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Omg Give Me Coordinates Already

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  • Popular Post

I guess this is more of a rant, I know it is never, EVER going to happen, but I am really sick of the "directions" here. I wish, with all our "advancements" that we could standardize directions in the form of coordinates, everywhere. I know poor people aren't going to have GPS, but most phones do have the capability. I think they have to actually, depends if they can display it though.

I also feel it is mush easier to find on the internet with coordinates, rather than the confusing street names and sois here.

I think we should move into the next realm, really. Give me coordinates; I don't want to hear turn left at 7 11 ever again. Even farangs give "left/right" directions from BTS when there is no way to know what they are talking about. I need an east or north in there.

IKEA is literally the ONLY business I have come across in Thailand that is savvy enough to furnish coordinates. <deleted>!!! I think that is really weird. I really do.

Am I the only one??

Edited by isawasnake

There are about half a dozen businesses near BKK that I would love to visit (and perhaps buy some 10,000-45,000 baht items), but I can't locate them on Google Earth or Google maps. And I refuse to spend hours bopping up and down one way streets in BKK traffic to spend my money, even if I could contact them by phone to get directions that the OP accurately describes as useless.

GPS coordinates on their website would help me find them and to pony up my sweaty foreigner money...

My email signature has the office's building, the building address, the BTS and MRT stop, and the GPS coordinates. (And I don't even sell anything for my job, I buy stuff).

I figure that's the minimum information today's websites should give their prospects.

Edited by impulse

I'm still waiting for a phone ap where someone can send you a .kmz file which you can then view on Google Maps on your phone. Lat- Long coordinates are so old fashioned. smile.png

Try entering a .kmz file into my Garmin GPS- I haven't found a way- though I admit I bought the entry level Thai model.

They're great if you happen to have a decent interweb connection and can get to Google Earth, but pretty inconvenient if I call from the road and don't want to pull over for 10-15 minutes to download Google Earth where cell reception is spotty.

In either case, the lat-long is going into my GPS and the nice lady behind the tiny screen is going to tell me where to turn. I used to argue all the time with my GPS lady in the USA, but here in LOS, I love that nice lady (even if she steers me wrong 5% of the time)

Edited by impulse

Oh, another step to over reliance on computers.

  • Author

Oh, another step to over reliance on computers.

When the alternative is "Go to the north side of asoke exiting bts, walk 300 meters to the east and arrive on the left" I agree with you 100%.

Yet, the actual directions are "go right from bts asoke, walk past 2 7-11's, and it will be on your left." Give me coordinates over that every time... to hell with over reliance, I need my sanity first.

  • Popular Post

Oh, another step to over reliance on computers.

Yeah, just like we over-rely on cars and airplanes and that new fangled electricity stuff that comes (get this) right out of the wall.

I'd put my orienteering skills up against most. But give a 6 year old kid a GPS and he/she'll get most places long before me with my compass, my sextant and the best map I can find.

Edited by impulse

Oh, another step to over reliance on computers.

You could always plot the coordinates on your paper map wink.png

  • Author

How would we go about letting these places know we want coordinates?

Just a sheer exercise in futility I'm sure.

Just for grins, how about sending them an email. Most of the sites have email addresses. I'll give it a try on a few shops I'd like to find.

Had a great example today. Programmed a Khao Yai NP waterfall (Lat-Lon) into the GPS and followed the little lady's directions. Got there with no problems. Judging from the route I took, the signs in Thai and all the twists and turns along the way, I'd have never made the trip in a day, much less 2 hours without GPS.

Sadly, got to the NP entrance and my brake pedal went to the floor. That was the end of that adventure. Crawled down the hill in low gear to the nearest town, found a mechanic shop and he had me fixed in an hour, asking only 400 baht for part (brake hose) and labor. I think I made his day when I gave him 2000 and all the thanks I could muster. Worth every baht to get home safely the same day...

Followed the lady's instructions and got home with no errant turns.

I'm still waiting for a phone ap where someone can send you a .kmz file which you can then view on Google Maps on your phone. Lat- Long coordinates are so old fashioned. smile.png

Orux maps can load kmz files that you might have received as an email attachment. Simpler still the sender can just send the Google Maps route link via email so receiver opens the route on their own Google Maps. Latter needs a net connection, Orux can do it offline if need be.

I see some farlang managed biz here have C-ords on their sites, it gets them more customers. Many times good directions and putting the co-ords into my car GPS has made the decision of which establishment.

I go to houses and businesses all the time for my work. Very few people can draw a decent map of how to get to their own house. When giving directions they tell you how they get there not how you should get there. Or call a business and the person on the phone cannot even tell you how they got there to get to work in the morning.. How on earth do you expect then to know anything about coordinates? Having followed said coordinates what do you do when you end up at the wrong place?

I always ask for the nearest soi junction (cross street) which is usually the most reliable at least in BKK. Even then the owners don't always know what that is.

Not everyone on the planet is familiar with Google Earth. I just looked and I must be a thicky because even if I can find my house on Bing and Google Maps they do not display the coordinates of the cursor so how is one supposed to find it. I can because I can go to google earth a find it but...unlike the OP mere mortals may not be able to do this.

If the businesses where someone wants to spend 45,000 has a phone ask the the nearest cross street and work from there.

As for the turn at 7-11, i.e. visual landmarks, that is by far the best source of information because that is how people navigate here. Or up country Toyota or Esso or...Even further out spirit houses or holy tress or wat gates or...

North? South? Even I have problems with that as most European roads do not go in the directions of a compass. In North America most cities are laid out on a grid so it makes sense, but here?

As has been said an exercise in futility.

What is more concerning is that most local children have scouts day at school. What do they teach them there? Certainly not draw a map of how to get to your house!

Edited by VocalNeal

  • Author

I go to houses and businesses all the time for my work. Very few people can draw a decent map of how to get to their own house. When giving directions they tell you how they get there not how you should get there. Or call a business and the person on the phone cannot even tell you how they got there to get to work in the morning.. How on earth do you expect then to know anything about coordinates? Having followed said coordinates what do you do when you end up at the wrong place?

I always ask for the nearest soi junction (cross street) which is usually the most reliable at least in BKK. Even then the owners don't always know what that is.

Not everyone on the planet is familiar with Google Earth. I just looked and I must be a thicky because even if I can find my house on Bing and Google Maps they do not display the coordinates of the cursor so how is one supposed to find it. I can because I can go to google earth a find it but...unlike the OP mere mortals may not be able to do this.

If the businesses where someone wants to spend 45,000 has a phone ask the the nearest cross street and work from there.

As for the turn at 7-11, i.e. visual landmarks, that is by far the best source of information because that is how people navigate here. Or up country Toyota or Esso or...Even further out spirit houses or holy tress or wat gates or...

North? South? Even I have problems with that as most European roads do not go in the directions of a compass. In North America most cities are laid out on a grid so it makes sense, but here?

As has been said an exercise in futility.

What is more concerning is that most local children have scouts day at school. What do they teach them there? Certainly not draw a map of how to get to your house!

Here is a coordinate finder. There are a dozen more that are just as, or even more, intuitive than this one.

http://www.whatsmygps.com/

As for the turn at 7-11, i.e. visual landmarks, that is by far the best source of information because that is how people navigate here.

People really should have an idea of general direction that they are going. Knowing the direction at EVERY point isn't as important as say knowing direction where you will be entering and exiting BTS stations; it just isn't that difficult, and there are maps everywhere. And right now for example, the sun is rising ans setting almost due east and west. You mention school, this stuff should be taught in schools. It would be invaluable in Thailand/Bangkok. One way to put it; just because Thai teachers don't understand it doesn't mean the schools should not be teaching it.

I do agree with you in that nothing will ever happen.

Edited by isawasnake

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 8 months later...

Tried searching for ages, probably doesn't exist but I wish there was a list of interesting places andctheir GPS coordinates. No point having a Google map if I don't really know exactly where they are. I am talking waterfalls, valleys etc. Not places with real addresses.

  • 2 weeks later...

For places with real addresses, Google probably uses directories like Yellow Pages as the source for listing on Google Maps, but even then it will be impossible to list a place if there is no street name and house number but only Changwat, Amphoe, Talat, Mu Baan and number. For touristic sights, a good start would be if the Tourist Authority of Thailand made a list with the corresponding GPS coordinates, published this list on their website, and sent Google a link to it.

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place

 

Google maps.

Right click on the spot you want.

Click on Whats here on the menu box.

Coordinates will show in address box and left menu.

Want to save the spot click save to my maps.

Enter coordinates in your mobile device.

GO

This is for google classic maps

Not sure of the new google maps as I haven't used them yet.

If on loading google maps you get the new maps, go to the bottom right and click on the ? mark and select return to classic maps.

Hope this helps.

Removed a troll post.

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place

 

Thank you Trembly. A much better source for folks than my straight text,wai2.gif

Thank you Trembly. A much better source for folks than my straight text,wai2.gif

But in view of the recent upgrade of Google Maps your post is still essential for the information about how to return to Classic Google Maps. It was good of you to explain that.

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place

 

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