One night in Bangkok....

[bailewen]

Actually more like 6 nights.

So I have exhausted all options and have completely failed at obtaining a work Visa without leaving the country but I don't have enough money to go home. Hong Kong is the obvious option but since this could take up to a week, I can't afford Hong Kong either. Also, the Hong Kong website advises non Hong Kong residents to apply at their home country because lines are long. The govt. site says no non-resident appplicants need apply. I bet I could still do it in Hong Kong but again, I can't afford to try and fail so.....

The nearest, cheapest country outside of China that is safe and has has a Chinese embassy is Thailand. The main embassy is in Bangkok so next month....a week in Bangkok.

Anyone been there? Any recommendations? The visa may get done in a day or two but I am booking my flight for a week just in case. So if I get my Visa handled in 2 days....what to do with the remaining 5? Note: I am extremely poor. I chose Thailand mainly because the cost of living there seems to be about equivalent to Xi'an. Any hostels to recomend? Anywhere I could maybe watch some Muay Thai live? Basically, what to do in Bangkok for a week and without much cash? I soooooo wish I had a little more scratch because I am kind of excited to see Thailand. Just wish I could stay longer and that I had more money to spend.

edit:
I would post a link to the MTV video but it's Friday night and even with a nice VPN proxy server setup, youtube is too slow for me to watch anything. The internet moves like rush hour in Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday nights here. Can't get the damn song out of my head though...

[Chris Fleming]

"Any recommendations?"

Don't get teh AIDS.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

avoid the ladyboys.

[bailewen]

lol...

Ok. So no hookers. I'm on a budget anyways.

[bailewen]

wow. The responses are rolling in fast.

No hookers. No ladyboys.

How about the "yes"'s.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

try the satay, don't drink cocktails, stick to beer or wine or straight up shots, no ice (avoid the hep)
dress light, wear a money belt, stay away from military bars.

do visit the temples
do visit the beaches
do check out the nightlife

[bailewen]

You can get hep from ice?

Oh shit. Thanks for the tip.

Moneybelt is a major issue because I don't have any money in an American bank account at the moment and my Chinese ATM card is not international. I'm thinking about using western union to send money to a family member in the states to deposit in my acocunt so I can use an ATM card but I'm worried about the fact that WaMu is now Chase. I think B of A is still the same though.

I'm buying my ticket next Tuesday. Getting my "health certificate" and fortunately, about 2 years ago Thailand opened an embassey right here in Xi'an so I don't need to go to Beijing.

Overall, this is a pain in my ass. (mainly just because I'm poor) but I intend to make the most of it. If I have to go to Thailand, fuck man...I want it to be as fun and as interesting as possible.

[neijia_boxer]

If you get up early , go to Lumpinee park and join all the thai-chinese in Taiji. there are several groups out there and even a bagua group. most people to 36 liang gong shir ba fa warm-up, 24 form, 42 form, 48 form, 18 taiji-qigong, and some other forms.

[bailewen]

Cool.

[Michael]

If you have an American passport, do you need a visa to go to Thailand? Maybe you'll have to go to Hong Kong to get your Thai visa. LOL No, I know you said they have a consulate in Xi'an, but why not add to the rigmarole.

My 5 year old Lonely Planet, SE Asia on a shoe string, which condenses several countries into one book has this to say about Thailand:

The very epitome of the modern, steamy, Asian metropolis, Bangkok is a worthy subject for any urban connoisseur. Between canyons of concrete skyscrapers, speeding vehicles roaring through space. The noise is deafening, the pollution asphyxiating and the heat stifling; and then there are the floods. Once you negotiate the 12-lane highways and the throngs of people, you'll find a small village napping in the narrow soi with an unmistakable khwaam pan thai ("Thai-ness").

The capital of Thailand was established at Bangkok...

Don't miss: Wandering the grounds of Wat Phra Kaew and Grand Palace, taking a ride on the SKytrain, pubcrawling in the notorius Patpong district and catching cool breezes on the Chao Phraya river ferry.

I think I'll just scan the rest and send it in email.

[Michael]

Moneybelt is a major issue because I don't have any money in an American bank account at the moment and my Chinese ATM card is not international. I'm thinking about using western union to send money to a family member in the states to deposit in my acocunt so I can use an ATM card but I'm worried about the fact that WaMu is now Chase. I think B of A is still the same though.

I've been using my B of A debit ATM card to get money off and on since I've been here. Does it make sense to wire RMB to the US to draw money from an ATM in Thailand? Considering that more and more countries and places don't want the dollar, why not carry paper RMB into Bangkok and change the money there? Never been to Thailand, but i would expect lots of money changers to be available.

neijia_boxer, how's the money changing in Thailand? Know of any problems with Chinese money?

[bailewen]

Um....when you draw money from and ATM does it not come out in the local currency for you?

why not carry paper RMB into Bangkok and change the money there?

That's a huge amount of cash for me. RMB or Thai Baht is irrelevant. It's just too much cash for me to carry safely on my person. Using the ATM is safer. I can just take out what I need on an as need basis and don't need to much around wasting time at the banks changing my currency.

Considering that more and more countries and places don't want the dollar...

I'm hoping to keep my spending money down to maybe 1000 yuan (4900 baht) for the week. Then the hs (not including Visa application fees or whatever) but I am preparing more like 3000 RMB (14,600 BHT) just in case.

This website seemed to be a decent guide for costs:
http://whatismatt.com/bangkok-cost-of-living/

200 baht/day for street food. Maybe throw in a couple nicer meals here and there but not much. so like at least 1500 for food. There's hostels for 120 baht or so to that's another grand. Don't know what transport will cost. Let's say I mostly walk and but but allow another 500 for the occasional taxi (like to the embassy maybe) and I'm up to about 3000 baht. So I think 4900 baht is doable if I don't do much. The Muay Thai gym posted earlier has got me drooling. I'm sure the temples are neat too. Probably just not gonna do much partying outside of sharing cheap beers with my fellow travelers at the hostel. Some websites say Thailand has a lot of cheap whiskey too which sounds good to me. lol

I just wish I could tell how to pick a good hostel as I don't really know where the embassy is yet and more than that, there's a huuuuge range in the "fun factor" between different hostels. When traveling alone like I will be, the right hostel is a big deal. Some are just crash pads and some others are big old party houses with tons of folks from all different countries working off hangovers in the lounge, watching movies on a widescreen TV, planning trips about town together with people they just met yesterday and so on. I want to find one of those.

[Muad'dib]

Funny, I am moving to the states Monday, because I do not have enough money to stay here another month...

[Michael]

Yes, the ATM's give you local currency, LOL. At least I haven't seen one yet with choices. I was thinking about the wire transfer fee, which is generally about 10%, then the ATM surcharge and conversion fees, and you're losing a high percentage. I have gotten used to seeing people on the train between Guangzhou and Hong Kong carrying what looks like 50-200 thousand RMB in their pockets. Loose! I *think* you're supposed to declare anything over 20 thousand RMB when crossing the border of mainland China.

Whichever hostel you choose, if your neighbor is named Daffy, don't follow the map to paradise.

[bailewen]

Yeah but your in Japan.

Japan = not cheap.

The money issue is killing me these days. I theory there are just so many damn opportunities for work now that I have my degree. I speak fluent Chinese and I have several years experience working with high end computer equipment. (Worked as an Avid tech for my step-dad) but there's just nothing here in Xi'an. All the opportunities I can find are always in Beijing or Shanghai. It sounds a bit odd but if I move to Beijing, it's like I may as well move back to the US. My Shifu is in Xi'an and that's kind of my whole reason for being here. It sure would be nice to work for a western company though. I keep hoping Xi'an will continue to develop to the point where I can find a job with a western salary without leaving town. The fact that several foreign embassies have opened here in the past 2 years seems fairly significant to me.

In the meantime, at least by local standards I live quite well. My work hours are very short and I live in a really pretty decent flat and my wife doesn't need to work. So in the big picture, it's still easier than life in the states. I just don't think a week in Thailand should seem like such a huge expense to me. In absolute terms, it's still extremely cheap.