how stable are the internets in phuket?

yeah you'll be ok. especially if you don't spend the full 6 weeks in phuket.

not up to western standards, but definetly good enough to play poker on. i havent timed out once in the month and a half ive been back.

Does anyone have any recommendations re: where to stay in Chiang Mai and with which company to do jungle trekking?

Just got back from Thailand last week. I def recommend Ko Samui and Ko Phangan, especially if you can time it right to do the full moon party on Ko Phangan. 4-5days on each should be ample time, I spent bout $1,500 Aussie in 18days, going out every night and staying in average accom, you should be fine with $3k.

I did Jungle trekking in Chiang Mai earlier in the month and had a great time, can't remember the name of the company was Extreme something (will check later). Would definitely recommend it.

I stopped at Chiang Mia Gate Hotel which was nice, but internet was extra and was expensive through Cyberpoint and not that quick.

The Chiang Mai Gate Hotel, right? It has pretty good ratings on agoda.com despite only being a 3* hotel and it's only $25 for a superior room. I'll most likely book a room there, thanks!

And yea, I'd definitely appreciate if you could get the name of the company. I'm looking into something simple like this.

Also, did you fly in from Bangkok? Anything better than AirAsia or NokAir?

i'm planning on moving to thailand next summer (maybe next july), and staying in Thailand/SE Asia for about a year. i want a nice place near the beach with fast internet and/or a cool place in BKK. i'm just wondering if there are going to be any online poker players there around that time or will everyone be gone by then? i'd like to split an apartment/house with other poker players so that i can have people to party with at night and grind with during the day. i traveled all around thailand/SE Asia when i was 18, (i'm 24 now)... so i'll be able to survive by myself, but it sounds like it would be a lot of fun if there were other poker players there. i grind the $110 Heads Up SNG's on Poker Stars, and i've been doing that for a couple years. i make pretty good money doing that, and it's very consistent income... so living with other serious players would be good. i know it's a little early to start planning, but i'd be interested to know if there are 2+2ers there on a more permanent basis who will be there after July 2009.

I can't seem to find the name of the company, but if you stop at that hotel just book through the tourist desk in the lobby.

I took the night train (13 hours but you get a bed) from bkk to Chiang Mai, was about 800bht.

Centre Point Petchburi Hotel
Imperial Queen's Park Hotel
S15 Sukhumvit Hotel
Centre Point Silom Hotel

Which of these four hotels has the best location for nightlife, convenience, proximity to BKK airport, etc.?

theres not much difference between any of those in terms of convinience, location etc

german shepard small thai dog mix?

AirAsia Bangkok-Chiang Mai is nice. It's a super short flight, and AirAsia is the cheapest I've seen.

The thing about trekking is that there are a ton of trip-planning/booking type companies who don't have their own guides. They just sign you up with a guide who actually does the treks. This is the cheap and standard route. It's fine, but you'll be going through villages that are highly frequented in a big group with a guide that you won't have met before departing.

There are other options. The company I went with is Pooh's Eco-Trekking, which is located on Ratchpakinai Road at the southern end. It's right by the rock climbing place, near Banana Guest House, Pha Thai guest house, that area. There you'll be able to talk to the actual guide and basically arrange the kind of trek you want. It will be more expensive, but a much more authentic trekking experience.

let me recommend dream hotel wich is on the same soi as s15, nice roof pool and pretty new.(+points for neon lights in room lol)

http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/b...eam_hotel.html

Argh, I'm having bad timing.

I booked my stay at S15 last night and just now I find out that Dream Hotel is only $7 more. I don't regret this much because S15 is rated highly (better than Dream, in fact) and I'll stay at Dream the next time I'm in Bangkok.

More frustrating is I had to change my flight time and pay a stupid booking-change fee to AirAsia because I thought 1hr 45min transit time would be enough between flights. Then, as a result of that, I had to request a change in my Chiang Mai hotel booking with Agoda's painfully slow live chat.

The things I do for Thailand.

i was looking into sak yant tattoos and the whole process and it seems cool but i would be srsly worried about hygiene. Anyone get one of these/have any info?

i think myironthumb has one. try pming him.

yea we were considering s15 aswell for newyears, i think you get bigger rooms cheaper and it looks nice aswell, only missing a pool.

gonna try this when i go back home for xmas, 80sqm rooms for a decent price.
http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/b...vit_hotel.html

i got a bamboo tattoo done here in Phuket. it was done on the beach by a highly rated bamboo tatoo artist. he used brand new needles, made sure every was clean etc etc.

my arm hasnt fallen off so all is good!

Yep, with international flights this is just the standard delay.

"Airport Closed, Shoots fired"
http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstorie....php?id=132290

pretty serious ****, BKK is a major transit airport

Things seem to be going wild at the moment. BA is now canceling flights into Bangkok as well.

Crazy imagery: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7747886.stm

I may be wrong, but the PAD have everything under control except the government. That's why the government haven't donde anything up to now, just because they can't.

Also, the PAD is supported by the royal family and the Thai Conservative class (most of the wealthy people), so they are trying to do a revolution, if anything they are doing the anti-revolution, to keep their privileges.

So, us, as wealthy and priviliged people, shouldn't be worried until the government start to raise their own trained forces or show signs that they start controlling the army.

All in all, I think is a nice moment for the country as they are moving to a more democratic country (leaded by the actual government) but within a very controlled enviroment (by the PAD faction and the army).

[QUOTE=dardo;7311048]I may be wrong, but the PAD have everything under control except the government. That's why the government haven't donde anything up to now, just because they can't.
They can but it would be a bloodbath, and no the PAD does not have everything under control far from it. their popularity is decreasing on a daily basis

Also, the PAD is supported by the royal family Never heard about that, it seems to be nonsense, the royal family never made a statement about the PAD thingand the Thai Conservative class (most of the wealthy people)Again it's wrong, the thai conservative class as you say is 90% pro thaksin, so they are trying to do a revolution, if anything they are doing the anti-revolution, to keep their privileges.! again i think you do not undrestand anything about the current situation

So, us, as wealthy and priviliged people, shouldn't be worried until the government start to raise their own trained forces or show signs that they start controlling the army.But the army is not involved and as never been, they refuse to get pushed but the PAD, plus there is something called the police

All in all, I think is a nice moment for the countryYeah total chaos in the middle of an economic crisis... great moment indeed.

Sorry but your post is just chock full of crap.

The army made a coup a against this same government 2 years ago. That's why they don't do nothing, because the army doesn't support them, is not going to do nothing against the PAD protesters.

I think this is pretty easy to understand, reading some newspapers.

Again you only need to read several nespapers to see that ALL the media is pro PAD ie. the MONEY is behind PAD. And the royal family is all the time giving signs of sympathy to PAD supporters. (Like paying for the funerals of 2 PAD supporters who died some weeks ago.)

What they are doing is ALLOWING the PAD to run over the laws and the order of the country. Don't you think this is enough sign that they are on teh same side?


Sorry, but if you keep with this kind of inmature and offensive sentences I'm not going to keep comunicating with you and may well report you.