some questions on thailand

[Vheissu]

im heading on a Toronto>Tokyo>Bangkok trip this summer and was just looking for some info/advice from those who have already been to thailand.

Ive heard that thailand is dirt cheap but how cheap is it really? Can you really get good meals for the equivlent of 1$ Cdn? how cheap are buses/ cabs in the city as well as taking them to further destinations.

Is a good, safe inexpensive hostel/hotel easy to find? (with AC at least)

Anything I should be aware of in terms of safety? ( I know about the jewellery scams with tuks tuks, and taxi metres)

Im also looking for a really nice beach. are there any that are a short bus ride away from Bangkok? if not I also heard of really cheap domestic flights. How much would I be looking at for a flight? (prefer bus though)

Lastly I always wanted to eat some bugs from those street vendors. what are some of the weirdest things youve tried and is it really that bad?

Thanks for the help, i know its alot of questions.

[deep]

Yes, she's a dude, and no, you don't want what she's selling.

[WalnutCrunch]

Yeah they have really good food courts over there (much better than here). Food is fresh and presented nicely, lots of selection. You can get a pad thai and get full for 30baht ($1).

There are scammers everywhere, but you know they're trying to scam you because they're approaching you and talking to you. They tend to bug you more if you are non-Asian or have a camera around your neck. The typical scams are very well know as long as you read up on them. For the most part, they're just annoying because they keep bugging you.

The skytrain is great and relatively cheap. Try to stay relatively close to a station if possible.

[pmc]

Cheap food clothing (local stuff) as the exchange rate mostly takes care of that but once you get back to global brands, the prices are about the same...depending on what it is. (i know it's general but there is a lot of stuff to cover)

Cheap= food and local clothing
not so cheap=everything else

If you're going for local ehem adult entertainment, there is a local and a foreign rate

Is it safe? it depends on how stupid you are and i mean that in a good way, the more stupid you act the more likely you'll not only lose stuff but you might get hurt.

Learn some general phrases (they appreciate that) and remember it's like French and Spanish...gender based

Taxis are cheap, motorbikes are cheaper but you can negotiate, tips are not expected but always appreciated.

[Ben Jr]

im heading on a Toronto>Tokyo>Bangkok trip this summer and was just looking for some info/advice from those who have already been to thailand.

Ive heard that thailand is dirt cheap but how cheap is it really? Can you really get good meals for the equivlent of 1$ Cdn? how cheap are buses/ cabs in the city as well as taking them to further destinations.


You will never starve in Thailand...just walk the streets of bangkok and you'll walk into a food cart every 10 feet. Thai food is among my favourites, but I couldn't eat it every day. We went to an Argentinian steak house...but we paid handsomely for it.


Is a good, safe inexpensive hostel/hotel easy to find? (with AC at least)

Easy search for Bangkok hotels will show you the prices...unless your dirt poor forget the hostels


Im also looking for a really nice beach. are there any that are a short bus ride away from Bangkok? if not I also heard of really cheap domestic flights. How much would I be looking at for a flight? (prefer bus though)

We hired a driver for a week stay in Chiang Mai...cost us something like $20/day...it was a new air conditioned 6 passenger van(think volkswagen type) with a fridge. Driver even slept in the van while we stayed at the Krisadoi resort.

Cheap food clothing (local stuff) as the exchange rate mostly takes care of that but once you get back to global brands, the prices are about the same...depending on what it is. (i know it's general but there is a lot of stuff to cover)

Cheap= food and local clothing
not so cheap=everything else

If you're going for local ehem adult entertainment, there is a local and a foreign rate


Just not for adult fun...many of the things we went to see have a farang 'tourist' price..and the local rate...sometimes it was 5x the amount.

[heymikey]

Yeah, you can eat cheaply for about $1 if you eat at the food stalls and at the food courts in the malls. A casual family-run restaurant would cost around $3.

For hostels, I stayed at Suk11 (http://www.suk11.com/2008/index.html) and I highly recommend it. It's close to the skytrain (nana stop). It's quite popular and you need to have a reservation.

Don't believe in a local who says that a certain tourist attraction is closed and then tries to offer you to go to somewhere else. Just use your common sense and you'll be fine.

I'm not sure if there is a "nice" beach within a short bus ride from Bangkok. I haven't been to Pattaya so I can't say if it's nice.

I'm not sure about bugs but I did try pig's intestines on a skewer and i don't think it tastes anything. Kinda rubbery.

[Cheap]

You will never starve in Thailand...

That could be their national motto! Thais love to eat and share food. Even places like Subway, Mcds, KFC, were about half of what it costs here. A meal combo in KFC with a drink and fries is $3. Expect to pay more the closer you are to tourist areas, but you will still find prices are extremely reasonable.

Pattaya is about a hundred miles away from Bangkok on the ocean. You would have to decide if its the right kind of beach for you. Its not secluded, peaceful, or quiet. The place is completely wild and is worth checking out, some people hate it and leave after a day, some people love it and go back again and again.

You can get a minibus to Pattaya from any hotel or tour company there for about $12. You can save a lot if you are willing to take a regular bus but I never could do that since it is already so cheap. You can get a taxi but it always cost more going to Pattaya ($30 if you bargain hard, up to $75 regular price) than coming back to Bangkok ($27 standard price). Taxis are so cheap there that a lot of people get ripped off and don't care because they are used to paying so much more at home.

Good hotels are very easy to find, use ratestogo.com or asiarooms.com or just walk in and ask how much. Prices and discounts vary widely from place to place so its worth asking around.

The bugs are tasty, thats why they eat them! Some Thai's love them and some hate them. They are dried sort of and then deep fried and coated in a spicy oil. They crunch in your mouth not squish. I have tried a couple of different kinds, some don't appeal to me. One way to try different things is to find a bar that opens to the street, tell the waitress you are hungry and want to try some local food, when the carts come by the bar they can explain what they are selling and they will get it for you if you want.

How long are you going for? Some hotels offer huge discounts for longer stays. Have you booked your flight yet? How much did it cost you? I want to go to Bangkok but the fares are a little high right now.

[Relf]

hey, im actually in bangkok right now....ive been backpacking SE asia for the past 2 months....feel free to email me, and i'll try to reply ASAP....and to answer your question in a few words....yes, it is cheap here!...

[pablonutribar]

Bangkok is not as cheap as it used to be, but deals can be had. Prices have gone up a bit lately, as food prices have increased all over Asia (and the world?). If you want a good beach near Bangkok, catch a bus from Ekamai station (next to the Ekamai skytrain station) to Trat, and then the boat to Koh Chang. Good, clean, and only 5 hours from Bangkok.

[Vheissu]

Thanks everyone for all the info so far. Lots of useful bits of information that I will keep in mind while planning this trip out.


How long are you going for? Some hotels offer huge discounts for longer stays. Have you booked your flight yet? How much did it cost you? I want to go to Bangkok but the fares are a little high right now.

I am going for about 3 weeks july 16 - aug 7 . The flight I am looking into booking tommarow is Toronto>Tokyo via Air Canada ($1200) and then Tokyo>Bangkok ($485) via JAL. So about 1800$ total. Im probably gonna travel around Thailand spending 2-4 at each destination so It probably would not qualify as a long stay.



We hired a driver for a week stay in Chiang Mai...cost us something like $20/day...it was a new air conditioned 6 passenger van(think volkswagen type) with a fridge. Driver even slept in the van while we stayed at the Krisadoi resort.



Thats a pretty awesome deal and something Ill definitly have to look into while in Chiang Mai.

One other question I had is about a Thai Rail Pass. From what I looked into its about $30 Cdn for a 2nd class sleeper good for unlimited travel for 20 days. I Prob have something wrong there since thats way too good of a deal so if anyone can offer some clarification on the rail pass I appreciate it.

Heres my list of things Im trying to do/considering

Must Do Pile

Chiang Mai
Kochanburi (Tigers!)
Floating Market
Muay Thai Fight

Maybe Pile

Ko Samet
Ko Chang
Pattaya
Krabi Province

Not a big list but Im continuing to do research but I have to say its pretty confusing with the many similiar looking difficult to pronounce places in Thailand.

Thanks Again

[OS44]

Thanks everyone for all the info so far. Lots of useful bits of information that I will keep in mind while planning this trip out.



I am going for about 3 weeks july 16 - aug 7 . The flight I am looking into booking tommarow is Toronto>Tokyo via Air Canada ($1200) and then Tokyo>Bangkok ($485) via JAL. So about 1800$ total. Im probably gonna travel around Thailand spending 2-4 at each destination so It probably would not qualify as a long stay.



Thats a pretty awesome deal and something Ill definitly have to look into while in Chiang Mai.

One other question I had is about a Thai Rail Pass. From what I looked into its about $30 Cdn for a 2nd class sleeper good for unlimited travel for 20 days. I Prob have something wrong there since thats way too good of a deal so if anyone can offer some clarification on the rail pass I appreciate it.

Heres my list of things Im trying to do/considering

Must Do Pile

Chiang Mai
Kochanburi (Tigers!)
Floating Market
Muay Thai Fight
Lots of prostitutes

Maybe Pile

Ko Samet
Ko Chang
Pattaya
Krabi Province

Not a big list but Im continuing to do research but I have to say its pretty confusing with the many similiar looking difficult to pronounce places in Thailand.

Thanks Again

going to T land for a sex tour eh?

can i ask what color is your skin? it is for a survey

[Pyro]

whats the best way to get from hk to bangkok or phuket?
im actually going to asia in a month, wanna go from hk to thailand (havent booked that flight yet)

but the flights form hk to bkk are ridiculous for a 3 hour flight
cheapest thing i can find is macau to bkk on air asia

so this is my itinerary
bangkok:

Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Shooting Range, Night Market: Suan Lum Night Bazaar
Ayutthaya, Muay Thai Fight
Kanchanaburi: Erawan Falls, Tiger Temple, Floating Market

Phuket:
Phi Phi Island Tour - snorkling and stuff
Beach, Parasailing, Jetskiing, Spa/Massage
go explore town, Wat Chalong, elephant ride, Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, Bang Pae waterfall, Tonsai Waterfall

[hador7]

whats the best way to get from hk to bangkok or phuket?
im actually going to asia in a month, wanna go from hk to thailand (havent booked that flight yet)

but the flights form hk to bkk are ridiculous for a 3 hour flight
cheapest thing i can find is macau to bkk on air asia

so this is my itinerary
bangkok:

Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Shooting Range, Night Market: Suan Lum Night Bazaar
Ayutthaya, Muay Thai Fight
Kanchanaburi: Erawan Falls, Tiger Temple, Floating Market

Phuket:
Phi Phi Island Tour - snorkling and stuff
Beach, Parasailing, Jetskiing, Spa/Massage
go explore town, Wat Chalong, elephant ride, Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, Bang Pae waterfall, Tonsai Waterfall


I took the flight you mentioned Macau to Bangkok via Air Asia. It's probably as cheap as it gets. My ticket was $80 taxes incl. With the money you save on your flight, you can spend a day exploring Macau. Lots of food to try and sites to take in. Very reasonable hotel prices if you go on a non-fri,sat,sun.

[belfour]

whats the best way to get from hk to bangkok or phuket?
im actually going to asia in a month, wanna go from hk to thailand (havent booked that flight yet)

but the flights form hk to bkk are ridiculous for a 3 hour flight
cheapest thing i can find is macau to bkk on air asia

so this is my itinerary
bangkok:

Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Shooting Range, Night Market: Suan Lum Night Bazaar
Ayutthaya, Muay Thai Fight
Kanchanaburi: Erawan Falls, Tiger Temple, Floating Market

Phuket:
Phi Phi Island Tour - snorkling and stuff
Beach, Parasailing, Jetskiing, Spa/Massage
go explore town, Wat Chalong, elephant ride, Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, Bang Pae waterfall, Tonsai Waterfall


Thinking of doing the same thing in Aug.

[Fllay]

It's the monsoon season during the summer months in Thailand. Not really the best time to go to beaches; more jellyfishes and lots of baby jellyfishes - some can be deadly, so watch out for them. However, you may be able to get cheaper room rates than the high seasons. Plus, there are still chances for sunny days, even though most likely it's going to be rainy/stormy.

If you go snorkeling, make sure you watch out for sea urchins. I was told it can be really painful if you step on one.

Try searching for Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan. They're on the Gulf of Thailand side, which has milder monsoon weather than the Andaman Sea side. I've never been there personally, but was told that those islands are almost as beautiful as the Similan or Surin islands on the Andaman Sea.

BTW, from what I've heard, people don't go to Pattaya for beaches as they're very dirty, but they go there for dirty entertainments.

[Fllay]

BTW, there are tons of delicious and cheap food in Thailand. Too bad, I was watching my weight when I was there, so I didn't get to eat as much as I really want. :(

Oh and be cautious and smart, and use lots of common sense. My friend's purse was stolen. :(

[Pyro]

I took the flight you mentioned Macau to Bangkok via Air Asia. It's probably as cheap as it gets. My ticket was $80 taxes incl. With the money you save on your flight, you can spend a day exploring Macau. Lots of food to try and sites to take in. Very reasonable hotel prices if you go on a non-fri,sat,sun.

whats the best way to get to macau with my luggage then?