Khao San road thru the ages

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Dario
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Re: Khao San road thru the ages

Post by Dario »

KSR in the early 90's was a great place to be and learn and exchange infos with fellow travellers.
It was before the internet. The single heaviest item in my duffel bag was the lonely planet "bible". Together with the thai language books it accounted for about half of the total weight of my luggage.
The rest i bought on site. Clothes, walkman, cassette tapes, drugs.
You could get anything there within a circle of 100 meters.
There were two big, smoky snooker halls even.
I also bought my student card there. When some years later i bought a plane ticket in Lisbon, the travel agent got suspicious, asked me: Sir, where did you get this card from? I said, oh this is from Denmark. Worked out, day saved.

KSR = tempi passati
Useless to look for a place nowadays that is similar. Times have changed and with them the criteria for what makes a great place.
Gazzy
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Re: Khao San road thru the ages

Post by Gazzy »

truffledog wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2023 4:42 pm
Gazzy wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2023 12:12 pm Places do change. In Jakarta, Jalan Jaksa was the place to go. Not anymore unfortunately.
Jalan Jaksa was the worst shithole backpacker area of SEA (in the 90`s) I ever visited: dark, smelly, dangerous. I wonder if anybody stayed more than one night.
Was very popular. Lots of bars, mainly frequented by teachers. Had great times there.
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truffledog
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Re: Khao San road thru the ages

Post by truffledog »

Gazzy wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 8:51 pm
truffledog wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2023 4:42 pm
Gazzy wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2023 12:12 pm Places do change. In Jakarta, Jalan Jaksa was the place to go. Not anymore unfortunately.
Jalan Jaksa was the worst shithole backpacker area of SEA (in the 90`s) I ever visited: dark, smelly, dangerous. I wonder if anybody stayed more than one night.
Was very popular. Lots of bars, mainly frequented by teachers. Had great times there.
sounds like a lot of fun...if you are a teacher and like to drink. For the rest of the world still a shithole.
work is for people who cant find truffles
Gazzy
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Re: Khao San road thru the ages

Post by Gazzy »

truffledog wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 10:19 pm
Gazzy wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 8:51 pm
truffledog wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2023 4:42 pm
Gazzy wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2023 12:12 pm Places do change. In Jakarta, Jalan Jaksa was the place to go. Not anymore unfortunately.
Jalan Jaksa was the worst shithole backpacker area of SEA (in the 90`s) I ever visited: dark, smelly, dangerous. I wonder if anybody stayed more than one night.
Was very popular. Lots of bars, mainly frequented by teachers. Had great times there.
sounds like a lot of fun...if you are a teacher and like to drink. For the rest of the world still a shithole.
We didn't want the rest of the world there.
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Kung-fu Hillbilly
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Re: Khao San road thru the ages

Post by Kung-fu Hillbilly »

Gazzy wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:34 am
truffledog wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 10:19 pm
Gazzy wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 8:51 pm
truffledog wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2023 4:42 pm
Gazzy wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2023 12:12 pm Places do change. In Jakarta, Jalan Jaksa was the place to go. Not anymore unfortunately.
Jalan Jaksa was the worst shithole backpacker area of SEA (in the 90`s) I ever visited: dark, smelly, dangerous. I wonder if anybody stayed more than one night.
Was very popular. Lots of bars, mainly frequented by teachers. Had great times there.
sounds like a lot of fun...if you are a teacher and like to drink. For the rest of the world still a shithole.
We didn't want the rest of the world there.
Loved Jaksa because it was a seedy shithole. Passing through Indonesia in 98 Suharto was ousted when staying there - we could see the plumes of smoke rising across Jakarta as locals rioted and wanted to go have a look. But the army had placed two armored vehicles and troops at either end of the road and we were told to go back to our hotels/losmens.
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Re: Khao San road thru the ages

Post by Gazzy »

Kung-fu Hillbilly wrote: Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:15 am
Gazzy wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:34 am
truffledog wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 10:19 pm
Gazzy wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 8:51 pm
truffledog wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2023 4:42 pm

Jalan Jaksa was the worst shithole backpacker area of SEA (in the 90`s) I ever visited: dark, smelly, dangerous. I wonder if anybody stayed more than one night.
Was very popular. Lots of bars, mainly frequented by teachers. Had great times there.
sounds like a lot of fun...if you are a teacher and like to drink. For the rest of the world still a shithole.
We didn't want the rest of the world there.
Loved Jaksa because it was a seedy shithole. Passing through Indonesia in 98 Suharto was ousted when staying there - we could see the plumes of smoke rising across Jakarta as locals rioted and wanted to go have a look. But the army had placed two armored vehicles and troops at either end of the road and we were told to go back to our hotels/losmens.
Yeah Kung Fu, Jakarta was a very special place during the 90's, lots of work, great bars, gorgeous women, excellent expat scene. I had many scenes, Jaksa was just one of them, Blok M another. The riots in '98 were pretty surreal and a turning point. Terrible for the Chinese-Indos and end of Soeharto era. For us 'bules' it was never quite the same again, but those 10 years really were the most interesting and enjoyable period of my life.
snookieboi
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Re: Khao San road thru the ages

Post by snookieboi »

I suppose the same could be said of other Traveller type areas.
They were great back then, but now have changed considerably.
More than just any old backpacker.
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truffledog
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Re: Khao San road thru the ages

Post by truffledog »

snookieboi wrote: Sun Jan 29, 2023 5:34 pm I suppose the same could be said of other Traveller type areas.
They were great back then, but now have changed considerably.
Not only the places have changed, there was much more interaction between the backpackers.
work is for people who cant find truffles
WillieW
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Re: Khao San road thru the ages

Post by WillieW »

Cowshed Cowboy wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:13 am Stayed there for a weekend a couple of years ago for somewhere different. Enjoyed the more laid back afternoon atmosphere sitting in a few bars watching the passing street action. Didn't enjoy the evening as it descended into a bucket drunk loud music fest populated by the similar crowd as the Koh Phangan bust, think Pub Street Siem Reap scene for comparison. It's more a flashpacker, affluent gap year crowd with prices to match and that was before the recent renovation. I wouldn't even contemplate going back.
I was they're two days unexpectedly after I missed a train for a cheap guest house last month. The area north of Kosine Rd Is pretty laid back and cheap especially now that we they have freed the weed. Actually quite enjoyed the area to my surprise. Kosine Rd itself is an absolute nightmare at night very loud music young eurotrash drunk on whiskey not my scene at all. not at all like the 90s it was a cool place to hang out.
Be your own toy.
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Big Daikon
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Re: Khao San road thru the ages

Post by Big Daikon »

John Bingham wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:57 pm I never got why anyone on holiday would want to watch videos of old episodes of Friends.
Obviously, Laos is a better spot to watch Friends.
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