Thailand – The Land of Smiles

Thailand has always been and will always be on any backpackers itinerary when travelling South East Asia. It has everything, the food, the weather, incredibly friendly locals and all without breaking even the tightest of budgets. Whether you are there for the beaches of the Islands down south or the rich culture of Chiang Mai in the north, Thailand has something for you. Thailand has long been one of my favourite countries to visit. It always has a way of making me love it more and more. This Thailand Travel Guide will hopefully give you an insight into a truly special country, making your travels there better and easier.

Weather

Visitors to Thailand are quite lucky as the weather never gets too bad. September and October are the wettest months, but heavy showers can happen at any time throughout the year. High season starts in December to February, the rain showers will be less frequent but temperatures have yet to peak. The hot season is March to June. I would suggest avoiding that if you plan on frequent or strenuous activity. I think of November as the best month to visit. There are fewer crowds, less rain and it’s not quite as hot, but in reality, any time of the year is a good time to travel to Thailand.

Visa Policy

Passport holders of the following five countries are allowed a visa-free stay in Thailand of up to 90 days; Argentina, Brazil, Peru, South Korea and Chile. Another 44 nations are allowed a visa-free stay of up to 30 days. These include the UK, the United States and Canada, Australia and most EU Nations. Passport holders are entitled to two 30 day visas in a calendar year when travelling by land. If travelling to Thailand by air, there are no limitations on entries. Visa runs are popular in Thailand. Tour companies will organize a bus to either Malaysia or Myanmar. Travellers cross the border and then return, obtaining a new 30-day visa. For more information on the Visa Policy for Thailand, click here.

What to See and Do in Thailand

Bangkok – Bangkok is my favourite city in the world. I simply cannot get enough of the place. When I tell this to people that have visited there, I am usually met with a look of shock, as it is not a city that is for everyone. People will usually come here for a couple of nights on their way down south to the islands or up north to Chiang Mai and leave after not seeing the city in its true light. Bangkok is a slow burner, it can take time to reveal itself. The best way to explore this city is to get away from the infamous Khao San Road and get deeper into the city. Get walking around the city. If you give Bangkok the chance it deserves, it is a place that will repay you. You will be very thankful that you got to experience the real Bangkok.

For my full Bangkok Travel Guide, click here

For my list of 20 Things to See and Do in Bangkok click here

Chiang Mai – The largest city in the north of Thailand. The city is filled with temples, great food and is very relaxed. A place that is very hard to pull yourself away from, it just has a certain charm. Prices here are cheap, hostels start from $2 a night, making spending a week or even a few weeks here very budget friendly. Travellers, myself included, seamlessly settle into the Chiang Mai way of life. The food here is exceptional and some of the best in the country. I cannot stress enough to take your time here. Visit the temples at your own pace. Stop, grab a coffee and watch the world go by. Eat street food. This is the best way to really see Chiang Mai.

For 5 Must Eats in Chiang Mai click here.

Visit an Elephant Sanctuary – Elephant tourism is huge in the surrounding areas of Chiang Mai. I cannot stress enough that not all these tours are what it says on the tin. The elephants can be treated horribly, tortured and broken in their youth and now used for tourism purposes. If you try and ride an elephant in the wild what would happen? This is no different. Of course, go see these beautiful creatures but do so in an environment that is safe for the animals, like Hug Elephant Sanctuary which I can personally recommend. Be sure to book a sanctuary that does NOT offer to ride these majestic beasts. Being able to feed and swim with elephants is more than enough to make them worth visiting.

Ayutthaya – The former capital of Thailand, Ayutthaya became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1991. Some people will come here for a night or two. Personally, I found that as it is so close to Bangkok (A 3-hour train journey) that it is a good day trip. Filled with breathtaking temples, you can come here, rent a bicycle, and cycle around at your own leisure and see the ancient beauty that is on offer. Companies offer day trips to here from Bangkok, but to do it yourself is just as easy as the trains to and from Ayutthaya are cheap and frequent. There is also a night market if you want to try some local street food.

Koh Phi Phi – Split into two islands, Koh Phi Phi Don and Koh Phi Phi Le. The island became famous after Leonardo Di Caprio’s movie, The Beach, was shot here in 2000. Since then, the island has been built up to accommodate the tourists that flock here. In 2004 it suffered a tsunami that destroyed the majority of the island. It has since been built up bigger than ever before. Phi Phi is growing at an unsustainable rate. Maya Bay where The Beach was shot, has now been closed as the constant boats and tourists that flock there every day have destroyed the water in the area.

Koh Phangan – When you think of Koh Phangan, you think of the world famous Full Moon Party. An island that is generally quieter than the nearby Koh Samui and Koh Tao, Koh Phangan comes alive once a month for a party like no other. The beach is filled with bars that all play different music on their individual sound systems. Stalls sell buckets of alcohol, fire dancers put on shows and everyone is kitted out in glow-in-the-dark paint. People may look at the Full Moon Party that goes on until the sun comes up as overly touristy and not the real Thailand. It is very fun though. It has now been going on for so many years that it is as much a part of Thailand as anything else.

Phuket – The most visited island in Thailand is Phuket. Located on the east side of Thailand in the Andaman Sea, this place is packed with tourists year round. Away from Patong Beach, which is overpopulated and overdeveloped, Phuket can be quite nice. To really enjoy the island it is best to get away from the tourists and discover some of the quieter areas.

Koh Lanta – One of Thailand’s largest islands is Koh Lanta, known as the diamond of the Andaman Sea. Koh Lanta is certainly not as overdeveloped as the others. The nightlife here is nothing like some of its counterparts. It has a lot more of a relaxed vibe about out. This could be the main reason I like the island. You are not constantly coming into drunk people falling all over the place after not realizing the strength of the bucket of whiskey they were drinking. The sunsets here are beautiful and it is a good place to switch off and enjoy the nature around you.

Other Places to Visit –

• Koh Tao
• Koh Samui
• Krabi/Ao Nang
• Pai
• Chiang Rai
• Koh Lipe
• Udon Thani
• Isaan Province

What To Eat in Thailand

Pad Thai – I don’t dislike Pad Thai. I dislike that many tourists and travellers go to Thailand and eat nothing else. Fried noodles, egg, garlic and shallots are fried in a wok with fish sauce and sugar. The dish is then topped with crushed peanuts. Pad Thai can be found on every street corner that is often frequented by tourists. By all means, try it, but please explore the food scene in Thailand a little more.

Khao Soi – My favourite dish in Thailand. Boiled egg noodles are added to a bowl with a coconut curry broth and ground chillies, along with some meat. On the side are some shallots, pickled mustard greens, dried noodles and a lime wedge. You can add them to your bowl and alter the taste as you please. This is a northern Thai dish, best found on Chiang Mai. I cannot get enough of it anytime I am there.

Pad Krapow – Before ordering this for the first time, you should be aware of how spicy it may be. Minced pork is fried with basil and an insane amount of chillies that give the dish its fiery flavour. It is then served with rice and a fried egg. If it suits your taste buds, then it can be delicious. I would suggest asking for only a little spicy the first time you order. As always in Thailand, you can add spice to a dish but never take it away.

Thai Green Curry – Possibly the most common Thai dish found worldwide. There is no substitute for eating it in its homeland though. This spicy curry with a heavy coconut flavour is made with fresh green chillies, ginger, eggplant and coconut milk. It usually has meat or tofu added to it as well. You then add it to rice and eat them together. Originally from Central Thailand, I find myself eating Green Curry more on the islands. Good Thai food is not as common there so this old reliable always comes in handy.

Khao Kaa Moo – At face value, Khao Kaa Moo doesn’t look like much. Pork, rice and a boiled egg, nothing to really get excited about. Then you taste the pork. The stewed pork leg is cooked in a mixture of soy sauce and five spice until it is sweet and tender. The best Khao Kaa Moo joints would have an old master sauce that is never fully replaced. Flavour is being added to the sauce every time they cook it. Once served, add some pickled mustard greens and you are good to go. This can be found all over Thailand. For the best, check out the “Cowboy Hat Lady” in Chiang Mai. Her stewed pork leg is famous.

Kai Med Ma Guang – Translates to Chicken with Cashew Nuts. Chicken is stir-fried with soy sauce, honey, peppers and onions. Cashew nuts are then added. The end result is quite a sweet flavour. Tourists love it as it is a rare Thai dish that has zero chance of being spicy.

Mango and Sticky Rice – Thai’s are not fans of sweet deserts, certainly not like western nations are. The most popular dessert in the country is Mango and Sticky Rice. Fresh mango, which tastes better in Thailand, is chopped up. Then the rice is steamed with less water than regular rice. Condensed coconut cream is added to the final product and the rice absorbs it. It is a cheap and healthy, yet filling dessert that is found everywhere in the country.

Som Tum – Known in English as Papaya Salad. Som Tum is a very popular, fresh and healthy meal to enjoy in Thailand. Deceivingly spicy the majority of the time, the best Som Tum should be made to order. Garlic, sugar, chillies and lime juice are mixed together and added to shredded papaya, tomatoes and peanuts. To get the best Som Tum, you should order it from a street stall. This guarantees freshness.

Helpful Phrases (Male/Female)

Hello/Good Morning = Sa-Wat-Dee Kap/Kaa

Thank you = Kop Kun Kap-Kaa

Goodbye = La-Gon-Na

I don’t know = Chan-Mai-Roo

Excuse Me/Sorry = Kor Thot

My Name is = Pom Cheu …/Rao Cheu …

Cheers = Chai-Yoh

Do you understand = Khao Jai Mai

Do you speak English? = Kun poot tai daai mai?

Thai is a difficult language to speak and a few words can go a long way. Luckily for visitors to the country, the increasing amount of tourists has led to a massive increase in English language studies. Young people especially, will all speak some amount of English.

Typical Costs in Thailand

Accommodation – Hostel prices in Thailand are cheap but they do vary, depending on where in the country you are. In Bangkok, you will pay an average of 170THB. In Chiang Mai, you will get a more than a decent hostel for 130THB. On the islands, Koh Phi Phi, for example, you will pay 450THB for a hostel of a lower quality than what you get for the previously quoted prices in the city. A private room in a hostel in Bangkok will cost 600THB, Chiang Mai, 500THB and on an island, 1500THB. For an average hotel room expect to pay slightly higher in each place. You can, of course, pay considerably more for an amazing hotel room. Even though in comparison it may be expensive, in relation to prices at home, it is still well priced.

Food – If you eat Thai food (you should), then your food expenditure will be minimal. Most street food and the small hole in the wall restaurants serve food for less than 100THB. To eat in a standard restaurant, you will pay close to 250THB. Eating western food is not recommended. Quality is low and prices for burgers, pizzas etc could cost you upwards of 300THB.

Transport – There are ways to get around Thailand that will suit anyone’s budget. If you are heading south, it is more likely that you will go by bus. An overnight sleeper bus to the likes of Koh Phangan or Koh Samui will cost little over 1000THB. This includes your boat to the island. It is possible to take a train the majority of the way there and that costs 1600THB. To Chiang Mai, you can take a sleeper train for less than 1000THB. Alternatively, you can travel through the day for less than 700THB. Shorter journeys with uncomfortable seating to places like Ayutthaya and Aranyaprathet (The Thailand-Cambodia Border) costs just 30THB and 60THB, respectively.

How To Save Money in Thailand

Street Food – Telling someone that they should eat street food in Thailand seems like a waste of time because well, it’s amazing and you should already know this if you are going. Follow the crowds and use your common sense when picking out a vendor and you are sure to be on to a winner. If the locals are eating there then you can take it as fact that they regularly eat there. The only reason for that, It’s good, most of the time very good and many times, incredible.

Avoid Scams – Thailand, like most places that are cheap to visit, has its fair share of scams and tricks that people undertake to try and get a bit more money out of you. If something is too good to be true then it usually is. (Example: In Bangkok, a tuk-tuk driver will offer to take you around to a few different sites that are free to visit all for 20THB ($0.50). Now, this sounds like a very cheap tour of the city but you will spend most of your time visiting tourist offices, suit shops and anyone else that will give the driver a fuel concession card for your visit. Unfortunately, I fell victim to this on my first day in Bangkok).

Taxis – Taxis will always be cheaper than tuk-tuk’s, I know they are not as fun to ride in, but if you are budget conscious, then stick to 4 wheeled vehicles. Just make sure the taxi uses their meter, as most don’t seem too fond of it, and using it will benefit you, I can assure you that. You might have to try a few taxis to get one that uses the meter but it will be worth it when you save those couple of dollars on every trip. If you are a bit braver, then motorcycle taxis will save you even more money.

Alcohol – Thailand seems to have cheap alcohol pretty much everywhere you look. But be careful, even at $1 a beer, they add up. Before you know it 50% of your daily expenditure is spent on the stuff. Avoid over drinking on the islands where prices are higher. Khao San Road in Bangkok might seem like a right of passage for anyone visiting the city, but there are better and cheaper places to enjoy a few drinks in the city. Drink in hostels, where it is cheap and you can get to know your fellow travellers. Or, even better, you can bring your own alcohol from the nearby 7eleven. There is always one nearby and your bank balance will thank you for it.

Thailand can be anything you want it to be. For some, it is an island paradise, filled with cheap cocktails and all night parties. For others, it is a journey through the hills of northern Thailand. Trekking, Elephant Sanctuaries and even more. For me, it is almost a break from travelling. I know Thailand. Spending time in Bangkok and Chiang Mai gives me a chance to slow down and switch off. The haven that is the Thai islands doesn’t exist anymore. Not in my eyes anyway. The islands have given in to the tourists and now accommodating them is their main objective. To see a real Thai paradise, you need to get off the beaten track. Thailand is still just as amazing as it was when I first arrived. It is a country that, no matter what, I will run to as often as possible.

For my full collection of Thailand blogs, click here.