[OSL]

I'm not committed to moving to BKK specifically but at this point I want to not be in China while launching my business for various reasons.

-Many social media sites that I want to use will be blocked

-I'm going to be in China indefinitely anyway, and I want to use this period of time up front to explore SE Asia

-I can pick 2-4 spots in SE Asia throughout the time that I am building my business and actively try to hack my way into companies in Bangkok, Vietnam, Indonesia, whatever. Most of my strategies are specific to HK, China, and Korea, and I want to tackle SE Asia now. I think it makes sense for product development and being able to see if my strategies work in a different part of the continent.

I can also see a lot of people wanting to do a career in Asia but not necessarily wanting to go to China. SE Asia will continue to experience strong growth for a long time as the region rises, mostly due to resource demand from India/China and China no longer being an attractive manufacturing base for various reasons.

I would actually say that this point that it could arguably make sense to commit oneself to Indonesia or Vietnam as alternatives to China in the region. If you are a westerner who speaks fluent Bahasa or Vietnamese, you are rarer than a foreigner speaking Chinese. My philosophy revolves around constantly driving and developing unique and unfair competitive advantages in oneself.

My network infiltration strategies have been more effective in SE Asia than anywhere else. The circle of elites is way smaller and more tightly knit and they are more likely to speak English, in my opinion. Their countries lack world class schools, so they get sent to Swiss boarding schools and then attend US universities. A foreigner coming to their country, taking time to understand the language and culture, and showing initiative is a rarity and is a great means for someone to position oneself as a power broker in the future.

This one dude I know who graduated from some shitty no-name university in NY got an offer to basically be the foreign right hand man to a Chinese shipping and logistics CEO. His full time job would be to be a white guy who is always hanging out with the CEO, teaching him about western ways, helping him with English, and doing other right hand-man type stuff. I guess the CEO gets a lot of social proof for having a young white dude working directly under him or something, no clue. He turned down the offer, which would have paid alot of dough, because he didn't want to move to Shenzhen. It's amazing what a person can accomplish if he is in the right place at the right time and meets the right people.



VP/Mystik, if we all end up in BKK at the same time I think we should make an arrangement to meet up and work at Third Place Bangkok as a temporary mastermind group. We all seem to be in the same place in our entrepreneurial ventures The cost for a monthly pass is outrageously low.

[Mystik]

(05-06-2011 07:47 PM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  

VP/Mystik, if we all end up in BKK at the same time I think we should make an arrangement to meet up and work at Third Place Bangkok as a temporary mastermind group. We all seem to be in the same place in our entrepreneurial ventures The cost for a monthly pass is outrageously low.

Sounds good. Whats you plan? When do you leave for BKK?

[OSL]

Like I said, I'm not sure if that's what my plan is. If I go there though, it will likely be early June.

[OSL]

On that note, does anyone know if there are any good budget hotels in the Thonglor area? Or someplace on that metro line?

I'm aiming for 500-600ish bucks a month for rent or hotel fees.

[Mystik]

(05-07-2011 10:44 PM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  

On that note, does anyone know if there are any good budget hotels in the Thonglor area? Or someplace on that metro line?

I'm aiming for 500-600ish bucks a month for rent or hotel fees.

You can get a really good apartment for 600 bucks if you want it on that metro line because the line goes upto 'on nut' which is kind of an outskirt area.

Quote:

The skytrain is in dark blue, elevated expressways in red.

Zone B, from Sukhumvit sois 1 to 21 Asoke (odd) and slightly beyond, and sois 2 to 14 just before Asoke (even), heavy tourist district with surrounding residential highrise areas

Zone C, from Sukhumvit soi 21 Asoke to soi 63 Ekkamai (odd), and from soi 16 to soi 38 (even), mostly residential highrises but with a small tourist district on its zone B end

Zone D, from Sukhumvit 63 Ekkamai outwards, where the modern highrises end with old Thai neighborhoods, but large houses and some new housing areas

http://www.kkbkk.com/apartments-condos-r...humvit.htm

Places around Zone A and B are the most expensive. The 2 sites that I used for apartment hunting were

en.9apartment.com
mrroomfinder.com

Another thing about BKK, they don't have these agents like the ones in Europe who help you find accommodation. So, you have to do most of the work yourself.

I am looking for a cheap place in the Thonglor area, I will let you know if I find anything that suits your needs.

[OSL]

It's looking difficult to find a sick apartment in the Thonglor area that will accept a short term stay.

I'm looking into monthly hotels. Here are two budget ones that I've found:

http://www.silomconventgarden.com/location.html

http://www.nonsiresidence.com/

http://www.housebythepond.com/location.htm

Does anyone know these locations and have any comments to make?

Mystik, you're already on the ground, so you might have a better idea than I do.

[Tully Mars]

The best advice, I can give you is just get to Bkk, stay in a hotel for 3-5 days, get a sim card/cell phone then pound the pavement. Tons of nice places in your budget all over the city, most dont advertise online.

[Mystik]

(05-08-2011 01:04 PM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  

Mystik, you're already on the ground, so you might have a better idea than I do.

Hey YMG,

I haven't been to the Silom area yet, so I didn't comment on your thread. I went apartment hunting today and found a good option in the Silom area, I actually went to look for an apartment in some other area close to the national stadium station but the guy wasnt interested in giving me an apartment for a month and recommended this place in Silom. Give me a couple of days. I will give you a proper update.

As for the advice given by Tully Mars. I did that, it can be a very taxing experience, the heat and humidity in BKK drains the hell out of you. I didn't have the energy to handle it and just took the first place that I found and it turned to be a bad decision. If you have the energy to go around BKK then you can try to do so but I would advice you to narrow down to 5 different options before you come here.

And which areas in BKK have you been to? I will give you a relative comparison so that you have a better understanding on what you will get.

I know only a couple of things about Silom,

1. Its close to the Patpong area, the red light district.
2. The Songkran festival in the Silom is the best.

[Vacancier Permanent]

Mystik,
If you're into the night life, Patpong is the worst of all in BKK as it's where the lowest form of scums, scammers and con artists are. Clubs are notorious for extorting ridiculous amount of money from patrons and if you dn't pay, get beaten up by the thugs there. Patong, for 95% of the bars/clubs/gogos is to be avoided like the plague at all cost. Also, since you're in BKK now, you should be able to get much better places in better areas sicne this is the low season. And going to aparts, is the best approach as usually what you find online is overpriced. The best deals are found by going to the aparts or talking to the locals. Yes the humidity can be a problem in BKK during the afternoons, just make sure you drink a lot of water/juices to refill your body.

[Mystik]

(05-10-2011 11:03 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

Mystik,
If you're into the night life, Patpong is the worst of all in BKK as it's where the lowest form of scums, scammers and con artists are. Clubs are notorious for extorting ridiculous amount of money from patrons and if you dn't pay, get beaten up by the thugs there. Patong, for 95% of the bars/clubs/gogos is to be avoided like the plague at all cost. Also, since you're in BKK now, you should be able to get much better places in better areas sicne this is the low season. And going to aparts, is the best approach as usually what you find online is overpriced. The best deals are found by going to the aparts or talking to the locals. Yes the humidity can be a problem in BKK during the afternoons, just make sure you drink a lot of water/juices to refill your body.

Thanks for the tip VP. I am not really interested in any of the red light areas in BKK but if the patpong area is that bad then silom maybe unsafe at night. I will go tomorrow or day after and check it out.

[Vacancier Permanent]

Btw, has anyone travelled to Asia on a one way ticket only? I'm thinking of doing that next time around in order to leave my options as open as possible. Did you encounter any difficulties at immigration upon your arrival or even before boarding a plane with a one way ticket to say BKK, MNL, Jakarta, HKK or even NRT?

Mystik,
Let us know how it is in that area after you've checked it out.

[OSL]

Yeah I've done it a bunch of times, never faced any problems. Destinations: Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Korea.

[Gringo]

Quote:

Btw, has anyone travelled to Asia on a one way ticket only?

Yeah I have done it but most countries official policy will be that you need a return flight and it's hit or miss whether they check or not. I never have been checked going into Asia but I do hear of people who are, just takes a pissed off custom official or even the check in staff in your own country who's a bit too serious and worried about being blamed and you're not on the flight. Almost never got allowed onto a flight to Brazil (jyst using this as an example) because of the boarding staff in the UK, despite check in and customs being fine and me knowing 100% for a fact I wouldn't have a problem in Brazil had even checked with the Brazilian embassy before hand but still the airline staff were insistent I wasn't getting on.

Most airlines I use offer a service where you can change your return date for a small fee, check to see if the ones you plan to use do.

[hydrogonian]

(05-10-2011 07:09 PM)Gringo Wrote:  

Btw, has anyone travelled to Asia on a one way ticket only?

Travelvice: Faux Onwward Tickets

[Vacancier Permanent]

Thanks guys for the feedback. I also have never been asked or checked during trips, whether it'd be upon checking/boarding or at immigration after arrival. I do know that Brasil may not allow you if you are showing up only on a one way ticket so never tried that. I did show up in Buenos Aires 4 years ago from Curitiba via São Paulo on a one way ticket and was not asked for anything. Not sure if that has been changed since then...
Good to know about Asia, I'll check into that more.
Gringo, yes I am aware of that, arilines will charge usually $125 for the service plus whatever difference there is between the return ticket purchased and the price at the time of the departure selected.

[Vacancier Permanent]

LOL, just saw this now and gotta say it's slick!Damn man this is quite ingenius! Have you or anyone in here tried this before? And if yes, how did it go?

(05-10-2011 07:12 PM)hydrogonian Wrote:  

(05-10-2011 07:09 PM)Gringo Wrote:  

Btw, has anyone travelled to Asia on a one way ticket only?

Travelvice: Faux Onwward Tickets

[Gringo]

No but i've heard of it being used. On the trip to Brazil I mentioned, I was flying from Glasgow to London to Rio. At boarding in Glasgow they weren't going to let me on but I persuaded them, I went to the BA desk in London Heathrow and asked for advice about whether to change my flight there and then or chance it, they kindly printed me off a 'fake ticket' of sorts I could use for proof that was little more than just an itinerary showing I was departing the country within the allowed 3 months that had no actual booking. Never had to use it so couldn't tell you how useful it would have been but 99% sure it would have been fine. Don't stress to much, just get something that looks like you're leaving. An itinerary or even if you can book a bus ticket that shows you leaving the country online that will be fine.

[Mystik]

(05-10-2011 05:21 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

Mystik,
Let us know how it is in that area after you've checked it out.

Went to Silom a couple of days ago. You need to change from the Sukhumvit live to the Silom line and then get off at Sala Daeng to get to Silom. My experience is limited to the areas around the Sala Daeng station.

I would give it more marks than On Nut because:

1. It is closer to Sukhumvit and other interesting nightlife areas.
2. It has all the American fast food joints (KFC, Starbucks, BK, etc). Thai food can get a bit too much sometimes.
3. A decent sized mall right at the station.
4. Its the business district so its very clean.

It had the small eateries but the prices were 15-20 Baht higher for the all the dishes at these places. Also, people told me that the rents are unusually high in this area because it is a business district.

As for my previous comment about Silom and Sathorn being far from each other. I was wrong. Silom and Sathorn and 2 parallel roads and after the Sala Daeng station the metro crosses over the Silom road onto the Sathorn Road. So after Sala Daeng Sathorn starts. Sathorn is a huge area that covers around 5-6 metro stations.

[Gringo]

Quote:

. It has all the American fast food joints (KFC, Starbucks, BK, etc). Thai food can get a bit too much sometimes.

Yeah it's a nightmare with it all being so fresh, tasty, prepared and cooked to order. You'll definitely want to stay near a BK or Maccy Dees. [/end of sarcasm]

It's crazy when someones trying to decide a good place to stay in Thailand and one of the plus points is it has American fastfood joints nearbye, would be enough reason for me NOT to live near there.

[Mystik]

(05-19-2011 02:59 PM)Gringo Wrote:  

It's crazy when someones trying to decide a good place to stay in Thailand and one of the plus points is it has American fastfood joints nearbye, would be enough reason for me NOT to live near there.

Did you read what I wrote? There are Thai food eateries in that area, if it were only BK and Starbucks (which is the case with Thonglor) then I wouldn't want to live there either.I like to eat that occasional burger and drink a frapuccino and I would dislike traveling half the city to get it. Moreover, the presence of all these places in BKK tells you that the area is little upscale. That comment was really uncalled for.

[Mystik]

A few more things that I forgot to mention:

1. The presence of a fast food join means that the area caters to the foreigners which means that you will also have Thai eating joints around. The only place in Thonglor where you find a street vendor is close to where BK is. This also means that you will have bakeries, juice bars and other stores that provide things for ex-pats. I think you would already know that Thai bakeries are pretty good and they can be very convenient breakfast option. And not to mention the juice bars where you can buy exotic Thai fruit smoothies.

2. The best places to cheap, good, clean and fresh Thai food in BKK are the superstores (Big C, Tesco Lotus) and Thai malls (Platinum mall in Pratunam). You know what all these places have in common? American fast food joints. Why? Because they are not retarded enough to think that every tourist that comes to Thailand is an American.

3. If you see a BK, Mc Donalds or a KFC then you can bet your ass that there are at least two 7-11s within a 200 meter radius. Why? Because people who can afford to eat at theses fast food joints can also afford to buy a lot of stuff from 7-11s and hence that means good business. For me that means convenience. I went to an area where there wasn't a 7-11 within a 1 KM radius. Yes, walk up and down for 1 KM just to buy milk and water.

Have you ever been to BKK and lived here for more than a month?

[Gringo]

Yes I have. There's a 7/11 on EVERY street of Bangkok and I wouldn't care if there wasn't a Starbucks, Maccy Dees or BK ANYWHERE in Thailand. The best places to get food in Bangkok is on the street, as the locals do or the little restaurant / cafes that are everywhere.

[Mystik]

(05-21-2011 04:07 AM)Gringo Wrote:  

Yes I have. There's a 7/11 on EVERY street of Bangkok and I wouldn't care if there wasn't a Starbucks, Maccy Dees or BK ANYWHERE in Thailand. The best places to get food in Bangkok is on the street, as the locals do or the little restaurant / cafes that are everywhere.

No, 7-11s are not on every street in BKK. If you say that then you obviously havent spent enough time exploring the city. Living one week in a hotel is different from spending a few months in a city.

The locals eat food from other places as well. Next time walk into a food court in a Thai Mall or a superstore and you will know what I am talking about.

[Gringo]

One week in a hotel? Have spent months there, several times in areas all over the city including ones which aren't tourist areas because I was staying with locals. There's a 7/11 on practically every street of Bangkok, I read there's more 7/11s in Bangkok than there is in the whole of the USA. Don't know how true it is but there are a hell of a lot.

[Mystik]

There might be more 7-11s in BKK than there are in the US but there isnt a store on every street. If that is the case then you have those small grocery stores run by a local which doesn't have the variety that you find in a 7-11, further you have the problem of expired and overpriced stuff. That was how BKK was about 10-15 years ago. It is silly to assume that all the areas in BKK have grown proportionately, some areas are still backward and some areas are highly developed.

I am amazed that you lived with the locals and they never took you to the food courts. A lot of stuff that you don't find on the streets in available there. Moreover, what you think is authentic Thai food i.e. what you get on the streets (Red, Green curry, Pad thai, the quick tom yum variety) isnt exactly authentic Thai. The recipes has been tailored to make them easy and fast to cook. If you want real authentic Thai then you need to go to a proper fancy restaurant.

Just out of curiosity, where exactly in BKK did you live?