mike2011

ORD, JFK, and SFO have good public transportation.

In Europe FRA, IST, and VIE are very good. Paris is still doable.

FRA actually has 2 supermarkets in the terminal (you need to pass immigration), and you can stock up on German specialties. If you have more time, downtown is not far with much better prices of course. Same in Vienna and Istanbul. The IST supermarket has gone south BUT the city center is USD 5 return max away.

When passing through these airports I am not eager to get the fastest connection and make use of the shopping opportunity. Olive oil is cheap and good in Turkey for instance. If I see what best buy charges and compare it with local prices in BKK there are good savings involved. But then I understand the effects of jetlag and airline aircons too.

We are united in our dislike for LAX

Befriend the soi dogs in 'your' immediate territory. For other areas it is the stone.

I was visiting a small Khmer temple slightly northwest of Prasat in Surin province. A dog in full attack mode came running it jumped just as I was pickung up a stone. The dog made a full turn while in air. Never saw a beast escaping like that fellow. After that it was loud barking from a distance and good cover.

So a stone in the pocket is fine but the dog wont see you picking it up. Usually reaching out for the stone does the trick.

The central character of this thread might have a much better life style and be even healthier if he would spend another 3 K baht on better food. For coffee lovers: You might get a better deal if you order coffee from Chiang Mai and get it delivered by bus to Pattaya (bus station).

One thing that is pleasant when getting older is that we have seen a lot of things before and dont fall for it anylonger. My biggest savings is my proud old Nokia dumb phone. Battery is still the original, never broke although it fell multiple times. Nobody steals it, actually people tell me that my phone is still on the table . I shake my head when I see those kids spending at least 500 or more USD per year just on the hardware and then add to that the downloads, different plans etc.

The buying or renting questions is also connected to living frugal. Right now it is still renting for sure.

The discussion shows nicely that there is more to Pattaya than the pushy posts promoting 2 week millionaire views, bar owners and real estate agents pontificating about 'cheap charlies' (but excluding themselves of course), not so fancy but pricey food places etc. We all - or almost all - had that at the places we came from. It is just a headache. I like to read some threads on the Chiang Mai forum where quite a number of reasonable members post information about shopping and other aspects of daily life that are helpful.

Avoiding subcriptions (incl. credits) and spending less than your monthly budget provides freedom. This is more than money can buy.

Cigar,

the return is, unfortunately, not so clearcut. There is a midnite direct bus to Pattaya but Aran is practicaly dead after 8 or 9 PM at the latest.

Depending on your needs there are several options. I assume you want to do a visa run and get back the same day, just for the sake of argument. You will need some time to get through immigration 2 times.

1)

That means you cant get the 2 PM train back to Bangkok even if you take the earliest bus from Pattaya. In case all runs perfect and you could take the train and do a leisurely trip to Kabin or Chaosengsao (spelling...). Exit the station there and take motorbike to the bus station and take the next one to Rayong = Pattaya.

Until 6 PM Bkk buses leave from Aran bus station. Do not go all the way to Morchit but switch at Kabinburi bus station to a Rayong/Pattaya bus. If there is a long wait take an earlier bus to Chonburi and switch again.

This sounds worse than it is because the bus stations have good food and you can take a break. So at the border do all asap and return to Aran. Then have food there at the station or if the bus leaves right away take away and more at Kabinburi.

If you are willing to give up on a night in Pattaya for Aran/Poipet: Take a later departure and arrive late afternoon early evening. Do the border business within 20 minutes and sleep in Aran (you could also enjoy the bizarre scene in Poipet though. Depends on your taste for adventure. Do some searches on the nightlife dedicated websites). The next morning a cool train ride at 6.45 to Chaosangsao and as above.

OR: if you like a little culture - you could visit some cool Khmer temples around Aran in the morning and then return.

Another option would be to go on to Sisophon in Cambodia, 50 kms. Sleep there and take a 6 AM motorbike ride to Banteay Chmar. One of the largest Khmer temples there is and very beautiful. Views you will remember for a very long time.

impressive report, thanks

I you had a bit more time you could have gone shopping and pickung up a cheap laptop or other desirable items much more expensive in Thailand. Maybe you could take orders and make a little on the side.

+1

Nice to read that there is less corruption now. These claims come up once in a while, Ms Arroyo made the same statement that was before she was arrested - for corruption.

The elites question the peace deal in the South and Mr president has an abyssmal record. But then relief work in Visayas was a huge success. Many fortunes were made and other got bigger. Zero accountability means no corruption detected.

Millions still sitting in the accounts of government agencies and gaining interest while the poor suffer

I wonder how much of the applauded growth is due to the rabbit phenomenon, rebuilding after disaster, increased value of transfer due to the devaluation of Peso to USD (about 8-10%) while the transfers of OFW are in USD.

The Philippines are a rich country with a poor population.

The forum is for questions and we are happy to answer. However, sometimes urgent info can also be obtained by doing a simple search. It also helps to combine all questions into one posting instead of posting multiple threads.

The USD 30 work at Poipet AS LONG AS you stand your ground and do not pay the extra USD 5 they try to charge. According to the posts here on the forum BAHT 1500 is demanded and insisted on at Koh Kong.

All airport immigration charge USD 30.

In case no passport-size photo is presented to the immigration USD 1 is charged additionally.

This all pertains to Tourist visa. The electronic visa over the web is also a Tourist visa. Apparently it is no longer USD 37 but 40 now (recent posting here on the forum). In that case Poipet will be cheaper to pay cash even if you pay the USD 35. The electronic visa has one important advantage for those with few passport pages left blank: You save a full page! However the electronic visa is valid only at Koh Kong, Poit Pet, the Bavet crossing from Vietnam and Siem Reap as well as PP airports. So no chance for Pailin, Osmach and Anlong Veng crossings. The Pailin crossing might be a suitable alternative for people coming from Pattaya.

Maybe we should have a sticky for Pattaya - to Cambodia inquiries which combines all current info.

I once took a Nakhon Phanom to Nong Khai service that ran through Bueng Khan. At the time, 3-4 yrs back, the service was running at least for 2 decades. I cannot imagine that it has been stopped and the places between Bueng Khan and Nakhon Phanom left without access to the two places.

The services was only 1-2 times a day, if I am not mistaken. It was a long ride in an old 2nd class aircon bus.

There will be also services running to the district towns and you might be able to connect to a NP service.

Not many foreigners traveling by public transport in the area as it is not on the backpacker radar. This does not mean that it is a desert.

I would not worry about this. It is impossible to get stuck in Isaan unless you walk off into the forest.

Restoring the old airplane would be a worthwhile effort for local expat veterans. Maybe they can get together and join in with some Thais and get the job done. I would not be surprised if there are more than one or two competent men in Thailand. This would be a great project and be building bridges by returning a piece of history to life that connects many people.

Thanks guys. I had these 2 places on my short list. Flore Shire has a 10 AM check in time. No response from the Silver Golden Garden yet as to their check-in time.

I did some reading on TA on flora Shire. How is the walk to the main road and the night market, if anyone knows? I am used to walk in BKK and Pattaya. So no real problem for me. Just need some tasty deep fried chicken, etc.

I agree on the pleasure of leisurely travel by train in Thailand and use trains regularly. But as GK pointed out, it is no fun to be sweaty when you have a long ride. I also agree that the airport bus from Jomtien is somewhat overpriced. No idea if 50 baht would do but I do not see why it 130 from Jomtien to the airport while the same about the same distance to BKK is less.

How is the return trip from the airport?

You got a great deal at USD 20 for a taxi. Congrats.

For the way back you could have taken a regular bus from Aran to Kabinburi bus station. At this station a lot of buses arrive from Korat and go further south to Rayong = Pattaya.

Thanks for the update

I will have to change planes at Swampy and just need to get some sleep. My requirements are simply, quiet room, freen airport transfer (both ways), and close to some street food places within the immediate airport area.

I am hoping to get away with 700 baht for the one night in March.

No need to go into town, sightseeing etc. Really just sleeping, eating, and resting.

I checked Agoda, this website and others. All a bit overwhelming.

Cigar we discussed this in the Cambodia section already. The very nice and safe bus is the Rayong-Mukdahan bus. It is all yellow. In Pattaya it departs several times a day (mornings and evenings) from the bus station where you take the bus to Bankok. It is on Pattaya north road.

The fare Baht 250 at the moment according to one member who took the bus this week. Get your schedule information and reservation from the bus station. It is clearly advertized (last time i was in town that is).

In Aran you pay 80 baht for a tuktuk to the border OR walk out of the bus station and discuss with a motortaxi guy the price which should be 60 baht. Tuktuk is cheaper for 2-3 people obviously. Eat at the bus station if you have time, at the border it is not so great.

Looks like they got the wrong guys this time. That was a costly move and one they failed to calculated properly. The foundation is government funded and associated to one of the two parties that form the German government. No doubt, the Thai ambassador will feel it soon and discrete steps will be taken.

Bapoboy, if you need the USD for Cambodia dont change in Pattaya. You get better USD or Riel rates in Poipet or Phnom Penh.

If you do change, do not buy larger bills. Get the 1 and 5 USD bills which are cheaper to buy but carry the same value in Cambodia as the larger ones.

In Poipet baht is used everywhere and the preferred currency, same in Koh Kong (last time when I was in that s..t hole).

The question was about the cheapest way to get to PP. Breaking the trip in Siem Reap is not the way to go plus you get 7-8 hrs on that horrible road.

The train is very nice, but I would take the afternoon train, NOT the morning. The morning train gets you right into rush hour at Poipet. In the evening not 1-2 hrs wait at all and much less scams (the buggers are almost all gone). Same holds true for early morning crossings.

Thus one could break the trip in Aran where fan rooms run at 175 to 250 (aran garden 1 or 2), clean ones.

In Poipet decent rooms run around 10 USD = 320 baht.

The night bus is ok, nothing great but one stretch a bit. I prefer the day time buses, safer and one can take a look.

Cigar should let us know if he likes to take a look at temples or not. That could impact his choices.

The bus Pattaya to Aran is 250 baht per person. Yellow bus from Pattaya Nua to Aranyaprathet. That's the cheapest option to the border.

Train: 48 baht from BKK to Aran. Problem: you need to take the airport bus from Jomtien 130 baht and then 1 stop ride on the airport train to get to Ladkrabang and take the 48 baht train. Difficult, much slower and no savings.

From the bus station in Aran take a tuktuk for 80 baht to the border.

Visa: You need USD, and 1 passport photo. No photo and you pay 1 USD extra. The official price is USD 30 but they try to charge 35. Stand your ground or pay. Now: The Electronic Tourist Visa will cost you 37 USD total (that includes the fees).

Cambodian side: Walk or pay 1 USD for the moto to the night bus to PP which leaves at 8 PM, cost 9 USD, you can stretch out, it is a sort of sleeper bus.

This is the cheapest for the Poipet route.

What is your time budget and is it only Siem Reap in Cambodia?

One idea might be to take the afternoon train 1 PM and arrive at Aran a little before 7 PM. Excellent time to cross the border, ZERO waiting.

There are still people pimping around the border and offer taxis to Siem Reap which would get you in to SR by around 10 PM.

Important is that you have a reservation for a GH or hotel with exact directions. The driver will try to stirr you to an overpriced place that gives him a commission. As will any tuktuk driver and motortaxi driver. There are good deals online in any price category.

Or: Spend the night in wild west Poipet and its let's say not quite Pattaya levels of nightlife and take a cab in the morning.

Thirdly, cross the border and get a ride to Sisophon. Spend the night there and take a regular bus for 3-4 USD to Siem Reap and no scams whatsoever. That might be the most economic variant.

If you're going to see temples. Get up at 6 AM in Sisophon and take a motorbike taxi to Banteay Chmar and surrounding temples north of Sisophon. The temple is NO (!!) second to the Angkor temples. You will have it for yourself and it is huge. Photos online and more info, google is your friend. After the visit back to Sisophon and an afternoon bus to SR.

The Pattaya Vans to SR deliver you on the border to a handler and you end up with those Cambodian scam artists. The Pattaya Van has factored his share into the fare. Plus you arrive at a bad time at the border and need to wait in the heat.

There are many options which is good as you can tailor them according to your personal preferences and maybe also to the situation on the day.

ENJOY you will have a great time. It sounds a bit a headache but the reading saves you from surprises and smooths your trip.

Sorry for that. I did year ago BKK- CM. Spent a night in Philok and then on to CM with the morning train which is only 3 rd class.

The track from Uttradadit to CM was nice but slow. Since then the rails have been rehabilitated and the weekly derailing is no more. Also a bit faster.

There is no train link from Udon or other places to the CM line. You need to go via BKK (almost).

Given that you're a wise man fearful of your wife, I think your wife would run you through the meat grinder after a day on a third class train with those toilets (never used them myself, lucky me). Unless you plan a suicide or divorce, stick to your car.

Check the Cambodia section below for some recent info regarding your question.

To summarize:

From Pattaya - safest, cheap, and also reliable ist the Yellow bus line Rayong - Mukdahan which departs also from the bus station on Pattaya Nua (the BKK bus station) and runs through Aranyaprathet - 6 kms from the border. Several buses each day. Apparently currently 250 baht per person one way.

From BKK: cheapest and safest - train at around 6 AM and 1 PM - Train station is near the Aranyaprathet bus station 6 kms to the border

second best option are buses either from Morchit or Ekkamai bus stations either to the border market (right on the border) or Aran. The Ekkamai - Aran bus stops also at the airport bus station which might suit you depending on your location in BKK.

Border: Do some searches on the various visa scams. You could save some time and perhaps money by doing a Cambodian Tourist visa online. Otherwise buy for 30 USD at the border, plus, maybe, 5 USD extortion fee. Bring USD otherwise you get sce..d, Dont forget passport photos - if not you pay 1 USD extra per missing photo.

Poipet to Siem Reap: This is the classic Cambodian scam. Do not follow orders, advice, invitations, whatever anybody tells you and enter the shuttle bus to the bus station. If you're there you're done for good. Scams without end.

A lot of current info online. It seems, depending on your budget, that taking a cab with together 4 people seems to be good. Only pay once the driver delivered you at your guesthouse in SR. Never before.

kenny,

the night train leaves KK rather late and it takes quite a while before it gets to your place (it wont be on time). So not much of a sleep for you. Since you like trains and adventure: Why not take a first or 2nd class seater during the daytime and enjoy the country side until Saraburi. After Saraburi the countryside is more urban but still lots of things to see you do not notice while driving.

The night train was perfectly safe when I took it. If you like to rub shoulders with working class Thai, take 3rd class and see real Thailand beyond the advertizing.

In short: Take the day train for the experience and the VIP bus for the comfort of night travel.

An alternative: Stick to the bus for BKK travel and take the train to Saraburi on a weekend or your free day and enjoy the scenery. This way you do not worry about delays (the train WILL be delayed). On the way back train towards Korat (if that works out), since that is a different line through mountains and back home by bus. You will love the views and the pretty train stops.

I took the nite train to BKK last year. Well, it was ok but nothing great. After that I took the VIP bus from KK to BKK and they made the trip in less than 6 hrs to Morchit.

Where do you come from? If it is a district town you will most likely have an evening VIP bus to BKK and also the same early in the morning.