First-time traveler’s guide in Thailand
Whether you are a solo traveler, a bunch of adventurous friends, a grown-up family with children or a young couple like us, Thailand has it all to be the perfect suitable holidays destination. Bustling Bangkok with its impressive skyline, the outstanding beaches in the south, amazing culture, effervescent nightlife, delicious food and last but not least, the incredibly friendly people – all these are waiting for you. Here is a first-time traveler’s guide in Thailand so you can make the most out of it!
We had never been to the Asian continent before, so by the time we decided to visit Thailand there were very few things we knew about this country Therefore, tones of answers to seek during our research:
Table of Contents
How much time do you need in Thailand?
I’ll start with this tricky one. There is so much to do and see that you could spend months here without getting bored. After thorough study we understood Thailand has three main areas to focus on:
- the north – pristine mountain and jungle scenery, astonishing temples in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai
- Bangkok and its surroundings
- the south with unlimited beach and island-hopping options
But let’s face it, most of us have jobs that don’t allow us to be away from home for too long :(. Getting the whole picture of this wonderful country and building an extensive itinerary would take at least three weeks. However, due to the limited amount of days off, we had to narrow down our trip to two weeks and postpone our voyage to northern Thailand.
What’s the best time to visit Thailand?
Being a quite vast country, its climate varies depending on region and overall Thailand can be visited all-year-round. However, the best months to travel here are November to April, during the cool and dry season. Reduced rainfall, less humid atmosphere, and easily bearable temperatures will make your stay much more enjoyable!
Our trip to Thailand happened January 2019 – we just wanted to get far away from the cold Bucharest winter. The exact period of time was determined especially by looking for the most affordable flights sooo:
Plane tickets – when, how, how much!?
Plane tickets are probably the most significant expense when it comes to Thailand, if living overseas. We had been planning this trip for a long time so, within 7-8 months ahead of it, tracking prices of flights became part of our daily routine. We finally went for a Chinese company we had never heard of, Xiamen Airlines, despite having read some negative reviews about it. Nevertheless, we wanted to minimize our flight budget so we both agreed we could spare a little comfort to save about 100€ each. This was not the case by any means – the experience with this airline exceeded our expectations (schedule respected, good meals and snacks, various multimedia options, very nice staff). The only downside was the increased flight time caused by the two layovers.
We paid 460€ each for a return flight with hold luggage included. I know many of you won’t consider having one-day long flights, maybe we also wouldn’t do it like this anymore. That’s how we did it back then though and I can ensure you it’s not as bad as it seems. What you should keep in mind:
- everything up to 500€ is an excellent deal
- tickets for March and April usually tend to be cheaper than for December and January
- follow FlyDubai and Qatar Airlines – they sometimes have very affordable flights to Thailand (400-450€) but tickets sell out very fast!
- don’t hesitate, just press that “Book now” button! 🙂
Visa and immigration policy
Another aspect you should pay attention to is the visa. Citizens from many countries are required a visa to be allowed to enter Thailand. The best way to inform yourself is to check with the Thai embassy in your own country.
(Romanian citizens can opt to get the visa on-arrival on Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport. Find the needed documents and more important information here.
We just wanted to skip any queue on our arrival, so we went through the whole process before, at the Thai Embassy in Bucharest. Yes, you can get your visa here too – in our case it took 3-4 working days since we applied. Important: Romanian Citizens are sometimes granted free visa-on-arrival, so check that first!
If you are only looking for the visa application form, voila!)
Prices and valability for the two types of visas are as follows:
• visa-on-arrival : 2000Baht (around 60€) ; 15 days from arrival
• single-entry tourist visa : 35€ – you can only pay cash, in €! ; 3 months from arrival
Make sure you thoroughly prepare all requested documents and you will have a quick, smooth immigration process!
Currency in Thailand
The currency in Thailand is the Thai Baht. As of January 2020:
100 Baht = 3€
Hotels, restaurants and bars usually accept card payment(including Revolut). However, there are many places where you will have to pay cash, so make sure you stack up on Thai Bahts too!
Is it SAFE?
Thailand is a very safe place to visit. In our two weeks there we have never felt insecure, even when walking at night. Just like anywhere else, keep an eye on your belongings in crowded places, take little precaution against scams and petty theft and you have absolutely nothing to worry about.
As infectious diseases are concerned, no vaccination is mandatory. However it may be advisable depending on your area of interest (remote areas in particular), and if travelling with children. Honestly, we didn’t take any shots or medication and didn’t encounter any signs of health damage at all. Nevertheless, having a medical insurance when being abroad is always a good idea!
Where/what to eat in Thailand?
Yep, we are food lovers – and south-Asian cuisine is as good as it gets. We mainly went for street food and I really suggest you do the same. You will usually get better food than in restaurants, while living the real Thai experience. A small tip here: always aim for places where lots of other people eat and which seem reasonably clean. As well as that, this is the most efficient way to spare money. You’ll have amazing meals for as little as 2-3€, while dining in a restaurant can be a bit more expensive (7 – 10€).
Some dishes you should definitely try: Tom Yum soup, Green and Red Curry, the Masaman Curry. And of course – Pad Thai – we just couldn’t get enough of it! Pay attention to the spiciness – if you say you want your food spicy, well, spicy is what you’ll get!
As well as that, have a go at the sweet mango sticky rice and enjoy loads of fresh fruit shakes. Or, if you prefer, cool off with some of the local beers (Leo, Chang and Singha) :).
Transport inside and outside the city
During our stay in Thailand, we’ve been to many different places. These translates into a lot of commuting – so what means of transportation is it best to use? Planes, trains, buses, underground, skytrains, tuk-tuks, scooter-taxis, Grab (an Asian version of Uber where you can also pay in cash), boats – we’ ve tried each and every one of them.
Inside Bangkok you will quickly get acquainted with the MRT(metro), and the BTS(skytrain). These are fairly cheap and well connected, so you will use them a lot. When mass transit doesn’t help you, you can always jump on a Grab – also affordable and very comfortable. For a more authentic experience, have a tuk-tuk or scooter-taxi ride – but please beware of tourist scams and be ready to negociate!
We have used both train and buses for day trips outside the capital, whereas flying is your best bet for longer journeys throughout the country. Flights are frequent and tickets are usually low-priced, especially if travelling with hand luggage only. We paid around 80€ each for a return flight between Bangkok and Krabi, hold luggage included.
Speaking about public transport in Thailand you should know something right off the bat: time is relative! It’s highly likely that your bus, train or even plane will depart later than scheduled. Don’t let this get on your nerves, just try to accept it and/or find better alternatives.
Phuket or Krabi?
This is the question most first-time Thailand travelers have when deciding which beach destination in the south to fly to. I’ll wrap it up: pick Krabi if you are more into exploring, hiking and other adventurous activities; go to Phuket for better nightlife (but still unbelievable landscapes and loads of options to spend time in the nature). You might also want to know that Phuket seems to be a bit pricier than Krabi. But no matter which one you choose, you’ll certainly wish to come back and visit the other one some day. Our first choice was Krabi, and we are already looking forward to discover Phuket next time we come to Thailand!
If you decided that Thailand in your next destination, please check out our 2 weeks itinerary in Bangkok and Krabi!
