While we will get most of our info from this travel board and others, we like to bring a travel guide with us.

Which of the guides is best? Lonely Planet, Frommers, Eye Witness, Rough Guide or Lets Go Thailand?

Thanks - June

Of those, the one I find most useful is Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet is especially useful if you are getting of the tourist track. Insight guides publishes some small city guides, such as one for Bangkok that gives interesting walking/public transport routes taking in some less often visited places.

I don’t think you can say that there is a “bes” guide book, as I think a lot depends on what you want a guide book for. Some guidebooks are great on history and culture, like DK/Eyewitness, Insight and Lonely Planet. DK has great layout maps of sites. (Lonely Planet is also good on public transport.) Some are great on suggested itineraries like Fodors and Frommers. Some are great on restaurants and shopping like the Luxe guides. For Bangkok and Chiang Mai you <i>really</i> must have the Nancy Chandler guide. I would get them all, but you can do that as follows:

1. For history and culture, you can go to your library and get the DK, Lonely Planet, Insight or other guides and photocopy them. Older editions are fine as that basic information really does not change. If they have current editions of Fodors, I would copy that, as I think Fodors walking tour reccos get a little dated after a year or two, esp in places like Bangkok where things are getting torn down every year. Make double-sided copies if you can, as this will really cut down on the number of pages. You can check them out and photocopy them at your office.

2. The Web often has lots of good background info on history and culture as well which you can print out on double-sided paper as well. You can find websites for museums, etc. The website for the Tourism Authority for Thailand is http://www.tourismthailand.org/.

3. The Nancy Chandler map for shopping and restaurants in Bangkok is fantastic, she also has a map for Chiang Mai. There is very little on history and sightseeing, although she does offer some interesting alternatives like the bike tour of Bangkok. Her section on the Bangkok weekend market is invaluable, IMO.

4. I think that the Luxe Guide for Bankok and other cities is generally spot on for their reccos on restaurants and most of their shopping and their limited sightseeing reccos as well, so I would get that. Like Nancy Chandler, this is not a guide book in the traditional sense, as there is no history or tour information, but is good for eating and shopping. Because it is so short (about 4 pages), they can update it 4 times a year so it is very current. It only costs like US$8. (Go to http://www.luxecityguides.com/) It is tiny and folds almost into your pocket.

Many people on this board recommend Tresures and Pleasures of Thailand as a guide/shopping book as well.

For what destination?

i find the frommers guide books are the best for a total overview for a touristic experience....their detail is not sufficient, but they identify most or all of the major sites....they also do a good job on restaurants and hotels for a general overview....

i have a restaurant guide for bkk and a few other thai places, which i will send you if you ask for it at:

[email protected]

lonely planet !

I think all of the guide books that you list are pretty good. It very much depends on what you get used to. I would say stick with one format, the one you are used to. Then you know exactly how to navigate the book.
Personally, we always use DK, but others will have different preferences.

Don't think there is a definitive answer to your question. You just need to find the style that suits you best.

I go and read them all in the book shop - and then buy the one I like best. Which tends to always be Lonely Planet, sometimes Footprints - both have places with range of prices which I like. I have 5* taste but husband sets 3* budget! I also look at when the editions are printed to see which is most up to date. My daughter likes the eyewitness guides (with pictures) so we tend to buy one of those if possible too.
BB