First Trip To Thailand, What Did You Expect?

[Donz]

My first trip to Thailand was in March 2004.

I thought the place wouldnt have much, I didnt know about Phuket, Samui and just thought it was going to be a place with dirty roads with a rundown city. I thought it would be like in Kickboxer (movie with Jean claude van dam)

When I went to BKK i was supprised abit but thought oh ok alittle bit better then i expected then stayed at my GF's house with a few friends before flying to Phuket.

When I went to Phuket I stayed at Kata Beach and we arrived at night, went to Dino Bar and thought wow this isnt bad, actually one of the most interesting bars ive ever been too.

The next morning I woke up and we all planned to go to the beach just across the road.

To my amazement (is that a word) the beach was one of the best and cleanest ive ever seen, no waves but the sand was white and the water was light blue, I felt like i was in paradise. Went to Patong's night life and my GF said your gonna love this, sure i new there would be a few prostitutes but when i was there, there were girls everywhere. Went to a few night clubs with my Gf and my friends are girls throwing themselves at my mates (they were loving it) and even when i was holding my gf hand girls were grabbing me down below and i was thinking dam imagine if i was single, i would never go home

One of my friends disapeared that night and he called us and said i will see you tomorrow and wont be comming back with us. While my other friends were alittle intimidated because they werent used to girls chasing them like this and stayed with us.

A few days later we went to Phi Phi, still havent seen my mate who rang saying he is staying in Phuket and will collect his stuff. (last time we see him until we have to fly back to Sydney)

I didnt look at no brouchures as my fiancee organised everything, when i got there I was utterly shocked how beautiful the place was. We hired a boat and went snorkeling and to (THE BEACH) beach and i was in love with the place. Hand a great dinner at the Hippy's resturant on the beach and was thinking dam i love this place.

Anyways I wont go into the rest of the trip as you might think this is too long to read.

When I was going home in the plane I was pretty much blown away with my experience in Thailand as I thought it was gonna be a boring holiday (as i didnt research Thailand) But it was actually one of the best times Ive ever had in my short life.

Anyone else have a simular story about your first stay in LOS?

If not what did you think of your first trip?

[bbigman21]

I am not sure I knew what to expect. I knew the reason I went. The bars and the girls. I never expected what happend to me. I never thought I would fall in love. Tlhe people are great. A lot more open than you would expect. You know Farangs taking advantage for so many years. But you know they forgive and forget like we should.

Sorry prattle.

Thailand was differn't than I expected. I think I had High expectations and I got more than I expected.

[gburns57au]

My first morning in Pattaya, I walked onto Walking street at about 7am...and hated it...I had booked for 12 days and didnt see how I would get through it...

As I went with friends and once they woke up and joined the living and we walked around a bit...it wasnt so bad but still intimidating...it was my first trip O/S since coming to Oz many many years before.

We agreed to split into two parties after about 5 days, two guys were going bush and I was going to stay with the other guy in Pattaya...he went home early after losing it...I didnt know it but he was a druggie and had bought drugs there...he got so paranoid he couldnt handle it.

I virtually begged to stay with the other guys and went to Buriram...totally enjoyed that and it made for a real holiday.

Eventually I got used to Patters and now feel perfectly at home there.

[meom]

For most people the first trip is like a defining moment. Either you love it and you will always long to come back to Thailand or you hate and you'll never come back.

I loved my first trip so I'll probably end up dying in LOS when I get old.

[Prakanong2005]

My first trip was backpacking trip to just Bangkok and Samui.

It was meant to be wider ranging but I never got far.

Stayed in a grotty 250THB a night place behind the Indra Regent and a half decent place on Chaweng right on the beach for circa 300THB (would not get that now)

First afternoon I actually walked from Pratunam along Petchburi to Suk Soi 3 and up - then to Wireless and along to the MacDonalds on Silom (of course at the time I did not have a clue where I was)

Then I got a tuk tuk back to Pratunam, dropped off my shopping and got a tuk tuk and asked for Patpong (had to see it) He dropped me ogg where I could see the McD's and I felt daft at going all the way there and back when I had been next to it

Went to Bobby's Arms and met a Welsh father and son and the father showed us about.

Met a Brit Reporter that night and he gave me his card - many Brits will know his by-line and he reports on a lot of Thai cases (the guy who got punched by the Dogs <deleted> guy)

Well over a decade later I say hello to that reporter when bump into him

[allthaidup]

Whenever i have big expectations of something it always ends on a downer, but Thailand was different. I'd always wanted to go for many years and then had the chance to go with a few mates. I had big expectations having heard a lot about the place but when i arrived it blew me away. Im now a changed man and cant get the place out of my head.

First 2 days in BKK then a few days in Patters. Then off to Samui for 7 days but i returned to Patters on my own because of a girl whilst my mates went to Phuket. I stayed there for 10 days and met back up with my mates the day we flew home. They thought i was crazy but it was exciting for me and i had the best time ever. I still think of those days.

U lucky people who live out there, its my dream and where i feel at peace. The trouble is im young and dont have the money to move there. Maybe one day! Enjoy!

[Mighty Mouse]

My first trip to Thailand was part of a package tour to various Far Eastern countries.

My first impression of day time life in Bangkok was a little bit 'ho hum.'

My first impression of the night life in Bangkok was 'how long has this been going on?'

My first impression of Pattaya was 'Yeehaa !!!'

That impression continues today but my enthusiasm is a tad more refined now.

[Diablo Bob]

My first trip to Thailand I stayed at a friends wives families house in Bangkapi. We went to the normal tourist attractions and a few disco's during my first two weeks. I then had them drop me off at the Diamond Beach Hotel in Pattaya for a week stay.

Upon my return to the uSA, I found myself working a project, hoarding my money and at the projects end returning to Thailand. Initially, I returned for around a month the next project ended and it became 2 months then it became two months twice a year then .........

Well, I just gained employment in the region so I could return at least once a month, then I just went to work in Thailand. I was wasting to much valuable time flying!

I haven't done the bar scene in years..... I am into the domestic tranquility phase of my life in Chiangmai. My last trip to Pattaya was spent at a family resort, but you know...... looking at it today, I couldn't return to the USA for long, Thailand is my home. I will die here, but until then I am just enjoying a decision I made many years ago.

[Neeranam]

My first trip to Thailand was ater 6 months in India, backpacking.

I was amazed at the high costs of Thailand. The Indian rupee was 70 to the pound, the Thai baht - 35. This was kind of in the middle of the pound falling badly in 1992. Not a good time to have travellers cheques.

10 days in Bangkok, but I wasn't impressed - never thought I would live there for 9 years! I couldn't get that bloody song by Paul Hardcastle out my head - 'One Night in Bangkok and the world's your lobster'.

6 weeks on Koh Pha Ngan got wasted every night and day, then 6 weeks 'rehab' - Thai boxing training and meditation. The rehab was so good, I decided to do it many more times

Edited March 26, 2006 by Neeranam

[Niloc]

I was in Penang with my mate Brian. We had been told in Singapore that we could get a ship to Madras out of Penang but it turned out that a Falang had stuck a knife into someone the previous month and they weren't taking Westerners any longer.

We found out the only way to get to India was to fly and the cheapest flights were from Bangkok. We hitchiked up to Bangkok, found we could just afford the flight, went back to Penang to pick up some stuff we had left there, stowed away on the train from Butterworth to Hualumpong, got the flight and the first Aeroplane flight in my life was from Bangkok to Calcutta on Christmas Day, 1965.

[Patsycat]

Sandy beaches, good food, cheap booze, and that my Farang (male friends) friends would get their testosterone urges out of themselves with the local ladies and leave me alone with my bottle of beer and a good book!! And they have - three years running now!!! I am now the Agony Aunt towards them.. poor sods.

[skylar]

I was 11 when my father announced to our family that we were moving to Bangkok at the end of 1992. I had no idea where Thailand was, or what to expect. My father showed me on a map where it was in relation to England, and I don't even think I was suprised or concerned.

My most vivid memory was seeing so many people in the arrivals hall and meeting our driver for the first time. He led us out of Don Muang into the open air and the first thing I experienced was the humidity and heat that literally slapped me in the face the moment I stepped out of the airport!

[gwmss15]

well my 1st trip to thailand was to hat yai, pattani, yala area in 2003 it was great nice people and nice beaches stayed in a 5 star hotel in hat yai for 1000 baht a night and in that 7 day trip i used the massage shop with my malaysian friends 9 times

we all came up by rail from KL on the KL to Hat yai express train the food on this train is better than the butterworth train

I never visited bangkok untill i moved here to stay with my thai (issan) friend who i met in hat yai in 2003 so i just assumed it to be like KL in malaysia big loud and fast city. bangkok was dissapointing to me in many many ways it is nothing like KL or singapore at all.

however one thing that was good in bangkok was cheap taxis and more frequent buses than KL. also the ease of finding employment in bangkok compared with KL, Singpore or even Melbourne was a very good point even if the jobs are crap.

[Donz]

I fell in love with the place in 2004 on my first visit that i went twice last year, once for a month in april (so ######ing hot) and 23 Dec 05 to 18th jan 06.

Planning to go there in September this year for3 or 4 months to see if I really want to make the move or not. Planning on staying in BKK