Hi. Im travelling to Thailand this year with a friend, and have not been to Asia before at all...just a bit of advice really!
Ok, so I\'m planning to start in Bangkok, then up to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, then down to Phuket and maybe to Koh Samui. We are looking at going in May or June. I know this at the start of the monsoon season, and wondered if anyone else had travelled at this time, and would recommend/not recommend it? Is it constant downpours, or on/off rain for an hour or 2 at a time?!
Also, is there anywhere else that people would recommend going to? I am only planning to be out there for 3/4 weeks.
Oh, and one more thing. About jabs...I have had Polio, dip, tetnus, tb, hep A and typhoid, a few websites are recommending Japenese B. Is this really necessary? Its so expensive.
Thanks in advance for any answers! 😊
Reply to this Check one of the vaccination sites and speak to a doctor or nurse other than local GP unless you have a good one, e.g. MASTA. The transmission season for Jap B is in the rainy season but usually only necessary if you are near rice paddies as it has a complex lifecycle involving pigs and even then chances are small.
More for consideration that you haven't listed is rabies vacc.
Reply to this Don't worry about the monsoun season. It could rain for a couple of hours a day. Some days now rain at all. It also depends where in Thailand you are. At the islands Koh samui, Koh Pha gan, Koh Tao, Koh Samet (most sun hour per year), the monsoun is no problem.
In Chang Mai or far east in Thailand you can get more showers.
I you are looking for diving Koh Tao is a great place. Phuket and Phi Phi is probably great as well for diving. Phuket is a party-hole with less thai culture, however a nice place to be.
Have a nice trip
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vietnam-charter
Reply to this Thanks for your answers!! Qwertyjjj, I did look into the rabies jab when I travelled to africa last year, but it was £100, and I just cannot afford it. I went to a lot of different clinics where I live, and £97 was the cheapest I could find it! Argh!!! I know some people say well...you cant gamble with rabies, but it's not even a deff way to stop you getting it, so I'm not going to bother with that one. Just heard so many different views on the jap B one.
Reply to this My friend went to Thailand in June and said that the monsoons weren't a problem. She still managed to get sunburnt and said it might rain a bit every day, but no for long. Watch out for te cockroaches tho, apparently the rain attracts em. Woop.
She did such a good job of convincing me June was a good time to go, that I'm gonna be there from June till July 09. Thinking of heading from bangkok to chiang mai (and do a thai cooking course whilst i'm there!), to Pai, Chaing mai and eventually across to Laos, to Vietnam, Cambodia and then back round to koh phang nan for a full moon party!
I ended up getting Jap B and Rabies, just in case! Are you planning on taking malaria tablets?
Reply to this Jap B is recommended if you are in a transmission area for longer than 2-3 months (check this online).
Yes, but what the rabies jab does is give you time. For example, you are in Laos, best medicine available in Bangkok. The rabies vaccine gives you time to get to the hospital. Personally, I have not seen any rabid animals yet and you can keep away from them if so, but it's a matter of principle. I would rather spend the money on rabies vaccine than anti malarials if I was here as the touristy places have less chance of malaria but plenty don't bother and yet take anti malarials...go figure 😊
Up to you.
Reply to this Thanks for the info! 😊 Yeah I will take malaria tablets, simply because I appear to be a mosquito feast whenever I go abroad, it doesn't matter what I do, I use spray etc, but I always get bitten to excess!! I come back looking more like Ive been beaten up or something. ha ha!
Thanks for all your advice!
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