Thailand
I have never been to Thailand before, which is a rather weird thing nowadays even for people who don’t travel a lot. That is actually the reason why I never wanted to go to Thailand!
For me it’s too much mass tourism… at least looking from the outside. And my expectation was largely confirmed. Overcrowding is a big problem in Thailand. Thailand saw a record 38.27m tourists in 2018. Based on its trends analysis, the Ministry of Tourism has forecast that 41.1 million people will visit Thailand in 2019, and they will spend over USD 70 billion during their stays. Direct receipts from tourism contribute about 12% to Thailand’s gross domestic product, and indirect revenues push the figure closer to 20%. This huge growth in mass tourism leads to many problems, such as overcrowding of major cities, sights and beaches not to mention pollution and overfishing… Fortunately, the Thai government started some initiatives to encourage sustainable tourism.
There are also positive sides to this strong tourism focus: 1. Accommodation is plentiful and usually of good quality, 2. Transport is easy to use and efficient, 3. It’s very easy to plan and arrange your visit. And when you get off the main tourist attractions it becomes much less crowded (but you’re never completely wild and lost).
My recommendations of must-do activities in Thailand:
1. Food! Food is amazing in Thailand: rich in flavour and colour, fresh and so tasty. I love most fruits and seafood there. Here are some of my favourite restaurants:
– Bangkok: amazing sushi in “Isau” (5 Sukhumvit 31) soft shell crab curry in “Sri Trat” (90 Sukhumvit 33); simple but tasty local food at “Suda” (Asok train station, Bangkok)
– Aythaya: amazing crab in “Sainam Pomphet” (a nice outside terrace).
2. Sunsets:
– On a boat in Bangkok (going from Banglamphu), I was finally relaxed after a hectic day of visiting temples;
– Sunset at Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai;
– On the beach in Koh Lanta
3. Temples:
– Aythaya (Day trip from Bangkok) – UNESCO heritage, founded in 1350. A bit like Angkor Wat but much more worn down. Still very interesting to visit (best thing to do is to hire a private driver for a day to get there and around).
4. Massages:
– 2 hour foot and body Thai massage at Footmaster, Bangkok;
– 3-hour massage at Kim’s Spa in Phuket old town.
5. Festival of Light:
– Loy Krathong and Yi Peng – Thailand Lantern Festival takes place in different locations all over Thailand in November but the one in Chiang Mai is the most famous (and the most beautiful). It’s a great experience seeing all these lanterns in the air and sending one into the air yourself. Soaking up the festive ambiance and music at the Night Market Bazaar, putting my Krathong (banana leaf decorated with flowers and a candle) in the river.
6. Wildlife:
– Sustainable elephant parks in Chiang Mai. Loved feeding an elephant (Lanna) with bananas and walking with him.
7. Experiences:
– Cooking class in Chiang Mai;
– Diving in Koh Lanta;
8. Shopping:
– Chatuchak weekend-market in Bangkok
Some cultural notes:
1. Original name of Thailand is Siam.
2. There are many rules in Thailand: such as a ban on electronic cigarettes (you can get 2-3 years in prison for a violation of this ban!)
3. Thai’s are fanatic about their religion and monarchy: everywhere you go, you see all these ‘respect Buddha’ signs “Buddha is not a decoration” (More than 90% of Thai’s are Buddhists). Offending the king or its relatives in any way is considered a criminal offence.
4. Unfortunately, in many instances Thai’s would try to cheat you… So be alert, you are not in a safe haven, like trustworthy Bhutan (read my blog here on Bhutan: https://atlasofhappiness.com/destination-item/bhutan/
What not to do the next time:
Bangkok:
– Food tour with Taste of Thailand. The guide – a very young girl who did not really give any introduction or explain the food – just brought you to your place, which was anyway predefined. The English couple next to me (who also took this tour) was very reserved so it was an awkward 3 hours of eating mostly in silence. However, the food was very good but as mentioned, no information were given – just a lot of eating. Would not recommend.
– Royal palace and temples in Bangkok – a nightmare! The worst experience of the trip! Crowds, stress, hot, horrible. Do you know that Bangkok is actually the most visited city in the world?! You immediately understand that this is true when you’re visiting the royal palace and the temples there. The only good experience was taking a boat back with a very beautiful sunset, after enjoying a cocktail in the “Skybar” with one American and two German guys, followed with a nice dinner at “Suda” together with a French woman and a small kitten.
– Shopping in MBK – not nice = like a big marketplace under a roof! The food hall was more like a canteen where they served low quality food at high prices – this was the worst Lonely Planet recommendation of the trip.
Chiang Mai accommodation: Alexa hostel is too far from the old city, smelly and not nice.
Island transportation: boat mess. I arrived far too early at the pier (at 7:30am - boat leaves at 8:30am). I was told at my hotel where I booked the boat ride that it takes 2 hours to Koh Lanta but it actually takes 4 hours, plus a change in Koh Phi Phi with one hour waiting. You’d better book directly at the pier (don't book the boat through the hotel if your hotel is too far away from the pier - they don't seem to know anything or be very helpful).
Koh Lanta accommodation: I definitely overpaid (paid USD 60 - could have gotten something nice for USD 30).
Phuket old town: not really worth to stay there more than 2 hours.
Other than that, I would not change a thing. It was very intensive time for me there – no relaxing days and too many activities – but I did everything I wanted and I absolutely loved it. 🙂
Four days in Bangkok:
First impression: Bangkok is hot and humid, big and crowded. As said, it is the most visited city in the world! After some time it grew on me for this big city feel, cool design shops and cafes/restaurants, relaxing massages, and energetic vibes. I would not want to live there or come back, staying four days is more than enough. It’s good to use as a hub when traveling or for a 1-2 day stay on the way somewhere else for a good meal, some shopping and relaxing Thai massages.
Shopping in Bangkok:
Chatuchak weekend market and its designer T-shirts and a mango ice cream. I would be happy to go there again and explore it more. Section 2 (which is next to the train station) is the best: has young cool designer clothes. I also liked Thai designers in Siam Centre (just to see, not to buy, as it’s a bit too weird with too much lace and too girly). You do need to visit the shopping centres (but not sure if you need to spend the whole day there like I did. I liked it and it was a welcome change from my hiking/diving experiences: to have a whole day shopping with manicure/pedicure and a massage in the evening.
Nice shopping centres around Siam:
– Siam Paragon: high-end international brands such as Gucci and a nice food hall. I had my manicure/pedicure there – 1500baht (approx. USD 50) – clean and nice but not good-looking nails in the end – Sisters Nails (second floor) – would not recommend.
– Siam Centre: young Thai designers. Quite cool. There is also a good organic restaurant inside (2nd floor): The name was something like “Charma”. On the other side, there is a stand with good green tea, ice creams and red beans.
– MBK: like a huge market place – did not liked it too much. It’s the same as what you find on the market, just an 8 floor one. I bought a big suitcase there, which was inexpensive, only 40 USD. The quality was quite poor but as I came for this 2-month trip with only one suitcase and I had shopped a lot of stuff, I needed an extra one. I also bought some cheap and colourful beach dresses. Later I ate in their “famous” food court on 5th floor. They have an interesting concept where you get a card and can choose any dish from the different cuisine stands and pay in the end all together. It does have a canteen ambiance to it = no ambiance. The food is ok but expensive (I paid 600 baht approx. USD 20). Even though I had the crab, it was still overprized. Afterwards I counted my blessings that I didn’t get sick. This was an experience you can live without.
– Siam One square – it’s more of an outdoor shopping mall – not nice (when it is hot outside). Teenager clothing – not interesting for me (they have small cuts and weird designs – too girly).
Massages:
Massages are cheap and good. I only got one, as I was busy sightseeing/shopping. The next time it would be good to get a massage upon arrival. I stayed in Sukhumvit 31, so I went to “Footmaster” at Sukhumvit 31 (a 5 min walk from my hotel). I had a 1-hour foot massage and a 1-hour Thai massage there – this was amazing.
Accommodation:
I stayed in “Tints of Blue” hotel - very nice. They serve a great breakfast (a lot of papaya and pineapple and eggs), a lot of food - enough to last you through the day. They also stored my luggage when I travelled to Bhutan and Nepal. The hotel has a self-service laundry machine and this comes in handy when you go sightseeing until late and come back when all the laundry shops are closed. They charge you 50baht (USD 1.5) per machine and 30baht for drying. Rooms come with a complementary big bottle of water and a teapot – ever since my time in Bhutan, I loved to have a tea with chocolate in the evening, doing my posts on Instagram or research for the next day – so the teapot was a welcoming accessory. The only downside was the air conditioning blowing directly on the bed – it made me sick. “Nandha” Hotel (very close to “Tints of Blue”) has a nice design and it is cheaper, but service is not polite. There is no breakfast included and they cannot store the luggage for you when you are away (as they have no luggage storage facility). Therefore, “Tints of Blue” is the better choice and Sukhumvit is a good neighbourhood. After going back and forth for 2 months “Tints of Blue” felt like coming home every time.
Food in Bangkok:
I prefer to eat in the restaurants and not on the markets as it’s priced almost the same but you get to sit down, have a good drink, wash your hands, etc.
Sushi at “Isau”: very fresh but a bit expensive
“Sri Trat”: curry with soft shell crab (which was amazing). Very good but expensive (or they might have cheated me and put something else on the bill. As it was my first night in Bangkok I did not check: bill was written in Thai)
“Suda” (Asok train station, Bangkok) – very simple, cheap but very good. Very crowded.
I also loved Chinese biscuits during my food tour in China Town, papaya for breakfast at my hotel “Tints of Blue”, mango ice cream with fresh mango on the Chatuchak market.
Give it a miss:
Temples and the royal palace - crazy crowded
Banglamphu area (famous after the movie “Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio) - kind of a hippy, backpacker region – nothing special.
My four-day program in Bangkok:
Day 1: temples, Royal palace, and Banglaphu (going to and back with the boat) and drinks at the Skybar, dinner at Suda (only Suda and boat are worth repeating)
Day 2: Aythaya (I recommend).
Day 3: shopping in Siam.
Day 4: walking around and taking a food tour in China Town - not interesting (but might be interesting with a different guide/agency).
Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand
I think one does not need more than 3 days in Chiang Mai:
Day 1: sustainable elephant experience.
Day 2: a good all day cooking class.
Day 3: temples, city and museums.
You might need a bit more time if you (like me) are coming during the Festival of Light – this is an amazing experience. Actually, all of the festival activities take place in the evening so three days would be enough in any case.
General tips regarding Chiang Mai:
Flight/transport from the airport: I arrived on the 21 of November 2018. It was a pleasant one-hour flight from Bangkok with Nok - everything went perfect. I took a taxi (official taxi had a huge queue, so I took another one but for the same price: 180baht to Alexa Hostel).
Accommodation - Alexa Hostel: I chose it based on excellent reviews on TripAdvisor and because during this Festival of Lights all the hotels were booked. I am definitely not a hostel person... It was a kind of hub for digital nomads. In general, Chiang Mai is a huge hub for digital nomads. On the ground floor of this hostel there was a cafe with a lot of digital nomads working (like a co-working space). I didn’t really feel like seeing work when travelling. I had a single room, which was rather loud, smelly, and with the air condition exactly above my bed - so rather bad. The free breakfast was rice with salad, so you need to go for a breakfast somewhere else or buy it in their cafe. Moreover, the location was not nice for sightseeing but it might be a good location for long term living: it has many expat shops, cafes and restaurants. However, as my goal was sightseeing, the festival and night markets and this was all in the old town - 30 to 40 min walk away, I would choose a different neighbourhood.
Transportation: Usually you can take a red taxi (it’s kind of an open minivan) for 30 baht but as it was festival time, they were either full or not going where you needed them to. To hail one of these red taxis just raise your hand and when it stops, tell the driver where you need to go and he will tell you whether this red taxi goes there. Mostly, I just walked on the road, which connects the old town and the hotel and took this red taxi from there.
Festival of Lights - Loy Krathong, takes place in November. This was the reason I came to Chiang Mai and it‘s a cool thing to see but there are a loooot of people... The festival takes place over 3 days and day 2 and 3 are the best (the last day has a never-ending parade). Book all your activities (like the Elephant Park and cooking) in advance during this period, as everything is booked out.
My overall tip: I am not a person who is going somewhere without any plan and then decides spontaneously what to do when I’m there. Why? Because I don’t want to lose time on organizing the things and stressing about it while I am on vacation. A little thing – yes, but accommodation and key/whole day activities are better to pre-book in advance in my opinion. That way you can enjoy your experiences and relax while you’re there. I went against my own principle this time and I ended up spending 3 hours to book the elephant park tour and 2 hours to book my cooking course (I needed to call 10 different places as everything was booked out). All of these are definitely must do activities in Chiang Mai. Though it might not be a problem normally, but during the festival of lights it was very difficult and therefore I recommend booking in advance!
Elephant experience: I found Baanchang Elephant Park. I called them and they told me that they have an “elephant friend day” program where only three people were registered (that turned out to be a Chinese family). There were 17 people that same day at Elephant Care day (in the same park), as you have 1 hour more with the elephants and don‘t spend this hour at the Elephant poo paper factory (yes, you read correctly). I actually found the poo paper factory quite interesting and you get to create your own paper products – I ended up spending too much time there. The silver lining in booking at the last moment is that you can choose the park and activity that is less crowded (as you know how many people attend).
Travel diary Chiang Mai:
Day 1 – arrival, visiting some temples and enjoying the pre-opening of the Festival of Lights:
First day (afternoon, after spending 3 hours booking elephant experience for the next day) I went to the temple Wat Chedi Lueng – an amazing temple, especially at sunset. There I met a Chinese girl who told me that the Festival of Light would begin that evening of the 21 November 2018 (I thought it would start the next day) – we ended up going there together. It had not really begun yet and it turned out to be more of a pre-opening. With its nice temples, lanterns, river with krathongs and still only a few people around (the next two days there would be crazy crowded), it turned out to be quite a nice experience. The opening ceremony at Thapae Gate was boring so we went to eat some fish at a very simple but very good restaurant, “Lert Ros”. Even though it had a long queue and was full of smoke inside, “Lert Ros” was an excellent Lonely Planet tip. After dinner, we walked to Nawarat Bridge and saw the first krathongs (flowers with candles) in the river. They are put on the water to fend off bad luck and although the tradition is only to do this during the two days of the festival, the Thai people worship rivers in general – rivers are seen as blood veins of their goddess. Later we went to a night market, called the Night Baazar, with live music. It was very cool and I ended up spending the next evening there too. This was a cool day!
Day 2: Elephant Park and Festival of Lights in the evening
On the 22 November 2018, I was picked up at the hotel at 8:30am to go to Baanchang Elephant Park. It was priced 2200 baht (approx. USD 70) for the full day, which I found more than reasonable considering I was almost 1 to 1 with elephants. You can find deals as low as 1500 baht but don‘t book with the hostel as they recommended the mass tourism options – cheap but not good (very bad people to elephant ratio)! We stopped in the poo paper factory, and then went to the park. I got to feed the elephants with bananas. I walked with them, held one on a leash, and washed them afterwards – you need to go into a dirty water, which is not the most hygienic (of course you don’t have to do it) but it was fun, anyway. We also saw five mom-elephants and their babies and as cute as they were, I preferred to be in the nature with the two elephants and not to see babies in cages. But it was a really cool experience overall! I was happy with my choice of park and I would definitely recommend it. With just one Chinese family joining me (who was afraid of the elephants), I had 2 elephants almost to myself.
I arrived back at the hostel at 4pm where I took a shower, changed clothing and went to the city. That night the Festival of Lights was open and there were a looooot of people there. But it was a great experience! Especially to see people sending lanterns into the air: this tradition actually belongs to another festival Yee Peng but this year these two festivals collided (on the last full moon of Thai lunar year). True to the tradition and with the help of two local boys, I sent a lantern into the air. It was fun. Afterwards, I went to the river, packed with people sending their beautiful krathons downriver. I finished the day at the Night market Bazaar where I had great Gyozas (12 pieces) and wine! This was enjoyed with two American girls sitting next to me.
Day 3: Visiting the temples of Chiang Mai and the Festival of Lights in the evening
I woke up late and tried to book a cooking course in the morning and I didn’t leave the hotel until noon. I had my coffee at Rist8etto. Great coffee but they have nothing to eat except waffles. Then I went to the old town, as I needed to pay for the cooking class, where I had gotten the last spot. Afterwards, I went to see if I could get a table at a place called “Hideout” (which is famous for their breakfast), but it was full so I went to a “Cat café” which was ok. The remainder of the afternoon I explored temples and museums (was ok but not so interesting.) That evening I ate a roasted pork leg (2 portions with stir-fried vegetables called “morning glory”) at yet another night market next to the old city entry at a famous Cowboy Hat Lady stand. It was very good food. Later that day, I went to see the parade (not so exciting and never ending). When I reached the river, I bought a very nice Krathong and put it on the water. This was a nice experience. I ended that day eating fruits at Nimman corner, not so far from my hotel.
Day 4: Cooking course
After nice waffles for breakfast at my hotel, I was picked up and taken to the cooking class. It turned out to be much better than expected. The people there were nice, the food was tasty and I actually learnt something. I made green curry, Thai pad noodles, stir fried with vegetables and bananas in coconut milk. Yummy!
Before the cooking course, they took us to a local market and showed us the products. This was where I tasted my first Durian! It’s a smelly fruit with a creamy texture and a sweet taste. It’s not bad but I don’t want to repeat the experience.
I was back at my hotel at 4pm and went for a walk in the neighbourhood. The area is nice with cool shops (though I did not buy anything), nice bars and restaurants. More of an expat area.
I did all must-dos in Chiang Mai. It might make sense to go to Pai (everybody says it much more relaxed and cool than Chiang Mai) and to do some hiking there. But I am not sure I want to come back to the area – a bit too touristy for me.
THAI ISLANDS:
– Tip: don’t buy a ticket to the boat before going to the pier (especially when it’s not in absolute high season) – go to the pier and buy it there. You can then choose the boat and the price. I could have gotten a speedboat from Phuket to Koh Lanta that takes an hour and 20 minutes; instead I ended up with a boat that took 2 hours to Koh Phi Phi, after 1-hour wait, another hour to Koh Lanta – really bad and for a 1000 baht (30 USD). The Speedboat costs 2000baht… I could have gotten the same ticket (to Koh Phi Phi and then Koh Lanta for 600 baht instead of 1000!) So just check the schedule, go early enough (30-40 min before) and buy everything there.
KOH LANTA:
Very nice and much less touristy Thai island where I learned to dive.
The best way to get there is to fly to Krabi (not Phuket). It takes 4 hours by ferry from Phuket to Koh Lanta (1000bhat) and 700bhat taxi (1 hour) to Phuket harbour from Phuket airport. There is 1.5-hour speedboat, which costs 1500bhat. You should definitely take the speedboat – it’s a much faster and better option (I took it on the way back).
Koh Lanta is very relaxed. Very quiet. Not so many people. Empty beaches, very clear and calm water but there are some small (and big) jellyfish – so I did not really swim too much. Water is very warm: 31°C.
There are a lot of Swedish people on Koh Lanta – they even have Swedish primary school there.
Accommodation: Don’t pay more than USD 30 per night. You can have a bungalow on the beach for USD 20. I paid USD 60 per night – very stupid and it was not really on the beach – my first room didn’t even have a sea view, even though I paid for it. Book any hotel on the beach, you won’t spend time there and it’s too hot to sit on the balcony anyway. Moreover, as I had breakfast on the boat while diving I did not need a hotel with breakfast.
Very difficult to travel around the island if you don’t drive yourself. Tuk tuk costs a lot – 200 baht for 10-15 min. You need to rent a motorbike – 250 baht for a day.
Food is quite expensive – you pay 450-800 baht per dinner.
My favourite restaurants: “Kitchen”, where I had dinner 3 times (great curries and nice passion fruit mojito). “Time For Lime” – is a high cuisine restaurant although not more expensive than other restaurants on the beach. Supposedly, they should have pretty good cooking class there as well. “Kung Seafood” (in the old town – no nice view) – you can choose your fish or seafood and they cook it for you. Very fresh and tasty food.
Hotel: “Lanta Mermaid” boutique hotel was not so nice and expensive – USD 60 per night including breakfast. It’s not on the beach and there is a loud road just in front. For 3 nights, I did not complain so stayed on 2nd floor without the sea view that I actually paid for. The last three nights I stayed on the 4th floor with some sea view but as said, you should stay on the beach directly. Hotels were empty (there were many availabilities on booking.com) – so I could actually book it short term with a big discount (but maybe it’s different during high season – end of January/beginning of February).
My diving school: “Lanta Divers” was very good. It’s a Swedish company and half of the personal is Swedish. They have good and big boats with ok food. Speedboats are horrible as they are very shaky and make you feel very sick if you’re not sea strong. Speedboats don’t really have toilets on board, so better take the big boats. I liked this diving school as I had a normal course (up to 4 people in a group) but it was only me and another woman in the group, and for the advanced license (2 more days) it was only me which was great. All the dives and photos costed me approx. 1000 USD (5 days diving, 3 times per day). The PADI open water 15000bhat was USD 500, and the 2 days PADI advanced with 5 dives 10700bhat (with 15% discount). I bought an additional two dives for 1800 baht. Photos from these 2 days (approx. 100 photos) were USD 75, and I also bought a diving mask there for 1700 baht. My advanced PADI instructor Tony from Sweden was very good. The Thai instructor for Open Water was ok but was not really involved and didn’t seem to care about us, so I requested to have a different instructor. I paid for the whole thing at the very end and this trust was a welcoming change compared to the rest of my experience in Thailand. I loved to dive and definitely want to continue. It was good that I did it alone (and not with friends) – that way I fully focused on me and it was my personal challenge. The first dive I was very scared: being under water, relying on a tube, imagining all this pressure on top of you, floating vertically – not able to put yourself in horizontal position. Actually, after diving in the pool first, I thought I would not want to do it at all, as I hated all the exercises. Exercises like taking off the mask underwater or inflating BCD under water or the emergency exit (i.e. when you need to breath out the air and go up – well I did not have enough air for a 8 underwater ascend). Crazy. Eventually, it turned out not to be as scary as I had imagined. The equalizing of pressure (blowing your ears) is actually not difficult at all – much easier than on the plane as long as you don’t have a cold or have a scratch in your ear from using a cotton swab – the last happened to me, which made it harder to equalize. Other than that, it was perfect. The visibility (except speed boat to Hin Daeng) was very good. With water temperature at 31°C and a calm ocean, I absolutely loved it. However, after 5 days I had enough and was happy not to dive anymore. Next time I want to do a ‘live-on-board’ (where you sleep on the boat). Usually when you live on board, you get big boats with better facilities (such as bathrooms) and a smoother ride and you’re able to enjoy the sunset and read a book after your dives.
The first 4 nights, I studied the theory for PADI and did online tests. It was rather stressful as I could not just enjoy my evenings and have a nice dinner (should have done it before coming).
Diving also meant that I did not really drink alcohol (better not to drink when you dive).
Koh Lanta is a very quiet place, nothing really happens there. There are some parties but you need a motorbike or a car to get there. I got company over my last two days (a friendly British guy). I was happy that I did not need to dive anymore, so I could drink and we got a bit too many cocktails on the last evening
The last day I swam/walked for 2 hours (I did not want to swim as I saw a big jellyfish) and took a speedboat to Phuket (Satun Pakbara speedboat – 1500 baht with a pickup at hotel in Koh Lanta).
Next places to go diving (tips from a diving instructor):
Indonesia: Nusa Lembongan (Blue Corner Dive), Tulamben, Gili island, Komodo (Wicked Diving), Banda island, Ahmed (macro diving), Raja Ampat (Scuba Republic)
Malaysia: Mabul/Sipidan (Borneo)
Sipidan (Borneo) is one of the best in the world (Barracuda point)
Yongala – Australia – wreck diving
Fiji beqa – for shark diving (8 different types of sharks)
Big island, Hawaii – black night dive
Similan islands (Thailand)
Should go to Komodo on a lifeboat for 5-6 days and visit Bali before. Contact Fabricio (photographer). It’s a good time from March to October. Flying from Krabi to Bali is only about 1500 baht – 50 USD. One night in the airport city and then onwards to the islands.
This was an amazing and very diverse trip with a lot of nice temples, great food, excellent massages, beautiful beaches, learning diving and cooking. Despite the ‘touristy feel’ and the massive crowds, I might come back to Thailand one day…
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12.11.2019
