k

i guess going to phi phi is more exciting with rough seas etc and it might not be as nice there as it is during the dry season but i wouldnt say you have to avoid going there

i think everyone from 2+2 i know here lives in either rawai, chalong or kata but that includes the elderly as well

there is a condo complex on the same road as the Mansion, that has three different condos rented by 2+2'ers: Patrick and Lank4ever have one, Wolfram has one, 4kingsBS and Mark have the third, with an open room they are looking to rent out, although there's achance that Thomas has already contacted them about that room?

I have high hopes that some group will rent the mansion again, which would make that road pretty much the 2+2 center you are dreaming of....

but anyone who wants to be near the other 2+2'ers should live in Kata, Karon, Rawai, Nai Harn, or CHalong. the closer to Chalong circle, the more central to the community you are.

just realized that Wolfram moved to Lessu's neighborhood in Rawai. I'm pretty sure there are places for rent in both locations as well.

I'll be looking for a shortish-term place (serviced apt/guesthouse) in the next week or two, and I'm curious about how low you can expect them to go off the first asking price. I've checked out a few places just to get a feel for pricing so far, but I'm not sure how negotiable they're going to be.

I walk in, seem vaguely interested and still in 'shopping around' mode. Show the place, ask the price, get thrown $400/mo (assume that's standard original asking price for the size/quality of room), what's my play? I feel like asking $300 and keeping rigid until sensing I'm pushing too hard, then walking with a lowball on their "can't go lower" price, saying I'll look into XYZ competitor that "can do it for less", coming back and finding their bottom and adding on $5-10/mo voluntarily, while demanding a few opt-outs on my end for things I don't want (bad neighbors, unseen and untreated pest issues, etc), because I don't want to be too cheap-assed with the people I'm sort of living with for the next 3 months is the right one.

But I make haggling super complicated sometimes. I'm also not sure if a 25% lowball is the best spot for my initial offer. $300 too high? $250 right? I feel that with the serviced apts here, with a bunch on the same street and in high competition with more cautious and experienced foreigners, and with staff with proper Western mannerisms/speech, typical "ask half, bargain up to 2/3rds or so" isn't going to be quite as appropriate, but maybe not?

What's the deal with getting other people to hunt for places for you? There a good way to go about that, or any ways to not go about it?

i wouldnt throw any numbers in myself before at the very end of making a deal

make them say the numbers and try to get the price lower with what ever arguments you can think of

never mention your budget (!)

it is obviously ok to mention to them if you have seen a similar place cheaper or same price with better location/size/furniture what ever and try to get the price down

Any other good/large forums dedicated to western people going to thailand?

Are there any rough areas in Phuket that should be avoided. I don't want to find a place only to discover that it's in the middle of the Phuket ghetto. Also, (and I may get criticized for this because imo it's a low number) I don't have a ton of money only about $2,000 in the bank and a $7,000 bankroll right now which i use to play 100NL heads up (some 200NL). My swings are small and my winrate is high (about 9bb/100 after 100K hand sample). Would some of you more experienced players who live in Thailand consider this an inadequate amount of money to try for a 3 month trip to Phuket? How much money do you think I would need to try and make this happen?

what are your living expenses currently?

I live pretty cheap right now.

I took a semester off from school and am, sigh, back at home until I go back to finish up. So I'm not paying rent. That being said, without rent, my bills are currently around $1,000/month (car note, insurance, cellphone, student loans, credit card, utilities, etc). I suppose cellphone will be reduced to the minimum plan (whatever it costs so that i don't lose my number for whenever i come back), I could probably sell some things that I wouldn't bring with me (42" plasma TV, some camping gear, i have a pool cue that'll sell for $500-$600 probably) and get some extra money that way. I could probably get my student loan payment reduced based on income contingent payments. Sell the car (but not for much profit since i just got it not long ago).

I could probably reduce my bills to $500/month and add a thousand dollars or so to my travel money by selling stuff.

try to just grind for a few months more and build up a little bit more money then go

yep, i figured that would be the best idea. thanks for the help ShipitFMA!!!

Good thoughts. Have a ballpark on how much off the original price you can get on these? I'm thinking 15-20% if it's a fair opening price for the place (similar places would start at similar prices). But that's a number out my ass.

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewfo...00fa3b5ab9fb72

For the teachers, but they've got general living stuff on there too. Once you take out the teaching threads, it doesn't have the same volume as these two on this forum, but there's a lot more voices, I think, than here.

like i said when i get here ill write about my experience about a stuggaling poker player moving to Thailand at 18 years

do you book hostels on the computer or just go there and pick out a room

and what do you recommend like clothes for the rainy season?

t-shirt, shorts, sandals and sunglasses works any day of the year

I know, at least with vzw, you can put lines in suspension during trips like this... Hell, I don't think you even need a "im going to thailand" excuse, I think you can just decide to do it whenever the F you want.

ahah! so true I remember the first time I came here I brought like 10 pairs of socks and sweaters and trousers... ahah, that was such a wrong move!

Check out agoda for the best rates at hostels. Most places also have a whore rate where if you bar fine on the reg you get a massive discount. You really have to grill them about it though, because the receptionists will try to convince you they don't have one. I don't know why they do that.

cdma doesnt work in bangkok

does immigration get pissed if i leave and come back in a couple of hours later just to get an arrival stamp?

no problem. i jumped to Kuala Lumpur twice, once to activate my 2nd entry, and once to just get a quick 30 day exemption. just don't try to get an exemption with a land crossing, as you won't get 30 days.

They don't care. I've done this plenty of times for my Lao visas--I literally got stamped in and walked 20m to the exit line and got stamped out 5 minutes later.

not for that budget.

last time I was in BKK i stayed at the Renaissance and so far it has been the best hotel in bangkok i have been to

thaivisa.com and ajarnforum.net

Both are filled with cynical and grumpy old dudes, so consider yourself warned.