever since. But when I had a scooter the roads were lonely. Most of the people drove sanely. And, it was just me on the bike.

I’m still bleeding as I write this. When two people are on a bike the center of gravity is a little higher than with only one rider. You have to make bigger turns. It takes longer to stop. I does not help when people, other commuters, are driving on the wrong side of the road in their trucks. I will let Mark tell you the rest.

I would like to confess that after the crash, when I got off the side of the road, my first thought was, “Is my camera alright?” I looked at Mark and saw that he was ok. He could stand and walk around and that’s a good sign. He asked me if I was ok, but I was too stunned to respond. I still needed to check on my camera. A Laotian lady came running over to me to show me a facet where I could wash off all the mud, dirt, and blood from my arms and legs and assess the damage. She pointed out all my cuts and was very concerned about my welfare. My hand did look like I had just pulled it out of a jar of strawberry jam. All I wanted to say was, “It’s ok lady, my camera’s fine.”

And in case you, dear reader, are wondering… The camera did sustain a hard blow. There are a few dents on the camera near it’s lens, but it still takes great pictures. I just need to get the lens cleaned, but it will be just fine, don’t you worry.

Once things settled down and I started thinking straight, I began to feel nauseous. I almost threw up when it hit me that things could have been a lot worse.

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The Land of Laos and the Quest for a Thai Non-Immigrant Visa

December 25-26, 2009

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Mo Chit Long Distance Bus Station

(North Northeastern Bus Terminal)

This bus station is used to get buses heading north and northeast as the name implies.

How to get there: all the travel guides will tell you that it’s near Chatuchak Park which is near the Mo Chit Skytrain station. What they fail to tell you is that Chatuchak is a freakishly large park and being in this park doesn’t guarantee that you are near anything, much less the bus station.

-By bus (recommended): walk to your nearest bus stop and look for any of these buses headed in the bus station’s direction. I still have not figured out how to find this information before boarding a public bus in Bangkok. The Terminal is the last stop for all these buses.

49, 77, 104, 122, 136, 145, 159, 170, 509, 517, 523, 547

Notes: Ladies, if you need to use the bathroom when the station is crowed, plan of spending at least 15 minutes waiting in line. …and bring 3 Bath with you and of course, TP.

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Nong Khai

Nong Khai is the town in Thailand nearest to Friendship Bridge and Vientiane, the capital city of Laos.

How to get there: From Bangkok

-by bus from Mo Chit Bus Station (10 hours):

700Baht for 1st class bus – w/ toilet; 3 seats to a row

350Baht for 2nd class bus – w/o toilet; 4 seats to a row

I don’t recommend anything lower that a 2nd class bus because only the 1st and 2nd class buses have a/c.

-by Train from Bangkok

1,317Baht 1st class sleeper

708 (top)-778 (bottom) Baht 2nd class sleeper w/ac

I don’t recommend anything lower than a 2nd-class sleeper for this 10 hour journey. Normally I would always go for the a/c option, but on the train ride back to Bangkok in 1st-class’ a/c compartment is was freezing my butt off. We didn’t even turn on the berth’s a/c; it was the train itself that was so cold.

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Vientiane: From Nong Khai

There are buses that take you from the Nong Khai bus station to Vientiane’s bus station. The first stop is at Thai immigration. Everybody gets off the bus and goes through the passport control. The buses are sometime pack with people standing in the aisle, so I don’t know how they know when everyone is back on the bus. But, they do.

Then they take you over Friendship Bridge and into Laos. The next stop is at Laos immigration. Once again everyone gets off and on again after passing through passport control. If you need a visa to Laos, bring a passport-sized photo of yourself and head to the Visa at the Boarder line. It is the shortest line and it’s not the line where everyone else is standing. There is a sign posted that gives the cost of the visa depending on what country you are from. Once you get your passport back you can skip the other lines and just walk into the country.

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Non-Immigrant Visa

The main reason why Mark and I went to Laos was the same reason most people go to Laos, to get a non-immigrant visa so that we can apply to get a visa to work in Thailand. So the question is, “How does one get a work permit to work in Thailand?” Well, it’s seems that very few people know.

You see the problem is that the Thai government keeps changing the law, so that even the people who got one 6 months ago are still not quite sure. But the lady who works at the HR department at our company told us that we first needed to go to Laos, find the Thai embassy there, they apply for a non-immigrant visa, then re-enter Thailand. The way that things have worked out for me with the New Year’s holidays, is that I have a whole week to play around in Laos when I should really be grade tons of mid-term exams.

We’ll see how thing unfold…

Thai Long Distance Buses

I will not go all the way and say that I strongly recommend not getting on a Thai long distance bus. There are many places in Thailand that the train just does not go. But let me just say this:

1. The non 1st class buses are not all that comfortable. Let’s ignore the bumping around, the guy snoring in the seat behind you, the fact that every time a Thai gets his or her hands on an a/c unit they have to make the room or bus feel like the inside of a refrigerator, and the dirty bathroom or lack thereof. I am 5′9″ (175cm). I just don’t fit in the seats. Unless I’m in a 1st class bus, I feel a bit squished.

2. Somewhere along this ride, maybe around midnight, I woke up. Looking out the window, watching trees whoosh by me I realized that we were going way too fast for a bus on a 2-lane, unlit road. What if we hit something. Just then we sped passed an overturned truck with a passenger or driver running around frantically. To make this story at bit more sensational I will tell you that this was the 2nd truck accident I saw that night. The first one looked as if piano had fallen on it. I’m sure that if I could have stayed awake longer I would have seen more. I think the the bus driver saw the same overturned truck that I did, because soon after we passed it he slowed down and paced himself the rest of the way.

I am convinced that all tuk-tuk drivers are out to get us!

I don’t know what it is about Mark and I, but we’ve never had a tuk-tuk driver quote us a reasonably overprice cost for a ride. Once, while just 2 skytrain stops away from the Siam Center, we asked a tuk-tuk driver how much it would cost to get to said Siam Center. He looked me dead in the eyes and said, “200Baht”. Are you freaking kidding me!? We eventually took a taxi*, got stuck in traffic and it still only cost 45Baht.

*tuk-tuks are supposed to be way cheaper than taxis.

When we arrived at the bus station in Vientiane, we were approached by scores of tuk-tuk drivers. Even thought the bus was packed with tons of people standing in the aisle there seemed to be more tuk-tuk drivers that potential costumers.

They swarmed around Mark and I, getting in our way. We had to push a few tuk-tuk drivers away so that we could get to our backpacks. I showed a tuk-tuk driver the address to our hostel. He didn’t seem to know where it was, but he told me that could take us there for 200Baht; the magic number! “How can you take us there for 200Baht when you don’t know where there is?”*

When Mark and I looked at the map we realized that the hostel was within walking distance. I know 200Baht isn’t a lot of money. 200Baht is about 7USD, but Mark and I work for Baht now. The way we think about it is that dinner usually costs us about 50-60Baht each, including drinks, when we eat out. This tuk-tuk driver wants to charge us the cost of 4 dinning out meals for a 5 minute ride.

* In Vientiane you can use Baht. Your change will be in Laosian KIP, though. Don’t get too much KIP because it’s hard to exchange KIP for anything else when you leave.

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How I got a job, apartment, and cell phone in Thailand in 6 days

December 7-12, 2002

This is a spoof of Finding a Job in Thailand in 10 Days. If you’ve ever thought about packing it all in and moving to Thailand, you’ve read that article. Mark and I read it before moving to Bangkok hoped that it would work for us. Turns out that it was easier than I thought.

We’ve read many blog and websites on the best way to get jobs in Thailand and here is what we learned.

1. December and January are the worst time to find a job in Thailand.

2. You need a 120-hour TEFL or TESOL to get a job.*

3. Employees tend to not answer e-mails, so it’s better to call or just show up at the company.

* Mark and I got to Thailand in December and neither of us have a 120 Tefl or Tesol. But, you would have a better chance if you came in March and had some certificates.

Here is what we did.

We arrived in Bangkok on December first and didn’t really do anything the first week. We applied to a couple jobs here and there but I wasn’t really feeling any of them. In fact, I hoped not to get any of those jobs. Then I found an ad for some jobs in high school in Bangkok and the rest of Thailand. I must prefer working in a public school than at a cram school.

I sent them an e-mail stating that I wanted a job. I also sent a copy of my diploma, resume, and references. I was not really expecting to get a job right away, but rather to secure one starting in January. So when they did not reply, I wasn’t too worried.

Mark on the other hand was starting to panic. He had sent out many e-mails and job application, but no one was replying. This is normal. I read on one blog that some companies might actually be in desperate need for teachers, but the person in charge of answering e-mails does not speak English very well and therefore no respond is given.

On our second Monday in Thailand we decided to seriously look for a job, then head down south to the beaches. Monday was a holiday so we just put some folders together. We made 12 folders with our resume, cover letter, copy of diploma, references, and photo. We looked up the addresses of companies and got our nice interview clothes ready.

The next day we started our job hunt. The first stop was not too far from our hostel. It was my first choice. I really didn’t want any other job. We went to BFITS headquarters and asked for jobs. They were actually surprised to see us. They had one math teacher who had just quit and another English teacher who was feeling home sick and on the verge of quitting. We were hired the next day.

Early Wednesday morning Mark and I went to see my new school. That afternoon we signed our contracts. That evening we went to the company year end party, which was extremely entertaining! Thursday was a holiday and Friday was my first day.

Thursday Mark and I went apartment hunting. We went to the area were we wanted to live and just walked into the apartment buildings there. Some had apartment for rent some didn’t. We had better luck with the new apartments. We narrowed our choices down to two places. One place had bigger apartments, but it was older. The other was brand new, just built in January, with a gym and a pool, but it was smaller. We picked the newer building.

By Saturday night we moved into a Life apartment. I’m hoping that by using that gym and pool everyday I’ll be in great shape by the time I leave Thailand.

The phone was pretty easy to get. Mark got his at a department store. He found one of the cheapest phones and got a prepaid plan with a sim card. I got pretty much to same thing at MBK near the Siam Center. You can also use whatever phone you have if you just change the sim card. I heard that you can find out how to unlock your phone online, but I’m not technical. You can also pay someone to unlock it for you.

So, here I am in Thailand one week later with a job, and an apartment. I have several stacks of papers to grade and tons of grades to record. It all seemed to have happened too fast.

Here’s a short video from the BFITS’ year end party.

We want to see a ladyboy show: My first trip to Thailand

October 2-7, 2007

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Calypso

How to get there:

Any tuk-tuk or cab driver worth his salt should know where  Calypso is.

Address:

Asia Hotel 296 Phayathai Rd., Bangkok 10400

Shows:

20:15 & 21:45 everyday

Price: 1,200THB for the show not including meal

Phone: 02-65333960-2

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Trat

How to get there:

From Bangkok – Go to Eastern Bus Terminal. Buses leave to Trat every hour.

cost – 200THB

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Ko Chang (Elephant Island)

How to get there:

From Trat – Take the ferry from Tha Ko Chang Centrepoint to Tha Dan Kao on Ko Chang. 45 minutes

Cost – 80THB 1 way

Notes: It’s called “elephant island” not because it had elephant, though it does have many, but because the island is supposedly shaped like an elephant.

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Ban Kwan Chang

How to get there: Take a taxi or rent a scooter

Cost: 500-900THB

Hours: 8:30-17:00

Phone: 08-1919-3995

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My first trip to Thailand I went with my friend Melodie. We were working at the same company in Seoul until she decided to go back home to study. Before heading home, she wanted to travel a bit first. I joined her for the Thailand leg. She then went alone to northern Thailand and then to India. I was so impressed that she would, as a female, travel by herself and think nothing of it. The next year, while still working for the same company, when my vacation time came around, I went to China alone. If Melodie could do, and enjoy it, then I could too.

There are many benefits to traveling alone. You can use the time to “be one” with your thoughts, do what YOU want to do when you want to do it, or meet tons of new people you can travel with for a few days at a time. I enjoy traveling with friends and family, but there is something to traveling alone.

All I really wanted to do in Thailand was to see a ladyboy show and ride an elephant. Our first night in Bangkok we walked around asking people who looked helpful, “We can we go to see a ladyboy show?” We got strange looks and I was beginning to wonder if they thought we were looking for prostitutes.

It wasn’t until we mentioned to singing and dancing we thought would be included in the show that people got the idea. “Oh you want to see a Ladyboy Show! Ok. Go see Cabaret.”

The next day, our first full day in Thailand, we went out to see the sites. We got pulled into one tuk-tuk scam after another. Lucky for us, we didn’t have any money and all they did was waste our time, which we had plenty of. But after being driven around in a tuk-tuk for hours in the heat,  seeing the few actually sites that Bangkok has to offer, and being stuck in traffic for another hour or so, we had had it with Bangkok. That night, we took a late bus to the country side to the town of Trat.

I don’t remember the name of the place in which we stayed, but it was nice. The sea was a bit rough since monsoon season was just ending. This was where we rode elephant and did mostly nothing all day.

Right now, Mark and I are just about sick of Bangkok. We’re going to do some serious job hunting in the nest few days and head down south on Friday. I’m not sure where we’ll end up. Maybe Krabi and on the Phi Phi Islands.

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I take you there 100Baht

December 2, 2009

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The Grand Palace

How to get there: Pier N9, bus 508

Cost: 350THB

Hours: 8:30 – 15:30

Notes: This place is huge and Bangkok is very hot. Bring lots of water.

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Wat Pho: The Reclining Buddha

How to get there: Walk from the Grand Palace, Pier N8, Bus 508

Cost: 50THB

Hours: 8:30 – 15:30

Notes: You can get a massage here.

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This is my second time in Thailand and Bangkok, but Mark’s first. Know most of the scams, because I’ve been scammed. Well, maybe not scammed. It’s more like I wasted a tuk-tuk drivers time because I didn’t have any money in which he could scam away from me.

Here are the scams we came across on our first day:

1- The tuk-tuk driver scam

You, with camera and Lonely Planet in hand, the tell tale signs that you are a tourist*, are walking down the street heading for a temple or palace. You meet a kind stranger. He tells you that, whatever your destination is, is not open. Oh so sad for you, because you have to wait for several hours before it opens. But wait, he has an idea. He has a friend who is a tuk-tuk driver and he’s willing to drive you around for a couple of hours. And what luck! Today happens to be Gullible Tourist Day. This means that the standing Buddha site and some other sites are free. Hurray! Even better, this will only cost you 10baht if you are willing to go to a few shops and have a look around.

*oh, and the fact that you are not Thai…

The facts are: Most tourist sites are open from 8:30-15:30. They do not close for lunch. The “lucky for you free for today” sites they want to take you to, are always free. They just want to get you into some shops because these tuk-tuk drivers are hired by jewelry stores and tailors to lure in customers.

2- The flat rate taxi scam

Never agree to pay a flat rate for a taxi. Taxis are supposed to be metered. This “flat rate” that they offer is way more that the actual cost of the ride. If the cab will not use his meter, get out.

To find tuk-tuks and or taxis that are more honest, walk a block or so away from any tourist sites.

The place where Mark and I are staying is very close to the river. We found that moving around the tourist sites via ferries is the easiest way to go. If you are not staying near a pier, I recommend going to Saphan Taksin Station and and then catching a ferry at Central Pier.

3- The clothes rental scam

This one pertains to the Grand Palace. You cannot enter the palace if you legs or shoulders are exposed. There are shops across the street that will rent you clothes for about 30THB. The price isn’t so bad, but the clothing makes tourists look utterly ridiculous!

When you get to the Grand Palace you can get free clothes that didn’t make you look like a sucker for a 100THB deposit. Return the clothes and you get your money back.

4- The “You’re from _____! I have a cousin who lives in _____!

This one has never been tried on me. When random Thais ask me where I’m from I say, “The Virgin Islands”. All I get is a blank look and a change in conversation. But I see this one being worked on many people around me. Just today I over heard, “Oh, my brother studied History in Frankfurt!” What a small world. From what I’ve read of this scam, it usually ends with either a tuk-tuk ride to nowhere, a huge pub bill, or a dead hooker in your hotel room.

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The Last 12 hours in Korea

November 30-December 1, 2009

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Mark and I had an early flight to Bangkok and rather than be rushed in the morning or risk the possibility of getting there late, we decided to make our way to Incheon International Airport the evening before the flight. I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this, but, I LOVE Incheon airport. I think it’s the best airport I’ve ever seen. So, I was happy about getting there way too early.

We were planning to take an airport bus, but we noticed that the sign for the bus stop was no longer there. Apparently the bus we needed no longer runs. So we had to take the subway.

According the Korean transportation website, you can get the money on your T-money card refunded at any GS25. If you take the subway to the airport you will see a GS25 right before you scan out. If you scan out before you get your refund, just tell the person at the counter by the turn styles.  If he or she is nice, you’ll be allow to go to the GS25 without being charged.

We wandered around exploring the airport, had dinner, and changed some money at one of the many banks at the airport. Then we headed to the 4^th floor to a closed coffee shop for some free internet and quietness. Not too far for that coffee place is a glass bridge from which you can look down and see the people inside the terminal after the security check. There are also some really round chair things that are great for sleeping on.

The next morning we woke up had breakfast and checked in. We had tickets for Thai Air. The baggage limit for our flight was 20kg per person for check in luggage and 7kg total for all carry-ons. I’ve never had anyone weigh my carry-on, so I was surprised when someone stopped us before we went through the security check and asked us to put all our carry-ons on a scale. All of our carry-ons were over the 7kg limit, but Mark’s backpack was deemed too big. He was sent back to check it in. We were not charged for the overweight or extra checked in bag.

Because we were so early we had time to explore the terminals. Mark did a little shopping for his mom at a duty free store then we went to our terminal. This is where we found the free showers.

The shower themselves are free and you can use it any time during their opening hours. If you need a towel, that’s 2,000KRW. If you need shampoo and (I’m not sure what else), it’s 6,000KRW. We didn’t want to travel with wet towels, so Mark and I “rented” towels and got all spruced up. Unfortunately the free showers are only available to passengers who have passed though the security check.

Once at the airport in Bangkok we went downstairs to get an airport bus into the city. It cost 150BHT per person. On the bus we meet someone who was staying at the same hostel* we had made reservations for.

*I don’t really like the hostel in which we are stay now, so I will not include any of its information in this blog.

The next day we went sightseeing.

What is Mark so mad about?

Mark worked for a Pagoda Jr in Incheon. His boss, a man who goes by the name “Steve” Jung, was very unethical. He was supposed to take 4.5% of Mark’s monthly pay, match it, and put all this money into the National Pension for Mark to collect after completing his contract. This is required by Korean law. But Mr. Jung took the money from Mark’s pay put it into Mr. Jung’s own pocket. When Mark went to the penson office to file for his lump-sum, found out about this Mr. Jung’s shenanigans*. Mr. Jung got mad Mark, for some reason, and threaten to kick Mark out of his apartment and to withhold his last pay check and end of contract bonus.

* Mr. Jung’s shenanigans:

1. Not reporting the actual start date of his employees

2. Not reporting the actual salary of his employees

3. Not giving his employees pay subs.

4. Not paying one red cent into the National Pension of his employees

There are more, but these are the thing that can be legally proven.

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Jeju: Hangil Memorial Hall

November 27, 2009

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Hangil Memorial Hall

How to get there: Take the bus from Jeju City Bus Terminal gate 4. Say that you want to go to Hangil Memorial in Jocheon.

Cost: 500KRW

Hours: 9:00-18:00 Museum, Outside area is always avaible

Closed Jan 1, Lunar New Year Holidays, Chuseok

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The writing in this museum was mostly in Korean. When I got home I couldn’t find any information about this museum or the events that were described there. What I do know I’ve pieced together from what I already know, wikipedia.org, and a pamphlet I got from the museum with a tiny bit of English in it.*

* I lost the pamphlet in my move to Thailand so now I have no information about the museum. If anyone has any information about the resistance on Jeju island, please e-mail it to me.

In the late 19th century many Western countries were colonizing Asian and African countries with the benefit of trade and economic power. Japan saw this and began to think. Would they be crippled economically? How long before some European country slithered it’s way into Tokyo like the British did to India?

Japan, in order to protect itself, need to be bigger, stronger, and more modern. It needed help. It looked to Korea, its closest neighbor, but Korea, at the time was heavily influenced by China. Japan needed to get in and or break that bound.

Japan wanted Korea to sign a treat would allow Japan to trade with Korea and, at the same time, disconnect Korea from its protection by China. This treat was called The Treaty of Ganghwa. (Yes, the same island I love to camp on.)

Korea, having had bad experiences with the French occupying the island of Ganghwa, and some fights with the Americans over trade, didn’t want to enter any more trade agreements. The Japanese weren’t going to take no for an answer and forced the Koreans to sign the Treaty of Ganghwa. The Japanese got a better deal than the Korean in the treaty.

In 1905 Japan occupied Korea. In 1910 Korea was officially annexed. If you have read anything about Japan around the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, you know that Japan was sadistic and cruel to its enemies.

The Koreans did not like the annexation by Japan at all. There were many protests and demonstrations by the Koreans hoping to get the Japanese out of their country. The results of these protests were normally the imprisonment, beating, torture, and or execution of the Korean resistors.

There are numerous accounted and unaccounted incidences of Japanese cruelty towards the people of Korea. The brutality was not saved for just protesters, though. If a village were thought to be hiding rebels, all the people in the area would be rounded up and killed. At the museum, we saw pictures of mass graves for murdered children. The Japanese also used many Koreans females as “comfort women“.

While under the Japanese rule, many roads and railway systems were built. This was done mainly to help the Japanese military easy access throughout Korea to ensure Japan’s hold on the country.

The annexation of Korean ended on 1945 when Japan surrendered to the US. To a foreigners living in Korea, it would seem that the relationship between the two countries are strained with petty squabbles over tiny rocks in the Sea of Japan. Even the name “Sea of Japan” will cause anger to Koreans who say that the water should be called the “East Sea”.

But overall, relations between Korea and Japan are pretty good considering all that has happened between the two countries. Japan has never official apologized for all the heinous and inhuman acts committed against the Korea people and it probably never will. Korea does trade and conduct business with Japanese companies, though you will still see people of the older generation picketing outside a Toyota or Honda dealership in Seoul.

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