LOL, coincidently I was watching this dude for a couple days already.
Food is definitely in top 3 of priority for this trip.

Yeah, I am definitely not even considering that. Same as Phuket. One is overtouristed and expensive and another was is also overtouristed and overseedy. That is what I gathered from feedbacks.

Like I said there will be 3 segments for me:
Bangkok + Erawan falls and that K..... town between them
Chiang mai/rai
Krabi/ao nang/railay/phiphi

I see your point, although that works in real life.
In this forum I would not have any reason to lie, nobody from real life knows me here. Plus it would definitely be more interesting to discuss redlight stuff here as it is an adult forum. Sadly I am not a sex starved dude, so I must disappoint you. Well maybe if I preferred Asian chicks to European...
That being said: I never pass on a vacation sex if opportunity arises, but that happens everywhere and Thailand is not any different for me in that regard. Meaning I am not planning to have sex there any more than I plan when I go to Spain, Italy or Germany. But that unexpected sex is not related to red light districts in any way.

Maybe, I heard that there are many bars with 50/50 as well. Anyways it is all good.

This is what I read (in terms of sukhumvit sky train stops for areas):
nana + asoke = paid for sex joints and stuff

Phorm Phong - much much much less of that
Thong lo - almost none of paid for sex realated joints, 99% chicks you meat in bars there are non sex workers.
Thong lo sounds like a good place to base?

If you really think that you're in for a little surprise.

Sukhumvit Soi 26/1 is a seedy alley of 'massage' joints.

Sukhumvit Soi 22 has bars full of sex workers.

There's some bars around the Emporium area that have girls.

In Bangkok you'll find most girls are 'available'. There's a popular pub The Robin Hood (not far from where you're considering) that is frequented with ex pats. While it's not immediately obvious, you'll find Thai girls there who are friendly, work behind the bar and often have a favourite farang they go off with after their shift.

I do not think so, just posted what I read. :) Thanks for correcting.

I did some reading about this.
People are saying that only/mostly Isaan girls are easily "available" for farangs. Since they are poor and not respected in Thailand (I get it that they are like gypsies of Thailand in terms of how they are perceived and that noprmal Thais are not interested in marrying Isaan ladies).
And that they are available only because they want some sponsorship (I mean even when they are not bar girls), rarely available in the sense that they just like you and want to have fun etc like it happens in western world.

And that normal thai girls are not available because there is a stigma of dating a farang.

True, false?

Mostly false.

Looks like I have to stop reading Thailand related blogs and subreddits - full of false information.

do not ever get in a fight with the police there...I know its a strange piece of advice but I knew a guy who got in a fight with them and I felt the need to tell you

Not the kind of guy who has any problems with police.
But not getting in a fight with police seems live more than obvious advice for any country.

I heard advice - never fight with locals (since others will jump in), that sounds like a tip somebody can not know. Not to fight with police - seems like everybody would know that :)

Few more tips i didnt see mentioned....

- dont use ATM and dont exchange at airport currency exchanges, both will rape you dry! Bring USD/Euro cash and exchange cash at Superrich (by far the best rates you'll find in Thailand). Airport right now will give you 34 per 1usd, superrich's current posted rate they'll give is 36.25. The numbers speak for themself :thumbsup

- Being a first timer, i know it'll be hard to avoid the top touristy places like the farang filled sky bars, Kao San, temples infested with tourism, etc, but i would highly suggest you try to squeeze in some time to visit some real real thai locals places, streetside restaurants that you see filled with Thai's, usually open air, maybe some beer towers, etc, and also the "member clubs", a bit expensive but you can see how real thai hiso guys do it, (not the sleazy style red light district types with females with no/bland personalities) (dont get me wrong those are surely good for something, but i mean this in terms with what you want/dont want as you've said)

- if you're not into red light district but still like to meet some females, try checking out some dating sites.. thai friendly, thai love links and thai love lines

That's all i have for now.

And agreed about the Malaria thing, if you plan to go digging through dumpsters or sleeping in jungles, that is a total overkill.

1 more tip, just be safe, careful, and if something seems over priced, dont buy it, if something seems too good to be true, be wary, etc etc, typical rules anywhere you'll go anywhere in the world :)

i hate to say it, but there's some inaccurate info here that's based on rumors or paranoia.

i've been in-country (Isaan) for over 8 years. we travel all over the country all the time. Mike South's post pretty much covers the basics. you can study that list on the plane. Bruce (adultb2b) has also been in-country a long time in Bangkok. he knows the city as well as anyone. i didn't see a post by DWB yet, but he's been in-country a long time too. tourists that visited a couple times or once a year don't know shit about Thailand. they know about tourist destinations - if that.

Malaria is not a concern. the cases are rare and you'll know if you get it. go to a clinic if you get any type of fever. most likely you wouldn't even get symptoms until you are on the way back home. it doesn't come on suddenly and you'll only be in-country a week. i don't think there were any cases of Typhoid fever breakouts last year. everyone might be thinking about Dengue. there is usually an outbreak of dengue every year during rainy season in flood areas. that's rural, swampy places. there's no dengue in BKK or CM or Krabi in May.

the much bigger concern in Thailand is belly bugs. anyone that's spent any significant time in Thailand has been stuck on the toilet at some point. the best way to avoid it is to eat carefully. if you eat street food, make sure its hot food - noodles, rice soup, boiled chicken. those sticks of pork and squid at all the street carts look delicious but they were mishandled before they were cooked and likely afterwards too. most of your sit down restaurants will be ok. just eat hot, fresh food. i got ecoli one year. that sucked. my ass leaked for a week and i spent 3 days in the hospital. i got it from eating undercooked spinach at a hiso fancy restaurant. dining is a crap shoot in Thailand. if you are worried, there's lots of Western fast food. that's not real food, so it can't carry bacteria lol

the best defense against belly bugs is whiskey. take a shot or two before bed. any bugs in your belly will be dead.

there's a 7-11 on practically every street in the country and they DO have many of the popular toiletry products from the West (colgate, axe, wine, etc). we rarely pack toiletries, even when we travel short distances. we just hit 7-11 on the way to the hotel. 7-11 also has bug spray. keep a bottle in your pocket and spray your legs and neck at dusk. you'll be fine.

the ATM advice is bs in my opinion. Siam Commercial ATMs give you the current exchange rate. they do charge a fee of 200 baht ($5), so just take out the max when you want to use them. that's usually 15-20k baht depending on your bank. carrying $500 at a time is much better than carrying your whole travel budget in your underwear. guys get ripped off all the time (taxis, bar girls, hotel maids) and then have to call home to get someone to wire them money. i always have 15-20k in my money clip and i use ATMs a couple times a week. its a good way to get the current exchange rate.

we spent a week in Aonang last March. its a fun place. the best seafood in town is near the 'port' where the longtail boats take off. the seafood place is in the little parking lot. there's a wall with about 50 tanks full of live seafood. its as fresh as it gets. we ate there every day.

the island tours pretty much suck unless you get a private tour. we were with a large group and we hit 4-5 islands a day for 2 days. the total time at each beach or dive spot was about 20-30 minutes. it was really lame. we landed on Phi Phi and had 30 minutes to eat and get back on the boat. we spent 20 minutes at that place they filmed The Beach. it was beautiful but you can't enjoy a place in 20 minutes. you are better off picking a couple destinations and hiring a boat for the day. it costs 2200 baht to get a private boat for a full day. then you can go wherever you want for as long as you want.

the nightlife in Aonang sucks. its an outdoor activity destination. everyone is asleep by 10pm. get to bed early and get up at daybreak with everyone else.

oh, the climate. we didn't have a winter this year. we had 3 cold days in December (nights in mid-60s, days around 90) and we'll have 3 days like that next week. that's the whole winter this year. spring is already here. we've seen a few spring rains in the last couple weeks. the 'tip' that hot season will start in a few months is wrong. its almost always hot. in a few weeks it will be 100+ daily and mid-April is usually the peak. its not uncommon to get 100F days any time between February and August (and usually a few others scattered throughout the year). i think its 95 today. i'll go check if i leave my air conditioned office at lunch.

May is hot but there has been some May rain in the last few years. it won't be like rainy season - which is a monsoon. the guy that said it only rains for a few hours at a time in rainy season hasn't lived in Thailand. he's thinking of Florida. it rains for a few WEEKS at a time during the 3 month rainy season. rainy season officially starts at the beginning of August and goes thru October, but it can start as early as May and end in November. if it rains in May tho, it will still be hot - just humid. if you are on a longtail boat all day in May, you'll want some cloud cover. last year it rained during Songkran (early April). that was pretty rare.

May 1st does start the low season, so prices will be pretty decent. we usually vacation in May and October every year (with a few extra vacations along the way).

the most important tip is to just be nice and smile. there's a lot of arrogant tourists that come to Thailand and think they can push their way around. Thais will ignore you, rip you off, or just treat you bad if you are an asshole. they'll go out of their way if you are nice and smiling. if there's a problem, be nice about it and it will get worked out.

there was a guy at our local bar last night who had a fight earlier in the day with an immigration officer over missing paperwork in his visa renewal. it was the expat's fault, but he got angry and lost it. he started yelling and pointing his finger at the officer. his Visa got denied and he didn't get the standard 30-day extension for fixing paperwork. today he has to travel to Laos to get a new Visa and start the process over again. he's got 3 kids, a wife, and now has to lose a few days of work. he could have just been nice and it would have worked out.

that goes the same for restaurants, hotels, shopping, etc. Thais don't care about you, and they probably don't want to be working. be nice and they'll be nice. its a laid back country. the most popular phrase in the country is Mai Pen Rai = nevermind. stressing out and getting angry won't get you what you want.

oh one last tip. search Facebook for the cities you want to hit. the major destinations all have groups of expats that either live there or travel there often. you'll get the best local advice. the Aonang/Krabi groups are really good.

:2 cents: :thumbsup

:error you forgot a few things ....

1. ppls own banks also charge (mine charge approx the same for every transaction that isnt using my own bank atm terminal)
2. tiny xchange fee (sure not so bad, but all banks def worse than superrich xchange rate)
3. if you have bank visa debit card, visa charges 1% overseas fee

if dont mind the fees, then by all means :)

or do it my way, bring cash and exchange at superrich.... only fee you're paying is that tiny tiny xchange rate difference

ive always spent tons in Thai so those small fee's add up

and worrying about getting robbed with ALL your money on you, only way is if you are flashing it around like an idiot. i'd exchange it, put in safe, and take out whats needed when needed



btw, plsrking, i do agree with most your other advices, good stuff man

i dont know how much a ton is, but we spend an average of $2k on meals, shopping and entertainment during a weeklong vacation. i personally wouldn't carry that around in my pocket.

i think ATMs are fine for a short stay. my US bank charges $10 and the Thai ATM charges $5 per transaction. i pay $15 in fees to get $500. i do wires to my Thai bank when i need to move several grand, but ATMs work fine for everyday spending cash.

i guess it just depends how much cash you are comfortable having on you.

True, it's up to the person. Many ATM's are 10k max tho.

If you are withdrawing 10k per time for a 100k baht trip, that would come out to approx 600 baht per 1 withdaw (with 200 baht thai bank fee, 1% visa fee, own bank fee 200-300 fee, etc) which comes out to 6000 baht in fee after 10 times at ATM.

And you know how easy it can be to spend $2,777 (100k baht) in 1 week vacation on food , that's not including the entertainment, hotel, flights, tours, etc etc.

I just advise exchange cash so strongly because i HATE to see how much BIG BANKS, VISA international, small banks, etc all just make SO MUCH money from our laziness.

i dont know any atms in the country that are 10k max withdrawal. they are all 20k max per session or the max daily limit of your atm. my daily limit from my US atm is $500/day. you can also go to the counter and withdraw as much as your bank will allow. we had a client visit us from the US and he was able to pull a couple grand from his ATM card at the bank counter.

i think your advice puts people at risk of robbery. 10 years ago that was pretty rare, but its pretty common now in bkk and the beaches. there's more pickpockets and bag snatchers on the street than ever before.

How many times have you been robbed while sober? How many times have you known someone who has been robbed (while sober)?

I have personally been robbed , and it was my own fault (yes i was asking for it!)

But a person that goes from their hotel, to exchange money, and back to hotel to put into safe..... the chance of being robbed (unless you stop at a club and start pulling wads of cash out) is slim to (yes i dare to say) slim to nearly 0%

And yes, peoples overseas banks have $300-1000 max per day sometimes... also many Thai banks have 10k baht maximum for non bank cards (you using your SCB card at SCB atm terminal can 20k easily), but as for (example) American using their hometown card at any atm terminal for 20k, not so easy. (at least in my experience with my 4 USA banks)

I dont understand my advice being risk for robbery. This i cant understand, the forex's i have suggested give the best rates and are DAY time things. Random robberies in Thailand are same as accidentally banging a ladyboy on accident imo.

My 2cents on pickpockets.... bulges in pockets, flashing money/jewelry, walking down a dark soi by yourself in any situation or country is asking for bad news.

"Honor thy errors for their hidden intentions."

especially if there's some big apples down that street. them bitches put a heel in the side of your head lol

Ya, there's an area of ladyboys on Sukhumvit, if you walking from soi 4 to soi 12 in between there somewhere that is famous for having ladyboys who gang up and rob people in a dark area, they ganged up on me once and I pushed them off hard and ran, fucking bitches, i mean, dickheads! errr, whatever :error :1orglaugh

lots of attacks in Pattaya last year too..

You are flashy.:winkwink: I almost planned my 12 days and I see that not counting hotels and air/train tickets inside the country I will not be spending more than 500 bucks (per single person). I just do not see where it would be possible to spend more.

That is not relevant, just interesting note on how very differently people manage to spend money :)

Thanks for the long list of tips :thumbsup

its very possible to spend more than $500 a week. a decent dinner for 2 will cost you $50-100. a good bottle of wine can cost the same. you can't even get out of McDonalds for under $20. then there's tours, drinks, taxis, shopping, entertainment, tips, room service, the list goes on.. $500 for 12 days is backpacker level. there's lots of those here too.

i guess the ATM discussion was irrelevant :1orglaugh

Mineistaken.... you can eat the best tasting Thai food, REAL thai food in a run down little joint like the Thais do, for $1-3 for a meal.

Things like:
- kuay teaw
- pad ka pow
- many of those food court places that many areas have all around BKK all day and night.
- go to any night market like tarad rodfi, huay kwang night market, etc etc you'll get awesome food, very cheap :thumbsup

If you eat Thai food in a foreinger restaurant (example, a thai restaurant in Paragon) you will not get the great taste as you would from real thai style. Those resto's are built to please foreigners only, with standard, aircon, cloth napkins etc. That is not Thailand, you might as well stay home and go to Thai resto in your home area. :2 cents:

That's where i was nabbed up too, long time ago, and i deserved it :helpme :Oh crap :1orglaugh

1) rent a villa w/ staff and full time driver
2) use AMEX to avoid foreign exchange fees..
3) download LINE and WeCHAT, to chat w/ locals..
4) use driver to pick up the best local chicks to go out with whether out for fun or back to the villa (most chicks look the same and are avg/ugly)
5) look for a massage parlor with old ladies for the best deep tissue massage which will be like $5 USD, find the best one and get them to come to your villa daily
6) thailand gets boring after a while.. head over to singapore which is much better in my opinion

:1orglaugh

Huge mistake right there, if you want any girls, help yourself with that, dont entrust in someone else, especially a driver who doesnt know you and thinks all farangs like any brown issan girls that shows interest in them!

That is most likely why you say "most are avg/ugly" imo, have you ever been to a Thai member club, or educated girls? If going gogo bar hopping then yes, a lot will fit your description i'd agree.

hes on a 2 buck a day budget and is taking advise from expats like gods, which is like asking a Mexican housekeeper what's the best things to do in Las Vegas.
Three hours sitting on a plank on a longtail with no loo after spending a day at "locals" eateries will sort him out.

Definitely not a bacpacker budget, just not extra flashy budget.
I do not have budget limitations as Thailand is cheaper than home (meaning I could let myself live even much better than at home spending the same amount I spend at home. Definitely not trying to save).
I just genuinely do not see how I will be spending more than that :)

But I see where is the difference between you and me:

Dinner for 2 50-100 dollars?
That is super flashy for Thailand (I am traveling with friends and not my GF so no need for romantic fancy dinners).
Just take a look at random super nice food:
Braised Duck and Egg Noodles at Udom Suk (à¸�ิตติà¸�à¹‹à¸§à¸¢à¹€à¸•à¸µà¹‹à¸¢à¸§à¹€à ¸›à¹‡à¸” สาขา 3)
Prices: About 50 – 150 THB per person depending on how much extra duck you order

So $2-4 for deliciously looking food.

And those are normal - average prices for Thailand. I do not see how eating like normal/average people do means backpacking.

I do not drink any wine and certainly not $100 a bottle in Thailand. Will be sticking to beers.

Mcdonalds 20 bucks... Well I am definitely not going to eat mcdonalds in Thailand while Thailand is famous for their local food and while that is one of the most exciting things for me. And not simple mcdonald but also mcdonalds that cost as much as 5 (!!) local food dinners. That makes it even less sense.

So there is where our budget differences come from. And that is not backpacking by any means, I am definitely going to be eating VERY NICELY.

you have 500 bucks for your trip? might as well stay at home and look for a real job. :2 cents:

Sounds great, you see that would not even make a dent in that 500 bucks discussed budget :1orglaugh

Joking aside - is massage really that cheap?

And side note - I read that traditional thai massage actually hurts :Oh crap:1orglaugh

Whatever he said is doable on my budget no problems (that is not a budget by the way, I just said that I DO NOT SEE WHERE I COULD SPEND MORE. I do not have limits to budget, it was just my thought of). If I spend double that it is ok, I just do not see where it will be spent.
PS: that budget was for everything not including flights or hotels.

And I am not taking advice from expats like gods, just taking advice from anyone. Since real Thais do not post here.

Use reading comprehension next time.

Read again.
I do not have any limitations to the budget.
That was just my guess (based on research) of how much it will be POSSIBLE to spend. As in I do not see WHERE I will be spending more than that.
And that number was excluding hotels and flights within the country.

I am assuming it was for a quick fling...if you have a good thai driver, he will be able to scoop better quality from massage shops/bars ... i suggested this because if you try to go yourself you will be bombarded by so many girls at the same time its very hard to be calm and pick.

if you are looking for higher quality girls for a fling i suggest finding a host.

if you are looking for good girls who aren't pay deals you would have to do that on your own like you suggested by having some game and chatting up at the mall or something... which is way more fun than pay deals.

yes.. but its like 300 bt .. but there are 2 types of massage spots... shady and legit.. 90% are shady and they all look the same though so its a gamble unless you ask straight up or they tell you straight up.

if they are younger girls working there or a bunch of girls working there more than likely its shady, so you will get the upsell of full deal which they will hit you for more money like 1000-3000bt or something..

however that shit is lame and disgusting if you think about all of the disgusting bastards rolling through there just before you... better to find the legit cheap massage.. thai deep tissue .. leave there feeling great... then go to the mall or something and chat up some non working chicks...

This thread makes me miss DWB.

:thumbsup
Definitely agree with you, I am not interested in paid sex, yet real actual thai massage would be something you not experience at home. Just need to understand which is legit, like you said :)

The only difference is I'm in the country and you are doing web research lol.

Eating street food and looking for travel deals is budget travel. Here we call them backpackers. There's nothing wrong with it. Millions of backpackers flow thru Thailand every year.

We travel first class because we know the difference between the classes. We've tried them all. But hey, reading about the porn industry on the web makes guys instant industry experts, so it must work for travel too lol

Of course I am not pretending to be budget expert, that was just a wild guess to get discussion going. I may be proven wrong once in a country.
Although that link was from some typical cafeteria/restaurant (many of them on that blog). Or is it called street food as well? I assumed street food was those stalls on the street, not a restaurant/cafeteria like that.

I checked his best restaurants posts and he lists some very nice restaurants, yet the prices are still in few bucks per person. That gives me a conclusion that these are actual normal-average prices for good restaurants in Thailand. So how can it be called budget if you pay usual prices? That does not make sense by definition.
You suggest that overpaying 10 times is ok. To get a perspective - imagine prices for GOOD regular restaurants in your home country. Now imagine someone suggesting - hey eating in those good regular restaurants is budgeting, you should eat at that restaurant which charges 10 times more... That saying would not make much sense.

sometimes they have signs that say no sex.. those are 'usually' legit

My advice, after three days in Thailand, don't fart on the street, but at your hotel.
There is a big change you shit your pants cause you are not used to the food yet.
And than it is easier to change pants in your room.

Malaria, dont use tablets, only when you are deep in the woods.
Use Deet anti mosquito spray day and night when there are mosquito's

Don't plan your trips when you are alone, you will meet people that can advice you where to go and where to stay and perhaps travel with you to the next destination.

Ofcourse you should visit Pattaya. Thailand is great in many ways, the red light scene is part of that. And nana Plaza and Sow Cowboy are a must in Bangkok. Just like the King's palace. Cause i travel a lot alone, i prefer the Khoa San Road area in Bangkok so you easily meet people.

I always look at the backpackers places to stay in any part of Thailand. I didn't like Phi Phi island that much, to touristy. I prefer Koh Chang.

You can eat on the streets, no problem. I had stomach problems in normal expensive restaurants and also with street food. It can be bad everywhere. But most street food is just ok. Just sit on the toilet 1 day and it is over.

Get drunk and see if you can see the difference between a tranny or girl. Nobody cares. In the end you will found out what he/she is. Don't you like some gambling?

Get a soapy massage, a normal massage, a thai massage and a whole day spa massage, it is great! Woman are everywhere around the globe, but the spa massages in Thailand are the best in the world and cheap. I think the massages are better than sex.

In a restaurant a pay around 3 - 5 dollars for a meal + drinks. But i am staying in Thailand for months, not for a two week holiday.

Recomended street food: Pad Thai and banana pancakes + banana smoothies.

I just bought my tickets, will be travelling on the 23rd Feb, and will be there for 15 days.
Cant wait for it! :)

Great thread, with alot of information!!!

Here is how I have it "planned" and bought:
- 3 days Bangkok
- 3 days Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai
- 3 days Railay Bay
- 3 days Phi Phi Islands

+- exactly my route as well.
Although consider staying in Ao nang and just going to railay for day beach trips. Since Ao nang is like a town with some stuff to do and is a base for some island tours etc while railay is more of a resort.

Ao nang is just a tourist trap. Nice to go for further trips, but nothing else.
I would consider to go to Koh Lanta from Phi Phi instead of stay at Ao Nang.
Just take the boat from Phi Phi to Koh Lanta.
On Koh lanta the nices beaches are at the end of the island.

Bangkok:
- Nana Plaza + Soi Cowboy + Arab Area, nice markets there
- Kings Palace and temples nearby, take a Tuk Tuk or Taxi (Golden Mount for example)
- Khoa San Road

I would skip Chiang Mai on such a small trip.
Near Chiang Mai there is pai, heard good stories about that.
but you have no time for it.

You are more travelling than relaxing.

As opposed to Railay beach?

Ao nang is just a small beach street with tourist shops and anoying people who try to get you in their restaurant. Small beach there. It is only for taking the boat to other nicer parts. That is my opinion. 1 night Ao Nang is enough, and take the boat the next day to Phi Phi. Havent been to Railay beach. Friends rented a private boat and went to all small islands around Ao Nang, that must be great also.

On Phi Phi you see the big boats full of tourist coming in the morning and leaving in the evening. I don't like. But Phi Phi has some nice hotels/ resorts outside the center that are great and you don't get the tourist feeling there. Koh Lanta is an island where you can rent a scooter and explore the island, which is nicer than Ao Nang.

Thailand is my first stamp, beautiful country

great insights. you should write a no-bs travel guide for Thailand lol