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Discussion - Heading to Thailand for a week - Anyone been?
- Thread starter vantix
- Start date
Was there for 10 days. Really enjoyed it. There are a lot of street food vendors and while I have no clue what I got, it was great. We had a guide helping us so that made a difference. Some of our trip was in Chang Mai up north where we rented dirt bikes and rode through jungle trails.
vantix
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Considering heading up north as well. I guess bangkok has really bad pollution and air quality is low right now.. If it feels rough, I might detour to Chang Mai.
Definitely looking forward to trying food stalls out!
When in Thailand, I first look at the things that are (mostly) only in Thailand (or maybe only in the region):
Temples. Some of them are breathtaking and most of them are unlike anything else you will see in the west.
Water markets are a novelty but some of the touristy ones will be uh... touristy.
The mountains and jungles are amazing (E.g, Kao Yai park). Monkeys will steal anything though!
Anything else is really subjective. I guess who you are with and why you are going can be a huge part of it!
I prefer getting as far away from other tourists as possible when I travel, but it isn't always feasible (would really probably need an interpeter/guide to do so here). Some of the native vacation spots are just as gorgeous (or moreso) and much less crowded than their touristy counterparts. I'm definitely projecting my dislike of crowds/tourists here, do feel free to disregard that part =P. I also have an advantage here, as I have always gone there with a native speaker, so my experience has likely been pretty different.
You'll have a blast no matter what. Just don't insult the monarchy in jest, take the time to smile at people, and you'll do swimmingly. Learning how to "wai" will also serve you very well!
I also think Thai, being tonal, is an absolutely beautiful language to just listen to, especially the fairer voices. I've really enjoyed random people-watching over there. The langauge does have a ton of borrowed english words, and sometimes the natives don't even realize that... but, the pronunciations can be quite different.
Oh, one more thing, if you get outside of Bangkok and hear people talking about Amazon, they don't mean books-n-Bezos... Amazon Cafe is a large coffee chain over there, similiar to Starbucks in the US.
Temples. Some of them are breathtaking and most of them are unlike anything else you will see in the west.
Water markets are a novelty but some of the touristy ones will be uh... touristy.
The mountains and jungles are amazing (E.g, Kao Yai park). Monkeys will steal anything though!
Anything else is really subjective. I guess who you are with and why you are going can be a huge part of it!
I prefer getting as far away from other tourists as possible when I travel, but it isn't always feasible (would really probably need an interpeter/guide to do so here). Some of the native vacation spots are just as gorgeous (or moreso) and much less crowded than their touristy counterparts. I'm definitely projecting my dislike of crowds/tourists here, do feel free to disregard that part =P. I also have an advantage here, as I have always gone there with a native speaker, so my experience has likely been pretty different.
You'll have a blast no matter what. Just don't insult the monarchy in jest, take the time to smile at people, and you'll do swimmingly. Learning how to "wai" will also serve you very well!
I also think Thai, being tonal, is an absolutely beautiful language to just listen to, especially the fairer voices. I've really enjoyed random people-watching over there. The langauge does have a ton of borrowed english words, and sometimes the natives don't even realize that... but, the pronunciations can be quite different.
Oh, one more thing, if you get outside of Bangkok and hear people talking about Amazon, they don't mean books-n-Bezos... Amazon Cafe is a large coffee chain over there, similiar to Starbucks in the US.
vantix
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Thank you so much for this! I've been reading about temples to visit - and also that there are some common scams surrounding them being "closed". I'm thinking about using something like the site showaround to find a local to act as a tour guide. Maybe they can show me things off the beaten path.
Definitely going to hit the touristy stuff though. Street vendors / stalls are a must. Terminal 21 is on my list too. Really looking forward to the trip.
Oh, absolutely. But vendors/stalls aren't a tourist-only thing either! A lot of apartments in Thailand don't even have ways to cook food other than microwaves. It is a huge part of the urban culture! I think my tourist-trap stuff was mostly aimed at crowded beaches and the like XD.
Oh, btw, I left off food recommendations because there is so much of it and I think you will just see what you see and try what you try!
eqsubi15
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vantix
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Nice! It's sounding more and more like having access to a local can really make the experience much better.
vantix
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Funny, I've seen some of her videos. Not sure where she is located exactly. Do you happen to know? I'll see if I can find time to visit her food stand!
TinyBubbles
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Pulled into Thailand during a MEU in the 90's.. nothing better then a country with two major cities of fuckit and BANGcock. Mispellings intended. There's alot to see and do for all interests. Enjoy the temperate weather and friendly people.
vantix
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We went to an elephant sanctuary near Chang Mai, and my wife still raves about the experience. It was amazing if you like elephants at all. I preferred Chang Mai to Bangkok personally, but wherever you go will be a lot of fun!
vantix
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Chang Mai is definitely on my list, but not sure i'll make it this trip. An Elephant sanctuary sounds cool. Just would want to make sure it was a humane one. I know in India they use some.. Questionable.. techniques..
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Yeah you definitely need to do your research. The one we went to had a good rep, and the elephants were rescued from work camps in northern Thailand. Or at least that's what they said. We had no way to verify ...
If in Bangkok city,
- Try to visit MPK mall where you can find a lot of interesting things at cheap prices (Always Bargain). The mall is an old one but its location on Phelom street which is considered down town.
- Near MPK you can hit Siam Paragon, a typical mall but in basement a LOT of food options. In basement you can find a supermarket with a lot of exotic far eastern fruits.
- Famous restaurant in Bangkok is Somboon (Famous Crab Curry dish) its almost 50 yrs old. Expect to wait 15mins sometimes to get a table, Many branches in Bangkok city but i normally hit the one in World Central Mall.
- If you happen to be in Bangkok on a sunday, try Sunday market. You might like it, you might curse it lol.
- If you visit Thailand and never had a Thai Massage, then you visited HALF OF THAILAND ONLY.
If you into islands, i would pick "Koh Samui" island. For me its much better than Pataya and the rest. less tourists and many attractions.
- Try to visit MPK mall where you can find a lot of interesting things at cheap prices (Always Bargain). The mall is an old one but its location on Phelom street which is considered down town.
- Near MPK you can hit Siam Paragon, a typical mall but in basement a LOT of food options. In basement you can find a supermarket with a lot of exotic far eastern fruits.
- Famous restaurant in Bangkok is Somboon (Famous Crab Curry dish) its almost 50 yrs old. Expect to wait 15mins sometimes to get a table, Many branches in Bangkok city but i normally hit the one in World Central Mall.
- If you happen to be in Bangkok on a sunday, try Sunday market. You might like it, you might curse it lol.
- If you visit Thailand and never had a Thai Massage, then you visited HALF OF THAILAND ONLY.
If you into islands, i would pick "Koh Samui" island. For me its much better than Pataya and the rest. less tourists and many attractions.
I live in Thailand...retired here 5 years ago. I am 3 hours south of Bangkok. If you are worried about air pollution (Bangkok is hit or miss right now) don't go north, go south. Chiang Mai during this time of year is some of the worst air pollution in the world...like worse than India bad. I spend one or two weekends per month in Bangkok and my wife is from there so happy to answer any questions you might have!
Edit: Yes, hoping I can talk Rob into coming.
Edit: Yes, hoping I can talk Rob into coming.