Stekmer

Thanks for the comments/suggestions fdimike - quite useful.

To bring one of my own bikes would cost me about A$150 in round trip transport costs plus storeage costs + the worry of it being damaged en route.

In retrospect - I'd have been better off buying what looked like a reasonable bike for 2,500 bht and just leaving it at the hotel afterwards.

I'll try using this or the Bicycle Thailand forums to see if it is possible to negotiate a private rental - planning ahead is obviously a good idea.

I've had very little success at finding a decent bicycle to rent in my trips to the North East (Nakhon Phanom in particular) and find it really frustrating having to get around on old single speed bikes with creaking cranks and unpredictable brakes. Sever limitations on distances that can be covered.

The idea of bringing my own is a bit daunting – unless I bring one on a flight to Don Muang and find somewhere to store it between onward flights.

Getting from an airport to hotel with it seems even more daunting. Folding bicycles are not an appealing option due to wheel size.

Earlier this month in Nakhon Phanom, I tried asking a couple of second hand bicycle shops (and one new bicycle shop) if I could buy a bike and sell it back at the end of my 1 week stay. Neither of the second hand bike shops would rent me the bicycle that I wanted and I didn’t fancy paying the 2,000 to 3,000 baht to just leave it behind after a week’s use.

I offered to pay 2,500 bht for a bike (marked price tag) if I could sell it back for 1,000 baht after a week’s use – not successful.

Is this common?

Is there a cultural reason why second hand bike shops will not consider selling and re-buying at a lower price?

Any helpful tips on travelling with a bicycle?

Thanks for the replies (nice little VDO) - all very helpful :-)

I've read about a red bus that leaves Hua Hin ( Petchakasem Road near Polyclinic) for Cha Am and also about minivans that leave from Hua Hin bus stataion.

I've also read there is no Songthaew service between the 2 places.

The (daylight hours) train service seems to only be 2 trains a day at 1126 or 1410 hrs (HH to CA)

Most information I've found seems to date from 6 to 18 months ago.

Can anyone provide an update on current public transport services (and costs) between Hua Hin and Cha Am please?

Is cycling an option?

Thanks

Not completely true.

About an hour ago (1530 hrs BKK time) I had my SIN to BKK flight with SQ resheduled to the next morning - the entire SQ978 flight is cancelled and the number of SQ flights for the next day reduced from 8 to 4.

No problem lomatopo.

I checked out a few places and settled on www.travelthaiservice.com for a 2,200 Bht ride from DMK to Hua Hin.

They replied to emails very quickly.

Most advertise 2,000 Bht from BKK Airport to Hua Hin but this is from Suwannabhumi with an extra 200 Bht for DMK Pickup.

Return prices range from 1,900 to 2,000 Bht with a small discount for booking the return trip in advance.

Thanks for the replies lomatopo - I've booked a Toyota Camry from DMK to Hua Hin for 2,200 Bht.

I'll settle for a train ride back to BKK, a nice early start by the look of things.

We were booked on a Nok Air flight from Nakhon Phanom that arrived in BKK at around 1000 hrs on Feb 14th - plenty of time to catch the 1300 hrs train to Hua Hin. Nok Air have changed the flight schedule and the plane now gets in at 1300 hrs.

I'm rethinking the train idea as the trains departing from 1500 hr arive after dark.

Has anyone recently taken a taxi from Don Maung to Hua Hin?

What was the price and are there any reliable services that I can pre-book?

Thanks in advance

I've had about 6 flights on Lion Air over the past 3 years (from Denpasar to Makassar) - all have left late and most have had a last minute change on departure gate.

This may have been related to Indonesian style organization rather than the airline.

I'd happliy fly with them again, the price is cheap enough to compensate for the predictable delays.

I would never use them on a tight connection schedule though.

I think Malaysia and Lion Air have blended into Malindo for Indoneisan and Malaysian routes and that Lion have their sights on European services - once they can get their safety records consistent enough to meet requirements.

We were booked on a Nok Air flight from Nakhon Phanom that arrived in BKK at around 1000 hrs - plenty of time to catch the 1300 hrs train to Hua Hin. Nok Air have changed the flight schedule and the plane now gets in at 1300 hrs.

I'm rethinking the train idea as the trains departing from 1500 hr arive after dark.

Has anyone recently taken a taxi from Don Maung to Hua Hin?

What was the price and are there any reliable services that I can pre-book?

Thanks in advance

I'm also using MSE on 1 PC and a Netbook - no problems after approx 2 years

I've heard of square pegs in round holes .... but round covers for square holes.

Does anyone have any idea why this happened to several square holes along Jomtien beach front?

Thanks for the news about Kanchanaburi.

We are in Sihanoukville at the moment and flying into Bangkok on Nov 18th for a couple of nights befor - hopefully - catching the train to Kanchanaburi. The bus is second choice but none the less a decent option.

We have taken the bus once and train once to get to Kanchanaburi and preferr the train.

There were mini vans that ran from Kanchanaburi to Mo Chit (there was a place running nice looking mini vans just next to River Kwai Hotel last year) but i think we caught a bus from the Southern Bus terminal a few years earlier - I've read that the Southern Terminal has ben moved due to flooding.

Where do the mini vans leave from?

I'll keep checking on the train service over the next week and play it by ear I guess.

Thanks again for the information.

I've already re-routed my flight at the start of my next trip (Nov 4th) straight to Phnom Penh - rather than 2 nights in Bangkok first - and have planned to return to Thailand on Nov 18th for a couple of nights in Bangkok before catching the train to Kanchanaburi for 3 days.

I gather that the railway station in Thon Buri may be under threat of flooding but that train services are OK at the moment.

Any thoughts on what might unfold over the next couple of weeks and what form of transport from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi might be the least likely to be affected by flooding?

I'm assuming that Kanchanaburi is not in any immediate danger of flooding - is this correct?

Thanks pnustedt.

I'm and glad your family made it safely Jerrytheyoung - hope the rest of the journey to Nakhon Phanom goes well.

I'm looking forward to spending some time in quieter rural places along the Mekong and it sounds like flooding and rains will have moved on by late November - great news.

Thanks again

Thank you pnustedt, sounds reassuring.

Have there been problems with flooding (more than the usual for the region) over the past few months?

It's quite hard to get accurate information through the media and usual channels to plan a trip, particularly under the current circumstances with flooding across the country.

Thanks again for the reply

On Nov 25th I'll be heading from BKK to Udon Thani to Nakon Phanom, That Phanom to Mukdahan and then Ubon Ratchathani for a flight back to BKK on Dec 5th.

I see the current Google crisis map has Udon Thani, Nakon Phanom and Mukdahan areas marked as 'Normal' but Ubon Ratchathani markes as 'Medium Risk' of flooding

I know it is impossible to predict what will happen with the fllooding an hour ahead let alone 3 or 4 weeks ahead - would value reports from people in Ubon Ratchathani about current situation and what they consider the immediate future might be.

I'm bokked into a the Sri Isan Hotel, less than 1 Km from the river - is this a bit close??

Thanks Squigy and Celticbhoy - very helpful

Looking forward to my time in Mukdahanand points inbetween Nakhon Thanon and Ubon Ratchathani - even the bus rides.

I might give Submukda Grand Hotel a go then - as long as the AC works and their is WiFi is adequate. I have also read that there is only 1 powerpoint in the rooms - double adaptor needed.

Thanks Squigy

I was planing on a couple of nights so might try somewhere else.

Where would you stay if you went back to Mukdahan?

What is the bus station like?

I was hoping to get a local bus to That Thanom - early'ish but not quite as early as your 0500 hrs start to the day - perhaps more like 0730 ish.

Can you recall how frequent the bus services are?

Thanks again for the reply - very helpful

Thanks MeMock,

Good hotel review and nice photos.

It looks clean and spacious - pity about the hot water and WiFi. For the price and location though ..... might be worth a go?

Would you stay there again or did something else take your fancy?

Thanks again for the reply :-)

I've read good reports on the submukda grand hotel in Mukdahan but can't find any contact details to book it.

With the flooding I've decided to fly from Bangkok (Nov 25th) for 2 nights in Ubon Ratchathani and onto Khon Chiam for 2 nights before busing it to Mukdahan for 2 nights and on to Nakhon Thanom and That Thanom - flying back to BKK from Udon Thani.

Any general tips or recommendations would be great.

I'm hoping that by late November the flooding issues will be better or at least the situation clearer.

Thanks in advance

Good reply Sparky2205

It is so frustrating to be in the dark about a situation and seeking information is a natural response.

I hope your wife is OK

Good post IMA_FARANG

Any thoughts on the possible outcomes for the area with hotels just outside Suvarnabhumi?

Like the femi fan I'm flying in to Bangkok next week on my way to Phnom Penh and fancy getting a hotel (Orchid Resort looks reasonable) in the ajoining Lat Krabang area.

I know its impossible to predict - just curious as to the flooding history of that area around Suvarnabhumi Airport where quite a few hotels are located.

Thanks torin

Very helpful information.

I've got confirmed seats on AirAsia for Nov 6th BKK to PNH - connecting with my inbound flight from Australia to BKK on Nov 4th

Now I just need to get Singapore airlines to re-route my ADL to BKK flight to either KL (to get a different AirAsia flight to Phnom Penh) or possibly direct from SIN to PNH

Thanks very much for the replies people - always great to hear from people on the ground.