Well, that’s good news. Maybe you can put off that trip to Ying-Yang after all.
No, the Lat Phrao intersection is right there where Central Plaza Lat Phrao is. The big area where Vibhadi-Rangsit and Phahonyothin roads intersect (plus Lat Phrao Road a block north) and includes Chatuchak Market. You can see photos of the water outside Central Lat Phrao. Outside the Skytrain station too, Morchit Station, at the end of the line. I don’t know about road closures in that area, as I never go there. This is still not considered inner Bangkok, but it’s getting pretty darn close. The wife and I are still far, far from that though.
And of course, that was supposed to read Vibhavadi-Rangsit.
But now it is finally getting pretty goddamned serious, because … the beer supply is drying up. 
And the report seems to be true to some extent. I braved the conditions tonight to inspect the beer stocks in the bar areas in Sukhumvit Sois 7/1 and 22. I am pleased to report they had plenty of beer, including my standard Singha, the national beer of Thailand. However, while doing my usual post-bar grocery run, my beloved Singha beer was nowhere to be seen in Villa Market. Lots of other beer brands were represented but no Singha. I’m having to make do with Beer Lao, from Laos, which I’m sipping as I type this. Actually, it’s quite a good brew and runs a close second in my preferences, so “having to make do” is a little strong. Not quite as heavy, so there are times it’s an even better choice.
However, a friend who lives farther down Sukhumvit tells me the 7-Eleven by his apartment is completely out of beer. And I’ve heard reports that the popular island destination of Phuket is running out of both beer and drinking water. This could be serious. Rioting last year, floods this year, and tourists pretty much yawned. But now their beer supply is in danger!
The latest news is the floodwaters may be infiltrating Bangkok’s sewer system. Some areas have already started seeing bubbling water coming up from the drains. The New Orleans native who owns and operates the deservedly popular Bourbon Street Restaurant in Washington Square in cental Bangkok tells me he’s plugged up all of his drains to prevent the floodwaters from gaining access to his establishment.
A friend drove through Wat Sing a few days ago. That’s a central Thailand town particular prone to flooding, which was shut down and deep in water for many weeks. The waters there have largely receded, but my friend reports a ghastly stench, greenish crud everywhere, townspeople devoting their efforts to cleaning.
Hmm. Was your post deflecting attention to Patpong and Soi 34 a subterfuge for Mrs. Sam’s benefit? I’m aware (only second-hand, mind you) that Soi 7/1 has a notorious torture chamber preferred by some foreigners. 
I had no idea Bangkok had a Washington Square! Named after my favorite U.S. president?
Why, what are you insinuating? I’ve never even heard of Eden Club. Oh, wait! You didn’t mention any names did you? D’oh! :smack: I’ve said too much!
I believe so, although I suppose it could have been named after the city. It’s a bit run down these days, tired and sad. I think it popped up during the Vietnam War days, and even in recent years many of the bars have retained a loyal following by American Vietnam War vets who are still hanging on, themselves tired and sad and many if not most of them on their third or fourth Thai wife. Rumors of its imminent demise have been filtering for years. But an Indian-Thai family name of Nana owns the land – that’s the same family who owns the land in the Nana Plaza red-light area and who leant their name to Nana Skytrain Station – and they don’t really seem in a hurry to develop it. Bourbon Street, the main reason to visit the square, is not taking any chances though and is about to move to a new location. (The Dubliner Irish pub at the Sukhumvit Road entrance is not a bad place either, but its former owners had a little bit of a checkered history. A group of Irish, both men and women, they got caught being involved in some sort of stock-selling scam.)
There was also, starting in the late 1990s, a bar area called Clinton Plaza, and right at the entrance was Monica beer bar. That’s all been torn down now for condo development, but at the same time a bar named Hillary opened near Nana Plaza. It’s still open and has two other branches.
Ah yes, who could forget President Square.
I’ve been roughing it out here in Sa Kaeo province, near the border of Cambodia. The inlaws have a house and a lot of property out here which seems to be used mostly for growing weeds on.
Since I may not get any quality time in Bangkok on this trip before my visa expires, I might take a hike over to Viet Nam and get a fresh one that’ll give me another 60 days in Thailand. Hopefully there’s no issues with getting back-to-back tourist visas like that.
I have heard they are starting to clamp down on that actually. But as long as it’s not a case like with some guys where it’s back-to-back tourist visas for a period of years, I wouldn’t think it a problem. I think you can get an extension in-country but not sure for how long; just 30 days in that case if I recall correctly. But I’m not at all sure about that, and I’d suggest checking with the nearest Immigration office. Unless you just want to visit Vietnam, which is always a nice trip.
Thanks, fingers crossed. You’d think with the drop in tourism over the last month (and probably the upcoming few months as well), they’d be eager to get every tourist dollar possible.
Living close to the border station, why not just go up there every 2 weeks and cross into Cambodia for a few minutes? Unless the drive to the border station is a tedious waste of time, this might be the simplest solution. For nationals of U.S.A. and several other countries you’ll get a 15-day entry stamp for free. AFAIK, the only restrictions are: (1) You might (unlikely?) be asked for outbound bus/train/air ticket, and (2) you are allowed to reside at most 90 days out of 180 days this way. (Time you spent on the visa should not be counted against this limit & make friends at the border station), but (depending on your passport) you should have little trouble getting at least 4 crossings – the same 60 days without travel or visa fee. With the $20(?) Cambodian visa (and carfare to the border) the only cash outlay, this may be the cheapest option. If you think you’ll do it 4 or more times, look into the $50(?) Cambodian business visa, good for a year(?). Unlike Thailand, Cambodia is actively encouraging visitors.
Well we’re not normally out here in Sa Kaeo all the time, just for now until the flood abates. As soon as Bangkok is dry and they’ve cleaned off the ring around the city, we’ll be heading back to Don Mueang. That will be my unofficial home away from home as long as I’m here.
A few months ago I read over on the Thai Visa forums that Jack Golf had suspended his visa run service for a few weeks after taking a busload of tourists and their overnight bags to Cambodia and failing to secure new visas for them. Apparently there is a new Grand Poobah at the immigration department who wanted all the rules tightened up. Not sure what the situation is now, but I think I’d feel better flying out this time and getting a fresh 60+30 day visa in my passport. Maybe when I get back in February I’ll look into getting a work permit and hopefully avoid the fun of future border runs.
I only know Jack Golf by reputation, but apparently the company has started saying the service is just to take you to the border so you can sort the visa out yourself. They’re no longer claiming to be able to do the visa for you, and it’s your tough luck if they won’t let you back in the country. Other companies too. But again, I think there’ll be a problem only if it’s obvious you’ve been living in Thailand for a long time on back-to-back Tourist visas.
This reminds me of one time returning from Cambodia. We’d been in Sihanoukville on the coast and took the speedboat to Koh Kong on the border to cross back into Thailand at Hat Lek in Trat province. Also on the boat was this other farang – can’t remember his nationality, but while his English was good he was a non-native speaker – who had some sort of problem with his visa. All of us passengers on the boat who were crossing into Thailand were the last batch they processed out of Cambodia. Then they closed up shop as we were walking to the Thai Immigration post. But this guy they refused entry. Said something was wrong with his visa and no dice. The last we saw of him, he was walking back to Cambodian Immigration, but they were already closed! I wonder if he had to sleep in that no-man’s stretch that night.
Depends on how many you already have. Two in a row almost certainly isn’t going to be a problem. A friend of mine just got one outside the country despite the visa office raising their eyebrows and shaking their heads at an on-and-off year’s worth of back-to-back tourist visas. And yeah, the extension amount is 30 days and rarely presents a problem once the sixty-day one is in place.
Maybe this is a subject for another thread, but I find tightening the restrictions absurd. For a relatively poor country like Thailand, I am absolutely certain that all the expatriates in the country are a net gain to the economy rather than a net loss - either through setting up and operating businesses, working for someone and paying taxes, or just paying their way. In fact apart from the sex tourists, I’d imagine it’s a net benefit across the board. (Unless of course it’s just the immigration department making a profit through visa fees.)