[Travel] First time trip to Thailand - Advice please

[HastingsSeagull]

Agree with avoiding Pattaya like the plague.

Bangkok has more going for it than most big cities whatever your budget but you seem to have that and the ChangMai portions locked in and with sensible timescales. There’s more to explore in the city though than Manila, Hong Kong etc. For a beach as you have more than a couple days (when small islands with not much to do but nearer BKK would have been sensible) I’d agree go Koh Samui as has a bit of everything and the best tours. A day round the Ang Tong national park is decent and the half day on main island itself one whilst nothing special is worth a go and better than the equivalent in most places. There are two smaller islands nearby too if you get bored and want to explore though one is a full moon party type place and the other mostly a diving base.

 

[basque seagull]

Agree with avoiding Pattaya like the plague.

Bangkok has more going for it than most big cities whatever your budget but you seem to have that and the ChangMai portions locked in and with sensible timescales. There’s more to explore in the city though than Manila, Hong Kong etc. For a beach as you have more than a couple days (when small islands with not much to do but nearer BKK would have been sensible) I’d agree go Koh Samui as has a bit of everything and the best tours. A day round the Ang Tong national park is decent and the half day on main island itself one whilst nothing special is worth a go and better than the equivalent in most places. There are two smaller islands nearby too if you get bored and want to explore though one is a full moon party type place and the other mostly a diving base.

I was in Samui 10 days ago, it is very quiet at the moment. I think Phuket is a better option, all back to normal there.

Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[Half Time Pies]

I have a holiday to Thailand booked in for April next year. 8 nights in Phuket (Karon Beach), 2 nights in an elephant sanctuary called elephant hills and then 3 nights in Bangkok.

We did originally look at Chaing Mai but decided it would be a bit much to do 2x cities in the time we have available and also it added another couple of flights and more travel time.

Elephant hills looks amazing. We are doing one of the Jungle Safaris where we will stay in the rainforest, go on a jungle walk, canoe down the river and of course feed and interact with the elephants. It's also not far from Phuket.

https://www.elephanthills.com

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel...o_Sok_National_Park_Surat_Thani_Province.html

 

[swindonseagull]

Pattaya is a dump. Used to go there a lot when I lived in Hong Kong and was single… then it was a small town with a short strip of bars. Went back in 2015 and only stayed 2 nights… it’s just loads of bars with drunk foreigners and Thai hookers. The beach is now crap.

Phuket is a far better resort. Still has bars and nightlife but on a smaller scale.

I think Ko Samui is closed to tourists at the moment but I’m not 100% sure.

Chang Mai is good especially the water festival and the Bridge over the River Kwai at Kanchanaburi ( spelling)

Bangkok is fantastic Street food is BRILLIANT. If you can’t find an English menu just point.
The palace is great but check the dress code before you go.

Beware of street scammers they will approach you and say their kid is living in … ( wherever they think you are from) be polite and firm and walk on…NEVER EVER. Get in a tuk tuk that stops and offers you a cheap tour, you will end up being driven round countless jewellery and clothes shops/ factories.

If you want a tuk tuk you flag it down..

Use the train to get around, taxis just get stuck in enormous traffic jams.

There is a NSC member lives in Bangkok I can’t remember his user name but his name is Ian we met him last time in 2017 to watch a BHA game on TV.

Thailand is all good have been there 10+ times never had a bad experience.

Cambodia / Laos / Vietnam can all be done on very cheap tourist buses.
Ie busses with only 20 big leather seats and a guide… for a very low price…

Don’t waste money on expensive hotels in Thailand you won’t spend much time in them…. And for in the hotel, forget it….as I said at the beginning street food in Thailand is fantastic..

Enjoy

I’m sure he will chip in.

 

[The Clamp]

There’s no such thing as chicks with dicks. Only men with tits.

Have a nice time.

 

[nevergoagain]

Can't beat Hua Hin for me, it's got the most fantastic beach but also the benefit of a fairly large bustling city with all the food/markets. Samui, Koh phangan, Kao Lak & Krabi were all brilliant as well. Only place I wouldn't go back to is Koh Chang

 

[Mancgull]

A ping pong show doesn't necessarily involve table tennis.

 

[herecomesaregular]

.

Remember seeing a 'balloon popping' show in a bar in Bangkok, followed by various live seafood popping out of different ladies, before heading to another bar around 2am pickled on the local Singha...

We stumbled onto a bit of this back in the 90s. I couldn't believe it at the time and it brought back flashbacks of watching Alien as a 10 year old and just as scarey. Whoever thought this was a sexy idea for a strip show was a mentalist...

 

[Robinjakarta]

I think Ko Samui is closed to tourists at the moment but I’m not 100% sure.

It's open. People say it's very quiet, though, including one on this thread.

Good post. Lots of good advice.

 

[Robinjakarta]

Like I said, comparing to days gone by. Try Phnom Penh, Siam Reap or Koh Kong in Cambodia and you’ll get my point.

Already tried except for Koh Kong, and yeah, wouldn't disagree. Also found a lot to like about Siem Reap in particular. Just spent a week in Bangkok and was pleasantly surprised at how cheap it still was, though. It definitely makes a difference where you are in the city and always has. This time, I was tucked away in the Saphan Khwai area: much cheaper than around Siam or Sukhumvit.

Oh, and the baan mii in Saigon and also Hanoi, yes!

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Thanks everyone for your help and advice

 

[Jovis]

I have a holiday to Thailand booked in for April next year. 8 nights in Phuket (Karon Beach), 2 nights in an elephant sanctuary called elephant hills and then 3 nights in Bangkok.

We did originally look at Chaing Mai but decided it would be a bit much to do 2x cities in the time we have available and also it added another couple of flights and more travel time.

Elephant hills looks amazing. We are doing one of the Jungle Safaris where we will stay in the rainforest, go on a jungle walk, canoe down the river and of course feed and interact with the elephants. It's also not far from Phuket.

https://www.elephanthills.com

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel...o_Sok_National_Park_Surat_Thani_Province.html

Got back from Thailand yesterday - 9 nights in Phuket (Angsana Laguna), two nights at Elephant Hills, two nights in Bangkok. It is a lot of travelling but an amazing experience in each of the locations. You’ll love it.

 

[PeterT]

Without having read all the posts, watch out for the jewel scammers. It sounds obvious but they can be really plausible and it’s easy to get talking to someone who, before you know it, is telling you about a special Government offer to get tax free jewels that you can sell for a fortune once you get them home. They will do all the paperwork, and afterwards take you to have lunch with their family.

As I say, it sounds something that no idiot would fall for, but plenty do. I got approached a few times with this, my map of Bangkok even has a back of a fag packet calculation of the profits to be made. Don’t even engage them in conversation, because at some point you will be telling them to fork off….

I know this isn’t the only scam or thing to watch out for, but it’s one of the more common ones and a good way to screw up your trip.

Only other tips I would give are 1) carry a spare shirt, it can be a bit sweaty out there, 2) I did do an elephant ride in Chiang Mai but didn’t enjoy it and wouldn’t do it again, 3) I paid to do a rafting trip there too, but when I got there the river was a raging torrent and there was no money in the world that would have got me in that rickety bamboo/string contraption! 4) the museum and cemetery at Kanchanburi are quite humbling places to visit.

I imagine the other tips and tricks have all been covered. I also went to Hua Hin and that was quite laid back compared to the rest of the tourist places.

 

[stewart_weir]

Was in Bagkok for a few months back in 2014. Make sure you have really good travel insurance (obvious but you would be surprised how many people pay for the cheapest). Eat where the local Thais eat but only the busy places. Buy a local PAYG SIM card for your mobile to use internet etc.

MY BIGGEST ADVICE IS -

Make sure all your cards are protected by an RFID wallet AND never pay for anything using the old carbon copy sales transaction.Check if Thailand is covered by the Apple Air Tag.. they are really great if you lose/have a bag nicked.

 

[Half Time Pies]

Got back from Thailand yesterday - 9 nights in Phuket (Angsana Laguna), two nights at Elephant Hills, two nights in Bangkok. It is a lot of travelling but an amazing experience in each of the locations. You’ll love it.

You have done the same holiday! Great to hear the experience of someone who has recently been!

What was the Angsana Laguna like and would it be good for kids?
We are staying at the Centara Grand on Karon Beach but they didnt have the room type we were looking for so we have had to compromise a bit.

 

[Jovis]

You have done the same holiday! Great to hear the experience of someone who has recently been!

What was the Angsana Laguna like and would it be good for kids?
We are staying at the Centara Grand on Karon Beach but they didnt have the room type we were looking for so we have had to compromise a bit.

Angsana Laguna was great for kids - ours are 18 and 11 and they both loved it. Great pools and a good variety of restaurants, and right on the beach.

Just to say about Elephant Hills - the actual elephant experience makes up only a very small part of the two days (the interaction lasts about 90 mins). But it’s well done and the elephants seem to be well cared for - no riding, no chains etc.

For me the absolute highlights of the whole trip were the rainforest activities that followed - the kayaking and jungle trek were incredible experiences in an unforgettable location. It’s amazing.