henrik2000

NoDisplayName, SparkTrader and Richard, thanks for more input! Again, this is not about sporty, ambitious bicycling. It's about "bumbling around the fields". I also won't wear colourful hi-end sportsgear. Thanks for mentioning the free delivery by Decathlon. It might be an idea to visit Decathlon in Bkk and have them send it for free to Nan - much nicer than carrying it on VIP coach or plane, even if also free.

Hello, as a holiday-maker, would you rent a small street car out of Nan from an international company booked online from company or agency or from a local renter? If from a local renter, what's your experience and cost? Pondering to rent a *small* street car like Toyota Yaris or smaller out of Nan for about 3-4 weeks (not sure for how long). No off-roading. No pick-up car. Automatic preferred. I wonder if I should pre-book Hertz or Avis via Hertz.com or Avis.com pre-book Hertz or Avis via internat. agency like rentalcars.com shop around local rental stations in Nan (will be in Nan 4 days before car needed) Here are some prices I found: Hertz in Nan via Rentalcars.com: Toyota Yaris or so (small): 940 THB = 26 Euro/day (car small as preferred by me, could even be smaller) Hertz in Nan via Hertz.com: Yaris 1200 THB/day (insurance unclear, obv. not best, upgradable locally) (so, more expensive than via agency above) Avis in Nan via Avis.com: "sold out" -- Hertz in Nan via Rentalcars.com: Honda City or so (medium): 1100 THB = 30,5 Euro/day (car larger than preferred) Hertz in Nan via Hertz.com: Honda City: 1420 THB/day ((insurance unclear, obv. not best, upgradable locally) My preferred Europ. agencies (good assistence in damage-cases) do not rent out of Nan, but offer these: Avis in Phitsanoluk or Chiang Rai via preferred Europ. agency, good insurance: Toyota Vios or so: 1050 THB = 29 Euro/day (car larger than preferred) Avis oneway-rental Chiang Rai to Phitsanoluk via prefered Europ. agency, good insurance: Toyota Vios or so: 1050 THB = 29 Euro/day (car larger than preferred) Would you recommend using a small local renter? (Link to Google Map Search for Nan car-renters) I had local renters already a few times in Nakhon Si Th. and Chiang Mai. Good experience, but I was a more worriless guy back then. I speak basic Thai, but I couldn't say "loose rear mirror" or "broken indicator front left" in Thai. Pro renting from local dealer In my experience, return day is very flexible; return about anytime and pay the exact days of actual use (dislike very unflexible timing with the big companies) Can take a look at the car, maybe get "insider information" about vehicle etc. Contra renting from local dealer Don't understand all insurance and procedures Not sure about quick emergency assistance on a remote mountain road Maybe I have not enough Thai language (it's ok for small talk and tourist things) Not sure if cars are availaible when I arrive 4 days before car needed; not totally sure if car will be kept for me as promised Some seem to operate through Facebook only, which I loathe (I am usually "hidden" there.) So what do you think? Thanks!

Falang, thanks. Adding 15 kilograms to my domestic Nok flight would cost 780 THB, and it would be enough for a small bike. Maybe "sportsgear" is even free, not sure now.

Hello, coming to Nan + NE Thailand as a plain tourist for about 4 weeks and also getting a rental car hopefully. Should I rent a bicycle in Nan + other places buy a bicycle in Nan? bring a bicycle freshly bought in Bkk or Pattaya (possible on Nok Air, I checked) Background: After a few initial days in Bkk and Jomtien, I hope to stay 4+ weeks around Nan, Phayao, Uttaradit, also very small places (aware of visa requirements). I love walking around and *slowly* bicycling around rural areas + nature, very untouristy and basic. I need a basic bicycle. I already did this happily in other areas like Khmer Isaan, Nakhon Si Thammarat etc., also with rental car + bicycle. I might get a rental car after some days in Nan that could carry a small bicycle (at least after taking off front wheel). I speak enough basic Thai and know to use GPS. For the bicycle, I will bring from the west seat cushion, lock, repair kit. I don't mind taking a rented bicycle to the workshop first for 2 hours to get gears etc. fixed. Renting a bicycle Aware that most lodges in Nan, Phayao etc. rent or provide bicycles, and a simple 3-gear-thing would be enough. But so far, upcountry I often got terrible wrecks, sometimes only with 2 days delay and still broken. Because of that, my dream came up to OWN a simple bicycle and carry it from town to town by rental car or maybe bus. I wondered if it would be easy to rent a usable bicycle in small places around NE Thailand. Certainly renting a different bicycle in each place would save one the hassle of buying and transporting one, but then you have the trouble of finding a decent rental bicycle in each place. Buying a bicycle in Nan – good? Google Maps mentions several perhaps big bicycle stores in Nan, including one for "used Japanese bikes". Again, I'd like a simple thing, ideally with mudcatchers, a few gears and front basket. It would be ok up to 8.000 THB. 2nd hand would be very fine. Would that be doable? Which shop would you recommend? (While I do speak enough Thai for numbers, food, small talk, an Anglophone clerk might be good.) I'd been dreaming about a foldable bike, even if 20" only. In Bkk or Pattaya that's available at Decathlon shops etc. Also available in Nan? Hopefully there would also be a dedicated bag available, for clean+easy transport by bus or car. I could also buy a regular smaller bicycle and put it into a carton provided by the dealer, but it's more hassle if you have maybe 4 or 5 transports between various towns. I would sell/give away that bicycle in Nan before flying out. Bringing a bicycle from Bkk Bringing a bicycle from the west is not an option. I have a Nok Air booking DMK-Nan and it seems online I could add more luggage that allows to bring a bicycle from Bkk. Did you ever do that? So in Bkk or Pattaya I could get the foldable bike that would gel well with a rental car. But I'd happily save me the hassle, if a decent bicycle can be bought in Nan or rented in Nan and later destinations as well So what are your thoughts? Thanks!

Hello, in early December as a tourist i would like to stay about 7 days in Nan town relatively centrally – maybe later come back for 3 more days. I checked 100 websites, 3 guidebooks and didn't find something really delightful. A lot was booked up already (is there a fair?). These are some requirements: relatively central, yet not very noisy (and not cosily in the fields 5 kms out) under 1700 THB/day – something gorgeous could be a bit higher, but then I hope to be out+about mostly, not sitting indoors a whole apartment/house is best. Otherwise at least a mid-sized room with good daylight + private bathroom + water kettle (or the hosts fill my thermos with hot water daily) NOT wanted: dormitory, room w shared bathroom, a place 5 kms out in the fields some daylight! (Many places seem to have small or no windows; this might be useful in the climate, but I need daylight). And the window should not open to a public external corridor/terrace/balcony (it should have a minimum of privacy) not so noisy, especially not sensitive to noise from neighbours or from stairs (many houses seem traditional, wooden, without insulation) place provides bicycles OR has safe space for a bicycle rented by me from outside car parking might be needed (might take a rental car for some days) I speak basic tourist Thai (but can't read Thai) and am happy to deal with a local non-anglophone family, if I also have my full private space; I am happy to rent a place from private people if they are totally reliable; I don't need breakfast service place doesn't lock me out at midnight or so, my room always accessible by myself If you have any suggestions, I'd inquire them. Please bear with me if I come back here with another 100 questions about the region later. Thanks!

MJCM, thanks for the links. In Thailand, of course i would stay off the main roads, i hope to be mainly on field roads sixth grade sealed roads. I cycled a lot in Thailand already, and compared to India it feels very sleepy. Anything like an inter-province road or downtown roads are not at all tempting.

Hi, pondering a 60 days holiday in Thailand. I'm based in the west. 1. What's your experience buying a foldable bicycle around 5000 – 8000 THB in Bkk or Pattaya? (shops, quality of bicycle, bag available?) 2. did you ever transport that bicycle in a long-distance bus in TH or on a minibus, together with your regular travel-bag of another 20 kilograms? Google shows several shops for foldable bicycles in Bkk (Link Google-search). I would then fly Bkk-Nan with bicycle + regular baggage (or maybe bus). From Nan, I would find other bases such as Phayao, Pizzanoluck, Uttaradit (going there by bus or perhaps rental car, I MIGHT use rental car AND bicycle). Only my first few days would be in Bkk and Pattaya. Whole length of trip about 60 days, aware of visa requirements. I know that I can carry say 40 kilograms in 2 bags on Nok Air if I buy the kilograms online ahead of flight. Bkk also has expensive foldable bicycles like Brompton, which I don't want. I would perhaps leave the bicycle in TH after 60 days, as it seems to be very expensive to carry it on a long-distance flight to Europe. I love exploring of rural countryside by walking or bicylcle – slow and un-unambitious, no sports, including snapping, sitting down for rice soup etc. I did that a lot in TH (several Isaan areas, chanwat Chiang Mai, Nakhon Si etc.) and other hot countries. I would wear relatively normal street dress (but "no sweat" synthetics sports T-shirts looking NOT like sports), and I wouldn't bicycle at noon or after dark. No sporty ambitions and no long day trips under time pressure, it's about "lazy strolls on bicycle". I do speak enough Thai for that, thanks to GPS never get lost and don't mind starting at 5.30 a.m. I would carry almost no luggage on the bicycle. I know N-TH is mountainous. I can live for a good while without the Bkk-Pattaya-lifestyle, even without western food, no problem. There are small lodges all around N-Thailand, and many do provide bicycles cheaply, even free for lodgers. I often had that, usually dilapidated 24" mountain bikes. But those bicycles mostly had to be taken to a workshop first. Several times I received the promised bike days late, and maybe broken, so that I lost days. I already experienced that a westerner on a cheap small bicycle (not a cool sports bicycle and not cool sports attire) may be despised by Thais. (I dress "politely" always.) After the first week with the new bicycle, I would take it to a workshop to re-tune the spokes. From the west I would bring a small repair kit, lock and a seat cushion. I'd love a foldable bike with mudguards and front-basket, but it may not be possible. I wouldn't require lights. Do you find the ideas above doable? What would you consider? Where did you get the foldable bike? Or is it foolish? Thanks!

Even Keel, thanks.

Hi, I might want to fly domestically with Nok Air in Thailand. I would have TWO checked bags, in total: Checked bag 1, 20 kg Checked bag 2, 20 or 15 kg Hand-held bag Now I wonder: Does Nok Air allow TWO checked bags at check-in? Online they let me buy oodles of kilograms – also beyond the allowance of 30 kg per bag. (Nok Baggage Rules in English.) But Nok doesn't seem to say explicitly that you can check in 2 bags, not just 1. According to the rules, I may bring 40+ kgs, but only 30 kg per bag; but they never mention more than 1 checked bag. What are your experiences with TWO bags with Nok? (Nok, the airline) While at it: Did you book Nok from abroad and did it work? Long time ago there were problems with international credit cards. I'd even prefer to not use a credit card. I guess in Thailand I could book and immediately pay at 7/11 or so – but I want to book from abroad. Thanks! PS. Of course it's debatable if one should carry 2x20 kg of luggage fly to Nok domestic destinations but that'd be another topic.