Been in Thailand for about 3 weeks now... My overall thoughts...

[Neo6]

To me you over planned and tried to cram in way tooooo much and were the victim of your own mistakes. Also anyone that can visit BKK and mention a shooting range as opposed to "real" sites shouldn't have really bothered with Thailand at all, try Orlando. Bet you've already got your Swiss itinerary planned to the nearest 30 seconds, should suit the Swiss and their clock makers.

Bit of a strange view, but okay...

I went to a lot of places in Bangkok and plan on going to more when I return. The shooting range was merely an hour or so of 1 day as I've always wanted to try shooting a gun and in Europe that's a very hard thing to do

[Neo6]

Sorry please disregard the last sentence.

My thai wife got involved.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I think your wife needs to learn some basic manners and respect

[Neo6]

Hope it gets better and your luck changes.

Hi, thank you for your reply and insight. I do think having a good holiday comes down to a lot of luck and being in the right place at the right time. Unlike some people in this thread seem to think I do have an open mind... I'm willing to try pretty anything and explore and try to experience new things. However I did over plan this holiday and probably booked the hotels too late. I also tried to fit too much into 1 trip. Bangkok for 3 or 4 nights, then Samui for 2 weeks, then Chiang Mai for 10 nights would have been a much better experience in my opinion and suited both my GF and I far better. She would have had the tanning in Samui and I would have had the whole elephant and tiger experience and exploration in Chiang Mai. Plus our traveling and messing about would have been VASTLY reduced.

I've seen a lot of very strange westerners whilst in Thailand who seem to be in a World of their own and I can only think some of them populate TV. There's no doubt now in my mind that Thailand is over rated. Of course it can be an amazing country and offer great experiences, but so can a lot of places. Anyway that's slightly beside the point... Thanks again for your reply

[springsteen]

Hi neo6 it sounds to me like you were trying to impress GF a bit to much, whats her thoughts on the holiday so far? It sounds exhausting to me but then a holiday to me means relaxing and doing things in your own time. Try to chill out a bit and don't go hunting for things you don't even know what your looking for. Perhaps find a little restaurant that wouldn't be your usual style and try it, you might be surprised . Any way both of you try and enjoy the rest, happy days

[stoneyboy]

I think the OP needs a week in Blackpool or Bognor.

[Neo6]

If you cannot relax into the slow pace of island life, then that type of setting is simply not for you. You tried it and you did not like it - fair enough.

It's true that Thailand is not the cheap destination it once was, but the price level in Samui is higher than in most other parts of the country.

'The real Thailand' is a bs phrase anyway. There are as many environments and places here as anywhere else, and they are all real, and all Thailand.

If you want to see how Thai people live outside of the tourist areas, rent a vehicle and drive somewhere on the map that's not listed in the guide books. You'll be sure to see something else, but I am not sure you'll like it, because you seem to want a pretty high standard of food and accommodation, and you don't really get that outside of the cities and main tourist spots.

Nah I can relax... That's kinda my point... All I can think of when I look back over the last 3 weeks is the sheer amount of crappy traveling we have done... For example flying, car journeys, hotel check-ins, pointless driving around looking for something that isn't there.

I totally agree "the real Thailand" is a totally stupid phrase. From what I've seen most "real Thais" live in a state close to poverty. In Bangkok they are crammed into dirty old apartment blocks and on the islands most of them live in tin huts. I do not mean that in a disrespectful way, it is simply the fact of how things are. Like I say 99% of the Thai people we have come in contact with have been awesome and very helpful. They seem like a lovely people overall

[Neo6]

Hi neo6 it sounds to me like you were trying to impress GF a bit to much, whats her thoughts on the holiday so far? It sounds exhausting to me but then a holiday to me means relaxing and doing things in your own time. Try to chill out a bit and don't go hunting for things you don't even know what your looking for. Perhaps find a little restaurant that wouldn't be your usual style and try it, you might be surprised . Any way both of you try and enjoy the rest, happy days

Hi,

Thank you for the reply.

I think you're right... I had this imagine of Thailand in my head and I wanted to show her how wonderful it could be and impress her.

She feels pretty much the same as me... We've been to too many places and done too many transfers, which have spoiled the holiday overall. She liked Samui and I think she will like Chiang Mai too

[Neo6]

I think the OP needs a week in Blackpool or Bognor.

Ah shut up. If that's all you can reply then you've obviously got nothing constructive to say

[rijb]

I think you imagined a western-style luxury vacation in a non-western country.

You can get a luxury tour, on a western-style cruise ship, for $20,000 ... (no transfers!)

[stoneyboy]

I think the OP needs a week in Blackpool or Bognor.

Ah shut up. If that's all you can reply then you've obviously got nothing constructive to say

Incidentally your on holiday as we speak are you not,seeing as you've just spent the last four hours on TV whining like a bitch it's hardly surprising you've had a crap time,you need to get out more.

[transam]

Are you a troll ?

Anyone who looks for top end accommodation etc and moans about 1000bht, that's 20 English quid, for dinner for 2 is having a laugh.

Do you know how much it costs to get in the USA Disney land or world. Did you not remember in the USA at a restaurant they add on 15% service charge whether you like it or not.

[mooris7]

Howdy

I arrived in Thailand at the start of August for a 1 month holiday that was suppose to be out of this World. Unfortunately that's not quite how things have turned out. Some of the problems are probably my fault, but frankly I don't see what I could have done different at the time of planning... It seemed like a great plan and everyone who I told said it was great too (this forum included).

So the plan was... Arrive in Bangkok, spend 3 nights. Travel down to Samui and spend 9 nights. Then to Phangan spending 5 nights, then over to Krabi (Lanta) spending 6 nights (that's where I am now) and finally up to Chiang Mai for 5 nights (2 in Pai) and then 2 nights in Bangkok on exiting the country. In my opinion this was a pretty balanced trip that would enable us to see a good variety of Thailand.

First off let me start by saying I have nothing against Thailand or the Thai people. In fact one of the things that has blown me away has been the absolutely awesome level of service at the resorts we've stayed at. No attitudes, very polite, very helpful. The point of this thread is simply 2 reasons... Firstly I want to see if I'm missing something and secondly I want to inform other people who may be thinking of doing a similar journey of the negative sides involved. If someone had told me what I have learned over the last few weeks I probably never would have come, simple as that.

Okay so we arrived in Bangkok staying at Lebua at State Tower. As far as I know it's one of the most famous hotels in Bangkok, partly due to the Hangover II movie. For a 5 star the rooms are pretty sucky. The furniture is dull and the views are of the wrong side of the city... Also the hotel itself is a little out of it location wise. Don't even bother going to the Sky Bar unless you enjoy barely being able to move due to so many people. Anyway I don't want to ramble too much about the hotel... Bangkok itself... It's polluted, over crowded and in a large part ugly. Probably the highlight of Bangkok for me was Siam Paragon and the VIP cinema (how silly is that). This cinema is one of the best I've ever been too. I also enjoyed eating dinner at the Mandarin Oriental by the river... I'd highly recommend that. As for other activities in Bangkok... I went to the shooting range and blew $300 in about 15 minutes on pretty much nothing, such a waste of money. Also went to Lumpini Park which was full of protestors screaming down microphones and not much else. Add to the fact the sweltering heat makes going to a park a bit of a drag. Maybe Bangkok is more fun if you're single and can hang out with a load of lady boys... Who knows...

That was Bangkok. Bear in mind it has taken about 11 hours of pure flight time alone to get to Thailand at this point... Another hour to and from the airport to the hotel, now we have a 1 hour flight down to Samui which isn't so bad. However one thing I must stress to people is the amount moving around takes it out of you. Getting to and from airports, flying, going through security, getting to and from hotels, moving your bags about, packing and unpacking, it all adds up and the more places you visit the more messing around you have to do. A 1 hour flight to Samui isn't a 1 hour flight... It's more like 3 or 4 hours when you've added in all the transfers and check-ins. Just wanted to point that out.

We arrived in Samui and first impressions were very good. I loved the airport. Our first hotel that we stayed in The Briza Beach Resort was overall very nice. The villa was massive for the price and it was right on the beach. Great restaurant too (loved the red duck curry). Everyone seems to give Samui a bad rap but I actually liked it there more than anywhere I've been so far in Thailand. The Tesco in Chaweng is massive and has everything you need, including bowling for a bit of fun. The beaches aren't too crowded (this time of year anyway) and there are some awesome restaurants on the island. My favorite was Coconut Willy's who do insanely tasty steak sandwiches and pizzas. One thing I didn't like about Samui is how touristy they made the elephant reserve. It was crap and you could tell the people there only run it for profit. The aquarium on the other hand was a solid experience and one I'd recommend. Make sure you rent a car or scooter to get there though.

Another thing I should point out at this stage is Thailand is not cheap. I don't care what anyone says it simply is not. You cannot have a meal at any half decent restaurant on Samui for 2 without spending 1,000+ Baht at least. If you take a taxi on Samui (any taxi) they will rip you off. They will charge you 500 Baht to go pretty any where and simply aren't interested in negotiating. Things like the Muay Thai stadium are also expensive... 1,000 Baht each for the most basic seats. So yeah it's not a cheap place. No where I've been in Thailand is cheap.

The second hotel we stayed in Samui was more expensive and had a much smaller room. Chaweng Regent was the name. I'd not recommend staying at this resort (even thought it has good reviews on booking.com). It has nice gardens and that's it. They even want to charge you for Wi-Fi, which at a $300 a night hotel is outrageous.

After 9 nights we left Samui and headed to Phangan. For me this is where the holiday started to go to crap. Up until now it had been a pretty decent holiday... The ferry to Phangan takes about 1 hour by the time you've boarded and got off etc. Our resort on Phangan was meant to be one of the best (Panviman) and located on the best beach in Phangan (Thong Nai Pan Noi). Let me start by saying the main road in Phangan is dreadful. Without a doubt the worst road I've ever traveled on. How people don't die on that thing daily is beyond me. It's essentially a dirt track with massive slopes, holes and cliff drops either side for about 40 minutes straight. Arriving in Phangan and getting driven to the hotel down this road was less than a pleasant experience.

Once you arrive in that part of the island you're essentially stuck there. Unless of course you want to travel down death road (I did this a few times on a scooter, but for a family it would be next to impossible). I will say there is a lovely little village in that part of the island that has a French colonial style (maybe that's why the resorts are full of French people?).

The restaurants on Phangan suck, so other than laying on the beach I'm not sure what there is to do. In fact there's nothing really to do on Phangan, it's essentially a crappy version of Samui with a couple of slightly nicer beaches and a Full Moon Party which I've heard has become a sausage fest full of idiots. I did try my best to explore and discover Phangan, but after the 5 days there I just couldn't wait to leave. It was a massive relief to get off that island.

Now started another journey from hell, which was traveling from Phangan to Krabi, or rather Ko Lanta. It's a 2 hour ferry from Phangan to Donsak and then (if you're lucky) a 5 hour drive from Donsak to Lanta. This alone is probably more traveling than most families do to get to their holiday destination. We actually hired a private transfer from the pier to Lanta (5,000 Baht down the toilet), so if this was bad I can't imagine how it must be on a bus full of sweaty people.

We're here now in Ko Lanta, we arrived at 7PM yesterday having left our hotel in Phangan at 10AM. The hotel we're at is called Pimalai and is meant to be the best on the island. It's a nice hotel in nice grounds, but you're isolated and literally perched on a cliff at the edge of a jungle. That's cool and all, but you're pretty much stuck in the resort for however long you come here. Why are you stuck? Well BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING TO DO ON KO LANTA. I've literally driven around the entire island today in a rental car and there's nothing. The beaches that I've seen have massive waves and are full of rocks. The restaurants seem to be run by crazy people who have lost the plot and that's about it. There's 1 main road full of crappy buildings and huts and not much else. I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would rave about Ko Lanta. Want to leave Lanta and go up to Krabi or Phuket? Good luck! Depending on where you're situated on the island it's a 1 hour drive to get to the North where you'll need to take 2 ferries to get to the mainland. I'm not sure how long the drive is to Krabi or Phuket from there but I imagine it's a long bloody way.

The plan is in a day or so we're taking a ferry to Phi Phi and staying the night there. At this point though I'm not really sure what to expect or how to enjoy anything. The trip so far has been so full of traveling to get to mediocre places that I've sorta given up. I only hope that Chiang Mai is better and we can spend a good 5 days there enjoying Northern Thailand. Mind you getting there will be another 4 hour flight plus hotel transfers.

Here's what I've learnt so far... Stay away from Phangan and Ko Lanta. In fact if you're a couple traveling stay away from Bangkok too. Fly in through Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and then go direct to Samui... It's a short flight. Then maybe go up to Chiang Mai (although I have no idea what it's like there yet). If you're single then Bangkok is probably a lot more fun, so it might be worth going through there to Samui.

I actually spent a decent amount of time planning this trip. I asked for advice on 3 forums and kept an open mind to everything. I wanted to see as much as Thailand as possible. This was a big mistake. In hindsight I should have gone to Bangkok, Samui and Chiang Mai and that was it. Then maybe seen another part of Asia, perhaps Japan. Funnily enough this was the exact thing my GF told me to do, so I'm a fool for not listening. I can only advise others to keep your trip as simple as possible... See 2 or 3 main locations and make sure you keep your transfer as fast and easy as you can.

In conclusion if I could go back a month and not come to Thailand I probably would. This will be a $20,000 trip at the end of things and although I have a couple of nice memories, it's nothing that much. I've vacationed in Europe for far FAR less and probably had just as many pleasant experiences.

That's about it! Thanks for reading

If you have travelled to China then you would realize that BKK is far from being polluted. Visit some temples. Take in the shopping, the intercontinental hotel is my first choice. Take in the local culture. Taste the street food. Visit the floating markets. Go to Ayuttaya and see the ancient temples. Hua Hin is a great place for married couples. The food is amazing here. Check out Sirocco, a famous restaurant. There is a beautiful restaurant outdoors near the airport surrounded by temples, amazing architecture, swans, and a beautiful little lake. While your at it buy a new suit from the local tailor Apu ha ha

[Neo6]

Incidentally your on holiday as we speak are you not,seeing as you've just spent the last four hours on TV whining like a bitch it's hardly surprising you've had a crap time,you need to get out more.

It's 10PM, most people are asleep... Most restaurants are closed. We just had dinner, had a walk on the beach and came back to the room.

Granted today I've not done an awful lot (except drive round the entire island like an idiot), although like I said there's barely anything to do on Lanta... You're kinda trapped here

[Neo6]

Are you a troll ?

Anyone who looks for top end accommodation etc and moans about 1000bht, that's 20 English quid, for dinner for 2 is having a laugh.

Do you know how much it costs to get in the USA Disney land or world. Did you not remember in the USA at a restaurant they add on 15% service charge whether you like it or not.

My point was Thailand is not cheap. Everyone always gives this impression it is and it's simply not.

I'm not complaining at a $30 meal for 2, I understand that might be the going rate these days... I was simply pointing out that Thailand is not cheap, that's all

[britgent]

Ha ha oh my god what a retard!

Did you plan your trip by throwing rocks at your laptop? I can barely breathe for laughing at how bad a time you've had.

Personally I think it reflects badly upon you.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Suradit69]

I would say just bad planning on the latter part of your trip. Also 5 star hotels are not Thailand..

Have fun in Majorca next year

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

Funny because most people on this forum said my plan was very good.

5 star hotels are not Thailand? How do you figure that? A large majority of the resorts are now 4 and 5 star...

And thanks but no thanks to Majorca, have a bit more adventure in me than that

Just went back to look at some of the posts made on the first page of your original thread.

Hardly would say that most people in the comments I read said your plans were very good. Quite a few were over-the-top negative. Those somewhat deranged rants you read should have clued you in that the advice you would get here needed to be taken with several grains of salt. Maybe after the first page the comments became more enthusiastic, but I doubt it.

There were also suggestions made as to other places to visit without the heavy emphasis on 5 star resorts, which you apparently ignored.

Getting the most out of a trip to Thailand is less about hitting the islands and the resorts and the high priced restaurants and focusing on how many thousands of dollars you spent or staying in hotels where some dumb-ass movie was shot. You should have stayed at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok if you wanted to be pampered, but if you really want all that you'd be better off in high-end touristy ghettos in the US or Europe.

"Funny because most people on this forum said my plan was very good."

Anyway, the people who comment on threads in these forums are residents here or people contemplating long-time stays. This isn't Club Med or Thomas Cook. For the most part we are less likely to bother with resorts and we'd much prefer to eat at restaurants that are decidedly un-touristy but where the food is excellent. Our priorities tend to be the mundane ... swimming pool maintenance, condo management, weeds in the garden, heights of balcony railings, and where to find the best pizzas or bagels. We tend to regard reports of the bizarre antics of clueless tourists as fodder for our entertainment.

I wonder how many people here actually read through your entire first post in this thread. You're 28 years old and rather full of yourself. A high percentage of regular posters on this forum have been around a great deal longer than that. A great deal. Not much reason to think their suggestions would suit you or your chronicle of moaning would interest many of them. When it comes to whining/whingeing, you're a comparative amateur here.

Edited August 22, 2013 by Suradit69

[Neo6]

If you have travelled to China then you would realize that BKK is far from being polluted. Visit some temples. Take in the shopping, the intercontinental hotel is my first choice. Take in the local culture. Taste the street food. Visit the floating markets. Go to Ayuttaya and see the ancient temples. Hua Hin is a great place for married couples. The food is amazing here. Check out Sirocco, a famous restaurant. There is a beautiful restaurant outdoors near the airport surrounded by temples, amazing architecture, swans, and a beautiful little lake. While your at it buy a new suit from the local tailor Apu ha ha

That's true, although compared to China no where is polluted

When I arrived in Samui I certainly felt the air was a lot cleaner though. Anyway pollution kinda comes with the package when you visit a major city.

I definitely wanted to go to Ayuttaya but I don't think we'll have time. Maybe next time

[tw25rw]

I go once or twice a year and enjoy it. I go knowing it's a developing country which is rough around the edges and often shabby, though the first time I went, I found it hard and didn't have a good time. Generally, I do find it cheap. I stay at cheap, but decent hotels and eat at cheap, but decent places. Going with a Thai helps a lot too. I generally don't see the point of these high end resorts and wouldn't feel right there knowing that the staff earn peanuts and often live in shacks. I think it's definitely a country that needs an adventurous side and a willingness to rough it to get the most from it.

[Neo6]

Ha ha oh my god what a retard!

Did you plan your trip by throwing rocks at your laptop? I can barely breathe for laughing at how bad a time you've had.

Personally I think it reflects badly upon you.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

What an incredibly insightful post! You gave so much information and detail on how things should have been done!

Oh wait...

[alexander69]

Did you ever study your homework at school properly,or just glance and say i know what i am doing.

Pass results A,B, or failed.

Thailand is a place of dreams if you know how to live them.Its a great place and the Thais are good people.Try Vietnam next time,,,,,,,,,the traveling is awesome???

Each for there own in this world we live in.

[Neo6]

Just went back to look at some of the posts made on the first page of your original post. Hardly would say that most people in the comments I read said your plans were very good. Quite a few were over-the-top negative. Those somewhat deranged rants should have clued you that the advice you would get needed to be taken with several grains of salt. Maybe after the first page they became more enthusiastic.

There were also suggestions made as to other places to visit without the heavy emphasis on 5 star resorts, that you apparently ignored.

The original post I made was essentially just saying I would go to Samui and Chiang Mai from what I recall... Only after getting the advice from people on here and a couple of other forums did I come up with the modified plan.

And yes I had to ignore a lot of what some people said, but I still maintain that at the time I don't see how I could have made a better plan knowing what I did.

Anyway, the people who comment on threads in these forums are residents here or people contemplating long-time stays. This isn't Club Med or Thomas Cook. For the most part we are less likely to bother with resorts and we'd much prefer to eat at restaurants that are decidedly un-touristy but where the food is excellent. Our priorities tend to be the mundane ... swimming pool maintenance, condo management, weeds in the garden, heights of balcony railings, and where to find the best pizzas or bagels. We tend to regard reports of the bizarre antics of clueless tourists as fodder for our entertainment.

I don't understand this. If you want the little mundane things to be taken care of you stay at a 5 star resort. That's why they are 5 stars, they monitor everything and make sure it's all in check.

I couldn't care less if the resort is 1 star or 5, it makes no difference to me. I just want to stay somewhere that has good facilities and is in a good location. It just turned out that when I was looking for the hotels most of them were 4 or 5 star that met this criteria... Although I did make a couple of big mistakes obviously.

And what from what I can see most the really nice places are booked out 6 months in advance... It's really difficult getting a good hotel even in the August and September which is considered part of the rainy season

I wonder how many people here actually read through your entire first post in this thread. You're 28 years old and rather full of yourself. A high percentage of regular posters on this forum have been around a great deal longer than that. A great deal. Not much reason to think their suggestions would suit you or your chronicle of moaning would interest many of them. When it comes to whining/whingeing, you're a comparative amateur here.

Not sure what my age has to do with anything. There are people who are 80 and having left their city. I've done a fair amount of traveling and I was just giving an honest opinion of how things had gone so far. How does this make me full of myself?

I do agree I've probably come across as a moaner. That wasn't my goal... Although I am pretty pissed overall on how things have gone the last few weeks

[wolf5370]

$30 sounds expensive to me too - unless in a top notch restaurant or hotel - you will find CM much cheaper for food. I can walk across the road to the open air Thai restaurant opposite (thatched roof - open sides) and eat for much. much less - take day before yesterday (last time I ate there) - I had seafood curry (Pad Prik Gaend Talay) two plates of fragrant rice, fried egg (because I've gone native ), large bottle of beer, two pots of sticky rice and two portions of fried chicken (for the kids), and a bottle of water, all for 200 baht or so - also brought with me a bottle of chocolate milk from the 7-11 for the girls (my daughters will not drink fizzy drinks, so its water only otherwise) - no charge for brining my own drink in. Served by a pretty young girl, daughter of the owner, whilst watching (Italian I think) football on a 52 inch plasma. That's what, under $7. food was great and service good and friendly too (as always).

I think Lanta is a place for young lovers and beachbums. If all you want to do is laze around on the sand and test the bed springs all night - like newly weds - then its ideal. Would bore me sh!tless.

Edited August 22, 2013 by wolf5370

[Neo6]

Did you ever study your homework at school properly,or just glance and say i know what i am doing.

Pass results A,B, or failed.

Thailand is a place of dreams if you know how to live them.Its a great place and the Thais are good people.Try Vietnam next time,,,,,,,,,the traveling is awesome???

Each for there own in this world we live in.

So what are you saying? I didn't plan properly? I am pretty confident I planned more than most people do when they go on holiday, but okay, whatever you say bud...

Yes everyone says Thailand is incredible, a place of dreams, etc. I get it. I'm just giving my experience being here the last 3 weeks... I've said multiple times the Thai people are nice, I have nothing against them.

Seriously some people are beyond defensive

[asdecas]

Go home, and soon.

[transam]

Did you ever study your homework at school properly,or just glance and say i know what i am doing.

Pass results A,B, or failed.

Thailand is a place of dreams if you know how to live them.Its a great place and the Thais are good people.Try Vietnam next time,,,,,,,,,the traveling is awesome???

Each for there own in this world we live in.

So what are you saying? I didn't plan properly? I am pretty confident I planned more than most people do when they go on holiday, but okay, whatever you say bud...

Yes everyone says Thailand is incredible, a place of dreams, etc. I get it. I'm just giving my experience being here the last 3 weeks... I've said multiple times the Thai people are nice, I have nothing against them.

Seriously some people are beyond defensive

Everyone's ''Land of Dreams'' or ''Holiday of Dreams'' is different. I live in LOS but I love a holiday cruising the UK Norfolk Broads. LOS is a land of many things that for sure will not fill everyone's expectations if you want perfection in certain departments. One must go with the flow and adjust, same as any country that is new to you, or me.

[Neo6]

Everyone's ''Land of Dreams'' or ''Holiday of Dreams'' is different. I live in LOS but I love a holiday cruising the UK Norfolk Broads. LOS is a land of many things that for sure will not fill everyone's expectations if you want perfection in certain departments. One must go with the flow and adjust, same as any country that is new to you, or me.

Makes sense. I was actually having a very similar conversation with the GF over dinner.

It's about the little things and how the place makes you feel overall. You don't need the absolute perfect beach or the highest rated restaurant (usually they're the crappiest anyway).

I felt pretty good in Bangkok (even though 3 days is enough there) and I felt good in the first hotel in Samui. In Phangan and Lanta I've just not felt the vibe at all and the extra excess traveling to get to these places has just added to the crap.

It is important to know what you like and go somewhere that reflects that. As I've said multiple times I don't think I would have had anything negative to say if I'd just gone to Bangkok, Samui and Chiang Mai. Listening to all the fluff and hype from people and having too high expectations is what has caused problems for us

[IsaanUSA]

This is the "quality tourist" that Thailand is trying to attract. They have high standards and are sorely disappointed when those standards are not met.

[Neo6]

This is the "quality tourist" that Thailand is trying to attract. They have high standards and are sorely disappointed when those standards are not met.

I think you totally and utterly misunderstand what type of traveler I am.

I wanted to see as much as Thailand as possible and experience as much as I could. I've stated numerous times I'm not interested in snobby resorts where you don't even leave the gates. The fact that I will have probably seen more of Phangan and Lanta than most people who visit should attest to this

[Neo6]

I'm off to bed... Thanks to the people who gave real feedback and advice, I appreciate it.

And to those who could say nothing more than "go to Blackpool instead" or "go home" I think it would have been a little nicer and a bit more mature to offer more insight into what I was missing out on, or places I should make sure I visit before my trip is over.

Good night

[babyjesus]

Thailand on holiday you can spend less or more than Western Countries, but still the ambiance is usually nicer.

Thailand, when you know how to spend your money carefully (i.e. spend $30 on acceptable accomodation with breakfast included, then get the hell out of the room and actually see the country) is a bargain.

Keep coming back, it gets better.