hereami

Is there anywhere in Udon or Kong Khaen you'd recommend for my daughter's wisdom teeth to be pulled? All 4 are impacted and will require some work to remove, and she's terrified of dentists so I'm hoping for sedation or laughing gas options. TIA

Hi all, any advice on getting an eye exam for my son in Udon Thani or Kong Kaen? One eye is so bad that that the clinics in Vientiane where I live and in the mall at Udon can't get an accurate reading. I'm looking for a place that has actual experts rather than poorly trained mall employees :). TIA

I live in Laos but will be visiting Bangkok in a few days. Is there anywhere that sells genuine Xbox 360 games? Second-hand preferred. US games won't work on our console - need ones that are for Asia. Fake ones also won't work unless I hack the machine and don't want to do that.

Thanks!

Does anyone know a hotel in BKK, preferably somewhere in the Sukhumvit area, that would have a jacuzzi on site and cost under $50 per night? Doesn't need to be a private jacuzzi, but it needs to have hot water. Thanks in advance.

There used to be an airsoft shop in Udon in the nearly empty mall by UD Town. That mall has been torn down. Does anyone know of a place to buy airsoft guns and accessories in Udon now? Thanks!

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. Actually our original plan had been to take the kids snorkeling but I was led to believe that this is not feasible (or at least practical) during august with children due to monsoons. Was this incorrect? If so do you have any recommended places for a half-day or full-day trip where currents are mild enough for children? (They can all swim.) Thanks!!

Hi folks, hoping for some advice from any diving enthusiasts out there. I live and work in Laos but will be visiting Phuket with my family in August (not great for diving, I know, but it is what it is). Finances are on the tight side but I would love to take a basic scuba diving course if possible. That said, I'd rather not die trying to get a good deal. Any advice on the cheapest high-quality dive companies there? Any of them do discounts for low season? Any other advice you'd give? Another option is just going snorkeling, which would have the advantage of being something my kids could do too, but I hear that's not great in August. Thanks in advance!

Thanks for moving it. Sorry if it was in the wrong forum. However, the question about online purchasing would be broader than just Isaan, I think?

Hi,

I live in Laos but our company has a Thai PO Box in Nong Khai. I would like to buy a Xiaomi Mi Band (one of those fitness tracker things that goes on your wrist). I have found a website or two but all in Thai and with no obvious way of buying something through Paypal and shipping to a PO Box (might have missed the info though since Google Translate is a terrible way to navigate a Thai website). Anyone know if there is a store in Nong Khai or Udon Thani selling Xiaomi products? Alternatively, any luck out there buying things online?

Thanks!

I'll be in Phuket next month and have a long-shot question. Is there anywhere that rents waterproof housings for DSLR cameras? I can't buy one here where I live (Laos) and wouldn't want to spend that much money anyway since I won't use it much in Laos (no beach!).

Thanks for the advice. Racha sounds like it would indeed be memorable, just maybe not for the right reasons considering how young my kids are right now. I'll keep it in mind for the future though. Our budget is tight so chartering a boat isn't on the cards either, unfortunately. Maybe we'll give Coral(less) island a shot - gotta be better than nothing, right?

Thanks everyone for the advice. Most helpful!

Hi folks,

We live in Laos and will be heading to Phuket next month for a short holiday. We've been to other parts of Thailand many times so are familiar with driving "rules" and all that good stuff. I do have 2 questions for those of you who live in Phuket or have experience there:

1) Is it better to rent a car (I'll be traveling with my wife and 3 kids) than to rely on taxis? I've heard enough stories on TV about the taxi scams in Phuket that I'm wondering if it'd be cheaper to just rent my own car. We'll be near Karon beach and would probably go into Phuket town once or twice plus maybe visit a couple other beaches.

2) Are there any decent snorkeling options during August? (I know it's the worst time of the year for it.) As my kids are young (ages 6-12), I'm looking for something relatively accessible and safe.

I know there are lots of variables that make it hard to give advice, nevertheless I've noticed TV members are usually happy to weigh in even with little information. I'd appreciate your thoughts.