Miscellaneous · Southeast Asia

Without limiting ourselves to the countries mentioned above—Turkey and others could be added to the list.

I need to get dental reconstruction done, likely involving 6 implants. Which country offers the best quality of care, materials, and techniques?

Thanks

Hi,

I’d like to know if you can buy reef-safe sunscreen sprays at 7-Eleven. If so, how much do they cost? We’re traveling with backpacks, so we’ll either buy 100ml here or in Thailand.

Hi there! I’m heading to Thailand for two months. So I thought I’d get a Thai SIM card to use Google Maps for getting around cities, mostly. Here’s my question: will this SIM affect my apps? Or will they work the same as with my Orange SIM? Is there any setup I need to do, or can I just pop in the Thai SIM? I’d also like to switch back to my Orange SIM now and then while I’m in Thailand—on the same phone. Will I need to reset the phone, or will it reconnect without any issues? Thanks in advance for your tips! Best, Huiclos

Hi everyone,

Facebook is giving me a hard time trying to access the Chiang Mai Marketplace from France. I’ve tried using a VPN, clearing my browsing data, and even using a browser not linked to an account—but no luck. The app is even worse since it checks the phone’s location data.

Any tips on how to get around this?

Thanks in advance! Olivier

Hi there. I’m planning my next trip to the Philippines. I bought the 2024 edition of the Lonely Planet guide, and what a disappointment! No practical info at all—it’s useless. Someone lent me the 2018 edition, and it’s got everything I love. The problem is, I don’t want to carry two heavy guides. I tried to buy the 2018 digital version, but it no longer exists—they only offer the 2024 version, which I already have in print!

If anyone has the **2018 DIGITAL version** of the Lonely Planet Philippines, I’d love to get it. In exchange, I can offer around fifty digital Lonely Planet guides (PDF or EPUB) for destinations all over the world. Just ask—I might have what you’re looking for (in English and/or French).

Hi, I’m heading to Thailand for three weeks and I’ll need to call someone in France every day who doesn’t have internet access, so I can’t use WhatsApp. I have an unlocked iPhone 12. What do you recommend for making calls without internet? Thanks

Hey everyone, I’m prepping for a long trip (3 months between Asia and Eastern Europe), and I’m looking for a backpack that can go everywhere with me while properly protecting my laptop (15 inches).

The goal isn’t a big 70L backpack, but rather a secondary bag I can keep with me in the cabin, to carry my laptop, documents, a change of clothes or two, chargers, etc. I work remotely as a freelancer, so I’ll be opening it often in cafés, co-working spaces, and airports.

Any recommendations? What do you take with you when you need to work while traveling? Any reliable brands or models to suggest?

Thanks in advance for your tips—it’ll help me avoid a bad purchase right before my departure!

We're planning a trip to Vietnam with La Palanche, a travel agency in Hanoi. If anyone here has used them, could you share your experience with this agency, please? Thanks

Huge disappointment. I’d seen that Friendly Shoe Shop was recommended by a blog. I went there with the intention of buying a small leather backpack. I visited once for a look around, then went online to compare prices with shops in Europe, like Marius, which specializes in leather. I realized that for the same price ($145 US), I could find the same thing in Paris. I went back to Friendly Shoe Shop and tried to see if it was possible to negotiate. The saleswoman immediately reacted. With a smile, she took the bag, put it back on display, and told me: "If you want to negotiate, go to the market!" Basically, she was telling me to get lost. You can easily apologize by saying prices are fixed and non-negotiable, but it’s unacceptable to react that way when the prices are excessive. It’s really taking tourists for a ride.

When you know the cost of living in Vietnam, this price is nothing short of a scam. I’m not questioning the quality of the product. If the workers were paid 3 or 5 times the normal rate, I wouldn’t mind. But there’s no indication that’s the case.

In summary, in Hoi An, you have the choice between: - Quality shops where you’ll pay the same price as in a European capital, which gives the owner a huge margin since they don’t pay import taxes, transportation costs, and manufacture directly, etc. - Counterfeit shops where you won’t pay much for mediocre quality.

Friendly Shoe Shop has nothing friendly or fair about it. It’ll suit people who travel for two or three weeks, have the means, and want to say when they get home that they bought a bag or shoes in Hoi An. For everyone else, there’s nothing fair about it…

What are your positive and negative experiences with dental implants in different countries around the world? Looking for something like 4-5 dental implants, good quality-to-price ratio.

Thanks.

Hi, where can I find multicolored bougainvillea seeds in Chiang Mai or Bangkok, please? Thanks so much and have a great day!

Hi there. In Phu Quoc in January 2025, where can I safely buy a quality pearl with a certificate? Thanks