Visa run /Learning Thai

[searcher]

I will have to do a Visa run at the end of January and want to go to Laos.. Any - recent - experiences? Necessary to use a travel agency? Besides I start a Thai language course (6 months) in January , anybody interested in exchanging experiences?

If you use this, you will be able to speak thai in no time, its voted the best there is around, your see why when you use it, no matter how stupid you are at learning a new language, like me?


info@its4thai.com

[TrongpaiExpat]

A six month course where? RR seem to know what and were your going but I don't have a clue.

If your on a budget, there's all sorts of vias run options in the classified section of the Nation and Post. If you really want to go to Lao, there have been many reports on this forum on the various ways to get there, search function will take you there.

After 6 months of study, you will be speaking pretty good basic Thai and then take a trip up to Lao via Isaan and you might find few willing to speak in Central proper Thai and you will hear the Isaan/Lao version of Thai and pick up every 5th or 6th word and keep hearing this bom-bom-bee-bem sao sound to Isaan. Many of the service people and taxi driver in Bangkok also speak in this dialect.

It's like learning BBC English and then taking a trip to an inner city barrio or back woods Mississippi and wondering what the hell are they saying.

Sawatdee, jar

Try this your be so glad you did.

http://www.its4thai.com,

Only 1 place to stay in Laos this is The Dragon Lodge

Peter is the owner and he will tell you all there is to know about Vientiane and where to meet the best guys, Restaurants try Circle, if you have not met anyone on gayromeo.com all ready.


Dragon Lodge Guest House


Clean and colourful
311-313 Samsenthai Rd, Vientiane
Vientiane Province
Tel: (021) 250 112
Fax: (021) 250 113

[Dboy]

I will have to do a Visa run at the end of January and want to go to Laos.. Any - recent - experiences? Necessary to use a travel agency? Besides I start a Thai language course (6 months) in January , anybody interested in exchanging experiences?

Hi, I've been studying Thai since 2004. Have taken 4 or 5 terms of classes at AUA and do self-study when away from the Kingdom. Have only attended the Pattaya AUA classes, but also checked out their campus in Chiang Mai and really liked the place so may try a few classes there in the future. Feel free to PM.

dboy

[/quote] By Mr. John Botting.
Read the Laos articles on this forum. There are many good places to stay in Vientiane and Dragon Lodge is NOT one of them. It is a ripoff when compared to other places. Don't take my word for it, see what others have written here also.[/quote]


Where have you been Mr.Botting, all Gay Venues and Hotels are a Rip Off, but if you call 700 baht a night a rip off, I dont know what dives you stay in, if you have others to share with us, you have stayed in, please give us your report, back up your put downs with some facts. 300 a night is not my budget even if its yours.

Also Peter the owner is so Interesting and helpful, if your Gay and looking for what's gay in the area, again give us the name of other gay Hotels and venues in the area. if we wanted to wade through every post ever written, we would not want to read this forum. just because you have maybe had some dispute with this Hotel. does not mean its bad for all.

Secuze me! No dispute with this hotel. The price is a ripoff when you compare to other places for the same price. You get much more for your money. As for it being gay, that is just a marketing hype. It might be owned by a gay man, but the staff are not gay. And when you ask them about any gay venues you get the reply "I don't know I am not gay" I speak from personal experience. Luckily for me after my first visit to Laos and staying here I later met hubby. After that I used to stay in the places he suggested. I am not alone in my opinion. Many have expressed the same in the posts about Laos and Vienitiane.


What a strange thing to say Mr.Botting, lets look at the evidence, you was after all policeman once, many moons ago. you say on an Information Forum. You have no dispute with the Hotel, yet you say its to expensive at from 700 a night, you say its not Gay, Yet the owner Peter who is gay, is there holding Court day and night in the reception, and is so happy to tell you where the action is, as he said in a small place like Vientiane, he can not solely survive on Gay customers, so he has to diversify with some straight, he has even sent one of the staff to "help me" as he called it, you also say you get a lot more for your money els where, if you pay a lot less, I defy you to tell us where what is the name of these Gay Hotels, for less then I am paying here now. or are you just having a dispute, your trying not to admit with the Hotel. you may like to stay in a Doss house I like a nice bed and comfort and 700 tell me in UK where you live what you can get for 5 pounds a night there a dog kennel.

I rest my case.

DELETED

Secuze me! No dispute with this hotel. The price is a ripoff when you compare to other places for the same price. You get much more for your money. As for it being gay, that is just a marketing hype. It might be owned by a gay man, but the staff are not gay. And when you ask them about any gay venues you get the reply "I don't know I am not gay" I speak from personal experience. Luckily for me after my first visit to Laos and staying here I later met hubby. After that I used to stay in the places he suggested. I am not alone in my opinion. Many have expressed the same in the posts about Laos and Vienitiane.


agree with that. its overpriced, at a very noisy location (by Vientiane standards). the all-male staff are lazy, be they gay or not (they are only interested in watching MTV on TV), dont expect a friendly welcome or even a smile..... much of the "information" posted at the black board next to the reception is outdated and often incorrect.
Then at night when me and my Farang friend (we were on a short Visa-Run) unexpectedly found two nice guys and wanted to bring them to our room (it was definitely NOT the main purpose of our trip to Laos), we experienced some very unpleasant und embarassing scenes. scenes I have never ever experienced anywhere else in Asia.
and as has already been mentioned, the place is overpriced anyway.
unpleasant atmosphere, bad value for money, noisy at night, rooms only have a window facing the hallway..... why would anybody wanna stay there ?