Collection of Internet/Collection of Internet.iso/faq/soc/thai/general

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Subject: soc.culture.thai General FAQ part 1
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Version: $Id: sctfaq-general-1,v 1.3 1994/03/29 13:38:57 trin Exp trin $

The "soc.culture.thai Frequently Asked Questions" periodic postings are
divided into 5 parts plus an index. Requests for inclusion, correction
or update can be made by posting a public message or follow-up to this
FAQ.

The current release of these FAQs can be fetched by anonymous FTP from
rtfm.mit.edu (or its mirror sites) under directories:
   /pub/usenet/news.answers/thai
   /pub/usenet/soc.answers/thai
   /pub/usenet/soc.culture.thai
or accessed via World-wide Web at URL:
  http://www.nectec.or.th/soc.culture.thai/master.html

The working copy of this FAQ can be anonymous FTP from ftp.nectec.or.th
(192.150.251.32) in directory /pub/info/soc.culture.thai-faq.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL FAQ PART 1 (general-1)
General and travel information

  * General Information
  G.1)  What is soc.culture.thai?
  G.2)  Readership statistics
  G.3)  Where do I find old articles of soc.culture.thai? (revised)
  G.4)  Where can I get latest news from Thailand?
  G.5)  Thai shortwave radio programs
  G.6)  Units of measurement
  G.7)  Holidays
  * Legal
  X.1)  Occupations prohibited to aliens
  * Travel information
  T.1)  What's an address of Royal Thai Embassy in my country?
  T.2)  Do I need a visa to visit Thailand?
  T.3)  Where to get tourist and travel information?
  T.4)  Which credit card is accepted in Thailand?
  T.5)  Car rental
  T.6)  General observations and recommendations
  T.7)  North
  T.8)  Northeast/Isan
  T.9)  East/Southeast
  T.10) Alternative accommodation: Bangkok International Airport (new)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

GENERAL AND TRAVEL INFORMATION

This part outlines information pertaining to the soc.culture.thai
newsgroup and travel information for Thailand.

------------------------------

G.1)  What is soc.culture.thai?

The soc.culture.thai newsgroup was inaugurated on April 28, 1991 from
the idea of Ayut Nissapa ([e-mail]) proposed in the
soc.culture.asean newsgroup. It was meant to be a forum to discuss
information relevant to Thailand, Thai people and their culture.
Nittida Nuansri ([e-mail]) was the coordinator for CFD and
CFV.

Soc.culture.thai official charter appears in USENET control message to
create the newsgroup as:

> From [e-mail] Sun Apr 28 17:50:24 1991
> Control: newgroup soc.culture.thai
> Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai.ctl
> Path: rpi!tale
> From: [e-mail] (David C Lawrence)
> Subject: newgroup soc.culture.thai
> Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
> Sender: [e-mail]
> Nntp-Posting-Host: cs.rpi.edu
> Date: 28 Apr 91 21:50:11 GMT
> Approved: [e-mail]
> Lines: 17
>
> soc.culture.thai is an unmoderated newsgroup which passed its vote for
> creation by 300:27 as reported in news.announce.newgroups on 24 April 1991.
>
> For your newsgroups file:
> soc.culture.thai        Thai people and their culture.
>
> The charter, culled from the call for votes:
>
> Purposes:       - for Thais & any others who are interested in Thai culture
>                   and other aspects such as :
>                          - travel information
>                          - news from Thailand
>                          - political circumstances
>                          - Thai food & recipes
>                                 etc.
>
> Language of discussion is English.

------------------------------

G.2)  Readership statistics

According to the USENET readership poll results of January 1994,
soc.culture.thai has an estimated readers of 64,000 worldwide; 67% of
all USENET sites carry this newsgroup; and monthly traffic is totaled
to 2844.8 kB.

Also in another readership poll conducted for two weeks by Joy Asawalap
in February 1994, readership distribution is tabulated as following:

                                                   Cumulative  Cumulative
                     GENDER   Frequency   Percent   Frequency    Percent
                     ----------------------------------------------------
                     F              22      19.0          22       19.0
                     M              94      81.0         116      100.0

                                                    Cumulative  Cumulative
                    NATION     Frequency   Percent   Frequency    Percent
                    ------------------------------------------------------
                    Australi          4       3.4           4        3.4
                    Finnish           1       0.9           5        4.3
                    German            5       4.3          10        8.6
                    Netherla          1       0.9          11        9.5
                    Non-Thai          1       0.9          12       10.3
                    Norway            1       0.9          13       11.2
                    Sri Lank          1       0.9          14       12.1
                    Swedish           2       1.7          16       13.8
                    Swiss             1       0.9          17       14.7
                    Thai             75      64.7          92       79.3
                    Thai-US           6       5.2          98       84.5
                    UK                4       3.4         102       87.9
                    UK-Aus            1       0.9         103       88.8
                    US               13      11.2         116      100.0

                            Cumulative   Cumulative
                     DOMAIN   Frequency   Percent   Frequency    Percent
                     ----------------------------------------------------
                     AU              6       5.2           6        5.2
                     BE              1       0.9           7        6.0
                     CA              3       2.6          10        8.6
                     CH              1       0.9          11        9.5
                     COM            12      10.3          23       19.8
                     DE              4       3.4          27       23.3
                     EDU            61      52.6          88       75.9
                     FI              1       0.9          89       76.7
                     GOV             1       0.9          90       77.6
                     MIL             1       0.9          91       78.4
                     NL              1       0.9          92       79.3
                     NZ              3       2.6          95       81.9
                     ORG             2       1.7          97       83.6
                     SE              3       2.6         100       86.2
                     TH              9       7.8         109       94.0
                     UK              6       5.2         115       99.1
                     US              1       0.9         116      100.0

------------------------------

G.3)  Where do I find old articles of soc.culture.thai?

There is an effort at the National Electronics and Computer Technology
Center (NECTEC) in Bangkok to build an archive for soc.culture.thai. The
archive is located at URL:
  ftp://ftp.nectec.or.th/pub/archives/SCT
Send old articles by e-mail to [e-mail] for inclusion.
Duplicates will be automatically sorted out.

An experimental archive is available as two WAIS databases on the host
nexus.nectec.or.th. The databases have *not* been registerred with WAIS
respository, hence server name, nexus.nectec.or.th, has to be specified
explicitly when do searching. The databases are called:
      soc.culture.thai-1992
  and soc.culture.thai-1993

For instances:
  $ waissearch -h nexus.nectec.or.th -d soc.culture.thai-1992 recipe
is to search the 1992 collection for the first 40 articles (waissearch
default limit) containing with word 'recipe', or:
  $ waissearch -h nexus.nectec.or.th -d soc.culture.thai-1993 -m 400 internet
is to search the 1993 archive for the first 400 articles containing the word
'internet'.

For more information about WAIS, consult the newsgroup comp.infosystems.wais.

The collection came from Linitda Sooksomstarn, [e-mail],
of Digital Equipment Corporation (Thailand) for all articles arrived at
their news server between late March 1992 thru mid October 1993.

------------------------------

G.4)  Where can I get latest news from Thailand?

Some of the latest news in Thai language from Thai News Agency are available
for anonymous FTP from ftp.cs.washington.edu (a.k.a. june) in the directory
/pub/thaisys/thainews. To read these news, follow the instruction provided
in a README file in that directory.

Raw news archive is available on ftp.nectec.or.th:/pub/news. Use InfoZIP's
unzip5.0p1 (or later) with a command line switch -a to unpack on non-MSDOS
platforms or use PKWARE Inc's PKUNZIP 2.04g (or later) to unpack on MSDOS.
News on june.cs.washington.edu are the file all.asc in each zip file.

News from the Thai News Agency, Mass Commounications Organization of
Thailand, is provide as a courtesy service from SysOp of the Datanet BBS in
Bangkok, Khun Samart Sririangkana ([e-mail]).

Besides, news in English is also occasionly posted to soc.culture.thai by
volunteer netters in Thailand.

Alternatively, news related to Thailand can be found in the newsgroups
clari.news.international.gov and bit.listserv.seasia-l (or the SEASIA-L
mailing list)

------------------------------

G.5)  Thai shortwave radio programs

1. BBC Thai language - Short wave Radio Broadcasting from London, UK.
   Time is in Bangkok timezone: 7 hours ahead of GMT, no daylight saving.

   6.30-7.00 (morning)
   6.08   7.16  11.865  MHz
    49     41    25     m

   19.30-20.00 (night)
   7.16  9.605 11.92  21.59 MHz
    41     31    25     13  m

   23.15-23.30 (midnight)
   6.065 7.105 9.605  MHz
    49    41    31    m

------------------------------

G.6)  Units of measurement

                    THAI UNITS OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
                           -----++++O++++-----
_____________________________________________________________________________
                                  |         Approximately equal to:
   MEASURE OF LENGTH:             |
                                  |       British      |      Metric
                                  |--------------------|---------------------
   1 kabiet                       |      3/16 inch     |    5 millimeters
   4 kabiet  =   1 nieu           |      3/4 inch      |    2 centimeters
   12 nieu   =   1 keub           |     10 inches      |   25 centimeters
   2 keub    =   1 sawk           |  1 ft. 7 1/2 ins.  |   50 centimeters
   4 sawk    =   1 wah            |  6 ft. 6 1/4 ins.  |    2 meters
   20 wah    =   1 sen            |      44 yards      |   40 meters
   400 sen   =   1 yote           |      10 miles      |   16 kilometers
__________________________________|____________________|_____________________
                                  |                    |
   MEASURE OF SURFACE:            |       British      |      Metric
                                  |--------------------|---------------------
   1  sq. wah                     |   4.78  sq.yards   |     4 sq. meters
   100 sq. wah = 1 ngan           |   478   sq. yards  |   400 sq. meters
   4 ngan      = 1 rai(1 sq.sen)  |   2/5 acre         |  1,600 sq. meters
__________________________________|____________________|_____________________
                                  |                    |
   MEASURE OF CAPACITY:           |      British       |       Metric
                                  |--------------------|---------------------
   1 standard tanan               |                    |     1 litre
20 standard tanan=1 standard sat  |                    |    20 litres
50 standard sat = 1 standard ban  |                    |  1,000 litres
2 standard ban=1 standard kwien   |                    |  2,000 litres
__________________________________|____________________|_____________________
                                  |                    |
    PADDY AND RICE MEASURE:       |      British       |       Metric
                                  |--------------------|---------------------
  1 coyan = 16 pikuls paddy       |   2,133 1/3 lbs.   |   968 kilograms
  1 coyan = 22 pikuls cargo rice  |     1.31 tons      |  1,330 kilograms
  1 kwien = 23 pikuls white rice  |     1.37 tons      |  1,391 kilograms
  The rice miller's kwien is:-    |                    |
  82 baskets of 40 lbs. each      |                    |
          = 24 pikuls             |     1.46 tons      |  1,488 kilograms
__________________________________|____________________|_____________________
                                  |                    |
            WEIGHT:               |      British       |        Metric
                                  |--------------------|---------------------
  1 baht (tical)                  |   1/2 oz.(AVDP)    |     15 grams
  4 baht = 1 tamlung              | 2 1/10 oz. (AVDP)  |     60 grams
  20 tamlung = 1 chang (kati)     | 2 5/8 lbs. (AVDP)  |     1.2 kilograms
  50 chang   = 1 hap (pikul)      | 133 1/3 lbs.(AVDP) |     60 kilograms
__________________________________|____________________|_____________________

------------------------------

G.7)  Holidays

From: [e-mail] (Somsak Limavongphanee)
Date: 31 Dec 1993 18:26:58 +0700

Thailand Holidays  1994

January
=======
GB      1 Saturday              New Year's Day
B       3 Monday                Substitution Day

February
========
GB      25 Friday               Makha Bucha Day

April
=====
GB      6 Wednesday             Chakri Day
GB  12-14 Tuesday-Thursday      Song-Kran Festival

May
===
B       1 Sunday                National Labour Day
B       2 Monday                Substitution Day
GB      5 Thursday              Coronation Day
G      11 Wednesday             Royal Ploughing Ceremony
GB     24 Tuesday               Wisakha Bucha day

July
====
B       1 Friday                Midyear Day
G      22 Friday                Asarnha Bucha Day
GB     23 Saturday              Buddhist Lent Day
B      25 Monday                Substitution Day

August
=======
GB     12 Friday                H.M.The Queen's Birthday

October
=======
GB     23 Sunday                Chulalongkorn Day
B      24 Monday                Substitution Day


December
========
GB      5 Monday                H.M.The King's Birthday
GB     10 Saturday              Constitution Day
B      12 Monday                Substitution Day
GB     31 Saturday              New Year's Eve


=============================================================================

G=For Government Only
B=For Bank Only

------------------------------

X.1)  Occupations prohibited to aliens

From: [e-mail] (Ekkehard Uthke)
Subject: Prohibited Occupations for Aliens in Thailand
Date: 14 Feb 1994 07:28:18 GMT

The following is an excerpt from a brochure of the Department of Labour:

Occupations and Provisions Prohibited to Aliens under the Royal Decree
B.E. 2522 (1979)

 1. Labouring
 2. Work in agriculture, animal breeding, forestry, fishing and farm
    supervision (excluding specialized work)
 3. Masonry, carpentry and other construction work
 4. Wood carving
 5. Driving of motor vehicles and non-motorised carriers (except piloting
    international aircraft)
 6. Shop attendant
 7. Auctioneering
 8. Supervising, auditing and giving services in accountancy (except
    occasional internal auditing)
 9. Gem cutting or polishing
10. Hair cutting, hairdressing, and beautician work
11. Hand weaving
12. Mat weaving or fabrication of wares from reed, kenaf, straw or bamboo
    pulp
13. Manual fibrous paper fabrication
14. Lacquerware fabrication
15. Thai musical instrument fabrication
16. Nielloware fabrication
17. Goldsmith, silversmith, or other precious metalwork
18. Bronzeware fabrication
19. Making Thai dolls
20. Mattress or padded blanket fabrication
21. Alms bowls fabrication
22. Manual silk product fabrication
23. Buddha image fabrication
24. Knife fabrication
25. Paper or cloth umbrella fabrication
26. Shoemaking
27. Hat making
28. Brokerage or agency work (except in international business)
29. Civil engineering work involving designing, calculation, organization,
    research, planning, testing construction, supervision or advisory
    work (except work requiring specialized skills)
30. Architectural work involving designing, drawing or estimating, and
    construction supervision or advisory work
31. Dressmaking
32. Pottery or ceramics
33. Manual cigarette rolling
34. Tourist guide or tour organizing agency
35. Hawking business
36. Thai character type-setting
37. Manual silk reeling and weaving
38. Clerical or secretarial work
39. Legal or litigation services

------------------------------

T.1)  What's an address of Royal Thai Embassy in my country?

Below is a list of the Royal Thai Embassy in some countries:

Australia
   11 Empire Circuit Yarraluma          Royal Thai Consulate General
   Canberra, ACT 2600                   3rd Floor, 75-77 Pitt st,
   Tel [phone]                     Sydney, NSW 2000
                                        Tel. [phone]

Austria                            Belgium
  Weimarer Strasse 68                   Square Du Val De La Cambre 2
  Vienna 1180,                          Bruxelles 1050,
  Tel. [phone]               Tel. [phone]

Canada                             China
  180 Island Park Drive,                40 Guang Hua Lu,
  Ottawa, Ontario, K1y OA2,             Beijing,
  Tel. [phone]                Tel. [phone]

Egypt                              France
  2 E1 Male El Aldal St,                8 Rue Greaze,
  Zumalet, Cairo, A.R.E.                Paris 75116,
  Tel. [phone]                    Tel. [phone]

Germany
  Ub ierstrasse 65,                     Royal Thai Consulate General
  5300 Bonn 2,                          Podbielskiallee 1,
  Tel. (041) [phone]              1000 Berlin 3,
                                        Tel. [phone]

Hongkong                           India
  8 Cotton Tree Dr.,                    56-N Nyaya Marg,
  8th Floor, Fairmont House,            Chanakyapuri,
  Central Hong Kong,                    New Delhi 110021,
  Tel. (0802) (5) 216481-5              Tel [phone]

Indonesia                          Japan
  74 Jalan Imam Bonjal,                 14-6 kami-Osaki, 3-choem,
  Jarkarta,                             Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141,
  Tel. [phone]                     Tel [phone]

Malaysia                           New Zealand
  206 Jalan Ampany,                     2 cook st., Karori,
  KL 50450,                             P.O.Box 17-226, Wellington,
  Tel. [phone]                Tel [phone]

Netherlands
  Buitenrustweg 1,                      Royal Thai Consulate General
  2517 KD Den Haag,                     Emmastraat 40,
  Tel. [phone]                   1075 HW Amsterdam,
                                        Tel [phone]

Norway                             Saudi Arabia
  Munkedamsveien 5913,                  A1 Maa'ther St.,
  0270 Oslo 2,                          P.O. Box 94359, Riyadh 11693,
                                        Tel. [phone]

Singapore                          Sweden
  370 Orchard Rd.,                      5th Floor Sandhamnsgatan 36,
  Singapore 0923,                       P.O.Box27065, Stockholm 10251,
  Tel. [phone]                    Tel. [phone]

Switzerland                        UK
  3rd Floor, Eigerstrasse 60,           29-30 Queen's Gate,
  Bern 3007,                            London, SW 7 5JB,
  Tel. [phone]              Tel. [phone]

Switzerland (for french speaking)       (for german speaking)
Consulat de Thailande                   Thailaendisches Konsulat
  R. Jean-Senebier 20                   St. Alban-Graben 8
  1205 Geneve                           4051 Basel
  Tel. [phone]                  Tel. [phone]

USA
  2300 Kalorama Rd, N.W.,               Royal Thai Consulate General
  Washington, D.C. 20008,               35 East Wacker Drive,
  Tel. [phone]              Suite 1834, Chicago,
                                        Tel.[phone]

  Royal Thai Consulate General          Royal Thai Consulate General
  801 N.La Brea Ave.,                   53 Park Place,
  Los Angeles, CA 90038,                New York, NY 10007,
  Tel. [phone]             Tel. [phone]

  Royal Thai Consulate
  205 SE Spokane Ave., Suite 350,
  Portland. OR 97228-5516
  Tel. [phone]

------------------------------

T.2)  Do I need a visa to visit Thailand?

1. Requirements to obtain visas

   1.1 Valid passport.
   1.2 One visa application form(duly filled in and signed by applicant).
   1.3 Two passport size photographs(color or b&w), 2"X2", front view.
   1.4 Visa fees(for each entry) are payable in cash or money order only:
        Non-Immigrant Visa...................US$ 20, Maximum stay 90 day.
        Tourist Visa.........................US$ 15, Maximum stay 60 day.
        Transit Visa.........................US$ 10, Maximum stay 30 day and
                                             for transfer to third country
                                             only, a photocopy of confirmed
                                             onward air ticket must be
                                             submitted when applying.
   1.5 The following applicants should call Thai Embassy for additional
       requirements:
        a) Holders of US passport or Re-Entry Permits and were born in
           Cambodia, Vietnam or Loas
        b) Holders of passport: -People of Republic of China
                                -Middle East Countries
                                -New Zealand and Sweden
                                -Other communist countries

2. Validity of visa for entering Thailand

   2.1 Visa will be utilized upon arrival at port of entry
   2.2 Visa must be utilized within 90 days from the date of issuance;
       6 months in case of 2 or more entries.

   Note: Do not apply for visa earlier than 3 months

3. Long stay: more than 90 days

   Appplicant must obtain an approval from the Immigration Division in
   Bangkok, Thailand. Procedures for such a visa can be carried out in 2
   ways:
   a) Applicant may submit the applications through the Royal Thai Embassy
      or consulate abroad.
   b) Company and firm in Thailand where alien wishes to work may represent
      an alien by applying directly to the Immigration Division in Bangkok,
      Thailand.

4. Exchange control

   a) To take out foreign notes or coins exceeding US $10,000 in value is
      permissable provided that the exceeding amount has been declared in
      writing to the Custom Officer at the time of entry.
   b) To bring Thai currency into the country more than Baht 2,000 and to
      take out of the country more than Baht 500 required prior approval
      from the Bank of Thailand.

5. Citizens of the following countries are exempt from paying visa fees

   Denmark, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Norway, Sweden, Singapore and
   Tunisia

6. Entering Thailand without a visa; no extension will be granted

   Holder of valid passports from 41 countries listed below with a proof of
   confirmed onward ticket may enter and stay in Thailand within 15 days
   without visa

   Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Burma, Brunei, Canada,
   Denmark, Fiji, Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Hellenic
   Republic, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea,
   Kenya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherland, New Zealand, Norway,
   Papua New Guinea, Phillippines, Portugal, Senegal, Singapore, Spain,
   Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, U.K., U.S.A., Vanuatu, Western Samoa,
   Yugoslavia.

------------------------------

T.3)  Where to get tourist and travel information?

Two Gopher servers are now offering travel information.

Gopher.chiangmai.ac.th offers travel information related to northern
provinces as well as recent weather forecast. Gopher.kku.ac.th offers
travel information for northeastern (Isan) provinces.

In the USA, write to:

Thailand (USA,CA)
  Tourism Authority of Thailand
  3440 Wilshire Blvd #1101
  Los Angeles, CA 90010
  213-382-2353;; FAX [phone]
Thailand (USA,IL)
  Tourism Authority of Thailand
  303 E. Wacker Dr #400
  Chicago, IL 60601
  312-819-3990;; FAX [phone]
Thailand (USA,NY)
  Tourism Authority of Thailand
  5 World Trade Center #3443
  New York, NY 10048
  212-432-0433;; FAX [phone]

------------------------------

T.4)  Which credit card is accepted in Thailand?

Here's a brief information about the system in Thailand

    ATM
        Plus, Star and Cirrus system cards work. It is also possible to get
        money from Visa, MC, AmEx, JCB, Diners at exchange booths and banks
        with a fee.

    Credit Cards
        Visa, MC, AmEx, JCB, DC at most of the large retail establishments,
        restaurants, hotels and travel agents. A surcharge of between 3 and
        5 percent (sometimes more) is almost universally applied.

    Traveler's Cheques
        There is a fee (7 Baht per cheque) and a tax (3 Baht per cheque).
        Money exchange booths with competitive rates are open at all
        hours, everywhere.

    Change money
        Money exchange booths with competitive rates are open at all
        hours, everywhere. Every major currency is accepted. Most will
        not exchange Baht for other currencies.  Banks will, but only
        during regular banking hours. Some banks have an exchange window
        that is open at other hours.

    POSTCHEQUES
       (This info. is kindly provided by Khun Ralf Von Gunten)
       With POSTCHEQUES one can get money in every post office. With one
       POSTCHEQUE, one can get up to 5,000 Baths, which is much enough for a
       while. I used successfully POSTCHEQUES (February 92 and July 92)
       in small places like Khun Yuam (near Mae Hong Son) and Si Chiang Mai
       (near Vientiane, Laos). All the small banks there didn't accept my
       VISA Card or something else. What's better, with POSTCHEQUES: It's
       free of any charge and the exchange rate is often more favourable.
       People who wants to use POSTCHEQUES should ask the closest post
       office.

------------------------------

T.5)  Car rental

From: [e-mail] (Eddie Goletz)
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 1994 03:15:06 GMT

I rented a car when I went to Thailand last September and I used it to
drive around the provinces.  Car rental is a little expensive, but it is
fun and it gives you a great deal of freedom.  I think having a car also
impressed some of the people I met there.

I don't think there were any rental places at the Bangkok airport.  I
rented through Hertz, and they delivered the car to the airport for me,
for a 400 Baht charge.  Avis was another company that rents cars there.
I made my reservations through their toll free number while in the US.

I checked the prices with both Hertz and Avis, and found their prices to be
comparable.  Rates from the Hertz brochure are:

                                       +----------------------------------+
                                       |  Self Drive       | Self Drive   |
                                       |  Economy Rates    | Unlimited Km |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Car Group      | Make & Model          |  Daily |  Plus    | Daily        |
               |                       |        |  per Km  |              |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Super Economy  | Mitsubishi Champ 1.3  |  800   |  4       | 1200         |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Economy        | Toyota Corolla 1.3    | 1000   |  4       | 1400         |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Luxury Economy | Mitsubishi Lancer 1.5 | 1100   |  4       | 1500         |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Medium         | Toyota Corona 1.6     | 1200   |  5       | 1600         |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Luxury Medium  | Toyota Corona 2.0     | 1500   |  6       | 2000         |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------+

There are also Executive, Super Luxury, Touring and Truck Car Groups and
Chauffeur rates as well. [........]
Collision Damage Waiver insurance is 150 Baht/day and Personal Accident
Insurance is 100 Baht/day.

A friend read in a guide book about some rental places that were very cheap,
around 500 Baht/day, but that the cars are so old that you spend all your
time worrying about the car breaking down.

My Hertz brochure states that drivers must be between ages 23 and 60 and
have at least one years driving experience, hold a valid driving licence
and an international driving permit if the licence is not in English.
I read in some guide books that the international driving permit is always
required.

I don't know if any insurance is required, but I highly recommend it.  I
found out that the automatic insurance that goes with those gold credit
cards is not valid in Thailand.

I haven't visited the places you mentioned.  I know from experience that
in general Thai drivers are comfortable with, shall we say, a lower margin
of safety in driving that people in America are used to.  I was involved in
or close to what looked to me like some close calls.  However, I never saw
any collisions or even cars with dents in them.

I don't remember the rates, but I recall [gasoline rates] were very
reasonable, on par with US prices.

Manual transmission are the norm.  If you want an automatic, be sure to state
that this is a requirement when you make your reservation.

No maps came with my car, and the airport shop did not have any road maps.
I did purchase a road map at a museum on my second day.  It was a road map
atlas of all of Thailand, written in both English and Thai, published by
the Roads Association of Thailand.  It cost 150 Baht.  The ISBN is
974-7653-31-1.  This map was very helpful to me.  It also made asking
directions much easier because the maps were bilingual.  Perhaps you could
buy one of these maps by mail before you go.  The address and phone number is:

Roads Association of Thailand
Department of Highways HQ.
Si Ayutthaya Rd., Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400
Tel.[phone] Ext. 2276

Many of the road signs are in Thai only.  Also, the roads are not marked as
as well as I am used to here in the US.  Highway driving, however, is
generally pretty easy.  You just can't go very fast.

------------------------------

T.6)  General observations and recommendations

Date: Fri, 28 Jan 1994 08:59:01 -0800 (PST)
From: Putnam Barber <[e-mail]>

> What's the local currency converted to US dollars?

Thai baht are stable at a little over 25 to the US$.

> What's the normal price to pay for a room?

In Thailand, rooms can range from 60 baht to several thousand.
The key variables are (1) air-con or not, (2) bathroom (and style thereof)
or not.  We have had the best luck staying in 20+ year-old poured concrete
hotels near the centers of towns and taking the non-air-con room with a
private bath. These usually cost 150 to 250 baht per night (outside of
Bangkok) with one bottle of water, two towels (thin) and a roll of toilet
paper, maybe the tiniest bar of soap you ever saw.  You sometimes need to
ask for one or another of these 'amenities'.  The "Lonely Planet Travel
Survival Guide - Thailand" lists one or more of this style hotel in nearly
every city.

> How's the food? Good/bad, expensive/cheap?

There's every imaginable choice.  Sold from carts.  Sold from
open-air storefronts.  Sold in outdoor garden restaurants.  Sold in
air-con restaurants with menus in English, Chinese and Thai.  When you
feel brave, go to the open-storefront restaurant where police,
military or bank people are eating.  When you feel cautious, look for a
food court in a department store -- they serve basically the same food,
but in a place with much more visible surface sanitation and (usually)
air conditioning.  The food courts I saw worked with coupons.  You buy
them at the door and pay the food vendor (there are usually several).
Any unused coupons can be redeemed where you bought them (I
think).  Air-con restaurants are cold, and usually quite expensive, and a
nice break from the hustle of the street.

    The street vendors specialize.  Noodles _or_ rice, seldom both.  One
kind of meat or fish, sometimes two.  You make your selection by choosing
which cart to go to depending on the food you prefer.  I recommend chicken
with noodles in a thin soup and banana fritters.

    Most things to eat in Thailand are quite inexpensive.  A signal
exception is beer, which costs 45 baht a (large) bottle in small stores
and can be up to 100 baht ($4) in restaurants.  I'm amused to say that in
my notes from our recent trip there are many days where beer is nearly
half of our total day's expenses -- :-)  .

> Any nice places to stop by on the way?

Lots.  There are too many wonderful places to have much fun trying to
cover 'all' the territory in a short time.  It depends what you like.  I
suggest the "Lonely Planet" (or another detailed) guide as a good pre-trip
read.  And best is choosing one or two places to stay for 2-3 nights and
days before moving on if you have to.  I love wandering the streets and
markets of Thai cities -- each has a different character which takes a
while to see under the bustle, the 'coke' signs, and the crowds of
minibikes and pickups.  The countryside is harder, there aren't very many
places to stay, transport takes flexibility and creativity (sometimes
something close to courage, too).  The distances can be quite surprisingly
long.  There are though lots and lots of buses and wonderful helpful
people.  Plus taxis are surprisingly cheap and people sometimes use them
for very long trips (I saw one from Bangkok with a couple in the back a
few kilos outside Buriram, nearly 500 K from 'home'!).

Of course, some people go to Thailand to spend time on beautiful beaches
at relatively low prices.  That's a very sensible thing to to do.  The
beaches are beautiful.  The prices are relatively low.  After some time
there, though, I've come to enjoy the communities more and more.  I guess
I'd encourage everyone to save a little time for exploring one of the
cities outside of Bangkok.

From: Alan Cooper
Date: Unknown

 South:
     I recommend avoiding resort/tourist areas during holidays. We visited
     Phuket, Phi Phi, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan last month during the New
     Year holiday. It was *very* crowded and difficult to find lodging,
     transportation (plane, train, bus or boat). Prices (especially in
     Phuket) were inflated 2-3X. At the dock in Surat tourists were being
     warned not to go to the islands (Koh Samui & Phangan) if they didn't
     have prearranged lodging.

     On the other hand, holidays are a good time to tour Bangkok. Fewer
     people and less traffic.

     Something I've seen no mention of on SCT is drug use in resort areas.
     I realize that this is part of the attraction for some but others are
     looking for places to take families. They should be advised that this
     sort of thing goes on.

     At the resort where we stayed on Koh Phangan an employee was openly
     selling marijuana to mostly young foreign guests. These guests would
     then smoke it every chance they got including in the restaurant during
     breakfast, lunch and dinner. Other Thai and foreign families staying
     there agreed that this made it a not very desirable place for a family
     holiday and would not come back. The owner was aware that there was
     more profit to be had from vacationing families vs. young foreigners,
     but apparently did not see the connection between their promotion of
     marijuana use and discouraging family vacations. I wish they would have
     at least advised discretion and not allowed marijiuana smoking in the
     restaurant.

     Only once did I see someone suggest to a tourist that they put out
     their joint. A waiter at a dockside restaurant on Koh Phangan pointed
     out to a table of tourists that a policeman was nearby and smoking
     marijuana was inadvisable. The tourists got the message.

  Isan:
     Towns along he Mekong river between Ubon and Nong Khai have always been
     favorites of mine. Mukdahan has a thriving riverfront tourist market
     with lots of goods from from Laos, China and Vietnam. The (rebuilt)
     temple at That Phanom has a well organized museum with many signs in
     English as well as Thai. I don't remember there being any museum when I
     first visited That in 1973. Nakhon Phanom remains relatively untouched
     by tourism. There is a new tourist-class hotel, the Mae Nam Kong Grand
     View which may mark the beginning of change, but Nakhon Phanom remains
     a great place to sit and watch the river.

------------------------------

T.7)  North

General travel information on Thailand northern provinces are available
on a Gopher server at gopher.chiangmai.ac.th. The URL
  http://www.nectec.or.th/nectec.html
consolidate all known references to information related to Thailand
including the above gopher.

From: [e-mail] (Samart Srijumnong)
Date: 12 Jan 1994 01:47:13 GMT

First of all, one weekend would not be enough for hill tribe village tour.
The shortest trek tour takes four days. Chiangmai and other areas close
by along should comfortably fill the whole two-day/two-night trip. As MBA
students, they may want to look for some "selling points" from the things
they see, e.g. local arts, tourist attractions, people's attitude and tastes.
If this is the case, it would not matter much where they go anyway.

Concerning the place to stay, here are the places listed by Joe Cummings,
in his tourist guide...THAILAND, (1990), under "top end" category.

Chiang Inn Hotel, downtown, from 920B
Chiang Mai Hill, 18 Huay Kaew Rd., from 726B
Chiang Mai Orchid, 100 Huay Kaew Rd., from 1210B
Chiang Mai Plaza, 92 Si Donchai Rd., from 950B
Chiang Mai President, 226 Vitchyanon Rd., from 847B
Dusit Inn, downtown, from 1000B
Poy Luang, 146 Superhighway, from 886
Rincome Hotel, 301 Huay Kaew, from 1331B
Suriwong Hotel, downtown, from 1089B

The followings have some rooms with airconditioning (middle class?)

Anodart Hotel, Ratchamankha Rd.,  280-480B
Bualuang Hotel, 16 Huay Kaew Rd., from 350B
Chang Phuak Hotel, 133 Chotana Rd., 250-400B
Chiang COme Hotel, 7/35 Suthep Rd., 300-500B
CHiang Mai Phucome, 21 Huay Kaew Rd., 550-880B
Diamond Hotel, 33/10 Charoen Prathed Rd., 400-930B
Iyara Hotel, 126 Chotana Rd., 450-550B
Little Duck Hotel, 99/9 Huay Kaew Rd., 400-500B
Muang Mai Hotel, 502 Huay Kaew Rd, from 420-480B
Nantana Pension, 72/76 Tipanet Rd., 250-350B
New Asia Hotel, 55 Rachwong Rd., 220-1200B

I also mentioned YMCA in other posting. The price is quite reasonable there.
I have not given the phone as you may only want to use the number to estimate
the trip cost. When you are in Bangkok, you can acquire their number and
contact them. To book room for big group like this should get some discount
which sometime up to 50%.

------------------------------

T.8)  Northeast/Isan

General travel information on Thailand northeastern provinces are available
on a Gopher server at gopher.kku.ac.th. The URL
  http://www.nectec.or.th/nectec.html
consolidate all known references to information related to Thailand
including the above gopher.

Date: Fri, 28 Jan 1994 09:04:27 -0800 (PST)
From: Putnam Barber <[e-mail]>

Northeast Thailand (Isan)

The roads to northeast Thailand climb through spectacular scenery
on their way to the plateau.  Often the unusual geological
features on these steep climbs have been the focus of temples and
parks -- Wat Thep Pitak Punnaram on route 2 east of Saraburi is
one example, the mountain with a hole through it at Khao Chagan
on route 317 south of Sra Kaeo is another.

Issan itself is largely flat, with an occasional isolated
mountain rising through the plain.  At Prasat Hin Khao Phanom
Rung, southwest of Buriram off route 24, a spectacular 1000+ year
old temple complex has been extensively restored on the top of
one of these mountains, with views across the flat rice-growing
plain in every direction for great distances.  It's a
spectacular, fascinating and beautiful place.

Many Thai people visit Phanom Rung.  There is a large parking lot
with many vendors offering food and souvenirs near the entrance
to the temple complex, which is managed by the Department of Fine
Arts.  There is also a hotel complex with nice looking units
across the road from the entrance, but I have no information on
how to book rooms or what the rates are.

The Lonely Planet guide has a good introduction to the features
of the temple and recommends buying "The Sanctuary Phanomrung" by
Dr. Sorajet Woragamvijya from one of the vendors outside the gate
(20 baht?).  The museum 'shop' inside the complex has a
disappointing selection of books about other Thai landmarks;
there is very limited signage, almost none in English.  This
ancient and fascinating place is well worth the journey to its
out-of-the way location.

Northeast of Nakorn Ratchasima (Korat) is Prasat Hin Phi Mai,
much more accessible than Phanom Rung but not on top of a
mountain.  The new museum nearby has good exhibits and
informative labels that place the temple complex in the context
of what is known about the history of Issan and the construction
of these Khmer monuments.  There is also a beautiful book of
color photos (240 baht) available from the museum book counter;
its text is in Thai but there are captions in English that are
very helpful.  Prasat Hin Phi Mai is an easy day-trip by public
bus from Korat; the 'ordinary' bus leaves every half hour from
the bus terminal -- it and the one to Bangkok are both labeled in
English.  It stops for a long time at a small market east of the
north city gate -- just south of the city moat.  It's certainly
more efficient to catch it there than to make your way to the bus
station only to be driven back to town to wait while vendors
offer all sorts of goodies and the local people fill the rest of
the seats.

Korat has several fascinating (newer) temple complexes right in
the city, plus the active Thao Suranari Memorial near the east
city gate (which is actually near the center of the present-day
town).  Khun Ying Mo is seen as a patron by many Thais,
especially women, and people with special requests bring them to
her all day and well into the night.  Plus, when these requests
are successful, people hire groups of singers to perform near the
statue as a token of appreciation, which makes for a lively scene
for other on-lookers as well.

They make several distinctive snack foods in this area that are
not easily available (as far as I could tell) in Bangkok.  One,
Khao Deng ('red rice') is a tasty cracker-like food originally
made from rice that stuck to the pan while making other dishes.
It comes in a square celo bag about the size of a brick, is
yellow-orange in color and quite delicious.  Another is a flat
cake of 'puffed' rice, sesame seeds, and sugar-syrup -- vaguely
reminiscent of cracker-jacks but no-where near as overwhelmingly
sweet.  Both are sold, along with many other treats, by roadside
vendors and small shops near the busstops and elsewhere.

------------------------------

T.9)  East/Southeast

Date: Fri, 28 Jan 1994 09:03:13 -0800 (PST)
From: Putnam Barber <[e-mail]>

Southeast Thailand

The main route to everywhere south of Pattya -- route 3 -- is
under construction for much of the way to Chantaburi.  It's a
strong argument for taking the air-con bus if any part of the
journey will be on that road.

Offshore from Sri Rachaa is the fascinating island Koh Si Chang.
The town on the island, where the ferry docks, has accomodations
of all sorts, including a new luxury hotel.  We stayed in Benz
Bungalows, closest accomodations to the site of the former palace
at the south end of town, and particularly enjoyed the food at
Wichaira Seafood, just a short walk up the main road.  (Dispite
what the Lonely Planet Guide says, there is no "ring road" on the
island -- many town streets, a single route north and south on
the east side, through town, and an unpaved road across to the
beaches on the west.)

The tuk tuk drivers will offer a tour of the island, with time to
visit all the attractions, for 150 baht.  We didn't take it,
preferring to walk.  But there are definitely a lot of
interesting places to go, and the swimming from Hat Sai on the
west side is wonderful -- take the dirt road to the right heading
south from town just after an auto repair business and before the
entrance to the research station at the palace site, go up the
steep hill to the second right turn, and across the island
through the mango plantation.  When the road turns to the north
(after passing a sharp turn to the left) watch for paths to the
left that lead down to the beach.  Exploring the fields and rock
formations at the end of the road is also fun -- especially
before a swim.

Still on Koh Si Chang, there are monkeys that live in the
pavillion housing the Buddha footprint at the top of the Chinese-
style temple at the north end of town -- another reason, in
addition to the spectacular view, for climbing the long flights
of concrete steps leading to it.  And be sure to save energy for
exploring the many shrines in caves throughout the temple
grounds.  Lastly, the newly created gardens in honor of Princess
Sirikit's birthday (just a little way west of this temple, at the
top of a saddle through which a path leads to the sea on the
west, but not beach) are peaceful and very beautiful.

Both Rayong and Chantaburi have streets of wonderful older urban
buildings, lively markets, and lots of good food from street
vendors and noodle shops.  Chantaburi also offers the "largest
Christian church in Thailand" -- an imposing building at the end
of a footbridge across from the heart of town -- and the glamour
of being surrounded by an active trade in sapphires and rubies.
If you know what you're doing, you can probably do some wonderful
trading yourself -- everyone in town is ready to deal!

There's a little antique store, with a great collection of
Victorian clocks from all around the world, on Tessaban 3 Road
near the intersection with Sroisuwan[sp?] Road (three blocks from the
market).  I mention it because it's the only antique store I saw
anywhere in Thailand outside of Bangkok.

Downhill from the antique store on Tessaban 3 Road a couple of
blocks are two or three airconditioned restaurants that aren't
mentioned in the Lonely Planet Guide.  They obviously have
broader menus than the streetside vendors can provide.

Further south, offshore from Trat in the Gulf of Thailand is Koh
Chang which is well worth the difficulty of getting to it.  There
is direct mini-bus service from Bangkok, which we didn't use (and
which is described in guidebooks).  Otherwise, the route is bus
to Trat, song thaew to Laem Ngop, and ferry to your beach of
choice from the pier.  We stayed at Hat Sai Khao (White Sand
Beach) in the Sun-Sai Bungalows -- very well kept and friendly.
They have bungalows on the beach and across the road on a
hilside.  We paid 200 baht for one with a hong nam but away from
the beach.  There are many other accomodations at widely varying
prices on that beach and others.  People who had been there
before complimented the resorts along Hat Sai Khao for their
daily diligence in clearing away any trash and it certainly
showed.  Less developed beaches, ironically, had more plastic
bags and pop cans drifting around because there's no-one to take
responsibility for policing the area.

Phlu waterfall, down the road a piece and up the river by a track
and jungle trail, is a wonderful excursion and a great place to
swim in fresh water.  Just outside the gates to the national park
there is the Waterfall Resort, an unlikely place with bungalows
far from any other attraction, and the Waterfall Restaurant,
where I had a very nice meal in short order when I was the only
customer in sight.  No need to carry a picnic.

The island itself is so beautiful and exotic that's it's hard not
to see it as the set for a movie, instead of what it really is --
the place the set designers study in the faint hope of catching
its special quality.  But a really, really long trip from
Bangkok!

From: [e-mail] (Jaray Chomchalao)
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 1994 21:59:13 GMT

The transportation to the East Coast is provided by "BOO- KhOO+
SOO+ at Ekamai. The fare six yrs ago from BKK to Chantaburi
(about 300 kilometers (200 mi) was B40. You can also take an
airconded-bus costing B150 six yrs agao. There are at least four
air-conded bus lines to choose from. Pick the one with the best
looking hostess and you won't regret it:=) K. Putnam said Chantaburi
and Trat are too far from BKK. Well, 4 hrs to Chantaburi, 6 hrs to Trat,
provided that you take the air conded bus which travels by the "Saai+
mai' road (the new route), or the BKS buses that use the new route.
Make sure that you get on the BKS bus that use "Saai+ mai'" road if
you don't want to spend another two hours detouring to Sattahip.

Chantaburi and Trat:

Watch out when dealing jewelry in Chantaburi. Take my words for
it (I'm from Chantaburi and Trat and Chonburi, my three homes),
even professionals who deal with ruby every day sometimes fail
to distinghish natural from man-made ruby! Ruby is very expensive.
If you buy a cheap ruby, you are "tuun+"ed definitely. Buying
them at the jewelry stores in Chantaburi is safer. Don't ever
buy from a jewelry market!

Chantaburi is best visited around April-July. In April, mangoes
are very abundant and in variety. Ripe mangoes and cooked
sticky rice with coconut milk is what a taster must not miss.
After April, mangoes are gone. Then in Mid June a variety of
NgO' (rambutans) and Durians are ripe and appear in the markets
everywhere. Those who can stand the strong smell of durians will
enjoy the fruit, eaten with or without sweet-coconuted milked
sticky rice. Chantaburi is famous for its rambutans and durians.
Especially, during that time, many orchads will offer a "all
you can eat" walk thru event, where you pay a small sum and are
allowed to walk thru the orchads, picking the best rambutans
from the tree and eat all you like, provided that you take none
with you when you leave. The roadside view during that time is
also very pleasant since the trees are full of colorful fruits,
and the fruit trades are everywhere on the roadsides.

The Phlu waterfall is in Chantaburi, about 30 kilometers from the
City along the way to Trat. The description above could very well
fit the attribues of Chantaburi's Phlu waterfall, but I think Put
nam meant to say Thanmayom waterfall on Ko Chang since he's
talking about the island.

------------------------------

T.10) Alternative accommodation: Bangkok International Airport

From: [e-mail] (Gwyn Williams)
Date: 2 Feb 1994 02:17:39 +1100

   Anyone wanting a hotel near Bangkok's airport, but not wanting to
   be gouged at the Airport Hotel, then a friend has recommended
   TK PALACE on Chaeng Wattana. Cost 800 baht a night. Tel: [phone]

From: [e-mail] (Johpa)
Date: 14 Mar 1994 02:34:10 -0500

   A brief update on [...] the Airport Hotel: Thai/Chinese price is 1,900
   baht, white price is 4,000 baht and the food in the coffee shop is
   expensive and lousy. [...] The Comfort Inn near the airport can be
   booked thru the 800 number in the USA.

   [Email update on Mon, 14 Mar 94 10:59:57 EST]

   There are also suggestions for alternatives: the Golden Dragon Hotel,
   great for kids with a McDonalds and shopping center across the street
   but heavy traffic during the day; and my old standby, the Cadena Palace,
   now the Nice Palace off of Sutthisan Rd with easy access to Don Muang
   but don't reccommend any of the bars on Sutthisan if travelling alone!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Acknowledgements

The original soc.culture.thai FAQ was proposed, put together and initially
maintained by Thanachart Numnonda ([e-mail]).

This part of the soc.culture.thai FAQ cannot be comepleted without
information from the following contributors:
  Alan Cooper for T.6;
  Alan Dawson ([e-mail]) for G.6;
  C Tantipaibulvut ([e-mail]) for G.5;
  Eddie Goletz ([e-mail]) for T.5;
  Ekkehard Uthke ([e-mail])
  Gwyn Williams ([e-mail]) for T.10;
  Jaray Chomchalao ([e-mail]) for T.9;
  [e-mail] for T.10;
  Joy Aswalap ([e-mail]) for G.2 and passing on G.6;
  Linitda Sooksomstarn ([e-mail]) for soc.culture.thai
    archive in G.3;
  Putnam Barber ([e-mail]) for T.6, T.8 and T.9;
  Ralf Von Gunten ([e-mail]) for the postcheques
    part of T.4;
  Samart Srijumnong ([e-mail]) for T.7;
  Somsak Limavongphanee ([e-mail]) for G.7;
  Thinakorn Tabtieng ([e-mail]) for T.2; and
  Trin Tantsetthi ([e-mail]) for G.1, G.3 and G.4.
Sincere gratitudes also go to those who contributed to T.1, T.3 and T.4
whose names were not recorded in the previous versions of the FAQ.