Going to southeast asia

Dylflon · 10-19-2010, 02:28 AM

Leaving Sunday, gone for two months.

Still actually might come on the boards while I'm gone.

Anyone been?

/thread?

Angrist · 10-19-2010, 07:55 AM

What does southeast include? I guess Korea, Vietnam, perhaps Japan? I'd love to go there once, should be a great experience.

Have fun!

Professor S · 10-19-2010, 08:31 AM

Have fun. Avoid landing in jail. I've seen a few movies about that... seems... unpleasant.

Acebot44 · 10-19-2010, 11:33 AM

I have quite a few friends who are either teaching, volunteering, or working in Thailand/Korea/Japan right now, so if you'd like some tips or maybe a few folks to hit the cities with, let me know and I'll ask em.

They all love it btw

The Germanator · 10-19-2010, 12:38 PM

I've been to Japan for two days for a festival and they were two of the most interesting days of my life. I'd love to go back for a longer time

Have fun!

Angrist · 10-19-2010, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Germanator

I've been to Japan for two days for a festival and they were two of the most interesting days of my life. I'd love to go back for a longer time

Have fun!

That makes me want to see Lost In Translation again.

manasecret · 10-19-2010, 11:28 PM

I hear from multiple first-hand sources that Japanese women (and, by extension, all Asian women, of course

) fall all over themselves for the blue-eyed, white, Westerner type.

Have fun, sir!

Bond · 10-20-2010, 01:46 AM

What's on tap for your expedition?

Xantar · 10-20-2010, 05:15 PM

Watch out for the prostitutes. And if you're in Vietnam, don't go outside too much. Major air pollution.

But do eat some seafood if you're not prohibited from doing so. It's the best in the world.

Dylflon · 10-21-2010, 09:04 AM

I'll be going through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia for those who were curious.

Angrist · 10-21-2010, 11:01 AM

And here I was again thinking Cambodia is in Africa.

Xantar · 10-22-2010, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dylflon

I'll be going through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia for those who were curious.

Well in that case, eat some fruit. Eat lots of fruit. You'll find all kinds of wonderful stuff that's very difficult to get in the U.S. My personal favorite is fresh jackfruit.

And again, have some seafood.

And stay away from the massage parlors.

Seth · 10-22-2010, 03:59 PM

Honestly, I say avoid the seafood. I lived in Thailand for 6 months. Do not bother with herb in Bangkok. There are too many reasons not to do that. Definitely go to Laos. I had a ton of fun there. People are nice, food is way better than Thai, cheap to the point of depressing. My walks around the capital were mostly on dirt roads. Wandering into the jungle is never advised.

If you like rock climbing I would hit up Ton Sai beach or maybe even Chiang Mai since you will be going north anyway. I canèt say much about Cambodia except the guys from the college I knew were mean dudes. Get used to firearms.

Understate your whiteness. My buddy from michigan could speak thai fluently as well as laos and rough cambo so getting ripped off in transport was reduced quite a bit. Accept the fact that youère going to be ripped off a lot.
If you want to limit your chance of getting a liver destroying parasite I would definitely avoid animal products as much as possible.
Are you going by yourself

Avoid Khao San road unless you like that kind of thing. Pataya is the more raw area, about two hours south by the coast. Its kind of the sin city that has a lot more european tourists.
If you dont want to be physically ushered into go go clubs then patpong in bangkok wonèt be your thing either. However, if you donèt mind possible ladyboy groping then thereès actually a few good places to find knockoff rolex type stuff in that part of town.
Donèt wander into snooker joints without local thai friends.

Donèt buy tshirts that are only 80 baht or whatever. They will shrink and the screenprint will fall off after poisoning you.

I did find that it was easy to spend 2000 baht on a weekend in bangkok.
One thing more, you might want to just skip the tuk tuk rides after your initial romp. The pollution grime that youèll end up wiping off your face before passing out at the hotel is enough to warrant an extra 50 or so baht for an AC taxi. Tuk tuk rides are by nature way more fun. Especially if your driver is tanked and stubbornly driven to race with the other 2 strokers. I had one extra memorable tuktuk driver literally two wheel us at top speed coming down a toll highway ramp onto a cross street and that was just the preface to the wildest transportation night of my life. In retrospect we were stupid for encouraging him.

Do not trust the women in matters that could possibly lead to some sort of attached relationship. In fact, HIV is a serious issue in thailand and it would be irresponsible of me not to warn you of what is possibly an obvious assumption on your part.
Be prepared for people to side-assume that you went solely for the sex industry.

Angrist · 10-22-2010, 04:11 PM

Man, that posts scares me so much that I don't think I'm ever going East.

But it's good advice.

Seth · 10-22-2010, 04:18 PM

I had an acquaintence over a few days ago that was in Bangkok during the redshirt standoff. Crazy stories but he was right in the middle of it. They took over some military tanks and that night over 800 people were shot. After that they took it to victory monument and the military easily cleaned up.
One more piece of advice, if there is a civilian uprising, whether or not justified, go shopping at MBK mall or something instead of throwing tear gas canisters back at the military lines.

Thailand really isnèt that scary unless the prospect of huge disparities in standards of living gives you the worry fury. There is a lot of hatred towards americans, and the west, but itès mostly offset by the fact that they depend on tourism. The manufacturing outsourced to thailand is something theyère pissed about as well because corporations sign 2 year tax free deals and then bail once the contract is up. Reverse Osmosis is your friend.