Hua Hin (Thailand)

[Uncle Tony]

I know that there a lot of gay webmasters living in Thailand- anyone in Hua Hin? How is the place? Wifi and 3G? Any good MMA gym there?

I got myself a fresh dual entry 6 months tourist visa and am flying out soon. I want to be in a laid back place where action is available but not in your face like Pattaya (fucking crowded and polluted too, just as bad as India- gets old)...pretty sure I'll die of liver cancer or aids in that town before my visa expires

Any other suggestions? Chiang Mai? How about some other country? Not too cold or polluted, small town with wifi and hot girls is all I need. Is all of Vietnam shit? I'd have liked to go to the Philippines (Boracay) but getting that visa on my Indian passport is a PITA.

 

[Kiopa_Matt]

Hua Hin is like the Florida of Thailand. It's where all the old people go to relax, and die. Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai are definitely nice, and worth checking out.

Vietnam, I've only been to Hanoi, stayed in the old quarter, and hated it so much I was out of the country within about 36 hours. I loved Bali, stayed in Ubud, and thought it was great out there. Malaysia is a shit hole, and don't even worry about that place. Then to wrap up your SE Asia trip, I'd recommend Singapore. After all the SE Asia bullshit, it's nice to hit Singapore, as everything is clean, wealthy, and good. It's a nice change for the system.

 

[Uncle Tony]

Yeah I like Singapore; spent a few days there not too long ago but fuck spending $300-500 (their currency is almost on par with the US dollar anyway) per day on just hotel rent and food to live comfortably. That shit can stretch a week in a country like Thailand, including bitches! Now, just to find some livable non polluted town with fast internet...

Edit: Bali looks pretty good! They even have visa on arrival for Indians. How bad is the whole Islamic culture thing there? That's why I dislike Malaysia- overpriced Muslim shithole. Islam this and Islam that, how the fuck do they even live like that.

 

[rusvik]

If you want to go to Thailand go to Phuket if you want a place with banging nightlife. Phuket has a lot of really nice and unspoilt beaches as well and you can live away from the touristy areas except to go there to party. There's also a whole range of different entertainment from western style clubs with the stupidity and false machismo (and noone getting laid) that we know, but there's also expat clubs, hooker bars, late night clubs, live music and everything in between. This is Patong beach btw. You can rent a nice villa for something like $200 a month outside the hotspots. I wouldn't bother with Chiang Mai unless you go for the trekking and nature. It's full of annoying unwashed hippies.

Koh Samui is also decent enough with some good nightlife in Chaweng and you can hop on the ferry to Ko Tao for diving or Ko Phangnan for the Full Moon Party.

All things considered, I would choose Phuket since it's the biggest and has everything, also seclusion if you get away from the tourist spots.

 

[Crynos]

Koh Samui is also decent enough with some good nightlife in Chaweng and you can hop on the ferry to Ko Tao for diving or Ko Phangnan for the Full Moon Party.

Do you know (generally) how much it would cost for a ~2-3 bedroom apartment somewhat near the beach in Koh Samui?

 

[Philip P]

Do you know (generally) how much it would cost for a ~2-3 bedroom apartment somewhat near the beach in Koh Samui?

Best to google that, to get an idea what standard of accommodation you are getting for your money. Depending on your interests/tastes, you may want to look into Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, which are relatively close-by.

Also @ Uncle Tony, how did you get that 6 months tourist visa - I heard they stopped giving those out years ago?

 

[Crynos]

Best to google that, to get an idea what standard of accommodation you are getting for your money. Depending on your interests/tastes, you may want to look into Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, which are relatively close-by.

I've done a bit of digging on prices, but Kiopa_Matt told me that you usually can't find the best deals on the Internet, and have to look around locally to get the cheap stuff. So I'm not sure if what I'm seeing is what someone who knows their way around Thailand would be paying.

 

[Kiopa_Matt]

Best to google that, to get an idea what standard of accommodation you are getting for your money.

No, don't Google it. I'm not sure about Koh Samui as I've never been there, and it's very touristy, so may be different than the rest of Thailand. However, to get a good deal you have to be on the street. If you go off the internet, you're going to get tourist pricing, which is at least 4 times more than any Thai would pay. Gotta go tour the streets, look for "for rent" signs from the property owners, and give them a call.

For example, I'm paying $160/month for a nice 2 storey, 4bdrm, 2 bath house. It's old, but nice. On the flip side, I know people paying $550 for a tiny, shitty studio apartment. That's just the way Thailand works. For example, same goes with my taxi driver I always use. He charges me about 50% of what anyone else in the city will charge me, and the only reason for that is because my neighbor introduced me to him, and told him straight out that I'm a good friend, so no white-man pricing. So he gets excellent tips, and because of that is here within 10 mins anytime I call, which is great for everyone.

Also, how did you get that 6 months tourist visa - I heard they stopped giving those out years ago?

Double entry tourist VISA. They're offered I think at all consulates and embassies. You get 60 days, which can be extended to 90. From there, you make a quick border run using your second entry, giving you another 60 days, which can again be extended to 90. In total, you get 180 days (6 months).

 

[Uncle Tony]

Best to google that, to get an idea what standard of accommodation you are getting for your money. Depending on your interests/tastes, you may want to look into Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, which are relatively close-by.

Also, how did you get that 6 months tourist visa - I heard they stopped giving those out years ago?

Yeah it's not very common. The standard issue is single entry 60 days. But it exists (at least for Indian passport holders), google it. 6 months with 2 periods of x60 days stay (120 out of 180 days). And visa is not a big deal in Thailand anyway, I believe you can overstay as long as you want and legally pay a fine and go in and out. No fingerprinting at the airport either, so technically speaking one can just get a new passport if you overstay and don't get another visa?

 

[goldmercury]

I've heard good things about Cambodia my friend is over their just now

 

[Philip P]

@ Crynos: Yeah you will get better deals if you book when you arrive as long as you don't visit during a really peak period. I've generally just used bungalow style accommodation, and as I haven't been to Thailand in about 5 years I will leave advice about pricing to the others.

 

[Uncle Tony]

^ oh. Yeah you will get better deals if you book when you arrive as long as you don't visit during a really peak period. I've generally just used bungalow style accommodation, and as I haven't been to Thailand in about 5 years I will leave advice about pricing to the others.

I was there (Pattaya) in August and a comfy clean 3 star with full American breakfast buffet was about $30/day, tip $1-2 for room service... Probably cheaper if you pay upfront for a month. Awesome stuff! It's cheaper than fucking Mumbai to be honest.

 

[rusvik]

I've heard good things about Cambodia my friend is over their just now

Really? Cambodja always seemed really shady and poor to me. Can't get decent internet either. No thanks, I don't like the atmosphere there. It's only 20 years since they slaughtered anyone with a brain over there.