wondercul

The people who sleep on the streets on the whole are the bottom of the barrel ,druggies. Work shy,and the drunks who live of their social, that the tax payer has to give to them ,so to be blunt I don't give a Shit.

However, you should give a shit. Want to know why? Because the worse the situation, the worse crime is. If you clean people off the street (and remember that most of the UK's wealth is now held by a tiny minority of people) by taxing the super rich, you reduce crime and make the cities safer for everyone. Your bicycle is less likely to be stolen if wealth inequality is made better. Or if you are a bit better off, your Ford / Mercedes is less likely to be vandalised.

Anyone born into an abusive family can end up as a drug addict or homeless. It's very hard for people to overcome negative upbringings without projects to get their life on track. Yes, some chose to live on the street, but most would not if they were given real help. The kind of help needed that has been de-funded by the Conservative government in order to make their friends even richer. Their whole policy is make themselves even riche, at the expense of the rest of the country.

Want proof and sources? Look for yourself, the list in endless if you open your mind: https://www.google.com/search?q=uk+wealth+inequality&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Link between crime and inequality: https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&q=uk+wealth+inequality+linked+to+crime

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect PRO1425105477.658446.jpg

The picture posted above is where to go when you already HAVE a visa.

The visa building is the first one on the right side of the street. Some idiot wrote on the google review of the building "this is not the official visa building" but it is!

I will report my experience.

OK basically i took the most busy land crossing from Thailand. I took a bus from Bangkok, mo chit station for 220 baht to Aranyupatiet or whatever it's called, the Thai border town. I stayed the night for under 400 baht aircon room. I got woken in the night and for that reason didn't wake up until 11am.

Anyway it didn't matter too much. I took a tuktuk for 80 baht to the border. 7km. Enter the Thai border area and went upstairs to get my exit stamp.

Back down and tons of Asian locals are flowing through on their free passes. Lucky b***ers I'm thinking. I heard so many horror stories but if you're used to asia, it's not that bad. I literally ignored every guy who called out to me on the cambodian side. Not one chased me. The down side was the visa building was pretty hidden on the right just as you leave Thailand. I walked in the insane heat, sweat dripping from my head to the ground. I reached Cambodian passport control, a non aircon crap building. A helpful westerner directed me back to the visa building. Great. More walking in the hot midday sun, i thought. The visa was actually really easy. Fill in the quick form and hand over $30 and refuse to add 100 baht on principle. I don't want to encourage corruption. This only cost me about 4 minutes extra waiting time for the visa. After 1pm you might want to pay it as at this time the line at passport control is growing longer.

Anyway passport control line took about 35 minutes. The line was just inside the shade when I joined it. I'm glad I didn't get there even later than 1.30pm.

They stamped me in no problem.

In Cambodia proper, i continued with my determination not to get scammed and paid a tuktuk to take me to the local bus station, 500m or so away from passport control. Bad idea, because the local bus station only has 2 buses a day to Siem reap. I paid the tuktuk 4$ to continue andtake me the 11km to the big bus terminal. Some British guy told me they took the free transfer bus. I heard it was some scam, but the free transfer bus is in fact the best way. In fact, I've read about so many damn scams! I was so nervous. But at the end i was thinking, that was not hard at all! I would definitely do it again the same way, staying overnight on the Thai side because my total transport costs from Bangkok to Siem reap were $20! A ton cheaper than flying! And there were no bad prices for water etc. In fact, both sides of the border are competitive and full of things to buy! Both sides accept baht!

Any questions? If you're used to aggressiveness, then cambodians around the border seem like the nicest most honest, gentle people! The street kids didn't even blink at me! Honestly all the horror stories must have been written by soft wussies.Talk to people on the cambodian side who you get a good feeling about. Not everyone there is trying to scam you. There are some official guys with ID tags walking around, talk to them if you have a problem. If you have any sense it's fairly easy to tell when someone is trying to get money out of you.

Here is the visa building, taken from the wrong side because I walked past it at first.

Can I leave Cambodia and come back within the time frame of my current visa without paying again? I am British and paid 30 dollars for 1 month (2 days ago)

for farang life with money in Thailand is truly sabai sabai.....1

yeah. how inspirational. people with money think about their life and guess what? it's <deleted> great!

I don't have much sympathy for poor immigrants going to the UK and i believe they should be sent home. However, the homeless situation and expense of the housing and lack of affordable options is so bad and had gotten worse for many multi generation British people. Tories have only acted in the interest of the rich. Everything else has been commentary to convince people and distract people.

My own family have been badly affected by the attacks on the London housing situation. They want a London with only the very rich. It's disgusting what they gave done to our country.

Thanks.

Now for the bus that's $10 to siem reap!!?

Some mad guy taxi told me the last bus has gone.

I just exited Thai passport control and got stamped out. Now I'm in no man's land with casinos, like the grand diamond city Casino.

I heard so many people telling me to get a visa to Cambodia. The only guy who seemed legic was a police man with tourist police uniform. He had a form and wanted 1,300 baht.

I'd rather pay the $30 correctly. Can you tell me where to go, preferably with a picture of the building or very good description.

Pack of of 2 cooked boiled eggs

oh yea. they come individually too. doesn't jive well with my digestion though.

I ate street food chicken and rice the other day, v near sukumvit in bangkok.

The next morning I had stomach pain and diarrhea (for the first time in asia!!). Go figure.

http://rt.com/uk/236231-homeless-figures-uk-cameron/

Devastating figures released by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) reveal a significant 55 percent rise in homelessness since David Cameron became prime minister in 2010.

The official figures released Thursday say that 2,774 people slept rough in England in 2014, up from 2,414 in 2013 and 1,768 in 2010, the year the coalition government was formed.

Homelessness charities are urgently calling on party leaders to review the situation.

London now has 742 people sleeping rough every night, an increase on 2013 figures of 37 percent, compared with a rise of 7 percent nationwide.

The charity Centre Point confirms the number of rough sleepers in London has increased by nearly 40 percent in the last year.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, who six years ago pledged to end rough sleeping in the capital by 2012, has also been asked to account for the figures.

The homeless charity Crisis say the rise has been caused by cuts to benefits, government welfare reform, housing shortages and the legal injustice where homeless people are not a “priority for help.”

Councils are “turning people away” to sleep on the streets, according to the charity.

“These figures show that the law is badly failing people facing homelessness,” said Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes.

“As the law stands, far often when single people ask for help, they are turned away to sleep on the street. Homelessness is a frightening and isolating experience – the average age of death for a homeless person is just 47.”

He added: “No one should be condemned to these dangers. That’s why we’re calling on political parties to commit to review how the law protects people from the devastation of life on the streets.”

Homelessness Monitor, however, believes the actual number of rough sleepers could be up to four times the official figure, which the government admits are “too difficult to record precisely.”

Emma Reynolds MP, Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister, labeled the increase as “shocking.”

She finds it “disgraceful” that the Tories have “not only failed to act, but their policies have made things worse.”

“The prime minister once said homelessness and rough sleeping were a disgrace. But warm words are cold comfort to those sleeping rough if you fail to act.”

Housing costs and low pay have made it “more and more difficult” for people to keep a roof over their head, the MP says.

Conservative Communities and Local Government minister Kris Hopkins said he “remains concerned” about the rise, but laid a portion of blame on immigration and “the rise in foreign national rough sleepers in London.”

There's : http://www.mbethai.com/mbe_network_bangkok.asp

the english version of the site won't load for me...

Can you suggest some snack food in 7 eleven or family mart which is

1) not spicey 2) not sweet 3) not dried (so chips are out)

bonus if it's also not full of salt.

In other words, food based on vegetables, carbs, oil/ fat, protein.

So far I got these:

a) Rice and seaweed triangles (a bit yuck but sort of ok).

Grilled pork sticky rice burger. (although the burger itself is sweet which I hate)

c) Fresh corn on the cob.

Also same question for Cambodian 7 eleven...

I need to order stuff from the USA to Thailand. The items need to be kept acceptably cool, so not left on a doorstep in midday bangkok sun.

Any idea of a reliable address i can use? Happy to pay. But the address absolutely must be staffed so the package can be received immediately and taken inside, preferably to an air con room.

"paying forward with a little 20 or 40 or 50 baht tip also expedites my deliveries"

How do you do this ? I not see this option in the order form ?

Bahahahahaha. He's talking about tipping his local postman in advance.

In other news, yesturday I received in Bangkok a $57 order, with discount came to a shade under $50. Medium size box, small enough to fit in most postman's containers.

It came in under 2 weeks. One of the $13 items arrived rancid, probably due to being stored in very hot conditions. From my previous experience with iherb customer service, i don't hold my breath for getting any store credit.

Still, shipping was just $3.56 !! Amazing.

I've always gotten credit with iHerb. Don't even need to send photos. Contact their live online help. They seem to just hand out credit like nothing. SOmetimes they will reship something if you're lucky.

I got a reply asking for a photo. Clearly from someone whose English is their second language. They obviously didn't understand the problem. You can't negotiate with stupidity.

4-5 hours to PP? In a taxi maybe but not in a bus. More like 7.

Look at a map of Cambodia and state which cities you feel are good and which ones are bad.

Do you actually know where you want to go?

No. I thought that was implied since I didn't state a city.

edit:

I was kind of hoping for a small city on the way to Phnom Penh.

After the border, how long are the bus trips to any good cities?

"paying forward with a little 20 or 40 or 50 baht tip also expedites my deliveries"

How do you do this ? I not see this option in the order form ?

Bahahahahaha. He's talking about tipping his local postman in advance.

In other news, yesturday I received in Bangkok a $57 order, with discount came to a shade under $50. Medium size box, small enough to fit in most postman's containers.

It came in under 2 weeks. One of the $13 items arrived rancid, probably due to being stored in very hot conditions. From my previous experience with iherb customer service, i don't hold my breath for getting any store credit.

Still, shipping was just $3.56 !! Amazing.

the evisa is $40 ( $3 cc fee) takes a few days, you wont make it.

poi pet will only charge you $30

make sure u have a photo

How does one arrive at the border by 7 am?? its a 4-5 hour drive at least, Late night or very very early morning :-)

from the border its another 2 hours to SR at Least by shared taxi

You missed the part above. I'll be staying near the border.

Most tourists in SE Asia seem to miserable and antisocial. I'll probably end up on a bus.

https://www.evisa.gov.kh/

However Poipet at 7:00am is an easy place to get them to accept whatever the current visa cost is. There is a big sign on the wall that states the current cost in dollars and baht and if they give you any hassle just point at the sign.

The evisa says $30 + $7 = $37. Same as what it should cost at the border?

The evisa is pretty much instant online? I mean you don't need to wait hours for processing?

I've done this many times.

If you intend to spend the night near the border then you'll have no issues. Hit the border at 7am (check the official opening time) with E-Visa in hand and the immigration officials will be too tired to even try and rip you off. Walk to the local bus station (about 400 meters left hand side) ignoring the touts with the line 'i'm staying the night in Poipet' and get the next bus to SR.

Enjoy.

How much do you pay for your 1 month(?) evisa and which website you use?

I'm in Bangkok. I'm not in a rush but my Thai visa expires on 1st March and I'd like to visit Cambodia. SR seems like a good starting point for me. But I'm not interested in tourist stuff, just want to know the locals.

I've heard about lots of scary boarder scams entering Cambodia via anyathapet (sp?)

I'll stay over night nearer the border.

Anyone made the crossing lately? I want to keep scam costs down and comfort up (no trips longer than 4 hours each day unless strictly necessary. )

Sounds like you got the Special Express. Aircon diesel railcar fare is 399 baht.

Thank you. What is different about it vs the price 174 baht ticket?

Good forum on the Phills:

www.piatnight.com

thanks but doesnt give me the info in need. have heard manilla is dangerous thats not really a big problem but so is everywhere if your going to be stupid. im wondering has anyone any advice on cebu, accomadation, flights from don muang ?

my first trip into Asia has been to Cebu, if my memory serves me right, Cebu city is about 7km from one end to the other. I lived right in the middle of it for three weeks

being a fan of walking, I walked around.. asking directions to locals who do speak good english mostly have been a waste of time in general. nobody walks and nobody knows where is what

you ask a local which way to Ayala mall? "take jeepney 38" is their answer (not the actual jeepney number). you tell them you want to walk, they shrug and don't know how to get there.)

and I had made my research as to where to go, Manila, Angeles City and Davao were not recommended, Cebu was.

Cebu city , like manila, is to put it nicely a bit of a s**t infested city. It has upsides but the pollution stops me from staying long. It's a good place to meet a girl.

Just take a taxi to pier 2 or 3 and get the fast boat, any company will do, to tagbilaran, then get a motorbike back ride or van to panglao - alona beach.

Or for peace take a bus for bantayan island up in the north of Cebu province. It's stunning. Stay at Beach Placid if on a budget. Beach front. When you get bored, go back to Cebu city and check out camotes island, or siquijor.

Staying in any Filipino city for vacation is a crime. They are noisy and polluted. For work, i can understand. But holidays... Go to the beaches and green areas.

Tagaytay nearer Manila is great if you want to see a volcano. Take a bus from the 5 star bus terminal. Taxis know it. Oh and always flag down a moving taxi if possible, and if he doesn't put the meter on, politely but strongly ask him to stop so you can get off.

I really rarely ask directions from locals but 3G data is in most cities and reliable enough. I just use google maps. Get a sim when you arrive they are dirt cheap. If Globe, dial *143# to get the gosakto menu and pick the minutes data texts you need. Locals text a LOT. so get texts.

Don't lose your temper in Philippines, it's taken more serious than Thailand.

Scams are a bit dumber.

Taxis in Cebu City are reliable.

Some towns have very cheap trikes. There are no tuktuks. Angeles city is horrible.

Only the big cities have nightlife. Small towns have a few kareoke machines. I hope you know a few songs!

Boracay is the only beach island with good nightlife.

Cebu and Manila, being the biggest cities, have nightlife with scope.

Manila is more gritty and MUuuch more poor than Bangkok. But wealth is around too especially in makati city. I use Manila to mean the capital region but Manila is technically one of the 10+ cities. I like Malate in Manila best. Somewhere near Robinsons Place mall.

Malls are huge! All over! If you hate malls, tough!

Jeepney fares are 8peso for most trips. You usually get change. I eat at Filipino canteens every morning if I can find one. The key is to go when the food is hot.

Filipinos are not into chili like the Thais.

Hotels are all round a bad deal compared to Thailand, and the service can be bad.

Always smile. They will often smile when scamming you. It won't be more than like a dollar in many cases. Don't worry too much. There are like a million beaches. No good ones near cities because they dump waste in the sea.

It's a seriously messed up country but worth a trip and the English ability makes life so much easier in many ways.

Remember normal low class Filipinos cannot afford nightlife. But you can meet those type on dateinasia.com

Beer is very very very cheap.

Enjoy and don't stay in Manila long, trust me.

Panglao in Bohol is great. Go to tourist places, they are not much more expensive than cities, unlike Thailand.

Boracay is number one if you like lively beach islands.

When you want to get out of a jeepney just bang the roof twice or tap a coin on a metal part.

Great country to travel around. Cheap, especially flights, which link everywhere to Cebu and Manila. Aircon Buses are freezing. Non-air ones are damn uncomfy but I've taken dozens.

Some one mentioned piatnight.com - its the best forum on the internet pretty much.

Good luck and have fun. You can extend tourist visas all you like but the 2nd extension for month 3 is expensive. Don't stay for 65 days or you will regret paying $150 for 6 days! Don't deliberately break immigration law. They put people in jail.

OK I'm done. Cebupacificair.com for domestic flights. Have fun.

Korat which is the station i bought the ticket at, to ayutthaya. For 400 baht. According to the website first class is 174 baht.

I just want to know how to use the website to find other ticket prices.