pattaya127 Posted July 15, 2003 Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 Esp. The first time around. Just following on the scam thread, I think even with infos outdated on certain guest houses, these books can save you money, as all the scams are warned about in it, and you can get an idea where you are, anywhere in the country. PS:Then log on to NanaP to know if ST is 437 bahts or 543 bahts.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvarpala Posted July 15, 2003 Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 I do, yes. As you say, they save you money by giving you a rough idea of what a fair price for hotels, travel, food etc. You can get some good ideas for what to do in the day, as well. ( Though they're not too helpful with the nightlife - prefering mostly to moralise instead ) Lastly, battered and creased, they make a good souvenir to be perused when back home for months on end. I must admit though, that seeing tourists wandering round the wats, clutching their Lonely Planet does look a bit sad.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted July 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 prefering mostly to moralise instead ---------------------------- Yes, i know. But let's not imagine that the guy authors of such book do not or did not have their share of sanook. i was with a few of them ( a lot originate from the bay area), and the discussion got humoristic about how to call oneself. A very famous one said he was not a sex tourist, but a sex traveler..... I barged in saying i was a love tourist , etc..... Incredible what PC can alter how somebody writes about such stuff in the publishing arena . especially when they have GFs in situ or at home ! I am seriously thinking about writing a book called: "All you wanted to know about sex tourism in Thailand ....And asked the wrong person about it!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvarpala Posted July 15, 2003 Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 I hadn't thought of it that way ! My point was that most adult guys (unaccompanied by women) are going to be approached by BG's etc., and it's kind of hard to say "No", isn't it ? :hubba: So, even though that may not be what they came for, the book should have some basic info on the subject. After all, it may even help a few people. On the other hand, it's kind of fun to work it out for yourself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilli13 Posted July 15, 2003 Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 when backpacking with the inevitable LP I always tried to go somewhere NOT listed in it - not even 'off the beaten track'. Still it's very hard when on a budget because simply all the cheap hotels is in one area & thus that's where all the travellers hangout about the nightlife I remember it frequently listing or making a note discretely about the dodgy areas such as patpong described mainly as a marked with the odd gogo bar & upstairs one is to be ripped off! in jakarta/bombay it lists the huge brothel infamous areas instead of pointing to some decent freelance bars!!! well stickman & the internet changed all that man I lived in singapore 5 months without even visiting orchard towers or batam in '98 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamer Posted July 15, 2003 Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 I view them as a useful tool especially for maps and journey instructions. There really is a wealth of useful stuff in them and if you become interested in a country, there are usually references to more in depth work for further reading. - I?ve given my Thailand guide away to a friend but I?m sure it included a review on the Grace hotel!? I?ll update my guide this year, it will be interesting to see if they refer to any Thai travel web sites! As a backpacker, people who planned their entire travel adventures based purely on other travellers? stories about what?s good or otherwise always amazed me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brink15 Posted July 15, 2003 Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 A very famous one said he was not a sex tourist, but a sex traveler Maybe that's why they called it Lonely Planet? "Lonely Planet Guide to Sanuk - Where you Won't Be Lonely Anymore." by Joe's Cumming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 16, 2003 Report Share Posted July 16, 2003 I read an interesting article once (cant remember where) about Indian guest house owners who got the prime first or second listings in the LP guide. It seems that this almost certainly guarantees them hugely increased business, as most people (myself included) are inclined to pick the first option in the list. Many had become wealthy beyond their wildest dreams and become alcoholics or squandered their wealth. I wonder if this ever happens in LOS? Cheers Jaga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiery Jack Posted July 16, 2003 Report Share Posted July 16, 2003 As far as essential "guidebooks" go, I always make sure to pack in my suitcase a recent copy of the British hardcore porn magazine "Asian Babes" . Upon arriving at the LOS hotel, I blue-tak a few choice "open-flapped beaver" spreads from the said noble publication to the wall over my bed . Apart from brightening up by way of personal decoration the customarily drab hotel rooms of BKK, these vivid anatomical photos serve as a handy reference tool when, slightly the worse for wear after a hard day's heavy drinking in Soi 7 Beergarden , I roll back to my hotel with some old toothless freelance alcoholic banger that I suspect might be a "lady boy" . With condom strapped properly in place, just before I "take the ultimate plunge" I quietly employ the complimentary hotel battery-operated torch (usually located at the base of the bedside table-unit, to be used in case of fire or electrical failure) and quickly compare what's on show between the pair of hairy legs I'm about to straddle with the split-fanny "sliced raw liver" bird shots on the wall. If there's not that much difference down there ::, I relax and plough manfully ahead. jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted July 16, 2003 Report Share Posted July 16, 2003 First two visits i took a couple of books but mainly got around and found what i wanted on my own. More fun in some instances as long as time is not a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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