Posts by Partirdeloin

Good evening,

When I see messages like this, I know why I rarely come back to post on this forum, which has become but a shadow of itself...

How is it possible to write in the same post: "striking, horrifying, but above all, let them 'die' because you can’t take your Instagram photos"?

This is the moment when these kind people need our presence—it’s not a war...

I’ve just spent three weeks by their side, and believe me, despite the hardships they’re going through, they’ll always have millions of times more humanity, solidarity, and kindness than you’ll ever have in your Western life. I spent precious moments there, as I always do, despite this exceptional situation and the distress it brings.

Fortunately, those you’re urgently begging to abandon them, as you’re doing, are still there because their trips were planned without waiting for your so-called "expert" recommendations. (I’ve met people of all nationalities, including French ones.)

This message will probably get little response, other than riling up a few "haters," but I hope it’ll make you take a step back before writing such distressing posts—if you have even a shred of human compassion for your "so-called Vietnamese friends"...

Partirdeloin

hello, I must admit I don’t quite get the main point of the disagreement.

Hi,

Given your prose, I think it might be better if you continued not to understand...

But please, don’t let me stop you from carrying on—it would be such a shame for humanity and your stats on VF.

Maybe VF 2.0 hands out a few badges... hope springs eternal, or so they say.

Best regards,

Partirdeloin

I wish you a good return here or is this goodbye?

What do you want me to say? Have you reached the point where you can no longer read words, you who sometimes handle them so well?

And besides, there’s no such thing as goodbye—just see-you-laters... they can just sometimes be eternal.

Thailand and serenity aren’t obstacles for me when it comes to tapping on the keyboard for a few minutes, posting one or two pictures, giving someone info, or even making a few side notes.

Where did you see me write or say that? Still, there are plenty of other obstacles—some of which are scattered across the 12 pages before this. I’ll let you find them.

A friendly hello to the one who shares your life and prefers capturing light through her lenses rather than being exposed to it.

With digital, I’d already given up my lenses—it’s all just continuity... that’s life, isn’t it?

Best regards,

Partirdeloin

Hello,

Vietnamese authorities have just extended the 45-day visa exemption, which was initially set to end in mid-March 2025, until March 14, 2028.

Belarus is no longer part of this scheme.

Additionally, until the end of this year for now, the exemption has been extended to three new countries: Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

After that, make sure to check the new conditions before booking a flight or trip.

Best regards,

Partirdeloin

Hello dear Jojoone the First,

I had seen this topic you started some time ago. I thought maybe I’d add my two cents... someday... And then time passed... Now that I’m coming back to it, I realize there’s really no need for me to do so. The 12 pages of "romantaries" (travel ramblings) speak for themselves, summarizing, supporting, and confirming the whys and hows.

Between the Instagram travelers, the freeloaders, the people who never say a word, those who only care about "evangelizing" in the name of their so-called superior culture, those convinced of their "divine word," and finally those who feed only on the embers of hatred hidden behind their screens—I definitely don’t think I have much left to do here or on other forums. By the way, one you seem to appreciate has methods that would please Mr. Putin, whom you seem, perhaps rightly, to hate. Go figure—it’s always possible to hate the mess but love wallowing in it.

There are still so many beautiful things to experience and so little time to waste on superficiality and negativity... Life’s too short.

Over the years I’ve spent—and continue to spend—surrounded by the peoples of Southeast Asia, I’ve made this expression my own: Carpe Diem.

I hope you keep finding happiness in what you believe in.

Best regards,

Partirdeloin

Just a little follow-up to my previous message regarding flight ticket prices for next summer, which adds to what Jojoone already told you.

I just received this from one of the airlines I use:

"Dear Madam / Sir ...,

As a member (loyalty program), we’re thrilled to give you an early heads-up that our promo offers to dream destinations are coming soon!

Set a reminder in your calendar for December 27, 2024! We’ll send you more details very soon.

Get ready to plan your 2025 vacations with , where your comfort and satisfaction are our top priorities."

This marks the start of the "sales season" at the beginning of the year, which, of course, many airlines will join.

So, it’s worth checking regularly what’s happening on that front.

That said, the recurring delays from aircraft manufacturers in deliveries are one of the reasons for high ticket prices. There’s simply more demand than available seats, and the airline market is governed by hyper-capitalist supply-and-demand rules (when it suits them)...

I’ll probably ruffle some feathers again by mentioning trains in Thailand, but one advantage of their system is that it’s not governed by this "law" of supply and demand. You pay the same price whether you book 6 months in advance or 1 month before. That said, you do need to be careful—not about the price, but about availability, since they don’t add extra cars or trains. Maybe one day that’ll change? But I’ll admit, I’m in no rush. If only SNCF, which is a state-owned company like here, could do the same...

As for the previous post mentioning much lower fares with multi-airline options, that’s certainly true, but they force you to finalize your purchase through the comparison site’s platform, which—as has often been discussed here and elsewhere—comes with huge risks if something goes wrong (delays, cancellations, strikes, etc.). For three tickets, personally, I wouldn’t take that risk, but to each their own...

Again, it’s worth repeating: using these sites to get an idea of what’s out there is fine, but for the actual purchase, always go to the airline’s official website if you don’t want your vacation to turn into a nightmare.

Best regards,

Partirdeloin

Anyway, I ran into way fewer mosquitoes—I think they’ve all emigrated to France ;)

Hi,

If tiger mosquitoes are becoming more common in France, it’s because they’ve quickly figured out there’s more to snack on here. ;)

In Thailand, in a mixed Thai/farang group, you can bet the farang group will get hit harder by them. :/

Best,

Partirdeloin

Hi there,

For the "Instagrammable" side of things, if you're interested, you might want to check out this report here

Otherwise, my buddies have already given you plenty of great tips (by the way, we nickname our national Jojoone "Huggy the Good Tips" 😄 and even if it's not true, I just had to say it! 😛😛)

Just a little extra tip for hotels—some allow kids to stay for free (check the age limit), often with a rollaway bed. Don’t hesitate to ask; it doesn’t hurt to try...

As for the islands, I can’t really help much since I’ve never been there and probably never will—unless I have a Thai friend with family there who invites me... Hey, a girl can dream, right? 😎

Anyway, sorry to hear you’re feeling under the weather during the holidays. I hope you still have a pretty good time, and you’ll probably make up for it with New Year’s. Wishing you all the best!

Sending you a bit of tropical warmth (temperature-wise, no misunderstandings here...).

Best regards,

Partirdeloin

On this one, I totally disagree with you. The White Temple, to me, is exactly the kind of thing to avoid: recent, paid entry, ultra-touristy. Just like the Blue Temple, there’s no historical appeal—just flashy, concrete eye candy.

Hello,

I don’t share your view on this either.

The "age" of a monument (temples in this case) doesn’t always determine its interest, just as being recent doesn’t automatically make it uninteresting.

While I find the White Temple delightfully kitsch, there are others like it elsewhere in Thailand. But the Blue Temple, which I’ve never seen another example of, is more unique and might justify a visit—plus, it’s free, unlike the White Temple (at least it was when I visited).

I think I read somewhere that the person behind the White Temple project was inspired by Gaudí and his Sagrada Família in Barcelona, which, like the White Temple, is still unfinished.

Going back to the old vs. new debate, in the same vein, I could take you to see some modern churches in France that, at first glance, wouldn’t even catch your eye. But inside, they hide little "treasures" that rival those in much older buildings.

Best regards,

Partirdeloin.

It's false that the A1 license is a real motorcycle license with a theory test, a closed-circuit exam, and a road test. You need a minimum of 20 hours of training, just like the A license. You can take the A1 license without having the B license.

Hello,

That’s correct, and it can then be transcribed onto the international driving permit. However, in reality, this mainly applies to young people who don’t yet have the 2 years of B license experience. After that, you only need the attestation already mentioned, which doesn’t allow transcription onto the international permit since it’s considered valid only in France and possibly Europe (to be confirmed on the latter point).

Lulu56 stated in her original post that she "doesn’t want to get a motorcycle license," but as the saying goes—only fools never change their minds—so if she decides to, she can absolutely go for it, including the theory test, closed-circuit exam, and road test.

For additional info, here are the figures from the French Road Safety Authority for A1 licenses issued after the exam in 2023, broken down by age group (with A2 license numbers in parentheses):

16 years: 4,954 – 17 years: 2,529 – 18 years: 186 (4,813) – 19 years: 25 (6,322) – 20-24 years: 34 (29,157) – 25-29 years: 15 (19,587) – 30-39 years: 14 (25,135) – 40-49 years: 7 (15,222) – 50-59 years: 1 (7,281) – 60+ years: 0 (1,282) – Total: 7,765 (99,694). This represents 7.79% of all A licenses issued, with a pass rate of 72.1% for A1 and 86.3% for A2.

Best regards,

Partirdeloin

Clearly I’ve found a "proofreader" to check my posts... Not too swamped?

Clearly you’re "way off," but feel free to think you’re some kind of "prophet"—seems like they’ve been popping up everywhere since the forum reopened...

And you don’t seem to be one either...

Best regards,

Partirdeloin.

It’s not as obvious as it seems. If I wrote it that way, it’s because the station is called Thonburi—because in Thonburi, there are other stations with different names (like Bang Ramat, for example).

Hello,

Saying that Thon Buri station is in another city makes sense, just like saying Bang Ramat station is in Thon Buri makes sense. It’s like clarifying for a non-French person that Gare de Lyon is in Paris, not Lyon, which might be confusing.

But the way you seemed to present it—especially with the ellipsis and a negative tone—made it sound like Thonburi was some "middle of nowhere" where only a fool would venture. Meanwhile, you didn’t mention the bus terminal at all, even though it’s in the same area.

Did you know that Siriraj Hospital (actually an annex) was built about thirty years ago on land donated by the SRT, where the original terminus station, Bangkok Noi, used to be? It was demolished for a reason, but I still remember it from the first (and only, believe me!) time I went to Kanchanaburi in 1985. The current Thonburi station, which later became the "terminus," was the first stop after leaving Bangkok Noi.

Thanks for this additional info.

Easily... if you’re already on one side of the river. Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with traffic, jams, and crossing a bridge where the roads are often congested.

Based on our friend’s choice of accommodation (Sukhumvit), which I looked into, the BTS and MRT are the fastest ways (since they avoid rush-hour traffic) to reach a "pier" (dock) for the Chao Phraya River boat, which also isn’t affected by the traffic issues mentioned.

Thais say Sai Tai...

My point wasn’t linguistic (I don’t think Thai linguistics is a priority for our friend) but geographical. When you search for "Sai Tai," dozens of places come up. With the full name—or better, the common name—it’s much clearer.

Also, "Mai" can be confusing for a taxi driver because in Thai, it’s also the word for negation...

*Mai* is a negation at the start of a sentence but becomes a question at the end, like in *Sabai dee mai?* (How are you?). And *mài* means "new." Just saying—it’s really hard to summarize Thai that simply.

I’m not convinced it’s faster

You’re not convinced, which implies you’ve never taken that train...

This quote was from a paragraph where I was talking about Mo Chit and minivans—not the train...

Is that the case? If so, take it one day, and next time you’ll take the bus or minivan. As for Kanchanaburi, for a non-touristy reason, I used to hang out at the station daily. Every day, I saw the train from Bangkok arrive—always one to two hours late (sometimes three)...

I stand by the fact that things have improved for the reasons already mentioned. Proof I couldn’t give last night: today, I checked the available data, and the train was only 18 minutes late—far from the daily one, two, or even three hours you mentioned.

No, Mo Chit is in the north...

My mistake—the late hour of my post is probably to blame for that mix-up...

They take the expressway that heads west right away, more or less bypassing the city.

The "more or less" you added this time makes all the difference. Nonthaburi, where the expressway you mentioned passes through, is a very close and densely populated suburb of Bangkok, with heavy traffic during rush hour.

I even found a minivan from Transport Co Ltd (a government company), No. 9918, that goes to Kanchanaburi with stops in Bangkok

For over a dozen years now, public minivans to/from the provinces have been banned from passing through Bangkok.

The route info I gave is current, but I haven’t verified it personally.

If our friend takes this option—which I also suggested because of the luggage storage at Mo Chit, letting him travel lighter on the Bangkok-Kanchanaburi-Ayutthaya-Bangkok route—he can easily confirm how it works.

Best regards,

Partirdeloin.

Hello,

Out of context, you can make words say whatever you want.

For my part, I was responding to someone who apologized for being "a bit of an oddball who doesn’t do things like everyone else."

After that, I’ll let you draw whatever conclusions help you sleep better...

Best regards,

Partirdeloin

I’m sorry if I surprise you

It takes a lot more than that to surprise me...

but after so many years, I know I’m a bit of a weirdo who doesn’t do things like everyone else. Especially as a traveler. It can throw some people off.

Well, now there are two of us—imagine, I’m probably the only Earthling (who doesn’t live in India) who’s been to Agra and *didn’t* visit the Taj Mahal.

Truth is, I’m just not interested in all the monuments the masses feel *compelled* to immortalize—just so they can say over the coffee machine, "I was there." And you’ve already seen every angle of them online and on social media, down to the tiniest detail, which kills all the magic of discovery.

Even what you’re about to see in Bangkok—I haven’t set foot there in 10 years.

I once decided to visit that island someone highly recommended in another thread, just because I was passing through for other reasons. Total letdown. And the thought of people spending hours in transit for *that* when, often just a few hundred meters from where they’re staying, there’s something surprising, unusual, or even unique… it leaves me baffled sometimes.

But hey, if it makes their day, more power to them.

Now I’ll just go at my own pace, following my tastes and whims

In my book, the best way to travel…

Partirdeloin

You little rascal!! 😉

Darn!!! You noticed... I was using all my ingenuity to make sure it didn’t show... I’m disappointed, really disappointed... 😎😛

I’ll do as you say, but I’ll still have to squeeze into the minivan with my backpack and suitcase. No big deal though, since it’ll save me from crossing Bangkok. Thanks

Hello,

If I understood correctly, you’re going to Kanchanaburi before Ayutthaya, so you can easily leave your non-essential luggage at your Bangkok accommodation—unless you’re heading straight to Ayutthaya without stopping in Bangkok. In that case, since you’ll be passing through Bangkok again for your bus to Chiang Mai, I’d recommend leaving your extra bags in a locker at Mo Chit (3rd floor) before heading to Kanchanaburi and picking them up when you return from Ayutthaya.

This way, you can travel lighter on the Kanchanaburi-Ayutthaya leg.

Best regards,

Partirdeloin

... By train: the tourist schedules (the ones you find online)

Unfortunately, this statement is false. SRT (State Railways of Thailand) has entered the 21st century. Besides having a fairly comprehensive website largely translated into English, they’ve developed mobile apps that let you buy tickets and also find all the schedules you want—both for long-distance and commuter trains.

There’s even a dedicated site for tracking train positions in near real-time, which lets you check the delay of any train live, if needed.

That said, they used to offer a downloadable timetable that was really useful, but it hasn’t been updated since it was created in April 2023, even though some schedules have changed since then. I find that pretty disappointing.

They list about a dozen Express or Rapid trains per day (both with a supplement) coming from far away* (all trains stop at Ayutthaya) and terminating at Aphiwat. In reality, there are also 17 others not shown on those schedules because they’re "commuter trains"** (local trains). They don’t stop at Aphiwat and terminate at Hualampong. If you take one of these commuters, get off at Bang Sue Junction station.

Actually, there are 16 long-distance trains and 11 commuters serving Ayutthaya. However, since commuters are primarily meant to transport students and workers, they’re concentrated in the morning for the Ayutthaya→Bangkok route. The last one that might interest our friend is at 12:40 PM—after that, the next commuter isn’t until around 6 PM.

Of course, there are long-distance trains serving Ayutthaya in that time frame.

From Aphiwat or Bang Sue*** it’s just a short taxi ride to Mo Chit.

You can also take one of the many buses that serve both locations for a bargain price. (Wait + bus takes 15/20 minutes max.)

*Frequent delays of 1–2 hours, and you must take the train indicated on your ticket.

While it’s still far from perfect, SRT has made a lot of progress, especially with the construction of double tracks.

Partirdeloin

... For Kanchanaburi, I strongly advise against taking the train. First, because you have to go pick it up at Thonburi Station, which is in... Thonburi. Then, because it’s always one to two hours late, and finally, because it’s a third-class local train (so you can’t reserve seats) that stops everywhere.

From Bangkok to Kanchanaburi by public transport other than the train, there are 3 options: - Bus 81 a/c (2-hour trip, departures every 20 minutes) from Sai Tai bus terminal. It’s the farthest from the city center, but it’s the best choice if you have a lot of luggage since you can check it in the hold.

Hello,

While I think you have great knowledge about Thailand, some of your info is a bit outdated.

That said, I don’t entirely agree with your take on transportation options.

- First, you say you have to take the train at Thon Buri and that you have to go to Thon Buri—well, that’s stating the obvious. But the station is actually easy to reach, especially with the Chao Phraya River boat, which you’ve already mentioned. The station is right behind Siriraj Hospital, which is along the river and served by those boats.

- Then, you mention Sai Tai bus terminal (full name: Sai Tai Mai-Taling Chan), more commonly known as the Southern Bus Terminal, which is also in... Thon Buri, but much more out of the way than the train station.

- Minivan a/c from Mo Chit minivan terminal, the most accessible and the one that’ll save you the most time stuck in traffic.

I’m not convinced it’s faster, even if the minivan uses expressways. After all, those routes still cross Bangkok, since Mo Chit is on the east side of the city and Kanchanaburi is to the west.

I actually found a minivan from Transport Co Ltd (a government company), No. 9918, that makes stops in Bangkok on the way to Kanchanaburi, while the return trip seems to be direct between Kanchanaburi and Mo Chit...

If you’re making the Kanchanaburi-Chiang Mai trip via Bangkok, take a minivan from Kan to Mo Chit, then use the walkway to the "regular" Mo Chit terminal where your bus to Chiang Mai will depart. That’ll save you 2 hours of crossing Bangkok.

Beyond what I’ve already mentioned about traffic, it’s worth noting that Mo Chit has undergone major organizational changes this past year. I’d strongly advise our friend to take the time to scope things out beforehand to travel stress-free.

Best regards,

Partirdeloin.

The most remarkable thing is how some people have a fascinating ability to give completely wrong advice, which you only realize once you're there.

Hi,

And you're still being kind—some don’t hesitate to shoot down others' ideas just because they don’t like them, or even claim them as their own if they weren’t the "first to mention it"...

Best regards,

Partirdeloin

... The problem with this kind of request is that you get absolutely everything and its opposite in response.

Hi there,

That’s exactly why I kinda gave up on "the case"—too much info kills the info, to the point where some posts get completely lost in the overload.

You’d decided to take your time, just like you said you liked to do, and now here you are chasing after it again.

But if you’re still able to sleep, that’s great.

You’re looking for perfection you’ll never find, at least I think so, but if you find happiness with it, then enjoy!!!

Best,

Partirdeloin