dekbannok

Taxi in Penang as well as in KL are all big rip-off. It reminded me of Bangkok in the early 80...

But the next time you are there, hopefully you will see that they turn on the meter. There was a law and supposed to be effective May 1 but they have again postponed it. The rate would probably be slightly cheaper. But at least if saves many red faces and some swearing.

After going back and forth on the idea, I finally did decide to fly down to Penang for a visa run (rather than take a bus or train). Spending more than 20 hours on the road (or rails) each way and having a visa run stretch out to essentially an entire week, was more than I wanted to endure.

I just got back tonight flying on AirAsia. Outbound it was flight FD3543 BKK-PEN, dep 0725, arr 1005, 25MAY. And return it was flight FD3544 PEN-BKK, dep 1705, arr 1745, 26MAY.

I used http://www.bank-holidays.com to check there were no Thai or Malaysian public holidays on the days of my trip. On such days the Thai Consulate is closed.

I live in the lower Sukhumvit area of Bangkok and originally intended to take the 100 baht airport bus to the airport as I usually do, however the first one would not arrive until about 6:30am and that was cutting it a little too close for me.

So:

0606 taxi: 140 baht + 60 baht for tolls

17 minute ride to the airport

500 baht departure fee

On board AirAsia flight FD3543, the 737-300 has a rather raggedy interior. Meals must be paid extra for in flight. This is the first international flight I've ever seen this on.

0734 wheels up

0955 wheels down in Penang -- Malaysia time is one hour ahead of Thailand.

500 RM withdrawal from a Maybank ATM down the hallway on the left as you exit immigration.

38 RM taxi ticket from counter on the right of immigration exit. This is a set price for the trip from the airport to the Thai Consulate. In hindsight, I probably could have used the old trick of going upstairs to the departure level, getting a taxi as it was dropping someone off, and probably saved 10 RM. But my concern was so focused on getting to the Consulate before its 12 noon closing, that I wasn't thinking about that.

1030 grab taxi

1050 arrive Thai Consulate

Filled out one page form and submitted with two photos. Fee for a triple entry tourist visa was 300 RM. I was not asked to show an airline ticket out of Thailand. I was asked for this at the Thai Consulate in Jakarta last December and, not having one, failed to get a visa. The Penang form is quite simple and in addition to the photos and fee, all that is required for a tourist visa. Other than the usual identification questions, for "Duration of proposed stay" put the number entries you want, e.g. "3 Entry". The two questions about "guarantors" may be left blank. All this is both according to the posted example form and to a supposed consulate employee or visa agent who was hanging around outside during both my morning application visit and my next afternoon pickup.

After submitting all this I'm given an "Acknowledgement Slip" to exchange for my passport the next day.

12 RM for a 10 minute taxi ride to Chulia Street.

19 RM for a one night stay at the Swiss Hotel. A Lonely Planet guide I flipped through in an airport bookstore on the way back described this hotel as "well run and a good value." People on ThaiVisa.com have called it a dump. I can now say from personal experience it is in fact a decrepit backpacker hovel. My room had a single foam pad mattress, ceiling fan, and cistern style cold shower, all in the dingiest, pealed-paint, walls-not-quite-to-the-ceiling surroundings that a single fluorescent bulb could illuminate. Oh, and the toilets (two squat, one Western) were shared among the half dozen or more rooms on my ground level floor. But I had a sense to expect something like this coming in and was able to tolerate it for a single night.

The Chulia part of Georgetown, Penang at first glance seemed very reminiscent of the Chinese quarter of Macau: many small rundown Chinese shops housed in fading, pastel colored, colonial style buildings. The main obvious difference was the great number of young Western tourists plodding up and down the street -- Macau is largely devoid of such. At one point there was even the stereotypical backpacker couple, the girl with her nose pressed into a Lonely Planet Malaysia guide as she seemed to literally navigate their footsteps. A meal can be had at the many small hole-in-the-wall restaurants for 5-10 RM and the numerous Internet cafes charge about 2 RM/hour.

Next Day

Check out a little after 12pm, have lunch and reply to e-mail until 2pm.

1400 catch a taxi and negotiate a 40 RM fare for the trip to the consulate and then on to the airport.

1410 arrive at consulate and wait in line behind three people.

1420 back in taxi with newly minted 3-entry tourist visa. This visa is a standard sized sticker that takes up an entire passport page. Among other things, it states the number of entries allowed. And in addition to the normal separate immigration entry stamp that has your departure-by date, the visa itself is stamped with the date of each entry and a handwritten mark, possibly the immigration officer's initials.

1447 arrive at airport. Unlike Bangkok, Penang International has no departure tax.

1720 wheels up

1745 wheels down back in Bangkok.

Nice report. A couple of comments:

38 RM taxi ticket from counter on the right of immigration exit. This is a set price for the trip from the airport to the Thai Consulate. In hindsight, I probably could have used the old trick of going upstairs to the departure level, getting a taxi as it was dropping someone off, and probably saved 10 RM.

Probably not true. Taxis in Penang more or less operate on a fixed rate system and the drivers are pretty good about sticking with the system. The fare is slightly less going back to the airport from town, but it's not a night and day difference.

You got a decent fare for your trip back to the airport. Surprisingly though, the Thai Consulate is not really all that out of the way for a town-airport trip if one uses the back way via Jalan Masjid Negeri rather than the Jelutong Expressway.

1447 arrive at airport. Unlike Bangkok, Penang International has no departure tax.

You paid the departure tax when you bought your ticket. It is RM 40 or so. Thailand is one of the few countries that still collects the departure tax from the passenger rather than from the airline.

Yeah I tried that "get a cab upstairs" routine and scrapped the idea after waiting 20 minutes for one to arrive. It was the 38 to town and 28 coming back for me the last time

looking for a place that can take care for my cat and my small dog for a short time,

we got that in Chiang Rai????

There is a very good veterinary for pets at the San Khong Luang. This is the outer parallel road of the San Khong Noi. Between this practice and the headquarters of the Thai Rak Thai Party there is an 'anuban' for pets.

Make a clear deal about the food which has to be given to your little (?) animal, otherwise it might be a little bit thinner when you pick it up.

Limbo

This vet named ..... killed my very strong lab. I am still very bitter I almost wanted to sue him. He was not even sick but only had an eye infection. Before I took him there, he ran for more than 30 minutes at the park near Chiang Rai beach. I think everyone living in Chiang Rai should be warned. I have heard from at 10 other pet lovers here who have taken their dogs there suffering the same fate as my poor jimmy. I believe he gave him either the wrong medication or fake medicines that he might not even be aware.

The other place mentioned by Potter is a 24-hour outfit where I first took my dog. They could not cure my dog's eye infection and rendering the infection chronic. That was then I decided to try a new vet ended up indirectly killing him. I felt very guilty.

I think Chiang Rai needs a good vet. We don't have to go to Chiang Mai for everything! Meanwhile, I have given up on pedigree and have just gotten a very cute "panda". He is now 3 months and my Japanese girl friend said his eyes were like wolf's eyes. I observed his behaviour and indeed he has some attributes of this wild animal. His barks like one and seemed to like water, birds and all kinds of bugs!!!

dekbannok

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Please Dekbannok, have understanding for the fact that I removed the name. I have the greatest understanding for your anger and I know the hardships of loosing a dog one loves, but we would need a confirming autopsy report before an accusation like this could be published on a public forum.

Limbo.

interesting, but I dont see that hotels in Chiang Rai offer better value for money than anywhere else in Thailand (except Samui and Phuket maybe, ok). there are a quite a number of ok-guesthouses (many of which offer comfortable accomodation for as low as 300 Baht), some luxury places, but in my opinion, Chiang Rai lacks good-value middle-class accomodation. In Chiang Mai, you get better value for money. apart from the SAEN PHU, where I usually stay and which really offers an excellent value for money, I dont see much light......

Have you checked out the new Piman Inn (baht450) and Laluna (baht900) on Sanambin Road (the road on the right of Saen Phu about 2 km straight down)? I think they also offer good value. It is quite a sight to see hundreds of people jogging on the runway everyday in the late afternoon! Piman Inn is just by the side of the end of the runway.

Seems to me that one could ask some of the same questions about Chiang Mai. A number of five-star resort-type hotels are being built here. I have a hard time seeing where all the high-rollers are going to come from in order to fill these new places.

Ovenman, you were right. There are at least five 5-star properties opening in the next year or so. My old friend is designing their kitchens. But at least Chiang Mai is a sort of aviation hub for the north and has many direct flights to foreign destinations. Chiang Rai International Airport in name is international but there is no commercial flights to any foreign countries. I do hope the government will make it a real international airport soon at least serving the neighboring countries like China (Yunnan) Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia. Till then we can really expect Chiang Rai's economy to take off and hence brings more benefits to the hotel industry. I wondered why AirAsia has not thought of using Chiang Rai airport as their northern hub as it is ideal for them to operate flights to Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Kumming, Hanoi and many other heritage cities.

ok, i know u. the house is near chiang rai beach . the owner just re-decorated it. price is about 6000 B. quite big thro . i cant remember how to get there but i know the owner house ,meet her and she can take u. or e-mail me if u really interested send me e-mail i am free on friday afternoon and Sunday to take u there.

What a bargain for baht6,000 a month near Chiang Rai Beach, one of the best areas in Chiang Rai. Yes, it is about 2 or 3 minutes drive to downtown less than 4 Km away. If I knew earlier, I would have rented one instead of spending more than 3 million baht building my house 200 meter from the beach. Welcome to be my new neighbor!

Dear Dr Limbo:

I think the best beer is from Holland. I have been to a very famous brewery (don't want to advertise for them) and very impressed with what I saw. When I first relocated to Bangkok some 21 years ago, I was out each night at Patpong. And in those days you could only get Amarit, Kloster and Singh. None to my liking...Singh was just too strong and could almost knock me off after a couple of drinks. I once met the farang master brewer of Singh and he told me it was because Thais love the kick therefore the alchohol content was higher than 5% (the norm I believe). Only later when they started to export they realize not all foreigners like strong beer. After doing their market reasearch, then came Chang, Leo and what else.

As far as chewing betel nuts is concerned...

By the way, i think this was probably originated from India along with Buddishism??? It had been a popular habits for people in Burma, Malaysia, Thailand and some other Southeast Asian countries. But strangely also in Taiwan. Although I believe it has been banned in Malaysia and of course Singapore long time ago (or the habit just died out) it is still very popular in Taiwan. But I don't seem to see the Taiwanese betel chewers have black teeth. Perhaps they have a special tooth-paste to get rid of the stains. Anyway, the BIG thing about this betel nut trade in Taiwan is all those very sexy young girls hawking their "ware" by the the roadsides wearing hardly anything. Road accidents are frequent occurance as they make heads turn. The police crack down on them very often as they were accused of "hanging a goat head and selling dog's meat" in Chinese saying. It is still happening today. Lately, this business seems to have been exported to Bangkok by some smart ass from Taiwan! Thanks God it is still contained among the Taiwanese community. Just imagine with the kind of Bangkok traffic and drivers we have, the betel nuts girls will really be able to create havoc...

The effect of chewing betel nut does seem to make one feels good. I had tried it when I was a kid and it was fun just like I also had tried smoking grass in college. I am not sure if one can actually get addicted to chewing betel nuts. I believe it is more of a habit forming thing. I do hope there is a law not necessarily banning people from the enjoyment of chewing but rather banning people from spitting their reddish remains on the street after chewing the nuts as it is really a sickening sight.

As we all know the first beer was imported in Siam from Europe.

No, not from Germany but from England!

This was towards the end of the nineteenth century. Soon after that the western civilisation 'contributed' also with whiskey to Siamese culture.

In the beginning beer was called 'civilised water' in Thailand.

We would call it anything, but certainly not this.

Because in many cases, after drinking too much of it, beer seems to remove a layer of civilisation rather than adding one. Beer opens some buttons of the mental 'corset' which we call civilsation.

Traditionally chewing betel, the Siamese 'chew', was the great distraction of men and women of Siam.

Even at the Court of the Great King Rama V at that time. If we believe Ernst von Hesse-Wartegg, a German nobleman with access to the court, the teeth of the Siamese nobility were black. It was said that when the King and his dignitaries received Europeans at the Court, they covered their blackened teeth with dentures of an immaculate white.

There is no antique shop without a collection of betelnut boxes or scissors to cut the nuts. Which sometimes are very beautiful decorated. So the betelnut must have been widely enjoyed in Siamese and later Thai society.

A couple of years ago in Maesai there was still a cart where they prepared and sold betelnut. I haven't seen it for a long time.

What is the effect of chewing betelnut, aside from getting black teeth? If you look at the two ladies on my avater it seems to make people happy.

Is it forbidden by law?

Limbo.

We own a Thai registered car and would like to drive into Malaysia for a short holiday. Can anyone please tell us what is the procedure. Have heard that it's a lot of trouble but nobody seems to be able to tell me exactly what you need to do and how to do it. I'd really like to give it a go. Any help or advise would be greatly appreicated. Hope to be leaving in about 5-7 days time. Irene.

Yes, there is no problem at all. Do check what kind of driving licence you have. I understand a Thai diriving licence is valid in Malaysia and vice-versa as we are all in the Asean family assuming the licence of one Asean country can be used in the other 9. Or perhaps I am wrong? If you have an international one, that's shoul dbe fine.

On Monday May 22, I read in The Nation that the Senior VP of the Intercontinental Hotels Group is looking to manage more hotels in Thailand including Chiang Rai and I am beginning to see many new hotels being built in Chiang Rai. One brand new city hotel and art gallery named Mantrini will be opened very soon across the Big C, another luxurious 5-star properties (Rain Tree?) by the Kok River and a little further another resort (Laguna?) are all under construction.

Hotel rates in Chaing Rai have always been much lower compared with other main tourist destinations in Thailand. With all these new properties opening, two immediate questions come to my mind. 1. Is there now an over-supply of hotel rooms and if not will it spark a price war? 2. Have people finally discovered the beauty of Chiang Rai or Chiang Rai is expecting the overflow from Chiang Mai?

Chiang Rai has had more than a million visitors and perhaps TAT is expecting this number to double in the near future. The good thing about more competitions is that the existing properties will perhaps start to upgrade and raise their standard of professionalism.