New to the Forum

[windknot]

Hi all...I'm Rick and I am new here. Will be coming to Thailand in October for the first time. I actually almost moved there, about 10 years ago. THe thing that stopped me was being so far from the states where I thought I wanted to keep my money, at least for the short term. If I had a problem, getting back was much more of an ordeal than here in Mexico, where I can be at my stateside bank in about 4 hours in an emergency.
Anyway, I have lots of questions about Thailand. A lot has changed since those days. I would kind of like to start a one-to-one with one of you members, perhaps through e-mail, or even the phone. I can call my Thai girlfriend for like 7 cents a minute, so it is not expensive. These questions are pertinent to my situation, and probably not beneficial to the general forum...OR..they are things that have been asked so many times, you all are probably tired of hearing and replying to them.

[stingray]

Windknot. Welcome to the forum. It is not a very busy forum, but I look out for posts where I can help anyone with advice, if I can. I have lived in Thailand for 3 years, and have been commuting here for 19 years. I am British.

The benefit of these forums is that you can read of other people's problems, experiences, and the solutions, if any, to their problems. I personally will not enter into a one-to-one with you, as other members will not gain from my advice. If you have anthing specific you require help with, fire away. If I can assist, I will.

Stingray.

[windknot]

Thank-you stingray. I was just thinking that most of my questions would be ones that have been hashed over so much, that they'd be boring by now. This board needs some "stickys" comprised of FAQ's in different subjects (hotels, flights, places of interest, etc.)

There is a chance we will be wanting to try and get to Phimai, a small town near Korat (Khorat). However I have been told that the airport in Korat was closed about 3 years ago. So I'm guessing a bus is about the only other option, since it is 175 miles (284 km.) from the airport. So can someone provide some information on where the bus terminal is, and if there are different classes of tickets, is it worth the extra dinero for 1st class? Is there a better bus line? Thanks again.

BTW, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to get to Koh chang, is to fly to Trat, and then take a rickshaw (taxi) to the ferry landing. Once on the island, I am assuming there are taxis to the hotels???

[stingray]

Hello again Windknot. I my not be of much help with these particular questions but I'll have a go.

I agree about this board. It is short of stickies, and has not really taken off as a forum yet.

With regards to Korat(Nakhon Ratchasima) and Phimai. You have 2 options. Bus or train. A few enquiries when you are in Bangkok will sort out where to buy your tickets, and the station is. There will be a choice of quality of transport e.g. air-con bus, or Ist class train, and yes, it is worth the extra dinero. Phimai is beautiful, and its history so interesting. Definitely a good choice, although it is quite a few miles outside Korat.

I've never been to Koh Chang so cannot offer any advice there unfortunately. I do know, once you are on the island there are definitely taxis available.

With regards to your query on another thread about Bangkok, I'm not sure Khow San Rd will be your 'cup of tea'. As far as finding old traditional parts of Bangkok are concerned, your best bet is to make contact, when you arrive, with a local taxi driver, and talk to them. They are very helpful. You can even negotiate with them to make themselves available to you for the day.

Stingray