Advice on Thailand

Thialand has many beautiful islands. Here is the list of some of the famous islands in Thialand:
Ko Samui,
Phuket
Ko Phi Phi,
Ko Lipe
Ko Tao
Ko Samet Reply to this

I lived in northeast Thailand - Pak Isan - for many years...Korat, Khon Kaen, and Sisaket. Where are your from, when are you going, where are you living, and for how long? And what do you enjoy doing? All important questions to answer before I can give appropriate advice.

In the meantime, you are going to need more than a week to travel around Thailand. Also buy the Lonely Planet guidebook for more details than I can give here.

Cheap flights - my favorite is Air Asia, but there are many other discount airlines.

Places to go - just read travelblogs by others who have traveled around Thailand to get a good overview. In the northeast there are Khmer ruins at Pimai (hour north or Korat) and Phnom Rung (hour southeast of Korat), and the Khao Yai National Park (hour west of Korat) for starters. I also lived in Chiang Mai and Travelblog can tell you everything to do there and in the area. As for islands in the south, you can fly directly from Chiang Mai to Phuket in the Indian Ocean in a couple hours for a few dollars rather than take two days by bus, train, and boat; especially if you have little time. From Phuket (Patong is wild, but there are other nice beaches on this large island) you can easily get boats to Phi Phi (of "The Beach" fame, but overrun with backpackers although expensive, and a party scene), Railay Beach (very beautiful beaches, but somewhat expensive for backpackers), and Ko Lanta (very laid back and less people). In the Gulf of Siam (Thailand) is Ko Samui (developed and more resorts), Ko Phangan (Full Moon Party), and Ko Tao (diving...good palce to get PADI)

Experiences and travel around the country - again, refer to Travelblogs about Thailand and the pros and cons of bus, train, and air travel.

Costs - very cheap for basic accommodations and food (<$25/day), cheap for better accommodations and food(<$50/day). Cheap for travel. Cheap for entertainment. What did you have in mind for a daily budget?

Visa - if you fly into the country you get 30 days upon entry. By land you get 15. If you need more you must get your visa
from a Thai consulate - a non-immigrant visa for example is good for 90 days. You can renew a visa by going over the border...but only 15 days if reentering by land.

Vaccinations - none required. Malaria pills are not recommended for long stays and prolonged use.

Backpackers hotspots - Khao San Rd in Bangkok and Ko Phangan for the Full Moon Party.
Reply to this

Hi Anthony. I also lived in Chiang Mai for 2 years...I was construction engineer for the 48 km road and the radar station on the top of Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand, about two hours southeast of Chiang Mai. By the way, Chiang Mai is in northern Thailand, not the northeast. As you will be there 3 weeks you'll have pleanty of time to see and do everything in that area, so your last week can be the southern islands and Bangkok.

If you want to see Ayutthaya, I suggest seeing it on the way to Chiang Mai. If not take a night train or bus from Chiang Mai to Ayutthaya, arriving in the morning. You can see most of the town in 4-6 hours. Then continue by train to Bangkok. Try to catch the Bangkok Airways flight departing a 7:05 pm and arriving at Ko Samui at 8:10 pm for ~$150. If you don't need to see Ayutthaya, there is a direct flight on Bangkok Airways for ~$250 from Chiang Mai departing at 2:05 pm and arriving at Ko Samui at 3:50 pm. It's much cheaper to take a train/bus/ferry but takes many hours and is a real pain, and you don't have time. You can always save money on the return trip to Bangkok if you have time.

You can easily reach Ko Phangan and Ko Tao by ferry from Ko Samui. Will you be able to schedule your arrival at Ko Phangan a day or so before the Full Moon Party? There are parties on other phases of the moom, but if you are a purist, then you should be there for the Main Event. Otherwise, Ko Tao is really nice for relaxing and snorkeling or learning scuba diving.

I don't think you have time to do the southwest islands...you would have to take the Air Asia flight for $83 directly from Chiang Mai departing 1 pm to Phuket arriving 3:05 pm, and only spend a day or so at each of Patong and Phi Phi (definitely no time for Ko Lanta), before taking minibuses/ferry to Ko Samui/Ko Phangan/Ko Tao, and then only spend a day or so there...not much relaxation by doing too much.

You will need to leave the south after 5 days if you are going to have any time in Bangkok...see the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Grand Palace, and Wat Po next door, on the first day at a minimum. Have a great time! Reply to this