hints & information
on this page you find some useful information about thailand for your own journey.
kho tao, kho phangan, kho samui & phuket
we have been to kho tao, kho phangan, kho samui and phuket. the place we both liked the most was kho tao! the reason was that it was totally different to the others: no big resorts, cheap prices, no aggressive sellers, young people and good restaurants/bars. what i did not really like was kho samui and phuket...well it is only my opinion, but there is nothing to do than hanging at the beach and shopping. for a couple of days it is okay, but i would get bored if i had to stay there for a week. kho phangan has quiet beaches, which are not too touristy. depending on what you're searching and with whom you're traveling, this could be a good alternative.
scuba diving
thailand is very popular for scuba diving. some of the world's best dive spots are situated here - in the andaman sea (similan islands). you can also dive in the gulf of thailand. but the andaman sea is better. if you're diving in the gulf of thailand you should do this only from kho tao. if you want to dive from kho phangan or kho samui, the boats will go around kho tao as well. these trips then, of course, are more expensive than if you would go directly from kho tao. as mentioned, kho tao was by the way the place i liked the most.
if diving in the andaman sea, take a look at the season. especially the popular similan islands are closed during rainy season.
if you want to learn to dive (or want to do other courses), then go to kho tao, where it is really cheap.
the king
thailand has a king, which is very popular. you will see it when you're there. everywhere you will find photos from the king (and his wife). even in the streets sometimes big decorations with a king picture can be found. important: never offend the king! do not talk bad about the king, never do something with picture of the king and do not stand on a bank note (as there is a picture of the king on it). you can get in jail for certain offences.
food
the food in thailand is cheap! you can eat from 2 to 6 usd, depending on where you eat. you should definitively eat thai sometimes. what i heard before the trip was, that the food is too spicy for tourists in general. but we have made the experience that they adapt their food to the habits of the tourists. my friend urs told them every time to get the food "thai spicy". it was never the case. after one or two weeks you may need a change: there is plenty of international food available, almost everywhere in thailand! street food: be careful where you buy food...things like fruits and pancakes may be good to buy from a street stand, while other things already smell & look nasty.
prices
thailand is, compared with switzerland, a very cheap country to make holidays. you can get accommodation from 4 to 6 usd if you want and you can eat in restaurants for about 4 to 5 usd.
if you want to buy something from a market stand (or in bangkok from mbk), then do not pay the first price the say. if they tell you a price, always answer them with a lower price (which maybe half of the price they told you). you can save a lot of money by not paying the first best price.
taxi (cab)
you can do wrong a lot by just taking any taxi in thailand. the following points should be considered:
- do not take a taxi that offers you only a fixed rate for a certain distance. always ask for "taxometer" and be sure that it is being reset before you start.
- if you arrive at the bangkok (bkk) airport, do not take a taxi in the arrival zone. go to the departure zone and take a taxi there...usually here you pay fixed rates from the airport to the city. if you will use the highway, there will be an extra fee for that. so be sure this is already included in the price.
tuk tuk
the "tuk tuk" (see image below) is probably one of the most famous transport vehicles in thailand. and for sure you should use it once at least. but also here you should take care. if somebody offers you a tuk tuk tour for only 20 baht, something is wrong. when we did that the driver took us to a tailor shop where they tried to sell us suits. the tuk tuk drivers get money if someone they brought in buys something. so we had to spend about 30 minutes in there. always ask in advance for the price...tuk tuk's do not have taxometer.
skytrain
bangkok has a skytrain and it is a very cheap & good public transport system. a single fare costs about 20 to 30 baht, while a full day pass costs 100 baht. so whenever you can use skytrain, do it.
shopping in bangkok
if you're in bangkok you should definitively reserve at least one day for shopping! there are so many different malls which all are huge. the best shopping you can do is around siam street (sky train station "siam"). the most popular malls are:
- mbk: here you can by everything! technology stuff, clothes, shoes - here you can get it all. very surprising was that you can buy faked items here for cheap prices (almost like in khao san road). there is stuff from every popular brand.
- siam center & siam paragon: siam center has many good shops (selling original items, not faked!). things you buy here are - even if they're original - about 30% cheaper than in europe. siam paragon has expensive stores, but a good food court in the basement. you should definitively go there for lunch or dinner.
links
http://www.tourismthailand.ch