Thailand tours and gems

April will be a tough month as it is the height of the hot season just before the Monsoon or rainy season. Expect it to be incredibly humid and 100 degrees or more every day.

For me Ayuthaya was one of the best places. Better than Sukothai as it is pretty crowded with tourists. However keep in mind I have been countless times to Thailand and lived there and lived in Cambodia for 7 years however my last visit to BKK was about 2010.

In BKK the Grand Palace and Wat doi Sutep are musts. I would avoid the tourist floating markets as they are for tourists. There are real floating markets around that can be visited seek those out. But to me some of the markets that line the Chao Praya river are much more interesting and great places to eat. One of the best things I did in BKK was a Klong boat tour. The good ones take you to the real back lanes of the smaller klongs into the neighborhoods a cool way to spend a couple of hours.

BKK is huge, it's basically an Asian Los Angeles and one of the best ways to get around with great views of the city is to use the River Taxis. This is the Coolest and often fastest way to get to most of the important sights around the city. Most sights are a short walk from the river. This is why I stay at a hotel on the river near one of the major River Taxi Stops. They are easy to use and though mostly Thias use them they are used to tourists and take into account that you dont know where you are going. Just get a good guidebook and plan your stop. The stops have English signs.

As for beach places I prefer Hat Rai Lay but I am not sure if you can do a day trip there. But even Ko Phi Phi has been "Discovered" long ago. On my first trip to that part of Thailand in the early 80's even Koh Samui had no roads and no real hotels, there was only a two track dirt road, bamboo and wood huts for $2/day, complete seafood dinners for about $1.50 to $3.00, a bottle of Mekong Whiskey I remember as being about a Dollar and Hash Cookies were 16 cents a piece. Now Koh Samui is a mega resort with it's own airport and 5 star hotels.

But the best piece of advice I can give you is get the Lonely Planet Guide to Thailand. It's not nearly as good as it was when Joe Cimmings was writing it but I think it's still the best.

Have fun and dont be afraid to eat off the street stalls...or in the markets. This will be the most authentic and best food you get.

chiang rai itself is a hidden gem, not a lot of tourist compare to chiang mai/bk. there are many road trips to the hill tribes or border towns, or cross into burma or laos for a day. ask your hotel for a private car with driver it's not expensive if you have a few people to share the cost with.

I just got back from Thailand yesterday. I love Bangkok, but the heat was hard for me. Though it was only about 32-33C, the humidity was very high. The only cool place was on the river. My hotel was a 6-7 minute walk from the river ferry and I used that for transportation most of the time, even just waiting on the dock for the boat was pleasant. Don't skimp on taxis - they are everywhere, easy to flag down, and a welcome respite to sit in comfort (Toyotas, Hondas) with the AC blasting. Not that many drivers speak English, so it's a good idea to have your hotel write in Thai any place that you want to visit. Also be sure to have the name, address and directions in Thai to your hotel. The north - Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai - is in the mountains so the humidity is considerably lower.

If you want to shop, I've found that the cottons - even the cheap ones - are good quality. I thought the prices in Chiang Mai were a little lower than in Bangkok, but there was a much larger selection in Bangkok. Bargain! Sometimes a vendor will insist on a price and not be budged, then just decide if it's worth it to you. For the most part, sellers would easily knock off 10-15%, but then stood firm. Though I bought an anklet that cost 100 baht one day, then next day looked at similar ones that the seller said were 200B, I pointed to the one I was wearing and said how much I paid, and the seller immediately said, okay 100! I went to the Chatuchak weekend market - hot, but mostly covered and some places had fans. For more comfort shop at MBK - all air-conditioned with a yummy food court.

When I was in Chiang Rai (several years ago) I hired a private guide with a car and I toured the area for 3 days, visiting remote villages (an eye-opener), beautiful scenery, and a few temples, a tea plantation and of course, traveled along the burmese border. I was less impressed by the hours spent going to see the Golden Triangle.

Take a cooking class in Chiang Mai and visit an elephant reserve. . . one where you interact with the elephants but not one that exploits them to amuse the tourists with their tricks.

I don't know that I found any hidden gems, but there are plenty of well-known gems. My favorite wats (temples) are Wat Arun (it's worth the effort to climb up) and Wat Pho (with the reclining Buddha). Other faves are the Royal Palace, the BAngkok National Museum and the Vimanmek Mansion Museum. Go to the Pak Khlong Market, then walk through Chinatown to Wat Traimit to see the world's largest solid gold Buddha.

I'm not a "beach person" but there are some gorgeous ones and opportunities to snorkel.