Seeking a decent guide to upcountry provinces

[Bredbury Blue]

Decades ago, when I was single and a backpacker, I used to buy a Lonely Planet and go explore counties.

Now married here with teenagers, we like to set off in the car with a rough idea of which provinces / route on a 2000 km tour. We know from a little bit of internet searching what sights are along the way but the worry is we will not know of somewhere worth seeing and miss it. Often while driving we’ll see a sign and find some sight we didn’t know of. It would be good if there was a decent guide to upcountry provinces. 

So my question is, is there any decent guide book or website, in English or Thai, that you have come across and would recommend.

I know there’s a thai-language magazine called Trips but I’m really looking for a province-by-province guide to what's to see, visit, etc.  

[mauGR1]

Easy, just google all the provinces you intend to visit, and some neighbouring ones for good measure, and find out what is there which is worth to see.

Just a few hours work and you have a great guide.

[Kadilo]

Easy, just google all the provinces you intend to visit, and some neighbouring ones for good measure, and find out what is there which is worth to see.
Just a few hours work and you have a great guide.

That’s what I tend to do when I decide my future road trips. I actually enjoy that part of it, the planning,the route and where I want to stop before booking the accommodation.
You never get to see everything because there is just too much but the net has everything covered usually.


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[mauGR1]

14 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

That’s what I tend to do when I decide my future road trips. I actually enjoy that part of it, the planning,the route and where I want to stop before booking the accommodation.
You never get to see everything because there is just too much but the net has everything covered usually.


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Yep, also very useful and enjoyable to talk with other travellers which you meet on the way, they may tell you things which are not mentioned in any guide.

[Bredbury Blue]

2 hours ago, mauGR1 said:

Easy, just google all the provinces you intend to visit, and some neighbouring ones for good measure, and find out what is there which is worth to see.

Just a few hours work and you have a great guide.

As already stated that's  what i do but im trying  to find out as stated in the OP.

[mauGR1]

2 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

As already stated that's  what i do but im trying  to find out as stated in the OP.

Well, apart from Lonely Planet, i don't know of other good guides, although there might exist.

[Rc2702]

Just an idea.

 

Why not look at tour companies offers as a means of checking out the hotspots.

https://www.isanexplorer.com

 

 

 

[CharlieH]

We have provincial forums here on Thaivisa why not use those "boots on the ground" and ask people who actually live in those areas. Good chance they'll have better knowledge than a book might have.

 

Just a suggestion.?

[Bredbury Blue]

39 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

We have provincial forums here on Thaivisa why not use those "boots on the ground" and ask people who actually live in those areas. Good chance they'll have better knowledge than a book might have.

 

Just a suggestion.?

I have done that on previous trips with success. The local guys, when went across to Ubon area, were particularly helpful and we used their advice with great success. Will be doing so  again for our next trip north or northeast next month.

[Bredbury Blue]

44 minutes ago, Rc2702 said:

Just an idea.

 

Why not look at tour companies offers as a means of checking out the hotspots.

https://www.isanexplorer.com

 

 

 

I'm not trying to find the obvious touristy things that tour companies go see (though we'd probably  go see them) the types of things locals will know about or things not so well known.

[Rc2702]

Just now, Bredbury Blue said:

I'm not trying to find the obvious touristy things that tour companies go see (though we'd probably  go see them) the types of things locals will know about or things not so well known.

Well if that is your goal I'd suggest being a lot more specific as upcoubtry accounts for a big portion of Thailand so if you have an idea of where you wish to visit, maybe specify and locals may be able to help. Trigg!

[Bredbury Blue]

19 hours ago, Rc2702 said:

Well if that is your goal I'd suggest being a lot more specific as upcoubtry accounts for a big portion of Thailand so if you have an idea of where you wish to visit, maybe specify and locals may be able to help. Trigg!

R2D2 if you bothered to read the OP you'd know that I'm trying to find out if anyone knows of a decent guide to upcountry provinces other than Lonely Planet/Rough Guide, in english or in thai language. I currently have to Google to find out about places we visit and was wondering if there might be a guide i wasn't  aware of. I also post in local forums on here prior to trips to try and take tips from TV posters in those areas.

 

PS. "upcoubtry accounts for a big portion of Thailand". It indeed does, in fact all of Thailand except Bangkok.

 

[Darkside Gray]

Trip adviser.

[Bredbury Blue]

Always use Tripadvisor.

 

I think the best guide I've come across is https://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-forum/

[Rc2702]

Just now, Bredbury Blue said:

Always use Tripadvisor.

 

I think the best guide I've come across is https://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-forum/

So let me get this straight bareback. your our intention is to drive in a car and the best guide you can find is one that is based on motorcycling routes?

[Bredbury Blue]

1 hour ago, Rc2702 said:

So let me get this straight bareback. your our intention is to drive in a car and the best guide you can find is one that is based on motorcycling routes?

Have you looked at the Rideasia website contents at all R2D2 before posting?

 

It's very useful and I have used it many times before.

[mserror]

This is the best I have found:  https://www.travelfish.org/country/thailand

 

I had a Lonely Planet, but it missed too much.

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Far and away the best guides worldwide - Footprint. They have ceased publication for many countries, but are available online for download for some, and old print editions go for a song secondhand on Amazon. Last guide for Thailand was 2012, available here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thailand-Footprint-Handbook-Handbooks/dp/1907263535/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

These are particularly useful for things like museums, heritage sites etc, which do not change much over the years. I always found Footprint guides had lodging recommendations far superior to the backpacker circuit followed by the Lonely Planet hordes.

[Suradit69]

On 9/22/2018 at 5:07 PM, Bredbury Blue said:

is there any decent guide book

 

Kinokuniya would probably be a good resource. This link should open with books about Bangkok, but you can explore/search from there. Also if you email them, they might have, or be able to get, something suitable for you ... or if you're going to start your trip from Bangkok you could visit them.

 

I've always found their staff to be very helpful and knowledgeable.

 

https://thailand.kinokuniya.com/t/books/english-books/travel/asia

 

for example:

 

Edited September 24, 2018 by Suradit69