2 Month Vacation, Girl Traveling Alone

[summerinthailand]

Aside from visa information, which is covered very well, what are the basics of vacationing in Thailand? My main goal is to learn about culture. I would want to stay for a couple months. Do I stay in an apartment or hotel? What are some safe, tourism-friendly areas? How should I best protect myself (as an English only speaking 19 year old girl) from being cheated out of money or otherwise tricked or talking to people who mean me harm? How much money do people usually need to fly, have a place to stay, eat, and cover other expenses for two months? Thank you!

Other advise is welcome, since I'm sure these questions are only a few of the many I should be asking.

[thepool]

Thailand is a big country!

Where do you want to go , what do you want to see or experience ?

Do some research and then return with more focused questions.

[notmyself]

Thailand is a big country!

Where do you want to go , what do you want to see or experience ?

Do some research and then return with more focused questions.

True enough.

I also worry about experience at 19. I think it would be fair to say that outside of simple tourism, Thailand being so different would make it a hard place to cut one's teeth.

[notmyself]

Does anyone have a daughter of similar age that the OP can speak with?

[Misterwhisper]

Obviously the OP has practically zero knowledge about the country she intends to visit for a pro-longed vacation.

My advice to her is to buy a couple of good guidebooks (second-hand will do) and thoroughly read through the general information pages and also browse the different travel destination/tourist attraction pages to gain a better understanding about Thailand.

Also, there are literally THOUSANDS of freely accessible websites that give exhaustive information on every aspect regarding Thailand, from culture, do's&dont's, safety to accommodation, transportation, food, and much, much more.

Why the laziness and trying to let other people do the hard work piece-mealing together what you can easily find out yourself with a little bit of effort? After all, it is supposed to be YOUR vacation!

Once you've educated yourself about the basics, you can still post specific questions about this and that, and I am sure a lot people will be glad to help you out with hands-on info. But do some ground work first, girl!

[Loles]

Girl, your plan is a full dangerous plan.

An 19 yrs old girl is alone in TH ... I hope my daughter never comes with this plan to me.

We have here many experiences by lot of years (mostly) but Thais can make me surprised any-times.

Your knowledge is zero.

My advise: don't do alone, take some-one with you.

If you want any further information fell free to send a private message.

Regards.

[ubonjoe]

Moved to the Thailand travel forum.

[oldthaihand99]

1. Very bad idea.

2. Want to learn about the culture? No need to visit the country. Just do some reading.

Read a book & you'll learn more about the culture than in a 2 month visit.

[Sheryl]

Regarding safety see this in the ladies forum:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/151665-safety-tips-for-women-in-thailand/

As to where to stay it depends among other things on how long you plan to stay in one spot. And your budget. There are serviced apartments in many cities which can be rented for the night, week or month; nightly costs are similiar to a hotel (but not at the cheaper end of the spectrum) for much better value IMO.

[thrilled]

If I was you,I would carry pepper spray,tazer gun.and keep them near you.Don't travel at night.Watch your back.

I would just get hotel rooms.

[Gonsalviz]

I was expecting a bunch of lechers willing to accompany her but instead I find a group of paranoids. Girl, This country is safe just don't be stupid. It would be better if you have a companion but it is not necessary.

[bina]

if you are a city girl, then use your city wisdom. if u are a small town or country girl, then do research before hand, keep money/passport info with someone in your family and accesible in email or otehr 'cloud' storage; keep your wits about u, if u feel there is a possibly dangerous situtation, then move out or away from it (trust your gut instincts); plan some plans and then play it by ear. any large city is dangerous, travelling in a foreign country is different depending on wehre u are from also... ifu come from a country where everyone 'goes by the rules' then, caveat emptor. if u are, like me, from a 'wilder' country, then go for it free for all.

meet like minded female travellors in travell forums, or in hostels, spend time to do things with them (but never trust anyone 100 % even if they rae from yuor own country, as many predators out there)... dont get drunk or put yourself in stupid situations; understadn that in a large amount of countries, a single white female (assuming u are that , but also for western black women as well) from western countries dressed as they would at home seem to carry a sign over their heads that says 'sex free' written on it.

19 is not a baby girl... our girls are in the army for two years already at that age or travelling, or living away from home.

if u belong to any kind of 'community' (christian groups/jewish groups/wahtever) fine out if they have 'safe havens' if u need: for jewish travellors there is always the habad house in every country in major cities, christian groups also have 'missions' and group offices, if needed in an emergency.

bring your own condoms /birthcontrol if u have plans; know ahead of time that any males (or females if u are into that side of things) that flirt with you might not be super serious, as u are 'new meat' in that respect; oth thats how i met my first husband (tall israeli guy offerring me turkish coffee in his 'room' in kibbutz, three kids later the rest is history)

first few weeks stay on the beaten path until u learn the swing of things/words/dos and do nots'/ money etc. ; keep in contact with family/friends on a planned basis (once a week call in to say hi) , where your next stop is going to be, etc.

bring some of your fave foods from home until u get used to the food in thailand; also, bring feminine hygiene (tampons) as cost more and a bit more difficult to find (or maybe now not so much);

decide if u are trekking all the way or here and there for for a real hotel; nver spend all your money in the first few weeks, better to spend the last money at the airport, in case of emergencies so leave splurging/shopping for your last leg of the trip when u ahve done all you've wanted to do.

as far as 'girlie' stuff: personally, i like to have short hair in thailand, its a real pain to shampoo etc in most of the places i was in (villages out in the boonies or worker apartments for thais, not foreigners), also too hot for long hair and it blows all over when on motocy's; also my shampoos went crazy in the soft water of the villages and i couldnt get the bubbles out (people here have the opposite problem that their shampoos dont work in our hard water)...

nto sure about finances , im not a shopper and i eat like a thai, although do drink bottled water in teh city.

have i left anything out?

[Maybole]

Go to your nearest Thai Restaurant(s) and ask the staff.They all want to boast about how great Thailand is.

[ezzra]

Does anyone have a daughter of similar age that the OP can speak with?

I have a GF the same age.... dose it qualify??/

[cooked]

hmm. Travelling alone and presumably not speaking Thai. I think you can assume, especially outside of Bangkok that no one can speak English. That, along with having no experience of the way Thais act and react, will possibly leave you sitting on the steps of a railway station somewhere wondering how to find a hotel and whether these strange guys on motorbikes are Hell's Angels or what.

Also the fact that you are (very nicely) asking for information suggests that you don't have the chutzpah needed to do what you want to do. Find a companion, although this will result in your having even less contact with the Thais. I have travelled extensively, both alone and with someone and I can assure you that there is a big difference. I saw people travelling alone in Marocco that couldn't speak French, they were getting paranoid.

[summerinthailand]

if you are a city girl, then use your city wisdom. if u are a small town or country girl, then do research before hand, keep money/passport info with someone in your family and accesible in email or otehr 'cloud' storage; keep your wits about u, if u feel there is a possibly dangerous situtation, then move out or away from it (trust your gut instincts); plan some plans and then play it by ear. any large city is dangerous, travelling in a foreign country is different depending on wehre u are from also... ifu come from a country where everyone 'goes by the rules' then, caveat emptor. if u are, like me, from a 'wilder' country, then go for it free for all.

meet like minded female travellors in travell forums, or in hostels, spend time to do things with them (but never trust anyone 100 % even if they rae from yuor own country, as many predators out there)... dont get drunk or put yourself in stupid situations; understadn that in a large amount of countries, a single white female (assuming u are that , but also for western black women as well) from western countries dressed as they would at home seem to carry a sign over their heads that says 'sex free' written on it.

19 is not a baby girl... our girls are in the army for two years already at that age or travelling, or living away from home.

if u belong to any kind of 'community' (christian groups/jewish groups/wahtever) fine out if they have 'safe havens' if u need: for jewish travellors there is always the habad house in every country in major cities, christian groups also have 'missions' and group offices, if needed in an emergency.

bring your own condoms /birthcontrol if u have plans; know ahead of time that any males (or females if u are into that side of things) that flirt with you might not be super serious, as u are 'new meat' in that respect; oth thats how i met my first husband (tall israeli guy offerring me turkish coffee in his 'room' in kibbutz, three kids later the rest is history)

first few weeks stay on the beaten path until u learn the swing of things/words/dos and do nots'/ money etc. ; keep in contact with family/friends on a planned basis (once a week call in to say hi) , where your next stop is going to be, etc.

bring some of your fave foods from home until u get used to the food in thailand; also, bring feminine hygiene (tampons) as cost more and a bit more difficult to find (or maybe now not so much);

decide if u are trekking all the way or here and there for for a real hotel; nver spend all your money in the first few weeks, better to spend the last money at the airport, in case of emergencies so leave splurging/shopping for your last leg of the trip when u ahve done all you've wanted to do.

as far as 'girlie' stuff: personally, i like to have short hair in thailand, its a real pain to shampoo etc in most of the places i was in (villages out in the boonies or worker apartments for thais, not foreigners), also too hot for long hair and it blows all over when on motocy's; also my shampoos went crazy in the soft water of the villages and i couldnt get the bubbles out (people here have the opposite problem that their shampoos dont work in our hard water)...

nto sure about finances , im not a shopper and i eat like a thai, although do drink bottled water in teh city.

have i left anything out?

Thank you! This gives me a better idea about types of areas to visit. If I take this trip (soon or later in life with a group) I will definitely take your saftey advice and use what I've learned living in big cities. I would not have thought of the community safe havens and will look into that (for travel to other countries as well).

[summerinthailand]

hmm. Travelling alone and presumably not speaking Thai. I think you can assume, especially outside of Bangkok that no one can speak English. That, along with having no experience of the way Thais act and react, will possibly leave you sitting on the steps of a railway station somewhere wondering how to find a hotel and whether these strange guys on motorbikes are Hell's Angels or what.

Also the fact that you are (very nicely) asking for information suggests that you don't have the chutzpah needed to do what you want to do. Find a companion, although this will result in your having even less contact with the Thais. I have travelled extensively, both alone and with someone and I can assure you that there is a big difference. I saw people travelling alone in Marocco that couldn't speak French, they were getting paranoid.

Really great perspective! Thank you! There are other countries that I know the culture of very well and those might be better to travel to. You bring up a good point, and I think I could have a much more safe and enjoyable trip with that understanding. Also, it is very helpful that you discussed where I might and might not be able to find English speakers.

[canman]

hmm. Travelling alone and presumably not speaking Thai. I think you can assume, especially outside of Bangkok that no one can speak English. That, along with having no experience of the way Thais act and react, will possibly leave you sitting on the steps of a railway station somewhere wondering how to find a hotel and whether these strange guys on motorbikes are Hell's Angels or what.

Also the fact that you are (very nicely) asking for information suggests that you don't have the chutzpah needed to do what you want to do. Find a companion, although this will result in your having even less contact with the Thais. I have travelled extensively, both alone and with someone and I can assure you that there is a big difference. I saw people travelling alone in Marocco that couldn't speak French, they were getting paranoid.

Really great perspective! Thank you! There are other countries that I know the culture of very well and those might be better to travel to. You bring up a good point, and I think I could have a much more safe and enjoyable trip with that understanding. Also, it is very helpful that you discussed where I might and might not be able to find English speakers.

English should not be too much of an issue in any of the tourist spots. You are certainly not restricted to Bangkok in that regard. Once you get more familiar and comfortable and maybe pick up a bit of the language you could venture off the beaten track.

[zyphodb]

There's a good facebook group called South East Asia 2012 which has a lot of useful stuff & if you join you could probably find someone to buddy up with which I think would be a very good idea, other than that don't drink cocktail buckets as they quite often have Rohypnol added to make you easier to mug later, the full moon partys on ko pangan are notorious for this... Thailand is a mostly safe country as long as you follow the normal rules for strange places ie. don't be on the streets or beach after about 10PM, don't get shitfaced unless in the company of lots of friends & if you do DON'T get separated from them. At night, take a taxi preferably accompanied by a friend.

As for being ripped off on the price of things that will happen, just try to keep them to small amounts, try to use your own common sense to avoid them & learn by your mistakes... most importantly unless you are VERY streetwise do buddy up with someone, it'll make your whole trip safer & more enjoyable. As someone else said, once you get away from the touristy places vertully NO-ONE will speak any English at all. Thailand is probably the worst Country in SE Asia & the World come to that, for English speaking... Despite this it's mostly a great Country so enjoy...

[summerinthailand]

Regarding safety see this in the ladies forum:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/151665-safety-tips-for-women-in-thailand/

As to where to stay it depends among other things on how long you plan to stay in one spot. And your budget. There are serviced apartments in many cities which can be rented for the night, week or month; nightly costs are similiar to a hotel (but not at the cheaper end of the spectrum) for much better value IMO.

Thank you! These safety tips are a big help.

[simonfish]

Do a home stay with a Thai family, use it as base for shorter trips. You will make some lifelong friends. And someone will be looking out for you as well.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[summerinthailand]

There's a good facebook group called South East Asia 2012 which has a lot of useful stuff & if you join you could probably find someone to buddy up with which I think would be a very good idea, other than that don't drink cocktail buckets as they quite often have Rohypnol added to make you easier to mug later, the full moon partys on ko pangan are notorious for this... Thailand is a mostly safe country as long as you follow the normal rules for strange places ie. don't be on the streets or beach after about 10PM, don't get shitfaced unless in the company of lots of friends & if you do DON'T get separated from them. At night, take a taxi preferably accompanied by a friend.

As for being ripped off on the price of things that will happen, just try to keep them to small amounts, try to use your own common sense to avoid them & learn by your mistakes... most importantly unless you are VERY streetwise do buddy up with someone, it'll make your whole trip safer & more enjoyable. As someone else said, once you get away from the touristy places vertully NO-ONE will speak any English at all. Thailand is probably the worst Country in SE Asia & the World come to that, for English speaking... Despite this it's mostly a great Country so enjoy...

Great suggestions! Thank you for your insight on the English and city/beach tips.

[Loles]

I was expecting a bunch of lechers willing to accompany her but instead I find a group of paranoids. Girl, This country is safe just don't be stupid. It would be better if you have a companion but it is not necessary.

paranoids ?

If you are say that TH is a safe country to a 19 yrs old western girl with zero experience for a 2 months holiday alone, you must to be

a- insane

b- blind and deaf

c- tourist

d- or you don't live here.

Please choose the correct answer.

[roamer]

I was expecting a bunch of lechers willing to accompany her but instead I find a group of paranoids. Girl, This country is safe just don't be stupid. It would be better if you have a companion but it is not necessary.

paranoids ?

If you are say that TH is a safe country to a 19 yrs old western girl with zero experience for a 2 months holiday alone, you must to be

a- insane

b- blind and deaf

c- tourist

d- or you don't live here.

Please choose the correct answer.

Name a safe country ? It's more about the person than the country, if you don't have your wits about you then you can come to harm almost anywhere. Thailand has many like minded travellers, not hard to find travelling companions, KSR is a start. Certainly the islands. I doubt she would be more at risk in LOS than anywhere in Europe, US, Australia, certainly safer than South America, Middle East and much of Asia. Even low crime destinations like Japan can prove troublesome for western women. Safety in numbers and there are many similar minded travellers here. My friends daughter, a year older just had a ball doing South Africa China and Australia solo.

Bina gave some good advice.

[notmyself]

Name a safe country ?

Name an unsafe country. If you can then your comment is devoid of meaning.

[baneko]

I would take a friend. Thailand can be dangerous. Just use your common sence. You will be fine. Read a few books.

Thailand is a great country so dont be put off.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[misterphil]

Make sure you know where you are at all times. Most modern phones have GPS capability. Thai SIM cards are very cheap and also are the data packages.

Dont be alone at night.

Dont wear inappropriate clothing and show off too much skin when out and about.

Dont be rude to the locals.

Dont rent the jet skis, don't wear gold, and youll be fine.

Enjoy the place.

An apartment will be cheaper for the month than a hotel room, but if your going to go around the country thats useless so hotels will be better.

By the way, there was a young girl on here last year asking the same questions about travelling here alone. See if you can find her story.

[kingstonkid]

Seriously if I had a daughter your age that wanted to travel anywhere I would be very careful. I think the best thing you can do is forget about doing it alone.

As stated tehre is safety in numbers. also it is more fun when you can share your new experiences with a friend.

If you get in a situation no matter what it is it is always nice to now that there is someone with you.

We see many girls travelling through and it is almost always in pairs.

I would ask my best freind if I were you and if needed help her with teh money just so that you both have this awesome trip to discuss later.

[bushwacker]

I am not seeing a plan but rather a dream. I want to visit Thailand. That is not a plan. The plan is the details that are flushed out with facts obtained by study. If you know anything about asking questions on the internet you will find that for ever yes there is an off setting no. You need to research. For example your question on hotel or apartment. Well, not only are there 1000s of comments on this subject on the internet but we cannot help because we do not know the details of your plan. If you are going to spend months in say Nakhon Sawan then a nice studio apartment will cost you $125 a month or $200 all in. (electric, water, tv, net). But if you are going to be in a big city like Bkk then this is a different game. If you are going to spend short times in places because you are traveling around following the culture, then you must go the route of a hotel which is way more expensive.

If you want to learn culture then the big cities are not for you. The culture is seen in the little cities and towns.

I think you need to flush out your plan into a lot more detail before asking such questions.

[CanThaiMike]

Hi,

My Name is Mike. I am from Canada and have been living in Thailand for the last 15 years.

May I ask where you are from? I would like to be of assistance to you. And if you are looking for a friend and someone that you can feel comfortable around and talking with. If you wish you can send me a private email and add me to your Skype and we can chat and I can tell you all about Thailand and we can be friends and if you would like we can get to be friends and if and only if you feel comfortable we can meet when you are in Thailand.

I am a businessman man here in Thailand. I am not in the sex trade. I am actually in law.

I work for a law firm, but I am not sending this reply to your post about my work. I try to help many expats

that come to Thailand to help them adjust quickly to the culture shock as well as I know what it is like to travel alone.

I am a worldly traveler, I have been to many countries and I have been travelling since I was 15 years old.

Here is my contact details. Add me to Skype we can video chat so you can see who you are speaking to.

<Email removed, please use PM function to contact>

Skype: <Skype address removed, please use PM function to contact>

I look forward to speaking with you and if there is anything and I do mean anything that you need or if you require some important information do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards and Best Wishes,

Mike

Edited April 10, 2014 by metisdead
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