thanks hanuman for your reply. please suggest me which guide book should i choose for krabi & bangkok. and what places in bangkok to look for.

i am planning to purchase 2 tv's. 0ne LED & LCD from bangkok. please suggest the place and the things i should take care of.
also suggest which sim card should i purchase. my requirement is international calls to india and internet.

Goyal,

I suggest you start a new thread as I only post information on the flooding here. Others will be able to see and recommend.

hi hanuman,
going to thailand in a few weeks and landing in bangkok at 6:30 pm. hoping to make it to phuket/koh phi phi by the next day. the original plan was to take an overnight bus, but im starting to think with all this flooding that this may not be an option. are the trains still running? is there a functional bus route? if i were to fly instead, what's the minimum time i should leave between flights?
also, what about between chiang mai and bangkok? equally difficult ground travel? any words of wisdom would be SUPER helpful! thank you!
emily

Hi Emily,

The road/highway from Bangkok to Phuket is still open but there is a possibility that it might get flooded. The main highway going south is in Western Bangkok where the flooding is still critical.

If you fly I would give around 3 hours especially if you take a low cost airline. I think Thai Airways is offering special rates for flights going South - matching the low cost airlines. Check their web site.

I drove up from Bangkok to Chiang Mai yesterday and it took me a hour longer than normal. The roads are dry but just after you get off the Don Muaeng tollway the normally 10 lane highway is reduced to one lane each side and the rest of the lanes are flooded. Traffic moved very slowly from Don Muaeng airport northward for about 20 kilometers and then the highway is fully open up and dry - you can speed up from there.

Good luck!

These photos were posted on The Atlantic website a few days ago:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/5IK0Bb...-flood/100188/

Wow, amazing photos Craig. What strikes me is that they still manage to smile.

Good collection of photos Craig.

The scary thing is that while driving north from Bangkok I still saw a lot of water all the way pass Ayudthaya. For part of the highway I was on there were floodwater on both side as far as the eye could see. Every now and the we would pass an industrial or residential estate and we could see lots of people and equipments being used trying to pump the water out.

The worst sights were just after coming down from the elevated tollway as we cou,d see flooded shophouses and homes with very, very dirty dark water every where. Several part of the highway has been damaged with lots of pot holes.

Once passed Ayudthaya the road was pretty empty and still in good condition and I could drive as fast as I like. Noticed a lot of road damages again around Nakon Sawan to Tak.

Very nice weather in Chiang Mai so at least we can enjoy a flood free week here.

Hanuman: Off topic sorta ~~ we were in Bangkok the last week of October, so saw the results of the floods, but no water ourselves. We stayed almost 2 weeks in CM at the Chedi, and were treated like royalty ~~ nothing but luxe from everyone. Next time we will spend even more time in CM, as it was very serene and calming for us. Lovely people, too.

Isn't this where your mother was friends with Tongtip Bonsadadt? I haven't heard from her in a while, so I don't know if she is in Thailand or the States right now. Her daughter (Tara) moved to England, so they might be visiting there, too.

Take care, my friend!

Sandra

Hi Sandra,

My Mom and Dr. Tongtip were high school friends so they met in Bangkok at a young age. I haven't seen the doctor for a while either but I usually see her around the new year.

Chiang Mai was lovely and we just returned today. The quaint little restaurants up the "Dois"(mountains) were great with fantastic views of waterfalls and the valley below. One place even looked like Machu Pichu!

Drove back quickly and it only took me 5 hours to reach the outskirt of Bangkok, where the flooding is still happening. While I was on the tollway a group of angry residents blocked it off for over an hour both in-bound and out-bound traffic so a bit of a drama.

If I see Dr. Tongtip I will say hi for you!

Hanuman
Hope all in Thailand will return to normal as soon as possible. Hope Shanek and the like are doing all that he said in his thread to help all involved.....well intentions and reality are always two different animals.
Our best wishes to you and yours!!!

Aloha!

HT,

I fear that it will be a long time for life to return to normal for those affected by the flood. Even the highways that I drove through show signs of damages and once the water is gone then people will realize how much they have lost.

Another question on the minds of many is that will this happen again next year or the year after? Many believe that the flood was the fault of greed and corruption which led to unprecedented releases of dam waters. Now the government is trying to whitewash or give amnesty to the escaped felon ex-pm and this is causing a lot of unrest.

Appreciate the good wishes!

Hi, Hanuman!

Yes, please do give Tongtip my best wishes. She is such a fantastic lady, and we really enjoy Peter (her husband), too.

While we were in CM earlier we spent time at Bhubing Palace, which was beautiful and my pictures turned out great. But my favorite was Doi Inthanon. WOW! The only disappointment there was a restaurant, just down from The Chedi, that was highly recommended by several people. It was horrible! But there is so much to captivate one in CM, that the restaurant disappointment was "just a blip on the radar."

Take care, and best wishes to all Thais as they prepare to recoup their losses.

Sandra

After seeing these photos, I really don't know what to do about our mid-January trip. The people must be absolutely exhausted, and now whenever the flood recedes completely the endless clean up. My heart goes out to them. I can't IMAGINE dealing with the losses they are suffering.

Lincasanova,

I don't think you will notice anything as most Thais will not express outwardly their suffering. You will be rmet with smiles and warmth and IMO you will have a great trip. Do keep an eye on the political front for unrest.

They must be a very resilient race. We are so looking forward to this trip but I must admit, I have never been caught in these decisions before..

Thank you for all your efforts in keeping everyone up to date.

or I should have said "go on with their lives." They can never "recoup their losses.

Sandra

From what I have learned here, the aftermath of this flood will be felt for months, years and a lifetime for some. The political ramifications will cause even further turmoil and, I fear that this will affect the Thai tourist industry for a long time in the future.
I so feel for you all and wonder how the relief efforts are progressing.
Thank you Pook for keeping us informed. Sending warm thoughts to you and your family.
Sue

My Girlfriend is planning to come from Khorat to Bangkok on the 23rd by way of Route 2 and 1. Is there issues along this route once she gets just north of Bangkok or should she be taking Route 304?