One-Week Trip To Thailand For A First Timer

[smokie36]

On your immigration card is a section which mentions address in Thailand.

Just stick down any hotel in Bangkok. They never check.

[cuddleypete]

Based on various inputs from all members, i've tried to modify the itinerary a bit..

DAY DESCRIPTION

Day-1 arrive at bangkok; transfer to hotel at bangkok

Day-2 bangkok to chiang mai ; transfer to chiang mai hotel

Day-3 chiang mai sightseeing

Day-4 chiang mai sightseeing

Day-5 chiang mai to bangkok; transfer to hotel

Day-6 bangkok sightseeing

Day-7 flight out of bangkok

i'd therefore request you to suggest if this is a more likable plan...

as is seen, if i fly to chiang mai, then i'll have almost 2.5 days to visit in/around that place (day 2-4)..please advise the possible places which are worth a visit there....

regards..

You forgot day 8 Book flight back to thailand

[cooked]

Methinks think you will be waking up back home and realising that you can't remember a thing that you did. Jet lag will take it's toll, the overwhelming flood of exotic images and experiences that you have to absorb when you come here will do the rest. Go and enjoy a beach, maybe you will wake up after a day or two.

[whybother]

On your immigration card is a section which mentions address in Thailand.

Just stick down any hotel in Bangkok. They never check.

Depends if you come from a country that requires a visa before travel or not.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

I've been looking for budget hotel options in Chiang Mai in the lonelyplanet site; can someone tell me about the YMCA at Huay Kaew. from the lonelyplanet review, it seems okay. but still would prefer inputs from persons who're most familiar with this place. i'll be traveling with my family and stay in Chaing Mai for a couple of days..

Budget ? What is your budget ?

Family wife? kids ? how many and their ages ?

Chaing Mai has rooms from 60 Bt. (700 year stadium) to nearing $40,000 USD

is there an area or things you want with in Walking distance ? Night market ? Old town ? night life ?

Getting around for a car and driver may I suggest <removed> or were you going budget there too and taking the bus around ?

And I would say most hotels in Thailand can not be highly bargained. They post their prices

[anirthak]

I've been looking for budget hotel options in Chiang Mai in the lonelyplanet site; can someone tell me about the YMCA at Huay Kaew. from the lonelyplanet review, it seems okay. but still would prefer inputs from persons who're most familiar with this place. i'll be traveling with my family and stay in Chaing Mai for a couple of days..

Budget ? What is your budget ?

Family wife? kids ? how many and their ages ?

Chaing Mai has rooms from 60 Bt. (700 year stadium) to nearing $40,000 USD

is there an area or things you want with in Walking distance ? Night market ? Old town ? night life ?

Getting around for a car and driver may I suggest <removed> or were you going budget there too and taking the bus around ?

And I would say most hotels in Thailand can not be highly bargained. They post their prices

jeffrey...thanks for your inputs..i'd be traveling with my wife, and i was looking for decent accommodation within the range 500-800 Bt per day...i'd be more interested in visiting the old town, and seeing the night market...so a hotel nearby to these places (i'm not sure if these 2 places are nearer to each other, though) would do just fine...regarding the transport, if bus travel is a good option considering the frequency and coverage of places which i intend to visit, i'd not mind that...

any suggestions would be helpful and highly welcome..

[meatballs]

Ahh. I remember my first holiday here. Booked nearly an entire month at a hotel right on Walking Street in Pattaya. Had the time of my life. Now THAT is what I call a holiday.

[anirthak]

Ahh. I remember my first holiday here. Booked nearly an entire month at a hotel right on Walking Street in Pattaya. Had the time of my life. Now THAT is what I call a holiday.

you're right...probably not many of the lesser mortals would have such a slice of luck to enjoy an entire month of holiday...may be, for them...a break of 7 days would be more than a respite from the work.

[taninthai]

Ahh. I remember my first holiday here. Booked nearly an entire month at a hotel right on Walking Street in Pattaya. Had the time of my life. Now THAT is what I call a holiday.

Now that is what I would call a holiday to hell

Pattaya was the first place I ever saw in Thailand mate bought me over and said it's great ,well 3 days later had completely had enough of the place and people there left and never returned to that place.

[anirthak]

On your immigration card is a section which mentions address in Thailand.

Just stick down any hotel in Bangkok. They never check.

Depends if you come from a country that requires a visa before travel or not.

Seems like a visa on arrival at bangkok will suffice for me...I hold an Indian passport.

[whybother]

On your immigration card is a section which mentions address in Thailand.

Just stick down any hotel in Bangkok. They never check.

Depends if you come from a country that requires a visa before travel or not.

Seems like a visa on arrival at bangkok will suffice for me...I hold an Indian passport.

Do you still need hotel bookings for a "visa on arrival"?

(Note: to avoid confusion for other posters, a "visa on arrival" is different than a "visa exemption", which is what US/Aus/EU can get.)

[Dancealot]

2 things, eehr suggestions.

Smokie meant to comfort you and gave you sound advice. Fill out the address on your arrival card like he mentioned, so..

If you bring your wife you should up your minimum price from B800 to B2000 and you 2 will be fine guaranteed.

[anirthak]

2 things, eehr suggestions.

Smokie meant to comfort you and gave you sound advice. Fill out the address on your arrival card like he mentioned, so..

If you bring your wife you should up your minimum price from B800 to B2000 and you 2 will be fine guaranteed.

thanks for the saying....does the range hold good for bangkok as well as chiang mai?

[smokie36]

2 things, eehr suggestions.

Smokie meant to comfort you and gave you sound advice. Fill out the address on your arrival card like he mentioned, so..

If you bring your wife you should up your minimum price from B800 to B2000 and you 2 will be fine guaranteed.

thanks for the saying....does the range hold good for bangkok as well as chiang mai?

You can get a perfectly good hotel in either place for 1500 Baht in my opinion. Obviously better the more you spend but that is enough really.

[rsokolowski]

Sounds like a lot of travelling and not much holiday to me.

umm...may be, you're right. actually i'd manage only a week's leave from work during that time.

after having gone through the places worth a visit in thailand, i was hoping to visit chiang mai, as well as not to miss krabi...probably that north-to-south travel would make things a lot more hectic, is it?

is it worth to keep phuket out of this itinerary? or may be, extension of the trip by a day or two would enable me to savor the beauty of these places as well? what do u suggest?

I would recommend deleting Phuket from your trip. It was pretty nice in 1992, but when I visited again in 1996 it had really gone down hill. Maybe it has gotten better since then, but I would not bet any money (or time) on that.

[whybother]

I would recommend deleting Phuket from your trip. It was pretty nice in 1992, but when I visited again in 1996 it had really gone down hill. Maybe it has gotten better since then, but I would not bet any money (or time) on that.

I think it depends on where you stay. Each of the beaches has it's own positives and negatives so it's a bit hard to generalise with "stay away from Phuket" ... except that it's expensive.

[TukTukDodger]

"Seems like a visa on arrival at bangkok will suffice for me...I hold an Indian passport."

Nope. My husband has a Nepali passport and we are going through the visa process - you need to have the visa in your passport before you leave India, and you need to have flight and hotel booked before you apply for the visa. Here are the requirements:

http://www.thaiconsu...sh/vtourist.php

I am a little nervous because my husband lost his job after we made our plans, though we do have enough money saved up and I can write a 'guarantor's letter'(guy at the consulate told me to put it on my employer's letterhead).

[anirthak]

hello TukTukDodger...following your advice, i contacted the thailand visa council in India yesterday, and here's what they have to say...i've tried to paste the mail reply below...don't know if this is the right way to do it in this forum...

From:

Info on Thailand Visa in North India <[email protected]>

To:

' snip - personal details removed>

Date:

11/27/2012 11:36 AM

Subject:

Information requested for Thailand visa

Dear Mr. X ,

Thank you for writing to us.

This is to inform you that Visa on arrival ( Tourist purpose) is available for Indian Nationals.

Visa fee and documents of Visa on arrival are given below:-

1. Documents Required:- Passport or a travel document with validity not less than 6 months with one blank page .

2. Two Passport size photographs(3.5 *4.5 Cm ,Kindly Visit our website for photo specification).

3. Confirmed return air ticket.

4. Evidence of adequate Finance:-

You need to carry 10,000 Baht(per person) and 20,000 Baht (per family) cash.

Or

You need to done Endorsement on your passport $500 (per person) or $1000( per family).

Validity of Visa:- You are permitted to stay for a period not exceeding 15 days in Thailand.

5. Visa Fee:-1,000 Baht (per person).

NOTE: Please be informed that the Visa application form will be available at Airport.

Further, there is no need to carry the Visa application form from India.

Regards,

Tarundeep

(Thailand Visa Helpdesk – Delhi)

[SeaVisionBurma]

Looks pretty straight forward - you can apply on arrival.

Might help to have a hotel booking, at least for the first night? Others might be able to advise further on this, as per previous comments.

Good luck..happy travels

[TukTukDodger]

Interesting - it's good that you can do visa on arrival. I guess it depends on your country of residence? I took the safe route and booked hotels for the length of our whole stay through Agoda.com - since it's high season when we are going I thought it might be good to book ahead anyway. There is no requirement for proof of employment or a guarantor letter? Since my husband was laid off a couple of months ago I was advised to provide a guarantor letter on my company letterhead - just google 'visa guarantor letter' for the wording.