Info Please On Surin

[violatedm3]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could help me out, by giving me some info....

I am thinking about living in Surin and I am arriving to Bangkok on the 25th Of November. I can take the plane or train, but I am wondering what do you think is the better option. I understand that the flight does not go to surin but some place near by so If I go that route are their taxi's waiting for me and should I just pay a flat rate or pay meter? Also my flight arrivies at 12:30 pm and the flight that day leaves at 17:25 I think. so after clearing custums and geting my luggage I have a few hour layover.

The other option is train looking at the schedule they only one with 2nd class sleeper cabin leaves around 8 pm and arivies and 5 am. I am wondering if I do that will I be able to check in to a place for to stay that early?

Also I am wondering where are some decent low cost places to stay. Any suggestions?

I was hoping to take some Thai language classes does anyone have any suggestions close to Surin.

Will I need to buy a motorbike there or can I get around easily via tuk-tuk's and baht busses?

I would appreciate any info that you might have to offer,

Thank you.

[Nomad97]

PBAir flight schedules are pinned at the top of this forum. Latest schedules indicate flights depart at 1550 on a Sunday (25th Nov). Check which Bangkok airport this flight depart froms. Flights land at Buriram Airport which is some 40 kilometes north of Buriram and about 90 kilometers from Surin. Not sure if you will find taxis waiting outside the airport but another option is to contact this Forum's sponsor, The Farang Connection, who I think can meet you at the airport (for a small fee).

Train service to Surin, and all other destinations, is currently very disrupted - all the train drivers went on strike action 5 days ago over plans to privatise the State Railways of Thailand. No idea how long this action will continue. People I know are having to use the buses to travel to and from Surin at the present time.

Places to stay - check out The Farang Connection's web site for full details of places to stay. Once here in Surin, you should be able to find suitable housing to rent for around 3,000 to 4,000 baht per month.

Thai language classes in Surin - cannot advise.

Tuk-tuks are available and so are Samlors for local travel within the city. However, if you are staying for any length of time, I would have thought that a motorbike is the preferred solution for getting around.

[Dave the Dude]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could help me out, by giving me some info....

I am thinking about living in Surin and I am arriving to Bangkok on the 25th Of November. I can take the plane or train, but I am wondering what do you think is the better option. I understand that the flight does not go to surin but some place near by so If I go that route are their taxi's waiting for me and should I just pay a flat rate or pay meter? Also my flight arrivies at 12:30 pm and the flight that day leaves at 17:25 I think. so after clearing custums and geting my luggage I have a few hour layover.

The other option is train looking at the schedule they only one with 2nd class sleeper cabin leaves around 8 pm and arivies and 5 am. I am wondering if I do that will I be able to check in to a place for to stay that early?

Also I am wondering where are some decent low cost places to stay. Any suggestions?

I was hoping to take some Thai language classes does anyone have any suggestions close to Surin.

Will I need to buy a motorbike there or can I get around easily via tuk-tuk's and baht busses?

I would appreciate any info that you might have to offer,

Thank you.

Hi violatedm3

I live in Surin and have used PB Air many times.An easy decision really, 35mins on plane OR 5 HOUR in cab or 7 HOURS in train!! They are very helpful, I turned up for a flight at Buriram once when they were just closing the plane doors and they let me on!!! I would suggest as long as you dont land at BKK, with less than 2 hour before departure to BFV, you will have no problem. For about 100Baht you can store your luggage with the Baggage Service on the 2nd floor (i think) next to the Tourist Police office, IF you have time to kill at BKK. International Arrivals is on the 2nd floor and PBAir departures are at the left hand end of the 4th(top) floor.

There is little hope of catching a cab at Burriram airport, its in the middle of nowhere (I dont mean to be rude to farangs/locals who live nearby ) but would go along with Nomad97's idea of contacting Martin at Farang Connection, Surin. He is our fountain(beer) of all knowledge re services and the area. In the short tem, the Majestic Hotel is near the FC and IMO a very good,reasonably priced Hotel for your first few nights here in Surin. You might even see my ugly mug in there, I use their pool every week

Thai lessons? Not sure other than just living here and intergrating. Suggest you speak Martin (in Engrish).

tuk-tuk's and baht busses? Plenty around.Never use em. suggest as above.

I hope you enjoy your stay as much as I am. PM me if I can be of further help

regards

Dave

[binnsy]

I would take the Taxi by the time you have got from one airport to the othe and checked in it will take about 3 hours then you will have the trip from buriram to surin.

i paid 4000 to Buriram so i would suggest thats the same Surin.They wanted 4500 but there are so many you will get one for less.

[johnsurin]

The travel details have already been dealt with so I will bypass those questions.

On your accomodation as dave the dude suggested you can spend a few nights at the majestic hotel first if you want.

Then if your looking for somewhere cheap to stay there is mile place apartments around the corner from the farang connection and back of the thong tarin hotel.

They offer rooms from 4000 baht per month and are quite reasonable, however they can get a little noisy at times from students staying there or the odd local farang bunking up there for a little bit of a break from the wife, or on a boys night out.

If this is not to your liking there a number of other places slightly cheaper or slightly more expensive to stay.

If you want to get transport I would certainly recommend a motorbike at least, it is simply not practical to use tuk-tuks, sam-laws or motorbike taxis as transport if you require them regulary.

You could either buy one or if you require the farang connection does a rental service at a very reasonable rate and offers a discount for longer periods.

As for thai lessons, they are available at a few places at approximatley 200 baht per hour on a 20 hour basis or so. There is a few us local farangs who can speak a reasonable amount of thai (enough to get by anyway), however not all of us stay there full time but you might pick up a bit of the lingo from us.

I suppose this all depends on how you mix with the local farang population.

Pray tell, why are you considering living in Surin?

Have you been there before?

Where do you come from?

Have you visited thailand before?

Are you married/have girlfriend?

Are you planning on teaching?

I am sorry if these question sound a bit blunt, but they will be questions you are probably liable to be asked if and when you meet farang (foreigers), there you go you 1st thai lesson (for free) in Surin. However don't be daunted about the questions as some us guys are pretty helpfull to newcomers, as when you arrive some of the recent ones over the past year or two will tell you.

Anyway all the best and good luck in your move, and if your still around perhaps you'll meet me when I arrive on January 23rd. So.........

Yindee donn raap, phom wang waa khun chawp surin, chock dee khrap.

John.....

[violatedm3]

Thanks for the responses. Yes I have been to thailand before first time last year and then again for 6 weeks may-june of this year. A little info on me and to answer your questions. I am 38 years old retired navy. I seen a thai women here, that I meet on my first trip. Nothing Serious.

I am from the USA. I might teach, not to sure though. I am thinking about either Surin or Udon Thani as a place to live. Surin seems like a nice laid back place to live and has some night life...

[farangconnection]

Pop in and see us.................................if you're on the straight and narrow, we'll help you off it, if you're already off it, we'll help you back on. No, seriously, lots of information can be gleaned from the local populance that meet every afternoon in the fore mentioned hostelry. Of course then you have to separate the truth from the little white ones, but that is no great problem. We have quite a few of your countrymen that gather at various times of the day as well, so you won't be alone here. Come on down................

[Dave the Dude]

I would take the Taxi by the time you have got from one airport to the othe and checked in it will take about 3 hours then you will have the trip from buriram to surin.

i paid 4000 to Buriram so i would suggest thats the same Surin.They wanted 4500 but there are so many you will get one for less.

Hi Binnsy

Why would you need to change airports? PB AIR fly from swampy boomy, where international planes land too. So it would still take about 35>45 minutes