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TRAVEL TIPS - part 2 - Sept 2002
National Radio Text Service - Saturday September 28, 2002 WILLIAM TELL'S THILO KRUEGER's Cambodian Music Connection: If you plan on being in Siem Reap Saturday October 5th, you are lucky. Thilo Krueger and his former rock band mates will have a reunion party at the Laundry Club. Members of the group are flying in from the USA, London and Singapore. They include Alan Slater, (UK) guitar, Jouni Anttonen (FIN) drums, Mark Wildblood (NZ) vocals, Mike Cvetanovic (AUS) guitar, Krueger (GER) keyboards and Michael Worrow (CAN) bass. They will share the bill with two other bands Confused Daddy and The Grind. The party begins at 10 PM till??? For those who don't know, Krueger is one of the owners of the Wilhelm Tell restaurants in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. As a musician he formerly played in a band that opened a show for Chaka Kahn. Also in Siem Reap on October 5th and every Saturday evening Beat Richner performs a one hour cello concert at the Javarayman Hospital at 7 PM. SAWASDEE GUESTHOUSE CHAIN: This past year we have noticed the mushrooming of the Sawasdee guesthouse chain in Thailand. They are popping up all over Pattaya and Bangkok with many in the Khao San Road area. Looks can be deceiving. The brightly yellow and light purple painted structures on the outside have for the most part small shabby rooms on the inside. Rude staff is also prevalent throughout the chain. There were some notable exceptions. The staff appears trained to be close lipped about who the chains owners are or how to contact the corporate office. The chain is said to have been around for the past three years. There advertised 90-290 baht rooms are hard to come by. You can expect to pay almost double if they have a room. THE REAL SAWASDEE guesthouse is also near Khao San Road. It gives a luxurious appearance on the outside with a four level lobby with a bar, restaurant and sitting areas. The rooms we inspected were small and very clean. The bathrooms were spotless. The staff is very friendly. In business fro about nine years. It's worth the experience.
BERNARD TRINK - "The Nite Owl": Bangkok Post "Nite Owl" columnist has been on the Thailand scene since 1962. With 40 years of experience under his belt we asked what was the greatest change he has witnessed? "I've seen it grow from a town to a metropolis," he said. The it that he referred to was for Bangkok. It also applied to Pattaya. Trink noted when he first arrived, Pattaya had only one hotel, "The Nipa." The KHMER KITCHEN The Khmer Kitchen restaurant in Siem Reap continues to receive excellent reviews. A favorite dining spot for locals the foreigners are finding it as well. The eatery is known for it's good tasting food at an inexpensive price. The charming dimly lit restaurant is situated in a small street that resembles an alley behind the Angkor Wat Bar one block from the market in the center of town. AEROBICS: Phnom Penh doesn't have a lot to offer in the way of recreation for tourists and locals. To unwind a tight-tiered body aerobics classes are available Monday through Friday at the Clark Hatch Fitness Center in the Inter Continental Hotel. Classes are 9am and 6:30pm. Fee: $2. Call: 023-424-888, extension 5000. ROTARY: The Rotary Club of Phnom Penh meet every Thursday at 6:30 pm at the Hotel Le Royal. Meetings are in English. For reservations call 016-833-929 or 012-807-790 MALARIA: Two of the most asked questions on our road trip from Bangkok to Phnom Penh were "Is there malaria in Cambodia and Thailand and should I take precaution?" The answer is yes malaria is a major problem in the region as well as Dengue Fever. Take whatever precautionary measures you can. Mosquito coils and mosquito repellent are helpful.
BB WORLD: You can burger your buns off at one of Phnom Penh's newest fast food eateries. BB World is on the busy corner of Monivong and Sihanouk Boulevards. The company joins a growing list of fast food spots that have popped up in the city this past year. The varied menu includes burgers, hot dogs, fish chicken, sweets and ice cream. The Cambodian Burger is made of pork. It was pointed out to us that the ice cream burger is very popular. We tried the chicken sandwich that was juicy and delicious. It looked like chicken, smelled like chicken and tasted like chicken. That's unlike many fast food chain chicken sandwiches that taste like cardboard. BB World's director Chy Sila has been busy selecting the best products available from around the region to adorn his menu. Sila purchases his pickles from Lanzi's Dan Meats. Sila also owns the popular CD World shops in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville GUESTHOUSE ASSAULT: Tourists experienced being assaulted at "My House Guesthouse" near Khao San Road. They asked the price of a room and were told that they were all full. They again asked for the price and received the same reply. After the tourists noted that the question asked, "How much is a room" wasn't answered, the said owner then pushed the travelers in the chest and told them that she didn't want them staying there. While they lady was assaulting the travelers she was saying, "don't touch me." GUESTHOUSE DIVERSION TACTICS: The numbered hotels around Bangkok are not for the foreigner. They primarily function as brothels for the Thais. Tourists tried to obtain a room at the # 39 Hotel near Khao San road and were told none were available in a very curt manner. The SMILE guesthouse gave them the shell game run-around. When they entered they were told that the single rooms were all full and that only doubles were available. The price was quoted and the room inspected. Not so good. On the way out the tourists noticed two single rooms where the doors were opened. When it was pointed out to the clerk they were informed that those rooms were available for only one hour. That means for hookers and their punters.
The price quoted on the inspected was increased by 40% and things got ugly. The clerk that spoke perfect English throughout the negotiations blurted out that she couldn't speak English. BEWARE OF THIS PLACE (See Hooker Thieves). BEWARE OF HELPFUL THIEVES: A traveler to Khao San Road was in a mess when her bags were stolen at the Surat Thani, Thailand train station. When she boarded the train a man helped her with her luggage. By the time she reached her seat and looked around the baggage helper was gone… with her bags. PATTTAYA INTERNET: Internet shops in Pattaya are charging two bath a minute ($2.80 per hour) for a connection to the web. The best price in town, 30 baht an hour was at the M J Internet shop on Central Road between 2nd & 3rd Roads. They charge on a scale, 20 baht for a half hour and one bath a minute for less use. The Explorer shop on the main road as you enter Jomtien Beach has the fastest equipment for a baht a minute or $1.40 an hour. © Copyright: National Radio. Any use of these materials, whole or in part, is prohibited unless authorized in writing by National Radio. Contact: nationalradio@yahoo.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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