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AJARN TOM
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With airfares constantly rising and the Thai baht at all-time highs against Western currencies, it has become more expensive to enjoy our "hobby". As a resident for over 5 years I've learned some ways to save money and I think it may help those who are on a limited budget. I'm sure there are many more tips that others can add to mine as well.
1. For the most "bang for the buck" head straight for Pattaya and avoid Bangkok's nightlife. Everything is cheaper in Pattaya, the weather is cooler, and there are thousands of ladies ready to be your companion. Unless you are lugging a lot of baggage there's no need to take a taxi from the airport; just take public bus 389 or if you are in Bangkok take the bus from Ekkamai or Mor Chit.
2. Transportation to/from the airport to Bangkok can be had for only 150 baht using the Airport Express. Beware that the service does not run betweem midnight and 5AM, but a taxi to/from Bangkok should be less than 300 baht in the wee hours.
3. For both BKK and Pattaya avoid go-go bars, except for their Happy Hours. A tip I learned from a colleague (but have never tried) is to go to a bar on the last day of the month or a slow night like Monday and negotiate with the BG because they have a monthly barfine quota to meet. Or just hang outside the bar after closing and find a girl then and save the barfine.
4. Partake of the freelancers at places like the Beergarten, Thermae, Soi Cowboy or Beach Road and save not only on barfines but also the fee for the night's activities. As with anyone you take back hide all valuables or use the hotel safe. Although Bangkok and Pattaya are generally safe I hide a 100 baht note for taxi fare in case something bad happens.
5. Avoid taking a TG or BG to a Western restaurant. Most girls will either order from the Thai menu or pick at their food and then want to eat Thai food from a street vendor. If you do go to a non-Thai restaurant NEVER let a TG order ala cart. She will order the most expensive items and then leave half of it uneaten. Restaurants like Fuji and Chester's Grill have set meals which include a beverage and are a good value.
6. The best Western food deal in Thailand has to be Sizzler's salad bar. You get salad, pasta, cheese bread, soup, fruit and dessert for less than 120 baht per person. Compare that to what you would pay at McDonald's or any hotel for a meal. They also have lunch and dinner specials at reasonable prices as well. Food courts in shopping centers like the Sukhumvit Robinsons or the Siam Paragon offer good value in an air-conditioned environment. A bonus at the Paragon is the beavy of uni girls and other eye candy.
7. Avoid consuming any items in the hotel minibar or refrigerator. Instead go to 7/11 or market and buy drinks and snacks at lower prices. The same holds true for eating at the hotel's restaurant; just walk outside and you'll find plenty of dining options at lower prices. In Pattaya I always eat at the Apex's breakfast buffet because it has a wide variety of food at the same price as other hotels' breakfast meal.
8. In Bangkok avoid using taxis; use the Skytrain, underground/subway, and buses to get around. The BTS (Skytrain) goes to Patpong, Nana Plaza, and Soi Cowboy, along with the Chatuchat Weekend Market, MBK and the Ekkamai and Mor Chit Bus Stations. The MRT (underground/subway) goes to the Ratchadapisek massage parlours and pubs, along with the Hualampong Train Station. There are plenty of air-con buses that run along Sukhumvit and if you aren't in a hurry they are convenient. For short trips use motorcycle taxis as well. Air-con bus number 507 can take you to Chinatown, the Hualampong Train Station, the Grand Palace/Wat Pho area, Kao San, and it ends at the Southern Bus Terminal in Pinklao. To catch it from Sukhumvit just take the BTS to Sala Daeng and walk to the intersection of Silom/Rama IV.
9. I haven't stayed in a Bangkok hotel as a tourist for a long time but I can recommend a no-frills hotel convenient to Sukhumvit; the 27 Hotel on Suk. 22. It's only about 350 baht a night for a basic room without TV or refrigerator but it's close to all the action. They also rent the rooms short-time as well. If you want more info just send me a PM.
10. If you plan on making a lot of phone calls buy a SIM card and second-hand mobile phone if necessary. True has 1 baht/minute rates, but the minutes expire after 30 days. DTAC's rates are 2 baht/minute, but the minutes are good for up to 365 days. I also advise having namecards made for only 200 baht with your name, email address, and mobile number because you can hand them out to TG's and people you meet. It's much more convenient than having to use a napkin or piece of paper.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:05 am on Mar. 15, 2007
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seajohn
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Quote: from AJARN TOM on 9:47 pm on Mar. 15, 2007
A bonus at the Paragon is the beavy of uni girls...
You can see their beavy?
Alright, I'm there!!
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 8:17 am on Mar. 15, 2007
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bkkz
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Quote: from AJARN TOM on 9:47 pm on Mar. 15, 2007
2. Transportation to/from the airport to Bangkok can be had for only 150 baht using the Airport Express. Beware that the service does not run betweem midnight and 5AM, but a taxi to/from Bangkok should be less than 300 baht in the wee hours.
Actually, I only paid 200 B for the ride from the airport to Sukhumvit Road. It was late at night so traffic was light, and we didn't have to use the toll way, plus I hailed the taxi on the Departure level (I have never bothered with the arrival area at all). Saved on airport surcharge and toll charges, that's a little over 100 B.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:32 am on Mar. 15, 2007
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DrLove
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Yes same here.... to Petchburi. 220 baht (even with the airport surcharge, no tolls).
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 9:46 am on Mar. 15, 2007
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Skip
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Quote: from AJARN TOM on 9:47 pm on Mar. 15, 2007
In Bangkok avoid using taxis;
Actually, that's terrible advice. Baht for Baht you can get yourself farther down any given road in Bangkok in the back of a taxi- having payed the 35Bt minimum fare - than you could on the back of the average motocy taxi.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 11:22 am on Mar. 15, 2007
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Adventure Guy
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11. NEVER take a taxi that's parked. They won't go on meter and will give you song-and-dance about the fare - until you arrive - then demand twice what the metered fare would have been. Tell them to let you out immeditely if they won't go on meter! Hail taxis that are cruising with their red light on.
12. Forget tuktuks. They're ALL controlled by the tuktuk mafia - won't bargain price with Thais even - more expensive than taxis - not as convenient or safe, and will take you out of your way and rip you off one way or another in the process.
13. Never take taxi or tuktuk to the entrance of a massage parlor, seafood restaurant, etc., etc., etc. Let him drop you off somewhere near. If not they will walk in to get their additional cut or free meal for 'bringing you', which gets passed on to you of course in higher merchandise price. One taxi driver had the nerve to try to weasel a side-deal commission after I had him bring me to a specific (and expensive) art gallery. When I saw what was happening I cooly but politely told them both that I wasn't interested in even looking at anything, dismissed him, and left in another taxi - lesson learned.
14. Use the river taxis when traveling to spots along the Chao Phraya. Interesting adventure - and cheap.
15. Never exchange money/checks at your hotel. Worst exchange rates in town.
16. Never use the hotel room phone for outgoing calls except in an emergency. You can buy a used phone and simcard (per previous tip) with the savings.
17. Make hotel reservtions in advance and through reputable discount agencies - almost always coniderably cheaper than last-minute walk-ins.
Don't forget to reward yourself for all those savings with an extra ST or LT...or two, or...
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 2:23 pm on Mar. 15, 2007
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bkkz
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If you do not have a hotel booked, and if you have arrived in the day time, you can always head to the nearest travel agent and get them to book a room for you and get them to issue a hotel voucher. You will normally get a lower rate than the hotel's walk-in rack rate.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 2:34 pm on Mar. 15, 2007
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madfrog
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18 : If you are to bring your money cash, make sure you bring some new banknotes of let say 100€ & 200€ (or 100 USD). Better exchange rate on those compared to small notes.
19 Change your money at the begining of your trip, it will save your time not to have to go again and again to change money.
20 Go and change your money near BigC Pratunam at "SuperRich" or alternatively at Sukhumvit Soi 7.1 "Vasu travel agency", they offer much better rates than most places.
21 If you take girls ST and have an appartement/hotel that is far from the nightlife area DO NOT bother to bring them back to your place to save the price of a ST room : If the girl turn to be a poor performer or trouble maker you will have to go back to the nightlife area to get another one AND she will ask you anyway to pay for her taxi fare to go back! Use ST Hotel in the nightlife area, this is the way to go IMHO
22 All beggars on Sukhumvit are there since years, day after day at the same spot, this is their WORK to inpire you pity, up to you to spoil your money but be sure to see them begging at the same spot, with the same look when you come back 2 years later...
23 : Any Buddhist monk or Nun you will see asking for money on Sukhumvit is a con artist, again feel free to spoil your money on them if you like...
24 : Same go for the small birds sellers, if you spoil your money buying birds from them you just encourage them to catch more innocent birds. After seing one of those guy leaving his birds cages (no food, no water for the poor animals) in the full sun to go and have a beer with the money just collected, I am sure that like me you will feel much less inclined to buy birds...
25 If a seller tell you he make "same price for you as for thai people" you can be 100% sure he is lying.
26 Do not buy anything from stands on sukhumvit or Patpong night market, you can find the exact same things at other places for about 25% of the price...
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:35 pm on Mar. 15, 2007
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Adventure Guy
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27. On big-ticket items, after getting lowest farang price, send your TGF back alone to bargain even lower -then purchase for you - then give her the difference. (But sometimes, after the fun of beating down a price, surprise the poor vendor by paying full price when the item/price is worth it to you. It should bring a smile to you just thinking back about the vendor telling her friends later: "Today this crazy farang...")
28. Somewhat off but somewhat on the topic: Give some of the 20 baht bills (that you've saved through all these tips) to cute kids (not to beggars) clustered around an ice-cream stand, etc. You'll feel good and your TGF will be impressed with your good heart. A small investment with savings/rewards later. (Paying it Forward). On New Year's day I bought a 20 baht juice from a young girl at a stand near the Gaysorn bombing. Discusing the nearby bombing we learned that her younger brother was one of the victims and was in the hospital. I paid for the juice with a 1000 baht note and told her to buy him a present with the change. She refused until my TGF insisted that refusing would be an insult. I could do no wrong after that.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 8:52 pm on Mar. 15, 2007
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LocalYokul
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an MP for an ST, hmm, seems it would be pricier
I will try these tips on tomorrow in Pattaya
NOT
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 10:08 pm on Mar. 15, 2007
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