j0j0

thanks for the reply, but after a bit more research I think I'm going to get a taxi to the bus terminal in BKK and get the bus on from there.

thanks for all the replies folks, I hadn't even considered getting a taxi just to the bus terminal, that sounds like a good option as well!

ha, yeah I checked the map and realised I was going to have to go through BKK anyhow! The taxi looks quite appealing right now... public transport with lots of luggage, jetlagged after a long haul flight, does not sound too fun.

thanks for the help!

Hi,

I am flying in to Suvarnabhumi airport and want to get to Kanchanburi. Do I have to go into Bangkok to get public transport? I know there is a bus running from the Southern bus terminal, or the minibuses from Khao San but I'd rather go straight from the airport if I can.

Alternatively, how much can I expect to pay for a taxi?

thanks

Darn. The only other option is lug the thing around everywhere... no thanks! How much are internet cafes likely to charge per hour? I'll be transcribing interviews mainly, so I'll need the computer for a while each time.

thanks for the help, soundman.

Are there any self-service left luggage lockers in the skytrain/underground/any other stations?

I am going to be in Bangkok doing research for my dissertation, and will have my laptop and other equipment with me. I'm on a tight budget, and I'll be staying in inexpensive accommodation. I don't want to leave my expensive things in my room.

I'll probably only need my computer once every few days, but for a few hours each time. I had thought about just using internet cafes, but I really need my own computer. So, I thought I could leave it in a locker in the station if it is only going to cost a few baht.

Does anyone know which stations (if any) offer this service? I am willing to choose the area I base myself in by the availability of cheap and secure left luggage facilities!

or does anyone have a better suggestion?

thanks

is there some form of public transport going directly from the airport to Kanchanaburi or must I go into Bangkok? Alternatively, does anyone know roughly how much I can expect a taxi to cost?

I really don't want to have to battle through the city traffic only to struggle out again on a bus... avoiding it altogether would be good. I am on a pretty tight budget, but I can take a taxi if it is reasonable enough (there will be two of us to share the cost)

thanks

the equivalent of £30 for a three day pass? nice one!

what, this one?

http://www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com/2007...ut_rwmf2007.htm

13-15 July, looks interesting. I'll be in Thailand all summer, so I might head over for this.

aha! I just googled Kanchanaburi, it looks perfect. Easy enough to get to, things to do/see, and i just found some super-cheap but still nice looking accommodation. thanks for all the suggestions!

thanks for the info, that is good to know about the jetlag. No kids with me, I only have my own tired and cranky self to worry about! I was thinking of heading to Chiang Mai later on in the trip, so I might save that.

Hi,

I will be spending a few months in Thailand from mid June - mid Sept this year. I will be mostly in BKK, but was thinking of heading straight from the airport to somewhere a bit more peaceful for the first few days to get over jet lag and acclimatise (I'll be coming from the UK). Where would you suggest? I was thinking Hua Hin, but would like to look into a few other options as well.

I'm not a fan of baking on the beach all day, so a pristine sandy beach is not essential, though it wouldn't necessarily put me off either! Somewhere a bit less touristy would be a bonus. I'm on a tight budget, planning to spend 500-600 baht per night on accom in BKK, but I can spend a bit more on this little getaway at the start.

any ideas?

sorry, in my haste I forgot to say that I am a UK citizen, living in N Ireland, so I am flying from Dublin to BKK, and will be in and around the Bangkok area for the majority of the time. I will probably take a trip up north to Chiang Mai at some point, so that may be a good time to cross the border.

thanks for the help!

Cheap and tasteless is a little harsh! I'm in the UK and plenty of people have navel piercings. Each to their own, I say. www.bmezine.com has plenty of info about piercings and other body modifications in general. If oyu go there for a look you will be able to find out about the process and what to look for in a 'good' and safe piercer.

November Rain, as long as the piercing is done in a safe and sterile way (with a new and disposable needle, and autoclaved clamps etc) and the piercee follows the aftercare instructions, there should be minimal risk of infection.

Hi folks, just wondering if you could tell me if this would be the best option for me. I will be in Thailand from mid June until mid September. If I had just checked the visa regs properly before I booked this would be so much easier, as it actually adds up to 97 days.

"6 month validity, 2 to 4 entry tourist visa: pre-obtained at a Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate and will result in the holder obtaining a 60 day 'permission to stay' stamp upon entry. If required, this type of visa may be extended by 30 days at an immigration office, but after that time the holder must leave the country. The holder may then return to the Kingdom and will obtain a second 60 day 'permission to stay' stamp which can also be extended as previous and then the holder must leave. After the stipulated number of entries the visa is “used”."

I take it this means I can get a 60 day stamp, extend it for another 30 days, and take a trip over the border before that runs out. Then I can come straight back in, get another 60 day permission to stay, which will cover me until the end of my trip?

Is there a specific time period that I need to be out of the country for before I return?

Also, as this is a tourist visa, I assume I don't need to have a specific reason for my stay in Thailand to be this long?

thanks in advance for any help.

mostly stuff on the indie/rock side of things. For example, I'm going to see the Lemonheads in a few days, I love PJ Harvey, Queens of the Stone Age, CSS and Regina Spektor.

But I like plenty of things, really.

I'll go look at TTM again and see if I can find that 'english' button, thanks!

Hi folks,

I'll be in Bangkok from mid-June until mid-August or so. I was wondering if there is a website with listings for live music in BKK in english? I've found Thaiticketmaster, but it is hard to navigate as it is mostly in Thai.

thanks!

thanks for the link, Im actually currently trying to get hold of some books and articles by Peter Jackson via inter-library loan, as my uni library doesn't have them.

wowpow, that is a really interesting fact about the local schools. Other less accepting cultures (eh, where I live in N Ireland for example!) could certainly learn from that approach!

I read an anthropological article about transgender beauty pageants in Tonga, in the south pacific. It seemed like it was in interesting idea, so I decided to look at similar issues in a different location!

yeah she should definately see a doc first. AFAIK the patch works in much the same way as the pill, so I assume there would be similar things to consider. When you start taking the pill in the UK you must have your blood pressure checked, as the pill can rase it, this is also why it isn't a great idea to smoke if you are taking the pill, esp if you are over 30.

Thanks for the info. I formulated the general idea for the research after reading an article about transwomen taking part in a beauty pageant in Tonga. I thought it might be interesting to look at similar events elsewhere in the world. I am still obviously in the early stages of planning and researching, and the wording of my original post obviously reflects that. I hate to think that I might be offending or upsetting people by referring to gender identity as chosen. It seems to be pretty standard terminology in many the academic articles that I have been reading on the subject, and I just didn't think that it would be a problem. I will change the wording that I use in future.

As for the actual topic I am intending to look at, it is pretty fluid and can (and surely will) change as I read more and when I actually get to Thailand and start talking to people as well. I just thought it was a topic of anthropological interest

I am studying for a degree in Social Anthropology, and there is a huge amount of work done in anthropology relating to gender. I don't really understand what you mean by "degraded topic", but I can assure you that it is a perfectly valid research area, and my academic supervisor has no problems with my choice either.

yes, I am female. In the UK university system, most degrees require a dissertation to be completed in the third year. I think what we call a dissertation is different to dissertations in the US and other places though, mine is to be 8000 words which I think is shorter?

WaiWai: I can't speak any Thai, though I will be trying to learn a little before I arrive. If someone here could do a google search that would be amazingly helpful!

thanks to all of you who have given useful replies so far.

I had already found info on the Miss International Queen pageant that someone mentioned, but it is on in October, by which time I need to be back at Uni writing my dissertation!

Also, I really was looking for something more local: most of the participants would need to be Thai. I know that there are pleny of cabaret shows on... I might actually end up looking at that instead, but they are AFAIK pretty different from a beauty pageant.

Thanks for the useful comments, keep them coming!

Jo

I am an undergraduate Social Anthropology student at Queen's University, Belfast, N Ireland.

I'm planning to travel to Thailand this summer to undertake a period of anthropological research, which will form the basis of my dissertation.

I intend to research how participating in beauty pageants may reinforce the chosen gender identity of transgender people in Thailand. I would intend to, amongst other things, interview a number of transgendered people about themselves and their gender identity generally and attend some beauty pageants and talk to participants and observers there. I would ideally like to reach some understanding of what it means to be a kathoey/transgendered person in Thailand.

My research so far has suggested that beauty pageants specifically for kathoey are quite common. I was wondering someone here might be able to tell me when and where these take place? I will be in Thailand from about the middle of June until the middle of September, and can travel to anywhere in the country as needed.

if anyone wants to email me directly you can reach me at jmason04 AT qub DOT ac DOT uk

thanks folks