Where to stay in Bangkok, Krabi, Phi Phi, Koh Samui?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Once you dial whatever it is you dial to get out of your country, you should dial 66 for the country code, then the number. If the number your friend gave you begins with 0, do not dial the 0; that is only for inside Thailand. The 66 replaces the 0 when you’re dialing from outside the country.

All land-line numbers in Thailand have eight digits preceded by 0 (if dialling inside Thailand) or 66 (if dialling from outside Thailand); all cellphone numbers here have nine digits, preceded by the same numbers mentioned before.

For land lines, the city or area code is automatically part of the number. It’s like it would be in the US if you had to dial even the area code just to phone next door. All numbers as written include the code; for instance, it’s 2 for the greater Bangkok area, so any number starting 02 (or 662 from outside Thailand) clues you in that it’s a Bangkok number. So you don’t have to worry about getting that wrong.

I’d try Googling the name of the place and see if you can come up with a number that way. Or if all else fails, see if the international operator can assist you.

If you can tell me the name and location of the place, I can see what I can find out, either here on the Board or by PM.

22

Missed the Edit window, but one more thing: This is a long shot, but it’s only been a few years since they tacked the extra number onto cellphones. You may try beginning your number with 8 (AFTER you dial the 66 OR the 0, of course) to see if that works. You still occasionally see a cellphone number written in the old style, without the 8 at the beginning, but at this date that’s rare. To accommodate the burgeoning cellphone traffic, they added an 8 to the beginning of all cellphone numbers, making nine numbers.

23

My trip is nearing its end - I am scheduled to fly out of Bangkok on the 10th of December. I have had quite a turbulent holiday.
Bangkok is a place that I was not too crazy about - the difficulty of transport coupled with the funky odor (it really smells awful, at least to this farang) makes it a place that I won’t be rushing to see again.
Phuket was where my troubles began. I spilled a motorbike, leaving me a bit gimpy, with a large bruise and a nasty bump on my upper thigh/lower hip. Later that same day, I left my atm card at the machine (brain freeze), and upon my return, it was gone. When they opened the machine, there was no card to be found.
If I were to suggest a place to stay in Phuket, it would be Raiway, on the southern end of the island.
Next up was Phi Phi. I got a bungalow for 500 baht a night. I was able to get a cash advance from mastercard that kept me financed for the time being. I was prepared to go diving, but was told that I needed medical clearance due to my athsma (which isn’t too bad; I run 2 to 3 miles a day). When I went to the hospital in the village, I was informed that I would have to go back to Phuket for clearance. Oh well.
Next was Krabi town, which I liked immensely. It has a very mellow vibe, with a lack of agression that I saw in the other places - every farang is a walking atm who gets prodded constantly for tuk tuk, massage, food, hotel, boat, souvenir, etc. The highlight was the Buddha atop the mountain at the Tiger Cave Temple. There were 1237 steps, many of them at quite a steep angle (width of step smaller than my foot, and height of step nearly to my knee). Well almost as soon as I reached the summit, it began raining, sideways, no less. I sat it out before descending. I stayed in Krabi for 2 days before leaving for Koh Pha Ngan.
This is where the real difficulty began. I took a minivan to one town, waited 2 hours for a large bus, on which my luggage was ransacked, and I had 10,000 baht stolen. I was stupid for leaving the money, but its a lesson that I won’t soon forget. I was just getting over the depression of getting robbed, when I got biiten by a dog, for which I received 3 stitches, and it prevented me for doing any water activities.
Despite the latest setbacks, I have had a tremendous time here on Koh Pha Ngan, and I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to visit.

24

Whoops-

I see you’ve already gone.

25

Lebowski, you need to take that story and write it out as an article at least, or maybe a book or screen play. I know it was crappy to experience, but I bet you remember this vacation more than most others you will experience. You may need to add in a romance or something for some plot arch.

26

Sorry you had a bad time during your stay. Phuket gets a lot of press, but the aggression is one reason we never go there.

If you ever come back, I would recommend you try the Northeast. Very laid back. The figures show only 2% of tourist arrivals make it to the Northeast, but there really is a lot to see. It’s the poorest region, and many Thais consider it the “real” Thailand, whatever that means. Prices tend to be very low, however, much lower than in the South. The down side is that means a distinct lack of English and facilities outside of the main urban areas, but it’s easy and cheap to hire a driver and guide. Sometimes you can hook up with an, um, rather attractive guide’ many guys have ended up staying and settling down then! A good jumping-off point for Laos and Cambodia, too (although if you want to see real aggression, just hit a Cambodian border town).

You did not mention rabies shots with your encounter with a dog. If you’ve been vaccinated, you’ll need a booster. If not, then you’ll need to start the series and quickly. The Thai Red Cross is the best (read: cheapest) place for that in Bangkok, on the corner of Rama IV and Henri Dunant roads (behind the snake farm, which they operate for the anti-venom sera). I was bitten by an exceptionally mangy dog a few years ago and had foolishly let my vaccination lapse. I took my first shot at the private Samitivej Hospital, then took the rest of the series at the red Cross. That one shot at Samitivej cost more than the entire series at the Red Cross. But if you wait for symptoms to appear, you will die.

A tip for dogs in Thailand. When threatened, act like you are about to throw a rock at it, or even squat down to the ground like you’re picking one up. Thai children are very cruel and torture animals mercilessly. There’s not a stray dog in Thailand that’s not been pelted with rocks by children for sport. That usually spooks them into backing off if not running away.

No, Bangkok is not for everyone. I had a love-hate relationship with it when I lived up North. But it grows on you, like a fungus. I love the place now, that despite not being able to stand crowds. Go figure. And that special Bangkok smell. Mmmmm. They should bottle it and sell it. :smiley:

Speaking of smells, there’s an especially particular one I’ve mentioned before. I call it “Bangkok whorehouse.” Sort of a musty smell in some of the older buildings. The cinema at the Alliance Francaise on Sathon Road is a good example, and many of the older government buildings have it. I stayed in a hotel in Beijing once that smelled just like it, and it felt like Bangkok. I don’t know what it is that causes it.

27

I have received 2 rabies shots thus far, with 3 more scheduled. Having that happen was simply awful, something that I would wish on nobody. I am a “dog person”, and I have never had any aggression shown towards me by any dog, which is, in all likelyhood, why it happened (no reason fo me to have a guard up).
The story idea is one that I will definitely explore, Shibboleth; my expeience here has been quite memorable, and ultimately one that I won’t soon forget. I hadn’t even mentioned the whole airport situation either! That was a brain fuck like no other. The longer it dragged on, the greater the concern became to seek alternate routes out. I actually bought a plane ticket from Samui to Singapore on Wednesday just before I found out about the reopening of the airports in Bangkok. The previous 24 hours were absolutely crazy, as I was in constant communique with my sister via email, while she was on the phone with American Airlines and Orbitz (a web site booking agent). Had I taken that route, a one way ticket from Singapore to Tokyo (where my Los Angeles bound flight is based) would have cost 50,000 baht, about 1400 usd).
If I were to return, Sam, I would probably come right here to Koh Pha Ngan. I simply love this place, even tho this is where I got bitten. There are just the right # of people (though after I leave the numbers will explode, as next Friday is full moon).