Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Thailand Beginner

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Thailand Beginner

Hello there, I'd like to know a few things about Thailand as my husband and I are planning a trip for Dec. approx. three weeks. We are both beginners, over 50 and would like some insight from all those who have travelled Thailand. Any informaction is greatly appreciated! BUT I'll try not to bore you so much with my questions as they might seem insignificant, though they are important for me. I have glanced at a couple of books: Fodor's Thailand and Insight Guides on "Thailand". Different people need different kinds of information. I want some background and personal recommendations from someone who knows the destination well. 1)Airline company that you use? (FYI:We live in Canada, in the Ontario province) How much was your ticket? 2)What city/cities have you gone. Do you land in Bangkok and stayed there? if you had, would you please give the name(s) of a couple of Hotel(s)/Restaurant(s) (reasonable, price wise nothing fancy-clean). 3)What is your experience with South or North of Thailand? Any experience in bus travelling? 4)We have been talking about going in Dec./Jan. Which is your favourite month to go? Have you gone backpacking? This is going to be our first time doing that We were (my husband and I) to India in '93 and took a suitcase with us and that was a big mistake!! Fortunately, somehow we were able to manage ok but never again with a suitcase. 5)US1= how many Bahts,approx.? 6)Did you take the insight books with you? Any recommendations/suggestions or precautions that might be worth considering? just share with us any practical tips that you would consider of importance for the trip. Just think of something that you would have liked to know about before going there. Please feel free to offer your comments to us. We'd really appreciate it! Thanks very much and I/we look forward to your next e-mail. Regards, Rocio

Rocio, I typed "Thailand" in the search box at the top of this page and came up with several past posts that offer trip reports from people that have just returned from Thailand.. I would suggest you read those first, maybe that'll help.

Check out Lynn's travelogues to Bangkok. They were a great help on our trip in April. Do a search as the previous writer suggested. We flew United from Denver to LAX, Thai Airways to BKK, Chiang Mai, Phuket - about $1100 for all flights and 6 nts through a tour op. We did BKK, Chiang Mai, Phi Phi Don. All very different and very interesting. Lynn has some good rec's on her travelogue for Bkk hotels. We stayed at the Amari Watergate in Bangkok and was very happy with it. Would stay there again. In Chiang Mai we stayed at the Chiang Mai 'something' Inn (can get name if you're interested). It was nice, but would try and stay closer to Night Market next time. We hiked and stayed at the Khao Yai Garden Lodge. Would pass this over. In Phi Phi we stayed at the Bayview. Would probably stay there again. Didn't take the bus anywhere, as the flights were so reasonable. I think the upgrade to Business Class was only about $40us more. The exchange rate varies - In April it was running around $1 - 46baht. You can do a search on the internet for currency calculators and you'll get a couple websites. If you would like specifics on anything, please email me. bly

Here are a few answers to some of your questions. Money: do not bother taking US dollars as Canadian dollars and travelers cheques are readily accepted and converted into Thai Bahts. Take a bank debit card with you as there are plenty of ATMs around and the rate you will get is the best. Just make sure your card has only four digits. The only time that you will need US money is if you deceide to go to Cambodia, Laos or Burma. Getting there: I usually fly on Cathay Pacific on their Asia Pass which is 1499 from Toronto. I have also used the deal from Tour East Travel (in Toronto) that gives you airfare plus 5 nights accommodation in Bangkok for as low as 1499 from Toronto. I just arrange to extend my stay for up to 30 days making my own travel arrangements after the last night. North/South: When travelling to Chiang Mai the overnight sleeper train is good and inexpensive. I have never been to Phuket or Koh Samui as I find them just too expensive. Usually go to Hua Hin or Krabi for a beach. Packing: Agree do not take a suitcase only a backpack. On my last trip I took a backpack that also had wheels if you needed to use them, like in airports, and it was great. Only take the bare necesities of clothing as you can buy everything else you need so cheaply once in Thailand. Hope this helps. If you need any more information e-mail me at [email protected]

Hello Have been to Thailand 10 times. Hotels: Radisson Hotel Bangkok Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Bangkok Eating: Anywhere at the World Trade Centre Shopping: Try Seacon Square (a huge mall) Pratunam Markets MBK (Mah Boon Khrong) Travel in Thailand: In Bangkok use either taxis or BTS (Bangkok Transit System)which is the monorail city link system, cheap, clean and quick. Use Thai Airways Domestic to fly up North. I never recommend bus travel in Asia as there seem to be a lot of accidents. 2 months ago I went up to Chiang Rai for 4 days and loved it. I satyed at the Dusit Island Resort Hotel which sits on a private island in the middle of the Mae Kok River. Very peaceful and enjoyable. Travel any time of the year is okay, but of course some months are hotter than others, and others wetter. US Dollars will get you 45 Baht. I always use my Visa card and make ATM withdrawals, so much easier and ATMS are everywhere, even up North. Drink only bottled water, peel your own fruit and avoid road side stalls if you want to avoid food poisoning. Hope this info helps. Glen

Bonjour From Toronto, if you fly via europe, may be easier and less time consumed, but you can transit in Seoul or Tokyo as well. If you are serious about land transport, i would advice train rather than bus, however, if you're lucky enough, VIP bus has only 24 seats, so that you can decline your seat nearly flat. 1CAD= 28.73 Bahts for note, 29.xx for T-chq, 1USD = 44.xx for note, a bit more for t-chq.(today's rate) HM the King's birthday is 5th December, if you are interested in how we celebrate this special day, you have to arrange your ticket to arrive here before.

Hello Rocio. I too am heading to Thailand in December or January. I will be flying from Winnipeg. Did you have any luck finding a good plane ticket? So far I've found that a ticket through Air Canada is about $2400. Have you found a better deal. I'm sure your research for your trip is more progressed than mine, but I would suggest if you want information on hotels in Thailand, check out www.sawadee.com. It has listings, rates, pictures and more of hotels in all regions of Thailand. Happy travelling, Graeme

Rocio, Most recent trip to Thailand was last year approximately the same time as you. Visited Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Ao Nang and Phuket. Don't know if it will help any but flight from San Franicso, CA with China Airlines to BKK was $635 RT. Stayed at the Shangri-La in BKK two nights (USD$135/nt), flight up to Chiang Mai on Thai Airways Business Class (USD$150). We couldn't get an economy flight. We booked this ticket ahead of time while still in the states. Stayed at Imperial Mae Ping in Chiang Mai ($USD40/nt) which we found to be good, clean, moderately priced accomodations. Did some hiking in the national park nearby, hired a car, driver and guide one day. Flew back to BKK, hopped on a flight to Phuket, took a taxi to Ao Nang Beach. If you do Ao Nang and fly into Phuket, try not to get there too late. We ended up paying a bundle for the 2 hour taxi ride to Ao Nang because got in too late to get a shuttle van. Stayed at the Ao Nang Sunset Hotel for a few nights. Expensive in our opinion, but it was high season. Can't remember the price, but booked through hotelthailand.com with no problems. From Krabi, we took a van shuttle to Phuket airport, booked a room at the Karon Beach Hotel at the reservation desks at the airport. Decent, clean, also expensive due to high season. We thought it was the best spot on Karon Beach though. Surprisingly enough, we found that we got better deals at the airport hotel reservation desk than if we called the hotel independently. Did some diving, although the snorkeling was just as good. We took backpacks which were fine. Luggage would have been a burden in my opinion. Only thing is, you have to know how to travel light. :) Found that high season is indeed high season. The beaches were packed, tons of tourists, mostly from Europe. If you want to see some of the beaches deserted, grab a longtail early and head out. Bring plenty of insect repellant. You'll need it! Food is very cheap. We ate at a very nice restaurant on the river in Chiang Mai for about USD$6 for two of us, including drinks. We ate lunch at a roadside stand near Chiang Mai when visiting some of the hill villages and paid about USD$7 for 4 people with tons of food left over. I really liked one travel book in particular out of the 5 we bought. It's published by a company called Moon Publishing or something like that. I found it to most thorough. We ended up bringing 3 of the 5 which was a pain. Pick one and go with it. Traveling around was fairly easy. We didn't do any buses because we wanted to maximize our time there. We booked our BKK-Phuket-BKK flights while at the BKK airport, weren't able to get the exact dates/times we wanted but usually got the day before/after. The shuttle vans, you just show up and they'll pack you in. Hope this helps!

Hi Rocio, I can’t help you much with the airline. Cathay and Canadian are the only ones I have used that come out of the west coast. Cathay probably has the edge. I have lived in Bangkok and Chiangmai and have seen most of Thailand in the 18 years that I’ve been here. Most people I think start in Bangkok, although there are other international airports they serve regional rather than long haul flights. Bangkok would not go down as my favourite holiday destination but “must sees” would include the Grand Palace, the Temple of Dawn and perhaps the marble Wat. It might be a bit sleazy but you probably want to at least walk through Patpong or Soi Cowboy (preferable). As a couple you will not be hassled. Take a ride on the skytrain for an overall look at the city without the chance of being lost or hassled. Hundreds of hotels and most of them should be acceptable. If you take the view that a hotel is only somewhere to sleep then anything from about 800 Baht a night should be fine. Also there are hundreds of restaurants serving all sorts of food. One serving Thai food and popular with tourists is “Cabbages and Condoms” off Sukhumvit road. Most people head south for the beaches and north for scenery and handicrafts. Also in December it is a lot cooler than down south. Avoid the buses whenever you can, they are unsafe and uncomfortable. Internal airfares are not high, although about to go up, and the railway is fine with the added advantage that you get a night’s accommodation thrown in. Travelling second-class air-conditioned is quite acceptable, but as a couple you may prefer first class – not available on all trains. December or January are excellent months, hot enough to enjoy the beaches in the south and cooler in the North. Even Bangkok may not be too hot and humid. My son assures me that carrying a backpack does not make one a backpacker! He does and he says that he isn’t. I guess that they are easier to handle than suitcases, but in Thailand there are always plenty of hands around. Incidentally, I think that you will find Thailand much easier than India and the trains cannot be compared. Yesterday, the Baht “improved” to just under 45 to the US$. Budget on 45 and you will be OK. Don’t go overboard with inoculations and things and malaria depressants are not necessary unless you intend to get into some really wild places. Much better is a good insect repellent. Email me if you have anything specific to ask.

Hi Rocio, please feel free to read my travel journal of my trip to Thailand last Xmas. It can be found on http://www.bangor.ac.uk/~fos007/fb2b.htm One thing is for sure, you will have such a wonderful vacation in Thailand!

If you like seafood, try SomBoon restaurant (near PatPong). It's very popular (4-storey restaurant), go early (6 - 7pm) and you will have a good dinner. Be careful of taxi drivers trying to take you to other seafood restaurants. Get the hotel concierge to write the name of the restaurant in Thai and when you get out of the cab, ask the people around if you've reached the right place. For shopping, I love MahBoonKhong and Chatuchak market (it's at the last skyrain station). For my last trip, I stayed at The Regent Bangkok (convenient location with the skytrain station in front of it). Please read www.bangkokmouth.com; it's hilarious and quite accurate. Hope you have a good trip !!