THAILAND
Thailand is an amazingly diverse country with stunning beaches, beautiful mountains, cosmopolitan cities and simply amazing food and people.
It is by far one of the easiest countries in Asia to travel in. Although the native language is Thai, almost all signs of importance, including street signs are written in English, and most of the population can speak enough English to communicate, albeit on a very basic level. Public transportation is extremely efficient, cheap and sometimes even more comfortable than the west (massage chairs on a long-distance bus!!) and there is more than an abundance of accomodations from 5-star luxury spa resorts, to super el-cheapo backpacker dorms.
Geographically Thailand is conveniently accessible from all over the world either by air, or by land border crossings to Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
At the moment Visa on Arrival visas are valid for 30days if arriving by air, and 15days if crossing overland but to be sure, check with the Embassy.
Above all, Thailand is just beautiful! So it's really no surprise that it is near the top of everybody's holiday wish list, but this doesn't mean that it's hard to get off the beaten tourist trail either.
Most backpackers find themselves on Khaosan Road in Bangkok, a crazily busy area of markets, restaurants, bars, massage parlours, tattoo shops and hotels. It truly is a fun fun place and we love going there ourselves! But!! Unfortunately most people let the convenience of Khaosan Rd depict the rest of their journey. They purchase bus and train tickets at greatly inflated prices from travel agents on the street and book ongoing accommodation aswell. Although it is all seems innocent enough, the problem is that even though Thailand generally has a lower poverty level than elsewhere in Asia, there are still always going to be people looking to make a quick buck. This has spawned an intricate crime network that operates on buses leaving from Khaosan (as opposed to cheaper, more luxurious public buses that leave from the easily accessible bus stations) often have people hiding in the luggage compartment to rummage through the bags of unsuspecting tourists who have forgotten the golden rule of travel - don't put anything of value in your checkin baggage!! I know it may sound like something from a fiction novel, or tales from a paranoid tourist, but it really does happen on a daily basis, and one of our friends was "relieved" of her camera about 5 months ago.
Pre-booked accommodations are often more expensive than a room at the same hotel at a walk-in price, and are quite often not exactly what you were led to be. With an absolute abundance of accommodations at all price ranges available in Thailand, our advice would be, that unless you are travelling at peak tourist time, you are much better off to just turn up and find something you like, in your price range yourself.
And, you will save yourself a small fortune, have a greater choice of departure times and travel classes and have a much less chance of being robbed if you break away from the convenience of Khaosan Road and buy your ticket for yourself at the relevant long-distance bus station. From Khaosan Road you can take almost any of the buses heading south over the biridge to the Southern bus terminal - for buses heading south of Bangkok (most of the bus ticket people speak enough English to tell you if you are on the right bus), and you can also take a bus direct from Khaosan Road to the Northern Chatuchak bus station - for destinations north of Bangkok. The train station is also simply a bus ride away. From memory I can't remember the exact bus numbers, but you can buy a bus map at any 7-11 in Bangkok for about 60 baht ($2).
STREET FOOD Although it has a dangerous image in the west, street food is some of the best food in Thailand and feeds most of the population their 3 meals. If you watch a stall setting up you will probably be surprised to see how clean they are! Most of the stalls have been operating in the same place, selling the same food to the same regular clients for years, so if the food was bad, would they still be there? And that is the secret to street food. Always eat where the locals are. If they don't have a menu in English (most don't have a menu at all!) then you can always point to something someone is eating, or with your trusty guidebook rattle off a few ingredients you fancy (chicken, noodles) and see what amazing meal turns up in front of you. And with something like upwards of 5000 different types of street food available, you will never be bored!!
Don't be surprised if you end up spending some quality time with the toilet aswell... But from our experiences, that is actually less likely to happen with street food, than with tourist-restaurant food!! But either way, with new foods, new spices, new water and new germs, it will happen anyway. It's just part of travelling.
It is by far one of the easiest countries in Asia to travel in. Although the native language is Thai, almost all signs of importance, including street signs are written in English, and most of the population can speak enough English to communicate, albeit on a very basic level. Public transportation is extremely efficient, cheap and sometimes even more comfortable than the west (massage chairs on a long-distance bus!!) and there is more than an abundance of accomodations from 5-star luxury spa resorts, to super el-cheapo backpacker dorms.
Geographically Thailand is conveniently accessible from all over the world either by air, or by land border crossings to Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
At the moment Visa on Arrival visas are valid for 30days if arriving by air, and 15days if crossing overland but to be sure, check with the Embassy.
Above all, Thailand is just beautiful! So it's really no surprise that it is near the top of everybody's holiday wish list, but this doesn't mean that it's hard to get off the beaten tourist trail either.
Most backpackers find themselves on Khaosan Road in Bangkok, a crazily busy area of markets, restaurants, bars, massage parlours, tattoo shops and hotels. It truly is a fun fun place and we love going there ourselves! But!! Unfortunately most people let the convenience of Khaosan Rd depict the rest of their journey. They purchase bus and train tickets at greatly inflated prices from travel agents on the street and book ongoing accommodation aswell. Although it is all seems innocent enough, the problem is that even though Thailand generally has a lower poverty level than elsewhere in Asia, there are still always going to be people looking to make a quick buck. This has spawned an intricate crime network that operates on buses leaving from Khaosan (as opposed to cheaper, more luxurious public buses that leave from the easily accessible bus stations) often have people hiding in the luggage compartment to rummage through the bags of unsuspecting tourists who have forgotten the golden rule of travel - don't put anything of value in your checkin baggage!! I know it may sound like something from a fiction novel, or tales from a paranoid tourist, but it really does happen on a daily basis, and one of our friends was "relieved" of her camera about 5 months ago.
Pre-booked accommodations are often more expensive than a room at the same hotel at a walk-in price, and are quite often not exactly what you were led to be. With an absolute abundance of accommodations at all price ranges available in Thailand, our advice would be, that unless you are travelling at peak tourist time, you are much better off to just turn up and find something you like, in your price range yourself.
And, you will save yourself a small fortune, have a greater choice of departure times and travel classes and have a much less chance of being robbed if you break away from the convenience of Khaosan Road and buy your ticket for yourself at the relevant long-distance bus station. From Khaosan Road you can take almost any of the buses heading south over the biridge to the Southern bus terminal - for buses heading south of Bangkok (most of the bus ticket people speak enough English to tell you if you are on the right bus), and you can also take a bus direct from Khaosan Road to the Northern Chatuchak bus station - for destinations north of Bangkok. The train station is also simply a bus ride away. From memory I can't remember the exact bus numbers, but you can buy a bus map at any 7-11 in Bangkok for about 60 baht ($2).
STREET FOOD Although it has a dangerous image in the west, street food is some of the best food in Thailand and feeds most of the population their 3 meals. If you watch a stall setting up you will probably be surprised to see how clean they are! Most of the stalls have been operating in the same place, selling the same food to the same regular clients for years, so if the food was bad, would they still be there? And that is the secret to street food. Always eat where the locals are. If they don't have a menu in English (most don't have a menu at all!) then you can always point to something someone is eating, or with your trusty guidebook rattle off a few ingredients you fancy (chicken, noodles) and see what amazing meal turns up in front of you. And with something like upwards of 5000 different types of street food available, you will never be bored!!
Don't be surprised if you end up spending some quality time with the toilet aswell... But from our experiences, that is actually less likely to happen with street food, than with tourist-restaurant food!! But either way, with new foods, new spices, new water and new germs, it will happen anyway. It's just part of travelling.
Average costs for a backpacker
(30baht = US$1 at time of writing)
Food is very cheap if you eat on the streets, mostly under 50 baht a meal.
Alcohol is cheap if you buy it from the 7-11 (about a 1/3 the cost of a bar or restaurant)
- Leo Beer 45 baht ish
Water - refillable from one of the thousands of water stations for a mere 1 baht per litre!!
Accommodation can be pricey, expect atleast 200-300 per room in an el-cheapo backpackers place.
Transport - It depends on the distance and class but is generally extremely cheap especially if purchased directly. Both bus and train are safe and comfortable. Buses vary from super cheap to super deluxe with vibrating massage chairs! Whatever you do, DON'T book transport from or directly to Khao San Road no matter how tempting it is. You will end up paying too much, it will probably take longer on a worse bus, and those stories you've heard about travellers having their bags robbed from under the bus? They only happen on buses that tourists frequent (AKA the Khao san buses.)
Taking public transport, eating street food, drinking 7-11 beers, diving and buying waaay too many things, our average daily spending was still only around US$17 a day each.
Our travel blogs
No 15. Bangkok and Northern Thailand
No 17. From the Laos border to Bangkok and back again
Places we stayed
(n.b In Bangkok, Chiang Mai and other places around the country we stayed with friends so no accommodation recommendations are listed here)
Pai (North of Chiang Mai) "Twin Bungalows" 200 THB ($5.40) 2 nts *****.5
okay big bungalows, bathroom outside but clean, cheap bfast, a bit far to walk
Pai - "Baan Pai Riverside" 150 THB ($4) 8 nts ******.5
bamboo bungalows by the river, cool style and location, comfy with private bathroom
Nong Khai - "Monkusuuri Guest house" 200 THB ($5.40) 1 nt ****
semi-clean room with clean share bathroom, friendly people, very thin walls
Nong Khai - "Mut Mee Guesthouse" 190 THB ($5.10) 30-31 Mar 1 *******
simple room, shared bathroom, nice guest house with an array of different room types, common area with free wifi, good restaurant, great location right on the river with views of laos! even has yoga workshops
Khorat - "Sakol Hotel Khorat" 270 THB ($7.30) 2 nts ******
with bath & cable tv!! nice room with friendly staff
Phuket - "Onon Hotel" 180 THB ($5.15) 3 nts ******
shared bathroom, small rooms with lots of funky graffiti, located in Phuket town so close to cheap local food and markets but a fair way from the beach
(n.b In Bangkok, Chiang Mai and other places around the country we stayed with friends so no accommodation recommendations are listed here)
Pai (North of Chiang Mai) "Twin Bungalows" 200 THB ($5.40) 2 nts *****.5
okay big bungalows, bathroom outside but clean, cheap bfast, a bit far to walk
Pai - "Baan Pai Riverside" 150 THB ($4) 8 nts ******.5
bamboo bungalows by the river, cool style and location, comfy with private bathroom
Nong Khai - "Monkusuuri Guest house" 200 THB ($5.40) 1 nt ****
semi-clean room with clean share bathroom, friendly people, very thin walls
Nong Khai - "Mut Mee Guesthouse" 190 THB ($5.10) 30-31 Mar 1 *******
simple room, shared bathroom, nice guest house with an array of different room types, common area with free wifi, good restaurant, great location right on the river with views of laos! even has yoga workshops
Khorat - "Sakol Hotel Khorat" 270 THB ($7.30) 2 nts ******
with bath & cable tv!! nice room with friendly staff
Phuket - "Onon Hotel" 180 THB ($5.15) 3 nts ******
shared bathroom, small rooms with lots of funky graffiti, located in Phuket town so close to cheap local food and markets but a fair way from the beach