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I found cheap tickets to thailand from LA through this travel egency...
626-356-4999 I got my ticket for $629
Good luck, I am flying out of LA january 5th. Let me know if any of you want to fly out with me.
When you fly in to Bankok, get some dental and medical work done as it is very good and very inexpensive. Then take a flight (around $80) to Ko Samui where you can take ferry to the Island of Ko Pagnan, you then will need to take a bus or ferry to the beaches of Hat Yuan and Hat Yin. Bungalows on the beach are between $2 and $30. The $2 bungalows are a room with a bed, shared bathroom and showers very basic but comfortable. The nicer rooms have electricity and private bathrooms.
I recomend taking advantage of the awesome thai massage healers, though check the vibe, some of them are prostitutes. There alot of thiefs in Thailand so watch your bags, do not leave your nice shoes out at night, I had a pair stollen of the porch of my bungalow. Hide your money and passport and any other precious items, most the bungalows are unsecure and can easily be entered.
Tuk tuk drivers will try to get you to go to all kinds of places you might not want to go, be assertive when dealing with them otherwise you might end up dodging ping pong's that are being shot from a midget contortionist with some serious yoni muscles... AIDS is very prevelent among prostitutes in Thailand.
Things to bring...
-Good hiking shoe's that are not too warm
-Good sandles like Teva's
-Lite warm weather clothes ( It is very hot and humid in Thailand)
-Fire toys
-Musical instriments
-any other items that will allow creative expression.
-Passport
-travelers checks can be nice though ATM's are readily available.
-Lonely Planet guide book
-camera
-pick up kerosene in ko samui or hadrin for fire dancing
Things not to bring...
-You do not need any warm clothes
-Travel lite, you can buy clothes there.
-be aware of the strict drug laws, be very carefull if you decide to use or bring. You all saw the movie The Beach? Thai prisons are full of foriegners with life sentences for drugs.
-Heavy bulky items, you will want to buy alot of cool things in bankok at the end of your trip so allow space to be filled.
Things to do or buy...
-Dental work
-medical
-tatoo's there are some excelent tatoo artists in thailand
-the markets in Bankok are alot cheaper than the shops on Ko Pagnan
you can find amazing artwork, carvings, clothes, jewelery(many stones are fakes so be carefull, ask around to find out how to see a fake fake.) and many more.
-there will be various workshops on the beaches like Thai massage, yoga, poi and staff dancing, qi gong, thai cooking, thai kick boxing.
Our dreams are only a breath away.
Loving you,
Forest
626-356-4999 I got my ticket for $629
Good luck, I am flying out of LA january 5th. Let me know if any of you want to fly out with me.
When you fly in to Bankok, get some dental and medical work done as it is very good and very inexpensive. Then take a flight (around $80) to Ko Samui where you can take ferry to the Island of Ko Pagnan, you then will need to take a bus or ferry to the beaches of Hat Yuan and Hat Yin. Bungalows on the beach are between $2 and $30. The $2 bungalows are a room with a bed, shared bathroom and showers very basic but comfortable. The nicer rooms have electricity and private bathrooms.
I recomend taking advantage of the awesome thai massage healers, though check the vibe, some of them are prostitutes. There alot of thiefs in Thailand so watch your bags, do not leave your nice shoes out at night, I had a pair stollen of the porch of my bungalow. Hide your money and passport and any other precious items, most the bungalows are unsecure and can easily be entered.
Tuk tuk drivers will try to get you to go to all kinds of places you might not want to go, be assertive when dealing with them otherwise you might end up dodging ping pong's that are being shot from a midget contortionist with some serious yoni muscles... AIDS is very prevelent among prostitutes in Thailand.
Things to bring...
-Good hiking shoe's that are not too warm
-Good sandles like Teva's
-Lite warm weather clothes ( It is very hot and humid in Thailand)
-Fire toys
-Musical instriments
-any other items that will allow creative expression.
-Passport
-travelers checks can be nice though ATM's are readily available.
-Lonely Planet guide book
-camera
-pick up kerosene in ko samui or hadrin for fire dancing
Things not to bring...
-You do not need any warm clothes
-Travel lite, you can buy clothes there.
-be aware of the strict drug laws, be very carefull if you decide to use or bring. You all saw the movie The Beach? Thai prisons are full of foriegners with life sentences for drugs.
-Heavy bulky items, you will want to buy alot of cool things in bankok at the end of your trip so allow space to be filled.
Things to do or buy...
-Dental work
-medical
-tatoo's there are some excelent tatoo artists in thailand
-the markets in Bankok are alot cheaper than the shops on Ko Pagnan
you can find amazing artwork, carvings, clothes, jewelery(many stones are fakes so be carefull, ask around to find out how to see a fake fake.) and many more.
-there will be various workshops on the beaches like Thai massage, yoga, poi and staff dancing, qi gong, thai cooking, thai kick boxing.
Our dreams are only a breath away.
Loving you,
Forest
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Re: Important info on Thailand
Sun, December 5, 2004 - 2:22 PMgreat info forest- thanx!
i too got my ticket from them, but mine was a bit more- $679.00 leaving the 6th and returning the 1st.
i can't wait!!!
if anyone wants to fly out with me here's the info (although arrival in bangkok is in the early am):
06 JAN 05 - THURSDAY
AIR CHINA AIRLINES FLT:5 ECONOMY MEALS
LV LOS ANGELES 200P EQP: BOEING 747 400
DEPART: TOM BRADLEY INTL TERM 14HR 35MIN
07 JAN 05 - FRIDAY
AR TAIPEI 835P NON-STOP
ARRIVE: TERMINAL 1 REF: K42ECH
**SERVICE IMMEDIATELY ABOVE WAITLISTED**
AIR CHINA AIRLINES FLT:67 ECONOMY MEALS
LV TAIPEI 1125P EQP: AIRBUS A340-300
DEPART: TERMINAL 1 03HR 50MIN
08 JAN 05 - SATURDAY
AR BANGKOK 215A NON-STOP
REF: K42ECH
01 FEB 05 - TUESDAY
AIR CHINA AIRLINES FLT:696 ECONOMY MEALS
LV BANGKOK 550P EQP: AIRBUS A330-300
DEPART: TERMINAL 2 03HR 30MIN
AR TAIPEI 1020P NON-STOP
ARRIVE: TERMINAL 1 REF: K42ECH
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Re: Important info on Thailand
Mon, December 20, 2004 - 5:11 PMHere is a e-mail sent to me from Shireen. Just reminder to allways be aware. There are alot of scams in Thailand, do not give your credit card out to just anyone and allways keep a backup copy of your passport. I ecomend only using the busses when you can not travel by air. I am flying to ko pha gnan from bankok. Thai busses suck, the one time I took a long bus ride, I ended up needing a week to recover from it, carbon monixide poisoning and my back went out.
See you all soon.
Subject
koh phan ngan to bangkok
Message
hi forest!
i just wanted to send you a warning, so you can let all the folks you meet up with in thailand to be aware. when kricket and i were in thailand last winter, we had virtually no problems with our health or safety, EXCEPT on our way back to bangkok from koh phan ngan.
we bought our ferry-bus-bus ticket in had rin from a travel agent. i believe the travel agent knew nothing about what was going to happen when we got on the night bus.
when we finally got on our last bus to bangkok, we left all our luggage underneath, along with everyone else. apparantly, while we were all sleeping, the bus crew went through all of our bags, stealing at will. this included going through the purses/bags/backpacks that people had with them at their seats. instead of stealing a whole bag, they would pull out the wallet, take only the large bills, and put the wallet back where they found it.
here's what i believe to be the clue that you've been had: they drove like maniacs, getting us near kho san rd. at something like 4:30am instead of dawn, like we anticipated. the crew threw our bags on the sidewalk and screeched off as soon as they could, since they knew people would start inspecting their bags or need to pull money out of their wallets for tuk-tuk fare, whatever.
i'm not telling you this to bum you out or make you freaked. i just want you to know that this happened to us, and everyone we talked to who was on the bus with us. if you think something's wierd, try to pull yourself out of your sleepy/groggy/waking up state and think to instruct someone/s to stay on the bus until you've checked your bags and wallets.
i hope you have a wonderful, safe, happy, joyous learning/sharing event.
burning brightly,
shireen -
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Re: Important info on Thailand
Mon, December 20, 2004 - 5:48 PMI was in Thailand 2 years ago, and I'm not sure that getting in at 4:30 am to Khao San Rd is really all that unusual -- although the thievery sounds unusual.
I had my day pack stolen from my guesthouse, but that was probably by another traveller. Like a fool, I had left the door to my room unlocked. Guesthouses in Thailand aren't like Hostels, where you just have a bunk -- you get your own teeny tiny room. But you still have to be careful, and I recommend that everyone bring a padlock for their doors (for when you're out of the room). You might also put your valuables in a money belt and either sleep with it on or put it under your pillow.
The buses were uncomfortable and smelled like bathroom chemicals, but then so are Greyhound busses. Another option might be trains, but I think in general the busses are a better bet. The budget tourist trade is so well established in Thailand that the bus companies cater specifically to backpackers (and often stop at rest areas that cater to backpackers). It all depends on how cheap you want to be.
Oh yeah, don't fall for the 10 bhat tuk tuk rides either -- that's the gem scam. Basically, get an idea of what prices should be for things (ask around - lots of friendly travellers), and if someone offers an amazingly cheaper deal, it's probably some sort of scam.
Roger
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