Thailand Travel Resource Thread

The following is based upon my experiences spending nearly 1 month in Thailand with my wife.

Our entire trip: (days)

Hong Kong(1) > Bangkok(5) > Chiang Mai(9) > Siem Reap Cambodia(4) > Koh Chang(7)

I will only be discussing the time in Thailand.

General info:
Travel in Thailand is very cheap. Budget including accommodations should be $40-$50 per day. (Obviously can vary) We booked all our rooms through Agoda.com and found that they had the best prices and was highly sort-able. Beds in Asia are much different than beds in the U.S. You will probably need those $8 1 hour massages every few days just from the bed. No visa is required for US passport holders. However there is a limit of 30 days stay if you are staying without a visa. Don't drink the water. Street food on average is much safer than eating in a restaurant as the food is bought at markets early that same morning. Safety is really not a concern. There is much less crime than in the states. Obey laws and use your best judgment. DO NOT say anything negative or joking about the Thai royal family. This is one of the quickest ways to prison. The people are amazing and love to practice their English. Tuk Tuk ride is more expensive than a cab.

Bangkok:
Think of it as a dirtier, more smelly New York. I suggest staying on Sukhumvit road somewhere between Soi 8 to Soi 20. This will mean you are near the BTS train, malls and plenty to do at night. Everything else is a short cab ride away. Speaking of cabs, never negotiate a price on a cab. Ask them to run the meter. If they refuse find another cab.

Can't miss:
-Above Eleven roof top restaurant is the best view of the city, specifically from the men's urinal...no joke. Be warned it is expensive and we went twice. First time great experience. Second time I got food poisoning, so maybe just drinks.

-Health Land was our favorite massage place in Bangkok. Very nice facility with many options. Not the cheapest in town.

-Temples to see would be Grand Palace and Wat Arun. Our favorite pad thai in bangkok was at whole in wall street food place on the street directly behind the Wat Arun temple complex.

-Khaosan Road is Bourbon street at Mardi Gras on steroids. Take in all the crazyness and eat a scorpion or some crickets. Although you may be curious, don't go to a "ping pong show."

-China Town is pretty cool also.

-Train market is neat if you get to see a train go by.

Bangkok is an experience, but done once, I wouldn't go again. If short on time, less time in Bangkok would be better.



Chiang Mai:
What an amazing place! I could live there tomorrow. I highly recommend staying in the Old Town which is the original city. The area is almost exactly one square mile.

Can't miss:
-Ride an elephant - I didn't want to at first and multiple people tell me I had to do it. It is an amazing and surreal experience.

-Tiger Kingdom - play with tigers of all different ages

-Monk Chat - Several temples around town sponsor monk chats. These are monks that are learning about Buddhism in English and they want to practice their English.

-Cooking Class - learn real Thai cooking. Most classes give you a cook book to take home.

-Doi Suthep Temple - temple high on top of a mountain. We rented a scooter for the time we were there.

-Golden Triangle Day Trip - This is an all day deal. We went to the White Temple, the Black House, Chiang Rai, and we got to take a long tail boat over to Laos for about 30 minutes. Also, our minibus driver had jambalaya, crawfishpiya file' gumbo playing at one time, haha.

Aroon Rai Restuarant - awesome food!
Ristretto - really really good coffee
THC Rooftop Bar - this place is kinda trippy and it's just really chill, drinks in thailand are very weak
Ms. Pa's Fruit Shake - her stand will be just outside the South gate of the old city wall. Do not settle for any other shake. Her's are by far the best.
Cowboy Hat Lady - Some type of chopped meat that is delicious. Look for the lady with the cowboy hat usually outside the north wall of the old city.

We were lucky enough to be in Chiang Mai for the annual latern festival. The festival occurs on the full moon in mid to late November.

Do not skip Chiang Mai if you are visiting Thailand. Can't emphasize enough how great it is...food, people, value. Wish I would have not gone to Bangkok at all and spent that time here.

Koh Chang: (Island on Trat Province in the Gulf of Thailand) To be continued

Reserved