mrblonde

Ive been several times before, early March, June and September and all seemed pretty quiet (both 10 years ago and last September too), whats it like in Nov and 1st week of December?  Much different?  Am planning a trip back this year and want a few days partying, but wasnt sure if its busier/quieter/warmer or wetter? 

As some of you will know by now, me and mrsblonde and spending a month in Thailand from early Nov to early Dec this year, we cant wait.  We would like to spend 3 or 4 days somewhere with animals, preferably in their natural habitat, where we can help out, be it feeding, walking, washing, anything really.  I know there re a million and one places that beat and miss-treat the animals, are there any worth a few days of our time?  Happy to pay for the pleasure (accomodation, food, guide etc), just didnt want to end up somewhere with a bad reputation or that doesnt have the animals welfare in mind

Any tips or suggestions greatly appreciated 

On 2017-5-14 at 11:52 AM, South said:

There's always one, isn't there? 

 

Have a good flight mrblonde and enjoy your holiday.

Thanks South, we will!  You'll probably find me in other forums asking where to go and how to get there, so thanks in advance for any additional pointers too 

Thanks everyone, booked last night with EVA, £423 each with 30Kg buggage allowance.  Direct flights, out on 4th Nov, home on 2nd Dec

Cant wait!!

Have flown with both EVA and Thai about 10 years ago, and last year with British Airways (which though was pretty good) and cant remember how good EVA was by comparision.  Am looking to visit in November for 4 weeks and cant decide on who to book with, at present its out of EVA, Thai or BA... Any preferences please people?

On 02/05/2017 at 5:02 AM, KhunBENQ said:

Loi Krathong and Elephant roundup are both in November after the cremation ceremonies.

I would not expect restrictions.

And November is a good month for travel to Thailand (most parts).

Thanks KhunBENQ

Why do you say November is a good month to see Thailand? Ive been several times before but always in March, June and early September (when I was younger to Pattaya, low season as it was quieter)

Also open to suggestions of places to visit while we are there

Thanks all, we wanted to see Loy Krathong and the Elephant festival in Surin, so will need to work out best dates to travel to and from Thailand (and getting around LOS) as we have been granted 4 weeks leave from work, and want to use all of it if possible.

Am currently planning a 3-4 week trip to Thailand this year and as planning late Oct and early Nov to see a few festivals in and around Isaan, will the cremation of the King in late October bring the country to its knees completely? 

On 23/12/2016 at 2:18 PM, SantiSuk said:

Thai life outside beaches and beer bars?

Got it in one SantiSuk. I done the beaches and beer bars 10 years ago, and as a single guy loved it.  Returned this year with my gf and she loved everything Thai, so we are planning a month visit next year to the less commercial/touristy parts of the country.  

On 22/12/2016 at 7:18 AM, KhunBENQ said:

Yep.

English girlfriend is a different scenario of course.

I am a bit blinded by the mainstream

 

Ahh no worries, and I'd imagine it is a bit strange an English couple asking about visiting Isaan.   I have another thread running about skin colour of westerners in Isaan on here too, as my gf is black and I was asking how she'd be seen or accepted in NE Thailand.  Everyones answers were as I'd thought so we cant wait to visit.   And have decided on late October/early November 2017 for a month.  

She wants to go back to Ayutthaya for a few days as we stayed right on the river, then head to Isaan

9 hours ago, Issangeorge said:

November in Isaan has many festivals the Surin Elephant Festival, November 18 next year Loo Kratong November 4th next year. There are others also. I would plan on the last week if October through the third week of November. That way you will miss the rain, see the rice harvested, be around for some festivals, and miss the colder weather.

Sent from my ASUS_T00J using Tapatalk
 

Thanks George, I think we will be doing a full 4 weeks (unsure of longest stay allowed on standard visa), so will look more into those dates and at those festivals.  Also open to suggestions of areas or towns to visit too.  That time of year sounds perfect from what you've described

8 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Just joining: when we came as tourists we arrived in November, returned home before Christmas.

Only down-point: if the family does rice/sugar farming they might be busy with harvesting during the day.

So you are a bit more on your own (with GF).

Do plan some time away from the family (beach etc.).

But your GF will likely insist to leave from Isan directly (suitcase full of perishable goodies?).

 

And November is the most miserable month in central Europe

Be aware of the climate shock when returning home in December (assuming you come from a cold country).

 

sorry Khun BenQ, I should of said, my girlfriend is English too (same as me), reading your post it looks like you thought she was Thai?

Am planning 3 (or maybe 4 weeks) in Thailand next year with my girlfriend, and we will be spending the majority of the time in Isaan.  Am thinking between September and December, is there a better time to visit, weather wise or to see any festivals?   Its only in planning stage at present so open to suggestions

Thanks in advance

All

This is a real random question, I stumbled on a photoset/post on a forum (not even sure if its this forum) with various images of Thailand and Isaan, and a lot were very atmospheric (black and white with the odd flash of colour, some photos showing the contrast for example a monk walking past some working girls, that kind of thing), any ideas where is it on the net? Ben searching for ages, I think the post/thread is by a single person who has hundreds of photos

Know its a long shot, but do any of you remember seeing the photos?

Thanks everyone, looks like a unanimous decision not to let the other half ride a bike in Isaan, I'll just tell her to pack lighter and put her on the back of whatever I end up hiring.  I spent my younger years whizzing around Pattaya on a twist and go so should be OK in more rural Thailand, once we've sorted our route and places to stay will be back for suggestions on rental places

Thanks again everyone

On 28/11/2016 at 6:24 AM, sinbin said:

Of course Thais are racist they're raised that way. A darker skin colour makes you a lesser person.

 

 

Might that be changing, at least in the cities where most of the western music played in the bars/clubs is sung by black ameicans or brits?  Genuine question by the way, as all we heard in Pattaya and Ayutthaya bars probably 80% or more was by black singers? (I know cant really compare beer bars with Isaan locals and bars, but some of the music must filter back? 

Am looking to visit Isaan next year (time of year, duration and locations to be decided) with my girlfriend (a lot of you helped out on my other post r.e. her skin colour) and we hope to hire bikes to explore further.  She's never ridden a bike before, so will be doing a day CBT over in the UK to learn the basics. I'm guessing she will prefer an auto bike/twist and go.  Can you get larger bikes (not moped style) that are auto in Isaan to hire?  I'm comfortable with gears as I ride in the UK, just guessing she wont be so great with gears.

Or can you recommend a bike thats auto that will be best for exploring on?  

6 hours ago, mettech said:

I live in one of the small village in Issan and am one out of three of us here and They all call me uncle that is ok with me  they are good people but a bit behind on many things but we could just imagine how it was 50 or 60 years ago.

Kids are more educated and just an example they ride the bus I mean they stand on the roof and they wave every time they come by so nothing to worry they are people too.

Thanks mettech

This sounds exactly like what we want to see, I know what you mean by a 'bit behind', me and my gf spoke for hours while we was there in September, she described it as a 'simple and genuine innocence' (granted, not many girls we spoke to in Pattaya were innocent)

Any recommendations of towns/cities to base ourselves in next year, close enough to traditional villages we could visit too? We have no plans as of yet

6 hours ago, SantiSuk said:

Seems to be a universal condition of man that communities have to find a class of people to stereotype and look down on.

 

 

I get the impression there are many more black-skinned foreigners around Isaan nowadays than when I first came to live here 9 years ago - lots teaching and travelling. Don't assume that Isaan in its larger towns and cities is the backwater that it's painted. I don't believe your girlfriend will feel at all uncomfortable relative to most other parts of the world.

 

Worst racism I experienced amongst Thais was sitting in business/first class twixt London and Bangkok, when I used to come here on business prior to immigrating. Not directed at me personally (to my face) but some of the conversations I got into about the world and life - jeez, I was not enamoured of the wealthy Thai Chinese business types. The older women were the worst (but that was a limited sample of a handful). 

 

[Caution - stereotype alert!] 

Thanks SantiSuk

I know (or guess) the larger towns/cities will be very multicultural and have all races passing through, we will probably use 1 or 2 towns/cities as a base next year, but really want to see the villages, with the houses built on stilts, the 5 kids all squashed onto 1 moped, buffalos in the road and the ever smiling, dark skinned locals.   Welcome to any suggestions of places in Isaan to visit?

And Ive seen the racism you are talking about years ago in thailand when I was with a particularly dark skinned thai girl (from a bar - I was a young single guy at the time), when we visited BKK, and a few touristy places like Nong Nooch gardens and Sanctuary of Truth, and the lighter skinned Asain tourists clearly thought they were better than my companion.  

Great post by the way, many thanks 

5 hours ago, LoVeFuN said:

Well Mr mrblonde may I congratulate you on yours tastes, first going to watch Man City and preferring darker skinned Thais. I will be visiting my GF shortly who comes from Issan and who is very dark. She wants me to keep out of the sun to remain as white as possible. She sometimes applies that face skin lightening cream that I personally don't like. As a previous poster said they have this inbuilt sense of white skin somehow appearing better but I don't think they are racist because of this preference. Maybe the Bkk Thais are different but I think the pair of you should have a good time. By the way a good post. 

Thanks LoveFun

To be honest I know/knew very little about football, was over there 8 or 9 years ago as a single guy in his 20's (in pattaya) and got dragged along to the match by my other mate, and i loved it.  Great atmosphere.  The darker skinned thai girls were partly the reason I met my mrs back in England (she knows this) after my Pattaya trips ended.  Even back then I loved the darker skin look, the food and even the thai music.  Fast forward 9 years and me and my British born chocolate lady both fell in love with Ayutthaya and she even enjoyed Pattaya (we both love a party) but we now both want to see the 'simpler' life (again maybe wrong choice of words, but hoping you Isaan experts understand).  She wants to see a traditional family cook from scratch, we want to see the locals working the fields and fishing with nets, stuff like that.  Going to be a huge language barrier we know, we are even considering getting chatting to an english speaking thai and asking them to translate for us for a few days (Am guessing its possible?) 

We are obviously going to be accepting any offers of guided tours or villages to visit from ex-pats or anyone in villages as we havent even decided where in Isaan to go yet  :) 

39 minutes ago, Toknarok said:

           You will find that many Isaan people are as black (or even darker) than your girlfriend. Even so you may hear her being referred to as 'chocolate'. It's not really racist. Isaan people themselves are often looked down upon by their lighter skinned fellow countrymen, that's a 'class' thing rather than racist.

Thanks Toknarok

We hear the chocolate thing in both ayutthaya and Pattaya and she laughs about it.  I saw the 'class' thing in BKK a few times in the past, I went to watch Man City play about 10 years ago with a thai girl who was very dark and she felt uncomfortable among the richer, paler skinned BKK thais.

Personally, I much prefer the dark skinned look

42 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Oooh, this is a good clickbait topic, nice one.

 

Anyway I'll bite. Thai culture from top to bottom is, by the current Western definition of racism, racist.

 

People are judged by their appearance, skin colour and race and non-Thais are classified by the same criteria.

 

One current negative connotation of racism in the West is the stereotyped skinhead or redneck spray painting a swastika on the immigrant's house or sending them to the back of the bus or refusing to serve them or punching them in the street. That will not happen.

 

However, thoughtless jokes about chocolate or bananas or monkeys may be told and may offend you or your girlfriend. They are not malicious in the main, they just reflect the fact that people use race as the key marker, far above the person in question's individual character or personality, to judge people.

Thanks Briggsy, and sorry the topic wasnt to catch anyone out or anything.  I should of said in my original past the gf is very cool with skin colour jokes etc (we often wind each other up at home or when out of earshot of anyone who could take offence to our own jokes) so I'm guessing racism, or racist was too strong a word?  The girls in Ayutthaya in the only bar we found at night referred to her as 'chocolate' and 'same superstar pop star' (I told her not to get too big a head about it). 

Good post from you, I like it

Please bear with me.  Actually, I dont think racism is the right word as it can offend, so here goes.. Had a holiday this year to Ayutthaya with my girlfriend and she loved it, and even loved partying in Pattaya believe it or not for a few nights (while I visited an old ex-pat friend).  She wants us to visit the real Thailand next year and have decided on Isaan.  My question is, she's of Jamaican origin, born and bred in England but obviously looks very different to most westerners that Thais see, especially I'd imagine in Isaan.  She was met in both Ayutthaya and Pattaya with I'm guessing interest, if thats the right word?  The girls wanted to touch her hair and skin, and have their pictures taken with her (she is very glamorous).  Even had a policeman at Nong Nooch gardens want a picture with her (much to my amusement)

Will Isaan be OK to visit?  

EDIT: Edited to add I've never been to Isaan so have no idea what to expect either, we want to see the small villages, the simple life, the hard working locals in the fields.  So any suggestions of areas in Isaan to visit would be appreciated too.

we're visiting Ayutthuya in the next week or so and I'd like ot photograph the temples at sunrise or sunset, is this possible, or do they have opening times?   Hoping to catch them when they're as quiet as possible, before the hoards of tourists arrive by bus from BKK for the day

Any advice greatly appreciated 

Thanks guys, not too fussed on being a smartphone or having 3g as will upload pics etc back at the hotel with wifi and only be making the occasional call home, its more to text and call my friend ho im meeting up with out there on the days we're not together, so a cheap and nasty Nokia or Samsung will be fine with credit on it for the 2 weeks.  Will Tukcom be best once I'm in Pattaya?