Topic: United cancels all Bangkok flights, now where do I go?

[PJungnitsch]

Well I WAS leaving Calgary for Thailand in ten days, planning on spending a month backpacking through Laos. United has cancelled all flights to BKK for the foreseeable future, no doubt other airlines are giving up as well.

So....I have a month off over Christmas. Should be warm, cheap, adventurous/interesting. Got all the shots for SE Asia and the malarial meds but nothing for yellow fever so I'm thinking South America is out, but otherwise...

Any ideas?

[Dante]

Can't you fly into a neighboring country and cross the border on land (or water)?

[PJungnitsch]

That was one option. So far Hanoi/Saigon is out because lack of time to get a visa, and flights to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are expensive (no doubt they are getting a lot of extra traffic right now). It's actually the same price to fly to New Zealand.

[vdk]

NZ is absolutely astonishing! I'd seriously recommend it! 

[Brig]

NZ would get my vote, too.   Or, how about Cambodia? 

[initial_D]

West Ed?

[initial_D]

I live and worked in Taiwan for 3 years, it is a great place. Old Chinese culture and mixed with heavy Western and Japanese influences.

Don't think a Visitor Visa is needed. Or one can be obtained inland.

[Triple Bob]

NZ without a doubt, you'll love it!

[Ex-airbalancer]

Only parts of Brazil do you need  yellow fever shot
Manuas, deep in Brazil forest , you need shots, but on the coastal areas you do not, but you need a visa

[mrthompson]

"Phuket, I'll just stay home."

[PJungnitsch]

NZ would get my vote, too.   Or, how about Cambodia? 

I have never even thought of Cambodia. Sure enough, there were flights in, and (eventually) I found one at the same price as my canceled Bangkok ticket. Went over my Laos guidebooks and think I'll stay with the original plan, just start out from a slightly different spot.

Thanks all!

That was an interesting evening looking up flights and considering options, lots of stuff out there, even at the last minute like that (Lima or Santiago were around a grand US, taxes in, and even the Cook Islands were only 1500). Got lots of ideas for the next trip.

[Railton]

We typically get Visa's for China in 24 hrs. SHow up with the $ and your passport and come back the next day.
Have a nice time.
Railton

[Triple Bob]

Bankok should be OK in a couple of days. Depends if the airlines insurers allow them there.

[safristi]

..KIDDIE PORN is gonna SUFFER..........................................

[baumer00]

I just got back on Saturday from 3 weeks in Hong Kong, Cambodia and Thailand.  We got caught up in the protests last week.  We were supposed to fly back from Phuket-Bangkok-Hong Kong on Wednesday but we found out about the protests and luckily our travel agent managed to find us a flight late Wednesday night from Phuket to Singapore and then Thursday morning from Singapore to HK.  Cost us a day of Hong Kong and $2000 to get the flights, but was better to get out than stay in Thailand.

Cambodia is interesting (went to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat) but not worth more than two nights.  Cambodia is amazingly poor, it's a very different country - but the people are super-friendly.

[PJungnitsch]

Good to hear you got out without too much trouble.

I was in Cambodia and Laos about twenty years ago, I'm looking forward to seeing what they are like now. Especially Laos, when I was there we could only see the capital city.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=33282&l=256e7&id=678651740

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=33997&l=608f8&id=678651740

I'm guessing lots of changes since then. 

[PJungnitsch]

Arrived in Phnom Phen last night after 30 hrs of travel from Medicine Hat.

Lots of scooters, some with 4 people on them, some pulling fifth-wheel type devices as taxis. Most of the 'taxis' though are just plain scooters, ie balance your backpack on there somehow and hang on while the driver weaves through traffic.

No helmets, no protective gear, traffic going every which way, at night half the people are driving without lights.

And I can rent one myself for $5.00/day!

[vdk]

Careful out there eh.. we need you back in one piece 

[PJungnitsch]

I'm coming to the conclusion that walking is actually more dangerous, sidewalks are packed to the max with scooters, vehicles (all Toyota so far, aside from a blinged out Chrysler 300 and a Thai-build Ford Ranger) and goods, ie someone loading mattresses on the back of a 100cc scooter. So you have to walk on the street edge dodging the stream of traffic and keeping an eye out for the occasional vehicle that is sneaking through the wrong way. In most third world countries IIRC you could follow what the local pedestrians do but here no-one seems to walk, they all have scooters.

[baumer00]

Glad you arrived safely.

When we were in Siem Reap last month 90% of the cars we saw were toyota camrys, very odd.