Hi all.
I missed out on an opportunity for a guided trip with other massage therapists last year.
I am planning to recreate their itinerary and hope to learn some tips.
The IT:Itinerary: Days 1-5 Bangkok , Days 6-7 Ayuthaya, Days 8-22 Chiang Mai
My biggest concern is safety. How safe is it for us to be there? Last Aug I know there was trouble. That is when the trip was planned before.
We will be a group of approx. 5 people.
I know when the right months are to go for bearable weather.
I have a sensitive stomache so I need to know what NOT to eat.
We will try to hook up other bodyworkers there(legitimate) and try to learn from the masters. Some temples and trekking is on the list of to dos.
Thanks in advance,
Robyn

too much time in CN, imo----4-5 days is way more than enough...i think one day in Ay also would be enough...

safety is really not an issue...just stay away from the deep south of the country...

As for safety....having just been in Bangkok a few weeks ago when 7 bombs went off...one in my district and killing one person in my district...I still felt relatively safe. I vacation in BK twice a year and personally plan to return in summer as I usually do. However, each person has to determine his/her own safety comfort level. Happy Travels!

I understand that it is a long time on the last leg of the adventure but we are trying to stick as closely to the missed itinerary of the original trip.

Also, I realize that our everyday safety has a lot to do with OUR behavior and intent however I overworry about being a group of mostly American women near an area where there may or may not be anti American extremist activity/sentiment.

No need to worry at all about anti-Americanism in Thailand. It's just simply not a factor. Their whole culture revolves around respect...you'll never feel more warmth and welcome in your travels. At least we haven't so far...

Unfortunately, the only anti-Americanism we experienced was from fellow Westerners.

Have a wonderful trip!

Yeah, the anti-americanism that you're worried about, I wouldn't worry about. That is nothing major in Thailand. I feel quite comfortable there. Happy Travels!

We have just returned from a 2 week vacation in Thailand. We felt completly safe the whole time we were there , just use the same common sense you would have anywhere else you might be. We have never meet so many friendly people as we did in Thailand. Only annoying people we encountered were tourists! As for eating I was concerned about that as well. On this post I picked up some good advise , don't eat any dairy products , no salads or any fruits that would have to be washed and drink only bottled water (brush your teeth with it too) This worked as we ate what we wanted everywhere and never got sick. Hope you have as good a time as we did!

I agree with the others. I have felt safer in Thailand than I have in many western cities.

I recently returned from a 5 week solo trip and I never felt threatened.

I ate lots of fruit, especially the pineapple and pomelo they sell everywhere from street carts. I also ate a lot of street food and never got sick. I take Cipro along just in case.

Two weeks in Chiang Mai is a long time. I am envious as it is one of my favorite places in Thailand! There are a lot of day trips you can do from Thailand.

If you want to get away from Chiang Mai and head into a more remote and beautiful area head up to Chiang Dao, which is just a little over an hour north of Chiang Mai. it is absolutely beautiful and there are some very nice bungalow accomodations up there. You can check it out at www.chiangdao.com.

Enjoy your trip!

Should we hire a guide?
We've talked and think the Chiang Rai is also a good idea.
Do we use local guides or go through a travel agency?
TIA,
Robyn