Having travelled most of SEA, India and Egypt in the last four years, I consider Thailand to be an easy, mainstream destination, irrespective of the political troubles from time to time.
After a month in Egypt this year, I flew into Thailand, decided I'd had enough crazy traffic, so just went upstairs and bought a ticket to Chiang Mai. Bypassed Bangkok altogether. Low key Chiang Mai was just the ticket for a couple of weeks R & R.
HangDong, absolutely right about the "new" TT keeping regular posters away. I used to spend hours a day answering posts, but now I might spend an hour a month ( with the exception of my recent holiday, when the heat kept me inside most of the day ). It's just not as interesting any more, now that so many of the "usual suspects" have bowed out.
The other thing that keeps me away, is that so many of the posts are asking the same stuff. Either the search facility doesn't work, or posters are too lazy to bother searching, and I'm not going to bother answering the same questions over and over.
Ha! Ha! Great days! Tezza you came in dor some serious grief from the likes of Fart & Kananga as I remember! I don't know where you got the idea I was a right wing fascist - just because I drove a cab. I am right wing , but I don't know where you got the idea from! Now I've got a pub instead of a cab I've got a larger audience!!
Agree with most of the posters above (for once) Thailand is still a bloody great destination because you can get a 2,000 B hotel or a 150B guest house. A bowl of Pad Thai or a top imported steak, A little Thai soi bar or a fantastic British Pub - like mine for example!
You've got frantic Bangkok, Laid back chiang Mai, pulsating Pattaya, idyllic and pulsating Koh Samui,
relaxed Koh Chang, thought provoking Kanchanaburi, National Parks, mountains remote provinces hill tribes, great nightlife - OK you have to start and finish a bit earlier than the old days!
In short you've got a great package of fun & sights, at a price that - once you've paid the fuel surcharge is cheaper than most places in Europe and North America - and Cambodia & Vietnam simply ar'n't set up YET with the variety of things to do. Thailands got it all.
AND as long as you stay away from the very far south Pattani, Narattiwat & Yala, its SAFE. The current demonstarions in Bangkok are by the PAD- the shock troops of the middle class and they're not after you - they're after the rice farmers who run the country. Stay away from large gatherings of people (except outside Nana Plaza) and you'll be fine.
Millwall_fan finally got zapped! several years ago now by the gauleiters in the TT censorship office. Then after Gordon went all puritanical on us on the Tales of Asia forum , I kind of gave up on bulletin boards! Also I don't have so much time now that I'm running my own business. Still it's good to see a few of the old lags are still lurking on the TT!
Hmm! ok Beerlao, bit over the top maybe, but I guess if your sitting in an oiffice in London, New York or Sydney, Chaweng beach is rocking, and parts of the island are....well not far from idyllic
