Nicole79

I thought it was an April Fools joke too. But I have a friend in Amphoe Phen and I passed along the article to him. So he turned on his television and watched the local news, and it was there being discussed.

This is not an April Fools joke.

News 12 New Jersey

Port Authority Update:

Airports:

John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia and Teterboro airports are closed.

Tunnels and Bridges:

The Lincoln Tunnel is open. The Holland Tunnel is closed under further notice. The George Washington Bridge, Goethals Bridge, Bayonne Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing are closed until further notice.

PATH:

All PATH service is suspended until further notice.

Port Authority Bus Terminal:

All public and private bus service is suspended until further notice.

Ports:

The Port Authority's maritime facilities are closed until further notice.

12 minutes ago

No, the point of this thread was not to figure out how to carry around a lot of cash, it was more to find out what was the most secure way to carry my cash. I won't be carry around large amounts, that's for sure.

Just wanted to say thanks again for all of the constructive replies.

Thank you for the helpful responses. Yep, I am in the US. I haven't traveled outside of the country since '98, and things have obviously changed since then. I'll look into some of the banks mentioned here.

I'm looking for some personal opinions here based on your own experiences. I've been debating Traveler's Cheques versus Credit Cards for a while now. From what I gather, the exchange rate on Traveler's Cheques is not as good as what you will get just withdrawing money from ATMs, and that you can get fee-free transactions from AEON ATM machines. But, there are many stories out there of people withdrawing money from ATMs, not receiving their cash, and having their accounts debited for the requested amount anyway. Not to mention credit card scams involving your credit card info being stolen and account wiped out. So it seems to me that Traveler's Cheques might be more secure and provide some peace of mind on your travels.

When you travel, how do you handle your money?

Also, if you have (or still do) use Traveler's Cheques, what was the process involved in cashing them? Did you have any trouble with a language barrier? What company offers the Traveler's Cheques that are most widely accepted in Thailand? And lastly, which banks are most likely to cash them without any problems?

I'd appreciate it if we could keep this a troll-free topic. Thanks in advance.

Here's an interesting read on "The Choosing of Thai Names".

http://www.babynolog..._babynames.html

I like Namfon or Wantanee.

Maybe because I can remember them easily?

Off of that baby name list, I kind of like Dao (star).

Are the making a Dragonriders of Pern film?

I really enjoyed the first couple of books in the series, an amazing concept by Anne McCaffrey if you like SciFi/Fantasy.

I'll certainly watch out for it.

It's been in negotiations for years. A company up in Canada called Copperheart Entertainment is currently sitting on the rights. It's too good a story to not ever get made. Someone's going to greenlight the production at some point.

I got caught up in Pern when I was a kid. The Dragon Song trilogy was what got me going.

The Hobbit, and also not filmed yet but highly anticipating: The Dragonriders of Pern

And one last one for the more sentimental among you...

Just had a friend share these with me, and I thought some of you might get a kick out of them.

The Piano Guys:

Actually he is in Thailand right now on a Tourist Visa (which he has renewed a few times), visiting with his mother. Which has complicated it all a bit. She is living there and will not be returning to the US. So they advised us she has to go to Bangkok (Department of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), as I mentioned above. But yes, he was born in the USA. His dad is flying out with me and will be retiring in Thailand with his wife.

I guess this could be considered a guide of sorts. It also pertains to the Thai Consulate-General in Chicago. The procedure might differ at other branches.

I recently had a friend ask for my help in figuring out what he needed in order to get his Thai Passport. His mother is Thai, his dad is American. He was born here in the US and did not at that point receive a Thai Birth Certificate. He is now 34-years-old, and is currently visiting with his mom in Thailand.

His dad and I stopped by the Consulate-General on Monday to get our Visas for next month's trip, and decided to ask about Thai passports while we were there. This is what we were told:

His mother will have to go to Bangkok's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and apply for his Thai Birth Certificate. It does not matter that he is 34-years-old and was not previously registered. But, the only one who can do this is his mother. She needs to take a legal (notarized) copy of his US Birth Certificate with her. And the lady at the Consulate-General recommended she call the Department of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask about all of the paperwork involved.

From there, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will do their thing with the paperwork then mail it back to the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Chicago. The folks in Chicago do whatever they need to do with it, then send it back to Bangkok, at which point he will be issued his Thai Birth Certificate. Once he has that, he can then apply for his Thai Passport.

We have no ideas about fees yet. We're trying to figure out when and how to get his mom down to Bangkok. If and when we get through this whole procedure, I'll post anything else we learn.

Do people really have no brains at all? Never ever been on a bus? In 99,99% of buslines A->B works much the same as B-> A. or do you think these buses are on purpose built to be thrown away after arriavl at DMK (apparently to be named BAK as airline code). Just open eyes, find information, open mouth, ASK-yes, they speak english and will have told this a few 1000 times before you- anf follow those directions. I bet that the timetable will even be the same as from BKK=Swampy: ev. hour on the hour-in times that flights arrive.

Pardon my lack of adequate knowledge on the subject, asanee. Brains, yes. Experience with travel inside Thailand? No. Travel on a public bus? No. DMK and BKK are two different airports, therefore I did not think it was a stupid or unreasonable question to ask if the routine was the same going in both directions. So let me get more specific. Safe to assume DMK is not the same layout as BKK -- are there a billion steps at BKK as well? Does the BKK route get dropped off on the right side of the terminal, or do you have to lug your stuff up steps to an overpass there as well? If you didn't mean any offence with your post, great (though most people I know would get slightly offended at the mention of their lack of brains). If you meant it as advice, next time try and leave the insult out of the response before you hit reply. And uh, even you said in your post to ASK. I just prefer to ask my questions before I arrive somewhere so I am better equipped to handle the situation. I will remember next time to word my question absolutely crystal clear so folks such as yourself don't assume I'm an idiot. Have a nice day.

Also, the OP seems to have already decided what he wishes to do with his time and money. The orphanage suggestion is nice and all, but ultimately, it is up to him to do with as he wishes.

How easy is either the bus or the airport shuttle for passengers that have 2-3 bags?

The one time I used the public bus (555 Swampy to DM) it was extremely inconvenient. Dropped off on the other side of the road to the terminal, which meant lugging 1 large + 1 small suitcase up steep stairs to the overpass to cross the busy road into the terminal.

Never again.

Any idea how it works in the other direction? DM to Swampy?

What is wrong with Bus line 555 going every 30 minutes ?

Stops about 5 times between the airports,

And the 555 minibus route uses 100% expressways.

Oh right no tea-money on new busses...

Absolutely nothing wrong with the 555 - please continue to use it.

Means more space for others (like me) who will use the new non-stop, point-to-point, dedicated airport shuttle.

How easy is either the bus or the airport shuttle for passengers that have 2-3 bags?

Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone! Yes, I do have a friend who will be guiding me, but he's not been in Phen all that long himself.

Ban Chiang is getting marked on my must-see list. I happened to be rather fond of archaeology (the hat I'm bringing for this trip somewhat resembles Indiana's fedora, I've been told ). Waterfalls are up there on the list too, and that aquarium sounds interesting.

David, thanks for your contact info. I'm writing it down and will keep you in mind once I arrive!

I stumbled across this video yesterday and I really liked the song (Cracks by Freestylers).

And then there is

I might do the bicycle bit, but actually I will probably need to find a taxi service of some sort that can run me from Phen to Udon Thani at some point. Any suggestions on that would be marvelous.

I'll check out some maps, thanks for the suggestion Towzak.

MeMock, nice find! I'll have to stop on by there at some point.

Phen is southeast of Nong Khai, and northeast of Udon Thani.

Edited to add a Google map link.

I will be spending some time there during my November/December trip, and I was wondering if anyone can suggest things to go see and do there. Is there a movie theater per chance? Or a place to listen to some traditional/classical Thai music?

Thanks much.

Hey everyone. I've run a search through the forums but I couldn't quite pick out a thread that covered this topic.

I'll be in Thailand this November/December and I've been trying to figure out how I am going to handle my souvenirs. Space in my luggage is already limited, so I figured mailing stuff back home might be the best option.

For those that have done it, what's the most reliable and inexpensive way to ship boxes from Thailand to the U.S. ?

Thanks in advance!