[SS-Traveller]

There had been distant lightning in the sky far away to the south, for the last half hour or so. The rain started falling in a light drizzle, and the wipers had to be run in intermittent mode. I slowed down to a steady 80 km/h; the road was wet, and I wasn't too confident about the road-holding capacity of the 195-section tyres on the 2+-tonne bus. ABS+EBD lent some peace to my worries.

The double-decker bus whizzed past me, doing at least 110 km/h, completely fogging my vision till the wipers could do their job. It was a straight stretch of road, and I could track the bright lights of the bus from a distance. His brake lights suddenly came on, as did the hazard lights; and the driver seemed to be pulling off to the left of the road. But wait, there's nothing on the left! No petrol pump, no lights, nothing!

Then it hit us. A solid sheet of rain, forced into the front of the HiAce by gale-force winds. Out of habit, I hit the wiper stalk to turn on the wipers at full speed. Even before my foot came off the accelerator, the wind had already slowed the vehicle down to 60 km/h. And we drove into the maelstrom of high velocity winds and thousands of gallons of water pouring over the car from the skies. I knew why the bus had pulled over and stopped.

The winds made the slab-sided van drift across the road, and quarter-turn steering corrections were needed to keep us on the road. We were down to crawling along at 30 km/h. The rain bounced off the road surface and turned it white, even as other vehicles also slowed to a crawl, and some pulled off the road. We kept going - everyone else was fast asleep, and the bodyshell of the HiAce sounded like 20 drummers were hammering all over it.

We covered about 30 km in the next hour or so. I don't remember a downpour this heavy on the highway; combined with it was the experience of the effect that high winds have on a vehicle with a large surface area. I can well imagine what effect the winds would have had on the double-decker, and why that driver pulled off the road rather than drive through the storm.

The rain eased off to an extent, but more importantly, the wind stopped blowing. It was easier to steer. And this was the scene that greeted us at daybreak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRR_r...&feature=g-upl

After over 700 km of driving, the 70-litre fuel tank needed inputs. Here we are, stopped at a fuel station to top up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbSle...&feature=g-upl

[Kwanza]

A great travelogue!

Was excited to see the HiAce in action. Reminded me of my not-so-long-ago-days in Kenya going for amazing safaris. The vehicles used, among Land Rovers, were mostly 4WD HiAces, Nissan Caravans. Often, the very experienced safari drivers would take them off-track and into the bushes in search of game (not advisable). The vehicles would wade through these rough terrains effortlessly.

Call it boxy, but I do think the HiAce is a great and very-able vehicle! And IMO, the design is indeed clean and nice!

[sadnabrina]

Fantastic TL as usual. Keep it coming SS. Unfortunately I am missing some of the action as YouTube is not accessible from most networks in Bangladesh (where I currently am). May be if you can put a few jpegs along with the videos, just to give poor souls like me some idea of -

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

the scene that greeted us at daybreak.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by sadnabrina

Fantastic TL as usual. Keep it coming SS. Unfortunately I am missing some of the action as YouTube is not accessible from most networks in Bangladesh (where I currently am). May be if you can put a few jpegs along with the videos, just to give poor souls like me some idea of -

Hi Anirban, I didn't get to use my camera much during the drive, and only unpacked it at the fuel stop before reaching Phuket. The few videos posted here are from my friend's camcorder. Here are a couple of pics from my camera.

Incidentally, a close inspection of the car in the videos and subsequent photos will show hardly any mud on the bodywork - we were amazed at how clean the car was even after driving through hours of torrential rain as well as drizzle. I have NOT washed / had someone clean & wash the car through the drive at any point of time!

[SS-Traveller]

Vegetarian Festival, Phuket

http://www.phuket.com/festival/vegetarian.htm
http://travel.khiewchanta.com/archiv...tival-nic.html

Some of us are going to be overjoyed to learn about this annual affair in Phuket, which I was told of by my friend in Thailand. But before you pack your bags and book tickets for the next year (the dates are exactly the same as our Navratri/Durga Puja dates every year), do read the links above, and take a look at the videos - only the first one is from our camera, the others are from other YouTube users.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF0D5...ature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnI6y...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqUhn...eature=related

We arrived on the 23rd October, the last day of the festival, and were lucky to catch a few glimpses of the parade. Here are the (not-too-good) photos for you to look at, especially if you can't access YouTube videos wherever you are.

At the end of 30 hours of staying awake, and driving over 1000 km (including the driving in and around Kanchanaburi) in that time, we arrived at our destination in Phuket.

This sight was so inviting that for the next 2 hours, I was dead to the world.

When I woke up, the HiAce was not there...

[SS-Traveller]

Some common queries (FAQs) about visiting Thailand, answered:

1. How can I get a mobile phone connection in Thailand?
Almost instantly. After you go through immigration and baggage claims, and exit the customs area, there's a 7-Eleven store at the airport near exit gate #1, as well as one by True Move Mobile (counter #5, between gates #3 & 4), on Floor 2.

(Do keep in mind that Thais don't have a Ground Floor - their floor nomenclature starts from Floor 1, meaning Ground floor).

Inside the baggage claims area, a True Move stall was selling SIMs at 99THB, while at the counter outside, they were giving away free SIM cards. You simply prepay a minimum of 50THB for a recharge (no 10THB recharges there, thanks!), get full talktime, and are good to go. Call rates are 6THB per minute when calling back to India, and 1.25THB/min when calling a local number (all calls within Thailand are local calls, and incoming is free all over the country).
--------------------------
2. Can I drive in Thailand on my Indian driving licence, or do I need an IDP? What about insurance?

Avis allows you to rent out their cars based on your Indian DL (or any other DL where the script is English / Roman letters & numbers). I have been stopped by Royal Thai Police and my Delhi-issue driving licence checked (that's another story!), and they've not raised any objections either.

Insurance is another matter however. Make absolutely sure that you have zero-liability insurance when renting a car or bike, and rent from a reputed agency like Avis or Budget. It is a common scam by small-time renters to blame you for a dent you were not responsible for, and make you pay 5,000-10,000THB for the damage.
--------------------------
3. I would like to know what is the cheapest way to convert INR to THB. I have a Visa and Master debit/ATM card and a Master credit card.

If you are going for visa-on-arrival, you need to carry 10,000 THB per person or 20,000THB per family, in THB or USD/GBP/EUR equivalent, in cash, apart from the usual return tickets, hotel booking receipts, passport photos etc. INR is NOT accepted as a THB equivalent, like it or not.

(If you are getting your visa issued from India before departure, it costs ~2300 INR (while VOA is for 1000THB), but the ~500INR extra expense saves you from an hour-long queue at the VOA counters, especially if you land up in BKK during peak holiday season.)

The net conversion rate of INR > THB depends on what rate you can pick up USD for your INR. Official bank rates (foreign exchange against your passport) are usually costlier than getting USD from agencies like Centrum. I know for a fact that Centrum also sells THB against INR, but the cost works out to be higher than the two-step conversion of INR > USD > THB. And always opt for bills in 50 & 100, they get a higher conversion rate in Thailand than smaller denominations.

INR > THB conversion is available at a moneychanger on the first floor of Pantip Plaza (next to the pedestrian overbridge) - the rate was 0.52 THB per INR, or ~1.92 INR/THB.

NO INR > THB conversion is available at the airport, and USD > THB conversion gets you a poorer rate at the airport than in the city - so convert just enough at the airport to pay for visa fees, taxi fare etc. till you get to the city.

If you withdraw THB directly from ATMs, the bank would charge Rs.100 for each transaction, irrespective of the amount withdrawn. Your net conversion will work out to ~2 INR to 1 THB.
-------------------------
4. I can just use my credit card, can't I?

Yes, but be careful about using credit cards in small shops and non-reputed places in Thailand though - you'll end up with a cloned card and unwanted headaches. Big hotels, 7-Eleven stores, Avis etc., it's okay to use the card. I got a net conversion rate of about 1.83-1.84 INR to 1 THB on my credit card this time.

Visa-on-arrival fees CANNOT be paid by credit card. You need to pay by cash in THB only.
-------------------------
5. Can you suggest me few places to visit in Pattaya?

Check this link: http://www.thaiticketmajor.com/trave...attaya_eng.php - if you get the combined ticket, that'll cover most important things in Pattaya - apart from the sea trips to Coral Island, snorkelling, paragliding etc. of course. Email/call and find out if the scheme is still running, because the website says it was valid till 31 Dec 2010, though someone I know used it in 2011.
------------------------
6. Can you suggest me any place where I can find car accessories and stuff in Bangkok?

I have not really bought any car stuff there (seriously!), but there are some huge accessories shops that we'd noticed, on the outskirts of the city, esp. on the way to Safari World. There are also many auto accessories shops on the highways, such as in Ratchaburi, Cha-am etc. (Thailand has a lot more auto modding enthusiasts than India, and almost every car has some kind of interior or exterior modification.

There's a department store called Tokyu inside MBK Mall. They have a section for cars on Floor 3, where I picked up a pair of rather nice jump start cables the previous trip. You also get good car detailing material, wipers etc. there.

Tejas@perioimpl has bought car stuff from Bangkok, can I ask you to contribute information regarding the same here please, Tejas?
-------------------------
7. Are garments and ladies' footwear etc. cheaper there than India?

If you go to the wholesale markets, and buy 3 items together, it's a whole lot cheaper. Buying a single piece from a mall (or even from a streetside stall) doesn't work out cheaper, but bargain like hell anyway. Thais love bargaining as much as (or maybe even more than) Indians do.

The two wholesale markets I know of are
(1) on the streets below BoBae Tower (where the Prince Palace Hotel is located). The street market starts from 3 AM and winds up by 9-9:30 AM. The fixed stalls across the road from the building (you'll need to go into very narrow lanes and find a few hundred shops inside) wind up business by 5 PM or so; and
(2) in the area surrounding the Four Seasons Hotel (near the Best Western Mayfair Suites Hotel) in Pratunam, across the main road from Pantip Plaza. The shops open from 4 AM, and the cheapest rates are available early morning. Though shops remain open till 3 PM, a late-morning trip means higher prices (just because you are a tourist and local people aren't buying).
------------------------
8. What kind of electronics is it worth buying in Bangkok, and from where?

The big name is Pantip Plaza, and the other is Fortune Towers. It used to be that anything and everything was cheaper there than in India. This time, I realized I pay less for a 500GB external hard disk in India (online prices) than in Thailand.

LCD/LED televisions are cheaper by 15%-30% (again, depending on where and when you check costs in India), but I have never been confident about how carefully airlines handle them as cargo. What if the TV refuses to start once you reach home?

Sony India refuses to service imported sets (those that are not made for India) under warranty as a company policy, to make sure that people buy Indian sets only!

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

4. I can just use my credit card, can't I?

Yes, but be careful about using credit cards in small shops and non-reputed places in Thailand though - you'll end up with a cloned card and unwanted headaches. Big hotels, 7-Eleven stores, Avis etc., it's okay to use the card. I got a net conversion rate of about 1.83-1.84 INR to 1 THB on my credit card this time.

Just a point to add here. Expect a call from your bank the first time you use your card. The first time i swiped my citibank card, i got a call within 30 seconds from my bank asking if i had swiped my card. Be prepared to answer this call even if you are on roaming otherwise the bank will not honour your transaction. They asked me how long i was in thailand and said as soon as i return, they will deactivate my card and send me a new one free. This is a safe guard against misuse. Don't know if other banks do the same.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

6. Can you suggest me any place where I can find car accessories and stuff in Bangkok?

I have not really bought any car stuff there (seriously!), but there are some huge accessories shops that we'd noticed, on the outskirts of the city, esp. on the way to Safari World. There are also many auto accessories shops on the highways, such as in Ratchaburi, Cha-am etc. (Thailand has a lot more auto modding enthusiasts than India, and almost every car has some kind of interior or exterior modification.

There's a department store called Tokyu inside MBK Mall. They have a section for cars on Floor 3, where I picked up a pair of rather nice jump start cables the previous trip. You also get good car detailing material, wipers etc. there.

Tejas@perioimpl has bought car stuff from Bangkok, can I ask you to contribute information regarding the same here please, Tejas?
-------------------------[b]

Second hand engines and car parts: Bangna area. Huge market.

Protunam area: Second hand engines / new accessories / tyres and rims

MBK mall: RS Style Racing - Good accessories here.

EDIT: Carry pics of what you want to buy. Language is a major problem. Carry a pic of your car as well so you can ask if the accessory / part will fit your car. The second hand shops do not bargain much and if you bargain too much, they will just loose interest and start ignoring you. Most price discussions happen over a calculator. They put a figure on the calci and then you put yours, and so on.


For 4x4 stuff, cross posting:

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

BANGKOK

Name of store: VVP 4x4 Center

Address: 58/166 Srinakarin Road Suanluang Bangkok 10250. Show room Tel 0-2721-3161-5, Office Tel 0-2320-2207-9, Fax 0-2321-4713

Website: V.V.P.4x4CENTER

My Review:

Found the place via the internet. Easy to find and is quite close to the airport. Stocks most of the parts and the sales staff do understand english.

Ofcourse most of the parts bolt on for their local vehicles which will not fit our jeeps without mods and are best avoided.

The accessories are very well priced.

They have a huge collection of lights, jacks, winches, suspensions, tyres, wheels, bumpers, etc.

An offroader can spend a full day there.

Behind is their workshop and many beautiful vehicles are modified and displayed there including wranglers, samurais and fortuners.

Prices are reasonable and if you buy a lot of items, they do give you a 15% discount.

If you buy lots of stuff, ask and they will give you nice free caps and sew on patches.

Highly recommended place.

Do remember to ask for a VAT refund form from them.

[SS-Traveller]

Thank you for the detailed information, Tejas.

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Just a point to add here. Expect a call from your bank the first time you use your card. The first time i swiped my citibank card, i got a call within 30 seconds from my bank asking if i had swiped my card. Be prepared to answer this call even if you are on roaming otherwise the bank will not honour your transaction.

Nice to know this about Citibank.

I've not received any such call on using my credit cards from Axis Bank and HSBC, or my wife's Standard Chartered, neither have any of the banks offered to replace the cards. However, after an earlier trip, ICICI Bank replaced the card free of cost, but had not called to confirm any of the transactions.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Thank you for the detailed information, Tejas.

Nice to know this about Citibank.

I've not received any such call on using my credit cards from Axis Bank and HSBC, or my wife's Standard Chartered, neither have any of the banks offered to replace the cards. However, after an earlier trip, ICICI Bank replaced the card free of cost, but had not called to confirm any of the transactions.

Just refreshed my memory. After the card was swiped first time, it got rejected. I asked them to try again and it was declined again. That was the time i got the call from my bank. Once they confirmed with me, they asked that i swipe the card after 5 minutes and the transaction will be processed.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

For 4x4 stuff, cross posting:

The link you posted isn't working, but this one does: http://www.vvp4x4.com/. To call from India, replace the first '0' in the phone number with '+66'.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

One of the joys of driving all night long on Thai highways, as opposed to doing it on Indian highways, is that no one drives on high beam. I didn't hear anyone blow the horn (in fact, there was not a single time when I heard anyone sounding his horn, in 2250 km of driving in Thailand). At the end of an all-night haul, your eyes don't smart and your ears don't buzz.
No potholes (some areas were patched up and a little rough to drive on at 100 km/h), no bumps in the middle of nowhere

Hello Sir,

It is very interesting to know that fact that Driving manners in Thailand are almost at par with some of the developed Countries in world. No honking, no potholes, well marked sighboards, no worry of encountering crazy drivers in middle of nowhere! Wonderful.

I always feel that manners like these display respect for others that one individual has in his mind. It also shows high value of ones life & property that other person, community & country is considering.

I may sound sarcastic, but we can only dream of things like these on Indian Roads, atleast in near future.

Thanks,

[SS-Traveller]

A few things to note regarding renting self-drive cars in Thailand:

Avis (http://www.avisthailand.com/EN/index.php), Budget (http://www.budget.co.th/default.aspx) and Hertz (http://www.hertzthailand.com/EN/) have their individual counters on Floor 2 at Suvarnabhumi Airport, located between exit gates #7 & #8. Everytime, I have ended up renting Avis because their online rates for similar cars is lower than the others' (though they have quite new cars too, and decently maintained and serviced - my HiAce this time was only 24,000km old).

Avis did not charge me extra for picking up the car from the airport but dropping it off at their city office. They are also quite lenient about delayed returns by up to 4 hours (no extra charge).

The 20,000THB security that Avis takes by swiping your credit card, does not show up as a transaction on your card under normal circumstances, because they don't settle the transaction (unless required!). So no debit transaction, followed by credit, shows up in the subsequent credit card bill.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Some common queries (FAQs) about visiting Thailand, answered:

1. How can I get a mobile phone connection in Thailand?
Almost instantly. After you go through immigration and baggage claims, and exit the customs area, there's a 7-Eleven store at the airport near exit gate #1, as well as one by True Move Mobile (counter #5, between gates #3 & 4), on Floor 2.

(Do keep in mind that Thais don't have a Ground Floor - their floor nomenclature starts from Floor 1, meaning Ground floor).

Inside the baggage claims area, a True Move stall was selling SIMs at 99THB, while at the counter outside, they were giving away free SIM cards. You simply prepay a minimum of 50THB for a recharge (no 10THB recharges there, thanks!), get full talktime, and are good to go. Call rates are 6THB per minute when calling back to India, and 1.25THB/min when calling a local number (all calls within Thailand are local calls, and incoming is free all over the country).

We got the free sim, and then recharged with a 100THB data pack. Do not remember how much mobile data was included. but it meant we could call back India using skype for around 3rs a minute.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

We got the free sim, and then recharged with a 100THB data pack. Do not remember how much mobile data was included. but it meant we could call back India using skype for around 3rs a minute.

We actually ran Skype for free, connecting to the wi-fi in each of the hotels/resorts we stayed in. It is a rare hotel that that does not offer free wi-fi in Thailand to its guests, so check before you book.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

We actually ran Skype for free, connecting to the wi-fi in each of the hotels/resorts we stayed in. It is a rare hotel that that does not offer free wi-fi in Thailand to its guests, so check before you book.

On the Islands, its common to find hotels with no free wifi(sometimes very good hotels). So we took the data plan option. Could not even finish the 100 THB.
That said, a walk in the market would always reveal some open WIFI!