DontPanic on tour 2013

[dontpanic]

This time next week I'll be back in Thailand, Bangkok to be precise for a few nights. Staying on Soi 5 on the Suk so a return to Nana, Soi Cowboy and a first venture to Patpong and Annies amidst several temple visits for the tourist pics are on the agenda. Got an idea from another forum regarding doing some Asia-info site promotion so I got 250 business cards done up with some basic info on them which I plan on leaving everywhere and anywhere on my travels. Here's a pic in the free card holder I got.

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After Bangkok it's off to Don Meung for my first visit there and the short flight to Cambodia where it's 4 nights in Phnom Penh. Staying on street 148 on the Ohana. The plan is to hit Jim's California 2 place and get the lowdown before checking out the various nightlife spots. The usual s21, kiling fields, Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the city tour will be the day time activities.

I've a bus booked with Giant Ibis for the trip to Siem Reap but I may end up getting a taxi depending on cost, the bus only cost 10 euro so I'm none too bothered about that. A further 4 nights in Siem Reap will assure that I'm all templed out after touring Angkor Wat.

Flying with Angkor air back to BKK then Mr T will hopefully pick me up and leave me off at Tim's Boutique hotel in Pattaya for the week.

Looking forward to a return to Bangkok, it's over 6 years since my first newb trip there where I made all the classic newb mistakes but the BG's are dealing with a different DontPanic this time around.

My first venture into Nana plaza was just a complete overwhelming of the senses, I did loads of reading and had quite a few spots picked out. One of which was Angelwitch, was none too impressed with it but after a couple of beers one BG came over to me and of course I barfined her. The next night I made the mistake of walking by Angelwitch to get to another gogo and of course the previous night's bg was there outside angel witch. After I managed to free myself I walked to another gogo, G-Spot I think opposite one of the Ladyboy gogos. Same thing, although had a lot more fun in this place but barfined the first bg in the place.

Those short time rooms in Nana are freezing by the way. I decided I'd had enough of Nana so went to the Hard Rock for a night and ended up having a great time, lots of Thai ladies there but I hadn't a word of Thai at the time so no progress was made. The next night I decided to hit a few places on Soi Cowboy, again went to a few places, none of which made any real impressions so went to Tilac bar, walked in and got grabbed by a girl who would introduce herself as Ice. Nice looking TG, not a dancer, she worked the bar and collected glasses and spoke very good English. She said she was 37 at the time. I was smitten, had a great time with her and she ended up being brought back to the room for the next few nights. But I got fleeced for Ladydrinks for her and her friends. Up until this I was thinking it was hard to spend money in this country, these were the days of 50 Baht to the Euro too!

The barfine mysteriously increased every night for some reason or other, I was buying food for people just cos she asked me and she ended up getting a parting gift of some perfume that cost around 3,500 baht. She was very eager to come live in Ireland too 555 and have a baby and bring me up to see her home in Udon Thani. So emails were exchanged but exactly 3 weeks after I returned home I got the sick stomach email and her bank details and a request for 20,000 baht for medicine. I sent her a mail back telling her to give up smoking 555.

After that it would be 3 years before I returned to the kingdom, I wasn't overly impressed with it, didn't seem worth the effort. Until a chance reading of a travel agents magazine where I spotted a very good offer for a trip to Phuket, a place I knew little about. A quick google saw me sign up to Phuket info and now 3 years later I'm embarking on my 6th trip to Thailand.

I plan on doing live updates as well as a review TR with pics etc. Leaving Saturday 15th June, back Friday 5th July.

[Steve@thaib]

How cool are those cards??

[Steve@thaib]

Should have said.

Bus is the way to go from PP to Siam Reap, not a bad trip and nothing to be gained by taking a cab.

Have a great trip fella.

[Yes]

Sound like a good trip DP, enjoy.

The cards are a great idea.

[MrPicky]

Cool cards!

Have fun

[WarProfiteer]

Been looking forward to this TR...

[retepg]

Have a great trip DP, looking forward to the TR mate.

[Stillearly]

Have a great holiday DP

[bawdy]

Have an awesome trip m8, take heaps of pics 555

[dontpanic]

Total cost for the cards was 20euro, decided to go for the glossy finish as it lasts better so that was extra as was uploading my own pic in colour,aside from that didn't put much thought into it,just picked the first design I liked. I think it'l be cool if and when people find them and signup,who knows where in the world they'll end up.

[NeedHoliday]

Have a good trip, sounds extremely well thought out!

[nelsonone]

^ great idea on the cards mate.....have a wonderful journey!

[Iltis]

Enjoy your trip. Looking forward to the updates.

[K2]

Have a good one - looking forward to your TR.

[Nautilus]

Nice cards you have there, have a good trip !!

[dontpanic]

Finished work today, counting down the last minutes. Hopefully the French air traffic controllers give Saturday a miss for their strike.

Etihad emailed me last week to make a bid on a business class upgrade, around 400 euro minimum per leg which they usually do. I didn't bother but they emailed me again today saying they noticed I hadn't made a bid and there was limited opportunity to upgrade. I'll take my chances at check in, having lounge access is one of the big perks of business class so not bothered about adding 1600 euro to my expenses just for jumping the queue and some nice food on board.

[nelsonone]

if it was 400 for the whole trip it would probably be worth taking...not your fault they don't fly non-stop

[WarProfiteer]

Agree, 400 for the whole trip would be worth it... 400 per leg is a bit steep!

[dontpanic]

Flights confirmed, French air traffic control don't seem to be holding up anyone not landing in France so all looking good. Took yesterday and today off work and have just ended up killing time, it's days like these that make me glad I'm not unemployed. All those crappy daytime tv shows had me digging up the dvd collection to kill a few hours, these are the hours I don't like, I just want to get checked in and get moving. The little voice inside your head keeps thinking there's something I've forgotten to do but I'm getting such an old hat at this travel lark I'm usually in autopilot at this stage.

Just one more sleep, this time tomorrow I'll be airborne. Really looking forward to the trip, memories of past trips have come flooding back over the past few days and they make me wonder what new memories are in store over the next 3 weeks.

[Coolhand]

Now that's where I am different. I take each trip as a new adventure, and try and put my past trips away. People from.past trips is one thing, events is something else. Maybe it's just my trips are unremarkable but, hey, whatever floats your boat. I will enjoy reading your TR and comparing experiences.