tarps

I have used Fodors so much for many trips and am really bad about posting reports, since I get my hotels and well almost everything else from peoples reports I thought it only fair to share my experience.
While I know that I could have gotten things cheaper, well in the end I just booked what I could and went with it.

Got to Dubai airport three hours early, only to sit until they were ready to check me in. I had gotten a ticket for $522 on Gulf Air out of Dubai, not too bad, although I ended up upgrading on the return flight.
Finally checked in Gulf Air and went into the airport 2 hours before the flight, Dubai airport has free internet so I checked it one last time and then got on the plane.
It was a really old plane with I must say some stinky people around me so the flight was miserable. I changed planes in Muscat, Oman and then had a 5 hour flight into Bangkok.
I got into Bangkok at 0800, customs was no problems, and maybe 15 min wait. The airport is huge though and you have to walk a ways, doing it again I would have stopped along the way and sat and had some coffee. Got my bags and went outside, the guy from AAC Limousine was waiting with my name on the card. I must say, I know it is easy to get a car when you get there but it was really nice to know someone was waiting when you got off your long flight. The ‘limo” was a Mercedes sedan, so if you have a lot of luggage I would tell then ahead of time. The web site was www.aaclimousine.com and the fare was 920 bht, which included the 65 bht highway toll, not bad really.
I got to the Sheraton Grande Sukumvit, I had room 2701, and it was really nice. It can be part of the suite so it is really big, two beds, large bathroom with mosaic tiles, seperate showers and bathtub- really deep one. There was a desk with internet connection, mini bar, huge flat screen TV and a large walk in closet. I got the room for two nights for $400. I had originally wanted to stay at the Old Bangkok Inn, but they didnt have the double room avaliable. I am glad I ended up at the Sheraton as I was tired and wanted some pampering.
When i got there i was so tired and hungry i went right to the breakfast, it was a buffet, very big with both asian and western foods, about 530 bht i think. It was good but i thought pricy, i didnt eat there again. I didnt go down to the pool, but I was told it was really nice, like a miniture oasis.
I had a 12pm appointment at Bumrungrad hospital, it was about a 5 min taxi ride, 30 bht, i could have walked actually but i didnt want to. The hospital is really nice and clean. It is run by an American company so they cater to international travelers. You can see any kind of doctor there and it is very cheap. I then went back to the hotel, i must admit i stopped at the Mcdonalds across the street for dinner, but i was tired and a cheeseburger was calling me. Note to self- Ignore the mcdonalds craving next time because it was not good.
The hotel is on Sukumvit road, full of shopping, both tourist stalls and retail stores, with restruants and bars all over. There is a sky train acess that links to the hotel, and along with the Mcdonalds there is a Robinsons department store there also. On the second day i had another appoinment so we shopped, i bought some wooden painted masks, some wooden bowls and spoons, a coupld of Budda paintings, a small spirit house, a couple of Thai tradiontianal statues, and they have these wooden hangers for silk scarves or tapistries for the wall, they were very unique- in all i think i spent about $130 total that day, but i had a lot, and i mean a lot. Then for dinner ate at Cabbages and Condoms, about a 10 min walk. I dont remember what it cost, but it was very resonable, i want to say about $30 for two people with drinks. It was very good and the atmosphere with the outdoor lights and garden was really nice.
So, my first impression of Bangkok, I loved it. It was noisy and dirty and a little stinky but wonderful at the same time. I would not want to stay the entire time there, but I liked it so far. It was hotter and muggier than I was expecting, jeans are way to hot.
So off to Cambodia.

rhkkmk

nice start...look forward to more

tarps

That morning we had another pick up from AAC limo and went back to the airport to go to Cambodia. It was another no hassel ride, 920 bht. I had arranged our airfare through the web site of Bangkok Airways, i know there were cheaper options but i live overseas and couldnt get a travel agent or discovery pass deal. All flights were coach and came to 17,775 bht each.

PG905 Bangkok 06 Mar 2007 11:25 Seim Reap 06 Mar 2007 12:25
PG924 Seim Reap 09 Mar 2007 09:50 Phuket 09 Mar 2007 13:05
PG276 Phuket 17 Mar 2007 13:50 Bangkok 17 Mar 2007 15:10

We got into the airport at Seim Reap; we got off the plane on the runway and walked into the airport, definitely keep out your camera because there are some great shots you can get once you get on the runway. I was the only one who didn’t have a visa picture with me, somewhere I thought I had read that you could get one there, but ummm, no, there was no photo booth in sight, So after plunging ahead and getting in line, stressed out mind you, I told the customs officer, and yeah, he didn’t care. So I paid my 1000 bht like everyone else and still got in the country. You give your passport, application, and money to the first guy who then passes it to like 5 other people down the line, where you then collect it. It is an odd system. So through customs and we were out the door.

BUT WAIT-----
Now, I really research all my trips and am generally really, really prepared, so when I tell this story I must say I am really embarrassed because I am sure this was covered somewhere and I missed it. I went to the money exchange, and I never do this much- ever- but I got $300 changed to Cambodian Rails. Come to find out later, you don’t need them. Everything and I mean everything was in US dollars. Everything. So I decided to keep the Cambodian money and exchange it back when I left, BUT- when we left I was not paying attention to the one exchange out of the airport, I thought I would just do it when I got passed customs. WRONG- once you pay your exit tax you have left Cambodia and cannot leave and there are no exchange inside and come to find out no one in Thailand wants the Cambodian money so now I have $300 in paper. But I digress.


I had sent Pon an email to see about getting a guide and driver for Seim Reap, she was booked so she suggested her brother Dara. The price was $50 per day for 2 people, $55 for three, with $10 extra for Banteay Srey temple. So he was there with the name sign again, he is a little skinny man with kinda big ears and a huge grin. I had booked at the Bopha Angkor, $55 each night with breakfast. We were in an air-conditioned van. The town of Seim Reap was way different that Bangkok, which is to be expected. It is a smaller town, kinda reminds me of a country town that is starting to explode with tourism. Dara was telling us that the entire town works for the tourist. There is basically no other economy there. You could see how in a couple of years it won’t be the same, construction is everywhere.
We drove for about 30 min and then came to the hotel; it was across from the river on a corner. I walked in to check in, a little different feel than the Sheraton. They were expecting me but they seemed a bit young and unorganized. Either way, I checked in, paid $150 upfront- in US currency again, and got the key. Dara was going to get us at 1400 so we could eat and unpack. You walk outside to get around, by that I mean the hallways are outdoors, all around a courtyard that is also the restaurant. Flowers are everywhere as are the cutest little lizards. Our room looked just like the website, www.bopha-angkor.com. I had emailed them and they were very quick to respond. With two beds, netting, a mini bar, air conditioning, and a bathroom. Pretty standard but nice. We said it was like a travel motel in the states almost, but with a little bit more charm.

We were going to eat, but we slept. Hey, vacation travel is tiring. So we were up at 1500 and Dara was there to get us, but we were HUNGRY. So, he stopped at a gas station and we picked up chips, almonds and some tea. Healthy lunch. We then went to the temple pass place. It was $40 for a three day pass, once again I had no picture but they took mine right there and put it on the pass. We got back in the van and went to Angkor Thom. Along the way Dara was talking about the history some. We had told him that we were photographers so we were going to be stopping and taking a lot of pictures, maybe we should have emphasized that more because there were several times he tried to rush us along to get to more temples and we were more concerned with getting all our photos.

So we got to the gate of the temple, took a lot of photos. There were a few children trying to see things, not many. We got back in the van, went through the gate and stopped at the MONKEYS. On the side of the road was an entire, what herd I guess- I am not sure what you would call it. But there were about 25 monkeys, with their babies all hanging out. You could buy some feed if you want, but we took pictures, we were so excited. We eventually got back into the van and went to Angkor Thom. Now, I was not thinking when I got up from my nap. I was still wearing the jeans and polo from the flight and was starting to get hot, not a good thing. We got to the temple, walked a ways in the jungle and then started taking more pics and listening to Dara talk. After a long while, not sure really how long, I was done. Hot and tired and ready to get in the pool. So we left and went back to the hotel. We made arrangements to get picked up at 0800 the next morning. We unpacked a little and went into the pool; it was a salt water pool, but very refreshing. We had a couple of beers and relaxed in the water. There were flowers and trees all around. For dinner that night we ate at the hotel, it was really really good. It is traditional Thai food and very reasonable, we also discovered singha beer there. Ahhh- the singha, it would be with us the entire trip, like an extra buddy to hang out with. We crashed that night with the bug nets around us and slept ok- I must say the beds were pretty hard.

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel, it is made to order and pretty good. We then were off to the temples. We went to Angkor Wat, the biggie. It was way more crowed than I thought. We climbed all over, went up to the top up the steep stairs, I must admit it was a little nerve racking as the stairs seem almost vertical. The inside of the temple smelled like rat urine, I didn’t want to stay inside very long. But in all the courtyards there are so many different photography opportunities that it was great. Also, the higher you go you see the jungle out over the temple walls, made me think of how it was when it was first built.
After a long morning at the temple we went to the Artisans de’Angkor studio. It was nice; you get a tour guide from the center who shows you how they make all their crafts. We went into the gift shop and ended up buying a dancing girl carved statue. I was a little disappointed actually, it was all hand made but kind cookie cutter- all the same. The statue was pricy, about $79, I also got a silk evening clutch $10 and two silk jewelry bags $12.
We then went back to the hotel to rest. We were so tired and kinda had a headache that we ended up telling Dara that we were not going the rest of the afternoon to the temples. We ended up sleeping then we got a tuk tuk for $1 to take us to the market area. We walked around a little bit in the old market; it is not the same as Thailand. Not a lot to really buy. We ended up on a street that had all the bars and restaurants, it was really kinda cool. Reminded me almost of Bourbon Street in New Orleans actually. We ate at the pizza place across from the Red Piano. It was ok pizza. We had the Singha beers and then I got an apple tart. We stayed for a long time talking with people. I walked across the street at one point and bough a string of freshwater pearls, an amber necklace, two silk purses, two baby anklets, two jade bangles and two silver bangles with bags for $100, maybe too much but I had fun. We then took a tuk tuk back, this time for $3, but we were so not walking and I think the driver knew that.

The next morning was our sunrise morning, bad one to wake up to when you are hungover. Breakfast was coffee, and then we were off. It was still hot even at 0600 at the temples. We waited, with about 100 other people by the lake for the sunrise. It finally came, although there were some clouds it was really pretty. We took pictures, I bought an Angkor Wat black and white painting for $6 and we walked around a little. I think by this time Dara was sick of us because of all the pictures. I also noticed as we walked around the outside of the temple that there were several temple structures in the jungle with no one there, it would have been nice to have spent more time in those also.
I had made arrangement to go have breakfast with the kids at a local school. It was about 200 kids; we got them noodles and a juice drink, total about $100. It was a long drive, about 45 min, but Dara took us to a school that isn’t normally visited, more rural. The buildings were all wooden, with holes in the planks. No air-conditioning and no electricity. There were chickens and puppies running around the school yard when we arrived, and all the children’s flip flops on the ground outside. We went into each room and handed out the breakfast, and then the kids all went to the back of the school where over an open fire two women were boiling water. Each child had a spoon and old bowl and they all sat on the ground eating their breakfast in the dirt.
Had I know all this I would have done some things differently. I would have also had Dara pick up at least one piece of fruit for the kids, they were basically eating a soda with a ramen noodle. I would have also maybe gotten them all new flip flops. It would have been nice to maybe seen about getting some picnic tables built for them as they just squat in the dirt. But the website, www.theplf.org has a place to make donations so maybe I will do that.
After we left we drove another 45 min to a temple Dara called the woman’s temple, Banteay Srey. To be honest by this time I was really tired and hot and not feeling that good. The temple was really pretty, a sand red color with a lot of carvings, but after 30 min I didn’t care and was ready to go. We had the driver stop at the gas station again and got some tea and cheese and crackers to snack on for lunch.
At 1600 Dara picked us up and we went to the Jungle Temple, I cannot remember the real name. It is the famous one that has not been cleaned up and the jungle is overgrowing it. We took pictures and climbed all over, by this time Dara was definitely sick of us but oh well. We did our thing and then we left. That night we went to the Red Piano, it was good, we sat outside and watched the people, I also had curry for the first time. I loved that. We went to bed pretty early, as we had a flight the next morning. We got to the airport, Dara took us. We paid him there and I think we tipped him $75 and the driver $50, I think, I might be wrong on that. And even then we were not sure that was enough or too much. And of course the currency thing, but I already covered that. In the airport we had coffee and breakfast sandwiches. There was also another Artisans de’Angkor store in the airport, in case you forgot anything. And then we were off to Phuket.
The entire time I wore shorts with a tank top and keen sandals during the day, a long cotton skirt at night, we carried our cameras and a backpack, along with a lot of water. I also had a fan with me.
I would take a hat and maybe an umbrella to shade from the sun, also a portable electric fan if possible. I would not exchange money, use the US dollars.
And while I am glad we got a guide, I would do it for only one day. There were taxis and tuk tuks everywhere; you could get around with no problems. The reason is that the guide wants to show you his routine and tell you the history the entire time, I want to relax and take pictures and venture into the jungle if I want to. So one day with a guide, the rest without- although maybe a driver.
Other than that there is not much I would change.

tarps

So, it is the 9th and we are on our way to Phuket, via Bangkok of course. It was not a bad flight really. We got into Phuket about 1300, I had looked all over and we were originally going to dive and stay at Patong Beach, but the only hotel on the beach had no reservations and so we ended up at Kata beach. We stayed the first two nights at mom tris boathouse. They picked us up at the airport in a van, that was 1200 bht, and the drive was about 45 min from the airport to the hotel. The hotel is nice, the lobby is almost non-existent. They take you to the restaurant that is kinda indoor- outdoor and you fill everything out while sitting by the beach sipping a juice drink. The room was ok; it was a standard overlooking the beach and hot tub and restaurant. Actually it was noisy at night with the dinner guests, but you could see and hear the ocean when they all left. It kinda had a moldy smell, and was not new. But it was nice, fresh flowers and fruit everyday. We napped the first day of course, and then we went shopping a little, ended up having room service that night. Not bad, it came from their restaurant which is supposed to be pretty famous actually, had fried rice, pasta and the best chocolate tart I have ever had. Can’t remember how much.
The next morning we slept in and then went shopping. There is not much really there, a lot of beach cover ups, flip flops, sunglasses, not really any unique things. We then went to the beach; they had lounge chairs with umbrellas and ice water when you get hot. I loved that. There were no real waves; I was not expecting that, so the water is very relaxing. You could just float out there if you wanted. We stayed on the beach for a while and then we went back in, must confess- we had room service again that night.
The next morning we were at the beach early, we were very white so we came up with a plan to not burn. We were listening to ipods, so we would do the front for 5 songs, take a dip in the ocean, and then do the back for 5 songs. Well, apparently the sun really came up while we were in the ocean because while the front got a little tan, the back FRIED. We were crispy done.
As I could not get the Boathouse for the rest of the time we were moving next door that afternoon to the Kata Beach Resort. Before leaving we had breakfast over looking the beach, it was nice, another buffet. The total for the two nights was 8,903 Baht each night, which included tax. A little pricy for the room I think, but the breakfast and the beach service were nice.
The Kata Beach Resort was huge. The lobby is an open lobby; it looks like it is in the middle of the tropics. While the Boathouse is very dark inside the Beach Resort is open and bright, We checked in and got our room, and it was a garden view, about $115 a night with breakfast. It was also a beach property, but apparently the resort didn’t have their own beach lounges, you had to rent them from the company that was running it on the beach. I would say the difference between the two was that the Boathouse is more intimate, one restaurant, hotel serviced beach, more expensive. The Kata Beach Resort is just that, a big resort with many more rooms, several restaurants, more pools and people everywhere.
We wanted to go to the islands so we looked at all the brochures and ended up getting an all day tour to Phi Phi and the surrounding ones for 1500 bht each, although I later talked to a couple on the trip and he got it for 1200, we didn’t think we could bargain with the trip sellers- apparently you can. You can arrange trips anywhere, in the hotels on the streets. They are all agents for the same companies.
We were picked up the next morning at 0800, and taken to Phuket town, about 45 min. We then boarded a boat, and made the mistake of sitting up front. Now, we were already burned from the day before and here we were in the sun, yeah smart people were we. The day consisted of snorkeling at the various beaches and seeing some islands. It was really nice.
To do it again I would, bring my own goggles and snorkel, don’t be cheap- buy your own.
Bring two towels each, they get very wet.
Bring a hat- I didn’t have one.
A change of clothes with two shirts, one for the day if you need it in the water and a dry one for home.
Slip on sandals, like crocs would be the best.
An underwater camera, you can buy one in the place you snorkel, about 600 bht then though.
A waterproof dry bag for all your stuff, the boat gets wet.
I would sit in the back under cover; trust me you get plenty of sun in the water. And I would bring some sort of snack, maybe nuts.
I would not go budget, we saw those boats and the people were sitting on the deck looking miserable. Ours was a mid price. They provided drinks all day and fruit all day along with a generic buffet lunch on Phi Phi. It was fine for us, although at the end of the day I was so miserable from being burned I couldn’t snorkel the last two places, I was bummed. We got back to the hotel and ate dinner there, it was generic Thai food, I think you could find better.
We had planned on staying for 5 more days, but since we were not diving decided to leave back to Bangkok early, leaving us one last day in Phuket. We just relaxed that last day, avoided the sun actually and then walked around that night.
The next morning the hotel took us to the airport, this time it only cost 650 bht. We arrived in plenty of time and had a sandwich. When I changed our flight the Bangkok airways people were really friendly and easy to change the ticket dates, there was no fee which was nice. So back to Bangkok.

tarps

We arrived early and forgot to change our dates for AAC Limo so we got our own there. It was no big deal actually, 980 bht for a SUV ride to the hotel, another Sheraton. This one on the river, the Royal Orchid. Now, when I was researching I kept seeing people say stay on the river stay on the river- so we did. It was ok; we should have stayed back on Sukumvit Road again though. For us, it had more nightlife and shopping that we enjoyed.
But, the hotel check in was easy. We got to our room, unpacked a little- by this time our bags were really packed with stuff- not sure where it all came from. We then decided to go shopping. We got directions from the hotel and decided to walk. We started out ok, walking and walking. But where was the shopping area? It seemed that our idea of a short walk and the hotels idea were very different. So, we got a tuk tuk, the first one of the entire trip, and they dropped us off. It turned out we were going to the MBK mall area, which is crazy. If you are into shopping for clothes this is the place, but they are all very small clothes. I am a medium in the states, and an extra large there wouldn’t fit me. We ended up getting back to the hotel and decided to eat dinner at the hotels Thai restaurant. It was wonderful, I highly recommend it. It was in the hotel but was decorated like a Thai pagoda. You take off your shoes and eat at small tables looking at the river. We loved it.
The next morning we went to China Town, that was crazy. We took water, and bought a lot more. It was hot and really crowded. I noticed that most of the shopping was for normal things, not really tourist shopping. But there are a ton of textiles and I recommend going. The smells did get overwhelming, small space and all. The one thing I wish I bought- there was a stall selling traditional Thai jewelry and the dancing hats, it was all plastic but I thought it would be great for dress up for kids, but by that time I was so hot and tired I just wanted out. We went back to the hotel and rested and then had dinner at Harmonique. It was about a 15 min walk, a little restaurant that was really good. We discovered the little hot peppers though, oh my god they are so hot. Tears were streaming down our face; we couldn’t breath, although that may have been from the laughter.
The next morning we got up and went to the Grand Palace. We took the river boat, which was nice. Somehow we missed the entrance when we were walking and ended up walking around the entire complex, along the way we picked up the rice paper umbrellas. They saved the day, keeping the sun off us and keeping us cool.
We got in the palace, took pictures, saw the emerald Buddha. By this time we were overheating as we had dressed conservatively, meaning thick pants and long sleeved shirts- we thought we had to, seeing all the people in t-shirts was an eye opener. So we went back to the hotel changed and went back out. We took a cab back to Sukumvit Road and went shopping. One thing we had noticed was that the taxis, the metered taxis, would refuse to take you somewhere unless you gave them what they wanted. It was very frustrating at times.
So, we went shopping. We discovered this shop that sells hand carved teak wood statues. We fell in love and bought several. We decided to ship them all home, shipping was $500 for 1 meter by 1.5 meter, they packed everything and we were able to include everything we had bought elsewhere there also. It is our first time shipping so we shall see how it turns out. That evening we stopped at a corner bar for a beer and French fries. We were sitting half in and half outside, drinking and talking and laughing and suddenly an elephant trunk came over my shoulder. I turned around and it was a baby elephant, I was so excited. We fed it and took pictures. There were also ladies who would sell crafts along the streets, they had on these hand made native hats with bells and all- and yes, by then end of the night I was wearing one as was everyone in my party. There were also these carved frogs that you run a stick over and they almost sound like a croak, yeah well we now own 15 of them. Everyone we know is getting a frog.
The next day we slept in again, went back shopping for last min things, and had dinner at the hotel Thai restaurant again. We packed up and discovered that even with shipping most of our stuff our bags were almost overflowing.
The hotel provided a bus the next day, a huge 2800 bht, don’t want to hear it people, it was a lot, I know. Oh well. The ride to the airport was good, check in was easy, customs went quickly. We had business class tickets so we were able to go to the lounge, yeah well by the time we found it we had wasted almost an hour. Really. It was on the 3rd floor, and apparently we were on the 4th- but no one told us that. We kept walking back and forth along the terminal searching. Yes, we were those people. We did find it and rested for a while, I got my celebrity gossip mags and then we boarded the plane back to work.
Over all I had a really good time. There were definitely things we missed. I would have liked to have gone to Chaing Mai, and maybe seen more in Bangkok. I need to take more clothing with me next time, and a lot more cotton. I started a new packing list to keep track. I was glad I researched some places to eat beforehand, I wish I would have done more of that and also mapped things out a little more. But hey, you can only plan so much before you have to go and try it out and then learn and start again.
I think we are trying for Turkey, Russia or the Ukraine in July- so I am off to start researching that for now.

LeighTravelClub

Nice report. Sounds like you had a great time. No plans to return??

tarps

Yes, i loved it and would like to see the north. BUT- we are lucky and can go somewhere for about 2.5 weeks every 3.5 months, so there are many other places i want to see before we repeat anything.

KimJapan

Thank you for the report! Sounds like a nice trip.

simpsonc510

Nice report. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.
Carol

Efegy

I am going to Thailand and Cambodia in December and your posting have been helpful, Good details and things to know. Keep them comming

capetownfolk

reading this in South Africa this evening - your report is spreading around the world. Thanks so much for the report was great to read - loved the 15 frogs part

tarps

i must make a confession, i was recounting the frogs, there are actually 17, 15 big ones, 2 small ones. I also seem to have acquired 3 of the hats the women selling the frogs wear- and there were only two of us so apparently my mother bought another one when i was not paying attention. Oh well.

Gpanda

Super report. Nice detail. We loved the salt water pool at our hotel in SR. It was very refreshing. I agree that SR is exploding. I'm sure it will be a very different place in 5 years. Penalty avoided.

wolfmisc

Funny guy, stay in a 200 buck hotel in Bangkok and then eat at McDonalds and shop at Robinsons. And a normal taxi from or to airport is just one third of what you pay.
By the way, the name of the town for Angkor is Siem Reap, You should better have looked at some travel informations for Cambodia. There it is stated that USD is accepted everywhere. But people also take Riel, should have tried it. 4000 Riel per USD is accepted by every supermarket, shop or vendor.

Elainee

Lots of fun to read your report. If you still have the Cambodian money you could send it to Pon and she will use it for the schools. It would be an act of kindness. We also bought breakfast for the kids. I, too, was uncomfortable with the "juice", but the kids thought it was a huge treat. I wanted to bring school supplies, jump ropes, etc. but it was too difficult to carry on a long trip. the best is to let Pon do the shopping.

tarps

Actually wolfmisc, i am a girl, and since i live in a war zone i do splurge on hotels- 3 months in a tent with 16 other women and shared bathrooms does that to ya. The McDonalds is probably me wanting a taste of home, since I haven’t been there in over a year. As to the taxi, yes it is cheaper- but based on the recommendations of this board i chose to try something else.
I agree on trying to do more research, but as I am limited to the internet and the mail doesn’t always reach us- well i was happy with the planning i was able to do.
I do know the name of the town- i did fly into it and stay there for several days. And i planned on exchanging the money back- i believe i mentioned that.
I was just posting MY trip, what i did right and wrong so maybe it would help someone else not make the same mistakes that i did.
I do not think that anyone really needs to be insulted when they are just being honest, and really, are you such a perfect traveler?

tarps

I was thinking of that, it is not a lot of money to me and since i have nothing to do with all that "paper" i was thinking it could be better there.
Maybe she could use it for something fun for them.

wolfmisc

Sorry, tharps. I just take you for one of those snobby middle-east tourists.I am living in Cambodia and Thailand for several years already and I love both countries and their people.
Hope to see you again soon!