Couple Heading For Thailand

[johnandash]

Firstly, hello!

My girlfriend and I have decided to go travelling and our destination of choice is Thailand so like most people decided to start our research and then found that there is just so much going on over there that it's a mamouth task just planning it!

Now I'm the easy going go with the flow kinda guy, my partner is the super organised, colour coded sock draw type character so I think we'll find a good medium - however was hoping that you may be able to shed some more light on a few things?

• Visa - Where do you go/or apply for in the UK? I see a few websites but just unsure about them and with this kind of thing don't want to get there only to be stitched up!
• Crime/Safety in Thailand - There are of course a hell of a lot of tourists over there and while the majority seem to have a great time I was wondering what to really expect? I mean the news reports that come from this site are literally horrifying - murder, rape, gangs from other parts of the world etc. I am sure that these are just focused stories but are there regions to just absolutely avoid at all costs?
• Starting and ending point - Bangkok seems to be the placed to fly too but is it the -place to start from or end at?
• Any must go areas? We want to experience as much as we can in 2 months but without ruining our holiday by being stuck in buses etc, we want to enjoy our time and imagine a large portion of it will be spent in the Island region
• Money, we think we'll be okay with £2,000 each including flights for 2 months - any objections?
• Backpacks, looking at something £100 with 60-70 Litre capacity, sound reasonable?
• Finally anything else we just have to be aware of?

I promise you I have searched and this isn't just a cop-out to try and "not look into it" there is just so much going on over there and we love most things whether it be beautiful scenery, beaches, quad bikes, shooting, swimming, diving etc. We just want to have an adventure of a life time and enjoy life to the max for 2 months.

Thanks for all your help in advance!

[CharlieH]

There are "Thai Consulates" in Birmingham, Cardiff and Hull.

Safety wise , just use your common sense and be aware of your surroundings AT ALL TIMES.

Starting would depend on where you intend to travel exactly within Thailand.

My advice, BE VERY CAREFUL, you have put quite an extensive list here and it would take days to answer it properly.

From the sound of it you need a 60 day tourist visa which is FREE until the end of March.

If you really want the Islands etc then why not fly straight into Phuket and go from there. Bangkok is Ok for a visit but you can do that for a few days from down South.

Have fun and read as much as you can find about specific places.

Edited February 23, 2011 by CharlieH

[Thongkorn]

It would be a lot cheaper and more fun using the Busses. Go at night on the VIP busses, you can sleep through the night and arrive the next day , do not pre book any hotels as you will find them a lot cheaper by just walking in and asking. Watch out for many scams as Money is number one in Thailand, just use your head and stay safe , do not get involved with any disputes,Always tell taxi drivers you want the meter.no meter don't go.Travel light as you can buy most things fairly cheap.good luck hope you enjoy Thailand.

[craigt3365]

First, Thailand is a great destination for travelers. It was my first country on my round the world trip several years ago....ended up staying here and surrounding countries for about a year before moving on!

Second, you are asking some really basic questions....I highly recommend getting a Rough Guide or Lonely Planet and do some research on itineraries. There is so much to do and see...and quite a few great places to visit in surrounding countries. Both books address your questions in surprising detail.

With regards to your highly organized significant other...Thailand is a place where you can just go with the flow. Rarely a reason to book ahead unless you really want to stay in a specific hotel. Transportation is cheap, easy and frequent. Relax, get a basic plan, and enjoy! Don't over plan it!!!

[thrilled]

about visa's read over thai visa website.as faqr as everything go to forums you'll find everything ya want.If you want to see all of thailand head north of bangkok issan country.you go to korat,khon kaen,udonthani,and nongkhai,at the mekong ri9ver,to vientienne for a visa.

Juswt A recommendation.I love issan area.I'm prejudice.Good Luck happy traveling.

[BuckarooBanzai]

I have always found the train an enjoyable way to travel and due to the risk of traveling on Thailand's roads it is a lot safer as well. Just want to make sure you get on the 1st class trains as wooden seats can be pretty uncomfortable. Overnight travel by train in your own compartment is probably the best way to travel long distances there is. I am of course leaving out airlines as you can see the inside of an airplane any time. Avoid travel by van as they are notorious here for their mortality rate. Hope you have a great time!

[AyG]

No visa required for up to 30 days stay for citizens of most countries. Pop into a neighbouring country then back in will give you another 15 days (by land) or 30 days (by air).

Start and end in Bangkok - it's where almost all international flights are to/from.

Backpack sounds too large. You'll be wearing lightweight clothing because of the heat, and it dries quickly so you don't need a lot of changes. I'd suggest you pack a small bag and buy a backpack and more clothing here. A counterfeit backpack will cost a lot less than GBP 100 and will be perfectly serviceable.

Do buy a Lonely Planet. However, their website http://www.lonelyplanet.com and http://www.travelfish.org both have a lot of the very basic information that you're looking for.

Edited February 24, 2011 by AyG

[craigt3365]

No visa required for up to 30 days stay for citizens of most countries. Pop into a neighbouring country then back in will give you another 15 days (by land) or 30 days (by air).

Start and end in Bangkok - it's where almost all international flights are to/from.

Backpack sounds too large. You'll be wearing lightweight clothing because of the heat, and it dries quickly so you don't need a lot of changes. I'd suggest you pack a small bag and buy a backpack and more clothing here. A counterfeit backpack will cost a lot less than GBP 100 and will be perfectly serviceable.

Do buy a Lonely Planet. However, their website http://www.lonelyplanet.com and http://www.travelfish.org both have a lot of the very basic information that you're looking for.

Yes, way too large a backpack. I traveled for a year all over Asia with my 35L Eagle Creek. I do recommend a quality backpack as I've tossed many knockoffs away in the past few years. If you don't travel much, they are OK...but stress them a bit, over pack them a bit, and things tend to break.

My Eagle Creek is going strong some 10 years and 50 countries later, 2 RTW trips, and after lots of abuse. Worth the investment if you plan to do more traveling in the future. Of course now, I primarily use a roller...much easier on the back!

[thailandbluegrass]

DON'T BRING SOCKS !!!!!!!!!!!!

[craigt3365]

DON'T BRING SOCKS !!!!!!!!!!!!

Too funny...reminds me of my first few days in Chiang Mai. Hiking boots and socks. Lasted for 2 days until it rained...never wore socks or "real" shoes in Thailand again!

When I first met my wife here, the only pair of socks she owned were the 40B pair you buy when going bowling! Had SF Strike Bowl printed on them!

[Wavefloater]

Don't rent a jet-ski!

Generally, brush up on the scams, of which there are many here.

Learn a bit of basic Thai and get a fair understanding of Thai culture. All cultures have their peculiarities, and Thais can get quite upset at times if you transgress theirs.

[AZBill]

Wow big trip. I won't try to address all your questions but I will address a few. You will get a 30 visa on arrival. If you want to stay longer you either have to get a tourist visa from the Thai Embassy in your home country or cross the border and come back. If you do the latter you will only get 15 days so probably best to go get a visa to cover your 2 month stay. Bangkok is basically safe for tourists. Theyr may try to scam you at various sites but otherwise its a safe city as cities go. I live here and often walk around late at night with no concerns. The Thais are basically peaceful people and welcome tourists. Just don't give money to anyone on the streets. You will see people with no arms and legs laying on the street but its all a local mafia scam. Monks do not ask for money so don't fall for that one either. The Palace will not be closed so don't let anyone tell you it is. It's a scam to get you to go somewhere else with them. You can live very cheaply if you choose so if you are basically living off the land and not going 5 star you should be fine. Don't get to over involved in dealing with cultural things because the Thais don't expect it from you. If you're backpacking then you will want to head north to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. Flights are cheap, The Koa Yai National Park two hours out of BKK is worth checking out too. So many places to see. Anyway that's my two cents. Have a great trip.

[Sophon]

No visa required for up to 30 days stay for citizens of most countries. Pop into a neighbouring country then back in will give you another 15 days (by land) or 30 days (by air).

You will get a 30 visa on arrival. If you want to stay longer you either have to get a tourist visa from the Thai Embassy in your home country or cross the border and come back.

Don't follow the above advice about visas. First of all, what you get when arriving in Thailand without a visa is not a "visa on arrival" it's a permit to stay 30 days in Thailand on a visa exempt entry. Visa on arrival is totally different and only available for citizens from a few countries. And in order to be allowed into Thailand on a visa exempt entry it's a pre-requisite that you hold a confirmed airline ticket out of Thailand within 30 days. As you will be staying in Thailand longer than 30 days you probably won't have such a ticket, and run a real risk of not being allowed onto the flight to Thailand if you don't have a visa.

So unless you plan on flying to one of Thailand's neighbouring countries within the first 30 days, and have the flight prebooked, you should get a tourist visa before leaving. You don't say when you are leaving, but tourist visas are free until the end of March so if you are leaving relatively soon, it would be worth getting the visa while it's still free.

Sophon

Edited February 25, 2011 by Sophon

[johnandash]

Wow thanks for all the replies,

We are leaving on the 27th of December and want to head to the Islands for NYE after that we're going to try and travel around but obviously not so sure on which way to go east north or west north.

We'll have to apply for the 60 day visa better to have all the papers sorted before we leave.

Comments on back packs taken on board - that was info taken from another site so will probably aim for 2 40litre packs.

Will avoid Scams, think scams we'll be fine at spotting trips to the middle east, Egypt and Cuba in the past so used to hassle and scams.

We found some flights with emirates for £540 return, with 2k to travel that leaves 1.5 for thailand - does that seem like enough?

[Jdietz]

That would be around 75K Baht each, should be fine especially since you will be sharing rooms.

Local flights are cheap, buses and trains even cheaper, and quite regular. Try to book a hotel for the first few nights, rest you can do after you arrive.

Dec 27 to Jan 2 is smack in the middle of the tourist high season so I'd try to get rooms for those days in advance.

[PattayaParent]

Advice for packing.

Pack everything you think you'll need, and then take half of it out.