traveling light

[johnnywishbone]

i have made the mistake (often) of bringing 22k camera stuff and 22k clothing.

proved to be disastrous as far as freedom.

i plan to arrive in phuket 15 september.

i want to experience the heavy rain.

patong and kamala.

i will stay 30-90 days.

i have the visa.

my questions.

can i survive without a laptop?

i am really paranoid.

i will bring iphone 6.

i will bring cash USD.

i have no clue what to do if i was to lose my atm card.

i am not really comfortable with this. the carrying cash in a money belt.

i would bring 4 complete changes of clothing.

and enough under clothing.

long pants and collar shirts, all tropical compatable.

and water happy adidas shoes.

i will bring 2 nikon aw110 cameras with a bunch of batteries and chips.

i most likely will not spend much time in bars.

i am just too cheap.

plus i usually end up in jail.

i am 71 now, so i don't want to use the bar girls.

besides, i have friends to sleep with.

i will also take a bus to khon kaen and stay there for around 10 days.

maybe a short stay in laos.

i want to take at least 10,000 photographs.

regular people doing regular things.

someday i'll get my masterpiece. maybe.

my primary objective is to escape the extreme stress of my life and duties at home for a while.

am i on the right track?

[craigt3365]

Sounds good, but I think you'll need a laptop for the pics. I found it very hard to deal with pics on anything else. As far as security, it should really be a problem...depending on where you are staying. But theft here is pretty rare unless you are out wandering around late at night.

I'd fly to KK. It's a looooong bus ride....and a cheap flight.

Get an ATM card with a different bank. That way you have a backup. I've never used a money belt here. But don't normally have that much cash on me. Just use the ATM. You might even be able to setup a bank account here and use their ATM?

[johnnywishbone]

Thank you for the advice. I thought about simply opening an account at Bangkok Bank.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[johnnywishbone]

I think the bus ride is 2 days each way.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tartempion]

Buy cheap clothes on markets, long trousers at 100B etc.

Fly Phuket to Udon Thani direct with Air Asia for less than 2000 B

[xen]

The only advantage of taking the bus over the plane is that you see some of the country unless it is night time travel. I perfer the train myself - bus to Chumphun and then train to BKK - just a suggestion.

[craigt3365]

The only advantage of taking the bus over the plane is that you see some of the country unless it is night time travel. I perfer the train myself - bus to Chumphun and then train to BKK - just a suggestion.

Probably good to mention traveling by bus at night can be quite dangerous.

[CNXBKKMAN]

Take less clothes and buy some more in Thailand if needed. No laptop required if you have enough memory cards. View and edit the pics when you get home. Take cash, cards and even travelers cheques, a bit of everything. For your journey to Khon Kaen take buses and trains and make many stops. Chumphon, Prachuap, Korat etc. Lots more photo opportunities and shorter journeys between stops. Cheap hotels everywhere. Don't be in a rush.

[phuketrichard]

10,000 photos?

with out a laptop ur going to need lots of Memory cards ( i personally never use bigger than a 4 gb card)
OR

you could visit shops along the ways an have cd's burned

or

you could bring an external hard drive an than visit computer shops and move ur pics from the cards to the drive.

For me when i travel i don't even look at my pics for over 1 month after i shoot them.

I travel with 2 nikons ( d7000, d80 ) with 2 lenses ( 18-200mm & 24 mm)and my external flash and (sometimes a tripod if i am traveling by car), chargers, 2 batteries for each camera

You do not need 4 changes of clothes

I travel for 1 week to 2 months from here with 2 pair shorts/i pair long pants an 4-5 shirts, 2 pair underpants, , light jacket, hat

there's laundry's everywhere with next day pick up ( if its not raining)

Heavy rain here??not all the time??? LOL seems we are getting hard rain at night thou.

WHY Khoen Khaen?? my god if were u i would travel up to Chaing Mai any day over kk.

Bring that atm card!!!

i do not suggest u open an account and change $ to thai baht the way its been going lately

[phuketrichard]

ps; i have never heard of someone setting a goal of shooting xxx number of shots,

shoot what you want,

I find i overshoot compared to when i used film, but my % of keepers dropped as well

Edited August 30, 2015 by phuketrichard

[CNXBKKMAN]

A lot of memory cards are 32gb or 64gb with 16gb being a smaller one nowadays. I don't think memory cards will be a problem.

[NickJ]

You will need a permission slip as well.....

[phuketrichard]

i would never trust hundreds , if not thousands of photos on a memory card going bad, ( and i have had a few bad ones)

hence reason i never use larger than a 4 gb card

and than transfer to a external hard drive

[cooked]

Blimey, at the age of 63 I came over with hand luggage and an iPhone. These young people , I don't know, grumble, grumble.

[dddave]

I assume you'll be here on a multiple entry visa obtained in your home country so opening an account at Bangkok Bank is usually easy. You might hit an unco-operative clerk, just go to another branch. One problem with new Bangkok Bank ATM cards is that many have a security chip and only work in Bangkok Bank ATM's. Easily replaceable if lost. 20 minutes at a branch.

Suggest you consider a tablet with a detachable keyboard...much more compact than a laptop but easily able to edit your pics and do email.

Clothing is so cheap here...wearable souvenirs really...buy as you go. Long pants better for avoiding insect bites. Very lightweight "cargo" style is very convenient.

When I first came 12 years ago, I stocked up on expensive camera batteries only to find the same ones here for half the price...

There really is not very much you can't buy here.

Don't forget your expensive camera lenses can be damaged by condensation going from a chilly air conditioned room out into the sweltering humidity. Get moisture trapped between lens elements and bye-bye optic. Double zip lock bags not overkill.

Bus to Khon Kaen can be nice daytime but consider a stopover for a day and maybe night in old Sukothai.

For really spectacular scenery in Laos, take the 10 hr bus from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. Make sure to get a window seat and clean the window outside before you depart.

[johnnywishbone]

I just committed to a storage locker in patong. By jongceylon. I'm thinking this will help with my travel light issues.

I'll bring a d300 and an 18-200 or something like that along with one aw-110.

11" MacBook Air along with the iPhone.

I usually dress very sharp.

I do this to irritate ladies who stepped on me when I had no money.

Childish I know, but.........

I want to think you all for the feedback.

I don't want to go to Khon Kaen. But I have been helping a family there. And helping with dialysis costs. I want to meet them. Extremely poor.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[phuketrichard]

ur arriving the 15th and already have a storage locker.

WHY

dressing sharp for someone else??

again

Why

Edited August 31, 2015 by phuketrichard

[Nice Boyd]

Sounds good, but I think you'll need a laptop for the pics. I found it very hard to deal with pics on anything else. As far as security, it should really be a problem...depending on where you are staying. But theft here is pretty rare unless you are out wandering around late at night.

I'd fly to KK. It's a looooong bus ride....and a cheap flight.

Get an ATM card with a different bank. That way you have a backup. I've never used a money belt here. But don't normally have that much cash on me. Just use the ATM. You might even be able to setup a bank account here and use their ATM?

go to a credit union or Charles schwab for No ATM fees on cash withdrawals, forget the laptops, most hotel wifi sucks too